NHL Day 91 2013-2014

Four games on tonight, beginning with...

The Ottawa Senators host the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Craig Anderson are in the creases. Washington began in the first period as Joel Ward scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Martin Erat and Jason Chimera. Ottawa tied it on a Mika Zibanejad goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Cory Conacher and Milan Michalek. The Senators took the lead in the second period on a Kyle Turris goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Bobby Ryan. Ottawa iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Clarke MacArthur, his twelfth of the year going into the empty net, set up by Erik Karlsson and Jared Cowen. The three stars belonged to Anderson (34 for 35 in saves), Turris, and Zibanejad.

Southwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Martin Jones and Antti Raanta are the impressive backups in goal. Chicago led off in the first period as Brandon Saad scored his fourteenth of the season, via Bryan Bickell and Duncan Keith. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win, with the three stars being Raanta (26 save shutout), Saad, and Jones (29 for 30 in saves).

East a little to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard returns from injury against Marek Mazanec in goal. Nashville opened in the first period as Colin Wilson potted his sixth of the season, courtesy of Seth Jones and Mike Fisher. Detroit tied it on a Justin Abdelkader goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Drew Miller. The Predators took the lead with a Craig Smith goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Paul Gaustad. Nashville added on as Nick Spaling netted his seventh of the year, thanks to Smith. The Red Wings got one back as Pavel Datsyuk scored his fifteenth of the season in the third period, coming off of Niklas Kronwall. The Predators answered with a Fisher goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Wilson and Patric Hornqvist. Detroit pulled back as Miller put away his fifth of the season, fueled by Kyle Quincey and Darren Helm. Nashville countered with a Wilson goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, guided in by Jones and Fisher. The Red Wings chipped closer with a Patrick Eaves power play goal, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Kronwall. The Predators wrapped it up at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Roman Josi, his third of the campaign, set up by Matt Cullen. The three stars were handed to Wilson, Fisher, and Smith, while Miller, Kronwall, and Jones get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Vancouver, as the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Eddie Lack are the masked men. Philadelphia started in the first period as Mark Streit scored his fourth of the season, assisted by Michael Raffl and Claude Giroux. Vancouver tied it on a Tom Sestito goal in the second period, his third of the year, guided in by Dan Hamhuis and Zac Dalpe. The Canucks took the lead as Jannik Hansen scored his eighth of the season, made possible by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Flyers retied it as Giroux netted his eleventh of the year, fueled by Raffl. Vancouver took the lead back in the third period on a Daniel Sedin goal, his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Hamhuis. Philadelphia tied it again late on a Brayden Schenn goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Scott Hartnell and Matt Read. The Flyers won 4-3 with a Vincent Lecavalier shootout goal. The three stars were Giroux, Daniel Sedin, and Raffl, while Hamhuis gets an honorable mention.

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NHL Day 90 2013-2014

There are ten games on today to close out a busy weekend, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer is mismatched with Ryan Miller in goal. Buffalo got going in the second period on a Drew Stafford goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Christian Ehrhoff. Washington tied it in the third period with a Troy Brouwer goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Mikhail Grabovski. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Steve Ott's lone goal was good for a 2-1 Sabres win. The three stars were given to Miller (49 for 50 in saves), Ott, and Grubauer (16 for 17 in saves).

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Peter Budaj and Scott Clemmensen play goal. Florida was first to score in the first period on a Dmitry Kulikov goal, his second of the season, assisted by Tomas Fleischmann. Montreal tied it in the second period as Brandon Prust scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Raphael Diaz and Francis Bouillon. The Panthers retook the lead with a Brian Campbell goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Tom Gilbert and Brad Boyes. Florida added on as Barkov scored his seventh of the year, with the help of Gilbert and Boyes. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with a Sean Bergenheim empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Campbell. The three stars went to Campbell, Gilbert, and Boyes.

North again to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jeff Zatkoff and Curtis McElhinney man the creases. Columbus began in the first period as Brandon Dubinsky scored his seventh of the season, courtesy of Fedor Tyutin and Jack Johnson. Pittsburgh tied it as James Neal scored his twelfth of the year, a power play goal powered by Matt Niskanen and Chris Kunitz. The Penguins took the lead in the second period as Neal scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, via Sidney Crosby. The Blue Jackets tied it again with a Corey Tropp goal, his second of the year, coming off of Boone Jenner and Nikita Nikitin. Pittsburgh took the lead back in the third period on a Crosby goal, his twenty-second of the season, guided in by Kunitz and Neal. The Penguins added on with a Kunitz power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, made possible by Crosby and Neal. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Neal finished his hat trick with his fourteenth of the season, a power play goal with assists provided by Joe Vitale and Deryk Engelland. Columbus got one back on a Nikitin goal, his second of the year, passed from Derek MacKenzie and Blake Comeau. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Neal, Crosby, and Kunitz, while Nikitin gets an honorable mention.

South to Dallas, as the Stars host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Kari Lehtonen protect the nets. St. Louis led off in the first period on a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Vladimir Sobotka and T.J. Oshie. The Blues added on in the second period when Oshie scored his fifth of the year, an unassisted goal. Dallas got on the board with a Jamie Benn goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming on the power play from Ray Whitney and Erik Cole. The Stars tied it on a Ryan Garbutt goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Aaron Rome and Jordie Benn. The tie lasted until Kevin Shattenkirk scored in overtime, his sixth of the campaign coming on the power play via Alex Pietrangelo and Sobotka for a 3-2 Blues win. The three stars were handed to Oshie, Shattenkirk, and Sobotka.

Eastward to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist faces a lesser foe in Anders Lindback in goal. New York struck first in the first period as Rick Nash scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Derek Stepan. Tampa Bay tied it with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Teddy Purcell and Valtteri Filppula. The Lightning took the lead on an Ondrej Palat goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Radko Gudas and Jean-Philippe Cote. The Rangers retied it with a power play goal by Mats Zuccarello, his ninth of the year, via Derick Brassard and Ryan McDonagh. New York took the lead in the second period on a Chris Kreider power play goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Zuccarello and McDonagh. The Rangers added on with a Benoit Pouliot power play goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Brassard and Zuccarello. Tampa Bay got one back in the third period on a Filppula goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Purcell and Dmitry Korobov. They failed to tie it, losing 4-3, and the three stars were Zuccarello, Filppula, and Brassard, while McDonagh and Purcell get the honorable mentions.

North to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Jonathan Bernier are the masked men. Toronto started in the first period with a Phil Kessel goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Tyler Bozak. Carolina tied it in the second period on a Nathan Gerbe goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Alexander Semin. The Maple Leafs took the lead with Kessel's second of the game and twentieth of the season, fueled by James van Riemsdyk and Bozak. Toronto added on with an unassisted goal by Nikolai Kulemin, his fifth of the year. The Hurricanes pulled back on a Justin Faulk power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Andrej Sekera and Jeff Skinner. The Maple Leafs shot back in the third period as Paul Ranger scored his second of the year, with a lone assist by Bozak, who got a sock trick. Toronto wrapped it up at 5-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Dion Phaneuf, his fourth of the campaign. Kessel, Bernier (41 for 43 in saves), and Bozak get the three stars.

Across Canada to Calgary, as the Flames host the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Reto Berra are between the pipes. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Jannik Hansen goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Henrik Sedin and Dan Hamhuis. The Canucks iced it at 2-0 in the third period as Mike Santorelli scored his ninth of the year, via Ryan Kesler. The three stars were Lack (18 save shutout), Hansen, and Santorelli.

Backtracking to Minnesota, with the Wild welcoming the New York Islanders. Kevin Poulin and Josh Harding draw the starts. Minnesota opened in the first period on a Ryan Suter goal, guided in by Mike Rupp and Torrey Mitchell. The Wild added on in the second period as Jonas Brodin scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Mikko Koivu and Nino Neiderreiter. Minnesota extended the lead as Neiderreiter scored his seventh of the year, with a lone helper by Koivu. New York got on the board with a John Tavares goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo. The Islanders pulled closer as Cal Clutterbuck scored his fifth of the year, assisted by Thomas Hickey and Brock Nelson. New York tied it in the third period as Hickey scored his second of the season, with the help of Colin McDonald and Ryan Strome. The Islanders took the lead on an Okposo goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Hickey and Andrew MacDonald. The Wild retied it as Justin Fontaine scored his eighth of the season, passed from Matt Cooke and Marco Scandella. New York pulled ahead with another Okposo goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, coming off of Vanek. This held up for a 5-4 win, with Okposo, Hickey, and Neiderreiter getting the three stars while Vanek and Koivu get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Denver, as the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Al Montoya and Semyon Varlamov guard the cages. Winnipeg got going in the third period on an Andrew Ladd goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Blake Wheeler and Jacob Trouba. Colorado tied it on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Gabriel Landeskog and Erik Johnson. The Jets won 2-1 in overtime as Wheeler scored his fifteenth of the campaign, assisted by Mark Scheifele and Dustin Byfuglien. The three stars belonged to Wheeler, Montoya (33 for 34 in saves), and Varlamov (35 for 37 in saves).

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks host the Anaheim Ducks in a Battle of California. Frederik Andersen and Antti Niemi receive the starting nods. San Jose led off in the first period as Brent Burns scored his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on as Logan Couture scored his eleventh of the year, via Burns and Jason Demers. San Jose extended the lead in the second period with a Bracken Kearns goal, coming off of Andrew Desjardins and Mike Brown. Anaheim got on the board in the third period with a Pat Maroon goal, his third of the campaign, assisted by Corey Perry and Cam Fowler. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Niemi (30 for 31 in saves), Burns, and Kearns.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NFL Week 17 2013

All the games are today, and by the end of the night, we know who's going to the playoffs and who's going home. All games are divisional matchups. The first comes from...

Cincinnati, as the Bengals host the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North. Baltimore opened in the first quarter as Justin Tucker kicked a 38 yard field goal. The Ravens added on as Tucker made a 22 yard field goal. Cincinnati took the lead when Andy Dalton connected with A.J. Green for a 53 yard touchdown, and Mike Nugent made the extra point. The Bengals extended the lead in the second quarter as Nugent nailed a 39 yard field goal. Cincinnati padded the lead as Dalton found Marvin Jones for 16 yards and a touchdown, and Nugent was true with the extra point. Baltimore shot back in the third quarter on a 34 yard field goal from Tucker. The Ravens chipped closer as Joe Flacco tossed an 8 yard touchdown to Marlon Brown, and then Ray Rice ran in the two-point conversion to tie the game. The Bengals retook the lead in the fourth quarter on a 1 yard touchdown rush by Dalton, and Nugent booted the PAT. Cincinnati struck again on a 38 yard field goal by Nugent. The Bengals wrapped it up at 34-17 when Dre Kirkpatrick picked off Flacco and returned the interception for 21 yards and a touchdown, and Nugent knocked in the extra point. The Bengals end the season at 11-5 while the Ravens are 8-8 and will not make the playoffs.

The other AFC North game comes from Pittsburgh, as the Steelers welcome the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh began in the first quarter on a 9 yard Ben Roethlisberger touchdown pass to Jericho Cotchery, and Shaun Suisham nailed the extra point. The Steelers added on in the second quarter as Le'Veon Bell ran 5 yards for a touchdown, and Suisham was there with the PAT. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Suisham kicked a 30 yard field goal in the third quarter. The Steelers padded the lead in the fourth quarter when Suisham supplied a 32 yard field goal. Cleveland got on the board as Jason Campbell tossed a 35 yard touchdown pass to Fozzy Whittaker, and Billy Cundiff made the extra point. This made it 20-7, the final, with the Steelers going to 8-8, staying alive for the postseason depending on what the San Diego Chargers do, and the Browns falling to 4-12 for the season.

Down in Tennessee, the Titans bring in the Houston Texans in an underwhelming AFC South battle. Houston was first to score in the first quarter on a 3 yard Jonathan Grimes touchdown run, and Randy Bullock made the extra point. Tennessee got on the board in the second quarter with a Rob Bironas field goal of 42 yards. The Titans pulled closer with a 55 yard Bironas field goal. Tennessee took the lead in the third quarter on an 11 yard Chris Johnson touchdown run, and Bironas tacked on the PAT. The Titans extended the lead as Bironas made a 37 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The Texans got some back on a 19 yard Bullock field goal. This is as close as it got, with the final being 16-10, and the Titans wrap up at 7-9 while the Texans get the first overall draft pick at 2-14.

Southeast to Atlanta, as the Falcons host the Carolina Panthers with the NFC South on the line. Atlanta started in the first quarter as Matt Ryan tossed a 9 yard touchdown pass to Jason Snelling, and Matt Bryant kicked in the extra point. The Falcons added on in the second quarter as Bryant made a 42 yard field goal. Carolina got on the board with a Melvin White interception of Ryan, returned 8 yards for a touchdown, and Graham Gano supplied the extra point. The Panthers took the lead with a 3 yard Cam Newton touchdown pass to Ted Ginn, Jr., and Gano nailed the PAT. Atlanta retook the lead in the third quarter as Ryan connected with Roddy White for 39 yards and a touchdown, and Bryant booted the extra point. Carolina shot back and pulled ahead as Newton passed a 7 yard touchdown to Greg Olsen, and Gano drilled the extra point. The Falcons chipped closer in the fourth quarter on a Bryant field goal from 37 yards. They failed to gain a lead, losing 21-20, with the Panthers securing a first round bye at 12-4 while the Falcons leave the season a disappointing 4-12.

Northward to Minnesota, as the Metrodome is sent away by the Vikings welcoming their NFC North rivals, the Detroit Lions. Minnesota led off as Cordarrelle Patterson ran 50 yards for a touchdown, and Blair Walsh made the extra point. Detroit tied it in the third quarter as Matthew Stafford threw a 19 yard touchdown pass to Reggie Bush, and David Akers made the extra point. The Lions took the lead in the fourth quarter on an Akers field goal of 25 yards. Detroit added on as Akers made a 53 yard field goal. The Vikings took the lead as Matt Cassel tossed an 8 yard touchdown to Patterson, and Walsh booted the PAT. This held up for a 14-13 win, with the Vikings ending at 5-10-1 while the Lions close out a failure of a season at 7-9.

Way south to Miami, as the Dolphins bring in the New York Jets for an AFC East showdown. Miami dented the scoreboard in the second quarter on a Ryan Tannehill touchdown pass of 5 yards to Mike Wallace, and Caleb Sturgis made the extra point. New York tied it on a 1 yard touchdown run by Sheldon Richardson, and Nick Folk blasted the PAT. The Jets took the lead as Geno Smith ran in a 7 yard touchdown, and Folk was there with the extra point. New York added on in the fourth quarter on a 35 yard Folk field goal. The Jets extended the lead as Folk made a 26 yard field goal. They went on to win 20-7, and both teams are out of playoff contention at 8-8.

Backtracking to Indianapolis for the other AFC South game, as the Colts host the Jacksonville Jaguars. Indianapolis struck first in the first quarter on a 1 yard Donald Brown touchdown run, and Adam Vinatieri made the extra point. The Colts added on as Trent Richardson rushed 2 yards for a touchdown, and Vinatieri handled the extra point. Indianapolis extended the lead on a Vinatieri field goal of 23 yards. Jacksonville got on the board when Josh Scobee made a 37 yard field goal in the second quarter. The Colts shot back on a 26 yard field goal by Vinatieri. Indianapolis padded the lead in the third quarter with a 7 yard Andrew Luck touchdown pass to Griff Whalen, and Vinatieri nailed the PAT. The Colts kept going in the fourth quarter as Vinatieri made a 39 yard field goal. The Jaguars got some back as Chad Henne tossed a 14 yard touchdown pass to Kerry Taylor, and Scobee supplied the extra point. This resulted in a 30-10 final, with the Colts as division champions at 11-5 while the Jaguars finish at 4-12.

Reaching halfway for the day, we have a meaningless NFC East game as the New York Giants welcome the Washington Redskins. Washington got going in the second quarter as Kai Forbath made a 31 yard field goal. New York took the lead as Eli Manning tossed a 24 yard touchdown pass to Jerrel Jernigan, and Josh Brown made the extra point. The Giants added on as Brown made a 34 yard field goal. The Redskins pulled back as Forbath booted a 49 yard field goal. New York extended their lead in the third quarter as Jernigan rushed 49 yards for a touchdown, and Brown made the PAT. The Giants iced it at 20-6 in the fourth quarter when Brown made a 38 yard field goal. The Giants finish at 7-9 while the Redskins end up at 3-13.

In the later wave of kickoffs, the Chicago Bears bring in the Green Bay Packers to fight for the NFC North crown and a playoff spot. Chicago opened in the first quarter on a Jay Cutler touchdown pass of 4 yards to Matt Forte, and Robbie Gould nailed the extra point. Green Bay got on the board in the second quarter with a 33 yard field goal by Mason Crosby. The Packers took the lead when Aaron Rodgers fumbled the ball, picked up by teammate Jarret Boykin, who then ran 15 yards for the touchdown, and Crosby supplied the PAT. Green Bay added on as Crosby made a 27 yard field goal. The Bears shot back in the third quarter on a 5 yard touchdown run by Forte, and Gould booted the extra point. The Packers reclaimed the lead as Rodgers tossed a 7 yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb, and Crosby was there with the extra point. Chicago retook the lead when Forte ran in a 1 yard touchdown, and Gould handled the extra point. The Bears extended the lead in the fourth quarter on a Cutler touchdown pass of 5 yards to Brandon Marshall, and Gould supplied the extra point. Green Bay answered as Eddie Lacy ran in a 6 yard touchdown, and Crosby kicked the extra point. The Packers took the lead with a Rodgers 48 yard touchdown pass to Cobb, but he failed to find anyone on the two-point attempt. It didn't matter, as the Packers won 33-28, and took the NFC North at 8-7-1 while the Bears dropped to 8-8 and will not be in the playoffs.

To the northwest, the Seattle Seahawks host their NFC West rivals, the St. Louis Rams. Seattle started in the first quarter on a Malcom Smith interception of Kellen Clemens, returned 37 yards for a touchdown, and Steven Hauschka made the extra point. The Seahawks added on in the second quarter as Hauschka made a 28 yard field goal. Seattle extended the lead on a 35 yard field goal by Hauschka. St. Louis got on the board in the third quarter with a Greg Zuerlein field goal of 36 yards. The Seahawks shot back on a 2 yard touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch, and Hauschka handled the PAT. Seattle padded the lead in the fourth quarter as Russell Wilson found Golden Tate for 47 yards and a touchdown, and Hauschka knocked in another extra point. The Rams got some back with a 2 yard Clemens touchdown pass to Jared Cook, but they failed on their two-point attempt. This produced a 27-9 final, with the Seahawks clinching home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs at 13-3, while the Rams end the year at 7-9.

Down in San Diego, the Chargers welcome the Kansas City Chiefs for an AFC West battle. Kansas City led off in the first quarter on a 17 yard touchdown run by Knile Davis, and Ryan Succop made the extra point. San Diego tied it as Philip Rivers tossed a 22 yard touchdown pass to Ladarius Green, and Nick Novak knocked in the extra point. The Chiefs retook the lead on a 2 yard Chase Daniel touchdown pass to Dexter McCluster, and Succop nailed the PAT. The Chargers pulled even again in the second quarter as Rivers found Antonio Gates for 4 yards and a touchdown, and Novak booted the extra point. Kansas City regained the lead on a 2 yard Davis touchdown run, followed by a Succop extra point. The Chiefs extended the lead in the third quarter when Succop made a 46 yard field goal. San Diego pulled back in the fourth quarter as Rivers tossed a 6 yard touchdown pass to Eddie Royal, and Novak was there with the extra point. The Chargers tied it with a Novak 22 yard field goal. San Diego went ahead in overtime as Novak made a 36 yard field goal, and the defense held to protect the 27-24 lead and make it a win. The Chargers improved to 8-8 and won the tiebreaker between five teams to be the second AFC wild card, while the Chiefs are the first wild card at 11-5.

A little east to Arizona, where the Cardinals bring in the San Francisco 49ers for the other NFC West game. San Francisco began in the first quarter as Phil Dawson booted a 27 yard field goal. The 49ers added on as Colin Kaepernick found Anquan Boldin for 4 yards and a touchdown, and Dawson was there with the extra point. San Francisco extended the lead on a Kaepernick touchdown pass of 3 yards to Vernon Davis, and Dawson was true with the extra point. Arizona got on the board in the second quarter when Carson Palmer threw a 1 yard touchdown pass to Jake Ballard, and Jay Feely nailed the PAT. The Cardinals pulled closer in the fourth quarter as Feely made a 49 yard field goal. Arizona tied it as Palmer tossed a 34 yard touchdown to Andre Roberts, and Feely supplied another extra point. The 49ers took the lead as Dawson made a 56 yard field goal. The Cardinals retied it with a Feely field goal of 43 yards. San Francisco still took the game 23-20 on a 40 yard Dawson field goal as time expired. The loss sent the Cardinals out of the playoff picture, with the 49ers at 12-4 and the fifth seed, and the Cardinals at 10-6.

Backtracking to Oakland, as the Raiders host the Denver Broncos in a mostly meaningless AFC West game. Denver got going in the first quarter on a 3 yard touchdown pass from Peyton Manning to Eric Decker, and Matt Prater made the extra point. The Broncos added on as Manning tossed a 7 yard touchdown pass to Knowshon Moreno, and Prater knocked in the extra point. Denver extended the lead in the second quarter with a 34 yard Prater field goal. The Broncos padded the lead with a 63 yard touchdown pass from Manning to Demaryius Thomas, and Prater booted the PAT. Denver kept going as Manning and Thomas connected again, this time for a 5 yard touchdown, and Prater was true with the extra point. The Broncos got some more in the fourth quarter on a 54 yard Prater field goal. Oakland got on the board as Terrelle Pryor threw a 14 yard touchdown pass to Rod Streater, and Sebastian Janikowski supplied the extra point. The Raiders pulled closer on a 9 yard Pryor touchdown pass to Nick Kasa, and Janikowski drilled the extra point. The final stood here at 34-14, with the Broncos clinching home field advantage in the AFC playoffs with a 13-3 record while the Raiders end at a dismal 4-12.

Southeast to New Orleans, where the Saints welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a battle in the NFC South. New Orleans was first to score in the first quarter on a 44 yard Drew Brees touchdown pass to Lance Moore, and Shayne Graham made the extra point. Tampa Bay tied it as Mike Glennon found Tiquan Underwood for 48 yards and a touchdown, and Rian Lindell knocked in the extra point. The Saints retook the lead as Brees tossed a 10 yard touchdown to Jimmy Graham, and Shayne Graham made the extra point again. New Orleans added on in the second quarter with a 41 yard Brees touchdown pass to Robert Meachem, and Shayne Graham was there with the extra point. The Buccaneers replied on a 1 yard Glennon touchdown pass to Tim Wright, and Lindell booted the PAT. The Saints shot back as Brees connected for 76 yards and a touchdown to Kenny Stills, and Shayne Graham tacked on the extra point. Tampa Bay pulled back with a 54 yard Lindell field goal in the third quarter. New Orleans answered on an 8 yard touchdown run by Pierre Thomas, capped off by a Shayne Graham extra point. The Saints padded the lead in the fourth quarter as Brees rushed 9 yards for a touchdown, and Shayne Graham had another extra point. This resulted in a 42-17 final, with the Saints making the playoffs at 11-5 while the Buccaneers are 4-12 to close out the season.

Northeast to New England, as the Patriots bring in the Buffalo Bills for an AFC East showdown. New England struck first in the first quarter with a 43 yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. Buffalo tied it on a 51 yard field goal from Dan Carpenter. The Patriots retook the lead as Gostkowski made a 35 yard field goal. New England added on in the second quarter as LeGarrette Blount rushed 36 yards for a touchdown, and Gostkowski was there with the extra point. The Patriots extended the lead on a 29 yard Gostkowski field goal. The Bills shot back in the third quarter as Thad Lewis threw a 12 yard touchdown pass to T.J. Graham, and Carpenter knocked in the PAT. New England answered in the fourth quarter with a Tom Brady touchdown pass of 5 yards to Shane Vereen, and then he successfully found Julian Edelman for the two-point conversion. Buffalo replied on a 5 yard Fred Jackson touchdown run, and Carpenter handled the extra point. The Patriots countered with a 35 yard field goal by Gostkowski. The Bills chipped closer on a 37 yard Carpenter field goal. New England iced it at 34-20 as Blount broke free for a 35 yard touchdown run, and Gostkowski nailed another extra point. The Patriots get a first round bye at 12-4, while the Bills fall to 6-10 to finish the year.

Finally, the NFL regular season ends with a battle in Dallas, as the Cowboys host the Philadelphia Eagles for NFC East supremacy and the right to go to the playoffs. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the first quarter on a 47 yard Alex Henery field goal. The Eagles added on in the second quarter with a Nick Foles touchdown pass of 3 yards to LeSean McCoy, and Henery knocked in the extra point. Dallas got on the board as Kyle Orton tossed a 17 yard touchdown pass to Gavin Escobar, and Dan Bailey supplied the PAT. Philadelphia replied as Foles tossed a 14 yard touchdown pass to Brent Celek, and Henery was true with the extra point. The Cowboys pulled back on a 44 yard field goal by Bailey. Dallas chipped closer in the third quarter with a 43 yard Bailey field goal. The Cowboys edged closer on a 36 yard Bailey field goal. The Eagles extended their lead in the fourth quarter when Bryce Brown ran 6 yards for a touchdown, and Henery knocked in the extra point. Dallas answered as Orton found Dez Bryant for 32 yards and a touchdown, but he couldn't get the game tied as his two-point attempt to Bryant was broken up. This cost them the game, as they lost 24-22. The Eagles go to the playoffs as NFC East champions at 10-6 while the Cowboys are on the outside looking in at 8-8.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Day 117 2013-2014

Seven games on today before the KHL New Year's break. We begin in...

Yaroslavl, as Lokomotiv hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Vitaly Kolesnik are in the creases. Magnitogorsk opened in the first period with a Francis Pare goal, assisted by Oskar Osala. Yaroslavl tied it in the second period with a goal by Sergei Plotnikov, helped along by Daniil Apalkov. Lokomotiv took the lead on a Sergei Konkov goal, made possible by Plotnikov and Igor Musatov. Yaroslavl added on in the third period with a Jonas Holos empty net goal, set up by Apalkov. The final was 3-1, and the three stars went to Plotnikov, Kolesnik (19 for 20 in saves), and Apalkov.

Into Moscow, as Spartak welcomes their cross-town rivals, Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Sharychenkov and Jeff Glass receive the starting nods. Dynamo was first to score in the first period as Alexander Ryazantsev scored a power play goal, powered by Filip Novak and Denis Kokarev. Dynamo added on with a Yury Babenko goal, assisted by Dominik Granak and Dmitry Vishnevsky. Dynamo extended the lead on an unassisted goal by Denis Mosalyov. Alexei Ivanov relieved Glass for the second period. Dynamo padded the lead in the second period on a Maxim Pestushko goal, fueled by Konstantin Gorovikov and Granak. Dynamo kept going in the third period with a Konstantin Glazachev goal, coming off of Alexei Tsvetkov and Maxim Solovyov. Dynamo got another with a Denis Barantsev goal, made possible by Konstantin Volkov and Maxim Karpov. This produced the 6-0 final score, with the three stars being Sharychenkov (18 save shutout), Granak, and Ryazantsev.

Back to Cherepovets, where Severstal brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Jakub Stepanek draw the starts. Chelyabinsk led off in the first period with an Alexei Zavarukhin goal, going in unassisted. Traktor added on with an unassisted goal by Petri Kontiola. Chelyabinsk extended the lead as Maxim Kondratyev scored, via Andrei Popov. Stepanek was pulled for Ivan Kasutin at this time. Cherepovets got on the board in the second period on an Ignat Zemchenko power play goal, powered by Bogdan Kiselevich and Teemu Laasko. Traktor answered as Denis Abdullin scored, thanks to Konstantin Klimontov. Severstal shot back on a Nikolai Kazakovtsev goal, coming on the power play from Zemchenko. Chelyabinsk replied as Popov scored in the third period with assists provided by Anton Glinkin and Kondratyev. Cherepovets pulled back on a Pavel Dedunov goal, courtesy of Pavel Chernov. Severstal chipped closer on a Vadim Berdnikov goal, thanks to Alexander Guskov. Traktor finished it at 6-4 with an Alexei Vasilchenko empty net goal set up by Igor Valeyev. The three stars went to Kondratyev, Popov, and Zemchenko.

Out in Minsk, Dinamo hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Vitaly Koval and Kevin Lalande protect the nets. Minsk struck first in the first period with a Tomas Surovy goal, assisted by Geoff Platt. Dinamo added on in the second period on an Alexander Materukhin goal, fueled by Andrei Stas and Alexei Kalyuzhny. Minsk extended the lead as Materukhin scored again, via Kalyuzhny and Stas. Dinamo padded the lead with a power play goal by Alexander Kitarov, powered by Surovy and Ilya Kaznadei. This held up for a 5-0 win, with the three stars being Materukhin, Lalande (25 save shutout), and Surovy, while Stas and Kalyuzhny get the honorable mentions.

Moving along to Riga, as Dinamo brings in Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Mikael Tellqvist guard the cages. Bratislava began in the first period as Michal Vondrka scored on a penalty shot he received after being slashed by Arvids Rekis. Slovan added on in the second period when Juraj Mikus scored, thanks to Martin Stajnoch. Bratislava extended the lead on a Michel Miklik goal, with a lone assist by Vondrka. Riga got on the board in the third period when Kyle Wilson scored, via Paul Szczechura and Mat Robinson. This was as close as it got, with the final being 3-1, and the three stars went to Vondrka, Janus (38 for 39 in saves), and Mikus.

Into Ukraine, as Donbass Donetsk welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Jan Laco are in the blue paint. Kazan dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Janne Pesonen goal, fueled by Alexei Tereshchenko and Shaun Heshka. Donetsk tied it with a Tuomas Kiiskinen goal, coming off of Viktor Zakharov and Sergei Varlamov. Ak Bars took the lead back in the second period as Dmitry Obukhov scored a power play goal powered by Ilya Nikulin. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Garipov (33 for 34 in saves), Obukhov, and Pesonen.

Westward to Zagreb, as Medvescak hosts Vityaz Podolsk for the last game of the day. Ivan Lisutin and Mark Dekanich are between the pipes. Zagreb started in the first period on a Jonathan Cheechoo goal, courtesy of Matt Murley and Bill Thomas. Medvescak added on in the second period with a Mike Glumac goal, via Ivan Svarny. Zagreb extended the lead as Michael Ryan scored, thanks to Thomas and Mark Katic. Medvescak padded the lead on a Charles Linglet goal, guided in by Cheechoo. Podolsk got on the board in the third period with an Airat Ziazov goal, fueled by Alexei Makeyev and Anton Korolyov. Vityaz pulled closer with an Alexander Korolyuk goal, assisted by Dmitry Shitikov and Igor Golovkov. They couldn't tie it, losing 4-2, with the three stars being Cheechoo, Thomas, and Ryan.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion, and we'll pick this up again on January 3rd.

NHL Day 89 2013-2014

Eight games on tonight. We begin in...

Ottawa, as the Senators host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Craig Anderson are in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Patrick Wiercioch goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Cody Ceci and Cory Conacher. Boston tied it on an unassisted Daniel Paille goal, his fourth of the year. The Senators retook the lead on a Conacher goal, his fourth of the season, via Kyle Turris and Ceci. Ottawa added on in the second period with a shorthanded Zack Smith goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Erik Condra. Rask was pulled for Chad Johnson at this time. The Bruins pulled back with a Jarome Iginla goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Milan Lucic and David Krejci. Boston tied it in the third period with a David Warsofsky goal, made possible by Johnny Boychuk and Patrice Bergeron. The Senators took the lead back as Bobby Ryan scored his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Conacher, Ceci, and Ryan.

South to Florida, as the Panthers welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jonas Gustavsson and Scott Clemmensen are the backups in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Daniel Alfredsson power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Niklas Kronwall and Pavel Datsyuk. The Red Wings added on as Henrik Zetterberg scored his twelfth of the year, a power play goal with a lone helper by Datsyuk. Florida got on the board in the second period when Sean Bergenheim scored his sixth of the season, a power play goal coming off of Brian Campbell and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers tied it with an unassisted goal by Nick Bjugstad, his eighth of the year. Detroit retook the lead on a Brendan Smith goal, helped along by Kyle Quincey. The Red Wings extended the lead as Gustav Nyquist scored his fifth of the season, fueled by Jakub Kindl and Tomas Tatar. Florida got one back on another Bergenheim goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, thanks to Dylan Olsen and Marcel Goc. They failed to tie it, losing 4-3, with the three stars belonging to Bergenheim, Nyquist, and Datsyuk.

North again to Long Island, as the New York Islanders host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Evgeni Nabokov are in the creases. New Jersey was first to score in the first period on an Adam Henrique goal, his eighth of the season, via Reid Boucher and Michael Ryder. New York tied it in the third period as Frans Nielsen scored his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Kyle Okposo and Thomas Vanek. The Devils took the lead back as Travis Zajac scored his seventh of the campaign, with the help of Marek Zidlicky and Jaromir Jagr. This was good for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Schneider (30 for 31 in saves), Zajac, and Henrique.

Back in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Ben Bishop tend the twines. Montreal got going in the second period on a Tomas Plekanec goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Brian Gionta and Travis Moen. Tampa Bay tied it on a Martin St. Louis goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Lars Eller's lone tally gave the Canadiens a 2-1 win. The three stars were Price (23 for 24 in saves), Bishop (20 for 21 in saves), and Eller.

Northwest to Nashville, as the Predators host the Los Angeles Kings. Ben Scrivens and Marek Mazanec are the goalies. Nashville began in the first period as Patric Hornqvist scored his eighth of the season, assisted by Mike Fisher and Seth Jones. Los Angeles tied it in the second period when Anze Kopitar scored his twelfth of the year, a power play goal powered by Slava Voynov and Drew Doughty. The Predators retook the lead in the third period as Fisher scored his eighth of the season, a power play goal coming off of Hornqvist and Shea Weber. The Kings retied it when Jeff Carter potted his twelfth of the year, guided in by Kopitar and Dwight King. Nashville pulled ahead as Fisher scored his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, with the help of Colin Wilson and Jones. This made it 3-2, the final, with Fisher, Hornqvist, and Kopitar getting the three stars and Jones getting an honorable mention.

Out in Anaheim, the Ducks welcome the Phoenix Coyotes. Thomas Greiss and Jonas Hiller are set to start. Anaheim struck first in the first period on a shorthanded goal by Saku Koivu, his sixth of the season, set up by Daniel Winnik and Francois Beauchemin. The Ducks added on in the third period as Andrew Cogliano scored his eleventh of the year, via Winnik and Koivu. Phoenix got on the board with a Martin Hanzal goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Michael Stone. The Coyotes tied it on a Mike Ribeiro goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Keith Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Anaheim won 3-2 in overtime as Koivu scored his second of the night and seventh of the campaign, thanks to Ben Lovejoy and Cam Fowler. The three stars were Koivu, Winnik, and Cogliano.

Eastward to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Chicago Blackhawks. Antti Raanta and Jaroslav Halak are the masked men. Chicago opened in the first period with a Patrick Sharp goal, his twenty-second of the season, fueled by Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks added on as Andrew Shaw scored his eleventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. St. Louis got on the board with a Maxim Lapierre goal, his fourth of the campaign, coming off of Carlo Colaiacovo and Ian Cole. Chicago responded with a Kane goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Keith and Toews. The Blues shot back in the second period on a Jaden Schwartz goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrik Berglund. St. Louis tied it with a Dmitrij Jaskin goal, passed from Jay Bouwmeester and Chris Porter. The Blackhawks retook the lead on a Brandon Saad goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, made possible by Ben Smith and Marcus Kruger. Chicago extended the lead as Brent Seabrook scored in the third period, his fourth of the season, thanks to Kane. The Blues pulled back with a Tarasenko goal, his twelfth of the year, pushed through by Alex Pietrangelo and Cole. St. Louis tied it again with a Berglund power play goal, his fourth of the campaign, with helpers from Tarasenko and Kevin Shattenkirk. The tie lasted to a shootout, where T.J. Oshie was matched by Toews, Tarasenko and Sharp cancelled out, and Shattenkirk's goal gave the Blues a 6-5 win. The three stars were Tarasenko, Berglund, and Cole, while Shattenkirk, Kane, Keith, and Toews get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason faces the goalie he replaced, Ilya Bryzgalov. Edmonton quickly dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Taylor Hall goal, his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Oilers added on as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Hall and Andrew Ference. Philadelphia got on the board with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal in the second period, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers tied it as Simmonds scored his second of the game and twelfth of the year, a power play goal powered by Voracek and Scott Hartnell. Edmonton retook the lead in the third period as David Perron notched his sixteenth of the season, a power play goal coming off of Jordan Eberle and Justin Schultz. Philadelphia tied it again on a Hartnell power play goal, guided in by Kimmo Timonen and Giroux as his seventh of the year. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Eberle and Giroux washed out before Michael Raffl gave the Flyers a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Simmonds, Hartnell, and Hall, while Voracek and Giroux get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Day 116 2013-2014

Six games on today, beginning in...

Khanty-Mansiysk, as Yugra hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Nikita Bespalov is mismatched with Mikhail Biryukov in goal. Khanty-Mansiysk was first to score in the first period as Mikhail Tyulyapkin scored, thanks to Mikhail Zhukov and Mikhail Yakubov. Yugra added on in the third period with a Veli-Matti Savinainen power play goal, powered by Ilari Melart and Tomas Starosta. Novosibirsk got on the board as Igor Ozhiganov scored, with the help of Dmitry Monya. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Biryukov (46 for 47 in saves), Savinainen, and Tyulyapkin.

Down in Omsk, Avangard welcomes Admiral Vladivostok. Evgeny Ivannikov and Mathieu Garon guard the cages. Omsk led off in the first period on an Alexander Perezhogin goal, fueled by Alexander Popov. Avangard added on as Anton Kuryanov scored, with the help of Sergei Shirokov. Vladivostok got on the board in the second period as Felix Schutz scored, thanks to Evgeny Grachyov and Niclas Bergfors. Omsk replied on a power play goal by Sergei Kalinin, powered by Dmitry Semin. Avangard iced it at 4-1 with another Perezhogin goal in the third period, assisted by Miroslav Blatak. The three stars were Perezhogin, Garon (33 for 34 in saves), and Kuryanov.

Moving along to Yekaterinburg, as Avtomobilist brings in Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Nikita Lozhkin and Jakub Kovar are in the creases. Yekaterinburg began in the first period with a Fyodor Malykhin goal, with a lone assist by Anton Lazarev. Avtomobilist added on in the second period with another Malykhin goal, coming on the power play from Sami Lepisto. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 2-0, and the three stars were Malykhin, Kovar (23 save shutout), and Lazarev.

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Alexei Murygin and Ari Ahonen are the masked men. Astana struck first in the first period with a Brandon Bochenski power play goal, with a lone assist from Mike Lundin. Barys added on as Nigel Dawes scored a power play goal, powered by Cam Barker and Bochenski. Khabarovsk got on the board with an Andrei Stepanov power play goal, guided in by Vladimir Loginov and the goalie Murygin. Astana responded in the second period on a Dmitry Upper goal, made possible by Talgat Zhailauov and Konstantin Romanov. Barys extended the lead with another Dawes power play goal, and Dustin Boyd had the only helper. Murygin was pulled for Mika Jarvinen. Astana padded the lead as Bochenski scored a shorthanded goal, set up by Boyd. Barys struck again as Evgeny Blokhin scored a power play goal, thanks to Konstantin Rudenko and Romanov. Astana kept going in the third period on a Lundin power play goal, coming off of Dawes and Bochenski. Barys got another as Dawes scored to complete his hat trick, via Barker and Bochenski, the latter getting a sock trick. Amur got one back on a Dmitry Lugin goal, passed from Artyom Dubinin and Ilshat Bilalov. The final was 8-2, with the three stars being awarded to Bochenski, Dawes, and Boyd, while Lundin, Barker, and Romanov get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to St. Petersburg, where SKA welcomes Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Vladimir Sokhatsky and Alexander Salak are between the pipes. Ufa got going in the second period as Igor Mirnov scored, thanks to Alexander Mereskin and Andrei Ankudinov. Salavat Yulaev added on with a shorthanded goal by Alexei Kaigorodov, set up by Brent Sopel. St. Petersburg got on the board in the third period on a Dmitry Kalinin goal, guided in by Igor Makarov and Artemy Panarin. They failed to tie it, losing 2-1, with the three stars being Sokhatsky (32 for 33 in saves), Kaigorodov, and Mirnov.

Finally, in Riga, Dinamo brings in Lev Prague. Petri Vehanen and Mikael Tellqvist protect the nets. Riga dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Marcel Hossa goal, fueled by Sandis Ozolins. Prague tied it in the third period on a Ondrej Nemec goal, assisted by Jiri Sekac and Martin Thornberg. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Lev won 2-1 with tallies by Thornberg and Jakub Klepis. The three stars were Thornberg, Vehanen (19 for 20 in saves), and Tellqvist (30 for 31 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL Day 88 2013-2014

Ten games on tonight for the first of three busy nights in a row. We begin in...

Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Justin Peters are between the pipes. Carolina opened in the first period as Andrej Sekera scored his seventh of the season, courtesy of Jordan Staal and Nathan Gerbe. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period on a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of James Neal and Olli Maatta. The Hurricanes retook the lead as Gerbe scored his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Alexander Semin. The Penguins tied it again in the third period with a Chris Conner goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Jussi Jokinen and Neal. Pittsburgh took the lead as Deryk Engelland potted his third of the season, thanks to Brooks Orpik and Jokinen. Carolina tied it with a Drayson Bowman goal, his third of the year, guided in by Riley Nash and Patrick Dwyer. The Penguins won 4-3 in overtime on a Neal goal, his eleventh of the campaign, made possible by Jokinen, who got a sock trick, and Engelland. The three stars were handed to Neal, Jokinen, and Engelland, while Gerbe gets an honorable mention.

Up in Boston, the Bruins welcome the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Tuukka Rask are in the creases. Boston dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jarome Iginla goal, his eleventh of the season coming on the power play with assists provided by Milan Lucic and Torey Krug. The Bruins added on in the third period as David Krejci scored his eighth of the year, via Matt Bartkowski and Adam McQuaid. Boston extended the lead with a Reilly Smith goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins padded the lead as Smith scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Bergeron. Boston iced it at 5-0 with a shorthanded Marchand goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Johnny Boychuk. The three stars were handed to Rask (33 save shutout), Smith, and Marchand, while Bergeron gets an honorable mention.

Moving along to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the New York Rangers. Backups Cam Talbot and Philipp Grubauer are in goal. Washington led off in the first period on a Mike Green power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Martin Erat and Dmitry Orlov. New York tied it in the second period on a Benoit Pouliot power play goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Brad Richards and Derrick Brassard. The Capitals retook the lead as Nicklas Backstrom scored his tenth of the season, assisted by Steve Oleksy. The Rangers tied it in again in the third period on a Carl Hagelin shorthanded goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi. Washington pulled ahead as Eric Fehr scored his sixth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Backstrom. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Backstrom, Grubauer (38 for 40 in saves), and Fehr.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Martin Brodeur are the masked men. Columbus struck first in the first period on an Artem Anisimov goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Brandon Dubinsky and Cam Atkinson. New Jersey tied it as Adam Henrique scored in the third period with his seventh of the year, thanks to Patrik Elias and Marek Zidlicky. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Atkinson had the lone tally for a 2-1 Blue Jackets win. The three stars were Atkinson, McElhinney (16 for 17 in saves), and Brodeur (29 for 30 in saves).

North to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Jonathan Bernier protect the nets. Buffalo was first to score in the first period on a Matt Moulson goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Zemgus Girgensons and Jamie McBain. The Sabres added on as John Scott scored, thanks to Matt Ellis. Toronto got on the board in the second period with a Jake Gardiner goal, his second of the year, guided in by Phil Kessel and Cody Franson. The Maple Leafs tied it as Peter Holland scored his sixth of the season, with the help of Mason Raymond and Franson. Toronto took the lead with a power play goal from Kessel, his eighteenth of the year, powered by James van Riemsdyk and Dion Phaneuf. Buffalo tied it in the third period as Steve Ott scored his fifth of the campaign, a power play goal assisted by Moulson and Tyler Myers. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Joffrey Lupul had the lone tally for a 4-3 win for the Maple Leafs. The three stars belonged to Kessel, Moulson, and Franson.

Westward to Winnipeg, where the Jets host the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Ondrej Pavelec are the veteran goalies. Minnesota began in the first period with a Dany Heatley goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Jason Pominville and Mikael Granlund. Winnipeg tied it as Evander Kane scored his eleventh of the year, a shorthanded goal set up by Michael Frolik. The Jets took the lead with an Olli Jokinen goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Devin Setoguchi and Chris Thorburn. The Wild retied it as Justin Fontaine potted his seventh of the year, via Matt Cooke and Kyle Brodziak. Minnesota took the lead again on a Stephane Veilleux goal, with assists provided by Jared Spurgeon and Torrey Mitchell. Al Montoya relieved Pavelec at this time. Winnipeg retied it again on a Blake Wheeler goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Jacob Trouba and Andrew Ladd. The Jets pulled ahead as Dustin Byfuglien scored his seventh of the year, with the help of Eric Tangradi and Adam Pardy. The Wild tied it again in the second period on a Mikko Koivu power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Charlie Coyle and Pominville. Winnipeg took the lead once more in the third period as Wheeler netted his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, helped along by Bryan Little and Ladd. The Jets wrapped it up at 6-4 with a Tobias Enstrom empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Jokinen. The three stars went to Wheeler, Jokinen, and Ladd, while Pominville gets an honorable mention.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Antti Raanta draw the starts. Chicago started in the first period on a Patrick Sharp goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks added on as Jonathan Toews scored his fourteenth of the year, thanks to Marian Hossa and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Chicago extended the lead with another Sharp goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the campaign, a power play goal powered by Keith and Toews. The Blackhawks padded the lead in the second period when Sharp completed his hat trick on his twenty-first of the season, via Hjalmarsson and Toews. Chicago got another with Toews' second of the night and fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Sharp. Colorado got on the board with a Paul Stastny goal, his eleventh of the campaign, passed from Gabriel Landeskog and P.A. Parenteau. The Blackhawks replied on a Michal Handzus goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Patrick Kane and Kris Versteeg. Chicago struck again with a Versteeg goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Keith, who got a sock trick, and Handzus. Semyon Varlamov relieved Giguere for the third period. The Avalanche got one back in the third period as Landeskog netted his eleventh of the campaign, with a lone helper by Parenteau. This only made it 7-2, the final, with Sharp, Toews, and Keith getting the three stars while Versteeg, Handzus, Landeskog, Hjalmarsson, and Parenteau get the honorable mentions.

Further to the south, the Dallas Stars host the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton is mismatched with Kari Lehtonen in goal. Dallas got going in the first period as Jamie Benn scored his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Alex Goligoski and Brenden Dillon. Nashville tied it in the second period on a Kevin Klein goal, fueled by Colin Wilson and Ryan Ellis. The Stars retook the lead as Erik Cole scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Rich Peverley and Colton Sceviour. Dallas added on as Cole scored his second of the game and eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Goligoski. The Stars iced it at 4-1 in the third period on a Ryan Garbutt goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Cody Eakin and Jordie Benn. The three stars were given to Cole, Lehtonen (33 for 34 in saves), and Goligoski.

A bit to the west, the Phoenix Coyotes bring in the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Mike Smith tend the twines. Phoenix led off in the first period with a David Moss goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. San Jose tied it in the second period as Joe Pavelski scored his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Joe Thornton and Brent Burns. The Coyotes retook the lead on another Moss goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, coming off of David Schlemko and Mike Ribeiro. The Sharks tied it again as Patrick Marleau scored his seventeenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Tommy Wingels and Jason Demers. San Jose took the lead in the third period on a Burns goal, his eleventh of the season, via Pavelski and Thornton. Phoenix retied it on a Radim Vrbata goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Ribeiro and Keith Yandle on the power play. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Mikkel Boedker was matched by Logan Couture before a Marleau goal gave the Sharks a 4-3 win. The three stars were Pavelski, Burns, and Marleau, while Moss, Ribeiro, and Thornton get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in Calgary, the Flames host the Battle of Alberta when the Edmonton Oilers come to town. Devan Dubnyk and Reto Berra are in the blue paint. Edmonton began in the first period with a Ryan Smyth goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Ales Hemsky and Boyd Gordon. The Oilers iced it at 2-0 in the third period as Smyth put his second of the game and sixth of the year into the empty net, set up by Gordon. The three stars were handed to Smyth, Dubnyk (27 save shutout), and Gordon.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.