Saturday, May 4, 2019

2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs - Round 2 Day 10

Another two games are on tonight, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Tuukka Rask are the masked men. Boston got going in the second period on a David Krejci goal, his third of the postseason, coming off of Jake DeBrusk and David Backes. The Bruins added on with a Brad Marchand goal, his fifth of the playoffs, via Connor Clifton and Patrice Bergeron in the third period. Columbus got on the board with a Seth Jones goal, his third of the postseason, assisted by Zach Werenski and Cam Atkinson. Boston answered on a David Pastrnak goal, his fifth of the playoffs, guided in by Marchand. The Blue Jackets got one back on a Ryan Dzingel goal, courtesy of Matt Duchene and David Savard. Columbus tied it on a Dean Kukan goal, fueled by Artemi Panarin  and Josh Anderson. The Bruins retook the lead on a Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and sixth of the postseason, made possible by Marchand and Brandon Carlo. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Pastrnak, Marchand, and Krejci. The Bruins now lead the series 3-2.

Out in San Jose, the Sharks host the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Martin Jones are in the creases. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Tyson Jost goal, going in unassisted. San Jose tied it on a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his seventh of the postseason, powered by Logan Couture and Erik Karlsson. The Sharks took the lead in the third period with a Hertl goal, his second of the game and eighth of the playoffs, assisted by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Joonas Donskoi. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Hertl, Jones (21 for 22 in saves), and Grubauer (37 for 39 in saves). The Sharks leave home with a 3-2 series lead.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Friday, May 3, 2019

2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs - Round 2 Day 9

Another pair of games is on tonight, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes welcoming the New York Islanders. Robin Lehner and Curtis McElhinney draw the starts in goal. New York began in the first period with a Mathew Barzal power play goal, his second of the postseason, powered by Devon Toews and Jordan Eberle. Carolina tied it on a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his fourth of the playoffs, with assists provided by Teuvo Teravainen and Justin Faulk. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period on a Teravainen goal, his sixth of the postseason, guided in by Warren Foegele and Aho. Carolina added on with a Greg McKegg goal, helped along by Brett Pesce and Jordan Martinook. Thomas Greiss replaced Lehner in goal. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Justin Williams scored his third of the playoffs, thanks to Jordan Staal and Nino Niederreiter. Carolina padded the lead in the third period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his third of the postseason, with a lone assist by Faulk. The Islanders got one back with a Brock Nelson goal, his fourth of the playoffs, fueled by Scott Mayfield and Toews. The final was 5-2, with the three stars being Teravainen, Aho, and Faulk, while Toews gets an honorable mention. The Hurricanes swept the series 4-0 to earn a spot in the Eastern Conference finals.

Over in St. Louis, the Blues bring in the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Jordan Binnington man the creases. Dallas led off in the first period with a Jason Spezza goal, his third of the postseason, via Tyler Seguin and Mattias Janmark. The Stars added on in the second period with an Esa Lindell goal, coming off of Alexander Radulov and John Klingberg. St. Louis got on the board with a Jaden Schwartz goal in the third period, his seventh of the playoffs, going in unassisted. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Bishop (38 for 39 in saves), Lindell, and Spezza. The Stars return home with a 3-2 series lead in tow.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Thursday, May 2, 2019

2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs - Round 2 Day 8

A pair of games are on tonight, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Sergei Bobrovsky man the nets. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his fourth of the postseason, coming off of Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins added on with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his fourth of the playoffs, powered by Brad Marchand and Torey Krug. Columbus got on the board with an Artemi Panarin goal, his fifth of the postseason, made possible by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Boston replied in the third period with a Sean Kuraly goal, his second of the playoffs, assisted by Zdeno Chara and David Backes. The Bruins extended the lead as Bergeron scored another power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the postseason, with the help of Pastrnak and Krug. The three stars were Bergeron, Pastrnak, and Rask (39 for 40 in saves), while Krug gets an honorable mention. The series returns to Boston tied at 2.

Westward to Colorado, where the Avalanche host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Philipp Grubauer are the masked men. Colorado got going in the second period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his sixth of the postseason, courtesy of Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar. The Avalanche added on in the third period with a Colin Wilson power play goal, his fourth of the playoffs, powered by Rantanen. Colorado iced it at 3-0 with an Erik Johnson empty net goal, his second of the postseason, set up by Matt Calvert and Matt Nieto. The three stars were Grubauer (32 save shutout), Rantanen, and MacKinnon. The series is tied at 2 heading west again.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs - Round 2 Day 7

Two games on Wednesday, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes welcoming the New York Islanders. Robin Lehner and Curtis McElhinney are in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his fourth of the postseason, made possible by Jaccob Slavin and Dougie Hamilton. New York tied it on a Devon Toews power play goal, powered by Josh Bailey and Jordan Eberle. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period with a Justin Faulk goal, assisted by Warren Foegele and Jordan Staal. The Islanders tied it again with a Bailey goal, his fourth of the playoffs, guided in by Tom Kuhnhackl. Carolina regained the lead in the third period with a Justin Williams goal, his second of the postseason, coming off of Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes added on with a Teravainen empty net goal, his second of the game and fifth of the playoffs, set up by Brett Pesce and Slavin. Carolina iced it at 5-2 with an Aho empty net goal, his third of the postseason, with a lone helper by Lucas Wallmark. The three stars went to Teravainen, Bailey, and Slavin, while Aho gets an honorable mention. The Hurricanes have the series in a stranglehold at a 3-0 lead.

Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Ben Bishop are the masked men. St. Louis started in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his fifth of the postseason, powered by Vince Dunn and Ryan O'Reilly. Dallas tied it on a Jason Dickinson goal, his third of the playoffs, guided in by Tyler Seguin and Mats Zuccarello. The Stars took the lead on a Jason Spezza power play goal, his second of the postseason, with assists provided by Alexander Radulov and Esa Lindell. Dallas added on with a John Klingberg goal in the second period, his second of the playoffs, via Seguin and Zuccarello. The Stars extended the lead as Roope Hintz scored his fifth of the postseason, thanks to Jamie Benn and Radulov. The Blues got one back on a Robert Thomas goal, courtesy of Alex Pietrangelo and O'Reilly. The three stars were Seguin, Zuccarello, and Radulov, while O'Reilly gets an honorable mention. The series returns to St. Louis tied at 2.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

MLS Midweek - May 1, 2019

Just a single midweek game this week, as the Philadelphia Union host FC Cincinnati. Spencer Richey and Matt Freese play in goal. The Union goalie Freese was subbed off injured in the 41st minute, replaced by Carlos. Philadelphia got going in the 63rd minute on a Kacper Przybylko goal, set up by Olivier Mbaizo. The Union added on in the 70th minute with a Fabrice-Jean Picault goal, via Ilsinho. Auston Trusty of Philadelphia took a yellow card for time wasting in the 81st minute. The game ended 2-0, with the man of the match being Przybylko.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs - Round 2 Day 6

Another pair of games tonight, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets welcoming the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Sergei Bobrovsky are the masked men. Columbus began in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, coming off of Riley Nash and Scott Harrington. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his fifth of the postseason, powered by Nick Foligno and Cam Atkinson. Boston got on the board with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his second of the playoffs, fueled by David Krejci and Karson Kuhlman. This only made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars being Bobrovsky (36 for 37 in saves), Duchene, and Jenner. The Blue Jackets hold a 2-1 series lead.

Out in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Philipp Grubauer are set to start in goal. San Jose led off in the first period with a Logan Couture goal, his seventh of the postseason, made possible by Gustav Nyquist and Timo Meier. The Sharks added on with an unassisted Meier goal, his third of the playoffs. Colorado got on the board with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his fifth of the postseason, guided in by Ian Cole in the second period. The Avalanche tied it in the third period with a Matt Nieto goal, his fourth of the playoffs, passed from Samuel Girard and Cale Makar. San Jose retook the lead on a Couture goal, his second of the game and eighth of the postseason, assisted by Meier and Nyquist. The Sharks iced it at 4-2 with a Couture empty net goal, his ninth of the playoffs completing a hat trick, set up by Melker Karlsson. The three stars were Couture, Meier, and Nyquist. The Sharks are up 2-1 in the series.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Monday, April 29, 2019

2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs - Round 2 Day 5

Just one Game 3 tonight, as the Dallas Stars host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Ben Bishop are the goalies. St. Louis opened with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his sixth of the postseason, via Colton Parayko and Ryan O'Reilly. Dallas tied it on an Alexander Radulov power play goal, his fifth of the playoffs, powered by Jason Spezza and Justin Dowling. The Blues took the lead back in the second period with a Tyler Bozak goal, his second of the postseason, coming off of Robert Thomas and Vince Dunn. The Stars tied it in the third period on a shorthanded Andrew Cogliano goal, his second of the playoffs, set up by Mattias Janmark. St. Louis pulled ahead on an Alex Pietrangelo goal, courtesy of Jay Bouwmeester and Schwartz. Dallas tied it again on a Tyler Seguin goal, his third of the postseason, helped along by Miro Heiskanen and Mats Zuccarello. The Blues regained the lead on a Pat Maroon goal, his second of the playoffs, made possible by Bouwmeester and Bozak. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Bozak, Bouwmeester, and Schwartz. The Blues took a 2-1 series lead.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Sunday, April 28, 2019

2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs - Round 2 Day 4

Another pair of games on today, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Robin Lehner are the goalies. New York led off in the first period with a Mathew Barzal power play goal, powered by Anders Lee and Jordan Eberle. Mrazek was forced to exit due to injury in the second period, replaced by Curtis McElhinney in goal. Carolina tied it on a Warren Foegele goal, his fifth of the postseason, coming off of Lucas Wallmark and Saku Maenalanen. The Hurricanes pulled ahead on a Nino Niederreiter goal, via Teuvo Teravainen and Jaccob Slavin. This stood for the 2-1 win, with the three stars being McElhinney (17 save shutout), Niederreiter, and Foegele. The Hurricanes return home with a 2-0 series lead.

Out west, the San Jose Sharks host the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Martin Jones man the nets. San Jose began in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his second of the postseason, assisted by Brent Burns and Tomas Hertl. Colorado tied it on a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his second of the playoffs, courtesy of Tyson Barrie and Nathan MacKinnon in the second period. The Avalanche pulled ahead with a Barrie goal, via Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen. Colorado added on in the third period with a Matt Nieto goal, his third of the postseason, coming off of Matt Calvert and Barrie. The Sharks pulled one back with a Burns goal, his third of the playoffs, guided in by Erik Karlsson and Marcus Sorensen. The Avalanche replied with a MacKinnon empty net goal, his fourth of the postseason, set up by Calvert and the goalie Grubauer. San Jose chipped back on a Burns power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the playoffs, powered by Hertl and Kane. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to Barrie, Burns, and Landeskog, while MacKinnon, Calvert, Kane, and Hertl get the honorable mentions. The series heads east tied at 1.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

MLS 2019 - Week 9

All games are over the weekend proper, beginning with eight on Saturday. First up...

New York City FC hosts Orlando City SC. Brian Rowe is mismatched with Sean Johnson in goal. Orlando City led off in the 18th minute with a Nani goal. New York City tied it on a Heber goal in the 51st minute. The Pigeons' Ben Sweat took a yellow card for a 53rd minute foul. The Lions saw yellow cards for Oriol Rosell in the 71st minute and Robin Jansson in the 85th minute. The game ended 1-1, with the man of the match being Heber for the equalizer.

Up in Canada, Toronto FC welcomes the Portland Timbers. Steve Clark and Quentin Westberg play in goal. Toronto began in the 20th minute with a Jonathan Osorio goal. Portland tied it with a Bill Tuiloma goal in the 22nd minute, set up by Diego Valeri. Chris Mavinga of the Reds took a yellow card for a 64th minute foul. The Timbers' Jorge Moreira received a yellow card for a 66th minute foul. Portland took the lead with a Jeremy Ebobisse goal in the 70th minute, coming off of Sebastian Blanco and Valeri. Diego Chara of the Timbers saw a yellow card for his 87th minute foul. The game ended 2-1 for the Timbers, with Valeri named man of the match.

Down to Texas, where FC Dallas brings in the San Jose Earthquakes. Daniel Vega and Jose Luis Gonzalez draw the starts in goal. Michael Barrios of Dallas took a yellow card for a foul in the 43rd minute. Anibal Godoy of San Jose had a yellow card for a foul in the 46th minute, as did teammate Tommy Thompson in stoppage time. The final remained 0-0, with Vega's four-save clean sheet making him the man of the match.

Northwest to Vancouver, as the Whitecaps FC host the Philadelphia Union. Matt Freese and Maxime Crepeau are the inexperienced goalies. Alejandro Bedoya saw a yellow card for a 24th minute foul. Vancouver opened in the 41st minute with a Doneil Henry goal, assisted by Ali Adnan. Yordy Reyna of the Whitecaps took a yellow card for not retreating in the 45th minute. In the 51st minute, Adnan picked up a yellow card for dissent, and his Vancouver teammate Victor Giro was booked in the 58th minute for persistent infringement. The Union tied it on a 66th minute goal by Kacper Przybylko, set up by Jamiro Monteiro. This held for a 1-1 draw, with the man of the match honors given to Przybylko.

Way to the southeast, Atlanta United FC welcomes the Colorado Rapids. Tim Howard and Brad Guzan guard the woodwork. Colorado received yellow cards for fouls by Sam Nicholson in the 35th minute and Danny Wilson in first half stoppage time. Atlanta got going in the 74th minute on a Julian Gressel goal, via Darlington Nagbe. Kellyn Acosta of the Rapids received a yellow card for a foul in second half stoppage time. The Five Stripes won 1-0, with Gressel tagged as man of the match.

Up to the New York Red Bulls bringing in FC Cincinnati. Przemyslaw Tyton and Luis Robles are in the six-yard boxes. New York started in the 38th minute on a Connor Lade goal, via Daniel Royer and Brian White. Cincinnati saw yellow cards for fouls by Justin Hoyte in the 47th minute and Leonardo Bertone in the 51st minute. The Red Bulls' Alex Muyl took a yellow card for a 56th minute foul. Kendall Waston of the Orange and Blue had a yellow card in the 60th minute for a foul. New York's Tim Parker picked up a yellow card for a 78th minute foul, as did teammate Mathias Jorgensen in stoppage time. The game ended at 1-0 with Lade picked as man of the match.

Back to Texas, as the Houston Dynamo host the Columbus Crew SC. Zack Steffen and Joe Willis are the veterans in goal. Houston struck first in the 3rd minute with a Mauro Manotas goal, courtesy of Alberth Elis. Columbus' Waylon Francis took a yellow card for a 51st minute foul. The Dynamo added on with a Tomas Martinez goal in the 55th minute. This stood for a 2-0 win, with Willis as the man of the match for his four-save clean sheet.

Saturday ends with Sporting Kansas City welcoming the New England Revolution. Cody Cropper and Tim Melia are the keepers. New England kicked off the scoring in the 18th minute with a Juan Fernando Caicedo goal, assisted by Juan Agudelo and Scott Caldwell. Kansas City tied it on a Krisztian Nemeth goal in the 33rd minute, made possible by Graham Zusi and Kelyn Rowe. The Revolution reclaimed the lead on a Caicedo goal in the 35th minute, set up by Tajon Buchanan. Sporting's Abdul Rwatubyaye had a yellow card for a 41st minute foul. New England added to their lead with a 42nd minute goal by Agudelo. The Revolution saw yellow cards for fouls by Jalil Anibaba in the 43rd minute and Brandon Bye in first half stoppage time. In the 49th minute, New England's Carles Gil took a yellow card for dissent. The Revolution went down to ten men in the 55th minute as Bye took a second yellow card for a foul. Kansas City pulled one back with a 60th minute penalty kick goal by Felipe Gutierrez. New England answered on a DeJuan Jones goal in the 66th minute. In the 67th minute, Sporting's Nemeth picked up a yellow card for dissent. Kansas City chipped back with a Gutierrez goal in the 70th minute. Sporting tied it on a Nemeth goal in the 83rd minute, helped along by Johnny Russell. Edgar Castillo of the Revolution was booked for an 84th minute foul. In the 89th minute, New England went down to nine men as Anibaba received a second yellow card for a foul. In second half stoppage time, Kansas City's Gutierrez earned a yellow card for a foul, and Revolution keeper Cropper took a yellow card for time wasting. The final was 4-4, with Nemeth's equalizer in a brace earning him man of the match honors.

On Sunday, the Montreal Impact bring in the Chicago Fire. David Ousted and Evan Bush are the veterans in goal. Bacary Sagna of Montreal took a yellow card for a 78th minute foul. The Impact dented the scoreboard in the 83rd minute with an Omar Browne goal. Chicago's Johan Kappelhof took a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The final held at 1-0, with Browne picked as man of the match.

Stateside, Minnesota United FC hosts DC United. Bill Hamid and Vito Mannone are set to start in goal. Romain Metanire of Minnesota picked up a yellow card for a 19th minute foul. DC had a yellow card for Steven Birnbaum in the 45th minute. The Loons cracked the scoresheet in the 82nd minute with an Angelo Rodriguez goal, set up by Metanire. This was good for their 1-0 win, with Rodriguez as the man of the match.

Westward to Seattle, as the Sounders FC welcome Los Angeles FC. Tyler Miller and Stefan Frei are the gloved men. Seattle drew first blood in the 1st minute on a Jordan Morris goal. Los Angeles tied it with a Carlos Vela goal, helped along by Diego Rossi and Jordan Harvey. The Sounders saw a yellow card for a foul by Kim Kee-hee in the 10th minute. Seattle went down to ten men as Cristian Roldan received a straight red card for violent conduct in the 18th minute, while the Black and Gold's Mark-Anthony Kaye earned a yellow card for a foul. Los Angeles' Tristan Blackmon had a yellow card for a 42nd minute foul. The Sounders saw a yellow card for Nicolas Lodeiro's foul in the 59th minute. In stoppage time, Kelvin Leerdam of Seattle took a straight red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity. The score held level at 1-1, with the man of the match being Roman Torres for leading the Sounders' backline through adversity.

Finally, the Los Angeles Galaxy bring in Real Salt Lake. Andrew Putna and David Bingham are in the six-yard boxes. Los Angeles was first to score in the 16th minute on a Uriel Antuna goal, via Chris Pontius and Diego Polenta. Damir Kreilach of Salt Lake took a yellow card for his 32nd minute foul. The Galaxy's Zlatan Ibrahimovic received a yellow card for a 60th minute foul. Real tied it on a 64th minute goal by Donny Toia. Los Angeles reclaimed the lead on an Ibrahimovic goal, assisted by Sebastian Lletget. The Galaxy saw a yellow card for Diego Polenta in the 82nd minute for his foul. The Galaxy won 2-1, with the man of the match being Ibrahimovic.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NWSL 2019 - Week 3

We've got four games on this weekend, originally intended to be a two and two split but switching to a one and three distribution with the postponement of Red Stars vs Reign FC to Sunday. Saturday's lone game is in...

Orlando, as the Pride host the Utah Royals FC. Nicole Barnhart and Haley Kopmeyer draw the starts, with the latter being a late addition to the lineup for an injured Ashlyn Harris. Utah opened in the 19th minute on a Christen Press goal, via Michelle Maemone. Alanna Kennedy of Orlando had a yellow card for a 40th minute foul. In the 87th minute, the Royals' Katie Bowen picked up a yellow card for a foul. The Pride's Carson Pickett received a yellow card for her 90th minute foul. The game ended 1-0, with Press named woman of the match.

Rescheduled from Saturday to Sunday, the Chicago Red Stars welcome Reign FC. Lydia Williams and Alyssa Naeher protect the nets. Chicago began in the 13th minute with a Casey Short goal, assisted by Yuki Nagasato. The Red Stars added on in the 53rd minute with a Nagasato goal.  Chicago's Julie Ertz picked up a yellow card for a foul in the 68th minute. The Red Stars extended the lead as Brooke Elby scored, thanks to Michele Vasconcelos. The game ended 3-0 for Chicago, with Nagasato as the woman of the match.

Over in New Jersey, Sky Blue FC brings in the Portland Thorns FC. Adrianna Franch and Kailen Sheridan are the goalies. Sky Blue started in the 6th minute with a Carli Lloyd goal, set up by Raquel Rodriguez. Sky Blue added on with a Lloyd goal in the 18th minute. Portland got on the board with an Emily Sonnett goal in the 32nd minute, coming off of Christine Sinclair. The Thorns tied it on a Tobin Heath goal in the 34th minute. Julie James of Sky Blue received a yellow card for a foul in the 60th minute. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, with the woman of the match being Lloyd.

Finally, the Houston Dash host the North Carolina Courage. Stephanie Labbe and Jane Campbell patrol the penalty areas. Sophie Schmidt of Houston took a yellow card for a 44th minute foul. North Carolina led off in first half stoppage time on a Lynn Williams goal. The Courage added on in the 60th minute with a Crystal Dunn goal, courtesy of Jaelene Hinkle. North Carolina extended the lead as Debinha scored in the 69th minute. The Courage padded the lead as Lean Pruitt scored in the 76th minute, with the help of Williams. The Dash avoided the shutout with a Rachel Daly goal in the 86th minute, made possible by Kyah Simon. The final stood at 4-1, with the woman of the match being Williams.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.