NHL Day 76 2013-2014

Six games on this afternoon, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Philipp Grubauer are in goal. Washington led off in the first period with a Marcus Johansson power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. Philadelphia tied it as Claude Giroux scored his seventh of the year, assisted by Michael Raffl and Braydon Coburn. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with Mark Streit's second of the season, thanks to Raffl. Philadelphia added on in the third period as Sean Couturier scored his sixth of the year, with the help of Matt Read and Steve Downie. The Flyers extended the lead as Jakub Voracek notched his sixth of the season, via Raffl, who got a sock trick, and Kimmo Timonen. The Capitals answered as Mike Green scored his second of the year, coming off of Backstrom and Johansson. Washington pulled closer with a Dmitry Orlov goal, fueled by Eric Fehr and Joel Ward. The Capitals tied it when Ovechkin netted his twenty-seventh of the campaign, courtesy of Ward. Washington finished the comeback as Fehr and Backstrom topped Giroux in the shootout for a 5-4 win. The three stars were Backstrom, Johansson, and Fehr, while Ovechkin, Ward, Raffl, and Giroux get the honorable mentions.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Petr Mrazek are in the creases. Tampa Bay got going in the second period as Tyler Johnson scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Martin St. Louis and Ondrej Palat. The Lightning added on as J.T. Brown scored his second of the year, via Nate Thompson. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-0 with an Alex Killorn empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Valtteri Filppula and Eric Brewer. Bishop (28 save shutout), Johnson, and Brown get the three stars.

Crossing into Canada, as the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Florida Panthers. Scott Clemmensen and Peter Budaj are the masked men. Florida dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jesse Winchester goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Tomas Kopecky and Marcel Goc. The Panthers added on as Nick Bjugstad scored his sixth of the year, via Tomas Fleischmann and Scottie Upshall. Montreal got on the board with an Alex Galchenyuk power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, powered by Brian Gionta and P.K. Subban. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Clemmensen (17 for 18 in saves), Bjugstad, and Winchester.

Back stateside, the New York Rangers host the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo is mismatched with Henrik Lundqvist in goal. Calgary opened in the first period on a Mikael Backlund power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Kris Russell and Mark Giordano. The Flames added on as Curtis Glencross scored his sixth of the year, courtesy of Jiri Hudler. New York got on the board with a Derek Stepan goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Rick Nash and Dan Girardi. The Rangers tied it in the second period on a Carl Hagelin goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Benoit Pouliot and Dominic Moore. Calgary took the lead back in the third period as Sean Monahan scored his tenth of the season, fueled by Glencross and Hudler. New York tied it as Chris Kreider netted his eighth of the year, via Stepan and Brian Boyle. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Mats Zuccarello, Brad Richards, and Dominic Moore matched Joe Colborne, Lee Stempniak, and Paul Byron, allowing Pouliot to be the hero in the 4-3 Rangers win. Pouliot, Stepan, and Glencross get the three stars, while Hudler gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Ben Scrivens and Antti Raanta fill in for the injured top-tier goalies. Chicago began in the first period with a shorthanded goal by Marian Hossa, his fourteenth of the season, set up by Jonathan Toews and Niklas Hjalmarsson. The Blackhawks added on as Kris Versteeg scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Patrick Kane and Brent Seabrook. Chicago extended the lead as Patrick Sharp scored a power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Toews and Duncan Keith. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period as Alec Martinez scored his second of the year, assisted by Matt Greene and Jordan Nolan. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Raanta (21 for 22 in saves), Toews, and Hossa.

Finally, in Anaheim, the Ducks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Ilya Bryzgalov faces one of his former teams, who plays Jonas Hiller in goal. Edmonton started in the first period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle. Anaheim tied it as Nick Bonino scored his ninth of the year, via Pat Maroon and Kyle Palmieri. The Ducks took the lead in the second period on a Teemu Selanne goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Mathieu Perreault and Matt Beleskey. The Oilers retied it on a Sam Gagner goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Nail Yakupov and Andrew Ference. Anaheim took the lead back as Dustin Penner scored his tenth of the season, passed from Ryan Getzlaf and Hampus Lindholm. This made it 3-2, the final, with Penner, Selanne, and Bonino getting the three stars.

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KHL Day 103 2013-2014

Last day before another long break, with only two games on. Neither is in Russia, as the first comes from...

Prague, as Lev hosts Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Petri Vehanen are set to start. Prague opened in the first period with a Jiri Sekac goal, assisted by Martin Thornberg and Ondrej Nemec. Lev added on as Jiri Novotny scored, thanks to Mikko Maenpaa. Prague extended the lead in the second period with a Novotny goal, with a lone assist by Justin Azevedo. Lev padded the lead when Michal Repik scored, with the help of Jakub Nakladal and Jakub Matai. Prague struck again with a shorthanded goal by Petr Vrana, set up by Topi Jaakola. Lev got another in the third period on a power play goal by Nathan Oystrick, powered by Maenpaa and Thornberg. Prague iced it at 7-0 with a Martin Sevc goal, fueled by Lukas Cingel and Repik. The three stars were Novotny, Repik, and Thornberg, while Maenpaa and Vehanen (14 save shutout) get honorable mentions.

The other game is in Ukraine, as Donbass Donetsk hosts Dinamo Minsk. Kevin Lalande and Michael Leighton are the North American goalies. Minsk started in the first period with an Alexei Kalyuzhny goal, fueled by Andrei Stas. Donetsk got on the board in the second period as Vaclav Nedorost scored an unassisted goal. Donbass took the lead with a Yury Silnitsky goal, coming off of Lukas Kaspar and Randy Robitaille. Donetsk added on in the third period as Kaspar scored a power play goal, powered by Robitaille. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Kaspar, Leighton (29 for 30 in saves), and Robitaille.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion, and check back in ten days for more KHL action. In the meantime, pay attention to my NHL and NFL posts.

NHL Day 75 2013-2014

Twelve games on throughout today. We begin in...

Buffalo, as the first of three matinees has the Sabres hosting the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo and Jhonas Enroth are in the creases. Buffalo got going in the third period as Matt Moulson scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Zemgus Girgensons and Christian Ehrhoff. Calgary tied it as Paul Byron scored, with the help of Chris Butler and Mikael Backlund. The Flames won 2-1 in overtime as Matt Stajan netted his fourth of the year, with a lone helped by Byron. The three stars were Ramo (26 for 27 in saves), Byron, and Stajan.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Martin Jones and Craig Anderson receive the starting nods. Los Angeles began in the first period with a Dwight King goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Jeff Carter and Jake Muzzin. The Kings added on as Carter scored his ninth of the year, an unassisted goal. Robin Lehner relieved Anderson at this time. Los Angeles extended the lead as
Anze Kopitar scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Slava Voynov and King. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a Joe Corvo goal, his third of the year, coming off of Cory Conacher and Jason Spezza. The Senators pulled closer in the third period as Erik Karlsson netted his ninth of the season, assisted by Kyle Turris and Patrick Wiercioch. The Kings responded with a Jarret Stoll goal, his fourth of the year, via Drew Doughty and Muzzin. Los Angeles padded the lead on a Kopitar power play goal, his eleventh of the campaign, powered by King and Carter. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to King, Carter, and Kopitar, while Muzzin gets an honorable mention.

The last of the matinees was in Winnipeg, where the Jets brought in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Ondrej Pavelec drew the starts. Dallas led off in the first period as Tyler Seguin scored his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Sergei Gonchar. Winnipeg tied it with a Matt Halischuk goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Mark Scheifele and Michael Frolik. The Stars took the lead back as Valeri Nichushkin scored his fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Jets retied it in the second period on a Blake Wheeler power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Olli Jokinen and Dustin Byfuglien. Dallas regained the lead as Jamie Benn scored his eighth of the season, via Seguin and Gonchar. Winnipeg pulled even again as Wheeler scored his second of the game and eleventh of the year, coming off of Bryan Little. The Stars shot back as Benn scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, made possible by Seguin and Gonchar, the latter getting a sock trick on the power play. Dallas added on with another Seguin goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, a power play goal fueled by Gonchar and Alex Chiasson. Al Montoya relieved Pavelec for the third period. The Stars extended the lead in the third period as Colton Sceviour scored, with assists provided by Antoine Roussel and Brenden Dillon. The Jets got one back as Jokinen scored his eighth of the campaign, helped along by Chris Thorburn and Devin Setoguchi. This was as close as it got, with the final being 6-4, and the three stars were Seguin, Benn, and Gonchar, while Wheeler and Jokinen get honorable mentions.

Back east, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Chicago Blackhawks. Antti Raanta and Jonathan Bernier are set to start. Toronto was first to score as Peter Holland potted his fourth of the season, a power play goal guided in by Joffrey Lupul and Mason Raymond. Chicago tied it with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Marian Hossa and Duncan Keith. The Maple Leafs took the lead as Jerry D'Amigo scored in the second period, thanks to Nikolai Kulemin and Carl Gunnarsson. Toronto added on with a Holland goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, fueled by Raymond and Lupul. The Blackhawks got one back as Kane scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, with a lone helper by Niklas Hjalmarsson. The Maple Leafs shot back as Kulemin potted his fourth of the year, via Jay McClement and D'Amigo. Toronto extended the lead on a Lupul power play goal, his ninth of the campaign, passed from Jake Gardiner and Raymond, the latter getting a sock trick. Kent Simpson relieved Raanta for the third period. The Maple Leafs struck again as Lupul netted his second of the game and tenth of the season, with assists from Holland and Raymond. Chicago answered on a Brandon Saad goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Nick Leddy and Jonathan Toews. Toronto wrapped it up at 7-3 as Phil Kessel recorded his seventeenth of the campaign, pushed through by Nazem Kadri and Gunnarsson. The three stars were handed to Lupul, Holland, and Raymond, while Kane, Kulemin, D'Amigo, and Gunnarsson get the honorable mentions.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Anders Lindback is mismatched with Martin Brodeur in goal. New Jersey dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Damien Brunner goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Eric Gelinas and Mark Fayne. The Devils added on in the third period as Dainius Zubrus scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Jaromir Jagr. New Jersey iced it at 3-0 on another Zubrus goal, his second of the night and seventh of the campaign, fueled by Jagr and Marek Zidlicky. The three stars were given to Brodeur (33 save shutout), Zubrus, and Jagr.

Over to Long Island, where the New York Islanders bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Evgeni Nabokov are the veteran goalies. The game was scoreless until overtime, where Max Pacioretty put away his twelfth of the season, via David Desharnais. This made it 1-0 final, with the three stars going to Price (21 save shutout), Pacioretty, and Nabokov (24 for 25 in saves).

Out west a bit, the Detroit Red Wings host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jeff Zatkoff and Jonas Gustavsson are in the blue paint. Detroit opened in the first period as Niklas Kronwall scored his fourth of the season, assisted by Justin Abdelkader and Daniel Alfredsson. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Jussi Jokinen and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins took the lead on a Malkin power play goal, his ninth of the season, via Jokinen. Pittsburgh added on in the second period as Olli Maatta scored his second of the year, thanks to Chris Kunitz and Malkin. The Penguins extended the lead in the third period as Crosby scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, fueled by Joe Vitale and Chris Conner. This was good for a 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Malkin, Crosby, and Zatkoff (28 for 29 in saves), while Jokinen gets an honorable mention.

Down in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak faces a lesser foe in Mike McKenna in goal. St. Louis struck first in the first period on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his tenth of the season, via Jay Bouwmeester and Derek Roy. Columbus tied it on an Artem Anisimov goal, his ninth of the year, thanks to Blake Comeau. The Blue Jackets took the lead as Fedor Tyutin scored his third of the season, an unassisted goal. Columbus added on with a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Brandon Dubinsky. The Blues answered with a Tarasenko power play goal in the second period, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, assisted by Alex Pietrangelo and Brenden Morrow. St. Louis tied it in the third period on a Chris Stewart goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Morrow and Ian Cole. The Blues won 4-3 as David Backes potted his sixteenth of the campaign in overtime, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Tarasenko, Backes, and Morrow.

Further to the south, the Nashville Predators bring in the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Carter Hutton are between the pipes. Nashville started in the first period as Eric Nystrom netted his sixth of the season, assisted by Victor Bartley and Viktor Stalberg. The Predators added on in the second period with a Roman Josi power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Craig Smith and Nick Spaling. San Jose got on the board in the third period as Dan Boyle scored his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Matt Irwin and Patrick Marleau. Nashville replied as Stalberg scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Shea Weber. The Sharks pulled back on a Marleau goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, fueled by Boyle and Joe Thornton. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Stalberg, Marleau, and Boyle.

Southwest to Phoenix, as the Coyotes host the Carolina Hurricanes. Justin Peters and Mike Smith are the masked men. Phoenix led off in the first period as Paul Bissonnette scored, with the help of Connor Murphy and Jeff Halpern. Carolina tied it in the second period as Nathan Gerbe scored his seventh of the season, assisted by Eric Staal and Tim Gleason. The Hurricanes took the lead as Jeff Skinner scored his twelfth of the year, fueled by Eric Staal. Carolina iced it at 3-1 with an Eric Staal empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Jordan Staal. The three stars were Eric Staal, Peters (37 for 38 in saves), and Skinner.

North to Denver, as the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Minnesota Wild. Josh Harding and Semyon Varlamov tend the twines. Colorado got going in the second period as Max Talbot scored his third of the season, courtesy of Cory Sarich and John Mitchell. Minnesota tied it in the third period as Nino Neiderreiter scored his sixth of the year, via Ryan Suter and Jason Pominville. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Matt Duchene's goal for the Avalanche was matched by Zach Parise and topped by Mikko Koivu for a 2-1 Wild win. The three stars were Harding (26 for 27 in saves), Varlamov (26 for 27 in saves), and Koivu.

Finally, in Vancouver, the Canucks bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Roberto Luongo guard the cages. Vancouver began in the first period as Jannik Hansen scored his fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. Boston tied it in the second period on Reilly Smith's eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Canucks took the lead back as David Booth scored his fourth of the season, via Brad Richardson. Vancouver added on with a Chris Higgins goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Ryan Kesler and Mike Santorelli. The Canucks extended the lead in the third period when Yannick Weber scored, thanks to Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. Chad Johnson replaced Rask at this time. Vancouver padded the lead as Henrik Sedin scored his ninth of the season, a power play goal powered by Daniel Sedin and Kevin Bieksa. The Canucks got another on a Christopher Tanev shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Santorelli and Richardson. The Bruins got one back as Smith scored his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, via Johnny Boychuk and Dennis Seidenberg. This only made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Smith, Henrik Sedin, and Daniel Sedin, while Santorelli and Richardson get the honorable mentions.

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NHL Day 74 2013-2014

Three games on this evening. We begin in...

Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Marc-Andre Fleury are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Pascal Dupuis goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Chris Kunitz and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins added on as Chris Conner scored his second of the year, thanks to Brandon Sutter and Joe Vitale. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Jayson Megna recorded his fourth of the season, via Simon Despres and Deryk Engelland. New Jersey got on the board in the second period with a Patrik Elias goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Anton Volchenkov and Steve Bernier. The Devils pulled closer as Dainius Zubrus scored his fifth of the campaign, with the help of Jaromir Jagr and Travis Zajac. They couldn't get an equalizer, losing 3-2, with the three stars being Megna, Fleury (37 for 39 in saves), and Conner.

South to Florida, where the Panthers welcome the Washington Capitals. Backups Philipp Grubauer and Scott Clemmensen are in goal. Florida led off in the second period on a Dylan Olsen goal, his third of the season, guided in by Tomas Kopecky and Jonathan Huberdeau. Washington tied it with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Mikhail Grabovski. The Panthers retook the lead as Aleksander Barkov scored his fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Capitals retied it as Joel Ward scored his tenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Marcus Johansson and Backstrom. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Eric Fehr was answered by Huberdeau, Backstrom was cancelled out by Brad Boyes, and Grabovski was matched by Nick Bjugstad before a tenth round tally by Kopecky gave the Panthers a 3-2 win. The three stars were Backstrom, Kopecky, and Grabovski, while Huberdeau gets an honorable mention.

All the way northwest to Vancouver, as the Canucks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk is mismatched with Roberto Luongo in goal. Vancouver started in the second period on a Daniel Sedin goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Jason Garrison and Ryan Kesler on the power play. The Canucks added on in the third period as Zack Kassian scored his sixth of the year, thanks to David Booth and Garrison. Vancouver extended the lead on a Chris Higgins goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Kesler and Mike Santorelli. The Canucks padded the lead with a power play goal by Dale Weise, his third of the year, powered by Yannick Weber and Garrison, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were handed to Luongo (19 save shutout), Garrison, and Kesler in the 4-0 final.

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KHL Day 101 2013-2014

Thirteen games today for the last big day for the next week or so. We begin today in...

Omsk, as Avangard hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Nikita Lozhkin and Andrei Mezin are set to start. Omsk got going in the second period on a Sergei Kalinin goal, fueled by Denis Kulyash. Novokuznetsk tied it as Vladislav Kartayev scored, thanks to Tuukka Mantyla and Alexei Kosourov. Avangard took the lead back as Nikita Pivtsakin scored a power play goal, powered by Dmitry Semin. Omsk added on as Kalinin scored his second of the game, via Semin and Sergei Kostitsyn. Metallurg pulled back on a Yegor Martynov goal, coming off of Ansel Galimov in the third period. This was as close as it got, with the final being 3-2, and the three stars were Kalinin, Semin, and Mezin (27 for 29 in saves).

Moving along to Khanty-Mansiysk, as Yugra welcomes Amur Khabarovsk. Alexei Murygin and Alexei Kuznetsov are in goal. Khabarovsk was first to score with a power play goal by Andrei Stepanov in the first period, powered by Jan Mursak and Timofei Shishkanov. Amur added on with a Mikhail Klimchuk goal, fueled by Evgeny Korotkov. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with a Kirill Knyazev goal, passed from Mikhail Zhukov and Marek Troncinsky. Yugra tied it with an unassisted Tomas Starosta goal in the second period. Khabarovsk regained the lead in the third period with a power play goal by Jakub Petruzalek, assisted by Alexander Yunkov and Alexander Loginov. They held on for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Petruzalek, Klimchuk, and Murygin (39 for 41 in saves).

Over in Yekaterinburg, Avtomobilist brings in Admiral Vladivostok. Niko Hovinen is mismatched with Jakub Kovar in goal. Yekaterinburg opened in the first period with an Igor Yemeleyev goal, assisted by Sergei Demagin and Alexei Simakov. Vladivostok tied it with an Alexander Kuznetsov goal, coming off of Vladimir Pervushin and Sergei Barbashev. Avtomobilist took the lead back on a Simakov goal, fueled by Demagin and Evgeny Fyodorov. Yekaterinburg added on in the second period as Alexei Yefimov scored, thanks to Eduard Lewandowski and Yemeleyev. Avtomobilist extended the lead with a Dmitry Megalinsky power play goal, powered by Simakov. Admiral chipped back with a Niclas Bergfors goal in the third period, passed from Denis Osipov. Yekaterinburg replied on a Fyodor Malykhin goal, with a lone assist by Andre Deveaux. This made it 5-2, the final, with Simakov, Yemeleyev, and Demagin getting the three stars.

South to Kazakhstan, as Barys Astana hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Mikko Koskinen and Vitaly Yeremeyev receive the starting nods. Astana started in the first period as Roman Starchenko scored, with the help of Maxim Semyonov and Nikolai Antropov. Barys added on with a Konstantin Romanov goal, going in unassisted. Astana extended the lead in the second period on a Dustin Boyd power play goal, powered by Cam Barker and Mike Lundin. Novosibirsk got on the board as Igor Ignatushkin scored, thanks to Vitaly Karamnov and Alexander Romanov. Sibir pulled closer as Alexei Kopeikin scored, with a lone assist by Ignatushkin. Novosibirsk tied it as Ignatushkin scored his second of the game, set up by Dmitry Monya. Sibir took the lead on a Monya goal, fueled by Ignatushkin. This made it 4-3, the final, with Ignatushkin, Monya, and Kopeikin being awarded the three stars.

Back in Russia, Severstal Cherepovets welcomes Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Alexei Volkov and Ivan Kasutin are in the creases. Cherepovets led off in the first period as Pavel Dedunov scored, thanks to Stanislav Kalashnikov and Petr Caslava. Ufa tied it when Teemu Hartikainen scored, via Anton Babchuk and Nikita Shchitov. Severstal took the lead with a Vladimir Antipov power play goal, made possible by Alexander Guskov. Cherepovets added on as Dedunov scored his second of the game, fueled by Antipov and Pavel Chernov. Severstal extended the lead with a Evgeny Kovyrshin goal, guided in by Sergei Monakhov. Salavat Yulaev pulled back as Denis Khlystov, assisted by Brent Sopel. Ufa chipped closer on a Tomas Zaborsky goal, with a lone assist by Kirill Koltsov. Cherepovets iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Gennady
Stolyarov, set up by Vadim Berdnikov. Dedunov, Antipov, and Kovyrshin were given the three stars.

Across the lake, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl brings in Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Curtis Sanford guard the cages. Yaroslavl struck first in the first period with a power play goal by Yury Petrov, powered by Alexander Chernikov and Emil Galimov. Nizhnekamsk tied it with an Albert Yarullin goal, coming on the power play from Pyotr Khokhryakov and Maxim Rybin. Lokomotiv took the lead back with an unassisted Yegor Averin goal in the second period. Neftekhimik tied it again in the third period with a Pavel Zdunov goal, assisted by Dmitry Kosmachyov and Andrei Taratukhin. Nizhnekamsk took the lead with a power play goal by Nikolai Belov, guided in by Rybin and Yarullin. Neftekhimik iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Roman Lyuduchin, set up by Rybin, who got a sock trick. The three stars belonged to Rybin, Yarullin, and Belov.

Into Moscow, as CSKA hosts Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Ilya Proskuryakov are between the pipes. Moscow began in the first period with an Oleg Saprykin goal, fueled by Alexei Morozov. Bratislava tied it with a power play goal by Michal Sersen in the second period, powered by Martin Skoula. Slovan took the lead on an unassisted goal by Michal Vondrka. Bratislava added on as Libor Hudacek scored a goal, going in unassisted. Slovan extended the lead with Branko Radivojevic scoring an unassisted goal. CSKA answered with a Nikita Zaitsev goal, fueled by Yakov Rylov on the power play. Bratislava answered as Vladimir Mihalik scored a power play goal, coming off of Michel Miklik and Vondrka. Moscow pulled back as Zaitsev power play goal, passed from Nikolai Prokhorkin and Alexander Radulov. CSKA chipped closer on a power play goal by Alexander Frolov, guided in by Morozov and Rylov. This was as close as it got, with the final being 5-4, and the three stars were Zaitsev, Vondrka, and Rylov, while Morozov gets an honorable mention.

Up in Mytishchi, Atlant welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Stanislav Galimov protect the nets. Magnitogorsk dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Chris Lee goal, assisted by Danis Zaripov and Tim Brent. This was the only goal in the game, leaving the final at 1-0. The three stars were Koshechkin (41 save shutout), Lee, and Galimov (31 for 32 in saves).

Back into Moscow, as Spartak brings in Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Jeff Glass are the masked men. Kazan got going in the third period on a Dmitry Obukhov goal, assisted by Janne Pesonen and Vasily Tokranov. Moscow tied it on an Igor Volkov goal, via Alexander Nikulin and Alexei Grishin. Ak Bars took the lead back as Kirill Petrov scored, thanks to Alexei Tereshchenko. This was good for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Petrov, Garipov (30 for 31 in saves), and Obukhov.

Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Kevin Lalande occupy the creases. Moscow was first to score in the first period on a Denis Barantsev goal, fueled by Konstantin Volkov. Dynamo added on in the second period when Leo Komarov scored, with a lone helper by Yury Babenko. Moscow extended the lead when Maxim Karpov scored, and Volkov had the only assist. Minsk got on the board as Alexander Materukhin scored on a penalty shot he received after Dominik Granak hooked him on a breakaway. Dynamo answered on an unassisted goal by Konstantin Gorovikov. Dinamo shot back on a power play goal by Andrei Stas in the third period, powered by Geoff Platt and Lukas Krajicek. They got no closer, losing 4-2, with the three stars being Volkov, Karpov, and Gorovikov.

Into Ukraine, as Donbass Donetsk welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Ivan Lisutin and Michael Leighton are the reliable goalies. Podolsk struck first in the first period with an unassisted power play goal by Yakov Seleznyov. Donetsk tied it with a Lukas Kaspar power play goal, powered by Randy Robitaille. Donbass took the lead in the second period when Vaclav Nedorost scored, thanks to Clay Wilson and Evgeny Dadonov on the power play. Vityaz tied it again as Sergei Rozin scored, with a lone assist by Alexander Rybakov. Donetsk edged back ahead with an unassisted shorthanded goal by Teemu Laine. Podolsk retied it with a power play goal by Vyacheslav Solodukhin, made possible by Dinar Khafizullin. Donbass retook the lead in the third period with a Kaspar goal, coming off of Robitaille and Tuomas Kiiskinen. Donetsk made it 5-3, the final, with a Kiiskinen goal, fueled by Kaspar. The three stars were Kaspar, Kiiskinen, and Robitaille.

Next up, Dinamo Riga brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Mikael Tellqvist tend the twines. Riga dented the scoreboard in the second period on an unassisted goal by Kyle Wilson. Dinamo added on in the third period with a Krisjanis Redlihs goal, with a lone assist by Roberts Bukarts. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars going to Tellqvist (27 save shutout), Wilson, and Redlihs.

Finally, in Zagreb, Medvescak hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Georgy Gelashvili and Barry Brust shot alliteration in the goalie matchup. The game went to a shootout scoreless, where Torpedo got goals from Jarkko Immonen and Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev to win 1-0. The three stars were Gelashvili (43 save shutout), Brust (29 save "shutout"), and Krasnoslobodtsev.

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Thursday Night Football Week 15 2013

Last night's game was in Denver, as the Broncos hosted the San Diego Chargers. Denver began in the first quarter as Peyton Manning threw a 15 yard touchdown pass to Andre Caldwell, and Matt Prater made the extra point. San Diego got on the board as Nick Novak made a 38 yard field goal. The Broncos added on as Prater made a 32 yard field goal. The Chargers tied it in the second quarter as Philip Rivers tossed a 19 yard touchdown to Keenan Allen, and Novak was there with the extra point. San Diego took the lead as Rivers threw a 10 yard touchdown pass to Allen, and Novak made another extra point. The Chargers extended the lead in the third quarter when Ryan Mathews rushed 23 yards for a touchdown, and Novak handled the PAT. Denver got some back in the fourth quarter on a Manning touchdown pass of 5 yards to Caldwell, and Prater was true on the extra point. San Diego replied on a 35 yard Novak field goal. The Broncos pulled closer as Prated made a 42 yard field goal. They failed to pull even, losing 27-20, with San Diego now at 7-7 while Denver falls to 11-3.

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NHL Day 73 2013-2014

Sorry for the delay with this post. It's a bit hard to blog hockey when you're on the road for five hours. The first game for last night comes from...

New York, as the Rangers host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Henrik Lundqvist are set to start. Columbus was first to score in the first period on a Matt Calvert goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Cam Atkinson and Fedor Tyutin. The Blue Jackets added on as Artem Anisimov scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Blake Comeau and Boone Jenner. Columbus extended the lead as David Savard scored an unassisted goal. Cam Talbot replaced Lundqvist in goal. New York got on the board as Dominic Moore scored, with the help of Brad Richards. For the second period, Mike McKenna replaced an injured McElhinney. The Rangers pulled closer in the third period with a Dan Girardi goal, his second of the season, made possible by Mats Zuccarello and Michael Del Zotto. The Blue Jackets answered on a Ryan Johansen goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Tyutin. This made it a 4-2 final, with the three stars belonging to McKenna (17 for 18 in saves in relief), Tyutin, and Savard.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Steve Mason are the veteran goalies. Philadelphia began in the first period on a Michael Raffl goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. The Flyers added on in the second period as Giroux netted his sixth of the year, passed from Voracek and Brayden Schenn. Montreal got on the board in the third period with an unassisted goal by Alex Galchenyuk, his ninth of the campaign. They failed to tie it, losing 2-1, and the three stars were Giroux, Mason (20 for 21 in saves), and Voracek.

North to Ottawa, as the Senators bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Craig Anderson receive the starting nods. Ottawa led off in the first period as Bobby Ryan scored his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Kyle Turris and Cory Conacher. Buffalo tied it on a Tyler Ennis power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Drew Stafford and Jamie McBain. The Senators retook the lead in the second period as Zack Smith scored his fifth of the campaign, with the help of Turris and Ryan. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Anderson (40 for 41 in saves), Ryan, and Turris.

Way south to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host the Detroit Red Wings. Jonas Gustavsson and Ben Bishop are in the creases. Detroit opened in the first period with a Kyle Quincey goal, fueled by Gustav Nyquist and Johan Franzen. Tampa Bay tied in the second period on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his third of the year, guided in by J.T. Brown. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Martin St. Louis had the only goal for a 2-1 Lightning win. The three stars were Bishop (28 for 29 in saves), Gustavsson (26 for 27 in saves), and St. Louis.

Northwest to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen faces a lesser foe in Carter Hutton in goal. Dallas struck first in the first period on an Erik Cole goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Alex Chiasson. Nashville tied it on a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by David Legwand and Shea Weber. The Predators took the lead on a power play goal by Legwand, his sixth of the season, helped along by Roman Josi and Weber. Nashville added on in the second period as Paul Gaustad scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Colin Wilson and Gabriel Bourque. This was all they needed to win 3-1, with the three stars being awarded to Hutton (33 for 34 in saves), Legwand, and Weber.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Ondrej Pavelec are the overrated goalies. Winnipeg quickly started in the first period as Blake Wheeler scored his eighth of the season, made possible by Tobias Enstrom and Bryan Little. The Jets added on as Michael Frolik scored his eighth of the year, a power play goal powered by Jacob Trouba and Grant Clitsome. Colorado got on the board with Matt Duchene's thirteenth of the season, coming off of Ryan O'Reilly and Nate Guenin. The Avalanche tied it in the second period as O'Reilly potted his tenth of the year, fueled by Duchene and Cory Sarich. Colorado took the lead as Duchene scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Nathan MacKinnon. Winnipeg retied it in the third period on a Wheeler power play goal, his ninth of the year and second of the night, passed from Mark Scheifele and Clitsome. The tie went to a shootout, where Duchene and P.A. Parenteau scored to secure a 4-3 win for the Avalanche. The three stars were Duchene, Wheeler, and O'Reilly, while Clitsome gets an honorable mention.

Back in the States, the St. Louis Blues host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Brian Elliott are the backups playing goal. St. Louis led off in the first period with a David Backes goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Alexander Steen and Jay Bouwmeester. The Blues added on with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his eighth of the year, via Vladimir Sobotka and Barret Jackman. St. Louis extended the lead when Derek Roy notched his eighth of the campaign, thanks to Chris Stewart and Schwartz. Reimer was replaced by Jonathan Bernier at this time. The Blues padded the lead in the second period on a Stewart goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Sobotka and Schwartz. Toronto got on the board as Nazem Kadri scored his tenth of the year, assisted by Phil Kessel. St. Louis responded in the third period as Steen scored his twenty-second of the campaign, with the help of T.J. Oshie and Alex Pietrangelo. The Maple Leafs shot back as Nikolai Kulemin put away his third of the season, made possible by Mason Raymond and Trevor Smith. Toronto pulled closer on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blues wrapped it up at 6-3 with a Backes empty net goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The three stars went to Backes, Schwartz, and Steen, while Stewart and Sobotka are given the honorable mentions.

Crossing into Canada again, as the Calgary Flames welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Justin Peters and Karri Ramo are between the pipes. Calgary got going in the second period on a Brian McGrattan goal, fueled by Lance Bouma and Paul Byron. Carolina tied it in the third period as Jeff Skinner scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Tuomo Ruutu and Eric Staal. The Flames won 2-1 in overtime with a Chris Butler goal, his second of the year, made possible by Byron and Mikael Backlund. The three stars were handed to Ramo (29 for 30 in saves), Butler, and Byron.

South to Phoenix, as the Coyotes bring in the New York Islanders. Kevin Poulin and Mike Smith protect the nets. New York began with a first period goal by Eric Boulton, his second of the season, coming off of Andrew MacDonald and Brian Strait. Phoenix tied it as Keith Yandle scored his fourth of the year, a power play goal powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Radim Vrbata. The Coyotes took the lead in the second period as Rob Klinkhammer scored his sixth of the campaign, with helpers provided by Mike Ribeiro and Connor Murphy. Phoenix added on with a Mikkel Boedker goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Antoine Vermette and Yandle. The Coyotes extended the lead on a Ribeiro goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist from Klinkhammer. The Islanders answered as John Tavares scored his thirteenth of the campaign, via Thomas Vanek and Aaron Ness. New York pulled closer with the tenth of the season by Kyle Okposo, courtesy of Strait and Frans Nielsen. Phoenix shot back with another Boedker goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, passed from Ribeiro. The Coyotes made it 6-3 in the third period on a Klinkhammer goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. This was a final, with the three stars being Klinkhammer, Ribeiro, and Boedker, while Yandle and Strait get the honorable mentions.

Up in Alberta again, as the Edmonton Oilers host the Boston Bruins. Chad Johnson and Devan Dubnyk are the questionable goalies. Boston was first to score in the first period on a Dennis Seidenberg goal, going in unassisted. The Bruins added on as Jarome Iginla scored his seventh of the season, fueled by Seidenberg and David Krejci. Boston extended the lead with a Brad Marchand goal, his fifth of the year coming shorthanded, set up by Patrice Bergeron. Dubnyk was pulled for Jason LaBarbera in the second period. Edmonton got on the board in the second period as David Perron scored his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Justin Schultz and Nick Schultz. The Oilers pulled closer as Perron scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, assisted by Jordan Eberle and Jeff Petry. The Bruins iced it at 4-2 with an Iginla goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, an empty net goal coming off of Krejci and Kevan Miller. The three stars were Perron, Iginla, and Seidenberg, while Krejci gets an honorable mention.

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks host the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Antti Niemi are the Scandinavian goalies. San Jose struck first in the first period as Joe Pavelski scored his eleventh of the season, a power play goal made possible by Dan Boyle and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on as Tomas Hertl scored his fifteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Tommy Wingels. San Jose extended the lead in the second period as Pavelski scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, passed from Matt Irwin and Thornton on the power play. Minnesota got on the board in the third period as Jonas Brodin scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Justin Fontaine and Ryan Suter. This was as close as it got, with the final being 3-1, with the three stars going to Pavelski, Niemi (29 for 30 in saves), and Thornton.

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