Monday, January 28, 2013

NHL January 28th 2013

Five games in this hemisphere today, much thinner than the previous post. We begin here in...

Carolina, as the Hurricanes host the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Cam Ward will play in the blue paint. Boston started with a shorthanded goal by Brad Marchand, his third of the season, assisted by Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on as Chara scored his second of the year, a power play goal set up by David Krejci and Tyler Seguin. Carolina got on the board with a Jamie McBain goal, fueled by Eric Staal and Alexander Semin. Boston answered in the second period as Nathan Horton notched his second of the season, courtesy of Chara and Johnny Boychuk. The Hurricanes shot back as Jeff Skinner potted his fifth of the year, via Jordan Staal. Carolina tied it on an Eric Staal goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Semin. The Bruins took the lead late in the third period on a Krejci goal, coming off of Dougie Hamilton and Horton. Boston iced it at 5-3 as Seguin scored an empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were handed to Chara, Krejci, and Eric Staal, while Horton, Seguin, and Semin get the honorable mentions.

West to Columbus, with the Blue Jackets hosting the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Sergei Bobrovsky receive the starting nods. Dallas led off in the second period with a Philip Larsen goal, fueled by Alex Goligoski and Jamie Benn on the power play. Columbus tied it when Derek Dorsett scored, thanks to Fedor Tyutin and Artem Anisimov. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the third period as Vinny Prospal potted his second of the season, with the help of James Wisniewski and Jack Johnson. This was good for a 2-1 win, and the three stars were Prospal, Dorsett, and Johnson.

Southwest to Phoenix, where the Coyotes host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne faces a lesser foe in Chad Johnson in goal. Phoenix opened with a first period Antoine Vermette goal, his third of the season, assisted by Nick Johnson and Keith Yandle. The Coyotes added on in the second period when Lauri Korpikoski notched his third of the year, with Boyd Gordon getting the only assist. Phoenix struck again in the third period as Johnson scored, with the help of Yandle and Derek Morris. The Coyotes padded the lead with a Yandle power play goal, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Radim Vrbata. This made it a 4-0 final, with Chad Johnson (22 save shutout), Yandle, and Nick Johnson getting the three stars.

North to Edmonton, where the Oilers host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Devan Dubnyk are between the pipes. Edmonton got going with a first period power play goal by Ales Hemsky, set up by Teemu Hartikainen and Sam Gagner as his second of the season. The Oilers extended the lead on a Jordan Eberle power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Taylor Hall and Ryan Whitney. Edmonton padded the lead in the second period on a Shawn Horcoff power play goal, coming off of Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Colorado got on the board in the third period as P.A. Parenteau scored his third of the season, with the help of Matt Duchene and Jamie McGinn. The Oilers iced it at 4-1 with a Nail Yakupov empty net goal, his third of the year, passed from Gagner. Eberle, Hall, and Dubnyk (37 for 38 in saves) got the three stars, while Gagner had an honorable mention.

Finally, we end in Los Angeles, as the Kings bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. Vancouver began in the first period with a Zack Kassian goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Alexander Edler and Dan Hamhuis. The Canucks padded the lead in the second period as Alexandre Burrows scored his second of the year, thanks to Chris Higgins and Chris Tanev. Los Angeles got on the board as Jeff Carter potted his third of the season, a power play goal, powered by Mike Richards and Simon Gagne. The Kings tied it with a Slava Voynov goal in the third period, made possible by Anze Kopitar. The game went to a shootout, where Los Angeles won 3-2 on a lone tally by Carter. The three stars belonged to Kopitar, Luongo (26 for 28 in saves), and Voynov, while Carter gets the honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL January 28th 2013

Twelve games makes today a busy day for the Russian league. We start in...

Khabarovsk, with Amur hosting Spartak Moscow. Jan Lasak and Alexei Kuznetsov are the goalies. Moscow got going in the first period as Branko Radivojevic scored a power play goal, powered by Alexander Suglobov and Nikita Shchitov. Khabarovsk tied it on a power play goal by Topi Jaakola, assisted by Dmitry Tarasov and Igor Ozhiganov. Spartak retook the lead in the second period as Oleg Gubin potted the puck, with a lone assist by Yegor Mikhailov. The scoring ended here at 2-1, with the three stars going to Lasak (34 for 35 in saves), Gubin, and Radivojevic.

Way west to Novosibirsk, as Sibir hosts Donbass Donetsk. Jan Laco and Jeff Glass man the creases. Donetsk was first to score in the first period as Lukas Kaspar scored, thanks to Peter Podhradsky. Novosibirsk tied it in the second period as Jori Lehtera scored an unassisted goal. Sibir gained the lead with an Alexander Nikulin goal, set up by Alexei Kopeikin. Donbass tied it again as Kaspar scored another goal, via Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Randy Robitaille. Donetsk got the lead again with a power play goal by Kagarlitsky, powered by Robitaille and Kaspar. Donbass added on in the third period as Kagarlitsky scored another power play goal, with a lone Robitaille assist, earning him a sock trick. Donetsk extended the lead as Robitaille scored, with the help of Kaspar and Evgeny Dadonov. This made it 5-2, a final, with Kaspar, Kagarlitsky, and Robitaille picking up the three stars.

Southeast a little to Novokuznetsk, as Metallurg hosts Dinamo Riga. Mikael Tellqvist and Yury Klyuchnikov are called on to start. Novokuznetsk began with a first period Alexander Bumagin goal, passed from Dmitry Chernykh. Metallurg added on as Anton Lazarev scored a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Riga got on the board as Paul Szczechura scored a power play goal, with a lone assist from Krisjanis Redlihs. Novokuznetsk answered on a power play goal by Nikita Vyglazov, powered by Bumagin. The scoring stopped here at 3-1, and the three stars went to Bumagin, Lazarev, and Klyuchnikov (30 for 31 in saves).

Much farther west, Salavat Yulaev Ufa welcomes Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Mikhail Biryukov and Andrei Vasilevsky will be in the blue paint. Ufa struck first in the first period on an Alexei Glukhov goal, set up by Ildar Isangulov and Oleg Saprykin. Salavat Yulaev added on as Stefan Ruzicka scored, courtesy of Denis Khlystov and Vitaly Proshkin. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with an Igor Skorokhodov power play goal, powered by Vitaly Sitnikov and Denis Grebeshkov. Ufa responded in the second period as Igor Musatov found twine, with the help of Vitaly Atyushov and Saprykin. Salavat Yulaev extended the lead on an Andrie Zubarev goal, fueled by Igor Mirnov and Alexei Kaigorodov. Yugra pulled back with Skorokhodov scoring a power play goal, assisted by Alexei Pepelyaev and Igor Magogin. Ufa shot back on a Mirnov goal, coming off of Antti Pihlstrom and Kirill Koltsov. Khanty-Mansiysk pulled back in the third period as Andrei Kuzmin scored, with assists provided by Ivan Yatsenko and Stanislav Bocharov. Yugra chipped away on a Marek Troncinsky goal, made possible by Sitnikov. They failed to tie the game, losing 5-4, with the three stars being Mirnov, Saprykin, and Skorokhodov, while Sitnikov gets the honorable mention.

To the northwest, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Vitaly Koval and Curtis Sanford are given the starting nods. Yaroslavl led off with a first period goal by Daniil Apalkov, assisted by Niklas Hagman and Alexei Kalyuzhny. Lokomotiv padded the lead in the second period as Staffan Kronwall scored, with a lone assist from Alexei Kruchinin. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board on a Maxim Potapov goal, passed from Vladimir Malenkikh and Mikhail Varnakov. This was all for the scoring, with the final resting at 2-1, and the three stars belonged to Kronwall, Apalkov, and Sanford (31 for 32 in saves).

Backtracking southeast to Kazan, where Ak Bars hosts Barys Astana. Pavel Poluektov and Konstantin Barulin will wear the pads. Kazan opened with a first period goal by Alexei Morozov, made possible by Niko Kapanen and Vasily Tokranov. Astana tied it as Brandon Bochenski scored, thanks to Alexei Litvinenko and Nigel Dawes. Barys took the lead in the second period on an Andrew Hutchinson goal, fueled by Roman Starchenko. Ak Bars retied it with a power play goal by Ilya Nikulin, passed from Danis Zaripov and Morozov. Astana took the lead back on an Ilya Solaryov goal, courtesy of Konstantin Savenkov and Viktor Alexandrov. Barys iced it at 4-2 with a power play goal by Starchenko, powered by Hutchinson and Dmitry Upper. The three stars were given to Hutchinson, Starchenko, and Morozov.

Moving along to Nizhnekamsk, with Neftekhimik welcoming Avangard Omsk. Karri Ramo and Matt Dalton will attempt to stop the puck. Nizhnekamsk finally got going in the second period on a Renat Mamashev goal, with a lone Maxim Pestushko assist. Omsk tied it as Alexander Popov scored, with the help of Anssi Salmela and the goalie Ramo. Avangard took the lead as Dmitry Syomin scored a goal, assisted by Popov and Alexander Perezhogin. Omsk struck again on an Igor Volkov goal, guided in by Nikita Pivtsakin. Avangard finished it in the third period on an unassisted empty net goal by Sergei Kalinin. The three stars were Popov, Ramo (43 for 44 in saves and an assist), and Syomin.

Back west into Moscow, as Dynamo hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Ari Ahonen and Alexander Yeryomenko tend the twines. Magnitogorsk started in the second period as Sergei Mozyakin scored, with a helper provided by Justin Hodgman. Moscow tied it in the third period on an Ilya Gorokhov power play goal, powered by Konstantin Gorovikov and Jakub Petruzalek. The game went to a shootout, where Petruzalek came through with the only goal to give Dynamo a 2-1 win. The three stars were Petruzalek, Yeryomenko (21 for 22 in saves), and Ahonen (34 for 35 in saves).

Further to the west, SKA St. Petersburg brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Ivan Kasutin have the green light to start. St. Petersburg led off with a first period power play goal by Viktor Tikhonov, with a lone assist from Gleb Klimenko. Chelyabinsk got on the board with a Stanislav Chistov goal, passed from Evgeny Kuznetsov. SKA took the lead back in the second period on a Tony Martensson goal, set up by Dmitry Kalinin and Patrick Thoresen. St. Petersburg added on in the third period as Petr Prucha scored, with assists provided by Martensson and Thoresen. SKA extended the lead on an unassisted power play goal by Yury Alexandrov. St. Petersburg wrapped it up at 5-1 with a Martensson goal, fueled by Thoresen, who got a sock trick, and Alexei Semenov. The three stars went to Martensson, Thoresen, and Kasutin (24 for 25 in saves).

Back east a bit, Vityaz Chekhov hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Evgeny Lobanov and Ivan Lisutin stand between the pipes. Chekhov began in the second period as Anton Tikhomirov scored, with assists provided by Denis Sergeyev and Vyacheslav Kulyomin. Vityaz added on in the third period on a Josh Hennessy goal, coming off of Anton Korolyuk and Ainars Podzins. Yekaterinburg got on the board with a Stanislav Zhmakin power play goal, powered by Sergei Gusev. They still lost 2-1, with the three stars being Lisutin (25 for 26 in saves), Hennessy, and Tikhomirov.

Out in Prague, Lev Praha hosts Severstal Cherepovets. Vasily Koshechkin and Jakub Stepanek guard the cages. Cherepovets opened in the first period with a shorthanded goal by Evgeny Ketov, set up by Petr Caslava and Alexander Ryazantsev. Severstal added on as Ketov scored a power play goal, assisted by Stanislav Yegorshev and Bogdan Kiselevich. Cherepovets extended the lead as Vadim Berdnikov scored a power play goal, fueled by Linus Videll and Mikhail Anisin. Praha got on the board in the second period with a Jiri Novotny power play goal, powered by Richard Gynge and Jakub Nakladal. Lev pulled closer as Gynge scored, via Sami Lepisto. Severstal replied on a Vadim Shipachyov goal, guided in by Denis Kazionov. Praha shot back with a Michal Repik goal, made possible by Nathan Oystrick on the power play. Lev tied it in the third period with another Repik goal, passed from Lepisto and Ondrej Nemec on the power play. Praha got the lead with a Michal Birner goal, with Repik the only one credited with an assist. This held up for a 5-4 win, with the three stars going to Repik, Lepisto, and Gynge, while Ketov gets an honorable mention.

Finally, we end in Bratislava, as Slovan hosts Dinamo Minsk. Lars Haugen and Jaroslav Janus protect the nets. Minsk started with a first period goal by Lukas Krajicek, assisted by Teemu Laine and Sergei Drozd. Dinamo added on with a Tim Stapleton goal, with a lone assist by Jere Karalahti. Bratislava got on the board in the second period with an unassisted goal by Tomas Mojzis. They couldn't find an equalizer, falling 2-1, with the three stars being Stapleton, Haugen (37 for 38 in saves), and Krajicek.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Fantasy Hockey All-Stars Week 1 2013

Here's your top ten players from the opening week-plus of the season.

1 Patrick Marleau
2 Joe Thornton
3 Craig Anderson
4 Joe Pavelski
5 Zach Parise
6 Thomas Vanek
7 Vladimir Tarasenko
8 Marian Hossa
9 Martin St. Louis
10 Steven Stamkos

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

KHL and NHL January 27th 2013

Another short day in the KHL, so we'll combine posts for easier access. The single KHL game is in...

Moscow, as CSKA hosts Atlant Mytishchi. Stanislav Galimov and Rastislav Stana are given the starting nods. Mytishchi finally got going with under four minutes left in the third period as Alexei Mikhnov scored, with the help of Ilya Krikunov. Atlant padded the lead as Konstantin Koltsov scored, with the help of Maxim Mayorov for the empty net goal. This resulted in a 2-0 final, with the three stars being Galimov (35 save shutout), Mikhnov, and Koltsov.

In North America, we begin with the Washington Capitals hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Michal Neuvirth play in the blue paint. Buffalo started in the first period as Tyler Ennis scored, thanks to Steve Ott and Drew Stafford. Washington tied it on Joel Ward's third of the season, coming off of Jason Chimera and Mike Ribeiro. The Capitals gained the lead in the second period on a John Erskine goal, fueled by Ward and Chimera. Washington added on in the third period as Alex Ovechkin scored a power play goal, powered by Mike Green and Ribeiro. The Sabres got one back as Marcus Foligno scored, via Patrick Kaleta and Andrej Sekera. They couldn't tie the game, losing 3-2, with the three stars being Ward, Ribeiro, and Ovechkin, while Chimera gets an honorable mention.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Craig Anderson guard the cages. Pittsburgh led off with a James Neal goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Evgeni Malkin. Ottawa tied it in the second period as Colin Greening scored a goal, courtesy of Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek. The game required a shootout to be determined, where the Penguins got goals from Neal, Sidney Crosby, and Malkin to win 2-1 while toppling Spezza and Kyle Turris tallies. Anderson (33 for 34 in saves), Fleury (31 for 32 in saves), and Mark Borowiecki were given the three stars, while Neal, Malkin, or Spezza deserve the third slot.

South to Tampa Bay, with the Lightning hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Michael Leighton and Anders Lindback are the little-known goalies. Philadelphia quickly opened in the first period as Sean Couturier scored his second of the season, with the help of Max Talbot. Tampa Bay tied it with a Teddy Purcell power play goal, powered by Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis. The Lightning pulled ahead with an Eric Brewer goal, his third of the year, passed from Purcell and St. Louis. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Vincent Lecavalier notched his second of the season, a power play goal made possible by St. Louis, who got a natural sock trick, and Sami Salo. The Lightning added on in the third period with a Victor Hedman goal, his second of the year, coming off of Adam Hall and Salo. Tampa Bay padded the lead when Steven Stamkos potted his third of the season, via Purcell and St. Louis. This produced the 5-1 final score, with the three stars being handed to Lecavalier, Salo, and St. Louis, while Purcell and Stamkos receive the honorable mentions.

Back in Canada again, the Montreal Canadiens host the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Carey Price are between the pipes. Montreal began in the first period as Ryan White scored, thanks to Travis Moen and Alexei Emelin. The Canadiens added on with a Brendan Gallagher goal, with a lone assist by Alex Galchenyuk. New Jersey got on the board in the second period with a Patrik Elias goal, his second of the season, made possible by Mark Fayne and David Clarkson. Montreal replied in the third period as Brandon Prust scored, with the help of Galchenyuk. The Devils shot back with a Clarkson goal, his third of the year, a power play goal, powered by Elias and Ilya Kovalchuk. New Jersey tied it on a Dainius Zubrus goal, guided in by Elias and Clarkson. The Canadiens won 4-3 in overtime with a goal by Andrei Markov, his fourth of the season, set up by Erik Cole and Rene Bourque. The three stars went to Markov, Gallagher, and Elias, while Clarkson and Galchenyuk get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Chicago, with the Blackhawks hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Chicago struck first in the first period as Duncan Keith potted a power play goal, with assists provided by Brent Seabrook and Marian Hossa. Detroit tied it in the third period as Johan Franzen scored, with the help of Damien Brunner and Henrik Zetterberg. The Blackhawks won 2-1 in overtime on a Nick Leddy goal, assisted by Viktor Stalberg and Jonathan Toews. The three stars were Crawford (29 for 30 in saves), Pavel Datsyuk, and Marcus Kruger, while any point earners could take the second and third slots.

Down a bit to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Brian Elliott will man the creases. St. Louis was first to score in the first period as Wade Redden scored his second of the season, with the help of David Backes and David Perron. Minnesota tied it in the second period on a Zach Parise power play goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Tom Gilbert and Ryan Suter. The Wild gained the lead with another Parise power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, powered by Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley. Minnesota added on as Koivu scored a goal, fueled by Parise and Gilbert. The Blues pulled back with a Patrik Berglund goal, his third of the year, set up by Perron and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis tied it in the third period with Chris Stewart scoring his fourth of the season, passed from Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues gained the lead on a Barret Jackman goal, guided in by Vladimir Tarasenko and Shattenkirk. The Wild retied it as Heatley scored his fourth of the year, via Matt Cullen and Suter. St. Louis won the game 5-4 in overtime as Vladimir Sobotka scored, with assists provided by Andy McDonald and Roman Polak. The three stars were given to Perron, Pietrangelo, and Parise, while Shattenkirk, Suter, Gilbert, Heatley, and Koivu all get honorable mentions.

Out west, the San Jose Sharks host the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Antti Niemi have the green light to start. San Jose quickly got going in the first period with a Joe Thornton goal, his third of the season, assisted by Marc-Eduard Vlasic and Brad Stuart. The Sharks added on with an unassisted Joe Pavelski goal. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with an Alexandre Burrows goal, with a lone assist by Jannik Hansen. San Jose shot back as Patrick Marleau recorded his ninth of the season, courtesy of Dan Boyle and Logan Couture on the power play. The Sharks got another in the third period as Pavelski scored his second of the game, a power play goal powered by Thornton and Marleau. This held up for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Niemi (23 for 24 in saves), Thornton, and Pavelski, while Marleau gets the honorable mention.

Finally, we end in Winnipeg, with the Jets welcoming the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov opposes Al Montoya, who faces his former team. New York started with a first period David Ullstrom goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg tied it on an Alexei Ponikarovsky goal, fueled by Kyle Wellwood and Tobias Enstrom. The Jets took the lead in the second period as Bryan Little scored, thanks to Nik Antropov and Andrew Ladd. The Islanders retied it in the third period with a John Tavares goal, guided in by Frans Nielsen. New York took the lead as Matt Moulson netted his third of the year, with helpers provided by Tavares and Travis Hamonic. The Islanders struck again as Mark Streit scored his second of the season, a power play goal powered by Nielsen and Tavares. Winnipeg answered on Dustin Byfuglien's third of the year, a power play goal passed from Blake Wheeler and Evander Kane. The Jets tied it with an unassisted goal by Alex Burmistrov. Winnipeg completed the comeback in overtime, winning 5-4 with a Kane goal, his third of the season, helped along by Olli Jokinen and Ron Hainsey. Burmistrov, Antropov, and Kane were given the three stars, while Tavares and Moulson deserve honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

NHL January 26th 2013

Eight games on over here in North America today. The first is a matinee from...

San Jose, where the Sharks play host to the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Thomas Greiss are given the starting nods. San Jose led off with a first period Patrick Marleau goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Joe Pavelski and Dan Boyle on the power play. The Sharks added on as Marleau scored another power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, powered by Joe Thornton and Boyle. San Jose extended the lead as Thornton scored in the second period, his second of the season, a power play goal coming off of Ryane Clowe and Marleau. The Sharks kept going with Matt Irwin scoring a goal, with assists provided by Martin Havlat and Clowe. Jean-Sebastien Giguere relieved Varlamov at the start of the third period. This made it 4-0, a final, with the three stars going to Marleau, Irwin, and Greiss, while Thornton and Clowe got the honorable mentions.

To the east, the New York Rangers host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Henrik Lundqvist will play in the creases. Toronto began in the first period as Mikhail Grabovski scored his third of the season, thanks to John-Michael Liles and Nikolai Kulemin. The Maple Leafs added on as James van Riesmdyk notched his third of the year, a power play goal, set up by Liles and Clarke MacArthur. New York got on the board in the second period with Brad Richards' second of the season, fueled by Marian Gaborik and Rick Nash. The Rangers tied it in the third period as Marc Staal scored a goal, coming off of Michael Del Zotto and Gaborik. New York took the lead as Gaborik put down his fourth of the year, courtesy of Staal and Richards. The Rangers extended the lead with a Brian Boyle goal, fueled by Del Zotto and Derek Stepan. New York finished it at 5-2 with a Gaborik empty net goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, with a lone assist from Nash. Gaborik, Staal, and Richards got the three stars, while Del Zotto and Liles get the honorable mentions.

Back west a bit, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Steve Mason will be sent out to start. Columbus was first to score in the first period as Mark Letestu potted the puck, with the help of Nick Foligno and Derek Dorsett. Chicago tied it with a Dave Bolland's third of the season, made possible by Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks took the lead as Bryan Bickell scored, via Niklas Hjalmarsson and Michael Frolik. Chicago padded the lead in the third period as Jonathan Toews scored his third of the year, courtesy of Kane and Marian Hossa. The Blue Jackets got one back as Artem Anisimov scored his second of the season, assisted by Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Johansen. They got no closer, falling 3-2. Kane, Anismov, and Hjalmarsson were given the three stars. 

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Jose Theodore have the green light to start. Philadelphia struck first in the first period as Wayne Simmonds scored his second of the season, with the help of Kimmo Timonen and Claude Giroux on the power play. The Flyers added on as Matt Read scored, courtesy of Giroux and the goalie Bryzgalov. Philadelphia extended the lead with a Tye McGinn goal, coming off of Braydon Coburn and Ruslan Fedotenko. Scott Clemmensen relieved Theodore for the second period onward. The Flyers struck again in the second period as Read scored his second of the game, with assists provided by Coburn and Luke Schenn. Florida got on the board with a Peter Mueller goal, assisted by Ed Jovanovski. Philadelphia shot back as Luke Schenn scored an unassisted goal. The Flyers padded the lead in the third period as Read finished his hat trick with a power play goal, powered by Brayden Schenn and Mike Knuble. Philadelphia got another as Fedotenko scored a goal, guided in by Max Talbot and McGinn. This made it 7-1, a final, with the three stars being Read, Fedotenko, and Bryzgalov (30 for 31 in saves), while Luke Schenn, McGinn, Giroux, and Coburn also had very good games.

Well to the west, the Phoenix Coyotes bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Jason LaBarbera are all padded up. Los Angeles finally got going in the second period as Anze Kopitar scored, with the help of Dustin Brown. Phoenix tied it on a Mikkel Boedker power play goal, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Radim Vrbata. The Kings took the lead back as Kopitar netted his second of the game, assisted by Justin Williams and Jake Muzzin. Los Angeles extended the lead as Jeff Carter scored his second of the season, with a lone assist by Simon Gagne. The Coyotes chipped back in the third period as Shane Doan put away his second of the year, fueled by Lauri Korpikoski. The Kings answered as Muzzin scored a goal, guided in by Kyle Clifford and Davis Drewiske. This was good for a 4-2 win, with the three stars awarded to Kopitar, Boedker, and Carter, while Muzzin gets the honorable mention.

Backtracking to Dallas, with the Stars hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Christopher Nilstorp will protect the nets. St. Louis started in the first period on a Wade Redden goal, assisted by Alex Pietrangelo and Vladimir Sobotka. Dallas replied on a Tomas Vincour goal, fueled by Vernon Fiddler and Eric Nystrom. The Stars took the lead as Michael Ryder scored a power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Alex Goligoski and Ray Whitney. The Blues tied it in the second period when David Perron found twine, with the help of Kevin Shattenkirk. St. Louis gained the lead with a Chris Stewart goal, his third of the year, helped along by Patrik Berglund and Perron. The Blues added on as Perron scored his second of the game, and Vladimir Tarasenko recorded the only assist. Dallas pulled back in the third period as Ryan Garbutt scored, and Brenden Morrow and Colton Sceviour were credited with the assists. They failed to get the equalized, losing 4-3, with the three stars going to Perron, Stewart, and Garbutt.

Up in Alberta, the Calgary Flames host their provincial rivals, the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Miikka Kiprusoff are called on for the starts. Calgary opened with a first period Mikael Backlund goal, his second of the season, assisted by Michael Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. The Flames added on with a Jay Bouwmeester goal, fueled by Mark Giordano and Stempniak. Edmonton got on the board as Justin Schultz scored his second of the year, a power play goal made possible by Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall. Calgary responded in the second period as Curtis Glencross netted his third of the season, coming off of Jarome Iginla and Alex Tanguay. The Oilers pulled back as Eberle scored a power play goal his second of the year, guided in by Schultz and Shawn Horcoff. The Flames replied as Stempniak scored his third of the season, a power play goal, via Bouwmeester and Jiri Hudler. Edmonton chipped away with a Sam Gagner goal, his second of the year, passed from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Schultz. They failed to tie the game, falling 4-3, with the three stars awarded to Bouwmeester, Stempniak, and Eberle, while Schultz gets an honorable mention.

Finally, we end with the Anaheim Ducks hosting the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Viktor Fasth guard the cages. Nashville got going in the first period as Brandon Yip scored an unassisted goal. Anaheim tied it in the second period with a Bobby Ryan goal, passed from Cam Fowler and Teemu Selanne. The Predators retook the lead in the third period as David Legwand scored his second of the season, assisted by Kevin Klein and Gabriel Bourque. The Ducks retied it on a Daniel Winnik goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Corey Perry and Saku Koivu. The game was decided in the shootout with a lone Perry tally to lift Anaheim over Nashville by a 3-2 margin. The three stars were given to Fasth (19 for 21 in saves), Rinne (20 for 22 in saves), and Ryan, while Perry gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL January 26th 2013

Much busier day in the KHL today, with eleven games going on. The first comes from...

Khabarovsk, as Amur hosts Dinamo Riga. Mikael Tellqvist and Alexei Kuznetsov are the starting goalies. Khabarovsk was first to score in the first period as Perttu Lindgren scored, with the help of Dmitry Tarasov and Janne Lahti. Amur added on in the second period with an Evgeny Orlov goal, fueled by Alexander Yunkov. Khabarovsk padded the lead as Andrei Stepanov scored, via Kirill Tulupov and Mikhail Fisenko. Amur kept going in the third period as Vyacheslav Litovchenko potted the puck, with assists provided by Topi Jaakola and Evgeny Korotkov. Riga got on the board with a Miks Indrasis goal, coming off of Paul Szczechura. Dinamo pulled closer with an Alexandre Giroux goal, made possible by Andris Dzerins and Jamie Johnson. This only made it 4-2, a final, with the three stars being Stepanov, Kuznetsov (21 for 23 in saves), and Litovchenko.

Westward to Novosibirsk, as Sibir hosts Spartak Moscow. Jan Lasak and Jeff Glass are in the creases. Moscow finally started in the second period with a power play goal by Alexander Suglobov, powered by Vyacheslav Kozlov. Novosibirsk tied it on a Jonas Enlund goal, coming on the power play via Alexander Kutuzov and Nikita Zaitsev. Spartak won 2-1 in overtime as Jaroslav Obsut scored a goal, with a lone Suglobov assist. The three stars went to Suglobov, Lasak (20 for 21 in saves), and Obsut.

Backtracking to Novokuznetsk, where Metallurg hosts Donbass Donetsk. Christopher Holt and Yury Klyuchnikov are given the starting nods. Novokuznetsk opened with a first period Nikita Vyglazov goal, assisted by Anton Lazarev and Alexander Mereskin. Donetsk tied it with a power play goal by Lukas Kaspar, powered by Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Randy Robitaille. Donbass edged ahead in the second period on a Sergei Varlamov goal, passed from Denis Kochetkov. Metallurg tied it with a Dmitry Chernykh goal, fueled by Zakhar Arzamastsev. Donetsk pulled ahead again in the third period as Kagarlitsky scored, thanks to Kaspar on the power play. Donbass iced it at 4-2 with a Varlamov empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Varlamov, Kagarlitsky, and Kaspar.

Well to the west, Salavat Yulaev Ufa hosts Barys Astana. Pavel Poluektov and Iiro Tarkki have the green light to start. Astana struck first in the first period as Brandon Bochenski scored a power play goal, set up by Andrew Hutchinson and Konstantin Rudenko. Ufa tied it with a Denis Khlystov goal, thanks to Stefan Ruzicka. Salavat Yulaev took the lead on an Igor Mirnov goal, made possible by Kirill Koltsov and Oleg Saprykin. Barys retied it as Bochenski scored again, with the help of Vitaly Novopashin and Nigel Dawes. Astana took the lead in the second period as Roman Starchenko scored, courtesy of Rudenko. Ufa retied it as Antti Pihlstrom potted the puck, with a lone assist from Sergei Zinovyev. Barys edged ahead again as Andrei Gavrilin scored, with Alexei Troshchinsky picking up the only assist. Astana scored again in the third period with a Dustin Boyd goal, coming off of Bochenski. Andrei Vasilevsky relieved Tarkki at this time. Salavat Yulaev replied on an Anton Slepyshev goal, fueled by Vitaly Proshkin and Zinovyev. Barys finished the scoring at 6-4 with an unassisted empty net goal by Roman Savchenko. The three stars were Bochenski, Rudenko, and Zinovyev.

Farther west to St. Petersburg, as SKA welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Evgeny Lobanov and Ilya Ezhov are in front of the nets. St. Petersburg led off with a first period goal by Petr Prucha, assisted by Kevin Dallman and Patrick Thoresen. SKA added on with a Dallman goal, fueled by Tony Martensson and Thoresen on the power play. St. Petersburg padded the lead as Prucha scored again in the second period, with the help of Martensson and Thoresen, the latter getting a sock trick. SKA extended the lead with a Thoresen power play goal, powered by Dallman. Yekaterinburg got on the board in the third period with a power play goal from Stanislav Zhmakin, coming off of Evgeny Lapenkov and Fyodor Malykhin. This was as close as it got, with the final being 4-1. The three stars were credited to Thoresen, Prucha, and Dallman, while Martensson and Ezhov (18 for 19 in saves) get the honorable mentions.

To the southeast, where CSKA Moscow brings in Vityaz Chekhov. Sergei Denisov and Ilya Proskuryakov will wear the pads. Moscow began with a first period Alexander Radulov goal, fueled by Niklas Persson. Chekhov tied it on a second period goal by Vyacheslav Kulyomin, with a lone assist provided by Denis Sergeyev. CSKA regained the lead in the third period on an Anton Korolyov goal, assisted by Josh Hennessy. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Proskuryakov (34 for 35 in saves), Korolyov, and Radulov.

East again to Kazan, as Ak Bars hosts Avangard Omsk. Karri Ramo and Konstantin Barulin tend the twines. Omsk struck first in the first period on an Igor Volkov power play goal, powered by Pavel Valentenko and Alexander Popov. Kazan tied it in the second period as Ilya Nikulin scored, thanks to Denis Golubev and Artyom Lukoyanov. Avangard won it 2-1 in the shootout with tallies from Matti Kuparinen and Dmitry Syomin toppling a lone Ak Bars tally by Nikolai Zherdev. The three stars were Ramo (29 for 30 in saves), Barulin (30 for 31 in saves), and Syomin.

Further to the east, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Edgars Masalskis and Matt Dalton are given the starting nods. Nizhnekamsk was first on the board in the first period as Renat Mamashev scored a power play goal, powered by Tomas Netik and Maxim Pestushko. Neftekhimik added on in the second period as Yegor Milovzorov scored a power play goal, with a lone assist by Vitaly Shulakov. Nizhnekamsk padded the lead with an unassisted Oskar Osala power play goal. Neftekhimik kept going in the third period on a Martin Cibak goal, fueled by Osala and Milovzorov. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board as Igor Skorokhodov potted the puck on the power play, with assists provided by Alexei Pepelyaev and Konstantin Glazachev. Nizhnekamsk extended the lead again as Mamashev scored his second of the night, with the help of Pestushko. Yugra pulled back on an Igor Magogin shorthanded goal, set up by Glazachev. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Mamashev, Milovzorov, and Osala, while Pestushko and Glazachev get the honorable mentions.

Into Moscow again, as Dynamo hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Alexander Yeryomenko will be in the blue paint. Moscow got going in the second period with a Marek Kvapil goal, fueled by Ilya Gorokhov on the power play. Dynamo finished the scoring at 2-0 in the third period as Denis Mosalyov scored, via Gorokhov and Alexei Tsvetkov. The three stars went to Yeryomenko (22 save shutout), Gorokhov, and Kvapil.

Westward some more, as Lev Praha hosts Dinamo Minsk. Lars Haugen and Tomas Popperle are sent out to start. Minsk started in the first period with a Cory Murphy power play goal, powered by Zbynek Irgl and Tim Stapleton. Praha tied it as Martins Cipulis scored, thanks to Sami Lepisto. Dinamo took the lead back as Geoff Platt scored, with the help of Murphy. This was it for the scoring, resulting in a 2-1 final. Murphy, Haugen (27 for 28 in saves), and Platt got the three stars.

Finally, in Bratislava, Slovan welcomes Severstal Cherepovets. Vasily Koshechkin and Jaroslav Janus guard the cages. Cherepovets opened in the first period with a Denis Kazionov goal, assisted by Evgeny Ketov and Bogdan Kiselevich. Severstal added on in the second period with a power play goal from Vadim Berdnikov, powered by Kiselevich and Kazionov. Cherepovets extended the lead as Alexander Ryazentsev scored, thanks to Ketov and Kazionov. This was all they needed for a 3-0 victory, with the three stars being Kazinov, Ketov, and Kiselevich, while Koshechkin gets the honorable mentions for his 21 save shutout.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Friday, January 25, 2013

KHL and NHL January 25 2013

A total of eight games on in hockey today, with the first of this post coming from the KHL...

As Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod hosts Atlant Mytishchi. Stanislav Galimov and Vitaly Koval are the masked men. Mytishchi was first to score in the first period as Alexander Shevchenko scored, thanks to Maxim Mayorov and Andreas Engqvist. Atlant added on in the second period as Engqvist scored, via Mayorov and Alexander Osipov on the power play. Mytishchi padded the lead with an Igor Ignatushkin goal, passed from Oleg Yashin and Sergei Shmelyov. Atlant struck again with an Alexei Mikhnov goal, fueled by Sandis Ozolins and Nikita Tochitsky. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board as Alexei Vasilyev scored an unassisted power play goal. Torpedo pulled closer in the third period on a Jonas Andersson power play goal, with a lone assist by Alexander Yevseyenkov. Nizhny Novgorod chipped away as Maxim Potapov scored, with the help of Mikhail Varnakov and Matt Ellison. Mytishchi extended the lead with a power play goal by Yashin, powered by Mikhnov and Ignatushkin. This produced a 5-3 final score, with the three stars being Mikhnov, Yashin, and Engqvist, while Ignatushkin and Mayorov get the honorable mentions.

Over in North America, the NHL's day begins with the Buffalo Sabres hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Dan Ellis and Ryan Miller receive the starting nods. Buffalo struck first in the third period as Thomas Vanek scored his third of the season, a power play goal powered by Jason Pominville and Christian Ehrhoff. Carolina tied it with an Alexander Semin goal, fueled by Jordan Staal on the power play. The Hurricanes took the lead as Jay Harrison scored a goal, with a lone Eric Staal assist. Carolina iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Jeff Skinner, his fourth of the year, set up by Tim Gleason and Harrison. The three stars were awarded to Harrison, Ellis (40 for 41 in saves), and Miller (39 for 41 in saves).

Down into New Jersey, where the Devils welcome the Washington Capitals. Michal Neuvirth and Martin Brodeur are in the creases. New Jersey led off with a first period goal by Stephen Gionta, assisted by Jacob Josefson and Mark Fayne. The Devils added on in the second period as Patrik Elias scored a power play goal, powered by David Clarkson and Marek Zidlicky. Washington got on the board in the third period as Mike Ribeiro scored a power play goal, coming off of Joel Ward and Mike Green. The Capitals tied it on an unassisted Green goal. New Jersey won the game in overtime by a 3-2 score as Ilya Kovalchuk scored his second of the season, via Andy Greene. The three stars were handed to Kovalchuk, Green, and Josefson.

Back north a bit, the Boston Bruins host the New York Islanders. Rick DiPietro and Tuukka Rask will protect the nets. Boston got going in the first period as Shawn Thornton scored, with the help of Daniel Paille and Dougie Hamilton. New York tied it as Keith Aucoin scored his second of the season, via Colin McDonald and David Ullstrom. The Islanders got the lead in the second period with Aucoin's second of the game and third of the year, an unassisted goal. The Bruins retied it as Gregory Campbell scored, thanks to David Krejci and Chris Kelly. Boston took the lead in the third period as Zdeno Chara scored, with assists provided by Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton. The Bruins padded the lead with a Patrice Bergeron goal, set up by Brad Marchand and Hamilton. This made it 4-2, a final, with the three stars being Hamilton, Campbell, and Aucoin.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning host the Ottawa Senators. Ben Bishop and Anders Lindback are given the green light to start. Tampa Bay began with a first period Matt Carle power play goal, powered by Cory Conacher and Marc-Andre Bergeron. Ottawa tied it in the second period as Erik Condra scored, with the help of Chris Neil and Sergei Gonchar. The Senators got the lead as Jason Spezza scored his second of the season, a power play goal set up by Daniel Alfredsson and Gonchar. Ottawa added on as Erik Karlsson scored his third of the year, thanks to Milan Michalek. The Lightning replied on a Steven Stamkos goal, his second of the season, helped along by Sami Salo and Martin St. Louis. The Senators shot back with a Kyle Turris goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Alfredsson and Kaspars Daugavins. Tampa Bay answered as Victor Hedman scored, courtesy of Stamkos and St. Louis. The Lightning tied it in the third period as Ryan Malone scored his second of the season, passed from Salo and Conacher. Tampa Bay took the lead as Malone potted his second of the game and third of the year, with helpers provided by Vincent Lecavalier and Hedman. The Lightning iced it at 6-4 with a Tom Pyatt empty net goal, his second of the season, with Stamkos picking up the only assist. The three stars were given to Malone, Salo, and Turris, while the honorable mentions include Stamkos, Hedman, St. Louis, Conacher, Gonchar, and Alfredsson.

Northwest to Detroit, as the Red Wings host the Minnesota Wild. Josh Harding and Jimmy Howard are between the pipes. Detroit started early in the second period with a Damien Brunner goal, his second of the season, coming off of Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall on the power play. The Red Wings added on with a Todd Bertuzzi goal, passed from Valtteri Filppula and Brendan Smith. Minnesota got on the board as Zach Parise potted his second of the year, a power play goal powered by Ryan Suter and Mikko Koivu. The Wild tied it on a Tom Gilbert goal, assisted by Mikael Granlund and Jonas Brodin. Detroit pulled back with a Zetterberg goal, made possible by Pavel Datsyuk and Filppula. The Red Wings struck again as Datsyuk scored his second of the season, a power play goal set up by Kronwall and Johan Franzen. Detroit extended the lead in the third period as Bertuzzi scored his second of the game, with the help of Datsyuk and Filppula, the latter getting a sock trick. Minnesota shot back as Parise scored his second of the game and third of the year, courtesy of Gilbert and Koivu. They got no closer, losing 5-3, with the three stars belonging to Datsyuk, Bertuzzi, and Parise, while Zetterberg, Filppula, Kronwall, Gilbert, and Koivu pick up the honorable mentions.

Up in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tomas Vokoun and Ondrej Pavelec make the starts. Pittsburgh opened in the first period as Sidney Crosby scored a goal, via Chris Kunitz and Kris Letang as his second of the season. The Penguins added on with Crosby's second of the game and third of the year, thanks to Matt Niskanen. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period as Evander Kane scored his second of the season, with the help of Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets tied it with a Byfuglien power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Tobias Enstrom and Andrew Ladd. Winnipeg gained the lead as Ladd scored his second of the season, and Bryan Little had the only assist. The Jets iced it at 4-2 when Wheeler scored his second of the year into an empty net, set up by Kane. The three stars were Kane, Ladd, and Byfuglien, while Crosby and Wheeler got the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Jonas Hiller will guard the cages. Vancouver got things going in the first period as Daniel Sedin scored a power play goal, his second of the season, assisted by Henrik Sedin and Alexander Edler. The Canucks added on with a Mason Raymond power play goal, his second of the year powered by Alexandre Burrows and Dan Hamhuis. Vancouver padded the lead in the second period as Aaron Volpatti scored, going in unassisted. The Canucks extended the lead in the third period on a Zack Kassian power play goal, his third of the season, made possible by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. Vancouver iced it at 5-0 in the third period on another Raymond goal, his second of the game and third of the year, coming off of Jordan Schroeder. The three stars went to Daniel Sedin, Schneider (30 save shutout), and Saku Koivu, while Raymond or Henrik Sedin would slot in nicely in the third slot.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.