NHL Day 114 2013-2014

Four more games from the NHL for today, beginning with the game rescheduled from yesterday in...

Philadelphia, as the Flyers finally host the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Steve Mason are in goal. Carolina struck first in the first period with an Alexander Semin goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Eric Staal and Jiri Tlusty. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Nathan Gerbe goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. Philadelphia got on the board with a Claude Giroux goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Jakub Voracek and Michael Raffl. The Flyers tied it in the third period as Scott Hartnell scored a power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Wayne Simmonds and Giroux. Carolina took the lead on a Tlusty goal, his seventh of the campaign, via Andrej Sekera and Justin Faulk. This was good for a 3-2 win, and Tlusty, Giroux, and Gerbe got the three stars.

West to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Pittsburgh opened in the first period on a Jussi Jokinen goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Evgeni Malkin and Matt Niskanen. The Penguins added on with a Taylor Pyatt power play goal, his second of the year, passed from Niskanen and Paul Martin. Montreal got on the board as Rene Bourque scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Daniel Briere and Brandon Prust. Pittsburgh shot back in the second period on another Jokinen goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, via Olli Maatta and James Neal. The Penguins extended their lead with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Kris Letang and Chris Kunitz. Pittsburgh padded the lead on a Malkin goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Rob Scuderi and Brooks Orpik. Peter Budaj relieved Price at this time. This made it 5-1, which was it for the scoring, and the three stars were Jokinen, Malkin, and Fleury (23 for 24 in saves), while Niskanen got an honorable mention.

Further along to Detroit, as the Red Wings bring in their longtime rivals, the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford faces a lesser foe in Jonas Gustavsson in goal. Chicago started in the first period on a Marian Hossa goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Jonathan Toews and Johnny Oduya. The Blackhawks added on with Andrew Shaw's fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Patrick Kane and Brandon Saad. Detroit got on the board with a Tomas Tatar goal, his eleventh of the season, via Brendan Smith and Tomas Jurco. The Red Wings tied it on a Patrick Eaves goal, his second of the year, passed from Justin Abdelkader and Henrik Zetterburg. Chicago took the lead back in the second period on a Patrick Sharp power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Duncan Keith and Kane. Detroit retied it with a Kyle Quincey goal, his third of the year, coming off of Gustav Nyquist and Zetterberg. The Red Wings gained the lead on a Nyquist goal, his seventh of the season, with the help of Zetterberg, who got a sock trick, and Abdelkader. The Blackhawks tied it in the third period with an unassisted Marcus Kruger goal, his fifth of the year. The tie went to a shootout, where Toews and Eaves matched each other, Sharp was canceled out by Todd Bertuzzi, and then Darren Helm scored to secure a Detroit 5-4 win. The three stars went to Nyquist, Zetterberg, and Abdelkader, while Toews, Kane, Sharp, and Eaves get honorable mentions.

Finally, in Calgary, the Flames host the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Karri Ramo are in front of the nets. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Sean Monahan goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by T.J. Galiardi and Joe Colborne. The Flames added on in the second period with a Lance Bouma goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of T.J. Brodie and the goalie Ramo. Phoenix got on the board as Antoine Vermette scored his fifteenth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Lauri Korpikoski and Michael Stone. Calgary replied on a Matt Stajan goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Mark Giordano and David Jones. The Coyotes got one back in the third period with a Shane Doan goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, assisted by Keith Yandle and Mike Ribeiro. They failed to tie it, losing 3-2, with the three stars going to Ramo (30 for 32 in saves), Stajan, and Monahan.

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KHL Day 141 2013-2014

Four games on today in both the KHL and the NHL. This is for the KHL, which starts off in...

Podolsk, as Vityaz hosts Dinamo Riga. Mikael Tellqvist and Ivan Lasutin are the masked men. Riga was first to score in the first period with an unassisted goal by Lauris Darzins. Podolsk tied it in the second period on a power play goal by Vyacheslav Solodukhin, powered by Georgy Berdyukov and Mathias Porseland. Vityaz took the lead with an Anton Korolyov goal, made possible by Porseland and Ivan Ivanov. Podolsk added on in the third period as Maxim Afiongenov scored, with a lone assist by Alexei Makeyev. Vityaz extended the lead with a goal by Alexander Vasilyev, going in unassisted. Podolsk padded the lead on another Afinogenov goal, his second of the game, coming off of Airat Ziazov and Makeyev. Dinamo shot back on a Martins Cipulis goal, via Mat Robinson. Vityaz replied with a Makeyev power play goal, guided in by Afinogenov and Yakov Seleznyov. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars going to Afinogenov, Makeyev, and Porseland.

East to Nizhny Novgorod welcomes Lev Prague. Atte Engren and Ivan Kasutin are in the blue paint. Nizhny Novgorod began in the first period with an Evgeny Skachkov goal, via Pavel Valentenko and Evgeny Belokhvostikov. Torpedo added on with a Sakari Salminen goal, coming off of Wojtek Wolski. Nizhny Novgorod extended the lead on a Mikhail Grigoryev goal, passed from Wolski. Torpedo padded the lead in the second period with a Jarkko Immonen goal, assisted by Wolski, who got a sock trick, and Salminen. Prague got on the board as Calle Ridderwall scored, thanks to Marc-Andre Gragnani and Niko Kapanen. Nizhny Novgorod shot back with Skachkov's second of the game, with a lone helper by Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev goal. Lev replied on a third period Kapanen goal, made possible by Gragnani and Ridderwall. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Skachkov, Wolski, and Salminen, while Ridderwall, Kapanen, and Gragnani get the honorable mentions.

Down in Kazan, Ak Bars brings in Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Konstantin Barulin guard the cages. Kazan led off in the first period with a Yegor Milovzorov goal, helped along by Jakub Petruzalek. Bratislava tied it with a Miroslav Satan goal, courtesy of Libor Hudacek and Jonathan Sigalet. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Petruzalek scored twice, topping a single goal by Milan Bartovic to give Ak Bars the 2-1 win. The three stars went to Petruzalek, Barulin (24 for 25 in saves), and Janus (21 for 22 in saves).

Finally, in Moscow, Dynamo hosts CSKA Moscow. Jeff Glass and Alexander Sharychenkov are between the pipes. CSKA got going in the second period on an Alexander Frolov goal, via Vladimir Zharkov. Dynamo tied it in the third period with a Martins Karsums goal, passed from Maxim Solovyov and Maxim Karpov. Dynamo won 2-1 with shootout goals by Marek Kvapil and a winner by Leo Komarov, topping a lone tally from Alexander Radulov. The three stars were given to Sharychenkov (26 for 27 in saves), Glass (28 for 29 in saves), and Komarov.

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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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