NHL Day 158 2013-2014

Five games on tonight, beginning in...

Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Anton Khudobin protect the nets. Carolina opened in the first period with a Jordan Staal goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Alexander Semin and Ron Hainsey. New York tied it in the third period with a shorthanded goal by Ryan McDonagh, set up by Rick Nash as his eleventh of the year. The Hurricanes retook the lead on a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Rangers tied it again on a Nash goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Derek Stepan and John Moore. New York took the lead on a Stepan power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Martin St. Louis and Brad Richards. The Rangers iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Carl Hagelin, his thirteenth of the year, via Mats Zuccarello and Dan Girardi. The three stars went to Stepan, Nash, and Khudobin (40 for 43 in saves).

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Jonas Gustavsson are in the creases. Detroit led off in the first period with a Brendan Smith goal, his third of the season, coming off of Johan Franzen and Gustav Nyquist. The Red Wings added on in the second period as Franzen scored his fourteenth of the year, thanks to Nyquist and David Legwand. New Jersey got on the board with a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Patrik Elias, his fourteenth of the season. The Devils tied it with a Jaromir Jagr goal, his twentieth of the year, with a lone assist by Marek Zidlicky. New Jersey pulled ahead with Adam Henrique's twentieth of the season, courtesy of Mark Fayne and Andy Greene. Detroit retied it on Franzen's second of the game and fifteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Todd Bertuzzi and Nyquist, the latter getting a sock trick. The Red Wings took the lead on a Nyquist goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Legwand and Jonathan Ericsson. Detroit extended the lead with a Kyle Quincey goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Riley Sheahan and Danny DeKeyser. The Red Wings padded the lead in the third period on a Legwand goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Franzen. Detroit got another as Drew Miller put away his seventh of the year, via Bertuzzi and Joakim Andersson. The Devils got one back with another Henrique goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the campaign, helped along by Michael Ryder and Ryane Clowe. This made it 7-4, the final, with the three stars being Franzen, Nyquist, and Legwand, while Henrique and Bertuzzi earned the honorable mentions.

Way south to Florida, where the Panthers host the Buffalo Sabres. Roberto Luongo and Michal Neuvirth make their debuts with their new teams in goal. Florida began in the first period on a Jesse Winchester power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Scottie Upshall and Scott Gomez. The Panthers added on as Dmitry Kulikov scored a power play goal in the third period, his seventh of the year, made possible by Brad Boyes and Nick Bjugstad. This was all they needed for a 2-0 win, with Luongo (25 save shutout), Winchester, and Kulikov getting the three stars.

Northwest to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the New York Islanders. Joni Ortio and Anders Nilsson are the unknown goalies. Calgary started in the first period with a Markus Granlund goal, his second of the season, passed from Paul Byron and the goalie Ortio. New York tied it on a Colin McDonald goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Ryan Strome and Thomas Hickey. The Islanders took the lead in the second period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, via Michael Grabner. New York added on with a Brock Nelson goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Josh Bailey and Matt Donovan. The Flames got one back in the third period on a Joe Colborne goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Mark Giordano and Michael Cammalleri. Calgary tied it with a Sean Monahan goal, his nineteenth of the year, made possible by T.J. Galiardi and Lance Bouma. The Flames took the lead as Colborne potted his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, thanks to Giordano and T.J. Brodie. This held up for a 4-3 win, with the three stars belonging to Colborne, Giordano, and Monahan.

Finally, in Anaheim, the Ducks host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jonas Hiller tend the twines. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Corey Perry goal, his thirty-third of the season, guided in by Ryan Getzlaf and Saku Koivu. Pittsburgh tied it on a Deryk Engelland goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Jussi Jokinen and Evgeni Malkin. The Ducks retook the lead in the third period on another Perry goal, his second of the game and thirty-fourth of the season, assisted by Getzlaf and Kyle Palmieri. The Penguins retied it on a power play goal by Malkin, his nineteenth of the year, powered by James Neal and Sidney Crosby. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Crosby matched Perry, followed by Chris Kunitz trading goals with Teemu Selanne, before Brandon Sutter won it 3-2 for the Penguins. The three stars were Perry, Malkin, and Crosby.

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KHL Western Conference Quarterfinals Day 1 2014

I am taking a different approach to the playoffs this season. Check back each day for playoff game recaps by conference, instead of checking back to each original post for full series effects. Today, the Western Conference got started with their quarterfinals. The first game came from...

St. Petersburg, where SKA hosts CSKA Moscow. Jeff Glass and Alexander Salak receive the starting nods. St. Petersburg got going in the third period with an Andrei Sigaryov goal, assisted by Yury Alexandrov. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win, and the three stars were awarded to Salak (43 save shutout), Sigaryov, and Glass (25 for 26 in saves). SKA leads the series 1-0.

Into Moscow, where Dynamo welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Alexander Yeryomenko tend the twines. Yaroslavl was first to score in the first period with a Mikelis Redlihs goal, fueled by Geoff Platt and Janis Sprukts. Lokomotiv added on with a Sergei Plotnikov goal, with a lone helper by Jonas Holos. Moscow got on the board in the third period with an unassisted goal by Alexander Ryazantsev. Dynamo tied it on a Leo Komarov goal, made possible by Maxim Pestushko and Konstantin Gorovikov. Moscow won 3-2 in overtime with a Maxim Karpov goal, helped along by Andrei Mironov. The three stars were Karpov, Komarov, and Ryazantsev. Dynamo stakes out a 1-0 series lead.

Out in Ukraine, Donbass Donetsk brings in Dinamo Riga. Mikael Tellqvist and Michael Leighton are the masked men. Riga struck first in the first period with a Gints Meija power play goal, powered by Mat Robinson and Paul Szczechura. Donetsk got on the board in the second period with a Petteri Wirtanen power play goal, assisted by Teemu Laine and Clay Wilson. Donbass took the lead with a shorthanded goal by Wilson, set up by Sergei Varlamov and Lukas Kaspar. Donetsk added on in the third period with a power play goal by Laine, guided in by Oleg Piganovich and Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Donbass extended the lead as Evgeny Dadonov scored an unassisted goal. Dinamo got one back with a Lauris Darzins goal, with a lone assist by Szczechura. Donetsk finished it at 5-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Laine. The three stars were Laine, Wilson, and Szczechura. Donbass owns a 1-0 series lead.

Finally, in Prague, Lev hosts Medvescak Zagreb. Mark Dekanich and Petri Vehanen draw the starts. Prague dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Jiri Novotny goal, fueled by Justin Azevedo. Zagreb tied it on a Matt Ellison goal, guided in by Charles Linglet and Ryan Vesce. Lev took the lead back with a power play goal by Azevedo, powered by Martin Sevc and Niko Kapanen. Medvescak tied it in the second period with a power play goal from Kurtis Foster, with a lone helper from Matt Murley. Prague retook the lead in the third period with a Petr Vrana goal, passed from Martin Thornberg and Jiri Sekac. Lev added on with a Thornberg goal, coming off of Nathan Oystrick and Sekac. Zagreb got one back as Murley scored, thanks to Bill Thomas and Jonathan Cheechoo. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Thornberg, Azevedo, and Murley, while Sekac gets an honorable mention. Lev takes a 1-0 series lead.

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NHL Day 157 2013-2014

Ten games on today, as players who were traded settle into new locations. We begin in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby is mismatched with Tuukka Rask. Boston got going in the second period on a Gregory Campbell goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Matt Bartkowski. The Bruins added on with a Loui Eriksson goal, his seventh of the year, via Carl Soderberg and Kevan Miller. Boston iced it at 3-0 with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, an empty net goal going in unassisted. The three stars were Rask (16 save shutout), Holtby (40 for 42 in saves), and Campbell.

Northwest to Winnipeg, where the Jets welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Ondrej Pavelec are the Olympian goalies. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Olli Jokinen goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Evander Kane and Mark Stuart. Los Angeles tied it on a Dustin Brown goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Jarret Stoll and Slava Voynov. The Kings took the lead as Mike Richards scored his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles added on in the third period with an unassisted power play goal by Alec Martinez, his sixth of the year. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars belonging to Quick (17 for 18 in saves), Pavelec (38 for 41 in saves), and Richards.

Way to the southeast, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Andes Lindback are set to start. Buffalo began in the first period with a Tyler Myers goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sabres added on in the second period as Marcus Foligno netted his seventh of the year, thanks to Cody Hodgson and Myers. Buffalo extended the lead in the third period with a Hodgson goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Foligno. Tampa Bay got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Tyler Johnson, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Victor Hedman. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Enroth (43 for 44 in saves), Foligno, and Hodgson, while Myers gets an honorable mention.

North again to Detroit, where the Red Wings retired Nicklas Lidstrom's #5 before bringing in the Colorado Avalanche. Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Jimmy Howard get the starts. Detroit led off in the first period with a Niklas Kronwall goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Joakim Andersson and Jonathan Ericsson. Colorado tied it in the second period with a Matt Duchene goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Erik Johnson and Ryan O'Reilly. The Red Wings retook the lead with a power play goal by Tomas Jurco, his fifth of the season, powered by Riley Sheahan and Danny DeKeyser. The Avalanche retied it in the third period with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Duchene and O'Reilly. Colorado won 3-2 in overtime with an Andre Benoit goal, his fourth of the campaign, guided in by Nathan MacKinnon and Johnson. The three stars were handed to Duchene, Johnson, and O'Reilly.

Southward to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Corey Crawford are in the creases. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Brandon Bollig goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Marcus Kruger. Columbus tied it on a Ryan Johansen goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Cam Atkinson and Dalton Prout. The Blackhawks regained the lead with an Andrew Shaw goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Sheldon Brookbank and Nick Leddy. Chicago added on in the second period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his twenty-third of the year, courtesy of Brandon Saad and Brent Seabrook.The Blackhawks extended the lead on a Bryan Bickell goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Kris Versteeg and Kruger. Chicago padded the lead on a Shaw goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, guided in by Seabrook and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks finished it at 6-1 with another Toews goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the campaign, a power play goal powered by Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp. The three stars were Toews, Shaw, and Kruger, while Seabrook gets an honorable mention.

Over to Nashville, where the Predators host the St. Louis Blues. Ryan Miller and Pekka Rinne guard the cages. St. Louis struck first in the first period on an Ian Cole goal, his third of the season, via Steve Ott. Nashville tied it on a Nick Spaling goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Patric Hornqvist and Mike Fisher. The Blues took the lead in the second period on a Magnus Paajarvi goal, his sixth of the campaign, with assists provided by Roman Polak and Cole. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 2-1. The three stars went to Cole, Paajarvi, and Miller (20 for 21 in saves).

Further south to Dallas, where the Stars welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Kari Lehtonen are in the creases. Dallas opened in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Tyler Seguin and Rich Peverley. The Stars added on with a power play goal by Seguin, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Alex Chiasson and Jamie Benn. Dallas extended the lead as Seguin scored his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to Peverley and Jordie Benn. The Stars padded the lead in the second period on an Alex Goligoski power play goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Ray Whitney and Seguin. Dallas got another with a Ryan Garbutt goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Goligoski and Antoine Roussel. Vancouver got on the board with a Zac Dalpe power play goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Alexander Edler and Kevin Bieksa. Jacob Markstrom relieved Lack for the third period. The Stars wrapped it up at 6-1 when Seguin finished his hat trick on his twenty-eighth of the campaign, with a lone assist from Jamie Benn for the sock trick. The three stars were Seguin, Benn, and Lehtonen (32 for 33 in saves), while Goligoski and Peverley picked up the honorable mentions.

West to Phoenix, where the Coyotes host the Montreal Canadiens. Mike Smith and Peter Budaj are the veteran goalies. Phoenix started in the first period on a Radim Vrbata goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by David Schlemko and Kyle Chipchura. Montreal got on the board as Andrei Markov potted his sixth of the year, with the help of P.K. Subban and Brendan Gallagher. The Coyotes retook the lead on a Lauri Korpikoski power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Michael Stone and Mike Ribeiro. Phoenix added on with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Shane Doan and Ribeiro. The Canadiens pulled back in the second period on a power play goal by Alex Galchenyuk, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Subban and Markov. The Coyotes shot back in the third period as Vrbata scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, thanks to Chipchura. Phoenix iced it at 5-2 with a Doan power play goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Keith Yandle and Ekman-Larsson. The three stars were Vrbata, Ekman-Larsson, and Doan, while Chipchura, Subban, Markov, and Ribeiro got the honorable mentions.

Up in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Ben Scrivens are the alright goalies. New York began in the first period with a shorthanded goal by Frans Nielsen, his nineteenth of the season, set up by Cal Clutterbuck and Thomas Hickey. The Islanders added on with an Anders Lee goal, his fourth of the year, via Brian Strait and Colin McDonald. Edmonton tied it with a power play goal in the third period from Ryan Smyth, his ninth of the season, powered by Jordan Eberle and Sam Gagner. The Oilers tied it on a Philip Larsen goal, his second of the year, helped along by Smyth and David Perron. Edmonton finished the comeback in overtime with a Taylor Hall goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, fueled by Gagner. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Smyth, Gagner, and Hall.

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jeff Zatkoff and Antti Niemi are between the pipes. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with an Olli Maatta goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Tanner Glass and Marcel Goc. The Penguins added on with a Chris Kunitz goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Evgeni Malkin. San Jose got on the board in the second period with a Justin Braun goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Tommy Wingels and Andrew Desjardins. The Sharks tied it on a Patrick Marleau shorthanded goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, set up by Jason Demers. Pittsburgh took the lead back with a Maatta power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, powered by Brandon Sutter and Jussi Jokinen. San Jose retied it with a Brent Burns goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. The Sharks took the lead as Thornton scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Pavelski. San Jose iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Burns, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, pushed through by Pavelski, who got a sock trick, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The three stars were Burns, Maatta, and Thornton, while Pavelski gets an honorable mention.

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NHL Day 156 2013-2014

Four games on Trade Deadline Day. We begin in...

New York, where the Rangers host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Bernier protect the nets. Toronto got going in the second period on a Tyler Bozak goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs added on in the third period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his sixteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Nikolai Kulemin. New York got on the board as Ryan McDonagh scored his tenth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Dominic Moore and Brian Boyle. The Rangers tied it with a Moore shorthanded goal, coming off of Derek Stepan as his fifth of the year. Toronto won 3-2 in overtime with another Bozak goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, via Phil Kessel and Paul Ranger. The three stars were Bozak, Moore, and Bernier (35 for 37 in saves).

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Steve Mason are the inconsistent goalies. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Sean Couturier and Matt Read. The Flyers added on as Jakub Voracek scored his seventeenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Giroux and Wayne Simmonds. Philadelphia extended the lead in the second period on a Giroux goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, going in unassisted. The Flyers padded the lead on a Michael Raffl goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Luke Schenn and Andrew MacDonald. Holtby was pulled for Philipp Grubauer. Washington got on the board with a Joel Ward goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming on the power play via Mike Green and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals pulled closer in the third period with a power play goal by Ovechkin, his forty-fourth of the year, guided in by Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson. Washington chipped closer with a Troy Brouwer goal, his seventeenth of the season, fueled by Jack Hillen and Backstrom. Philadelphia shot back on Voracek's second of the game and eighteenth of the year, with a lone assist from Scott Hartnell. The Capitals replied with a power play goal by Brooks Laich, his seventh of the season, passed from Green and Karl Alzner. The Flyers iced it at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Steve Downie, his fourth of the year, set up by Read and Brayden Schenn. The three stars were Giroux, Voracek, and Ovechkin, while Read, Backstrom, and Green got the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Calgary, where the Flames bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Joni Ortio are between the pipes. Calgary began with a Markus Granlund goal, fueled by Max Reinhart. The Flames added on in the second period with a Paul Byron power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Mark Giordano and Kris Russell. Calgary extended the lead with Joe Colborne's fifth of the year, passed from Jiri Hudler and Sean Monahan. Ottawa got on the board as Kyle Turris scored in the third period, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Colin Greening and Patrick Wiercioch. The Flames shot back with a power play goal by Michael Cammalleri, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Giordano and Monahan. This was good for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Ortio (30 for 31 in saves), Giordano, and Monahan.

Finally, in Anaheim, the Ducks host the Montreal Canadiens. Dustin Tokarski is mismatched with Jonas Hiller in goal. Montreal led off in the first period with a Brian Gionta goal, his third of the season, assisted by Tomas Plekanec. The Canadiens added on with a Max Pacioretty goal, his thirtieth of the year, courtesy of David Desharnais and Brendan Gallagher. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Tim Jackman goal, his third of the season, via Luca Sbisa and Nick Bonino. The Ducks tied it with a power play goal by Francois Beauchemin, his third of the year, powered by Hampus Lindholm and the goalie Hiller. Anaheim took the lead as Daniel Winnik scored his third of the season, thanks to Matt Beleskey and Ben Lovejoy. Montreal retied it on a Gallagher goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by P.K. Subban and Travis Moen. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Bonino was matched by Desharnais, followed by Corey Perry trading goals with Daniel Briere, before the Canadiens won with an Andrei Markov tally. The three stars of the 4-3 game were Gallagher, Desharnais, and Bonino.

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NHL Day 155 2013-2014

It's close to the trade deadline, so a few players won't be playing as expected tonight. These have been some interesting trades so far. For the games, there are ten today, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Florida Panthers. Tim Thomas and Chad Johnson are set to start. Boston led off in the first period with a David Krejci goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins added on with a Jarome Iginla goal, his nineteenth of the year, fueled by Jordan Caron and Chris Kelly. Boston extended the lead in the second period as Krejci scored his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, with a lone helper from Kevan Miller. Florida got on the board in the third period with a Brian Campbell goal, his sixth of the year, via Sean Bergenheim. The Bruins iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Krejci, completing his hat trick on his sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Milan Lucic and Iginla. The three stars were Krejci, Iginla, and Johnson (23 for 24 in saves).

Down in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Martin Brodeur are in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Adam Henrique goal, his nineteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Detroit tied it on a Johan Franzen unassisted power play goal, his thirteenth of the year. The Red Wings took the lead in the second period with a Brendan Smith goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Justin Abdelkader. The Devils retied it in the third period with a power play goal by Marek Zidlicky, his tenth of the year, powered by Damien Brunner and Patrik Elias. New Jersey took the lead with Travis Zajac's tenth of the season, fueled by Jaromir Jagr and Ryane Clowe. Detroit pulled even on a Todd Bertuzzi goal, his eighth of the year, coming on the power play from Franzen and Gustav Nyquist. The Devils won 4-3 with a late Stephen Gionta goal, his fourth of the campaign, passed from Mark Fayne and Dainius Zubrus. Gionta, Franzen, and Brodeur (20 for 23 in saves) got the three stars.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Dallas Stars. Dan Ellis is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Ryan Johansen and Nathan Horton. The Blue Jackets added on as R.J. Umberger scored his seventeenth of the year, thanks to Brandon Dubinsky and James Wisniewski. Columbus extended the lead with an unassisted power play goal by Artem Anisimov, his seventeenth of the season. Dallas got on the board in the second period with a power play goal by Alex Goligoski, his fourth of the year, powered by Ray Whitney and Jamie Benn. The Stars pulled closer with a Trevor Daley goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Sergei Gonchar and Erik Cole. The Blue Jackets replied with another Anisimov goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, via Dalton Prout and Marian Gaborik. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 4-2, and the three stars were given to Anisimov, Bobrovsky (31 for 33 in saves), and Umberger.

A little further to the west, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Colorado got going in the second period with a Max Talbot goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Erik Johnson and Jan Hejda. Chicago tied it on a Ben Smith goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Brandon Bollig and Niklas Hjalmarsson. The Avalanche took the lead in the third period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, via Matt Duchene and Johnson. The Blackhawks retied it with a power play goal by Jonathan Toews, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Patrick Sharp and Duncan Keith. Colorado pulled ahead with a Tyson Barrie power play goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Johnson, who got a sock trick, and O'Reilly. The Avalanche wrapped it up at 4-2 with a Paul Stastny goal, his twentieth of the year, courtesy of Nathan MacKinnon and Barrie. The three stars were Barrie, O'Reilly, and Johnson, while Varlamov (36 for 38 in saves) gets an honorable mention.

South to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Ryan Miller guard the cages. Tampa Bay was first to score in the first period on an Alex Killorn goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Teddy Purcell. The Lightning added on with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Martin St. Louis and Victor Hedman. St. Louis got on the board in the second period with a Patrik Berglund goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues tied it on a shorthanded goal by T.J. Oshie, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Alexander Steen and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis took the lead in the third period as Steen potted his twenty-ninth of the season, with the help of David Backes and Oshie. The Blues iced it on an empty net goal by Tarasenko, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Backes and Schwartz. The three stars in the 4-2 game were Steen, Oshie, and Schwartz, while Tarasenko and Backes get the honorable mentions.

Back east a little bit, the Nashville Predators host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury opposes Pekka Rinne in goal in the latter's long awaited return. Pittsburgh dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Matt Niskanen goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Brian Gibbons. Nashville tied it twelve seconds later with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Nick Spaling and Mike Fisher. The Penguins retook the lead in the third period on another Niskanen goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, a power play goal powered by Evgeni Malkin and Crosby. Pittsburgh added on a Chris Kunitz goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, with a lone helper from Crosby, who got a sock trick. The final stood here at 3-1, with the three stars being Niskanen, Fleury (18 for 19 in saves), and Crosby.

Northward to Winnipeg, where the Jets welcome the New York Islanders. Anders Nilsson and Ondrej Pavelec are the weak goalies. Winnipeg began in the first period with an Andrew Ladd goal, his sixteenth of the season, with a lone assist from Bryan Little. New York tied it on a Colin McDonald goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Ryan Strome and Anders Lee. The Islanders took the lead in the second period with a Lee goal, his third of the season, coming off of Michael Grabner. The Jets retied it in the third period as Ladd scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, via Olli Jokinen. New York won 3-2 in overtime with a Grabner goal, his twelfth of the campaign, helped along by Cal Clutterbuck. The three stars went to Grabner, Ladd, and Lee.

Way south to Phoenix, where the Coyotes host the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Mike Smith draw the starts. Phoenix started in the first period on an Antoine Vermette goal, his twenty-second of the season, guided in by Shane Doan and Brandon McMillan. This was it for the scoring, with the Coyotes winning 1-0. The three stars were awarded to Smith (23 save shutout), Vermette, and Lack (31 for 32 in saves).

Crossing into Canada again, as the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Ben Scrivens are in the blue paint. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Jason Spezza goal, his sixteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Milan Michalek. Edmonton tied it with a power play goal by Ales Hemsky, his eighth of the year, powered by Nail Yakupov and Andrew Ference. The Oilers took the lead in the second period on another Hemsky goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, fueled by Sam Gagner and Taylor Hall. Edmonton added on in the third period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his twentieth of the year, courtesy of Boyd Gordon and Hall. The Senators got one back with an Erik Karlsson goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Marc Methot. They failed to tie it, losing 3-2, with the three stars being Hemsky, Hall, and Eberle.

Finally, we go back stateside to where the San Jose Sharks host the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Alex Stalock are the young goalies. Carolina was first to score in the first period on a Jiri Tlusty goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Alexander Semin and John-Michael Liles. San Jose tied it on a Martin Havlat goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Tyler Kennedy and Andrew Desjardins. The Sharks took the lead on a Brent Burns goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Raffi Torres and James Sheppard. The Hurricanes retied it in the second period on an Elias Lindholm goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Eric Staal and Andrej Sekera. Carolina won 3-2 late in overtime as Jay Harrison potted his third of the campaign, with the help of Lindholm and Sekera. The three stars were Lindholm, Khudobin (35 for 37 in saves), and Sekera.

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KHL Day 182 2013-2014

Today marks the end of my first full KHL season. All twenty-eight teams are playing, beginning with...

Admiral Vladivostok hosting Amur Khabarovsk. Alexei Murygin and Evgeny Ivannikov are in between the pipes. Vladivostok got going in the second period with a Justin Hodgman power play goal, powered by Ilya Zubov and Igor Bortnikov. Admiral added on as Mikhail Naumenkov scored, thanks to Stanislav Bocharov and Zubov. Vladivostok extended the lead with a Niclas Bergfors goal, made possible by Dmitry Vorobyov and Felix Schutz. Khabarovsk got on the board on an Alexander Yunkov goal, via Evgeny Korotkov and Dmitry Lugin. Admiral replied in the third period on a Vorobyov goal, with a lone assist by Schutz, an empty net goal. This made it 4-1, with the three stars being Ivannikov (38 for 39 in saves), Vorobyov, and Zubov, while Schutz gets an honorable mention.

A bit to the west, Sibir Novosibirsk welcomes Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Ilya Sorokin and Mikko Koskinen are the masked men. Novosibirsk was first to score in the first period on a Jonas Enlund goal, via Dmitry Monya and Jori Lehtera. Novokuznetsk tied it on an unassisted goal by Sergei Yemelin. Sibir took the lead on an Oleg Gubin goal, assisted by Sergei Shumakov and Alexander Kutuzov. Novosibirsk added on as Enlund scored his second of the game, with the help of Ivan Lekomtsev and Lehtera. Sibir extended the lead in the second period with a Lehtera power play goal, powered by Enlund. Novosibirsk padded the lead with a Jarno Koskiranta goal, coming off of Shumakov and Alexei Kopeikin. Nikita Lozhkin relieved Sorokin in goal. Sibir struck again on a power play goal by Lehtera, guided in by Kutuzov and Enlund. Metallurg got one back as Evgeny Lapenkov scored a power play goal, with assists provided by Kurtis McLean and Semyon Valuisky. Novokuznetsk got closer in the third period with a Tuukka Mantyla goal, from Valuisky. Metallurg chipped closer with a Nikita Kamalov power play goal, fueled by Artyom Gareyev and Yemelin. Nikita Bespalov relieved Koskinen at this time. Novokuznetsk pulled closer on a Valuisky goal, going in unassisted. They couldn't get the equalizer, losing 6-5. The three stars were Lehtera, Enlund, and Valuisky, while Shumakov, Kutuzov, and Yemelin get the honorable mentions.

Over in Ufa, Salavat Yulaev brings in Vityaz Podolsk. Ivan Lisutin and Andrei Vasilevsky draw the starts. Ufa struck first in the first period with a Tomas Zaborsky goal, assisted by Alexander Mereskin and Teemu Hartikainen. Salavat Yulaev added on with an unassisted goal by Denis Khlystov. Ufa extended the lead in the second period as Ivan Vishnevsky scored, thanks to Khlystov and Zaborsky. Podolsk got on the board with an Igor Golovkov goal, via Vyacheslav Solodukhin and Anton Korolyov. Vityaz pulled closer with a Maxim Afinogenov goal, fueled by Airat Ziazov and Alexei Makeyev. This was as close as it got, with the three stars of the 3-2 game going to Zaborsky, Khlystov, and Vishnevsky.

Down to Magnitogorsk, where Metallurg hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Georgy Gelashvili and Alexander Pechursky are the backups making spot starts. Nizhny Novgorod opened in the first period on a goal by Vladimir Galuzin, going in unassisted. Magnitogorsk tied it on a Sergei Mozyakin goal, fueled by Danis Zaripov and Jan Kovar. Metallurg took the lead in the second period with another goal by Mozyakin, his second of the game, assisted by Zaripov and Rinat Ibragimov. Magnitogorsk added on with a Kovar goal, with a lone assist by Mozyakin. Metallurg extended the lead with a goal from Oskar Osala, coming off of Mikhail Yunkov. Torpedo got one back in the third period with a power play goal by Juuso Hietanen, powered by Sakari Salminen. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Mozyakin, Kovar, and Zaripov.

A little west to Chelyabinsk, where Traktor welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Konstantin Barulin and Michael Garnett guard the cages. Kazan started in the first period on a Janne Pesonen goal, made possible by Alexander Burmistrov. Chelyabinsk tied it on a second period goal by Andrei Zavarukhin, helped along by Anton Glinkin. Traktor took the lead with a power play goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov, powered by Petri Kontiola. Ak Bars retied it on another Pesonen goal, with a lone helper by Evgeny Medvedev. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Burmistrov had the only goal for a 3-2 Ak Bars win. Burmistrov, Pesonen, and Kuznetsov receive the three stars.

Up in Nizhnekamsk, Neftekhimik brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Matt Dalton are the veteran goalies. Moscow led off in the first period with an Andrei Mironov goal, assisted by Denis Kokarev. Nizhnekamsk tied it on a power play goal by Vitaly Shulakov, powered by Evgeny Kurbatov and Andrei Taratukhin. Dynamo retook the lead in the second period with a power play goal from Maxim Solovyov, guided in by Konstantin Gorovikov and Janne Jalasvaara. Moscow added on with a Yury Babenko goal, fueled by Konstantin Volkov and Kokarev. Neftekhimik replied with a Tomas Netik goal, with assists provided by Igor Polygalov and Stanislav Romanov. Dynamo answered in the third period with a Grigory Shafigulin goal, passed from Konstantin Glazachev and Alexei Sopin. This made it 4-2, with the three stars being Kokarev, Babenko, and Shafigulin.

Speaking of Moscow, CSKA hosts Dinamo Minsk. Lars Haugen and Jeff Glass man the creases. Moscow began in the first period with an Igor Grigorenko goal, fueled by Sergei Gimayev and Nikolai Prokhorkin. CSKA added on in the third period with a power play goal by Grigorenko, powered by Deron Quint and Nikita Zaitsev. Moscow extended the lead on a Quint power play goal, made possible by Grigorenko and Stanislav Yegorshev. This was good for a 3-0 win. The three stars were awarded to Grigorenko, Glass (18 save shutout), and Quint.

Northwest to St. Petersburg, as SKA welcomes Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Alexei Kuznetsov and Alexander Salak protect the nets. Khanty-Mansiysk dented the scoreboard in the first period with an unassisted goal by Veli-Matti Savinainen. St. Petersburg tied it on a Kevin Dallman goal, going in unassisted. Yugra took the lead in the second period with a power play goal by Nikita Gusev, powered by Stephen Dixon and Denis Sokolov. This was all they needed for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Kuznetsov (51 for 52 in saves), Gusev, and Savinainen.

Backtracking to Yaroslavl, where Lokomotiv brings in Barys Astana. Ari Ahonen and Curtis Sanford are in the blue paint. Yaroslavl struck first in the first period with an Ilya Lyubushkin goal, fueled by Mikelis Redlihs and Geoff Platt. Lokomotiv added on with a Janis Sprukts goal, with a lone assist by Redlihs on the power play. Yaroslavl extended the lead with a Redlihs goal, coming off of Platt and Sprukts. Astana got on the board in the second period on a Mikhail Rakhmanov goal, courtesy of Cam Barker. Lokomotiv wrapped it up at 4-1 with a Yegor Averin goal, assisted by Sergei Plotnikov and Daniil Apalkov. The three stars were given to Redlihs, Sanford (36 for 37 in saves), and Sprukts, while Platt gets an honorable mention.

Across the lake, Severstal Cherepovets hosts Avangard Omsk. Henrik Karlsson and Jakub Stepanek receive the starting nods. Omsk was first to score in the first period on an Anton Kuryanov goal, assisted by Sergei Shirokov and Alexander Perezhogin. Avangard added on with a Roman Berdnikov goal, fueled by Pavel Makhanovsky. Cherepovets got on the board with a second period goal by Nikolai Kazakovtsev, courtesy of Denis Vikharev and Alexander Bumagin. This was all they could get, losing 2-1. The three stars were Karlsson (31 for 32 in saves), Berdnikov, and Kuryanov.

Into Mytishchi, where Atlant welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar faces a lesser foe in Sergei Borisov in goal. Yekaterinburg opened in the first period with an Andrei Antonov goal, fueled by Anton Lazarev and Artyom Chernov. Mytishchi tied it on an Igor Radulov goal, made possible by Maxim Mayorov and Janne Niskala. Avtomobilist took the lead back with a power play goal by Lazarev, powered by Tobias Viklund and Sami Lepisto. Yekaterinburg added on with a Sergei Demagin goal, with a lone helper by Alexei Simakov. Atlant shot back in the third period with an Oleg Yashin power play goal, guided in by Maxim Velikov and Alexei Petrov. They failed to get an equalizer, falling 3-2. The three stars went to Lazarev, Kovar (29 for 31 in saves), and Demagin.

Out in Riga, Dinamo brings in Donbass Donetsk. Michael Leighton and Jakub Sedlacek are set to start. Donetsk started in the first period when Alexander Toryanik converted a penalty shot he received after being hooked by Sandis Ozolins. This proved to be the only goal in the game, with the final resting at 1-0 for Donbass. Leighton (26 save shutout), Toryanik, and Sedlacek (20 for 21 in saves) receive the three stars.

Further to the west, Lev Prague hosts Spartak Moscow. Igor Shestyorkin and Atte Engren are the little-known goalies. Prague led off in the first period with a Dominik Pacovsky goal, fueled by Jiri Novotny and Marc-Andre Gragnani. Moscow tied it on a Grigory Zheldakov goal, guided in by Igor Volkov and Denis Bodrov. Lev retook the lead in the third period on a Michal Birner goal, coming off of Nathan Oystrick and Ondrej Nemec. Spartak evened the score with an unassisted goal by Nikolai Lemtyugov. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Vyacheslav Kozlov sealed a 3-2 win for Spartak. The three stars were given to Kozlov, Lemtyugov, and Zheldakov.

Finally, in Bratislava, Slovan hosts Medvescak Zagreb in the last game of the season. Barry Brust and Jaroslav Janus demonstrate alliteration in the goalie matchup. Bratislava began in the first period with a Marko Dano goal, fueled by Peter Olvecky. Zagreb tied it on a second period goal by Mike Glumac, going in unassisted. Medvescak took the lead with a power play goal by Kurtis Foster, powered by Matt Murley and Jonathan Cheechoo. Slovan tied it with a Milan Bartovic goal, coming off of Libor Hudacek and Juraj Mikus. Zagreb pulled ahead in the third period with a Murley goal, with a lone assist by Cheechoo. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Murley, Brust (23 for 25 in saves), and Cheechoo.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion, and get ready for the KHL playoffs and the Gagarin Cup Championship.

NHL Day 154 2013-2014

This is our 1500th post on the blog. For the last three-plus years, I have been providing you all with various sports coverage, and a little bit of other stuff early on as well. That doesn't end now either, as we have four NHL games tonight. Rather, I just decided to update my readers on how many posts there have been. I'd also like to express my gratitude once again to those who have stopped by at any time. It is always very appreciated. We begin the coverage tonight in...

Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and James Reimer are set to start. Columbus got going in the second period with a Dalton Prout goal, coming off of Derek MacKenzie and Matt Calvert. The Blue Jackets added on with an Artem Anisimov goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Nikita Nikitin and Nick Foligno. Toronto got on the board in the third period with a Mason Raymond goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Joffrey Lupul and Morgan Rielly. They failed to tie the game, losing 2-1, with the three stars being Bobrovsky (28 for 29 in saves), Anisimov, and Reimer (31 for 33 in saves).

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Kari Lehtonen are in the blue paint. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Tyler Ennis goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Drew Stafford and Matt Moulson. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Jordie Benn goal, his third of the year, via Ray Whitney and Tyler Seguin. The Stars took the lead with an Alex Goligoski, his third of the season, assisted by Shawn Horcoff and Ryan Garbutt. The Sabres retied it in the third period as Ennis scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, with the help of Moulson and Jamie McBain. Dallas regained the lead with an Alex Chiasson power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, powered by Jamie Benn and Whitney. This made it 3-2, good for a win, with the three stars being Ennis, Whitney, and Moulson.

Back north to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the Calgary Flames. Reto Berra and Darcy Kuemper are the rookie goalies. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Kyle Brodziak goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Matt Cooke. Calgary got on the board with a Michael Cammalleri goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Dennis Wideman. The Wild retook the lead in the third period with a power play goal by Jared Spurgeon, his second of the season, powered by Ryan Suter and Mikael Granlund. Minnesota added on as Zach Parise scored his twenty-first of the year, thanks to Jason Pominville and Granlund. The Flames got one back with a Mark Giordano goal, his tenth of the campaign, made possible by Markus Granlund and Joe Colborne. This only made it 3-2, with the three stars going to Mikael Granlund, Parise, and Spurgeon.

Finally, in Los Angeles, the Kings host the Montreal Canadiens. Peter Budaj is mismatched with Jonathan Quick in goal. Los Angeles began in the first period with a Jake Muzzin goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Tyler Toffoli and Justin Williams. Montreal tied it on a P.K. Subban goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais. The Kings retook the lead on a Jeff Carter power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Anze Kopitar and Alec Martinez. This was good for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Quick (17 for 18 in saves), Carter, and Muzzin.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.