Wednesday, April 3, 2013

NHL April 3rd 2013

Only five games on tonight, beginning in...

New York City, as the Rangers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. New York was first to score in the first period with a Brian Boyle potting his second of the season, a power play goal powered by Brad Richards and Derick Brassard. The Rangers added on as Ryan McDonagh scored his third of the year, with the help of Richards and Ryane Clowe. New York padded the lead as Clowe scored, courtesy of Derek Stepan. The Rangers struck again in the second period as Brassard scored a power play goal, set up by Boyle and Dan Girardi. Pittsburgh got on the board as Pascal Dupuis potted his eighteenth of the season, with assists provided by Robert Bortuzzo and Brenden Morrow. New York shot back with another Clowe goal, coming on the power play via Brassard and Boyle. The Rangers iced it at 6-1 with a third period John Moore goal, made possible by Boyle and Brassard, both of whom got a sock trick. The three stars went to Clowe, Brassard, and Richards, while Boyle gets an honorable mention.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Ilya Bryzgalov guard the cages. Montreal struck first in the first period as Alexei Emelin scored his third of the season, thanks to Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais. Philadelphia tied it in the second period on a Sean Couturier goal, his third of the year, passed from Ruslan Fedotenko and Simon Gagne. The Flyers took the lead as Gagne scored his third of the season, fueled by Oliver Lauridsen and Luke Schenn. The Canadiens retied it on a Brandon Prust goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Jeff Halpern and Alex Galchenyuk. Twenty seconds later, Montreal had the lead when Desharnais scored his ninth of the season, assisted by Emelin and Pacioretty. Philadelphia tied it in the third period on a Wayne Simmonds goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Bruno Gervais and Kimmo Timonen. The Flyers gained the lead with an Erik Gustafsson goal, made possible by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. Philadelphia iced it at 5-3 on a Voracek goal, his fifteenth of the yer finding the empty net with a lone assist by Read. The three stars were awarded to Read, Simmonds, and Couturier, while Voracek, Gagne, Desharnais, Emelin, and Pacioretty picked up the honorable mentions.

Way southwest to Anaheim, as the Ducks host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Viktor Fasth draw the starts. Anaheim led off in the first period on a Radek Dvorak goal, fueled by Ryan Getzlaf and Daniel Winnik. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Teemu Selanne power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. Anaheim extended the lead as Kyle Palmieri scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Peter Holland and Matt Beleskey. Dallas got on the board in the third period on an Erik Cole goal, his seventh of the season, via Vernon Fiddler and Alex Goligoski. The Ducks answered with a Getzlaf goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan. The Stars shot back on a Lane MacDermid goal, with a lone assist from Ryan Garbutt. Anaheim iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Andrew Cogliano, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Saku Koivu and Sheldon Souray. Getzlaf, Fowler, and Palmieri received the three stars.

Up in Calgary, the Flames host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Joey MacDonald are in the creases. Calgary began with a first period Matt Stajan goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Dennis Wideman. The Flames added on with another Stajan goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, coming off of Curtis Glencross and Lee Stempniak. Edmonton got on the board as Sam Gagner scored his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jeff Petry and Lennart Petrell. The Oilers tied it as Ryan Whitney scored his fourth of the year, courtesy of Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton took the lead in the second period as Nail Yakupov scored his eighth of the season, a power play goal powered by Gagner and Whitney. The Oilers added on with a Hall power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Nugent-Hopkins and Justin Schultz. Edmonton padded the lead with a power play goal by Nugent-Hopkins, his third of the season, made possible by Hall and Ales Hemsky. The Oilers struck again on a Jordan Eberle goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, via Hall and Nugent-Hopkins, both of whom got sock tricks. Edmonton extended the lead with another Eberle goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with a lone helper by Hall. The Oilers finished it at 8-2 with Yakupov's second of the game and ninth of the year, pushed through by Ryan Smyth. The three stars were awarded to Hall, Stajan, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Yakupov, Eberle, Gagner and Whitney receive the honorable mentions.

Finally, we end in San Jose, where the Sharks welcome the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Antti Niemi are the Finnish goalies. San Jose opened with a first period Martin Havlat goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Joe Thornton and Brent Burns. The Sharks added on as Dan Boyle scored his sixth of the year, an unassisted power play goal. Minnesota got on the board in the second period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his fifth of the season, via Zach Parise and Jonas Brodin. The Wild tied it as Dany Heatley scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Justin Falk. San Jose took the lead back on a Thornton goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Burns. The Sharks iced it at 4-2 with a third period T.J. Galiardi goal, his second of the year, powered by Havlat and Scott Gomez. The three stars went to Joe Pavelski, Burns, and Galiardi, while Thornton and Havlat could take the first slot.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL April 2nd 2013

This post detailing last night's games is delayed because I was at the Sounders game. There are seven games on, beginning on...

Long Island, as the New York Islanders host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Kevin Poulin are the weak starters. New York began in the first period as Anders Lee scored, thanks to Matt Martin and Casey Cizikas. Winnipeg tied it with a Paul Postma goal, his second of the season, fueled by Eric Tangradi and Kyle Wellwood. The Jets added on in the second period with another Postma goal, his second of the game and third of the year, helped along by Chris Thorburn and Tangradi. The Islanders tied it on a Colin McDonald goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Michael Grabner and Mark Streit. New York took the lead back with a Frans Nielsen power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Josh Bailey and Streit. The Islanders extended the lead in the third period on a Matt Moulson goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by John Tavares and Brad Boyes. New York iced it at 5-2 as Tavares put his twenty-third of the year into the empty net, and Boyes and Moulson provided the assists. The three stars were given to Nielsen, Lee, and Postma, while Moulson, Tavares, Streit, Boyes, and Tangradi receive the honorable mentions.

Over in Boston, the Bruins host the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Anton Khudobin are given the starting nods. Ottawa started in the first period with a Colin Greening goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Zack Smith and Marc Methot. Boston tied it on a David Krejci goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Zdeno Chara and Milan Lucic. The Bruins took the lead with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Brad Marchand. The Senators retied it in the third period as Andre Benoit scored his third of the year, coming off of Jakob Silfverberg and Mika Zibanejad. Boston took the lead back as Nathan Horton recorded his twelfth of the campaign, fueled by Lucic and Krejci. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars belonging to Seguin, Lucic, and Khudobin (45 for 47 in saves), while Krejci and Lehner (47 for 50 in saves) get the honorable mentions.

South to Raleigh, where the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Dan Ellis are in the creases. Carolina struck first in the first period as Jiri Tlusty scored his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Bobby Sanguinetti and Alexander Semin. The Hurricanes added on as Tlusty scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Marc-Andre Bergeron and Eric Staal on the power play. Washington got on the board with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson. The Capitals tied it in the second period with a Mike Green power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Backstrom and Ovechkin. Carolina took the lead back as Tlusty finished his hat trick with hims seventeenth of the season, guided in by Eric Staal and Semin on the power play. Washington pulled even again as Green scored his second of the game and seventh of the year, thanks to Backstrom, who got a sock trick. Justin Peters relieved Ellis at this time. The Capitals took the lead as Ovechkin notched his second of the night and twentieth of the season, with assists provided by Backstrom and Marcus Johansson. Washington padded the lead as Joel Ward scored his seventh of the year, a shorthanded goal with a lone assist from Johansson. This was it for the scoring, producing a 5-3 final, with the three stars being Backstrom, Tlusty, and Ovechkin, while Green, Johansson, Semin, and Eric Staal all earn honorable mentions.

Further to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning host their in-state rivals, the Florida Panthers. Jacob Markstrom and Mathieu Garon are between the pipes. Florida led off in the first period on a power play goal by Tomas Kopecky, his thirteenth of the season, powered by T.J. Brennan and Tomas Fleischmann. The Panthers added on in the second period as Greg Rallo scored a power play goal, set up by Brennan and Filip Kuba. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period with a Tom Pyatt goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Teddy Purcell and Matt Carle. The Lightning tied it with an Alex Killorn goal, his sixth of the campaign, coming off of Victor Hedman and Purcell. The game went to a shootout, where Florida won 3-2 on a lone tally by Peter Mueller. The three stars were awarded to Markstrom (39 for 41 in saves), Hedman, and Purcell, while Brennan gets an honorable mention.

Back in the north, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Tomas Vokoun have the green light to start. Buffalo was first to score in the first period as Kevin Porter scored a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Pittsburgh tied it with a Jarome Iginla power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Chris Kunitz and Evgeni Malkin. The Sabres took the lead back with a Steve Ott goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Jason Pominville and Adam Pardy. Buffalo extended the lead in the second period when Cody Hodgson put away his thirteenth of the campaign, with the help of Pominville and Mark Pysyk. The Sabres added on with another Porter goal, his second of the game, made possible by Brian Flynn and Andrej Sekera. Marc-Andre Fleury relieved Vokoun at this time, and from here both goalies were perfect. The final was 4-1, and the three stars were given to Porter, Pominville, and Ott.

Southwest to Nashville, where the Predators host the Colorado Avalanche. Jean-Sebastien Giguere is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. Colorado got going in the third period on a Matt Duchene goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by P.A. Parenteau and Matt Hunwick. Nashville tied it with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Taylor Beck and Shea Weber. The Predators took the lead on a David Legwand goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Beck and Hornqvist. Nashville iced it at 3-1 with a Paul Gaustad empty net goal, his second of the year, with assists from Kevin Klein and Legwand. Legwand, Rinne (25 for 26 in saves), and Hornqvist were named the three stars.

Finally, in Phoenix, the Coyotes host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Jason LaBarbera tend the twines. Phoenix opened in the first period with a Keith Yandle goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Kyle Chipchura and Raffi Torres. Los Angeles tied it as Justin Williams scored his eighth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Coyotes took the lead back in the second period as Matthew Lombardi registered his fourth of the season, thanks to Rob Klinkhammer and Mikkel Boedker. Phoenix padded the lead in the third period with another Yandle goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, helped along by Chipchura and Torres. This was good for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being LaBarbera (39 for 40 in saves), Yandle, and Klinkhammer, while Chipchura and Torres receive the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Monday, April 1, 2013

NHL April 1st 2013

No fooling here, we've got nine games tonight on April Fools' Day and Opening Day of Baseball. As I said earlier, no baseball on this blog this summer, but keep a watch for a possible sequel to the Ultimate Baseball Fantasy Trip over here. We begin the games in...

New Jersey, with the Devils hosting the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Martin Brodeur are the seasoned veteran goalies. New York quickly struck first in the first period with a Josh Bailey goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo. The Islanders added on as Travis Hamonic scored his third of the year, thanks to Nielsen. New Jersey got on the board in the second period with an Alexei Ponikarovsky goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Patrik Elias and Travis Zajac. New York replied in the third period on a John Tavares power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Lubomir Visnovsky and Mark Streit. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Nielsen, Bailey, and Ponikarovsky.

Over in New York City, the Rangers welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Henrik Lundqvist will draw the starts. New York began in the first period as Derek Stepan netted his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Ryan Callahan and Rick Nash. Winnipeg tied it on a Nik Antropov goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Kyle Wellwood. The Jets gained the lead as Zach Bogosian scored his third of the season, via Ron Hainsey and Olli Jokinen. The Rangers retied it in the second period with a Callahan shorthanded goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Mats Zuccarello and Ryan McDonagh. New York took the lead in the third period on another Stepan goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, guided in by Anton Stralman and Callahan. The Rangers padded the lead with a Nash goal, his thirteenth of the year, pushed through by Brad Richards and Callahan, the latter getting a sock trick. They held on to win 4-2, with the three stars belonging to Callahan, Stepan, and Lundqvist (26 for 28 in saves), while Nash gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. Detroit was first to score in the first period with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Johan Franzen and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings added on in the second period with a Daniel Cleary power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Franzen and Pavel Datsyuk. Detroit padded the lead with a Damien Brunner goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Gustav Nyquist. Jean-Sebastien Giguere relieved Varlamov at this time. Colorado got on the board in the third period as Jamie McGinn scored his seventh of the year, a power play goal, set up by John Mitchell and Cody McLeod. The Avalanche pulled closer with a Matt Duchene goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. They failed to tie the game, losing 3-2, with the three stars being Franzen, Howard (22 for 24 in saves), and Abdelkader.

Back east to Montreal, where the Canadiens host the Carolina Hurricanes. Justin Peters is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Jordan Staal goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Patrick Dwyer and Brett Bellemore. Montreal tied it on an Andrei Markov power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by P.K. Subban and Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period with a Jeff Halpern goal, with a lone assist from Nathan Beaulieu. Montreal added on in the third period as Max Pacioretty put away his tenth of the season, thanks to Francis Bouillon. The Canadiens iced it at 4-1 as Pacioretty scored his second of the game and eleventh of the year, an empty net goal helped along by Brian Gionta and Tomas Plekanec. The three stars were awarded to Halpern, Markov, and Price (18 for 19 in saves), while Pacioretty gets an honorable mention.

West again to Minnesota, with the Wild hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Niklas Backstrom are the masked men. St. Louis led off with a first period Jaden Schwartz goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Near the end of the period, Halak was pulled for Brian Elliott after suffering an injury. Minnesota tied it in the second period on a Dany Heatley power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Jonas Brodin and Torrey Mitchell. The Blues took the lead back when Andy McDonald recorded his fourth of the season, coming off of Alexander Steen and David Backes. St. Louis added on with a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his third of the year, assisted by Schwartz and Patrik Berglund. The Blues finished it at 4-1 as Barret Jackman scored his third of the campaign, with a lone helper by McDonald. Schwartz, Shattenkirk, and Brodin were given the three stars, and McDonald gets an honorable mention.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Chicago started in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Niklas Hjalmarsson and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks extended the lead in the second period with a Patrick Kane goal, his nineteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Nashville got on the board in the third period with a David Legwand goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Victor Bartley and Kevin Klein. The Predators tied it with a Taylor Beck goal, his second of the year, fueled by Patric Hornqvist and Legwand. Chicago won it 3-2 in the shootout as Toews scored, and then was matched by Craig Smith, but Michal Rozsival put away the winner. The three stars went to Kane, Rinne (38 for 40 in saves), and Saad, while Legwand gets an honorable mention.

Further to the south, the Dallas Stars host the Anaheim Ducks. Viktor Fasth and Kari Lehtonen have the green light to start. Anaheim got going in the second period on a Bobby Ryan power play goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Ryan Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. The Ducks added on as Corey Perry scored his twelfth of the year, thanks to Ryan and Getzlaf. Anaheim struck again as Matt Beleskey scored his sixth of the season, courtesy of Kyle Palmieri and Sheldon Souray. The Ducks wrapped it up at 4-0 with a Teemu Selanne empty net goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were awarded to Ryan, Fasth (26 save shutout), and Getzlaf.

Up in Canada again, the Edmonton Oilers host their southern rivals, the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Devan Dubnyk are in the creases. Edmonton began in the first period on a Justin Schultz goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle. The Oilers added on as Hall scored his twelfth of the year, with the help of Justin Schultz. Edmonton chased Kiprusoff with a Ryan Jones goal, his second of the season, made possible by Nail Yakupov and Justin Schultz. Joey MacDonald came on in relief. The Oilers padded the lead in the third period on a Yakupov goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Jones and Ryan Whitney. Calgary avoided the shutout with a Brian McGrattan goal, his second of the campaign, courtesy of Tim Jackman and Steve Begin. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being handed to Dubnyk (33 for 34 in saves), Justin Schultz, and Hall, while Yakupov and Jones got the honorable mentions.

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks host the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Antti Niemi guard the cages. San Jose struck first in the second period on an Andrew Desjardins goal, fueled by Adam Burish and Scott Gomez. The Sharks added on as Joe Thornton potted his sixth of the season, courtesy of Matt Tennyson. San Jose extended the lead on a Logan Couture power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Patrick Marleau and Thornton. Vancouver got on the board as Chris Higgins scored his ninth of the season, via Jannik Hansen and Kevin Bieksa. The Canucks chipped closer in the third period on an Alexandre Burrows goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Higgins and Hansen. They couldn't score an equalizer, falling 3-2, with the three stars being Thornton, Higgins, and Desjardins, while Hansen gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Western Conference Final: SKA St. Petersburg VS. Dynamo Moscow

Welcome to the post for the Western Conference Final between SKA St. Petersburg and Dynamo Moscow in the KHL Gagarin Cup playoffs. This post will act as a reference for the entire series.

Game 1: Ice Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko for Dynamo and Ilya Ezhov for SKA. Moscow opened with a first period goal by Janne Jalasvaara goal, going in unassisted. Dynamo added on with a power play goal by Dominik Granak, powered by Konstantin Gorovikov. Moscow extended the lead in the second period as Konstantin Kasyanchuk scored, with a lone assist from Alexei Sopin. St. Petersburg got on the board in the third period with an Alexander Kucheryavenko, fueled by Igor Makarov and Anton Burdasov. SKA pulled closer as Viktor Tikhonov potted the pick, with the help of Patrick Thoresen. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Kasyanchuk, Yeryomenko (28 for 30 in saves), and Kucheryavenko. Dynamo takes an early 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Ice Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko for Dynamo and Ivan Kasutin for SKA. Moscow led off in the first period as Konstantin Kasyanchuk scored, thanks to Konstantin Gorovikov and Filip Novak. Dynamo added on as Denis Mosalyov scored, with the help of Denis Kokarev and Alexei Tsvetkov. St. Petersburg got on the board with an Andrei Pervyshin goal, fueled by Patrick Thoresen and Viktor Tikhonov. Moscow shot back as Alexei Sopin scored, with a lone helper from Kokarev. SKA got one back in the second period on a Tikhonov goal, made possible by Kevin Dallman and Tony Martensson. Dynamo added on as Marek Kvapil scored a goal, guided in by Sopin. This was it for the scoring, leaving the final at 4-2, with the three stars going to Sopin, Kokarev, and Tikhonov. Dynamo heads home with a 2-0 series lead in hand.

Game 3: Luzhniki Minor Arena, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Ilya Ezhov for SKA and Alexander Yeryomenko for Dynamo. St. Petersburg got going in the second period with a Viktor Tikhonov goal, assisted by Tony Martensson and Patrick Thoresen. SKA added on as Martensson scored, thanks to Kevin Dallman and Tikhonov. Moscow got on the board in the third period with a Dominik Granak goal, passed from Konstantin Gorovikov and Marek Kvapil. Dynamo tied it on an Alexei Tsvetkov goal, courtesy of Denis Kokarev. Moscow took the lead with seven seconds left in the game as Konstantin Kasyanchuk scored, with the help of Andrei Mironov. Dynamo iced it at 4-2 just six seconds later as Yury Babenko scored, with a lone assist from Sergein Soin. The three stars were Kasyanchuk, Tikhonov, and Martensson. Dynamo has placed a stranglehold on SKA by holding a 3-0 lead over them.

Game 4: Luzhniki Minor Arena, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Ilya Ezhov for SKA and Alexander Yeryomenko for Dynamo. Moscow struck first in the first period as Marek Kvapil scored, with the help of Jakub Petruzalek and Konstantin Gorovikov. Dynamo added on in the second period with an Alexei Tsvetkov power play goal, coming off of Denis Kokarev. St. Petersburg got on the board with a Kevin Dallman power play goal, powered by Patrick Thoresen and Yury Alexandrov. SKA tied it with a Mikhail Varnakov goal, with a lone assist from Alexander Kucheryavenko. St. Petersburg took the lead as Evgeny Artyukhin scored, thanks to Dallman and Anton Burdasov. SKA extended the lead on another Dallman goal, fueled by Igor Makarov and Kucheryavenko in the third period. St. Petersburg added on when Dmitry Vorobyov scored a goal, set up by Tony Martensson and Viktor Tikhonov. SKA iced it at 6-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Teemu Ramstedt. The three stars were Dallman, Kucheryavenko, and Ezhov (23 for 25 in saves). SKA stays alive but still trails 3-1 in the series.

Game 5: Ice Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko for Dynamo and Ilya Ezhov for SKA. Moscow began in the third period with an Alexei Tsvetkov goal, assisted by Alexei Sopin and Janne Jalasvaara. St. Petersburg tied it with a Viktor Tikhonov power play goal, powered by Dmitry Kalinin and Kevin Dallman. SKA won in the second overtime with another Tikhonov goal, passed from Tony Martensson and Patrick Thoresen. The final was 2-1, with the three stars going to Tikhonov, Ezhov (43 for 44 in saves), and Yeryomenko (49 for 51 in saves). SKA pulled closer with the win and only trails 3-2 in the series now.

Game 6: Luzhniki Minor Arena, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Ilya Ezhov for SKA and Alexander Yeryomenko for Dynamo. Moscow started in the second period with a Marek Kvapil goal, and Jakub Petruzalek had the only helper. Dynamo added on when Kvapil scored again, his second of the game helped along by Sergei Soin and Petruzalek. St. Petersburg got on the board with an Evgeny Artyukhin goal, set up by Fyodor Fedorov. Moscow shot back with a power play goal by Ilya Gorokhov, powered by Denis Kokarev and Alexei Tsvetkov. Dynamo padded the lead as Kvapil finished his hat trick, assisted by Petruzalek, who got a sock trick, and Soin. Moscow iced it at 5-1 with an empty net goal by Sergei Konkov, going in unassisted. The three stars were Kvapil, Petruzalek, and Soin, while Yeryomenko gets an honorable mention by going 20 for 21 in saves. The series is over, and Dynamo will represent the Western Conference as they compete for the Gagarin Cup after their 4-2 series win.

Sunday, March 31, 2013

NHL March 31st 2013

Easter Sunday for the Christian world, and hockey brings us five games today. The first is a rivalry game from...

Detroit, as the Red Wings welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jimmy Howard tend the twines. Chicago opened with a first period Jeremy Morin goal, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks added on as Brandon Saad scored his fifth of the season, courtesy of Michael Frolik and Jonathan Toews. Chicago extended the lead as Dave Bolland scored his sixth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Blackhawks padded the lead in the second period as Toews scored his seventeenth of the season, passed from Saad. Jonas Gustavsson relieved Howard at this time. Chicago kept going as Saad scored his second of the game and sixth of the year, via Hjalmarrson and Toews. The Blackhawks struck again in the third period as Bolland scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, with assists from Jimmy Hayes and Michal Rozsival. Chicago got another with an unassisted Nick Leddy goal, his sixth of the year, going down unassisted. Detroit got on the board late as Cory Emmerton scored his third of the campaign, with the help of Brian Lashoff and Brendan Smith. This produced a 7-1 final, with the three stars going to Saad, Bolland, and Toews.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Bernier and Kari Lehtonen are given the starting nods. Los Angeles led off twenty-five seconds in as Jeff Carter scored his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Mike Richards and Dustin Penner. Dallas tied it in the second period on a Jamie Benn goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Alex Goligoski. The Kings took the lead in the third period as Brad Richardson scored, thanks to Kyle Clifford. Los Angeles extended the lead with a Justin Williams goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Dustin Brown and Slava Voynov. The Stars got one back as Ray Whitney scored his seventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Goligoski and Derek Roy. They couldn't get an equalizer, falling 3-2, with the three stars belonging to Richardson, Lehtonen (37 for 40 in saves), and Anze Kopitar, while Goligoski could take the third slot.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Columbus got going in the second period with a Derick Brassard goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Mark Letestu and Vinny Prospal. Anaheim tied it in the third period on an Emerson Etem goal, his third of the year, made possible by Andrew Cogliano and Bryan Allen. The Blue Jackets won 2-1 on an overtime goal by Letestu, his ninth of the campaign, guided in by Nikita Nikitin and Dalton Prout. The three stars were awarded to Letestu, Bobrovsky (29 for 30 in saves), and Brassard.

East to Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Ilya Bryzgalov are the masked men. Washington started in the first period on a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his sixth of the season, via Jack Hillen and Marcus Johansson. Philadelphia tied it with a Max Talbot goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Zac Rinaldo and Kimmo Timonen. The Flyers took the lead on a Matt Read goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist from Claude Giroux. The Capitals tied it with a second period Mike Green goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Brooks Laich. Washington took the lead in the third period on a Johansson power play goal, his fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Capitals extended the lead as Alex Ovechkin potted his eighteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by John Carlson and Troy Brouwer. Philadelphia got one back as Giroux scored his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Timonen and Brayden Schenn. The Flyers tied it with Timonen scoring his fourth of the year, a shorthanded goal, set up by Giroux and Wayne Simmond. Philadelphia won it 5-4 in overtime on a Ruslan Fedotenko goal, his third of the campaign, coming shorthanded from Timonen and Sean Couturier. The three stars of the game were Fedotenko, Timonen, and Giroux, while Johansson gets an honorable mention.

Finally, in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Ryan Miller are the goalies. Boston began in the third period on a David Krejci goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Nathan Horton and Matt Bartkowski. The Bruins padded the lead as Horton netted his eleventh of the year, with helpers provided by Krejci and Milan Lucic. This produced a 2-0 final, with the three stars being given to Khudobin (26 save shutout), Krejci, and Miller (29 for 31 in saves), while Horton gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

NHL March 30th 2013

Eleven games going on today, beginning in...

Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Tomas Vokoun are called on to start. Pittsburgh got going in the third period on a Matt Cooke goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Deryk Engelland and Tyler Kennedy. The Penguins added on as James Neal potted his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Evgeni Malkin and Douglas Murray. This held up for a 2-0 win, with the three stars being Vokoun (35 save shutout), Cooke, and Jarome Iginla, while any point-earner could take the third slot.

Across the state, the Philadelphia Flyers host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Ilya Bryzgalov are in between the pipes. Philadelphia opened in the first period on a Mike Knuble power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier. The Flyers added on in the second period with a Matt Read goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Jakub Voracek and Bruno Gervais. Boston got on the board in the third period as Nathan Horton scored his tenth of the season, via Dennis Seidenberg. Philadelphia iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Ruslan Fedotenko, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Bryzgalov (33 for 34 in saves), Knuble, and Horton received the three stars.

Northwest to Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Carolina Hurricanes. Justin Peters and Ondrej Pavelec are set to start. Carolina struck first in the first period on an Alexander Semin goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Tuomo Ruutu and Eric Staal. The Hurricanes added on with a Jussi Jokinen goal, his sixth of the year, with assists from Joni Pitkanen and Ruutu. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period as Olli Jokinen scored his seventh of the season, courtesy of Evander Kane and Antti Miettinen. Carolina replied in the third period as Eric Staal notched his sixteenth of the year, via Semin. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Eric Staal, Semin, and Zach Bogosian, while Peters (34 for 35 in saves) could take the third slot.

Back in the states, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Semyon Varlamov guard the cages. Colorado won the game 1-0 in overtime on a Tyson Barrie goal, his second of the campaign, assisted by Greg Zanon and P.A. Parenteau. The three stars were Varlamov (34 save shutout), Barrie, and Jan Hejda, while Rinne (23 for 24 in saves) gets an honorable mention.

Northeast to Ottawa, where the Senators bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Ben Bishop will be in goal. Toronto led off in the first period with a Joffrey Lupul power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Nazem Kadri and Mike Kostka. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Kadri goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Lupul and John-Michael Liles. Toronto extended the lead in the third period on another Kadri goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Lupul. The Maple Leafs padded the lead as Kadri finished his natural hat trick with his seventeenth of the year, with assists from Lupul, who got a natural sock trick, and Nikolai Kulemin. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars being Kadri, Lupul, and Reimer (31 save shutout).

Over in Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens host the New York Rangers. Martin Biron and Carey Price will be padded up. Montreal quickly began in the first period as Michael Ryder scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to P.K. Subban. The Canadiens added on with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Subban and Andrei Markov. Montreal padded the lead in the second period as Brendan Gallagher notched his eleventh of the season, a power play goal powered by David Desharnais and Subban. This was good for a 3-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Price (34 save shutout), Subban, and Gallagher.

Stateside again, with the Buffalo Sabres host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby faces a lesser foe in Jhonas Enroth. Buffalo was first to score in the first period on a Christian Ehrhoff goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Jochen Hecht. The Sabres added on in the second period with a Ville Leino goal, fueled by Tyler Ennis and Andrej Sekera. Washington answered on a power play goal by Alex Ovechkin, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Mike Green and Brooks Laich. Buffalo shot back with a Leino power play goal, his second of the game, set up by Marcus Foligno and Tyler Myers. The Capitals pulled back in the third period with a Troy Brouwer shorthanded goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from the goalie Holtby. Washington tied it late with a Green goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Nicklas Backstrom and Brouwer. The Capitals won 4-3 with shootout tallies by Matt Hendricks and Ovechkin. Leino, Ovechkin, and Enroth (35 for 38 in saves) got the three stars, while Green and Brouwer receive the honorable mentions.

South to Florida, as the Panthers host the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. New Jersey started in the first period as Steve Bernier scored his seventh of the season, via Ryan Carter and Stephen Gionta. Florida tied it with a Shawn Matthias power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Peter Mueller. The Devils took the lead in the third period with another Bernier goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season coming on the power play from Henrik Tallinder and Andrei Loktionov. The Panthers tied it late with another Matthias goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Scottie Upshall and Tomas Fleischmann. Florida won in overtime by a 3-2 score with a Dmitry Kulikov goal, fueled by Brian Campbell and Huberdeau. Kulikov, Matthias, and Bernier were given the three stars, and Huberdeau gets an honorable mention.

Back in the north, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Niklas Backstrom tend the twines. Los Angeles opened in the first period with a Dustin Brown power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Jake Muzzin and Anze Kopitar. Minnesota tied it on a Matt Cullen goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Devin Setoguchi and Pierre-Marc Bouchard. The Kings retook the lead in the second period on a Jeff Carter power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Drew Doughty and Tyler Toffoli. Los Angeles extended the lead as Justin Williams scored his sixth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Wild shot back with a Charlie Coyle goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise. Minnesota tied it in the third period with a Parise power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, pushed through by Koivu and Ryan Suter. The Wild won 4-3 in the shootout as goals by Parise, Koivu, and Cullen silenced a lone tally from Mike Richards. The three stars belonged to Parise, Koivu, and Coyle, while Cullen gets an honorable mention.

Into Edmonton, with the Oilers hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Devan Dubnyk are the young goalies. Edmonton quickly led off in the first period with a Taylor Hall goal just sixteen seconds in, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jordan Eberle and Ladislav Smid. The Oilers added on as Smid scored a goal, with assists provided by Jeff Petry and Lennart Petrell. Roberto Luongo relieved Schneider at this time. Edmonton extended the lead as Hall scored again, his second of the game and tenth of the year, passed from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nick Schultz. The Oilers padded the lead as Hall finished his hat trick with a power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Nugent-Hopkins and Justin Schultz. This was all for the scoring, resulting in a 4-0 final, with the three stars going to Hall, Dubnyk (23 save shutout), and Nugent-Hopkins, while Smid gets an honorable mention.

Finally, down in San Jose, the Sharks welcome the Phoenix Coyotes. Jason LaBarbera and Antti Niemi are the masked men. Phoenix was first to score in the first period as Boyd Gordon scored his second of the season, thanks to Rob Klinkhammer and Derek Morris. San Jose tied it in the second period on a power play goal by Joe Pavelski, his eleventh of the year, powered by Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. The Coyotes took the lead back in the third period on a Radim Vrbata goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Shane Doan and David Schlemko. The Sharks tied it with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his second of the year, assisted by Pavelski and Dan Boyle.

Friday, March 29, 2013

NHL March 29th 2013

Four games to go with tonight, beginning in...

Tampa Bay, as the Lightning welcome the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Mathieu Garon are in the creases. New Jersey got going in the second period with an Andrei Loktionov goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Matt D'Agostini and Andy Greene. The Devils added on as Tom Kostopoulos scored an unassisted goal. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, guided in by Martin St. Louis and Keith Aulie. The Lightning tied it with a Nate Thompson goal, his seventh of the season, passed from New Jersey regained the lead with a Greene power play goal, his third of the year, powered by D'Agostini and Marek Zidlicky. The Devils extended the lead in the third period with a shorthanded goal by Ryan Carter, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay got one back as Stamkos scored his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, fueled by Alex Killorn. The Lightning tied it late on a Killorn goal, his fifth of the season, pushed through by Stamkos and Matt Carle. Tampa Bay won it in the shootout as Teddy Purcell and Victor Hedman each scored to secure the 5-4 victory. The three stars went to Stamkos, Greene, and Killorn, while D'Agostini gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Ray Emery are given the starting nods. Anaheim led off in the second period with a Corey Perry goal, his eleventh of the season, via Bobby Ryan and Francois Beauchemin. Chicago tied it in the third period on a Patrick Kane power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Duncan Keith and Marcus Kruger. The Ducks took the lead back on a Sheldon Souray goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Ryan Getzlaf and Beauchemin. This made it 2-1, a final, with the three stars going to Souray, Kane, and Emery (22 for 24 in saves), while Hiller (25 for 26 in saves), and Beauchemin got the honorable mentions.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Minnesota Wild. Matt Hackett and Kari Lehtonen draw the starts. Dallas started with a first period Ray Whitney goal, his sixth of the season coming on the power play from Jamie Benn. The Stars added on as Tomas Vincour scored his second of the year, thanks to Reilly Smith and Aaron Rome. Minnesota got on the board with a Devin Setoguchi goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Matt Cullen. The Wild tied it in the second period as Jared Spurgeon scored a power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Kyle Brodziak and Mikko Koivu. Dallas took the lead in the third period on an Erik Cole goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Philip Larsen and Cody Eakin. The Stars padded the lead as Jamie Benn scored his seventh of the year, a power play goal set up by Whitney and Jaromir Jagr. Dallas extended the lead on an Eakin power play goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Derek Roy and Trevor Daley. Minnesota got one back as Torrey Mitchell notched his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Dany Heatley and Cal Clutterbuck. Jagr, Jamie Benn, and Whitney received the three stars, while Eakin gets an honorable mention.

Finally, in Calgary, the Post-Jarome Iginla begins with the Flames hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason and Miikka Kiprusoff guard the cages. Columbus began with a first period shorthanded goal by Mark Letestu, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Brian McGrattan goal, with a lone assist from Michael Cammalleri. The Blue Jackets took the lead on a Vinny Prospal goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by R.J. Umberger and Nikita Nikitin. Columbus extended the lead with a Matt Calvert goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Cam Atkinson and Artem Anisimov. The Flames shot back on a Mikael Backlund goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Mark Giordano and Dennis Wideman. The Blue Jackets padded the lead with a Derick Brassard goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Letestu and Prospal. Calgary chipped back with a Wideman power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Jiri Hudler and Roman Cervenka. Columbus answered with a Ryan Johansen goal, his second of the season, an unassisted goal. Joey MacDonald relieved Kiprusoff for the third period. The Flames got one back in the third period on a Curtis Glencross goal, his fourteenth of the year, with a lone assist from Matt Stajan. The Blue Jackets iced it at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Umberger, his seventh of the campaign, helped along by Anisimov and James Wisniewski. The three stars were awarded to Prospal, Wideman, and Giordano, while Anisimov, Letestu, and Umberger receive the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.