Saturday, February 11, 2017

NHL 2016/17 - Day 116

Thirteen games on today, including six matinees. We begin in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller faces a lesser foe in Anton Khudobin in goal. Vancouver began in the first period with a Bo Horvat goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Jannik Hansen and Alexandre Burrows. Boston tied it with a Kevan Miller goal, his second of the year, helped along by Ryan Spooner and Frank Vatrano. The Bruins took the lead with a Vatrano power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by David Krejci and Torey Krug. The Canucks retied it on a Burrows goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, via Hansen and Horvat. Boston regained the lead in the third period with a Colin Miller goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jimmy Hayes and Vatrano. Vancovuer tied it on a Markus Granlund power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Alexander Edler and Ben Hutton. The Bruins won 4-3 with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, via Krejci and Adam McQuaid. The three stars were Vatrano, Horvat, and Burrows, while Hansen and Krejci get the honorable mentions.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Craig Anderson draw the starts in goal. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Mark Stone goal, his twentieth of the season, with a lone assist by Erik Karlsson. The Senators added on with a Zack Smith goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Kyle Turris and Dion Phaneuf. Ottawa extended the lead as Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Tom Pyatt. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars being Anderson (33 save shutout), Stone, and Smith.

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Michal Neuvirth are the backups in goal. Philadelphia got going in the third period with an Ivan Provorov goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Andrew MacDonald and Jakub Voracek. San Jose tied it on a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Kevin Labanc and Joe Thornton. The Flyers won 2-1 in overtime on a Wayne Simmonds goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Simmonds, Provorov, and Neuvirth (23 for 24 in saves).

Southwest to Dallas, where the Stars host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Kari Lehtonen are the veteran goalies. Dallas opened in the first period with an Esa Lindell goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Stars added on with a Patrick Eaves goal, his twentieth of the year, via Cody Eakin and Jamie Benn. Dallas extended the lead as Curtis McKenzie scored an unassisted goal, his fourth of the season. Carolina got on the board with a Sebastian Aho goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Elias Lindholm and Jordan Staal in the second period. The Stars shot back with an Eaves power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, powered by Radek Faksa and Benn. The Hurricanes got one back in the third period with a Justin Faulk power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, assisted by Lindholm and Staal. Dallas answered with an Adam Cracknell goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by McKenzie. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Eaves, McKenzie, and Benn, while Lindholm and Staal get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Pekka Rinne draw the starts in goal. Florida started in the first period with a Jaromir Jagr goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Keith Yandle and Jonathan Huberdeau. Nashville tied it on a Roman Josi power play goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Panthers retook the lead in the second period with a Jussi Jokinen power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Reilly Smith. The Predators tied it on a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Ryan Ellis and Josi. Florida took the lead again with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his second of the season, assisted by Michael Sgarbossa and Mark Pysyk. The Panthers added on with a Trocheck goal, his nineteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Rinne was replaced by Juuse Saros. Florida extended the lead as Aleksander Barkov scored a power play goal, his eleventh of the season, thanks to Huberdeau. Nashville got one back with a shorthanded Arvidsson goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, set up by Ellis. The Panthers replied in the third period with a Huberdeau goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Alex Petrovic. The Predators responded with an Arvidsson goal, completing his hat trick on his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Yannick Weber and Calle Jarnkrok. Florida iced it at 7-4 with a Trocheck empty net goal, his twentieth of the campaign, fueled by Jokinen and Smith. The three stars belonged to Huberdeau, Trocheck, and Arvidsson, while Jokinen, Smith, Josi, and Ellis get the honorable mentions.

Northeast to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Sergei Bobrovsky are the masked men. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Brandon Dubinsky. Detroit tied it on a Thomas Vanek power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Darren Helm. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the second period on a Cam Atkinson goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Jenner and Dubinsky. The game ended at 2-1, with the three stars going to Jenner, Bobrovsky (35 for 36 in saves), and Dubinsky.

At the usual time, the Montreal Canadiens host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Al Montoya have the green light to play goal. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with an Patrik Berglund goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Alex Pietrangelo and Jaden Schwartz. Montreal tied it on a Shea Weber goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Max Pacioretty. The Blues took the lead in the second period with a David Perron goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Jori Lehtera and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Canadiens tied it on a Pacioretty goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, passed from Nathan Beaulieu and Greg Pateryn. St. Louis took the lead with a Berglund goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, coming off of Jay Bouwmeester and Pietrangelo. The Blues iced it at 4-2 with a third period Berglund empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his seventeenth of the year, set up by Perron and Schwartz. The three stars were Berglund, Pietrangelo, and Pacioretty, while Perron and Schwartz get the honorable mentions.

In New York, the Rangers welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with Henrik Lundqvist in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Kevin Klein goal, his second of the season, passed from Brady Skjei and Oscar Lindberg. Colorado tied it on a Gabriel Landeskog his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche took the lead in the second period with a John Mitchell goal, his second of the season, via Blake Comeau and Jarome Iginla. The Rangers tied it in the third period with a Klein goal, his second of the game and third of the year, helped along by Jesper Fast and Lindberg. New York took the lead with a Rick Nash goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh. The Rangers finished it at 4-2 with a Kevin Hayes empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Michael Grabner and J.T. Miller. The three stars went to Klein, Lindberg, and Lundqvist (32 for 34 in saves).

Back in Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Frederik Andersen Buffalo began in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel. The Sabres added on with a Reinhart power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Kyle Okposo and Eichel. Buffalo extended the lead as Kane scored his second of the game, thanks to Eichel, who got a sock trick, and Justin Falk. Toronto got on the board with a Mitchell Marner power play goal in the second period, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Tyler Bozak and Nikita Zaitsev. This produced the 3-1 final, with the three stars being Kane, Eichel, and Lehner (43 for 44 in saves).

West to Winnipeg, where the Jets host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Connor Hellebuyck are the young goalies. Tampa Bay started in the first period Brayden Point goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Jonathan Drouin. The Lightning added on with a Brian Boyle goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Victor Hedman and Jake Dotchin. Tampa Bay extended the lead on an Ondrej Palat goal in the second period, his eleventh of the season, with helpers from Point and Andrej Sustr. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period with a Jacob Trouba goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Dustin Byfuglien and Blake Wheeler. The Lightning iced it at 4-1 with a Hedman empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Palat and Cedric Paquette. The three stars were Point, Palat, and Hedman.

Back in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington opened in the first period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Marcus Johanssson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on with a Backstrom goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Alex Ovechkin and Oshie. Washington extended the lead as Tom Wilson scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Daniel Winnik and Jay Beagle. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Andrew Cogliano and Ryan Getzlaf. The Capitals answered with a shorthanded and unassisted Winnik goal, his seventh of the season. The Ducks chipped back with a Hampus Lindholm goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Getzlaf and Silfverberg. Anaheim got closer with a Ryan Kesler goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Cam Fowler. The Ducks tied it as Getzlaf scored his ninth of the year, with the help of Fowler and Kevin Bieksa. Washington regained the lead with a Zach Sanford goal, with assists provided by Brett Connolly and Matt Niskanen. The Capitals finished it at 6-4 with a Johansson empty net goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Backstrom. The three stars went to Backstrom, Getzlaf, and Oshie, while Silfverberg, Fowler, Winnik, and Johansson get the honorable mentions.

In Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Mike Smith guard the cages. Pittsburgh dented the scoreboard with a Josh Archibald goal in the second period, via Eric Fehr and Tom Kuhnhackl. Arizona tied it on an unassisted goal by Tobias Rieder, his twelfth of the season. The Coyotes took the lead with a Martin Hanzal power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Radim Vrbata and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Arizona added on in the third period with a Hanzal goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, made possible by Ekman-Larsson and Max Domi. The Penguins chipped back with an Archibald goal, his second of the game going in shorthanded and unassisted. Pittsburgh tied it on a Phil Kessel goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Jake Guentzel and Kris Letang. The Coyotes won 4-3 in overtime with a Connor Murphy goal, with a lone assist by Alex Burmistrov. The three stars belonged to Hanzal, Archibald, and Ekman-Larsson.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Cam Talbot are in the blue paint. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Patrick Maroon goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Connor McDavid. Chicago tied it with a Richard Panik goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Nick Schmaltz and Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Panik and Jonathan Toews. Chicago added on in the second period with a Trevor van Riemsdyk goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks extended the lead as Panik scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season on the power play, with the help of Toews and Kane. Laurent Brossoit replaced Talbot in goal. Chicago padded the lead in the third period with an Artem Anisimov goal, his twentieth of the year, with helpers from Kane and Brian Campbell. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars being Panik, Kane, and Toews.

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Friday, February 10, 2017

NHL 2016/17 - Day 115

Two games tonight, with the first being...

The Winnipeg Jets welcoming the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Connor Hellebuyck are the goalies. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Artemi Panarin and Artem Anisimov. Winnipeg tied it on a Bryan Little goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Toby Enstrom and Patrik Laine in the second period. The Blackhawks retook the lead with an Anisimov goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Panarin and Kane. Chicago added on in the third period with a Duncan Keith goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Nick Schmaltz. The Blackhawks extended the lead as Marian Hossa scored a shorthanded empty net goal, his twentieth of the season, set up by Niklas Hjalmarsson. The Jets pulled back with an Adam Lowry power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Joel Armia and Jacob Trouba. Chicago finished it at 5-2 with a Panarin empty net goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, assisted by Keith. The three stars went to Anisimov, Kane, and Panarin, while Keith gets an honorable mention.

Down in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Minnesota got going in the second period with a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Mikael Granlund and Jason Pominville. Tampa Bay tied it on a Brayden Point goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Jason Garrison and Alex Killorn. The tie went into the shootout, where Mikko Koivu gave the Wild a 2-1 win with his lone tally. The three stars were Dubnyk (26 for 27 in saves), Vasilevskiy (37 for 38 in saves), and Koivu.

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Thursday, February 9, 2017

NHL 2016/17 - Day 114

Eleven games today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Tuukka Rask guard the cages. Boston opened in the first period with a David Backes goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Torey Krug and David Krejci. San Jose tied it on a Joe Thornton goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Tomas Hertl. The Bruins took the lead back with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Backes and Brandon Carlo. Boston added on with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Bergeron. The Sharks got one back with a Justin Braun goal, his third of the season, made possible by Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau in the second period. Aaron Dell relieved Jones in goal. The Bruins answered with a Tim Schaller goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Riley Nash and Dominic Moore. Boston extended the lead as Pastrnak scored his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, with helpers provided by Bergeron and Brad Marchand. San Jose got on the board with a Timo Meier goal, his third of the year, with assists from Joel Ward and Hertl. The Bruins finished it at 6-3 with a Marchand empty net goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, set up by Bergeron and Backes. The three stars were Pastrnak, Bergeron, and Backes, while Marchand and Hertl get the honorable mentions.

Out to Buffalo, where the Sabres welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Robin Lehner are the goalies. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Corey Perry goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. Buffalo tied it on a Jack Eichel power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Kyle Okposo and Ryan O'Reilly. The Ducks took the lead with a third period goal by Rickard Rakell goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Perry and Hampus Lindholm. Anaheim added on with an Antoine Vermette power play goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Brandon Montour and Lindholm. The Ducks extended the lead as Perry scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season, thanks to Rakell and Cam Fowler. The Sabres got one back with a Rasmus Ristolainen goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Justin Bailey and Sam Reinhart. Anaheim iced it at 5-2 with an Andrew Cogliano empty net goal, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Ryan Kesler and Logan Shaw. The three stars were given to Perry, Rakell, and Lindholm,

Along to Manhattan, where the New York Rangers bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Henrik Lundqvist draw the starts in goal. Nashville started in the first period with a Cody McLeod goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by P.K. Subban and Austin Watson. The Predators added on with a Calle Jarnkrok power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Mike Fisher and Subban in the second period. New York got on the board with a Michael Grabner goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, via Kevin Hayes. The Rangers tied it on a J.T. Miller goal, his seventeenth of the year, with a lone assist by Hayes. New York took the lead in the third period with a Chris Kreider goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Mats Zuccarello and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers extended the lead as Miller scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, thanks to Ryan McDonagh and Hayes, the latter earning a sock trick. Nashville got one back with a Roman Josi power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Ryan Johansen and Ryan Ellis. This only made it 4-3, with the three stars going to Miller, Hayes, and Subban.

West to Philadelphia, where the Flyers host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Steve Mason are in the blue paint. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Shayne Gostisbehere and Jakub Voracek. New York tied it on a John Tavares goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Ryan Strome and Josh Bailey on the power play. The Islanders took the lead with a Jason Chimera goal, his twelfth of the season, via Andrew Ladd and Dennis Seidenberg. New York added on in the third period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Johnny Boychuk. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Chimera, Griess (33 for 34 in saves), and Cizikas.

Next up, the Washington Capitals welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Braden Holtby are the masked men. Washington struck first in the first period with a Marcus Johansson goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Justin Williams. Detroit tied it on an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his twelfth of the year, via Ryan Sproul and Thomas Vanek. The Red Wings took the lead with an Athanasiou power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Vanek. The Capitals tied it on a Brett Connolly goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Lars Eller and Karl Alzner. Washington took the lead in the second period on a T.J. Oshie goal, his twenty-first of the season, guided in by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. Detroit tied it on a third period goal by Henrik Zetterberg, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Anthony Mantha and Gustav Nyquist. The Capitals took the lead back with a Carlson goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Oshie. Washington added on with Oshie's second of the game and twenty-second of the year, a power play goal with assists provided by Backstrom and Johansson. The Capitals iced it at 6-3 with a Backstrom empty net goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Jay Beagle. The three stars belonged to Oshie, Backstrom, and Carlson, while Johansson, Athanasiou, and Vanek get the honorable mentions.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Sergei Bobrovsky are between the pipes. Vancouver got going in the second period on a Daniel Sedin goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Markus Granlund and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks added on with a Loui Eriksson power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. Vancouver extended the lead in the third period as Jayson Megna scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Troy Stecher and Alexander Edler. The three stars of the 3-0 game belonged to Miller (33 save shutout), Daniel Sedin, and Henrik Sedin.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Mike Condon are in the creases. Ottawa was first to score in the first period with a Dion Phaneuf goal, his seventh of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Senators added on with an empty net goal credited to Chris Kelly as his fifth of the year. Dallas got on the board in the second period with an Antoine Roussel goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Radek Faksa and Jordie Benn. The Stars tied it on a Jamie Benn goal, his seventeenth of the year, with a lone assist by Esa Lindell. Ottawa took the lead with a Mark Stone goal in the third period, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Ryan Dzingel and Cody Ceci. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Stone, Condon (31 for 33 in saves), and Phaneuf.

Also in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. St. Louis began in the first period with a Patrik Berglund goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Magnus Paajarvi and Jaden Schwartz. Toronto tied it on a second period goal by Morgan Rielly goal, his second of the year, helped along by William Nylander and Nazem Kadri. The Blues won 2-1 in overtime with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, assisted by Jori Lehtera and Kevin Shattenkirk. The three stars belonged to Allen (31 for 32 in saves), Tarasenko, and Berglund.

South to Florida, where the Panthers bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and James Reimer are the goalies. Los Angeles opened in the first period with a Dustin Brown power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Alec Martinez and Jeff Carter. The Kings added on with a Carter goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, via Tanner Pearson. Florida got on the board with a Jussi Jokinen goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Nick Bjugstad and Vincent Trocheck. Los Angeles replied with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Drew Doughty and Carter. The Kings extended the lead as Pearson scored his sixteenth of the season in the second period, with the help of Brown. Los Angeles padded the lead with a Dwight King goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Trevor Lewis and Paul Ladue. The Kings continued with a Carter goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the season, fueled by Pearson and Brayden McNabb. The Panthers got closer in the third period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Michael Sgarbossa and Jokinen. Florida got closer with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his tenth of the season, via Jaromir Jagr and Jonathan Huberdeau. This only made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars given to Carter, Brown, and Pearson, while Jokinen gets an honorable mention.

Out in Colorado, the Avalanche host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Calvin Pickard are the young goalies. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Phil Kessel goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Matt Cullen. The Penguins added on in the second period with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Kessel and Justin Schultz. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Hornqvist scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, thanks to Schultz. Colorado got on the board in the third period with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his tenth of the year, via Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. The Penguins iced it at 4-1 with a Chris Kunitz goal, his eighth of the campaign, an empty net goal set up by Cullen. The three stars were Hornqvist, Kessel, and Schultz, while Cullen gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Mike Smith are the veterans in goal. Montreal led off in the first period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Phillip Danault and Jeff Petry. The Canadiens added on with an Andrei Markov goal, his third of the year, via Michael McCarron and Daniel Carr.Arizona got on the board in the second period with a Christian Dvorak power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Max Domi and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes tied it on a Domi goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Peter Holland and Connor Murphy. Arizona took the lead with an Alex Goligoski goal, his second of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Jordan Martinook. Montreal tied it again in the third period on a Pacioretty power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, with assists provided by Markov and Petry. The Canadiens took the lead with an Alexander Radulov goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Danault and Pacioretty. The Coyotes tied it again with a Dvorak goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Montreal iced it at 5-4 in overtime with an Alec Galchenyuk goal, his twelfth of the campaign, dished from Pacioretty. The three stars were Pacioretty, Dvorak, and Markov, while Domi, Petry, and Danault get the honorable mentions.

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Wednesday, February 8, 2017

NHL 2016/17 - Day 113

Just a single game on tonight, as the Minnesota Wild host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Darcy Kuemper get the starts in goal. Chicago opened in the first period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Vinnie Hinostroza and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks added on with a second period goal by Nick Schmaltz, his fourth of the year, via Jonathan Toews and Richard Panik. Minnesota got on the board with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Eric Staal and Nino Niederreiter. The Wild tied it on a Zach Parise goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Charlie Coyle and Jason Pominville. Chicago retook the lead with a Panik goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Toews. Minnesota tied it in the third period with an Erik Haula goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Marco Scandella and Niederreiter. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime with a Toews power play goal, his eleventh of the campaign, powered by Patrick Kane and Keith. The three stars were given to Toews, Panik, and Keith, while Niederreiter gets an honorable mention.

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Tuesday, February 7, 2017

2016/17 Hockey - KHL Day 155/NHL Day 112

It's another day with one game for the KHL, but also features eleven games in the NHL. We begin in Europe, as...

Dinamo Minsk hosts Vityaz Podolsk. Igor Saprykin and Ben Scrivens draw the starts in goal. Minsk started in the first period with an Alexander Kulakov power play goal, powered by Fredrik Pettersson. Dinamo added on with a Rob Klinkhammer power play goal, coming off of Kulakov. Podolsk got on the board in the second period with a Miro Aaltonen power play goal, with a lone assist by Jakub Jerabek. Vityaz tied it on an Alexei Kopeikin power play goal, helped along by Aaltonen and Jerabek. Minsk took the lead back with an Ilya Shinkevich goal, passed from Pettersson and Dmitry Korobov. Podolsk tied it in the third period with a Roman Horak goal, via Mario Kempe and Kopeikin on the power play. Dinamo win 4-3 in the shootout with an Aaron Palushaj tally. The three stars were Kulakov, Pettersson, and Kopeikin, while Aaltonen and Jerabek get the honorable mentions.

In the NHL, the games begin with the Buffalo Sabres welcoming the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Anders Nilsson play goal. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Matt Moulson power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Brian Gionta and Tyler Ennis. San Jose tied it on a Joel Ward goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Brent Burns and Paul Martin. The Sharks took the lead with a Logan Couture goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Mikkel Boedker and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. San Jose added on in the second period with a Melker Karlsson goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Marcus Sorensen and Micheal Haley. The Sharks extended the lead in the third period as Joe Pavelski scored a power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, with the help of Burns and Patrick Marleau. The Sabres answered with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Jack Eichel and Rasmus Ristolainen. Buffalo got closer with an Evander Kane goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Cody Franson and Gionta. The Sabres tied it on a Kyle Okposo goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Sam Reinhart and O'Reilly. Buffalo won 5-4 in overtime with a Kane goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Eichel. The three stars were Kane, O'Reilly, and Eichel, while Gionta and Burns get the honorable mentions.

In Manhattan, the New York Rangers bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Henrik Lundqvist protect the nets. New York led off in the first period with an Oscar Lindberg goal, his second of the season, assisted by Pavel Buchnevich and Marc Staal. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his eleventh of the year, via Chris Kreider and Brady Skjei. Anaheim got on the board with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Andrew Cogliano. New York answered with a third period goal by Michael Grabner, his twenty-fourth of the year, coming off of J.T. Miller and Skjei. The Rangers iced it at 4-1 with a Grabner empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the campaign, set up by Miller and Kevin Hayes. The three stars were Lundqvist (43 for 44 in saves), Grabner, and Skjei, while Miller gets an honorable mention.

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins host the Calgary Flames. Chad Johnson and Matt Murray man the nets. Calgary got going in the second period with an unassisted Micheal Ferland goal, his eighth of the season. The Flames added on with a Michael Frolik goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Matthew Tkachuk and Mikael Backlund. Pittsburgh got on the board in the third period with a Chris Kunitz goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. The Penguins tied it on a Jake Guentzel goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Ian Cole. The tie went to a shootout, where Kris Versteeg gave the Flames a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Ferland, Johnson (31 for 33 in saves), and Frolik.

Back in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack and Braden Holtby are in the blue paint. Washington began in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Matt Niskanen and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on with a Brett Connolly goal, his eleventh of the year, via Andre Burakovsky and John Carlson. Washington extended the lead in the third period as Lars Eller scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Connolly and Nate Schmidt. The Capitals padded the lead with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Marcus Johansson and Justin Williams. Washington iced it at 5-0 with a Johansson power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Ovechkin and Niskanen. The three stars were Ovechkin, Connolly, and Holtby (23 save shutout), while Niskanen and Johansson get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Detroit, where the Red Wings bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Petr Mrazek are between the pipes. Detroit struck first in the first period with a Nick Jensen goal, his second of the season, coming off of Dylan Larkin and Riley Sheahan. Columbus tied it on a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Boone Jenner. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Cam Atkinson goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, via Dubinsky and Jack Johnson. The Red Wings retied it in the second period on a Thomas Vanek power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Justin Abdelkader and Mike Green. Columbus won 3-2 in overtime on a Seth Jones goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone assist by Dubinsky. The three stars were Dubinsky, Jones, and Atkinson.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Andrew Hammond play goal. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Magnus Paajarvi goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues added on with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, guided in by Paul Stastny and David Perron. St. Louis extended the lead in the third period as Patrick Berglund scored his thirteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Kenny Agostino and Perron. The Blues padded the lead on an Alexander Steen goal, his eleventh of the year, via Stastny. St. Louis continued with a Tarasenko goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, helped along by Steen and Colton Parayko. The Blues iced it at 6-0 with an Ivan Barbashev goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Tarasenko, Steen, and Allen (30 save shutout), while Stastny and Perron get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Ben Bishop are in the creases. Tampa Bay was first to score in the first period with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Lightning added on with a Nikita Kucherov goal in the second period, his twentieth of the year, via Vladislav Namestnikov and Andrej Sustr. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Gabriel Dumont scored, with the help of J.T. Brown and Victor Hedman. The Lightning padded the lead on a Kucherov goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, helped along by Namestnikov and Luke Witkowski. Tampa Bay struck again in the third period with a Braydon Coburn goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Drouin and Joel Vermin. This stood for a 5-0 win, with the three stars belonging to Kucherov, Bishop (28 save shutout), and Drouin, while Namestnikov gets an honorable mention.

Back north to Ontario, with the Toronto Maple Leafs bringing in the Dallas Stars. Antti Niemi and Curtis McElhinney receive the starting nods in goal. Toronto opened in the first period with a Jake Gardiner goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Mitchell Marner and Tyler Bozak. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal in the second period, his twenty-fifth of the year, fueled by Gardiner. Dallas got on the board with a Tyler Seguin power play goal in the third period, his twentieth of the season, powered by Cody Eakin. Toronto answered with a Nikita Zaitsev power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Nazem Kadri and Morgan Rielly. This produced the 3-1 final, with the three stars going to Gardiner, McElhinney (39 for 40 in saves), and Matthews.

Stateside once more, the Nashville Predators host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Pekka Rinne are in goal. Vancouver started in the first period with a Markus Granlund goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Nashville tied it on a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Colin Wilson and Calle Jarnkrok. The Predators took the lead with a Jarnkrok goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Arvidsson and Roman Josi. Nashville added on in the third period with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Ryan Johansen and Josi. The Canucks got one back with an Alexander Edler power play goal, his second of the season, via Bo Horvat and Ben Hutton. The Predators iced it at 4-2 with a Mike Fisher empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars went to Jarnkrok, Arvidsson, and Josi.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Ondrej Pavelec are the masked men. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Charlie Coyle and Jason Pominville. The Wild added on with a Pominville goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Coyle. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period as Pominville scored again, his second of the game and tenth of the season, with the help of Coyle, who earned a sock trick. Connor Hellebuyck replaced Pavelec in goal. Winnipeg got on the board with a Bryan Little goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Jacob Trouba and Joel Armia. The Jets got closer with an Armia goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Shawn Matthias and Adam Lowry. The Wild iced it at 4-2 in the third period with a Niederreiter empty net goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, set up by Pominville and Marco Scandella. The three stars were Pominville, Niederreiter, and Coyle, while Armia gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price faces a lesser foe in Calvin Pickard in goal. Colorado began in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche added on with an Andreas Martinsen goal, his third of the year, via Francois Beauchemin and the goalie Pickard. Colorado extended the lead in the second period as Rantanen scored his second of the game and tenth of the season, with the help of Mark Barberio and Landeskog. The Avalanche iced it at 4-0 with a Rantanen power play goal in the third period, completing his hat trick on his eleventh of the year, powered by MacKinnon and Barberio. The three stars were Rantanen, Pickard (27 save shutout), and Barberio, while Landeskog and MacKinnon get the honorable mentions.

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Monday, February 6, 2017

2016/17 Hockey - KHL Day 154/NHL Day 111

Only four games on today combined between the two leagues. The first is in...

Sochi, as the KHL's lone game sees the Leopards hosting Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ilya Proskuryakov and Konstantin Barulin man the nets. Sochi began in the first period with a Pavel Padakin goal, assisted by Ben Maxwell and Andre Petersson. Nizhny Novgorod tied it on a Kaspars Daugavins goal, helped along by Dmitry Semin. The Leopards retook the lead in the second period with a Petersson goal, with a lone assist by Oscar Fantenberg. Sochi added on with an Eric O'Dell power play goal, powered by Andrei Kostitsyn. Torpedo got one back with a Semin power play goal, made possible by Bobby Butler and Artyom Alyayev. The Leopards iced it at 4-2 with an Ilya Krikunov empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Petersson, O'Dell, and Padakin.

In the NHL, the New Jersey Devils welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Cory Schneider guard the cages. New Jersey got going in the second period with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Michael Cammalleri and Pavel Zacha. Buffalo tied it on a Tyler Ennis goal in the third period, his third of the year, via Kyle Okposo and Justin Falk. The Devils retook the lead with a Zacha goal, his sixth of the season, a power play goal coming off of Cammalleri and Damon Severson. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Zacha, Cammalleri, and Schneider (22 for 23 in saves).

In Brooklyn, the New York Islanders bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Thomas Greiss are the masked men. New York led off in the first period with a Ryan Strome goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Brock Nelson and Johnny Boychuk. Toronto tied it on a Nikita Soshnikov goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Nikita Zaitsev and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs took the lead with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Rielly. The Islanders retied it on a Nikolay Kulemin goal, his ninth of the year, via Casey Cizikas and Shane Prince. Toronto gained the lead with a second period goal by Mitchell Marner, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Tyler Bozak and Matt Hunwick. The Maple Leafs added on with a shorthanded Zach Hyman goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Zaitsev. New York pulled back with a Nelson goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Strome and Anders Lee. The Islanders tied it in the third period with a Josh Bailey goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Lee and Dennis Seidenberg. Toronto retook the lead with a William Nylander goal, his fourteenth of the season, with helpers from Connor Carrick and Nazem Kadri. New York equalized with an Andrew Ladd goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Bailey and Nick Leddy. The Islanders won 6-5 in overtime with a Nelson goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, with helpers provided by Bailey and Calvin de Haan. The three stars were handed to Nelson, Strome, and Bailey, while Lee, Zaitsev, and Rielly get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Philadelphia Flyers host the St. Louis Blues. Carter Hutton and Michal Neuvirth are the backups in goal. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Paul Stastny goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Kevin Shattenkirk and Alexander Steen. The Blues added on with a Kenny Agostino goal, assisted by David Perron and Jori Lehtera. This made it 2-0, with the three stars going to Hutton (26 save shutout), Stastny, and Agostino.

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Sunday, February 5, 2017

NHL 2016/17 - Day 110

All three of today's games are early as the NHL succumbs to the ratings monster that is the Super Bowl. We begin in...

DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Philipp Grubauer are given the starting nods in goal. Washington struck first in the first period with a Lars Eller goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Brett Connolly. The Capitals added on with a Marcus Johansson goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Brooks Orpik. Washington extended the lead in the second period as Connolly scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Tom Wilson and Karl Alzner. The Capitals padded the lead on a T.J. Oshie goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. Washington iced it at 5-0 with a third period goal by Justin Williams, his eighteenth of the campaign, via Johansson. The three stars were Connolly, Johansson, and Grubauer (38 save shutout).

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Al Montoya draw the starts in goal. The scoreless tie lasted into the shootout, where Leon Draisaitl scored to give the Oilers the 1-0 win. The three stars were Talbot (22 save shutout), Montoya (32 save "shutout"), and Draisaitl.

Finally, the New York Rangers bring in the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott and Henrik Lundqvist are in the blue paint. Calgary was first to score in the first period with a Dougie Hamilton power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Mikael Backlund and Matthew Tkachuk. New York tied it on a Rick Nash power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh. The Rangers took the lead in the third period with a Michael Grabner goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Brady Skjei and J.T. Miller. The Flames tied it again on a Troy Brouwer goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. New York retook the lead with a Chris Kreider goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Mika Zibanejad and Dan Girardi. The Rangers added on with a Jesper Fast goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Miller and Grabner. Calgary answered with a Backlund goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars handed to Grabner, Backlund, and Miller.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 153

We have four games today, beginning with...

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg hosting Jokerit Helsinki. Ryan Zapolski and Vladimir Sokhatsky are given the starts in goal. Helsinki began in the first period with a Roope Talaja goal, via Joonas Jalvanti and Marko Anttila. Yekaterinburg tied it in the second period with a Tommi Kivisto goal, helped along by Petr Koukal. Jokerit retook the lead with a Ville Lajunen goal, passed from Mika Niemi. Helsinki added on with a third period power play goal by Sakari Salminen, powered by Niemi. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars going to Lajunen, Niemi, and Zapolski (21 for 22 in saves).

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana welcomes Dinamo Riga. Janis Kalnins and Henrik Karlsson draw the starts. Astana led off in the first period with a Kevin Dallman power play goal, powered by Nigel Dawes and Martin St. Pierre. This was the only goal in the game, with the 1-0 final favoring Barys. The three stars were Karlsson (17 save shutout), and Dallman, and Dawes.

Back in Russia, Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk brings in Dinamo Minsk. Ben Scrivens and Vladislav Fokin are the goalies. Khanty-Mansiysk opened in the first period with an Evgeny Lapenkov goal, going in unassisted. Minsk tied it in the second period with a Rob Klinkhammer power play goal, powered by Matt Ellison and Marc-Andre Gragnani. Dinamo took the lead with a Dmitry Korobov goal, passed from Nikita Mitskevich in the third period. Ugra retied it on a Roman Lyuduchin power play goal, with a lone assist by Vitaly Shulakov. Dinamo prevailed with goals by Aaron Palushaj and Alexander Materukhin in the shootout for a 3-2 win. The three stars were Korobov, Klinkhammer, and Materukhin.

Out in Croatia, Medvescak Zagreb hosts Vityaz Podolsk. Igor Saprykin and Michael Garnett man the nets. Podolsk started in the first period with a Miro Aaltonen goal, made possible by Alexei Kopeikin and Mario Kempe. Vityaz added on with a Nikita Vyglazov goal, passed from Stanislav Romanov. Zagreb got on the board with an Alexandre Giroux goal, via Matija Milicic and Samson Mahbod. Medvescak tied it on a Mike Glumac power play goal, powered by Mahbod and Giroux. Podolsk retook the lead with an Alexei Makeyev power play goal, assisted by Alexander Nikulin. Zagreb tied it in the third period with an Ilya Arkalov goal, with a lone assist by Mark Katic. Vityaz took the lead back with another Makeyev goal, coming off of Aaltonen. Podolsk extended the lead as Vyglazov scored his second of the game, thanks to Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi. The game ended at 5-3, with the three stars being Makeyev, Vyglazov, and Aaltonen, while Mahbod and Giroux get the honorable mentions.

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