Friday, November 29, 2013

NHL Day 60 2013-2014

Twelve games on Black Friday this year, beginning in...

Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Steve Mason are the below-average goalies. Philadelphia was first to score in the first period as Scott Hartnell scored his fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Flyers added on in the second period with a Sean Couturier goal, his second of the year, going in shorthanded and unassisted. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period with a Michael Frolik goal, his seventh of the campaign, fueled by Mark Scheifele and Mark Stuart. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Mason (25 for 26 in saves), Couturier, and Hartnell.

Over in Boston, the Bruins welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Boston struck first in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Zdeno Chara and Loui Eriksson. New York tied it with a Rick Nash goal, his third of the year, fueled by Brad Richards and Carl Hagelin. The Rangers took the lead as Ryan McDonagh scored his sixth of the season, passed from Derick Brassard and Ryan Callahan. In the second period, Chara dropped the mitts with Brian Boyle. The Bruins tied it in the third period on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Marchand and Johnny Boychuk. Boston gained the lead as Chara finished his Gordie Howe Hat Trick with a goal, his sixth of the campaign, guided in by David Krejci. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Chara, Marchand, and Bergeron.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Ben Bishop are the masked men. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Chris Kunitz goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. The Penguins added on in the third period as Brandon Sutter scored his fifth of the year, a power play goal powered by Crosby and Jussi Jokinen. Pittsburgh iced it at 3-0 with an empty net goal by Kunitz, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, set up by Evgeni Malkin and Crosby, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were Fleury (21 save shutout), Kunitz, and Crosby.

Way to the west, the Anaheim Ducks host the Calgary Flames. Reto Berra and Frederik Andersen are the little-known starters. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Sami Vatanen goal, his third of the season, guided in by Andrew Cogliano and Saku Koivu. The Ducks added on as Corey Perry notched his fourteenth of the year, via Ben Lovejoy and Nolan Yonkman. Anaheim extended the lead in the second period on a Dustin Penner power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Nick Bonino. Calgary got on the board with a David Jones goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Ladislav Smid and Lance Bouma. The Ducks replied as Cogliano scored his seventh of the season, with the help of Daniel Winnik and Koivu. The Flames got one back with a David Jones goal, his sixth of the year, an unassisted goal. Anaheim responded on a Penner goal in the third period his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, fueled by Getzlaf and Perry. This resulted in a 5-2 final, with the three stars being given to Penner, Jones, and Perry, while Cogliano, Getzlaf, and Koivu receive the honorable mentions.

Up in San Jose, the Sharks welcome the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Antti Niemi are the reliable goalies. San Jose quickly began in the first period with a Brent Burns goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture. The Sharks added on as Joe Thornton scored his fourth of the year, a power play goal powered by Joe Pavelski and Couture. San Jose extended the lead as Burns scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, thanks to Thornton and Tomas Hertl. The Sharks padded the lead on a Tommy Wingels goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Couture, who got a sock trick, and Justin Braun. Jaroslav Halak relieved Elliott for the second period. St. Louis got on the board in the second period as Ian Cole scored, with assists provided by Jaden Schwartz and Roman Polak. The Blues pulled closer in the third period as David Backes scored his twelfth of the season, a power play goal pushed through by Derek Roy and Alexander Steen. St. Louis edged closer as Schwartz scored his sixth of the year, guided in by Vladimir Sobotka and Polak. San Jose answered as Burns finished his hat trick with his eighth of the season, a power play goal coming off of Pavelski and Dan Boyle. The Sharks wrapped it up at 6-3 with a Hertl empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Burns and Thornton. The three stars were awarded to Burns, Thornton, and Couture, while Hertl, Schwartz, Polak, and Pavelski received the honorable mentions.

Crossing east again, as the New York Islanders bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard faces a lesser foe in Kevin Poulin in goal. Detroit started in the first period with a Darren Helm goal, his sixth of the season, via Daniel Alfredsson and Brendan Smith. The Red Wings added on in the second period as Helm scored his second of the game and seventh of the year, a shorthanded goal set up by Daniel Cleary and Jonathan Ericsson. Detroit extended the lead in the third period as Alfredsson scored his fifth of the season, via Smith. The Red Wings padded the lead on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his fourth of the year, thanks to Johan Franzen and Niklas Kronwall. Detroit iced it at 5-0 with another Alfredsson goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, passed from Justin Abdelkader and Kronwall. The three stars were Helm, Alfredsson, and Howard (29 save shutout), while Kronwall and Smith get the honorable mentions.

Over in Washington, the Capitals host the Montreal Canadiens. Peter Budaj and Braden Holtby are in the blue paint. Montreal struck first in the first period on a Daniel Briere goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta. Washington tied it in the second period on an Eric Fehr goal, his third of the year, made possible by Mikhail Grabovski. The Canadiens retook the lead as Plekanec scored his eighth of the season, fueled by Gionta and Alexei Emelin. The Capitals retied it in the third period on a Grabovski goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Fehr and Troy Brouwer. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Fehr and Lars Eller traded goals, followed by Alex Ovechkin and David Desharnais doing the same before Grabovski potted the winner for the Capitals and made it a 3-2 final. The three stars were Grabovski, Fehr, and Plekanec, while Gionta gets an honorable mention.

Back west, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Josh Harding draw the starts. Colorado began in the first period with a Jan Hejda goal, his third of the season, coming off of Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on in the second period as MacKinnon scored his fourth of the year, via Landeskog and Erik Johnson. Minnesota got on the board as Dany Heatley netted his sixth of the season, with the help of Nino Neiderreiter and Erik Haula. Colorado iced it at 3-1 in the third period as Landeskog scored his eighth of the year, set up by Marc-Andre Cliche. The three stars were Landeskog, MacKinnon, and Giguere (27 for 28 in saves).

Southeast to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the New Jersey Devils. Corey Schneider and Cam Ward play between the pipes. New Jersey was first to score as Mark Fayne scored, with assists provided by Dainius Zubrus and Jaromir Jagr. Carolina tied it in the second period on a Jeff Skinner goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Ryan Murphy and Riley Nash. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Jordan Staal goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Justin Faulk and Ron Hainsey. The Devils retied it in the third period when Andrei Loktionov scored his second of the season, via Damien Brunner and Michael Ryder. New Jersey gained the lead with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Eric Gelinas and Andy Greene. The Devils added on as Zubrus scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Jon Merrill and Jagr. New Jersey finished it at 5-2 with a Jagr goal, his eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Travis Zajac. The three stars were Jagr, Zubrus, and Henrique.

Up in Columbus, the Blue Jackets host the Edmonton Oilers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Sergei Bobrovsky are the Russian goalies. Columbus opened in the first period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Cam Atkinson and Matt Calvert. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period as Artem Anisimov scored his seventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Calvert and Fedor Tyutin. Columbus extended the lead as Nick Foligno scored his sixth of the season, a power play goal assisted by Boone Jenner and Johansen. The Blue Jackets chased Bryzgalov as Jack Skille scored his second of the year, via Corey Tropp and Dalton Prout. Devan Dubnyk came on in relief. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with a Sam Gagner goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Ales Hemsky and Denis Grebeshkov. The Oilers pulled closer with a power play goal by David Perron, his ninth of the year, thanks to Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Johansen, Calvert, and Bobrovsky (25 for 27 in saves).

Further north to Buffalo, as the Sabres welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Ryan Miller protect the nets. Toronto led off in the first period with a Phil Kessel goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Tyler Bozak and Jake Gardiner. Buffalo tied it in the second period as Matt Moulson scored his tenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Ville Leino and Tyler Myers. The Maple Leafs took the lead back on a Nikolai Kulemin goal, his second of the season, fueled by Trevor Smith. The Sabres retied it as Luke Adam scored, with the help of Zemgus Girgensons and Christian Ehrhoff. Buffalo went on to win 3-2 in overtime with an Ehrhoff goal, his second of the year, passed from Myers and Leino. The three stars were Ehrhoff, Myers, and Leino.

Finally, we end in Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Kari Lehtonen guard the cages. Dallas started in the first period with a Rich Peverley goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Shawn Horcoff. Chicago tied it in the third period with a Patrick Sharp goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone helper by Duncan Keith. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Sharp and Peverley traded goals early before Ben Smith scored in the tenth round to win it 2-1 for the Blackhawks. The three stars were Sharp, Peverley, and Crawford (28 for 29 in saves).

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KHL Day 87 2013-2014

Just one game on today, coming from St. Petersburg, as SKA hosts Atlant Mytishchi. Sergei Borisov and Alexander Salak are in the creases. St. Petersburg led off in the first period with an Alexei Semenov goal, assisted by Roman Cervenka and Dmitry Kalinin. SKA added on as Evgeny Ketov scored, via Viktor Tikhonov and Maxim Chudinov. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Chudinov scored, with helpers provided by Artemy Panarin and Alexander Kucheryavenko. SKA padded the lead in the second period as Ilya Kovalchuk scored a power play goal, powered by Vadim Shipachyov. Mytishchi got on the board in the third period on a Roma Rukavishnikov goal, coming off of Juha-Pekka Haataja and Andreas Engqvist. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Chudinov, Salak (28 for 29 in saves), and Ketov.

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Thursday, November 28, 2013

Thanksgiving Day Football 2013 (Week 13)

The three games today begin in...

Detroit, as the Lions host the Green Bay Packers. Detroit got going in the second quarter on a 27 yard David Akers field goal. Green Bay tied it when Mason Crosby made a 54 yard field goal. The Packers took the lead when Morgan Burnett recovered a Matthew Stafford fumble and returned it for 1 yard, and Crosby kicked the extra point. The Lions tied it again as Stafford found Jeremy Ross for a 5 yard touchdown pass, and Akers handled the extra point. Detroit took the lead as Reggie Bush ran in a 1 yard touchdown, and Akers nailed the extra point. The Lions added on in the third quarter as Stafford threw a 20 yard touchdown to Calvin Johnson, and Akers booted the PAT. Detroit extended the lead as Matt Flynn was sacked for a safety by Ndamukong Suh. The Lions padded the lead in the fourth quarter on a Joique Bell 1 yard touchdown run, and Akers drilled the extra point. Detroit iced it at 40-10 when Stafford threw a 20 yard touchdown pass to Kevin Ogletree, and Akers handled another extra point. The Lions are now 7-5 while the Packers fall to 5-6-1.

Down in Dallas, the Cowboys welcome the Oakland Raiders. Oakland began in the first quarter as Greg Jenkins recovered a Terrance Williams fumble and returned it for 23 yards and a touchdown, and Sebastian Janikowski handled the extra point. Dallas tied it with a 2 yard DeMarco Murray touchdown run, and Dan Bailey nailed the extra point. The Raiders took the lead back in the second quarter as Rashad Jennings ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Janikowski booted the extra point. Oakland added on as Jennings rushed 1 yard for another touchdown, and Janikowski made the extra point. The Cowboys got some back as Murray ran 4 yards for a touchdown, and Bailey kicked another extra point. Dallas tied it in the third quarter with a 4 yard touchdown pass from Tony Romo to Dez Bryant, and Bailey's extra point was the equalizer. The Cowboys took the lead as Murray rushed 7 yards for his third touchdown of the day, and Bailey booted the PAT. Dallas extended the lead as Bailey made a 19 yard field goal. The Raiders chipped back as Janikowski made a 45 yard field goal. This wasn't enough, and they lost 31-24. The Cowboys are now 7-5 while the Raiders fall to 4-8.

The last game of the day comes from Baltimore, as the Ravens bring in the Pittsburgh Steelers. Baltimore led off in the first quarter as Joe Flacco threw a 7 yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith, and Justin Tucker made the extra point. The Ravens added on in the second quarter as Tucker made a 43 yard field goal. Baltimore extended the lead on a third quarter Tucker field goal of 34 yards. Pittsburgh got on the board as Ben Roethlisberger found Emmanuel Sanders for 8 yards and a touchdown, and Shaun Suisham nailed the extra point. The Ravens responded as Tucker made a 38 yard field goal. Baltimore padded the lead as Tucker made a 45 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The Steelers got some back as Le'Veon Bell ran in a 1 yard touchdown, and Suisham made the PAT. The Ravens replied as Tucker made a 48 yard field goal. Pittsburgh pulled closer as Roethlisberger found Jericho Cotchery for a 1 yard touchdown pass, but they failed on the two-point attempt. This only made it 22-20, a final, with the Ravens being 6-6 and the Steelers being 5-7.

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NHL Day 59 2013-2014

Two games for this Thanksgiving, as the...

Ottawa Senators host the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Craig Anderson are the veteran goalies. Ottawa opened in the first period as Clarke MacArthur scored his seventh of the season, via Marc Methot and Bobby Ryan. Vancouver tied it in the second period as Daniel Sedin scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Henrik Sedin and Christopher Tanev. The Canucks took the lead with a David Booth goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Mike Santorelli. Vancouver added on as Jason Garrison scored a power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. The Canucks extended the lead with a Dale Weise goal, his second of the season, fueled by Garrison and Booth. Robin Lehner relieved Anderson at this time. The Senators got one back on a Mika Zibanejad goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Joe Corvo and Jason Spezza. Vancouver replied on a Santorelli goal in the third period, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. This made it 5-2, with the three stars being Daniel Sedin, Garrison, and Booth, while Santorelli and Henrik Sedin get the honorable mentions.

The other game is in Nashville, as the Predators host the Edmonton Oilers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Marek Mazanec are set to start. Edmonton got going in the second period on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jeff Petry and Jordan Eberle. The Oilers added on as Taylor Hall scored his seventh of the year, fueled by Sam Gagner. Edmonton extended the lead as Eberle score his ninth of the campaign into an empty net, set up by Hall and Nick Schultz. This resulted in a 3-0 final, with the three stars being Bryzgalov (33 save shutout), Hall, and Eberle.

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KHL Day 86 2013-2014

Eleven games on today, beginning in...

Omsk, as Avangard hosts Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Denis Kostin will be in the blue paint. Omsk was first to score in the first period with a power play goal by Anton Kuryanov, passed from Kirill Lyamin. Avangard added on as Sergei Shirokov scored, assisted by Kuryanov and Denis Kulyash. Omsk extended the lead with an Ivan Baranka goal, fueled by Alexander Popov. Avangard padded the lead on a power play goal by Popov, powered by Sergei Kostitsyn. Bratislava got on the board in the third period as Tomas Netik scored, with a lone helper by Milan Bartovic. Slovan pulled closer as Martin Bakos scored, thanks to Michal Sersen. This only made it 4-2, with the three stars being Kuryanov, Popov, and Baranka.

North to Yekaterinburg, as Avtomobilist welcomes Dinamo Riga. Mikael Tellqvist and Jakub Kovar are the masked men. Yekaterinburg began in the first period with a power play goal by Tobias Viklund, powered by Anton Lazarev and Sami Lepisto. Riga tied it on a Rustams Begovs goal, with a lone assist by Maris Bicevskis. Avtomobilist retook the lead in the second period on an Alexander Streltsov goal, fueled by Eduard Lewandowski and Alexei Yefimov. Yekaterinburg added on as Yefimov scored an unassisted goal. This held up for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Yefimov, Streltsov, and Kovar (24 for 25 in saves).

Moving along to Khanty-Mansiysk, as Yugra brings in CSKA Moscow. Ilya Proskuryakov and Mikhail Biryukov are set to start. Moscow got going in the second period as Ilari Filppula scored a power play goal, with a lone assist by Denis Denisov. CSKA added on with an unassisted goal by Nikolai Prokhorkin. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board in the third period as Marek Troncinsky scored a power play goal, powered by Tomas Starosta and Stephen Dixon. Yugra tied it with a Mikhail Zhukov goal, guided in by Alexei Kruchinin. Moscow took the lead with an Igor Grigorenko goal, coming off of Prokhorkin and Alexander Radulov. Khanty-Mansiysk retied it with a Radek Smolenak goal, set up by Dixon. CSKA took the lead back on a Denisov goal, made possible by Brandon Reid. They would go on to win 4-3, with the three stars being Denisov, Prokhorkin, and Dixon.

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana hosts Lev Prague. Atte Engren is mismatched with Ari Ahonen in goal. Prague struck first in the first period as Martin Thornberg scored, with a lone assist by Jiri Sekac. Astana tied it on a power play goal by Brandon Bochenski, powered by Cam Barker and Mike Lundin. Lev took the lead as Jakub Matai scored in the second period, helped along by Michal Birner and Lukas Cingel. Barys tied it in the third period with a Roman Starchenko goal, fueled by Konstantin Rudenko. Prague regained the lead as Sekac scored, via Patrik Zackrisson. This made it 3-2, the final, with Sekac, Starchenko, and Matai getting the three stars.

Back in Russia, Vityaz Podolsk welcomes Amur Khabarovsk. Mika Jarvinen and Ivan Lisutin are between the pipes. Podolsk dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Alexei Makeyev goal, fueled by Maxim Afinogenov. Khabarovsk tied it with a power play goal by Dylan Reese, powered by Dmitry Tarasov and Brian Salcido. The tie lasted into the shootout, where Mike Iggulden and Dmitry Shitikov's goals for Vityaz propelled them a 2-1 win over a lone Amur tally from Jakub Petruzalek. The three stars were Shitikov, Lisutin (29 for 30 in saves), and Jarvinen (29 for 30 in saves).

Northeast to Nizhny Novgorod, as Torpedo brings in Admiral Vladivostok. Niko Hovinen and Georgy Gelashvili occupy the blue paint. Vladivostok started with a Sergei Lesnukhin first period goal, assisted by Viktor Drugov. Nizhny Novgorod tied it in the second period on a power play goal by Juuso Hietanen, powered by Sakari Salminen and Jarkko Immonen. Torpedo took the lead on a Wojtek Wolski goal, with a lone helper by Justin Hodgman. This was all they needed for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Gelashvili (14 for 15 in saves), Hietanen, and Wolski.

Down in Kazan, Ak Bars hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Ilya Sorokin and Konstantin Barulin guard the cages. Kazan led off with an Ilya Nikulin goal, with a lone assist by Kirill Petrov in the first period. Novokuznetsk tied it with an Evgeny Lapenkov goal, fueled by Semyon Valuisky and Raymond Giroux. Ak Bars took the lead back on a Tim Stapleton goal, coming off of Mikhail Varnakov and Alexander Burmistrov. Metallurg tied it with a Vladislav Kartayev goal, passed from Alexei Kosourov and Zakhar Arzamastsev in the second period. Novokuznetsk took the lead on an Ansel Galimov goal, made possible by Kurtis McLean and Yegor Martynov. Metallurg added on as Alexander Aksyonenko scored, thanks to Lapenkov. Kazan got one back as Petrov scored with the help of Alexander Osipov. Ak Bars tied it with a Stapleton power play goal, his second of the game, powered by Shaun Heshka and Burmistrov in the third period. The tie lasted to a shootout, where McLean's goal gave Metallurg the 5-4 win. The three stars were Lapenkov, Stapleton, and McLean, while Burmistrov gets an honorable mention.

Back into the Moscow area, as Spartak welcomes Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Andrei Vasilevsky and Jeff Glass are the reliable goalies. Moscow dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Deron Quint power play goal, powered by Vyacheslav Kozlov and Denis Bodrov. Ufa tied it as Kirill Koltsov scored, thanks to Alexei Kaigorodov and Antti Pihlstrom. Salavat Yulaev took the lead with a Teemu Hartikainen goal, fueled by Dmitry Makarov and Tomas Zaborsky. Spartak tied it again with a Rastislav Spirko power play goal, with a lone assist by Quint. Ufa took the lead back on an Igor Mirnov goal, coming off of Andrei Zubarev. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Mirnov, Quint, and Hartikainen.

Out west, Dinamo Minsk brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Lars Haugen protect the nets. Minsk opened in the first period on a shorthanded goal by Geoff Platt, set up by Tomas Surovy. Chelyabinsk tied it with an Andrei Popov goal, fueled by Andrei Kostitsyn and Anton Glinkin. Traktor took the lead with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal in the second period, with a lone helper by Stanislav Chistov. Dinamo retied it in the third period with a power play goal by Ilya Kaznadei, powered by Alexei Kalyuzhny and Andrei Stas. Minsk took the lead with an Alexander Kitarov goal, coming off of Alexei Yefimenko. Dinamo wrapped it up at 4-2 with an Evgeny Nogachyov goal, going in unassisted. The three stars wee given to Kitarov, Kaznadei, and Platt.

Into Ukraine, as Donbass Donetsk hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Matt Dalton and Michael Leighton are the North American goalies. Donetsk got going in the second period on a Vaclav Nedorost goal, fueled by Evgeny Dadonov. Nizhnekamsk tied it in the third period with a Fyodor Belyakov goal, passed from Yegor Milovzorov. The tie lasted to a shootout, where two goals from Maxim Yakutsenya and one goal from Randy Robitaille was good enough for a 2-1 win by Donbass, topping goals by Neftekhimik's Milovzorov and Petr Koukal. The three stars belonged to Yakutsenya, Leighton (24 for 25 in saves), and Milovzorov.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb welcomes Sibir Novosibirsk. Mikko Koskinen and Mark Dekanich tend the twines. Zagreb led off in the first period with an unassisted Charles Linglet goal. Medvescak added on as Kurtis Foster scored a power play goal, powered by Jonathan Cheechoo and Bill Thomas. Zagreb extended the lead as Mike Glumac scored, with the help of Michael Ryan. Novosibirsk got on the board as Dmitry Kugryshev scored on a penalty shot he received after being tripped by Ivan Svarny. Medvescak replied in the second period on a power play goal by Matt Murley, assisted by Thomas and Cheechoo. Zagreb padded the lead as Svarny scored, with assists provided by Murley and Thomas, the latter getting a sock trick. Medvescak finished it at 6-1 in the third period with a Murley goal, with a lone helper by Thomas. The three stars were Thomas, Murley, and Cheechoo.

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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

NHL Day 58 2013-2014

Big day today, as thirteen games are on. We begin in...

New York, as the Islanders host the Winnipeg Jets. Al Montoya and Kevin Poulin are the little-known goalies. Winnipeg got going in the second period with a Mark Stuart goal, with a lone assist by James Wright. The Jets added on as Andrew Ladd scored his seventh of the season, passed from Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little. Winnipeg extended the lead as Devin Setoguchi scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Keaton Ellerby and Mark Scheifele. New York got on the board as Andrew MacDonald scored his second of the season, a power play goal powered by Thomas Vanek and John Tavares. The Islanders pulled closer in the third period as Tavares netted his eleventh of the year, via Matt Carkner and Brock Nelson. This only made it 3-2, with the three stars being Setoguchi, Tavares, and Ladd.

To the west, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Nashville Predators. Marek Mazanec is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Nashville opened in the first period on a Matt Cullen goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Ryan Ellis and Nick Spaling. The Predators added on in the second period as Mike Fisher scored his fifth of the year, a power play goal powered by Gabriel Bourque and Roman Josi. Nashville extended the lead with a David Legwand goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Viktor Stalberg and Bourque. Spaling padded the Predators lead in the third period with his fourth of the year, made possible by Cullen and Ellis. This resulted in a 4-0 win, with the three stars being Mazanec (19 save shutout), Cullen, and Spaling, while Ellis and Bourque get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Washington Capitals bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Braden Holtby are in the creases. Washington began in the first period with an Eric Fehr goal, his second of the season, fueled by Michael Latta. Ottawa tied it with a Bobby Ryan goal, his twelfth of the year, a power play goal powered by Patrick Wiercioch and Clarke MacArthur. The Capitals took the lead back as Marcus Johansson scored his third of the season, a power play goal coming off of Troy Brouwer and Alex Ovechkin. Washington added on as Brooks Laich scored his fourth of the year, via Joel Ward and Jason Chimera. The Senators responded in the second period with a Chris Phillips power play goal, with assists provided by Kyle Turris and Erik Karlsson. Ottawa tied it with a Colin Greening goal, guided in by Marc Methot and Karlsson. The Senators gained the lead in the third period on a power play goal by Mika Zibanejad, his sixth of the season, helped along by Jason Spezza and Phillips. The Capitals retied it as John Carlson scored his sixth of the year, made possible by Ward. Ottawa retook the lead on a Zack Smith goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone helper by Chris Neil. The Senators iced it at 6-4 with another Ryan goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, going into the empty net unassisted. The three stars belonged to Ryan, Phillips, and Karlsson, while Ward gets an honorable mention.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Martin Brodeur are the veteran goalies. Carolina was first to score in the first period as Justin Faulk scored, assisted by Jiri Tlusty and Manny Malhotra. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Tuomo Ruutu goal, his third of the season, passed from Eric Staal and Andrej Sekera. New Jersey got on the board with a Travis Zajac goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Dainius Zubrus and Andy Greene. Carolina replied as Ron Hainsey scored his third of the season, with the help of Radek Dvorak and Sekera. The Hurricanes extended the lead with a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Patrick Dwyer, his fourth of the year. The Devils got one back in the third period as Greene scored his third of the season, guided in by Patrik Elias. new Jersey got closer with a Jaromir Jagr goal, his tenth of the year, with helpers from Eric Gelinas and Elias. This only made it 4-3, the final, with Greene, Sekera, and Elias getting the three stars.

North to Buffalo, as the Sabres welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Ryan Miller protect the nets. Montreal struck first in the first period as Alex Galchenyuk scored his sixth of the season, assisted by Andrei Markov and Lars Eller. The Canadiens added on in the second period as David Desharnais scored his second of the year, a power play goal powered by P.K. Subban and Markov. Buffalo got on the board as Matt Moulson scored his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Drew Stafford. Montreal answered in the third period with a power play goal by Brendan Gallagher in the third period, his ninth of the year, coming off of Desharnais and Markov, the latter getting a sock trick. This held up to a 3-1 final, with the three stars going to Price (24 for 25 in saves), Desharnais, and Markov.

West to Detroit, as the Red Wings bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces a lesser foe in Jonas Gustavsson in goal. Detroit started in the first period with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his third of the season, guided in by Johan Franzen. The Red Wings added on in the second period as Tomas Tatar scored his third of the year, thanks to Brian Lashoff and Joakim Andersson. Detroit extended the lead as Henrik Zetterberg scored his eleventh of the season, via Gustav Nyquist and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings padded the lead as Kronwall scored his third of the year, a power play goal powered by Franzen and Zetterberg. Detroit kept going in the third period with the second of the season for Drew Miller, passed from Andersson and Tatar. The Red Wings struck again as Nyquist scored his third of the year, with assists provided by Franzen, who got a sock trick, and Jonathan Ericsson. Boston got on the board with a Jarome Iginla goal, his fifth of the campaign, assisted by Matt Bartkowski and Reilly Smith. This produced the 6-1 final, with the three stars being Kronwall, Zetterberg, and Tatar, while Nyquist, Franzen, and Andersson get the honorable mentions.

Way south to Florida, as the Panthers host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Tim Thomas are the masked men. New York dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Derick Brassard power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan. The Rangers added on in the second period as Brad Richards scored his seventh of the year, an unassisted goal. New York extended the lead as Rick Nash scored his second of the season in the third period, going in unassisted. Florida got on the board as Scottie Upshall scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Brad Boyes. The Panthers got closer with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Rangers replied as Zuccarello scored his third of the year, a power play goal coming off of Chris Kreider and John Moore. New York wrappedi t up at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Carl Hagelin, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Ryan McDonagh. The three stars were Zuccarello, Lundqvist (31 for 33 in saves), and Nash.

Back up in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Marc-Andre Fleury are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh led off with a Chris Conner goal, assisted by Andrew Ebbett and Brandon Sutter. Toronto tied it with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Dion Phaneuf and Cody Franson. The Maple Leafs took the lead as Nazem Kadri scored his seventh of the year, pushed through by Mark Fraser. Toronto added on in the second period with another van Riemsdyk goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. Fleury was pulled for Jeff Zatkoff at this time. The Maple Leafs extended the lead on a Phil Kessel goal, his thirteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Tyler Bozak. The Penguins answered with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh pulled closer as Letang scored his fifth of the campaign, a power play goal helped along by James Neal and Chris Kunitz. Toronto padded the lead on a Bozak goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone helper from van Riemsdyk. The Penguins chipped back in the third period as Neal notched his seventh of the year, a power play goal fueled by Malkin and Letang. Pittsburgh tied it with a Malkin goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Crosby and Kunitz. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Crosby and Malkin scored to complete the comeback and give the Penguins a 6-5 win. The three stars were Malkin, van Riemsdyk, and Letang, while Crosby, Neal, Bozak, and Kunitz get the honorable mentions.

Again to Florida, as the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Anders Lindback are the backups making spot starts. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Victor Hedman goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Nate Thompson and Tyler Johnson. The Lightning added on as Ondrej Palat scored his fourth of the year, a shorthanded goal set up by Hedman and Andrej Sustr. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the third period as Hedman scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, a power play goal powered by Teddy Purcell and Valtteri Filppula. Philadelphia got on the board as Vincent Lecavalier scored his ninth of the year, a power play goal guided in by Brayden Schenn and Mark Streit. The Flyers pulled closer as Streit scored, with a lone assist by Claude Giroux. The Lightning iced it at 4-2 as Johnson scored an unassisted empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign. The three stars went to Hedman, Johnson, and Streit.

Northwest to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Phoenix Coyotes. Thomas Greiss and Niklas Backstrom will occupy the creases. Phoenix opened in the first period as Mikkel Boedker scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Shane Doan and Derek Morris. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Radim Vrbata goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Tim Kennedy and David Schlemko. Minnesota got on the board in the third period with the fifth of the season by Dany Heatley, assisted by Nino Neiderreiter and Kyle Brodziak. Phoenix iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Vrbata, his second of the game and eighth of the year, set up by Martin Hanzal and Antoine Vermette. The three stars were handed to Vrbata, Greiss (28 for 29 in saves), and Boedker.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Semyon Varlamov guard the cages. St. Louis began in the first period on a David Backes goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by T.J. Oshie and Jay Bouwmeester. The Blues added on with an Alexander Steen goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Backes and Derek Roy on the power play. Colorado got on the board with a Patrick Bordeleau goal, his third of the season, fueled by Jan Hejda and Brad Malone. St. Louis answered as Jaden Schwartz scored his fifth of the year, a shorthanded and unassisted goal. The Blues extended the lead in the third period on a Chris Stewart empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Roy and Patrik Berglund. The three stars were awarded to Backes, Halak (25 for 26 in saves), and Roy.

North to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Antti Raanta and Reto Berra are the unknown goalies. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Matt Stajan goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jiri Hudler and Lance Bouma. The Flames added on in the third period as Sean Monahan scored his ninth of the year, passed from Hudler and Kris Russell. Chicago got on the board as Patrick Kane scored his fourteenth of the campaign, via Brandon Saad and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks tied it as Patrick Sharp netted his ninth of the season, coming off of Marian Hossa and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Chicago took the lead late as Kane scored his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Hjalmarsson. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being given to Kane, Hjalmarsson, and Hudler.

Finally, we end in San Jose, as the Sharks host the Los Angeles Kings for a Battle of California. Ben Scrivens and Antti Niemi get the starting nods. Los Angeles quickly started in the first period on a Jeff Carter goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Dwight King and Mike Richards. San Jose tied it in the second period on a Joe Pavelski goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Tyler Kennedy and Martin Havlat. The Sharks added on as Joe Thornton potted his third of the season, with a lone assist by Tomas Hertl. The Kings tied it again in the third period as Drew Doughty scored his fifth of the year, and the goalie Scrivens had the lone helper. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Anze Kopitar and Pavelski traded goals, followed by the same act form Hertl and Justin Williams as well as Dan Boyle and Dustin Brown, before winning on a Thornton goal. The three stars went to Thornton, Pavelski, and Hertl.

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KHL Day 85 2013-2014

Today's single game is in Cherepovets, as Severstal hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Jakub Stepanek are given the starting nods. Yaroslavl began in the first period with a Vadim Khlopotov goal, via Igor Musatov. Cherepovets tied it as Vadim Berdnikov scored, thanks to Nikolai Zherdev and Gennady Stolyarov. Lokomotiv took the lead back in the second period on a Sergei Plotnikov goal, with a lone assist by Sergei Konkov. This was good for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Sanford (29 for 30 in saves), Plotnikov, and Stepanek (29 for 31 in saves).

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