KHL Day 76 2013-2014

Only one game on today, as SKA St. Petersburg hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Alexander Salak are the masked men. St. Petersburg was first to score in the first period on a Dmitry Kalinin goal, courtesy of Viktor Tikhonov and Andrei Kuteikin. Yaroslavl tied it on the power play with an Ilya Gorokhov goal, fueled by Alexei Vasilyev and Daniil Apalkov. Lokomotiv took the lead in the third period as Sergei Plotnikov scored, via Apalkov. This was good for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Plotnikov, Sanford (23 for 24 in saves), and Apalkov.

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NFL Week 11 2013

Thirteen games to cover this Sunday. We begin in...

Chicago, as the Bears host the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore began in the first quarter with a Ray Rice touchdown run of 1 yard, and Justin Tucker made the extra point. The Ravens added on as Justin Tucker made a 52 yard field goal. The game was stopped at risk of tornadoes for a couple of hours after the field goal. Chicago got on the board after the delay in the second quarter as Robbie Gould made a 20 yard field goal. The Bears tied it as David Bass returned an interception of Joe Flacco for 24 yards and a touchdown, and Gould handled the extra point. Baltimore retook the lead as Flacco found Torrey Smith for 5 yards and a touchdown, and Tucker nailed the PAT. Chicago answered as Gould made a 46 yard field goal. The Bears gained the lead in the fourth quarter as Josh McCown tossed a 14 yard touchdown to Matt Forte, and Gould knocked in the extra point. The Ravens tied it late with a 21 yard field goal by Tucker. The game went into overtime, where Chicago won 23-20 with a 38 yard field goal by Gould. This put the Bears at 6-4 while the Ravens fall to 4-6.

East to Philadelphia, as the Eagles welcome the Washington Redskins. Philadelphia was first to score in the first quarter on as Nick Foles 4 yard touchdown run, and Alex Henery made the extra point. The Eagles added on as LeSean McCoy ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Henery handled another extra point. Philadelphia extended the lead on a Henery 24 yard field goal. The Eagles padded the lead in the third quarter as McCoy ran in another 1 yard touchdown, and Henery booted the PAT. Washington got on the board in the fourth quarter as Robert Griffin III found Darrel Young for 62 yards and a touchdown, and then he connected with Nick Williams for the two-point conversion. The Redskins pulled closer as Griffin tossed a 41 yard touchdown to Aldrick Robinson, and Griffin ran in this two-point conversion himself. They couldn't tie the game, losing 24-16, with the Eagles improving to 6-5 while the Redskins drop to 3-7.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Steelers bring in the Detroit Lions. Pittsburgh started in the first quarter as Ben Roethlisberger tossed a 34 yard touchdown to Antonio Brown, and Shaun Suisham kicked the extra point. The Steelers added on when Roethlisberger passed a 47 yard touchdown to Brown, and Suisham made another extra point. Detroit got on the board in the second quarter as David Akers made a 35 yard field goal. Pittsburgh replied as Suisham knocked in a 25 yard field goal. The Lions pulled closer with a Matthew Stafford touchdown pass of 79 yards to Calvin Johnson, and Akers drilled the extra point. The Steelers shot back as Suisham handled a 34 yard field goal. Detroit chipped back on another Stafford touchdown pass to Johnson, this time for 19 yards and a touchdown, and Akers nailed the PAT. The Lions took the lead as Joique Bell rushed 2 yards for a touchdown, and Akers booted another extra point. Detroit extended the lead on a 19 yard field goal by Akers. Pittsburgh got some back in the third quarter as Suisham drove in a 21 yard field goal. The Steelers gained the lead as Roethlisberger passed a 1 yard touchdown to Will Johnson, and Suisham kicked the extra point. Pittsburgh padded the lead with a 20 yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Jericho Cotchery, and Suisham made another extra point. This was good for a 37-27 win, with the Steelers improving to 4-6 while dropping the Lions to 6-4.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers host the Atlanta Falcons. Tampa Bay got going in the first quarter on a Rian Lindell field goal of 30 yards. Atlanta tied it in the second quarter as Matt Bryant made a 46 yard field goal. The Buccaneers took the lead back as Bobby Rainey rushed 43 yards for a touchdown, and Lindell knocked in the extra point. Tampa Bay added on as Mason Foster returned an interception of Matt Ryan for 37 yards and a touchdown, and Lindell drilled another extra point. The Buccaneers extended the lead with a 3 yard touchdown run by Rainey, and Lindell made the PAT. The Falcons got some back on a Bryant 49 yard field goal. Tampa Bay responded in the third quarter with a Mike Glennon touchdown pass of 4 yards to Rainey, and Lindell booted another extra point. The Buccaneers padded the lead on a 3 yard touchdown pass from Glennon to Vincent Jackson, and Lindell kicked the extra point. Atlanta replied with an 80 yard touchdown pass from Ryan to Harry Douglas, and Bryant was there with the extra point. Tampa Bay shot back on a 46 yard field goal by Lindell in the fourth quarter. The Falcons answered with a 50 yard touchdown run by Antone Smith, and then Dominique Davis converted the two-point attempt with a pass to Tony Gonzalez. Atlanta pulled closer as Ryan found Roddy White for 6 yards and a touchdown, and Bryant booted the extra point. This only made it 41-28, with the Buccaneers holding on from here for the win, and they improved to 2-8 while dropping the Falcons to the same record.

Back north, the Buffalo Bills welcome the New York Jets. Buffalo dented the scoreboard in the second quarter as Dan Carpenter made a 40 yard field goal. The Bills added on as EJ Manuel passed a 34 yard touchdown to T.J. Graham, and Carpenter made the extra point. Buffalo extended the lead as Frank Summers ran in a 3 yard touchdown, and Carpenter made another extra point. The Bills padded the lead as Carpenter made a 42 yard field goal. New York got on the board in the third quarter with a 1 yard touchdown run by Chris Ivory, and Nick Folk made the extra point. Buffalo replied as Manuel tossed a 43 yard touchdown to Marquise Goodwin, and Carpenter was true with the PAT. The Bills got defensive on their next score as Da'Norris Searcy intercepted Geno Smith and returned the ball for 32 yards and a touchdown, and Carpenter handled the extra point. The Jets got some back in the fourth quarter as Matt Simms tossed a 13 yard touchdown pass to Jeff Cumberland, allowing Folk to make an extra point. Buffalo replied with a Carpenter 43 yard field goal. This produced the 37-14 final score, with the Bills improving to 4-7 while the Jets fall to 5-5.

Backtracking to Florida, as the Jacksonville Jaguars bring in the Arizona Cardinals. Jacksonville struck first in the first quarter as Chad Henne tossed a 62 yard touchdown to Danny Noble, and Josh Scobee made the extra point. Arizona tied it on a 14 yard touchdown pass from Carson Palmer to Larry Fitzgerald, and Jay Feely had the game-tying extra point. The Jaguars regained the lead as Maurice Jones-Drew ran in a 1 yard touchdown, and Scobee booted the extra point. The Cardinals pulled even again as Rashard Mendenhall rushed 5 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, and Feely made another extra point. Arizona took the lead in the third quarter on a Feely field goal of 21 yards. The Cardinals added on with a Palmer touchdown pass of 91 yards to Michael Floyd, and Feely handled the PAT. Arizona extended the lead in the fourth quarter as Feely made a 32 yard field goal. This left the final score at 27-14, with the Cardinals going to 6-4 while the Jaguars fall to 1-9.

West to Houston, as the Texans host the Oakland Raiders. Oakland led off in the first quarter as Matt McGloin threw a 5 yard touchdown pass to Denarius Moore, and Sebastian Janikowski handled the extra point. The Raiders added on with a 16 yard touchdown pass from McGloin to Rod Streater, and Janikowski was true with another extra point. Houston got on the board in the second quarter as Case Keenum threw a 42 yard touchdown to Garrett Graham, and Randy Bullock supplied the extra point. The Texans tied it when Keshawn Martin returned a punt for 87 yards and a touchdown, and Bullock handled another extra point. Houston gained the lead on a 51 yard field goal by Bullock. Oakland regained the lead in the third quarter as McGloin tossed a 26 yard touchdown pass to Mychal Rivera, and Janikowski knocked in the PAT. The Raiders padded the lead with an 80 yard touchdown run by Rashad Jennings, and Janikowski was there to make the extra point. The Texans chipped back in the fourth quarter as Bullock made a 26 yard field goal. Houston got closer with a 30 yard Bullock field goal. They scored no more, losing 28-23, with the Raiders improving to 4-6 while the Texans fell to 2-8.

Up in Cincinnati, the Bengals welcome the Cleveland Browns to the Battle of Ohio. Cleveland opened in the first quarter as Billy Cundiff made a 20 yard field goal. The Browns added on as Cundiff made a 28 yard field goal. Cleveland extended the lead as Joe Haden returned an interception of Andy Dalton for 29 yards and a touchdown, and Cundiff was there with the extra point. Cincinnati got on the board in the second quarter with a Dalton 25 yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Gresham, and Mike Nugent made the extra point. The Bengals took the lead as Dalton found Mohamed Sanu for 6 yards and a touchdown, and Nugent handled the extra point. Cincinnati padded their lead with Tony Dye picking up a blocked punt and returning it 24 yards for a touchdown, allowing Nugent to make another extra point. The Bengals got some more as Vontaze Burfict recovered a fumble by Chris Ogbonnaya, and returned it 13 yards for a touchdown, with Nugent supplying the PAT. Cincinnati kept going on a Nugent field goal of 41 yards. The Browns chipped back in the third quarter when Jason Campbell tossed a 74 yard touchdown to Josh Gordon, and Cundiff drilled the extra point. The Bengals got some more in the fourth quarter on a 2 yard touchdown pass from Dalton to Alex Smith, and Nugent kicked in another extra point. Cincinnati made it 41-20 with a Nugent field goal of 38 yards. The Bengals improved to 7-4 while dropping the Browns to 4-6.

Once again to Florida, as the Miami Dolphins bring in the San Diego Chargers. Miami began in the first quarter on a 22 yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis. San Diego took the lead as Philip Rivers tossed a 5 yard touchdown to Antonio Gates, and Nick Novak handled the extra point. The Dolphins took the lead back on a second quarter 1 yard touchdown run by Daniel Thomas, which allowed Sturgis to kick an extra point. The Chargers replied as Novak made a 27 yard field goal to tie the game. Miami took the lead again in the third quarter as 39 yard touchdown pass from Ryan Tannehill to Charles Clay, and Sturgis kicked the PAT. San Diego answered with a Novak 50 yard field goal. The Chargers got closer in the fourth quarter with a Novak 29 yard field goal. The Dolphins padded their lead witha Sturgis 37 yard field goal. This was good for a 20-16 win, with the Dolphins improving to 5-5 while the Chargers fall to 4-6.

Up north, the New York Giants host the Green Bay Packers. New York was first to score in the first quarter as Eli Manning found Rueben Randle for 26 yards and a touchdown, and Josh Brown made the extra point. The Giants added on in the second quarter as Brown made a 40 yard field goal. Green Bay got on the board with a 24 yard field goal by Mason Crosby. The Packers pulled closer as Crosby made a whopping 57 yard field goal. New York replied in the third quarter as Brown handled a 28 yard field goal. The Giants extended the lead with a 1 yard touchdown run by Brandon Jacobs, and Brown nailed the PAT. Green Bay chipped back as Eddie Lacy rushed in a 4 yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Crosby was true with the extra point. New York iced it at 27-13 when Jason Pierre-Paul intercepted Scott Tolzien for 24 yards and a touchdown, and Brown kicked in another extra point. The Giants went to 4-6 while the Packers fell to 5-5.

Back south, the New Orleans Saints welcome the San Francisco 49ers. New Orleans started in the first quarter as Drew Brees found Josh Hill for 3 yards and a touchdown, and Garrett Hartley made the extra point. San Francisco got on the board in the second quarter as Colin Kaepernick threw a touchdown pass of 11 yards to Anquan Boldin, and Phil Dawson made the extra point. The 49ers took the lead as Dawson made a 55 yard field goal. The Saints took the lead back as Jed Collins ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Hartley was true with the extra point. San Francisco retook the lead as Kaepernick found Vernon Davis for a 17 yard touchdown in the third quarter, and Dawson nailed the PAT. The 49ers got some more as Dawson made a 29 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. New Orleans pulled back on a Hartley field goal of 21 yards. The Saints tied it when Hartley booted a 42 yard field goal. New Orleans won 23-20 as time expired on a Hartley field goal from 31 yards out. The Saints go to 8-2 with the win while dropping the 49ers to 6-4.

Way to the northwest, the Seattle Seahawks bring in the Minnesota Vikings. Seattle opened in the first quarter on a Steven Hauschka field goal of 50 yards. Minnesota tied it with a Blair Walsh field goal of 32 yards. The Seahawks took the lead as Marshawn Lynch rushed 4 yards for a touchdown, and Haushcka was true with the extra point. The Vikings retied it in the second quarter as Christian Ponder threw a 38 yard touchdown pass to Jarius Wright, and Walsh nailed the extra point. Seattle regained the lead on a 1 yard Lynch touchdown run, and Hauschka was true with the extra point. Minnesota shot back on a Walsh field goal of 45 yards. The Seahawks responded with a 19 yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson to Doug Baldwin. Seattle extended the lead in the fourth quarter as Wilson threw a 6 yard touchdown to Lynch, and Haushcka was true with the PAT. The Seahawks added on as Walter Thurmond returned an interception of Ponder for 29 yards and a touchdown, and Hauschka nailed the extra point. Seattle padded the lead with a Haushcka field goal from 26 yards away. The Vikings got some back late as Matt Cassel threw a 21 yard touchdown pass to Wright, and Walsh booted the extra point. This only made it 41-20, with the Seahawks becoming 10-1 while the Vikings dropped to 2-8.

Finally, on Sunday Night Football, the Denver Broncos host the Kansas Chiefs for AFC West supremacy. Denver led off in the first quarter with a Matt Prater 54 yard field goal. The Broncos added on as Peyton Manning tossed a 9 yard touchdown pass to Julius Thomas, and Prater made the extra point. Kansas City got on the board in the second quarter as Alex Smith found Dwayne Bowe for 6 yards and a touchdown, and Ryan Succop made the extra point. Denver shot back as Montee Ball rushed 1 yard for a touchdown, and Prater booted the PAT. The Chiefs got some back with a 20 yard field goal by Succop. The Broncos extended the lead in the third quarter with an 8 yard touchdown run by Ball, and Prater made another extra point. Denver padded the lead in the fourth quarter as Prater made a 36 yard field goal. Kansas City pulled back as Smith found Anthony Fasano for a 10 yard touchdown, and Succop nailed the extra point. This only made it 27-17, with the Broncos and Chiefs each going to 9-1.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL Day 48 2013-2014

Six games on today as the long weekend is winding down. We begin with a matinee in...

Ottawa, as the Senators host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Craig Anderson are the masked men. Columbus led off with a Ryan Johansen power play goal in the first period, his sixth of the season, powered by Ryan Murray and James Wisniewski. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period as R.J. Umberger scored his fifth of the year, a power play goal coming off of Johansen and Fedor Tyutin. Columbus extended the lead as Tyutin scored his second of the season, a power play goal made possible by Nick Foligno. The Blue Jackets padded the lead on a third period Derek MacKenzie goal, his second of the year, passed from Mark Letestu and Blake Comeau. Ottawa got on the board with a power play goal from Erik Karlsson, his seventh of the campaign, with assists provided by Chris Phillips and Milan Michalek. This only made it 4-1, the final, with Johansen, Tyutin, and Bobrovsky (29 for 30 in saves) getting the three stars.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington started in the first period as Alex Ovechkin scored his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Nicklas Backstrom and Steve Oleksy. The Capitals added on as Ovechkin scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, fueled by Karl Alzner and Backstrom. Washington extended the lead on a Mikhail Grabovski goal, his seventh of the season, via Jason Chimera and Joel Ward. St. Louis got on the board in the second period as Vladimir Sobotka scored a power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Jay Bouwmeester. The Capitals replied with a power play goal by John Carlson, his fifth of the campaign, coming off of Backstrom, who got a sock trick, and Marcus Johansson. This was it for the scoring, resulting in a 4-1 final, with the three stars being awarded to Holtby (46 for 47 in saves), Ovechkin, and Backstrom.

Over in New York, the Rangers bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Ben Scrivens is mismatched with Henrik Lundqvist in goal. Los Angeles got going in the second period as Tyler Toffoli scored his fourth of the season, with the help of Mike Richards and Slava Voynov. This was the only goal in the game, with the Kings winning 1-0. The three stars were Scrivens (37 save shutout), Toffoli, and Lundqvist (29 for 30 in saves).

To the west, the Chicago Blackhawks host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Corey Crawford guard the cages. Chicago opened in the first period with a Brandon Pirri goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Patrick Kane and Kris Versteeg. San Jose tied it in the second period as Joe Pavelski scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Tyler Kennedy and Justin Braun. The Blackhawks took the lead back as Patrick Sharp found twine with his sixth of the season, passed from Marcus Kruger and Brandon Saad. Chicago added on in the third period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Ben Smith and Sharp. The Blackhawks extended the lead on a Versteeg goal, his third of the season, made possible by Saad and Pirri. Chicago iced it at 5-1 as Sharp scored his second of the game and seventh of the year on a penalty shot he received after being hooked by Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The three stars were Sharp, Pirri, and Versteeg, while Saad and Crawford (23 for 24 in saves) get the honorable mentions.

North to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Josh Harding are in the blue paint. Minnesota began in the first period on a Mikko Koivu goal, his third of the season, coming off of Zach Parise and Marco Scandella. Winnipeg tied it in the third period as Dustin Byfuglien scored his fourth of the year, via Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler. The Wild took the lead back as Koivu scored his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, with the help of Charlie Coyle and Ryan Suter. This was good for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being named as Koivu, Harding (21 for 22 in saves), and Byfuglien.

Way to the west, we end in Vancouver, where the Canucks bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Roberto Luongo protect the nets. Dallas struck first in the first period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his second of the season, assisted by Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. The Stars added on in the third period with an Erik Cole goal, his second of the year, thanks to Cody Eakin and Alex Chiasson. Vancouver got on the board as Henrik Sedin scored a power play goal, his fourth of the campaign, powered by Ryan Kesler and Kevin Bieksa. They failed to tie it, losing 2-1, with the three stars going to Lehtonen (42 for 43 in saves), Cole, and Nichushkin.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Day 75 2013-2014

The games start early today, or should I say yesterday for the American fans, beginning at 10 PM Pacific and 10 AM Moscow time. We begin in...

Vladivostok, as Admiral hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Joakim Lundstrom protect the nets. Vladivostok was first to score in the first period with a Sergei Barbashev goal, assisted by Mathias Porseland. Moscow tied it when Martins Karsums scored, thanks to Maxim Karpov. Admiral retook the lead as Konstantin Sokolov converted a penalty shot he received after being held by Dominik Granak. Dynamo retied the game on a second period goal by Alexei Tsvetkov, courtesy of Karpov and Karsums. Vladivostok took the lead back in the period as Niclas Bergfors scored, with a lone assist by Felix Schutz. Moscow tied it again on a Konstantin Kasyanchuk goal, passed from Dmitry Pestunov. Dynamo won 4-3 as Alexei Sopin scored, and Denis Barantsev had the only assist. The three stars were handed to Karsums, Karpov, and Barantsev.

Up in Khabarovsk, Amur welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Ivan Lisutin and Alexei Murygin receive the starting nods. Khabarovsk struck first in the first period with an Artyom Dubinin goal, going in unassisted. Amur added on in the second period with a Jakub Petruzalek goal, fueled by Evgeny Korotkov. Khabarovsk extended the lead as Petruzalek scored his second of the game, assisted by Dylan Reese. Amur padded the lead on a power play goal by Jan Mursak, powered by Alexander Loginov and Timofei Shishkanov. Podolsk got on the board as Dmitry Shitikov scored in the third period, thanks to Gleb Klimenko and Yury Koksharov. Vityaz got closer as Maxim Afinogenov scored an unassisted goal, but this only made it 4-2. The three stars were Petruzalek, Mursak, and Dubinin.

Over in Novosibirsk, Sibir brings in Ak Bars Kazan. At this time, I would like to take a moment to honor the victims of the recent plane crash in Kazan, and to extend my condolences to their families. In goal are Konstantin Barulin and Mikko Koskinen. Kazan got going in the second period with a Janne Pesonen goal, fueled by Shaun Heshka and Evgeny Medvedev. Ak Bars added on in the third period as Evgeny Bodrov scored an empty net goal, set up by Alexei Tereshchenko. This resulted in a 2-0 final, with the three stars being Barulin (48 save shutout), Pesonen, and Koskinen (19 for 20 in saves).

Moving along to Novokuznetsk, as Metallurg hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Georgy Gelashvili and Niko Hovinen are the underrated goalies. Novokuznetsk opened in the first period with a Vladislav Kartayev goal, with a lone assist from Raymond Giroux. Nizhny Novgorod answered with a Denis Parshin goal, fueled by Sakari Salminen. Torpedo took the lead in the second period with a Daniil Zharkov goal, coming off of Justin Hodgman. Nizhny Novgorod added on with a power play goal by Jarkko Immonen, powered by Parshin and Salminen. Torpedo made it 4-1 in the third period on a power play goal by Pavel Valentenko, set up by Wojtek Wolski. This was a final, with the three stars going to Parshin, Gelashvili (29 for 30 in saves), and Salminen.

Further west, Salavat Yulaev Ufa welcomes Donbass Donetsk. Michael Leighton and Andrei Vasilevsky are between the pipes. Donetsk began in the first period with a Lukas Kaspar goal, assisted by Roman Blagoi and Oleg Piganovich. Donbass added on as Alexander Toryanik scored, with a lone assist from Viktor Zakharov. Ufa got on the board as Antti Pihlstrom scored, with the help of Nikita Shchitov and Alexei Kaigorodov. Salavat Yulaev tied the game with an Alexander Pankov goal, fueled by Yegor Dubrovsky. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Randy Robitaille and Maxim Yakutsenya both scored for Donetsk to give them a 3-2 win. The three stars were Yakutsenya, Toryanik, and Kaspar.

Into Magnitogorsk, as Metallurg brings in Medvescak Zagreb. Mark Dekanich and Vasily Koshechkin are the masked men. Magnitogorsk started in the first period with a Chris Lee goal, coming off of Dmitry Kazionov. Metallurg added on in the second period when Jan Kovar scored, thanks to Viktor Antipin and Evgeny Biryukov. Magnitogorsk extended the lead in the third period on a Sergei Mozyakin goal, fueled by Kovar. Metallurg padded the lead as Mozyakin scored again, with the help of Lee and Kovar. This was good for a 4-0 win, with the three stars being given to Mozyakin, Kovar, and Lee, while Koshechkin (30 save shutout) gets an honorable mention.

To the Urals, as Traktor Chelyabinsk hosts Spartak Moscow. Jeff Glass and Michael Garnett are the North American goalies. Moscow dented the scoreboard in the second period as Vyacheslav Kozlov scored, thanks to Tom Wandell. Chelyabinsk tied it on a Petri Kontiola power play goal, powered by Lauris Darzins and Alexei Vasilchenko. Traktor took the lead as Kontiola scored his second of the game, with a lone assist by Evgeny Kuznetsov. Chelyabinsk added on in the third period with a Stanislav Chistov power play goal, coming off of Jan Bulis and Kuznetsov. Spartak replied on a power play goal by Mikhail Yunkov, made possible by Denis Bodrov and Evgeny Kulik. They failed to tie the game, losing 3-2, with the three stars going to Kontriola, Kuznetsov, and Garnett (26 for 28 in saves).

Next up, CSKA Moscow welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Ilya Proskuryakov are the young goalies. Moscow led off in the first period with a power play goal by Yakov Rylov, powered by Alexander Radulov and Alexander Frolov. Yekaterinburg got on the board in the third period with an Artyom Chernov power play goal, via Tobias Viklund and Sami Lepisto. CSKA gained the lead back on a power play goal from Nikita Zaitsev, coming off of Radulov and Georgy Misharin. They would win 2-1, with the three stars being Zaitsev, Proskuryakov (33 for 34 in saves), and Radulov.

Back east, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk brings in Dinamo Minsk. Lars Haugen and Alexander Sudnitsin occupy the creases. Minsk was first to score in the first period with an Alexander Materukhin goal, assisted by Alexei Yefimenko. Nizhnekamsk tied it as Yegor Milovzorov scored, thanks to Petr Koukal. Neftekhimik took the lead on a Roman Lyuduchin goal, going in unassisted. Dinamo retied it in the second period on a Zbynek Irgl power play goal, powered by Geoff Platt and Lukas Krajicek. Nizhnekamsk retook the lead as Andrei Taratukhin scored, with helpers provided by Maxim Berezin and Maxim Trunyov on the power play. Haugen was replaced by Kevin Lalande. Neftekhimik added on as Koukal scored a power play goal, set up by Dmitry Kosmachyov and Milovzorov. Nizhnekamsk iced it at 5-2 in the third period with a shorthanded and unassisted Lyuduchin goal. The three stars were Lyuduchin, Milovzorov, and Koukal.

Speaking of Dinamo, the team of the same name in Riga hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Mikhail Biryukov faces a lesser foe in Jakub Sedlacek in goal. Riga opened in the first period with a Miks Indrasis shorthanded goal, set up by Vitalijs Pavlovs. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it with a Radek Smolenak goal, coming off of Veli-Matti Savinainen. Yugra took the lead with an unassisted goal by Tomas Starosta. Dinamo tied it with a power play goal by Kyle Wilson, powered by Marcel Hossa and Mat Robinson. Riga took the lead as Hossa scored in the third period, thanks to Paul Szczechura. Khanty-Mansiysk retied it on a power play goal by Kirill Knyazev, passed from Vitaly Sitnikov and Mikhail Zhukov. The tie lasted into overtime, where Dinamo won 4-3 as Indrasis scored his second of the game, with helpers provided by Pavlovs and Robinson. The three stars were handed to Indrasis, Hossa, and Robinson, while Pavlovs gets an honorable mention.

Over in Prague, Lev welcomes Avangard Omsk. Mathieu Garon and Atte Engren will handle the goaltending duties. Omsk got going in the second period with an Ivan Baranka goal, fueled by Alexander Popov. Prague tied it with a power play goal by Jiri Sekac, powered by Martin Thornberg and Patrik Zackrisson. Avangard took the lead as Alexander Perezhogin scored, thanks to Miroslav Blatak and Maxim Kazakov in the third period. Lev retied it with a Jakub Klepis goal, with a lone assist by Ondrej Nemec. The tie went to a shootout, where Prague's goals by Thornberg and Klepis topped a lone goal from Omsk by Kazakov for a 3-2 Lev victory. The three stars were Klepis, Thornberg, and Kazakov.

Finally, in Bratislava, Slovan brings in Barys Astana. Vitaly Yeremeyev and Jaroslav Janus are in the blue paint. Astana started in the first period on a Roman Starchenko goal, assisted by Nikolai Antropov and Evgeny Blokhin. Bratislava got on the board with a Tomas Netik goal, coming off of Andrej Stastny and Martin Bakos. Barys took the lead with an unassisted goal by Nigel Dawes. Slovan tied it again in the second period as Netik scored a power play goal, with a lone assist from Milan Bartovic. Astana took the lead back as Konstantin Rudenko scored, via Antropov and Starchenko. Barys added on with an Alexei Litvinenko power play goal, powered by Antropov, who got a sock trick, and Starchenko. Astana extended the lead as Starchenko scored his second of the game, an unassisted goal. Barys iced it at 6-2 with a Dustin Boyd goal, set up by Brandon Bochenski. The three stars were Starchenko, Antropov, and Rudenko.

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NHL Day 47 2013-2014

Nine games to go with today, beginning in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Martin Brodeur guard the cages. New Jersey was first to score in the first period as Andy Greene scored his second of the season, an unassisted goal. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period with a Chris Kunitz goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Devils took the lead back as Adam Larsson scored, thanks to Travis Zajac and Dainius Zubrus. New Jersey added on in the third period with the sixth of the season by Jaromir Jagr, with a lone assist by Zubrus. The Devils wrapped it up at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Jagr, his second of the game and seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Brodeur (27 for 28 in saves), Jagr, and Zubrus.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and James Reimer are the backups making spot starts. Toronto began in the first period on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Cody Franson and Jake Gardiner. The Maple Leads added on as van Riemsdyk scored his second of the game and ninth of the year, a power play goal powered by Franson and Dion Phaneuf. Toronto extended the lead in the second period on a Nikolai Kulemin goal, fueled by Mason Raymond and Paul Ranger. Buffalo got on the board in the third period as Jamie McBain scored his second of the season, via Zemgus Girgensons and Marcus Foligno. The Sabres pulled closer with a Tyler Ennis power play goal, his third of the year, passed from Matt Moulson and Cody Hodgson. The Maple Leafs responded with a power play goal by Raymond, his seventh of the campaign, courtesy of Trevor Smith and David Clarkson. This was good for a 4-2 win, with the three stars going to van Riemsdyk, Franson, and Raymond.

Over in Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Ryan Callahan goal, his sixth of the season coming on the power play with the help of Brad Richards and Derek Stepan. This proved to be the game's only goal, resulting in a 1-0 Rangers win. The three stars were Talbot (22 save shutout), Callahan, and Price (33 for 34 in saves).

Speaking of New York, the Islanders host the Detroit Red Wings. Jonas Gustavsson and Evgeni Nabokov draw the starts. New York led off in the first period with the ninth of the season by John Tavares, assisted by Josh Bailey. Detroit tied it quickly with a Darren Helm goal, his second of the year, passed from Jonathan Ericsson and Niklas Kronwall. Nabokov was pulled for Kevin Poulin at this time. The Red Wings took the lead on a Pavel Datsyuk power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Mikael Samuelsson and Henrik Zetterberg. The Islanders retied it with a Casey Cizikas goal in the second period, his second of the year, coming off of Colin McDonald and Matt Martin. Detroit retook the lead on a Johan Franzen goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Helm and Tomas Tatar. New York retied it as Brock Nelson potted his third of the year, with helpers provided by Tavares and Andrew MacDonald on the power play. The Islanders regained the lead in the third period on a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his second of the season, coming off of Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Aaron Ness. The Red Wings got another equalizer on a Datsyuk goal, his eleventh of the year and second of the game, guided in by Danny DeKeyser and Zetterberg. The tie lasted to a shootout, where New York won 5-4 with a Frans Nielsen goal. The three stars were Tavares, Datsyuk, and Helm, while Zetterberg gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the St. Louis Blues welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Justin Peters and Brian Elliott are in the blue paint. St. Louis got going in the second period on a Roman Polak goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Chris Stewart and Alexander Steen. The Blues added on as David Backes notched his eighth of the year, with the help of Brenden Morrow and Jay Bouwmeester. Carolina got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Eric Staal, his fifth of the season, set up by Manny Malhotra. The Hurricanes tied it with another shorthanded goal, Nathan Gerbe's fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Riley Nash. St. Louis took the lead back in the third period as Steen scored his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Polak and Ian Cole. The Blues iced it at 4-2 with a T.J. Oshie empty net goal, his third of the year, thanks to Alex Pietrangelo and Bouwmeester. The three stars were given to Steen, Polak, and Bouwmeester.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Nikolai Khabibulin and Marek Mazanec are between the pipes. Nashville opened in the first period with a Matt Cullen goal, his third of the season, via Craig Smith and Seth Jones. The Predators added on as Nick Spaling scored his second of the year, courtesy of Smith and Ryan Ellis. Khabibulin was removed for Corey Crawford. Nashville extended the lead in the second period on a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his sixth of the campaign, powered by Roman Josi and Shea Weber. The Predators padded the lead with a Smith goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist from Cullen. Chicago got on the board with Patrick Kane's eleventh of the year, fueled by Brandon Bolling and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks got closer in the third period as Brandon Pirri potted his fifth of the campaign, with assists provided by Brent Seabrook and Kris Versteeg. Nashville responded with a Viktor Stalberg goal, his second of the season, guided in by Gabriel Bourque and David Legwand. The Predators got another with a Mike Fisher goal, his third of the year, via Hornqvist. Nashville wrapped it up at 7-2 on a Weber power play goal, his fifth of the campaign, helped along by Josi and Legwand. The three stars were handed to Smith, Hornqvist, and Cullen, while Weber, Josi, and Legwand get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Phoenix, as the Coyotes host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Mike Smith are the masked men. Phoenix struck first in the first period with a Michael Stone goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Mike Ribeiro and David Rundblad on the power play. The Coyotes added on as Martin Hanzal scored his sixth of the year, with a lone assist by Lauri Korpikoski. Phoenix extended the lead in the second period on the sixth of the campaign from Ribeiro, a power play goal powered by Hanzal and Radim Vrbata. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Richard Panik goal, fueled by Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn. The Coyotes answered with a Connor Murphy goal, coming off of Vrbata and Korpikoski. The Lightning shot back as J.T. Brown scored, thanks to Teddy Purcell and Andrej Sustr. Phoenix replied on a Shane Doan goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Hanzal and Vrbata, with the latter getting a sock trick. Tampa Bay chipped back as Killorn scored his sixth of the year, via Martin St. Louis and Sustr. The Coyotes iced it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Korpikoski, his fourth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Hanzal, who got a sock trick. The three stars were awarded to Hanzal, Vrbata, and Korpikoski, while Ribeiro, Killorn, and Sustr get the honorable mentions.

Up to Denver, as the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Florida Panthers. Tim Thomas and Semyon Varlamov are the goalies familiar with publicity issues. Florida started in first period with a Brad Boyes goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Scottie Upshall and Tom Gilbert. The Panthers added on in the second period as Brian Campbell scored his third of the year, a power play goal powered by Gilbert and Upshall. Colorado got on the board as Ryan O'Reilly scored his eighth of the campaign, with the help of P.A. Parenteau and Cory Sarich. Florida replied with a Tomas Kopecky goal, his second of the season, via Gilbert, who got a sock trick, and the goalie Thomas. The Panthers extended the lead in the third period as Jonathan Huberdeau scored his fifth of the year, guided in by Nick Bjugstad. This made it a 4-1 final, with Thomas (32 for 33 in saves), Gilbert, and Campbell getting the three stars while Upshall gets an honorable mention.

Finally, we end in Calgary with the Battle of Alberta, as the Flames bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Reto Berra are the unreliable goalies. Calgary led off in the first period as Sean Monahan scored his eighth of the season, fueled by Jiri Hudler. The Flames added on with a second period goal by Dennis Wideman, his second of the year, passed from Matt Stajan and Sven Baertschi. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his fifth of the season, via Taylor Hall and Anton Belov. The Oilers tied it with an Ales Hemsky goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Sam Gagner and Nail Yakupov. Edmonton took the lead as David Perron potted his fifth of the season, with the help of Boyd Gordon and Ryan Smyth. The Oilers won 4-2 with a Gordon empty net goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Gordon, Perron, and Monahan get the three stars.

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KHL Day 74 2013-2014

Today, we have two games, beginning in...

Yaroslavl, as Lokomotiv hosts Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Vitaly Kolesnik are the goalies. Yaroslavl opened with a first period goal by Sergei Plotnikov, coming on the power play from Sergei Konkov and Daniil Apalkov. Lokomotiv added on as Ilya Korenev scored, thanks to Vadim Khlopotov and Emil Galimov. Yaroslavl extended the lead with a Jonas Holos power play goal, powered by Staffan Kronwall and Igor Musatov. Cherepovets got on the board in the third period as Vladimir Antipov scored, with the help of Nikita Popov. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kolesnik (33 for 34 in saves), Korenev, and Holos.

Into Mytishchi, where we end with Atlant hosting SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Stanislav Galimov tend the twines. St. Petersburg started in the first period with an unassisted shorthanded goal by Alexander Kucheryavenko. Mytishchi tied it in the second period on an Alexander Kadeikin goal, fueled by Evgeny Artyukhin and Sergei Shmelyov. SKA took the lead back in the third period as Viktor Tikhonov scored a goal, assisted by Dmitry Kalinin and Ilya Kovalchuk. This held up for a 2-1 win, with Tikhonov, Salak (21 for 22 in saves), and Kucheryavenko getting the three stars.

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NHL Day 46 2013-2014

Ten games on an unusually busy Friday, beginning in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Los Angeles Kings. Ben Scrivens and Cory Schneider get the starts. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Dwight King goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jake Muzzin and Justin Williams. The Kings iced it at 2-0 with an Anze Kopitar empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Drew Doughty and Willie Mitchell. Scrivens (26 save shutout), King, and Kopitar get the three stars.

To the west, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Backups Peter Budaj and Curtis McElhinney make the spot starts. Columbus was first to score in the first period as R.J. Umberger potted his fourth of the season, courtesy of Nick Foligno and James Wisniewski. The Blue Jackets added on with an Artem Anisimov goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Nikita Nikitin and David Savard. Montreal got on the board as Alex Galchenyuk scored his fourth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Canadiens tied it with a Lars Eller power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Daniel Briere and Andrei Markov. Montreal took the game 3-2 in a shootout on a David Desharnais goal. The three stars went to Galchenyuk, Eller, and Desharnais.

Back east, the Buffalo Sabres host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Ryan Miller are in between the pipes. Toronto got going in the first period on a Trevor Smith goal, his second of the season, made possible by David Clarkson and Mason Raymond. Buffalo tied it as Steve Ott scored his third of the year, a power play goal powered by Tyler Myers and Mark Pysyk. The Sabres took the lead as Marcus Foligno potted his third of the season, thanks to Ott and Drew Stafford. Buffalo added on in the third period as Christian Ehrhoff scored an empty net goal, set up by Pysyk. The three stars were handed to Ott, Pysyk, and Miller (32 for 33 in saves).

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the Nashville Predators. Marek Mazanec is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Nashville opened with a first period Gabriel Bourque goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist from Kevin Klein. Pittsburgh tied it on a Pascal Dupuis goal, his third of the year, helped along by Matt D'Agostini and Brandon Sutter. The Penguins took the lead as James Neal scored a power play goal, powered by Evgeni Malkin and James Neal. Pittsburgh added on in the second period with a Kris Letang goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Malkin and Neal. The Penguins extended the lead on a Sutter goal, his third of the year, guided in by Jussi Jokinen and Paul Martin. This held up for a 4-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Neal, Sutter, and Malkin.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Anaheim Ducks. Viktor Fasth and Justin Peters occupy the creases. Anaheim led off in the second period with a Corey Perry goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone assist by Ryan Getzlaf. Carolina tied it as Eric Staal scored a power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Alexander Semin and Ryan Murphy. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period with a Drayson Bowman goal, his second of the season, passed from Andrej Sekera. The Ducks retied it on a Dustin Penner power play goal, pushed through by Perry and Cam Fowler. Carolina won 3-2 in the shootout as Riley Nash and Chris Terry's goals topped a Perry tally. The three stars went to Perry, Bowman, and Peters (28 for 30 in saves).

Up in Canada, the Ottawa Senators host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Craig Anderson protect the nets. Boston struck first in the first period on a Loui Eriksson goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Matt Bartkowski and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on as Brad Marchand scored his third of the year, thanks to Bartkowski and Eriksson. Ottawa got on the board with a Chris Neil goal, his third of the season, an unassisted goal. The Senators tied it in the third period on a Jason Spezza goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Erik Karlsson and Milan Michalek. Ottawa took the lead as Jared Cowen potted his third of the season, via Cory Conacher and Spezza. The Senators extended the lead as Bobby Ryan scored his tenth of the year, an unassisted goal. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Spezza, Eriksson, and Bartkowski.

Back stateside, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jimmy Howard are the masked men. Washington started in the first period as Brooks Laich scored his third of the season, with a lone assist by Steve Oleksy. Detroit tied it with a Johan Franzen power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Jakub Kindl and Danny DeKeyser. The Red Wings took the lead on another Franzen goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, with a lone assist from Tomas Tatar. Detroit added on in the second period as DeKeyser scored his second of the year, a power play goal fueled by Franzen and Kindl. The Capitals got one back in the third period as Alex Ovechkin netted his fifteenth of the season, with the help of Marcus Johansson and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington tied it with a Michael Latta goal, made possible by John Carlson and Karl Alzner. The game went to a shootout, where the Capitals won 4-3 on a lone Backstrom tally. The three stars were Franzen, Backstrom, and DeKeyser, while Kindl gets an honorable mention.

Further to the west, the Minnesota Wild host the Florida Panthers. Tim Thomas and Josh Harding are the veteran goalies. Minnesota began in the first period on a Zach Parise power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Mikko Koivu and Jason Pominville. The Wild added on as Pominville put away his twelfth of the year, assisted by Jared Spurgeon and Nino Neiderreiter. Florida got on the board in the third period as Tomas Kopecky scored, with the help of Jesse Winchester. The Panthers tied it when Jonathan Huberdeau scored his fourth of the season, courtesy of Nick Bjugstad. Minnesota retook the lead on a Charlie Coyle goal, his second of the year, via Koivu and Ryan Suter. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Pominville, Coyle, and Koivu.

North to Winnipeg, where the Jets bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Ondrej Pavelec are the unreliable goalies. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his second of the season, coming on the power play via Devin Setoguchi and Olli Jokinen. Philadelphia tied it with a Scott Hartnell goal, his third of the year, made possible by Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. The Flyers took the lead with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Hartnell and Kimmo Timonen on the power play. The Jets tied it as Byfuglien scored his second of the game and third of the year, a power play goal powered by Jokinen and Evander Kane. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Winnipeg won 3-2 as Setoguchi and Giroux exchanged goals before Bryan Little sealed the deal. The three stars were Byfuglien, Hartnell, and Setoguchi.

Finally, in Edmonton, the Oilers host the San Jose Sharks. Alex Stalock and Devan Dubnyk are the inexperienced goalies. San Jose opened in the first period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his seventh of the season, coming on the power play from Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture. The Sharks added on as Tomas Hertl scored his twelfth of the year, via Thornton and Tommy Wingels. San Jose extended the lead with a Marleau goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Jason Demers and Thornton. Edmonton got on the board with a Nail Yakupov power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Sam Gagner and Ales Hemsky. This was as close as it got, with the final being 3-1, and the three stars were given to Marleau, Stalock (30 for 31 in saves), and Thornton.

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