NHL Day 113 2013-2014

Originally, we had ten games on the schedule tonight, but the Flyers and Hurricanes were postponed tomorrow by another Polar Vortex storm. The Hurricanes game against the Senators, originally scheduled on Friday, has now been moved to Saturday as well. Just a couple of scheduling notes. With that, we begin the first of nine games tonight in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Florida Panthers. Tim Thomas and Ryan Miller are the veteran goalies. Buffalo began in the first period on a Drew Stafford power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Steve Ott and Linus Omark. Florida tied it on a Jesse Winchester goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Ed Jovanovski and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Sabres retook the lead as Stafford scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, via Tyler Ennis. The Panthers retied it on a Sean Bergenheim goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Tom Gilbert and Aleksander Barkov. Florida gained the lead with a Jovanovski goal, going in unassisted. The Panthers added on in the second period as Nick Bjugstad scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Brian Campbell and Gilbert. Buffalo pulled back in the third period with a Ott goal, his sixth of the year, a power play goal with assists provided by Stafford and Ville Leino. This only made it 4-3, with the three stars belonging to Jovanovski, Stafford, and Ott, while Gilbert gets an honorable mention.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Martin Jones and Sergei Bobrovsky are the young goalies. Los Angeles led off in the first period with a Dwight King goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Trevor Lewis. Columbus tied it on an R.J. Umberger power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by James Wisniewski and Jack Johnson. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Ryan Johansen goal, his nineteenth of the season, guided in by Ryan Murray and Johansen. The Kings retied it in the second period with a Jeff Carter goal, his twentieth of the year, made possible by Mike Richards. Columbus regained the lead on an Umberger goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets added on with a Nathan Horton goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Artem Anisimov and Boone Jenner. Columbus extended the lead as Anisimov scored his thirteenth of the campaign, thanks to Nick Foligno. Los Angeles got one back on a Robyn Regehr goal, set up by Justin Williams and Richards. This produced the 5-3 final, with Umberger, Anisimov, and Wisniewski getting the three stars, while Richards gets an honorable mention.

Into Washington, as the Capitals bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Braden Holtby are the average goalies. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Kyle Turris goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Clarke MacArthur and Eric Gryba. The Senators added on in the third period with a Jason Spezza power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Patrick Wiercioch and Erik Karlsson. This was good for a 2-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Anderson (34 save shutout), Turris, and Spezza.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Cory Schneider draw the starts. New Jersey opened in the first period on a Mark Fayne goal, his second of the season, guided in by Damien Brunner and Patrik Elias. The Devils added on with a Ryan Carter goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Stephen Gionta and Eric Gelinas. St. Louis got on the board with an Alexander Steen goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, coming off of Jaden Schwartz and David Backes. New Jersey responded on a Jaromir Jagr goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Reid Boucher and Travis Zajac. Elliott was injured after this, and Jaroslav Halak came on in relief. The Devils extended the lead in the second period on a Ryane Clowe goal, his third of the season, via Marek Zidlicky and Brunner. New Jersey padded the lead as Adam Henrique scored his thirteenth of the year, a power play goal assisted by Gelinas and Zidlicky. The Devils got another in the third period on a Brunner power play goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Elias and Zajac. New Jersey finished it at 7-1 with a Gelinas goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone assist by Anton Volchenkov. The three stars were handed to Gelinas, Brunner, and Elias, while Zidlicky and Zajac get the honorable mentions.

Down in New York, the Rangers welcome their cross-town rivals, the New York Islanders. Kevin Poulin and Cam Talbot are called on to start. The Rangers struck first in the first period on a Rick Nash goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Chris Kreider. The Rangers added on with another Nash goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, helped along by Dan Girardi and Kreider. The Islanders got on the board with a Matt Martin goal, his third of the season, assisted by John Tavares and Kyle Okposo. The Rangers replied in the second period on a Kreider power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Derek Stepan and Brad Richards. The Islanders pulled back on a Thomas Hickey goal, his third of the season, via Okposo and Thomas Vanek. The Islanders tied it as Colin McDonald scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Tavares and Peter Regin. The Islanders took the lead in the third period with a Vanek power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Tavares, who got a sock trick, and Frans Nielsen. The Islanders won it 5-3 with an unassisted empty net goal by Nielsen, his seventeenth of the year. The three stars were awarded to Vanek, Nash, and Tavares, while Kreider, Nielsen, and Okposo get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Kari Lehtonen are in the creases. Dallas was first to score in the first period with a Vernon Fiddler goal, his third of the season, coming off of Alex Goligoski and Antoine Roussel. The Stars added on with an Erik Cole power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Goligoski and Jamie Benn. Dallas extended the lead in the second period on a Ray Whitney power play goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Sergei Gonchar and Cody Eakin. The Stars padded the lead in the third period as Jordie Benn scored his second of the year on a penalty shot he received after Kuemper threw equipment. This was all they needed for a 4-0 win, with Lehtonen (18 save shutout), Fiddler, and Goligoski getting the three stars.

Northwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Semyon Varlamov are between the pipes. Toronto started in the first period with a Phil Kessel goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Dion Phaneuf and Mason Raymond. The Maple Leafs added on with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Cody Franson and Tyler Bozak. Toronto extended the lead in the second period on a Nazem Kadri goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Jake Gardiner and Joffrey Lupul. Jean-Sebastien Giguere relieved Varlamov at this time. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on another Kessel goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by van Riemsdyk and Carl Gunnarsson. Colorado got on the board with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of P.A. Parenteau and Nick Holden. The Avalanche pulled closer with another MacKinnon goal in the third period, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, made possible by Max Talbot. Toronto iced it at 5-2 with a Jay McClement empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Nikolai Kulemin and Lupul. The three stars went to Kessel, MacKinnon, and van Riemsdyk, while Bozak and Lupul get the honorable mentions.

North to Edmonton, as the Oilers welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo faces a lesser foe in Ben Scrivens in goal. Vancouver led off in the first period with a Kellen Lain goal, courtesy of Dale Weise and Tom Sestito. The Canucks added on in the second period as Zack Kassian scored his tenth of the season, via Ryan Kesler and Daniel Sedin. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Taylor Hall and Sam Gagner. This wasn't enough to avoid a 2-1 loss, with the three stars going to Luongo (28 for 29 in saves), Kassian, and Lain.

Finally, in Anaheim, the Ducks bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Jonas Hiller are the masked men. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Cam Fowler power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Matt Beleskey. Winnipeg tied it on a Blake Wheeler goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Evander Kane and Mark Scheifele. The Jets took the lead with a Bryan Little goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Andrew Ladd and Jacob Trouba. Winnipeg added on with a shorthanded Kane goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Little. Frederik Andersen relieved Hiller at this time. The Ducks replied in the third period on a Nick Bonino goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Jakob Silfverberg. This only made it 3-2, the final, with Kane, Little, and Pavelec (40 for 42 in saves) getting the three stars.

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NHL Day 112 2013-2014

It's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the United States, so we've got a pair of Monday matinees mixed amongst our seven games on the schedule today. We begin on...

Long Island, as the New York Islanders host the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Anders Nilsson are the mediocre goalies. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the second period on a shorthanded goal by Matt Read, his twelfth of the season, set up by Sean Couturier and Kimmo Timonen. New York tied it with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-third of the year, a power play goal powered by Kyle Okposo and Thomas Vanek. The Flyers took the lead back on a Wayne Simmonds goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Scott Hartnell and Braydon Coburn. Philadelphia added on as Read scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Mark Streit. The Islanders shot back in the third period with a Brock Nelson goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Josh Bailey and Cal Clutterbuck. New York tied it with an Okposo power play goal, his twentieth of the year, fueled by Frans Nielsen and Andrew MacDonald. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Nielsen was matched by Claude Giroux, Tavares and Read cancelled each other out, and then Okposo sealed a 4-3 Islanders win with a fourth round tally. The three stars belonged to Okposo, Read, and Tavares.

Up in Boston, the Bruins welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Chad Johnson draw the starts. Boston was first to score in the first period with a shorthanded goal by Brad Marchand, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on with a Torey Krug power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by David Krejci and Ryan Spooner. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Willie Mitchell goal, fueled by Mike Richards. The Kings tied it in the third period with a Jeff Carter power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. Boston took the lead back on Marchand's second of the game and sixteenth of the year, helped along by Reilly Smith and Bergeron. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Marchand, Bergeron, and Krug.

West to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins bring in the Florida Panthers. Scott Clemmensen is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Drew Shore shorthanded goal, his second of the season, set up by the goalie Clemmensen. The Panthers added on in the second period as Shore scored his second of the game and third of the year, thanks to Jesse Winchester and Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida extended the lead in the third period with a Dmitry Kulikov goal, his fourth of the season, via Winchester and Marcel Goc. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Matt Niskanen goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. The Panthers shot back with a Huberdeau goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Nick Bjugstad. Florida wrapped it up at 5-1 with a Shawn Matthias goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Winchester and Mike Weaver. The three stars were Shore, Huberdeau, and Winchester,

Northwest to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Jimmy Howard are the masked men. St. Louis struck first in the first period on a Magnus Paajarvi goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Chris Stewart and Roman Polak. Detroit tied it with a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Riley Sheahan. The Blues retook the lead in the second period with a Barret Jackman goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Alexander Steen. St. Louis added on as Kevin Shattenkirk scored his seventh of the year on the power play, via Steen and Derek Roy. The Blues extended the lead in the third period on a Jay Bouwmeester goal, his fourth of the campaign, with the help of Alex Pietrangelo and Ryan Reaves. This made it 4-1, the final, with Steen, Halak (22 for 23 in saves), and Jackman getting the three stars.

Down in Nashville, the Predators bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen faces a lesser foe in Carter Hutton in goal. Dallas led off in the first period on a Cody Eakin power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Rich Peverley and Ray Whitney. Nashville tied it on a Nick Spaling goal, his eighth of the year, via Roman Josi and David Legwand. The Predators took the lead with a Shea Weber goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Eric Nystrom and Gabriel Bourque. Nashville added on in the second period as Josi scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Paul Gaustad and Nystrom. The Predators extended the lead on a third period Mike Fisher goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Colin Wilson and Patric Hornqvist. This was good for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Josi, Hutton (35 for 36 in saves), and Nystrom.

Out west, the Phoenix Coyotes welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Mike Smith are the reliable goalies. Toronto started in the first period with a Jake Gardiner goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Nazem Kadri and Phil Kessel. The Maple Leafs added on as Kessel netted his twenty-fourth of the year, a power play goal with a lone assist by Cody Franson. Toronto extended the lead in the second period as Carl Gunnarsson scored, thanks to Dion Phaneuf and Carter Ashton. Phoenix got on the board in the third period when Mike Ribeiro netted a power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Keith Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Maple Leafs shot back with a Kadri goal, his twelfth of the year, a power play goal assisted by Gardiner and Morgan Rielly. The Coyotes got one back with a shorthanded goal by Antoine Vermette, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Lauri Korpikoski. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Gardiner, Kessel, and Kadri.

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks host the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo and Antti Niemi are the Finnish goalies. Calgary opened in the first period on a Jiri Hudler goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of T.J. Brodie and Mark Giordano. San Jose tied it on a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Justin Braun and Brent Burns. The Sharks took the lead with a Tommy Wingels goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Patrick Marleau and Brad Stuart. The Flames tied it on a Kevin Westgarth goal, via Brian McGrattan and Kris Russell. San Jose pulled ahead again in the second period with Pavelski's second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, coming off of Joe Thornton and Jason Demers. This was it for the scoring, leaving the final at 3-2, and the three stars went to Pavelski, Wingels, and Niemi (21 for 23 in saves).

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KHL Day 139 2013-2014

Only four games on in the KHL today, beginning in...

Omsk, as Avangard hosts Donbass Donetsk. Jan Laco and Henrik Karlsson are in goal. Donetsk got going in the third period with a Lukas Kaspar power play goal, with a lone helper by Randy Robitaille. Donbass added on as Evgeny Dadonov scored a power play goal, powered by Andrei Konev and Maxim Yakutsenya. This was all they needed to win 2-0, with the three stars being Laco (30 save shutout), Kaspar, and Dadonov.

Up in Yekaterinburg, Avtomobilist welcomes Medvescak Zagreb. Barry Brust and Jakub Kovar tend the twines. Yekaterinburg opened in the first period on a Tobias Viklund power play goal, powered by Anton Lazarev and Fyodor Malykhin. Avtomobilist added on in the second period as Igor Yemeleyev scored, thanks to Alexei Yefimov. This held up for a 2-0 win, and Kovar (32 save shutout), Viklund, and Yemeleyev were the three stars.

South to Astana, as Barys brings in Dinamo Minsk. Dmitry Milchakov and Vitaly Yeremeyev are the backups in goal. Astana started in the first period with a Brandon Bochenski power play goal, powered by Mike Lundin and Kristian Kudroc. Minsk tied it on an Andrei Stas power play goal in the third period, coming off of Alexei Yefimenko. Dinamo won 2-1 in overtime with a Lukas Krajicek goal, fueled by Stas and Alexei Kalyuzhny. The three stars belonged to Stas, Milchakov (32 for 33 in saves), and Krajicek.

Finally, in Khanty-Mansiysk, Yugra hosts Spartak Moscow. Alexei Ivanov and Alexei Kuznetsov are set to start. Moscow led off in the first period with a Filipp Toluzakov goal, courtesy of Valery Vasilyev. Spartak added on with a Denis Bodrov power play goal, made possible by Oleg Kvasha and Vyacheslav Kozlov. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board in the second period with an Andrei Shefer power play goal, powered by Nikita Gusev and Evgeny Khvostov. Yugra tied it with a Sergei Lesnukhin goal, with a lone helper by Radek Smolenak. Moscow retook the lead in the third period on a Kozlov power play goal, via Kvasha. Khanty-Mansiysk retied it with another Shefer power play goal, assisted by Mikhail Zhukov. Yugra pulled ahead on a Tomas Starosta goal, coming off of Smolenak. Khanty-Mansiysk iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Zhukov, set up by Smolenak, who got a sock trick, and Ilari Melart. The three stars were handed to Shefer, Zhukov, and Smolenak, while Kozlov and Kvasha get the honorable mentions.

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NHL Day 111 2013-2014

Only three games on today, beginning in...

Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Marian Hossa goal, his twentieth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Patrick Sharp and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Boston tied it on a Brad Marchand goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Patrice Bergeron and Adam McQuaid. The Bruins took the lead as Marchand scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, coming off of Reilly Smith and Johnny Boychuk. The Blackhawks retied it on a Brandon Bollig goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Marcus Kruger and Duncan Keith. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Marchand canceled out Jonathan Toews, before Patrick Kane scored to seal the 3-2 Chicago win. The three stars went to Marchand, Crawford (34 for 36 in saves), and Rask (35 for 37 in saves).

East to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop faces a lesser foe in Justin Peters in goal. Tampa Bay opened in the first period on a Mark Barberio power play goal, powered by Alex Killorn and Ondrej Palat. The Lightning added on with a Palat goal, his tenth of the season, thanks to Martin St. Louis and Tyler Johnson. Tampa Bay extended the lead with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Tom Pyatt and Ryan Malone. The Lightning padded the lead in the second period as Teddy Purcell netted his tenth of the season, via Radko Gudas and Matthew Carle. Carolina got on the board on an Alexander Semin power play goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone helper by Eric Staal. The Hurricanes pulled closer with an unassisted Eric Staal goal, his eleventh of the season. Tampa Bay shot back on a Barberio goal, his second of the game, made possible by Eric Brewer and Palat. Carolina replied in the third period on a Ron Hainsey goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of John-Michael Liles and Jiri Tlusty. This only made it 5-3, the final, with Barberio, Palat, and Eric Staal getting the three stars.

Finally, in New York, the Rangers bring in the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer is mismatched with Henrik Lundqvist in goal. New York started in the first period with a Rick Nash goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Rangers added on as Nash scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Brad Richards and Ryan McDonagh. New York extended the lead with a Derek Stepan goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Michael Del Zotto and Dan Girardi. Grubauer was pulled for Braden Holtby at this time. Washington got on the board with a second period power play goal by Alex Ovechkin, his thirty-fifth of the year, assisted by Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom. The Rangers shot back as Ryan Callahan scored his ninth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Dominic Moore and Girardi. This was all they needed for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Nash, Lundqvist (24 for 25 in saves), and Girardi.

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Conference Championship Sunday 2014

The first of two big games today comes from Denver, as the Broncos host the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship. Denver began in the first quarter on a field goal of 27 yards by Matt Prater. The Broncos added on in the second quarter with a 1 yard touchdown pass from Peyton Manning to Jacob Tamme, and Prater made the extra point. New England got on the board with a 47 yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. Denver shot back with a 35 yard field goal by Prater. The Broncos extended the lead in the third quarter with a 3 yard Manning touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas, and Prater was true with the extra point. Denver padded the lead on a 19 yard field goal by Prater in the fourth quarter. The Patriots shot back as Brady found Julian Edelman for 7 yards and a touchdown, and Gostkowski knocked in the PAT. The Broncos got some more with a 54 yard Prater field goal. New England chipped back on a 5 yard Brady touchdown run, but Shane Vereen failed to run in the two-point attempt. This only made it 26-16, the final, with the Broncos going to the Super Bowl in two weeks while ending the Patriots season.

Northwest to Seattle, as the Seahawks host their bitter rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, for the NFC Championship. San Francisco led off on a first quarter Phil Dawson field goal of 25 yards. The 49ers added on in the second quarter as Anthony Dixon ran in a 1 yard touchdown, and Dawson handled the extra point. Seattle got on the board with a 32 yard field goal by Stephen Hauschka. The Seahawks tied the game in the third quarter as Marshawn Lynch rushed 40 yards for a touchdown, and Hauschka booted the extra point for the equalizer. San Francisco retook the lead on a 26 yard touchdown pass from Colin Kaepernick to Anquan Boldin, and Dawson nailed the PAT. Seattle got some back on a 40 yard field goal by Hauschka. The Seahawks took the lead in the fourth quarter on a Russell Wilson touchdown pass of 35 yards to Jermaine Kearse, and Hauschka drilled the extra point. Seattle extended the lead with a 47 yard Hauschka field goal. This held up for a 23-17 win, sending the Seahawks to face the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl while eliminating the 49ers from the playoffs.

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KHL Day 138 2013-2014

Eight games on today, beginning in...

Moscow, as CSKA hosts Admiral Vladivostok. Andrei Stelmakh is mismatched with Mikhail Biryukov in goal. Moscow dented the scoreboard in the third period on an Alexander Frolov power play goal, powered by Deron Quint and Denis Denisov. Vladivostok tied it with a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Justin Hodgman. CSKA retook the lead on an Alexander Radulov, assisted by Nikolai Prokhorkin and Zakhar Arzamastsev. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Biryukov (29 for 30 in saves), Radulov, and Frolov.

Up in Mytishchi, Atlant welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Stanislav Galimov are the veteran goalies. Mytishchi got going in the second period with a Roman Rukavishnikov goal, passed from Maxim Mayorov and Alexander Kadeikin. Kazan tied it on a Tim Stapleton power play goal in the third period, powered by Mikhail Varnakov and Shaun Heshka. Ak Bars won 2-1 in overtime on an Ilya Nikulin goal, coming off of Varnakov and Alexander Burmistrov. The three stars belonged to Garipov (22 for 23 in saves), Nikulin, and Varnakov.

West to St. Petersburg, as SKA brings in Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ivan Kasutin and Ilya Ezhov receive the starting nods. St. Petersburg opened in the first period on an Igor Makarov goal, with a lone assist by Artemy Panarin. SKA added on as Evgeny Ketov scored, thanks to Ilya Kablukov. St. Petersburg extended the lead on a Vadim Shipachyov goal, fueled by Ilya Kovalchuk and Ketov. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board as Vladimir Denisov scored, with the help of Roman Lyuduchin and Maxim Potapov. Torpedo got closer on a Sakari Salminen goal, coming off of Pavel Valentenko and Juuso Hietanen. Nizhny Novgorod tied it on a second period goal by Wojtek Wolski, with a lone helper from Mikhail Grigoryev. Torpedo took the lead with a power play goal by Hietanen, powered by Jarkko Immonen and Salminen. SKA retied it in the third period with a Dinar Khafizullin power play goal, pushed through by Shipachyov and Roman Cervenka. In the shootout, Wolski and Kovalchuk washed each other out, and then a Salminen goal gave Torpedo the 5-4 win. The three stars were handed to Salminen, Hietanen, and Ketov, while Shipachyov gets the honorable mention.

Back east, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Sharychenkov and Curtis Sanford are in the creases. Yaroslavl began in the first period on a Vadim Khlopotov goal, with a lone assist by Ilya Gorokhov. Lokomotiv added on with a Daniil Apalkov power play goal, powered by Yegor Averin and Gorokhov. Yaroslavl extended the lead in the second period with an Averin goal, fueled by Sergei Plotnikov and Gorokhov, the latter getting a sock trick. Moscow got on the board as Martins Karsums scored, thanks to Maxim Solovyov and Maxim Karpov. Dynamo pulled closer on an unassisted Alexei Tsvetkov goal. Moscow tied it with a Maxim Pestushko goal, via Leo Komarov. Dynamo gained the lead as Andrei Mironov scored a power play goal, guided in by Denis Kokarev and Yegor Dugin. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 4-3, and the three stars went to Gorokhov, Averin, and Mironov.

Across the lake, Severstal Cherepovets welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Ivan Lisutin faces a lesser foe in Alexander Tryanichev in goal. Cherepovets was first to score on a first period Pavel Chernov shorthanded goal, set up by Gennady Stolyarov. Severstal added on as Chernov scored his second of the game, with the help of Evgeny Mons and Petr Caslava. Cherepovets extended the lead with a power play goal by Alexander Yevseyenkov, powered by Stolyarov and Caslava. Johan Backlund relieved Lisutin at this time. Severstal padded the lead with a Mons goal, with a lone helper by Chernov. Podolsk got on the board in the second period with an Ivan Ivanov power play goal, fueled by Nikita Shatsky and Yury Koksharov. Cherepovets replied with a Sergei Monakhov goal, coming off of Alexander Kuvayev. Vityaz shot back on a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, made possible by Maxim Afinogenov. Severstal answered with an Ignat Zemchenko goal, courtesy of Nikolai Kazakovtsev. Cherepovets got another on a Mons goal in the third period, helped along by Nikolai Stasenko and Linus Videll. Podolsk got one back on an Alexei Makeyev goal, with a lone assist by Afinogenov. This only made it 7-3, the final, with Chernov, Mons, and Stolyarov getting the three stars, while Caslava and Afinogenov get the honorable mentions.

Out in Riga, Dinamo brings in Amur Khabarovsk. Mika Jarvinen and Mikael Tellqvist are the goalies. Riga struck first in the second period on a Mat Robinson goal, with a lone assist by Miks Indrasis. Dinamo added on with a Jamie Johnson goal, fueled by Georgijs Pujacs and Martins Cipulis. Khabarovsk got on the board as Sergei Smurov scored, thanks to Vladimir Loginov. Riga responded with an unassisted empty net goal by Kyle Wilson. Dinamo iced it at 4-1 with a Paul Szczechura goal, passed from Indrasis and Marcel Hascak. The three stars were Johnson, Tellqvist (15 for 16 in saves), and Indrasis.

Further west to Prague, as Lev hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Nikita Bespalov and Petri Vehanen are called on to start. Prague led off in the first period on a Martin Thornberg goal, made possible by Ondrej Nemec. Lev tied it on a Jiri Novotny goal in the second period, via Justin Azevedo. Novosibirsk got on the board with a power play goal by Dmitry Kugryshev, powered by Alexander Kutuzov and Alexei Kopeikin. Prague iced it at 3-1 in the third period when Thornberg scored his second of the game, an empty net goal set up by Petr Vrana. Thornberg, Vehanen (25 for 26 in saves), and Novotny earned the three stars.

Finally, in Bratislava, Slovan welcomes Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Nikita Lozhkin and Miroslav Kopriva are the backups in goal. Bratislava started in the first period with a Vladimir Mihalik power play goal, powered by Milan Bartovic and Peter Olvecky. Novokuznetsk got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Ansel Galimov, set up by Evgeny Lapenkov. Metallurg took the lead in the second period on a Vadim Mitryakov goal, courtesy of Igor Velichkin. Novokuznetsk added on as Alexei Kosourov scored, thanks to Galimov. Slovan got one back in the third period on a Michel Miklik goal, passed from Roman Kukumberg and Tomas Mojzis. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Galimov, Lozhkin (28 for 30 in saves), and Kosourov.

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NHL Day 110 2013-2014

Today is Hockey Day in Canada, and the league will be having a big day because of it. We begin the first of thirteen games and three matinees in...

Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Ben Bishop are the solid goalies. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Matthew Nieto goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Patrick Marleau and Tommy Wingels. Tampa Bay tied it on a Martin St. Louis goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Tyler Johnson and Teddy Purcell on the power play. The Sharks retook the lead with a Marleau goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, guided in by Nieto and Wingels. The Lightning retied it on another St. Louis goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, coming off of Jean-Philippe Cote and the goalie Bishop. Tampa Bay pulled ahead as St. Louis completed his hat trick with his twenty-fourth of the year, with the help of J.T. Brown and Mark Barberio. The Lightning added on as St. Louis scored his fourth of the game and twenty-fifth of the campaign in the second period, a power play goal powered by Purcell and Johnson. The last three goals for St. Louis gave him a rare natural hat trick that doesn't include his first goal of the game. San Jose shot back on a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Tyler Kennedy and Jason Demers. The Sharks retied it as Pavelski scored his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, a power play goal fueled by Dan Boyle and Marleau. San Jose gained the lead when Pavelski finished his own natural hat trick with his twenty-fifth of the campaign, with assists provided by Matt Irwin and Joe Thornton. This was it for the scoring, making the final 5-4. The three stars were awarded to St. Louis, Pavelski, and Marleau, while Nieto, Wingels, Johnson, and Purcell all get honorable mentions.

Way to the northwest, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Edmonton Oilers for part one of Hocker Day in Canada. Ilya Bryzgalov and Ondrej Pavelec are the overrated goalies. Edmonton got going in the second period on a Jordan Eberle goal, his sixteenth of the season coming on the power play from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall. Winnipeg tied it in the third period on a Jacob Trouba shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Bryan Little. The Jets took the lead with a Mark Scheifele goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Blake Wheeler and Eric O'Dell. The Oilers retied it on a David Perron goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Jeff Petry and Sam Gagner. Winnipeg won 3-2 in overtime on a Trouba goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, made possible by Wheeler. The three stars went to Trouba, Scheifele, and Wheeler.

East to Ottawa, where the Senators bring in the New York Rangers for the last of the matinees. Cam Talbot and Craig Anderson are in the creases. Ottawa struck first in the first period on a Marc Methot goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Cody Ceci and Milan Michalek. New York tied it on a Brad Richards power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh. The Rangers took the lead in the second period with a Rick Nash goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone assist by Stepan. New York added on as Stepan scored his eighth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Rangers extended the lead in the third period on a goal by Mats Zuccarello, his thirteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. This was good for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Stepan, Talbot (29 for 30 in saves), and Nash.

Down in Buffalo, the Sabres host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Ryan Miller are the masked men. Buffalo began in the first period on a Tyler Myers goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Matt Moulson and Tyler Ennis. Columbus tied it on a David Savard goal, his third of the year, passed from Derek MacKenzie and Mark Letestu. Buffalo retook the lead on a Drew Stafford goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Ennis. The Blue Jackets retied it on a Matt Calvert goal, his fifth of the year, via Nikita Nikitin and Brandon Dubinsky. Columbus took the lead in the second period with a Dubinsky power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Cam Atkinson and James Wisniewski. Buffalo tied it in the third period on another Myers goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, a power play goal made possible by Cody Hodgson and Christian Ehrhoff. The Blue Jackets won 4-3 in the shootout with a Ryan Johansen tally. The three stars were given to Dubinsky, Myers, and Ennis.

Back in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Montreal Canadiens for the second part of Hockey Day in Canada. Carey Price and Jonathan Bernier guard the cages. Toronto opened in the first period as Cody Franson scored his third of the season, thanks to Nazem Kadri and Nikolai Kulemin. Montreal tied it on a Brendan Gallagher power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Max Pacioretty and Andrei Markov. The Maple Leafs retook the lead in the second period as Phil Kessel scored his twenty-third of the season, fueled by Mason Raymond. Toronto added on with a Raymond power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Kadri and Morgan Rielly. The Canadiens got one back on a Brian Gionta goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Francis Bouillon. Montreal tied it in the third period as David Desharnais put away his eighth of the year, with the help of P.K. Subban. The Maple Leafs reclaimed the lead on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Tyler Bozak and Kessel. Toronto finished it at 5-3 with a Lupul goal, his fifteenth of the year, an empty net goal set up by Nikolai Kulemin. The three stars belonged to Raymond, Kessel, and Lupul, while Kadri gets an honorable mention.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Jimmy Howard are the US Olympic team goalies. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Mike Richards power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Slava Voynov. Detroit tied it with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Gustav Nyquist and Brendan Smith. The Kings took the lead in the third period back on a Jeff Carter goal, his eighteenth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin. The Red Wings tied it late on a Niklas Kronwall power play goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Zetterberg and Tomas Tatar. Detroit won as Tatar scored the only goal in the shootout for a 3-2 win. Tatar, Zetterberg, and Kronwall get the three stars.

Backtracking to Philadelphia, where the Flyers host the New York Islanders. Kevin Poulin and Steve Mason receive the starting nods. New York led off in the first period on a John Tavares goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo. The Islanders added on with a shorthanded Cal Clutterbuck goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Frans Nielsen and Brian Strait. Philadelphia got on the board with an Andrej Meszaros goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Flyers tied it as Meszaros scored his second of the game and fourth of the year, with the help of Scott Hartnell and Wayne Simmonds. Philadelphia took the lead on a second period goal by Adam Hall, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Mark Streit. New York retied it as Brock Nelson scored his seventh of the year, with the help of Calvin de Haan and Josh Bailey. The Islanders pulled ahead on a Strait goal, his third of the season, coming off of Nelson. Ray Emery relieved Mason at this time. The Flyers pulled even in the third period as Jakub Voracek scored his fourteenth of the year, thanks to Claude Giroux and Kimmo Timonen. Philadelphia gained the lead with a Michael Raffl goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Giroux and Voracek. The Flyers wrapped it up at 6-4 with a Matt Read empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Sean Couturier and Streit. The three stars went to Meszaros, Voracek, and Giroux, while Nelson and Strait get the honorable mentions.

South to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Florida Panthers. Tim Thomas faces a former teammate in Anton Khudobin in goal. Carolina started in the second period on a Riley Nash goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Radek Dvorak. Florida tied it on a Marcel Goc goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Jonathan Huberdeau and Tom Gilbert. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period as Alexander Semin scored his seventh of the season, via Eric Staal. Carolina added on with a shorthanded goal by Semin, his second of the game and eighth of the year, set up by Eric Staal. The Panthers got one back as Kopecky scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Dmitry Kulikov and Nick Bjugstad. This only made it 3-2, the final, with Semin, Eric Staal, and Khudobin (37 for 39 in saves) getting the three stars.

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Brian Elliott are in the blue paint. Anaheim opened in the first period on a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, courtesy of Corey Perry and Mark Fistric. The Ducks added on in the second period as Matt Belesky scored his fourth of the year, with the help of Nick Bonino. Anaheim extended the lead on a Cam Fowler power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Getzlaf and Bonino. St. Louis got on the board in the third period as Barret Jackman scored his second of the year, thanks to Vladimir Tarasenko and Vladimir Sobotka. The Blues pulled closer on a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, via T.J. Oshie and Alex Pietrangelo. This wasn't enough to avoid a 3-2 loss, with the three stars being handed to Getzlaf, Bonino, and Fowler.

Over in Nashville, the Predators host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Devan Dubnyk are in goal. Colorado was first to score on a Nick Holden goal, his third of the season, via Nathan MacKinnon and Paul Stastny. The Avalanche added on with a Jan Hejda goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of John Mitchell and Cody McLeod. Colorado extended the lead as Gabriel Landeskog scored his fourteenth of the season, passed from Stastny and MacKinnon. Nashville got on the board with a second period Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Mike Fisher and David Legwand. The Avalanche shot back in the third period as Holden scored his second of the game and fourth of the season, with the help of Mitchell. Colorado padded the lead on a power play goal by Matt Duchene, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Holden and Ryan O'Reilly. The Predators answered on a Craig Smith goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Nick Spaling and Roman Josi. Nashville pulled closer on a Ryan Ellis goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Predators chipped closer on a Josi goal, his fifth of the season, pushed through by Viktor Stalberg and Ellis. They failed to tie it, losing 5-4, with the three stars being Holden, Ellis, and Josi, while MacKinnon, Stastny, and Mitchell get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Phoenix, as the Coyotes welcome the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. Phoenix began in the first period on a Jordan Szwarz goal, his third of the season, assisted by Kyle Chipchura and Keith Yandle. The Coyotes added on with a Jeff Halpern goal, his second of the year, made possible by David Moss and Martin Hanzal. New Jersey got on the board as Ryane Clowe scored his second of the season, thanks to Eric Gelinas and Adam Henrique on the power play. Phoenix shot back with a Hanzal power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Yandle and Radim Vrbata. The Devils chipped back on a third period goal by Jaromir Jagr goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Clowe and Andy Greene. They failed to tie it, losing 3-2, with Hanzal, Clowe, and Yandle earning the three stars.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen faces a lesser foe in Darcy Kuemper. Minnesota struck first in the first period with an Erik Haula goal, going in unassisted. Dallas tied it in the second period on a Ryan Garbutt goal, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Vernon Fiddler and Rich Peverley. The Wild took the lead back with a Ryan Suter goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Torrey Mitchell and Jonas Brodin. The Stars tied it on an Alex Chiasson power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Alex Goligoski and Tyler Seguin. Minnesota won 3-2 in overtime as Nate Prosser scored his second of the year, thanks to Nino Neiderreiter and Charlie Coyle. The three stars were given to Prosser, Kuemper (33 for 35 in saves), and Suter.

Finally, Hockey Day in Canada concludes with the Vancouver Canucks hosting the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo and Roberto Luongo protect the nets. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period on a power play goal by Mark Giordano, his seventh of the season, powered by Lee Stempniak. Vancouver tied it with a Ryan Kesler goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Zack Kassian and Chris Higgins. The Flames took the lead in the third period on a Matt Stajan goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist from Lance Bouma. The Canucks retied it as Yannick Weber scored his second of the year, a power play goal made possible by Alexander Edler and Kesler. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Joe Colborne was matched by Weber, and then Higgins' tally gave the Canucks a 3-2 win. The three stars belonged to Kesler, Weber, and the officiating crew for putting up with the war at the beginning of the game.

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