Wednesday, January 16, 2013

KHL January 16th 2013

Four more games for today, beginning in...

Omsk, as Avangard welcomes CSKA Moscow. Rastislav Stana and Karri Ramo guard the cages. Omsk led off with a shorthanded goal by Alexander Frolov, passed from Anton Belov and Alexander Perezhogin. Avangard added on as Dmitry Syomin scored, courtesy of Pavel Valentenko and Perezhogin. Moscow got on the board in the second period as Igor Radulov scored, via Evgeny Ryasensky and Yakov Rylov on the power play. Omsk shot back as Perezhogin scored a goal, with a lone assist from Anssi Salmela. Avangard struck again with a power play goal by Belov, made possible by Frolov and Nikita Pivtsakin. Ilya Proskuryakov replaced Stana in goal. CSKA pulled back with a power play goal by Rylov, powered by Alexander Radulov and Ryasensky. Moscow chipped away in the third period on a power play goal by Niklas Persson, fueled by Denis Denisov and Alexander Radulov. This was as close as it got, with the final being 4-3, and the three stars were Perezhogin, Belov, and Frolov, while the honorable mentions went to Ryasensky, Alexander Radulov, and Rylov.

To the west, Spartak Moscow hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Jan Lasak receive the starting nods. Dynamo began in the second period with a power play goal by Marek Kvapil, powered by Konstantin Gorovikov and Denis Mosalyov. Dynamo added on in the third period as Maxim Solovyov scored, with a lone assist by Kvapil. Spartak got on the board when Jaroslav Obsut put down a power play goal, via Stefan Ruzicka. Dynamo iced it at 3-1 when Denis Kokarev scored an empty net goal, with the help of Dominik Granak. The three stars went to Kvapil, Yeryomenko (19 for 20 in saves), and Solovyov.

Over in Ukraine, Donbass Donetsk hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Vitaly Koval and Jan Laco tend the twines. Nizhny Novgorod struck first in the first period with a power play goal by Martin Thornberg, powered by Dmitry Makarov and Alexander Yevseyenkov. Donetsk tied the game as Petr Podhradsky scored, via Fredrik Pettersson and Evgeny Nikiforov. Donbass took the lead in the second period on a Lukas Kaspar goal, courtesy of Randy Robitaille. Torpedo tied it with a power play goal from Mikhail Varnakov, passed from Matt Ellison and Juuso Hietanen. The game went into a shootout, where both Thornberg and Varnakov scored to lift Torpedo 3-2 over a lone tally by Vaclav Nedorost of Donbass. The three stars were Thornberg, Varnakov, and Koval (41 for 43 in saves).

Finally, we end as Dinamo Riga hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Ilya Ezhov and Maris Jucers will be between the pipes. Riga was first to score in the first period as Martins Karsums scored, with a lone assist by Paul Szczechura. St. Petersburg tied it in the second period with a Patrick Thoresen power play goal, powered by Dmitry Kalinin and Tony Martensson. SKA took the lead in the third period as Viktor Tikhonov scored, with the help of Teemu Ramstedt. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Ezhov (18 for 19 in saves), Tikhonov, and Thoresen.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

KHL January 15 2013

Four games on today as the KHL returns from their All-Star break, beginning with...

Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk hosting Barys Astana. Vitaly Yeremeyev and Mikhail Biryukov will be in goal. Khanty-Mansiysk started in the first period with a Vitaly Sitnikov goal, made possible by Igor Magogin and Igor Skorokhodov. Yugra added on with a Konstantin Glazachev goal, fueled by Anton Krysanov. Khanty-Mansiysk kept going as Skorokhodov scored, with a lone assist by Rinat Ibragimov. Astana got on the board with an Alexei Litvinenko power play goal, powered by Roman Savchenko and Talgat Zhailauov. Yugra shot back with a Sergei Demagin goal, coming off of Glazachev and Tomas Starosta. Khanty-Mansiysk padded the lead in the second period on a Krysanov goal, coming shorthanded via Glazachev. Barys pulled back on a Maxim Spiridonov goal, guided in by Nigel Dawes. Astana chipped away as Andrei Gavrilin potted the puck, with assists provided by Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev and Zhailauov. Yugra replied in the third period on another Skorokhodov goal, passed from Sitnikov. Barys made it 6-4 with a power play goal by Dustin Boyd, set up by Konstantin Rudenko and Roman Starchenko. This was as close as it got, with the three stars belonging to Skorokhodov, Glazachev, and Krysanov, while Sitnikov and Zhailauov get the honorable mentions.

Over in Nizhnekamsk, Neftekhimik hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Alexei Kuznetsov and Matt Dalton are the masked men. Khabarovsk began in the first period with a Vyacheslav Litovchenko goal, coming on the power play via Topi Jaakola and Igor Ozhiganov. Nizhnekamsk tied it with a Petr Koukal power play goal, coming off of Renat Mamashev and Ruslan Nurtdinov. Amur took the lead back as Jaakola scored a goal, assisted by Mikhail Fisenko and Ozhiganov. Khabarovsk struck again on a Vladimir Loginov goal, with a lone assist from Nikita Gusev on the power play. Amur padded the lead with an Anton Poleshchuk goal, set up by Juha-Pekka Hytonen. Maxim Sokolov relieved Dalton at this time. Khabarovsk extended the lead on an Alexander Yunkov goal, courtesy of Dmitry Tarasov and Janne Lahti. Neftekhimik shot back with a Tomas Netik power play goal, with the only helper from Alexander Seluyanov. Nizhnekamsk pulled closer on an unassisted Nikolai Belov goal. Neftekhimik chipped away on a Netik goal, thanks to Koukal and Nurtdinov. Nizhnekamsk tied it on an Oskar Osala goal passed from Martin Cibak. Neftekhimik took the lead on a Cibak goal, from Maxim Berezin and Maxim Pestushko. This held up for a 6-5 win, with the three stars being Cibak, Netik, and Koukal, while Nurtdinov, Ozhiganov, and Jaakola get the honorable mentions.

Moving west to Cherepovets, with Severstal hosting Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Vasily Koshechkin guard the cages. Yaroslavl led off with a first period Mikelis Redlihs goal, assisted by Alexander Guskov and Staffan Kronwall. Lokomotiv added on with another Redlihs goal, coming off of Daniil Apalkov. Cherepovets got on the board in the second period with a Petr Caslava goal, guided in by Mikhail Anisin. Severstal tied it as Alexei Medvedev scored, via Ignat Zemchenko. The third period and overtime went silent, so the game was settled in a shootout. Here, Lokomotiv ended up winning 3-2 with a lone tally by Apalkov. The three stars were Redlihs, Apalkov, and Sanford (41 for 43 in saves).

Finally, in Prague, Lev Praha hosts Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Jakub Stepanek will be in the blue paint. Praha opened with a first period Jakub Klepis goal, via Jakub Nakladal. Bratislava tied it as Martin Bakos scored a goal, with a lone assist by Michel Miklik. Slovan took the lead with a Peter Olvecky goal, assisted by Marko Dano. Bratislava struck again with a Mario Bliznak goal, coming off of Miklik and Ivan Datelinka. Slovan added on as Milan Kytnar scored in the second period, courtesy of Michal Sersen and Roman Kukumberg. Lev got one back as Klepis scored again, and again Nakladal had the only assist. Praha pulled closer with a Tomas Rachunek goal, guided in by Klepis and Sami Lepisto. They couldn't score again, falling 4-3, with the three stars being Klepis, Miklik, and Nakladal.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

NFL Divisional Round 2013

Four more games to thin the playoff field a bit. First up...

The AFC Divisional game between the host Denver Broncos and visiting Baltimore Ravens. Denver started in the first quarter on a 90 yard Trindon Holliday punt return for a touchdown, and Matt Prater made the extra point. Baltimore tied it as Joe Flacco found Torrey Smith for a 59 yard touchdown pass, and Justin Tucker was there with the extra point. The Ravens took the lead as Corey Graham intercepted Payton Manning and took the ball 39 yards for a touchdown, allowing Tucker another extra point. The Broncos pulled even again as Manning found Brandon Stokley for a 15 yard touchdown pass, and Prater knocked in the extra point. Denver edged ahead in the second quarter with another Manning touchdown pass, going 14 yards to Knowshon Moreno, and Prater supplied the extra point. Baltimore tied it on another Flacco-to-Smith touchdown, this time for 32 yards, and Tucker booted the extra point. The Broncos shot back in the third quarter as Holliday ran the opening kickoff of the second half back for 104 yards and a touchdown, and Prater drilled the PAT. The Ravens again pulled even with a Ray Rice 1 yard touchdown rush, and Tucker was true with the extra point. Denver took the lead once again in the fourth quarter as Manning found Demaryius Thomas for 17 yards and a touchdown, and Prater was good with the extra point. Baltimore again pulled even with Flacco launching a 70 yard touchdown to Jacoby Jones, and Tucker kicked in the extra point. The game went through a first overtime and into a second overtime (the sixth quarter if you will), where the Ravens won 38-35 as Tucker made a 47 yard field goal to end the game. Baltimore continues on the road next week against an undetermined opponent while Denver is out of the playoffs, a major disappointment for a team that looked much better than this.

In the first of the NFC Divisional games, the San Francisco 49ers host the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay led off with a first quarter Sam Shields interception of Colin Kaepernick, returned 52 yards for a touchdown, and Mason Crosby knocked in the extra point. San Francisco tied it as Kaepernick ran 20 yards for a touchdown, and David Akers booted the extra point. The Packers retook the lead with a DuJuan Harris 18 yard touchdown run, and Crosby nailed the extra point. The 49ers tied it in the second quarter as Kaepernick passed 12 yards for a touchdown to Michael Crabtree, and Akers drilled the extra point. San Francisco took the lead as Kaepernick and Crabtree hooked up for another touchdown, this time a 20 yard play, and Akers made the extra point. Green Bay retied it as Aaron Rodgers passed 20 yards for a touchdown to James Jones, and Crosby handled the extra point. The 49ers got another lead on a 36 yard Akers field goal. The Packers tied it in the third quarter as Crosby made a 31 yard field goal. San Francisco edged ahead again on a 56 yard touchdown run by Kaepernick, and Akers kicked in the PAT. The 49ers padded the lead in the fourth quarter on a Frank Gore 2 yard touchdown run, and Akers booted the extra point. San Francisco kept going as Anthony Dixon ran in a 2 yard touchdown, and Akers made another extra point. Green Bay got some back as Rodger found Greg Jennings for 3 yards and a touchdown, and Crosby tacked on the extra point. San Francisco held on to win 45-31, and await the results of Sunday for their next opponent.

Continuing on the second day, the Atlanta Falcons welcome the Seattle Seahawks in an NFC Divisional. Atlanta started with a first quarter 39 yard field goal by Matt Bryant. The Falcons added on with a 1 yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan to Tony Gonzalez, and Bryant tacked on the extra point. Atlanta padded the lead in the second quarter as Bryant made a 37 yard field goal. The Falcons extended the lead with Ryan finding Roddy White for 47 yards and a touchdown, and Bryant kicked another extra point. Seattle got on the board in the third quarter as Russell Wilson passed 29 yards for a touchdown to Golden Tate, and Ryan Longwell knocked in the extra point. Atlanta replied as Ryan passed 5 yards to Jason Snelling for a touchdown, and Bryant tacked on the PAT. The Seahawks pulled back in the fourth quarter as Wilson ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Longwell booted the extra point. Seattle chipped away with Wilson finding Zach Miller for 3 yards and a touchdown, and Longwell kicked another extra point. The Seahawks edged ahead as Marshawn Lynch ran 2 yards for a touchdown, and Longwell again made the extra point. The Falcons retook the lead as Bryant made a 49 yard field goal. This held up for the 30-28 win, and means that Atlanta will host next week's NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Finally, in the other AFC Divisional, the New England Patriots host the Houston Texans. Houston began in the first quarter with a Shayne Graham 27 yard field goal. New England took the lead as Shane Vereen ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Stephen Gostkowski handled the extra point. The Patriots added on in the second quarter with a Gostkowski 37 yard field goal. New England kept going with a Tom Brady 8 yard touchdown pass to Vereen, and Gostkowski tacked on the PAT. The Texans pulled back as Arian Foster ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Graham was good with the extra point. Houston got closer with a 55 yard Graham field goal. The Patriots answered in the third quarter as Stevan Ridley ran 8 yards for a touchdown, and Gostkowski supplied the extra point. New England extended the lead as Brady passed 5 yards for a touchdown to Brandon Lloyd, and Gostkowski booted another extra point. The Patriots struck again as Brady passed for a 33 yard touchdown to Vereen, and Gostkowski was true with the extra point. The Texans shot back as Matt Schaub passed 25 yards for a touchdown to DeVier Posey for 25 yards and a touchdown, and Graham nailed the extra point. Houston got closer as Schaub passed 1 yard to Foster for a touchdown, and then he found Andre Johnson for the two-point conversion. New England iced it at 41-28 with a Gostkowski 38 yard field goal. The Patriots advance to host the Baltimore Ravens next week in the AFC Championship Game.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL All-Star Game

This could be a bit sloppy, so fair warning. The English language website did not have a posting of the game text, so I'm using Google Translate to piece together what's happening.

This game pits East against West, being played in Traktor Arena in Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett for the East and Vasily Koshechkin for the West make the starts. The West scored the first of many goals as Ilya Kovalchuk potted the puck, with the help of Alexander Radulov. The West struck again as Alexander Korolyuk scored, thanks to Nikolai Zherdev. The East got on the board as Evgeny Kuznetsov scored a goal, coming off of Jakub Petruzalek. The East tied it on a Tomas Zaborsky goal, via Alexander Perezhogin and Ilya Nikulin. The East edged ahead as Renat Mamashev scored, with Perezhogin picking up the only helper. The East added on as Igot Skorokhodov scored, via Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Jori Lehtera. The East got another on a Kagarlitsky goal, passed from Lehtera. The East continued their surge with an unassisted Kuznetsov goal. The West chipped back on a Sergei Shirokov goal, set up by Zherdev. The East shot back in the second period with a Kuznetsov goal to complete his hat trick, and Nikulin added an assist. The West quickly replied with a Zherdev goal, courtesy of Shirokov. The East answered again on a Deron Quint goal, with Lehtera adding his third assist for a sock trick. The West pulled back with a Radulov goal, and Pavel Datsyuk supplied an assist. The East answered after Staffan Kronwall commited a penalty on a breakaway, setting Lehtera up for a successful penalty shot. The East extended the lead with an Alexei Morozov goal, and Sergei Mozyakin was credited with the assist. At the middle of the period, Garnett was relieved by Konstantin Barulin, and Koshechkin was relieved by Rastislav Stana. The East continued with another Morozov goal, this time thanks to Nikulin. The East padded the lead as Mamashev scored a goal, powered by Zaborsky and Petruzalek. The West chipped back with another Kovalchuk goal from Radulov. The East came back with a Quint goal, guided in by Kagarlitsky and Lehtera. The East continued the attack in the third period with an unassisted Mozyakin goal. The East got another as Kuznetsov scored his fourth of the night, also going down unassisted. The West responded on a Korolyuk goal, helped along by Shirokov. The East struck again as Kagarlitsky scored another goal, with helpers provided by Lehtera and Skorokhodov. The East continued with a Skorokhodov goal, made possible by Quint. The East got another on a Petruzalek tally, set up by Perezhogin and Zaborsky. The West came back with a Michael Varnakov goal, assisted by Tim Stapleton and Sergei Plotnikov. The West chipped away as Shirkov put down an unassisted goal. The West pulled closer with another Varnakov goal, coming from Korolyuk and Shirokov. The West got another back as Kovalchuk finished his hat trick, with assist coming from Radulov, for a sock trick, and Datsyuk. This produced the 18-11 East win, and the awards for best defenders went to the East's Mamashev and the West's Ilya Gorokhov. Congratulations to all of the All-Stars for being at the top of the KHL in talent.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. KHL resumes on Tuesday, NHL begins next Saturday.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

KHL January 10th 2013

Last day before the All-Star Game break as the superstars head to Chelyabinsk for the weekend. Eight games will be played, beginning in...

Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Ilya Ezhov and Andrei Vasilevsky will play in goal. St. Petersburg opened with a first period goal by Patrick Thoresen, assisted by Dmitry Kalinin. SKA added on in the second period on a Thoresen goal, made possible by Kalinin and Tony Martensson. Ufa got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Denis Khlystov, passed from Ivan Baranka. St. Petersburg shot back as Kevin Dallman scored a goal, with a lone assist from Ilya Kovalchuk. SKA padded the lead with an Igor Makarov goal, fueled by Alexander Kucheryavenko and Maxim Afinogenov. Salavat Yulaev got one back in the third period as Oleg Saprykin scored, courtesy of Andrei Zubarev and Khlystov. This was as close as it got, with the final being 4-2, with the three stars belonging to Thoresen, Khlystov, and Kalinin.

In the west, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod hosts Dinamo Minsk. Lars Haugen and Vitaly Koval receive the starting nods. Minsk started in the first period with a Stanislav Lopachuk goal, coming off of Andrei Mikhalyov and Pavel Chernook. Dinamo padded the lead in the second period as Tim Stapleton scored an unassisted goal. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board in the third period when Vladimir Gorbunov scored, with the help of Ilya Krikunov and Mikhail Tyulyapkin. This was it for the scoring, resulting in a 2-1 win for Dinamo. The three stars were Haugen (32 for 33 in saves), Stapleton, and Lopachuk.

A bit to the west, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl brings in Severstal Cherepovets. Vasily Koshechkin and Curtis Sanford will be in the blue paint. Cherepovets led off in the first period with an Alexander Ryazantsev goal, via Vadim Berdnikov and Mikhail Anisin. Yaroslavl tied it on a Daniil Apalkov goal, guided in by Niklas Hagman. Severstal took the lead again in the second period with a Stanislav Yegorshev goal, assisted by Evgeny Ketov and Vadim Shipachyov. Cherepovets iced it at 3-1 in the third period with an empty net goal by Berdnikov, going down unassisted. The three stars were Berdnikov, Koshechkin (25 for 26 in saves), and Yegorshev.

Back east, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Matt Dalton are between the pipes. Nizhnekamsk was first to score in the first period as Ruslan Nurtdinov scored, thanks to Alexander Seluyanov and Renat Mamashev. Neftekhimik extended the lead with an unassisted goal by Denis Grot. Nizhnekamsk continued in the second period with a Yegor Milovzorov goal, fueled by Maxim Berezin and Maxim Pestushko. Neftekhimik padded the lead as Milovzorov scored another goal, passed from Pestushko. Moscow got on the board in the third period when Konstantin Gorovikov scored a power play goal, powered by Denis Mosalyov. Nizhnekamsk replied on an Andrei Subbotin goal, courtesy of Tomas Netik. Dynamo got one back with a Sergei Soin goal, made possible by Alexei Tsvetkov and Konstantin Kasyanchuk. This produced the 5-2 final score, with the three stars being Milovzorov, Pestushko, and Nurtdinov.

Westward again, as CSKA Moscow welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Ari Ahonen and Rastislav Stana tend the twines. Moscow began in the first period with a Nikolai Prokhorkin goal, via Segei Barbashev and Dmitry Kugryshev. Magnitogorsk tied it on a Georgy Misharin goal, assisted by Ryan O'Reilly. Metallurg took the lead in the second period as Sergei Mozyakin scored, with the help of Denis Platonov. CSKA retied it with an Igor Radulov power play goal, powered by Denis Denisov and Alexei Marchenko. The game went to a shootout, where Ahonen was relieved by Georgy Gelashvili, but he was unable to stop goals from Oleg Kvasha and Radulov, which toppled the single goal by O'Reilly for a 3-2 CSKA win Ilya Proskuryakov also appeared in goal, relieving Stana. The three stars were Radulov, Stana (30 for 32 in saves), and Prokhorkin.

Staying in the city, Spartak Moscow hosts Dinamo Riga. Mikael Tellqvist and Jan Lasak are the masked men. Riga finally started in the second period with an unassisted and shorthanded goal by Andris Dzerins. Dinamo added on with an Alexandre Giroux power play goal, powered by Krisjanis Redlihs and Paul Szczechura. Riga struck again in the third period on a Martins Karsums power play goal, assisted by Redlihs and Arvids Rekis. Dinamo kept going as Miks Indrasis converted a penalty shot he earned after being tripped on a breakaway by Jaroslav Obsut. Moscow shot back with a Nikita Shchitov goal, with a lone Branko Radivojevic. This made it 4-1, the final, with Redlihs, Tellqvist (33 for 34 in saves), and Giroux getting the three stars.

A little north, Atlant Mytishchi hosts Vityaz Chekhov. Ivan Lisutin and Stanislav Galimov protect the nets. Mytishchi struck first in the first period with a Jonas Andersson goal, assisted by Rafael Batyrshin. Chekhov tied it on an Artemy Panarin goal, coming off of Josh Hennessy and Alexander Korolyuk. Atlant took the lead back as Andersson scored again, with assists provided by Batyrshin and Nikolai Zherdev. Mytishchi added on with another Andersson goal to complete his hat trick, a power play goal powered by Igor Ignatushkin and Zherdev. Atlant extended the lead with Batyrshin potting a power play goal, via Ignatushkin and Zherdev, the latter getting a sock trick. Vityaz shot back with an Alexei Badyukov goal, fueled by Denis Sergeyev and Sergei Lesnukhin. Chekhov pulled closer with a Pavel Chernov goal, with a lone helper by Evgeny Timkin. Mytishchi replied in the third period as Andersson potted his fourth of the night, courtesy of Dmitry Kosmachyov and Zherdev. Atlant kept going with a Mikhail Glukhov goal, guided in by Konstantin Koltsov. Mytishchi finished it at 7-3 with an Ilya Kablukov goal, pushed through by Batyrshin, who got a sock trick. The three stars were Andersson, Batyrshin, and Zherdev, while Ignatushkin gets an honorable mention.

Finally, Lev Praha welcomes Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Tomas Popperle will be in the creases. Praha got going in the first period on a Lukas Cingel goal, assisted by Michal Repik and Ondrej Nemec. Lev struck again as Vitaly Karamnov scored, with the help of Tomas Surovy and Nemec. Chelyabinsk got on the board in the second period as Jan Bulis scored a power play goal, powered by Stanislav Chistov and Maxim Yakutsenya. Traktor tied it as Evgeny Kuznetsov scored a goal, with a lone assist provided by Andrei Popov. Praha took the lead back in the third period as Petr Vrana scored, courtesy of Jakub Klepis and Tomas Rachunek. Lev extended the lead as Nicklas Danielsson scored, via Martins Cipulis and Nathan Oystrick. Praha padded the lead as Vrana scored again, guided in by Klepis and Rachunek again. Lev iced it at 6-2 with a Cipulis goal, made possible by Danielsson. The three stars went to Vrana, Danielsson, and Cipulis, while Klepis, Rachunek, and Nemec get the honorable mentions.

See you for the All-Star Game on Sunday. Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

KHL January 9th 2013

Three games again today, with the teams from Monday having rotated around amongst themselves. First up...

Amur Khabarovsk hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Edgars Masalskis and Alexei Kuznetsov will be in the creases. Khabarovsk opened in the second period on a power play goal by Juha-Pekka Hytonen, powered by Alexander Yunkov and Nikita Gusev. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it on a Konstantin Glazachev goal, fueled by Stanislav Bocharov. Amur took the lead in the third period as Topi Jaakola scored, with the help of Perttu Lindgren and Mikhail Fisenko. Yugra tied it on an unassisted Marek Troncinsky goal. The game went to a shootout, where Amur's Gusev was matched by Yugra's Igor Skorokhodov twice, and then Jakub Petruzalek of Amur scored, only to be answered by Igor Magogin of Yugra. Finally, Petruzalek scored, and Skorokhodov fell short, giving Amur a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Gusev, Petruzalek, and Skorokhodov.

To the west, Sibir Novosibirsk hosts Barys Astana. Vitaly Yeremeyev and Jeff Glass will be given the green light to start. Astana started in the first period as Roman Starchenko scored, thanks to Dmitry Upper and Konstantin Rudenko. Novosibirsk tied it in the second period on a Alexei Kopeikin's goal, coming off of Alexander Nikulin and Viktor Drugov. Sibir took the lead in the third period with a power play goal by Kristian Kudroc, powered by Nikita Zaitsev and Jori Lehtera. Novosibirsk iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Lehtera, going in unassisted. The three stars were Lehtera, Glass (22 for 23 in saves), and Kudroc.

Finally, in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg welcomes Avangard Omsk. Karri Ramo and Alexander Lazushin tend the twines. Novokuznetsk was first to score with a first period Alexander Bumagin goal, assisted by Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Omsk tied it as Anssi Salmela scored, with the help of Georgijs Pujacs. Avangard took the lead with an unassisted Tomas Zaborsky goal. Metallurg tied it as Filipp Metyluk scored, via Kagarlitsky and Bumagin, coming on the power play. Omsk took the lead back with an Alexander Frolov goal, courtesy of Dmitry Syomin and Salmela. Avangard padded the lead in the second period on an Anton Kuryanov power play goal, powered by Frolov. Omsk extended the lead when Kuryanov scored again, with a lone assist from Sergei Kalinin. Novokuznetsk shot back in the third period on a Konstantin Turukin goal, passed from Yury Nazarov and Alexei Yefimov. They got no closer, losing 5-3, with the three stars being Kuryanov, Salmela, Frolov, while Bumagin and Kagarlitsky pick up the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

KHL January 8th 2012

First off, much appreciation for pushing me over 10,000 views on the blog. That's a huge number, and I honestly never thought I'd get that many when I started all those months ago. Thank you for sticking with me. For the KHL today, we have nine games, beginning in...

Ufa, as Salavat Yulaev finally returns home, hosting Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Sharychenkov and Andrei Vasilevsky will play in goal. Ufa led off in the first period as Igor Mirnov scored, with assists from Vasilevsky and Antti Pihlstrom. This was the game's only goal, resulting in a 1-0 win for Salavat Yulaev. Vasilevsky (25 save shutout), Sharychenkov (28 for 29 in saves), and Mirnov picked up the three stars.

Over in the west, CSKA Moscow hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Chris Holt and Ilya Proskuryakov will make the starts. Yekaterinburg got going with a first period power play goal by Rastislav Spirko, with a lone assist from Branislav Mezei. Avtomobilist added on as Alexei Makeyev scored, thanks to Alexei Simakov and Spirko. Moscow got on the board when Sergei Gimayev scored, via Andrei Sergeyev. CSKA tied it in the second period as Vladimir Zharkov scored, with the help of Dmitry Kugryshev. Moscow took the lead with an Igor Radlov goal, passed from Patrick Davis. Yekaterinburg retied the game in the third period as Stanislav Zhmakin scored, courtesy of Mezei and Evgeny Lapenkov. The game went to a shootout, where CSKA got three goals, including two by Oleg Kvasha and one from Sergei Shirokov to top tallies by Avtomobilist's Zhmakin and Denis Sokolov. The three stars went to Kvasha, Spirko, and Zhmakin, while Mezei gets an honorable mention.

Moving along to Yaroslavl, with Lokomotiv hosting Dinamo Minsk. Kevin Lalande and Curtis Sanford are all padded up. Yaroslavl began with a first period goal by Alexander Guskov, assisted by Staffan Kronwall on the power play. Lokomotiv added on as Alexander Chernikov scored, with the help of Yury Petrov and Yegor Yakovlev. Minsk got on the board with a power play goal by Dmitry Meleshko, powered by Jere Karalahti and Lukas Krajicek. Yaroslavl answered as Guskov scored a power play goal, via Sergei Plotnikov and Alexei Kalyuzhny. Lokomotiv extended the lead in the second period as Petrov scored a power play goal, guided in by Chernikov and Guskov. The scoring ended here with the final being 4-1, with the three stars being Guskov, Sanford (36 for 37 in saves), and Chernikov, while Petrov gets the honorable mention.

Down in Mytishchi, Atlant hosts Severstal Cherepovets. Vasily Koshechkin and Stanislav Galimov are given the starting nods. Cherepovets was first to score in the first period with a power play goal by Niclas Bergfors, powered by Petr Caslava and Alexei Medvedev. Severstal struck again in the third period with a Mikhail Anisin goal, fueled by Vadim Berdnikov and Linus Videll on the power play. Cherepovets iced it at 3-0 with an Ignat Zemchenko goal, assisted by Videll. The three stars were Koshechkin (17 save shutout), Videll, and Bergfors.

Backtracking east, with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod hosting Vityaz Chekhov. Sergei Denisov and Vitaly Koval will stand in the blue paint. Chekhov struck first in the first period on an Evgeny Timkin goal, passed from Pavel Chernov. Vityaz added on in the second period with a Chernov goal, set up by Nikita Dvurechensky. Nizhny Novgorod got one back as Alexei Vasilyev scored, with the help of Alexander Yevseyenkov. Chekhov shot back in the third period as Alexander Korolyuk converted a penalty shot that he was awarded when Yevseyenkov knocked the net off its posts. This made it a 3-1 game, the final, with Chernov, Denisov (44 for 45 in saves), and Korolyuk getting the three stars.

East again to Kazan, with Ak Bars hosting SKA St. Petersburg. Ilya Ezhov and Konstantin Barulin will be between the pipes. Kazan finally got going in the second period on a Danis Zaripov power play goal, set up by Konstanin Korneyev and Ilya Nikulin. Ak Bars extended the lead with a power play goal from Kirill Petrov, powered by Lauris Darzins and Alexei Tereshchenko. Kazan kept going in the third period as Zaripov scored again, with a lone assist from Alexei Morozov. St. Petersburg got on the board with a tony Martensson power play goal, passed from Ilya Kovalchuk and Dmitry Kalinin. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Zaripov, Barulin (44 for 45 in saves), and Petrov.

Again in Moscow, where Spartak welcomes Donbass Donetsk. Jan Laco and Jan Lasak will guard the cages. Donetsk finally started in the second period on a Vaclav Nedorost goal, assisted by Evgeny Dadonov and Sergei Tereshchenko. Moscow tied it in the third period with an unassisted Anatoly Nikontsev goal. Spartak took the lead on a Branko Radivojevic goal, made possible by Mikhail Yunkov and Andrei Shefer. Moscow iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Oleg Petrov, set up by Denis Bodrov and Nikolai Bushuyev. The three stars were Lasak (31 for 32 in saves), Radivojevic, and Nikontsev.

West to Prague, as Lev Praha hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Ari Ahonen and Jakub Stepanek protect the nets. Magnitogorsk opened with a first period power play goal by Mats Zuccarello, powered by Denis Platonov and Ryan O'Reilly. Metallurg padded the lead in the second period on an O'Reilly goal, fueled by Platonov and Sergei Mozyakin. Magnitogorsk struck again on a Justin Hodgman goal, set up by Zuccarello and Yaroslav Kosov. Praha got on the board when Jiri Hunkes scored, thanks to Jakub Klepis and Tomas Rachunek. Metallurg replied in the third period on a Mozyakin goal, with a lone assist from O'Reilly. Lev took one back as Klepis scored an unassisted shorthanded goal. Magnitogorsk finished the scoring at 5-2 with a Kosov goal, coming off of Hodgman and Zuccarello. The three stars of the game were Zuccarello, O'Reilly, and Mozyakin, while Platonov, Kosov, Hodgman, and Klepis get the honorable mentions.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Jaroslav Janus tend the twines. Bratislava started in the first period with a power play goal by Michel Miklik, powered by Roman Kukumberg and Lubomir Visnovsky. Slovan struck again in the second period as Andrej Kudrna scored, via Visnovsky and Kukumberg. Chelyabinsk got on the board with a power play goal by Valery Nichushkin, coming off of Vyacheslav Belov and Stanislav Chistov. Traktor tied it on a Vladimir Antipov goal, courtesy of Konstantin Panov and Yegor Dugin. Bratislava took the lead back as Jonathan Sigalet scored, with the help of Martin Bakos. Chelyabinsk tied it again in the third period as Panov scored, thanks to Evgeny Kuznetsov. The game went to overtime, where Slovan prevailed 4-3 on an unassisted Kukumberg goal. The three stars were Kukumberg, Visnovsky, and Panov.

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