NHL Day 161 2013-2014

We have an unusual eight games on this Monday evening, beginning in...

Washington, as the Capitals host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jeff Zatkoff and Jaroslav Halak are in the creases. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Chris Kunitz goal, his thirtieth of the season, guided in by Sidney Crosby and Lee Stempniak. Washington tied it on an Eric Fehr goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Jason Chimera and Joel Ward. The Penguins retook the lead on a Crosby power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Olli Maatta. The Capitals tied it in the second period on a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Brooks Laich and John Carlson. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Kunitz goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, made possible by Stempniak and Crosby. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Kunitz, Crosby, and Stempniak.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Craig Anderson are the veteran goalies. Nashville got going in the second period with a Nick Spaling goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Michael Del Zotto and Colin Wilson. The Predators added on as Craig Smith scored his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Mattias Ekholm and Seth Jones. Nashville extended the lead with an Eric Nystrom goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. Ottawa got on the board in the third period with a Jared Cowen goal, his fifth of the year, via Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky. The Senators pulled closer with the sixth of the season by Marc Methot, guided in by Spezza and Hemsky. Ottawa tied it on a Spezza goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Hemsky, who got a sock trick, and Erik Karlsson. The Predators won 4-3 in overtime on a Jones goal, his sixth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Ryan Ellis. The three stars were Spezza, Hemsky, and Jones.

Back stateside, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Ben Bishop are between the pipes. Tampa Bay was first to score in the first period with a Tyler Johnson shorthanded goal, his twentieth of the season, set up by Ondrej Palat and Eric Brewer. Phoenix tied it in the second period with a Brandon McMillan goal, his second of the year, guided in by Keith Yandle and Shane Doan. The Lightning retook the lead on a Palat goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Ryan Callahan and Keith Aulie. The Coyotes tied it again in the third period with a Martin Erat goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Phoenix took the lead on a Mikkel Boedker goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Antoine Vermette and Zbynek Michalek. Tampa Bay pulled even again on another Palat goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, helped along by Valtteri Filppula and Matthew Carle. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Radim Vrbata gave the Coyotes a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Palat, Vrbata, and Boedker.

West to Dallas, where Stars host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Tim Thomas make the starts. The game has been postponed due to Rich Peverley's collapse on the bench. It is suspected to stem from his heart condition. Please send your prayers to Peverley and his family.

Northwest to Colorado, where the Avalanche host the Winnipeg Jets. Al Montoya is mismatched with Semyon Varlamov in goal. Colorado dented the scoreboard with a second period John Mitchell goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Tyson Barrie and Erik Johnson. Winnipeg tied it on a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming on the power play from Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler. The Jets took the lead on another Byfuglien goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, passed from Michael Frolik and Little. The Avalanche tied it on a Andre Benoit goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Mitchell. Colorado won 3-2 in overtime on a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, assisted by Nick Holden and Barrie. The three stars were handed to Byfuglien, Mitchell, Barrie, while Little gets an honorable mention.

Up in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Martin Jones and Joni Ortio are the relatively unknown goalies. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Justin Williams goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Anze Kopitar and Alec Martinez. The Kings added on with a Trevor Lewis goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Slava Voynov and Kyle Clifford. Los Angeles extended the lead in the third period on a Kopitar goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin. Calgary got on the board with a Michael Cammalleri power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Mark Giordano and Mikael Backlund. The Flames pulled closer on a Brian McGrattan goal, his third of the campaign, with assists provided by Chris Butler and Max Reinhart. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Kopitar, Lewis, and Williams.

Over in Vancouver, the Canucks bring in the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Eddie Lack are the masked men. Vancouver led off in the first period with a Chris Higgins power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Yannick Weber and Jason Garrison. The Canucks added on in the second period on a Henrik Sedin goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Nicklas Jensen and Tom Sestito. Vancouver extended the lead on a power play goal by Ryan Kesler, his twenty-second of the season, guided in by Alexandre Burrows and Kevin Bieksa. New York got on the board in the third period with a Josh Bailey power play goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Brock Nelson and Matt Donovan. The Islanders pulled closer on a Ryan Strome goal, his third of the season, coming on the power play from Kyle Okposo and Lubomir Visnovsky. New York tied it on a Calvin de Haan power play goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Travis Hamonic. The Islanders took the lead on a Frans Nielsen goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Anders Lee and Okposo. The Canucks retied it with a Chris Tanev goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Higgins and Jannik Hansen. New York pulled ahead again with a Matt Martin goal, his fifth of the season, via Colin McDonald. The Islanders padded the lead with a Lee goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers provided by Okposo, who got a sock trick, and Nielsen. New York finished it at 7-4 with an empty net goal by Cal Clutterbuck, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Bailey and Hamonic. The three stars went to Okposo, Bailey, and Nielsen, while Lee, Higgins, and Hamonic get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in Anaheim, the Ducks host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Frederik Andersen man the creases. Toronto opened in the first period with a Tyler Bozak power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Dion Phaneuf and Phil Kessel. The Maple Leafs added on as Kessel scored his thirty-fourth of the year, guided in by James van Riemsdyk and Bozak. Toronto extended the lead in the second period on a Paul Ranger goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Kessel and Bozak. Anaheim got on the board with a Corey Perry goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, coming off of Pat Maroon and Ryan Getzlaf. This only made it 3-1, the eventual final, with Kessel, Bozak, and Bernier (43 for 44 in saves) get the honorable mentions.

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KHL Western Conference Quarterfinals Day 3 2014

Four more games on today, as the series shift to the lower-seeded teams. We begin in...

Yaroslavl, as Lokomotiv hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Curtis Sanford are between the pipes. Yaroslavl opened in the first period with a Geoff Platt power play goal, powered by Sergei Konkov and Ilya Gorokhov. Moscow tied it in the third period when Leo Komarov scored on a penalty shot he received after Gorokhov held him on a breakaway. Lokomotiv retook the lead on a Yury Petrov goal, with a lone assist by Jonas Holos. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Petrov, Sanford (32 for 33 in saves), and Yeryomenko (33 for 35 in saves). Dynamo still leads 2-1 in the series.

Into Moscow, where CSKA welcomes SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Jeff Glass protect the nets. Moscow began in the first period with a power play goal by Igor Grigorenko, powered by Enver Lisin and Nikolai Prokhorkin. St. Petersburg tied it in the second period with a power play goal by Patrick Thoresen, helped along by Roman Cervenka. SKA won 2-1 in overtime with a Cervenka goal, made possible by Dmitry Kalinin and Kevin Dallman. The three stars went to Cervenka, Salak (43 for 44 in saves), and Thoresen. SKA pushes CSKA to the brink with a 3-0 series lead.

Out to Riga, where Dinamo brings in Donbass Donetsk. Michael Leighton and Mikael Tellqvist are set to start. Donetsk started in the first period with a Maxim Yakutsenya goal, via Ruslan Fedotenko. Riga tied it with a Marcel Hossa power play goal, powered by Roberts Bukarts and Sandis Ozolins. Donbass retook the lead in the second period on an Evgeny Dadonov goal, fueled by Yakutsenya and Fedotenko. Dinamo retied it as Maris Bicevskis scored, with a lone assist by Mat Robinson. Donetsk pulled ahead again with a Lukas Kaspar goal, coming off of Clay Wilson. Riga tied it again on a Gints Meija goal, going in unassisted. Dinamo took the lead with a Hossa goal, courtesy of Aleksandrs Nizivijs and Krisjanis Redlihs. Riga added on in the third period with an Andris Dzerins goal, assisted by Hossa and Nizivijs. Dinamo extended the lead with a Kristaps Sotnieks goal, passed from Nizivijs, who got a sock trick, and Hossa. Riga padded the lead as Lauris Darzins scored, thanks to Sotnieks and Bukarts. This was good for a 7-3 win, with the three stars being Hossa, Nizivijs, and Yakutsenya, while Bukarts, Fedotenko, and Sotnieks get the honorable mentions. Donbass holds a 2-1 series lead.

Finally in Zagreb, Medvescak hosts Lev Prague. Petri Vehanen and Barry Brust receive the starting nods. Prague dented the scoreboard in the second period with a shorthanded goal by Martin Thornberg, set up by Patrik Zackrisson. Lev added on with an unassisted goal by Michal Repik. Zagreb got on the board with a Boyd Kane goal, coming off of Ivan Svarny. Medvescak tied it on a Sasa Martinovic penalty shot goal, which he received after Martin Sevc tripped him. Prague picked up the lead in the third period with a David Ullstrom goal, with a lone helper by Sevc. Lev added on as Thornberg scored his second of the game, with the help of Mikko Maenpaa and Nathan Oystrick. Prague finished it at 5-2 with an unassisted power play goal by Petr Vrana. The three stars were Thornberg, Ullstrom, and Vrana. Lev takes a dominating 3-0 series lead.

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NHL Day 160 2013-2014

Five games on today, beginning in...

New York City, as the Rangers host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Henrik Lundqvist guard the cages. New York began in the first period with a Brian Boyle goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by John Moore and Dominic Moore. The Rangers added on with a third period goal by Chris Kreider, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan. New York extended the lead on another Kreider goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, via Stepan and McDonagh. This was good for a 3-0 win, with the three stars belonging to Lundqvist (30 save shutout), Kreider, and McDonagh, while Stepan gets an honorable mention.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Boston Bruins. Chad Johnson is mismatched with Roberto Luongo in goal. Florida got going in the second period with a Jimmy Hayes goal, his sixth of the season, via Nick Bjugstad and Sean Bergenheim. Boston tied it on a Carl Soderberg goal, his twelfth of the year, coming on the power play from Andrej Meszaros and Reilly Smith. The Bruins took the lead in the third period with a Torey Krug goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Boston added on with a Bergeron power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Loui Eriksson and Soderberg. The Panthers got one back with Hayes' second of the game and seventh of the season, coming off of Jonathan Huberdeau. The Bruins replied with a Jarome Iginla goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara. Boston iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Chris Kelly, his sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Soderberg, Bergeron, and Hayes.

North again to Buffalo, where the Sabres host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford faces a lesser foe in Jhonas Enroth in goal. Chicago opened in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, coming off of Patrick Sharp and Johnny Oduya. Buffalo tied it on a Drew Stafford goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Cory Conacher and Tyler Ennis. The Blackhawks retook the lead in the third period on a Jonathan Toews goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, guided in by Brandon Saad and Andrew Shaw. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Crawford (20 for 21 in saves), Toews, and Kane.

Westward to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Ilya Bryzgalov are the backups making spot starts. St. Louis started in the first period with a power play goal by T.J. Oshie, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Alexander Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues added on with a Carlo Colaiacovo goal, guided in by Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. Minnesota got on the board in the second period as Jason Pominville scored his twenty-third of the year, thanks to Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. The Wild tied it with a Matt Moulson goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Mikko Koivu. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Oshie and Steen each scored to give the Blues the 3-2 win. The three stars were Oshie, Steen, and Colaiacovo.

Finally, in Edmonton, the Oilers host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick faces former backup Ben Scrivens in goal. Los Angeles led off in the first period with a Jeff Carter goal, his twenty-third of the season, guided in by Tyler Toffoli. Edmonton tied it on a Taylor Hall goal, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by David Perron and Sam Gagner. The Kings took the lead back in the second period with an Alec Martinez goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Robyn Regehr and Dustin Brown. Los Angeles added on as Carter scored a power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Anze Kopitar and Slava Voynov. The Kings extended the lead on a Trevor Lewis goal, his third of the season, coming off of Carter. The Oilers got one back with a third period goal by Gagner, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Hall. This was as close as it got, with the final being 4-2, and the three stars went to Carter, Gagner, and Hall.

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KHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Day 2 2014

Four games on again, as is the norm for the first half of the round. We begin with...

Salavat Yulaev Ufa hosting Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ivan Kasutin and Andrei Vasilevsky are set to start. Nizhny Novgorod got going in the second period with a Krystofer Kolanos goal, assisted by Denis Parshin and Sergei Bernatsky. This was it for the scoring, with the three stars being Kasutin (34 save shutout), Kolanos, and Vasilevsky (17 for 18 in saves) in the 1-0 game. Torpedo will head home with a dominating 2-0 series lead.

Down in Astana, Barys welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Vitaly Yeremeyev are the solid goalies. Astana was first to score in the first period with a Mikhail Rakhmanov goal, assisted by Dmitry Upper. Yekaterinburg tied it on an Andre Deveaux goal, fueled by Eduard Lewandowski and Igor Yemeleyev. Barys took the lead in the second period on a Roman Starchenko goal, guided in by Konstantin Rudenko and Nikolai Antropov. Avtomobilist tied it on an Artyom Chernov goal, passed from Fyodor Malykhin and Tobias Viklund. Yekaterinburg pulled ahead on a power play goal by Malykhin, powered by Sami Lepisto and Anton Lazarev. Astana retied it on another Starchenko goal, via Kristian Kudroc and Rudenko. Barys pulled ahead in the third period with a Brandon Bochenski goal, with a lone assist by Mike Lundin. Avtomobilist retied it as Dmitry Megalinsky scored a power play goal, thanks to Sergei Demagin and Alexei Simakov. Astana won 5-4 in overtime on an unassisted power play goal by Lundin. The three stars were awarded to Lundin, Starchenko, and Rudenko, while Malykhin gets an honorable mention. Barys will head on the road with a 2-0 series lead.

Back in Russia, Metallurg Magnitogorsk brings in Admiral Vladivostok. Evgeny Ivannikov and Vasily Koshechkin are the masked men. Magnitogorsk struck first in the first period with a Viktor Antipin power play goal, powered by Oskar Osala and Mikhail Yunkov. Vladivostok tied it in the second period with an unassisted goal by Niclas Bergfors. Metallurg retook the lead with a Yaroslav Kosov goal, fueled by Rinat Ibragimov. Magnitogorsk added on with a Tim Brent goal, assisted by Denis Platonov and Sergei Tereshchenko. Admiral got one back with a power play goal by Dmitry Vorobyov, with a lone assist from Michael Commodore. Metallurg shot back on a Francis Pare goal, passed from Osala and Ibragimov. Vladivostok pulled back on an Evgeny Grachyov goal, coming off of Justin Hodgman and Ilya Zubov. Magnitogorsk finished it at 5-3 in the third period with a power play goal by Chris Lee, courtesy of Sergei Mozyakin and Jan Kovar. The three stars were Ibragimov, Osala, and Pare.

Finally, in Kazan, Ak Bars hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Mikko Koskinen faces a lesser foe in Emil Garipov in goal. Novosibirsk led off just fifteen seconds into the game with a Dmitry Monya goal, assisted by Jori Lehtera and Jonas Enlund. Sibir added on in the second period with a power play goal by Dmitry Kugryshev, powered by Ivan Lekomtsev. Kazan got on the board in the third period as Alexander Osipov scored a power play goal, guided in by Kirill Petrov and Ilya Nikulin. Ak Bars tied it on a Mikhail Varnakov goal, coming off of Tim Stapleton and Alexander Burmistrov. Kazan won 3-2 in overtime on another Osipov goal, with a lone helper from Alexander Svitov. The three stars were Osipov, Varnakov, and Garipov (25 for 27 in saves). The series heads east tied it at 1.

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NHL Day 159 2013-2014

Ten games on throughout the day, beginning in...

Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Ondrej Pavelec are the mediocre goalies. Ottawa was first to score in the first period with a Milan Michalek power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Ales Hemsky and Jason Spezza. Winnipeg tied it on a Bryan Little power play goal, his twentieth of the year, fueled by Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Ladd. The Senators took the lead back with a Jared Cowen goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Hemsky and Michalek. Ottawa added on as Eric Gryba scored his second of the year, via Michalek and Spezza. The Jets got one back with a Tobias Enstrom power play goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Evander Kane. The Senators shot back with a Kyle Turris goal, his twenty-first of the year, made possible by Mike Hoffman and Bobby Ryan. Ottawa extended the lead on a Hoffman power play goal, assisted by Spezza and Hemsky, both of whom got sock tricks with their assists. Winnipeg pulled back in the third period as Byfuglien put away his fourteenth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. This only made it 5-3, the final, with Spezza, Hemsky, and Michalek getting the three stars, while Byfuglien and Hoffman get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Colorado, where the Avalanche welcome the St. Louis Blues. Ryan Miller and Semyon Varlamov guard the cages. St. Louis got going in the second period with a David Backes goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by T.J. Oshie and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues added on in the third period as Patrik Berglund notched his twelfth of the year, thanks to Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz. Colorado got on the board with P.A. Parenteau's fourteenth of the campaign, guided in by Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly. They failed to get an equalizer, with the final being 2-1. The three stars went to Miller (26 for 27 in saves), Berglund, and Backes.

Back in Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason is mismatched with Jonathan Bernier in goal. Toronto began in the first period with a Jake Gardiner goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Troy Bodie. The Maple Leafs added on as Nazem Kadri scored his seventeenth of the year, thanks to Joffrey Lupul and Morgan Rielly. Philadelphia got on the board with a Kimmo Timonen goal, his third of the season, coming off of Jakub Voracek and Scott Hartnell. The Flyers tied it on another Timonen goal in the third period, his second of the game and fourth of the year, guided in by Voracek. Toronto retook the lead on a Mason Raymond goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Jay McClement and Bodie. Philadelphia retied it with a Braydon Coburn goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Brayden Schenn and Michael Raffl. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 in overtime with a Lupul goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, assisted by Dion Phaneuf and Carl Gunnarsson. The three stars were given to Lupul, Timonen, and Bodie, while Voracek gets an honorable mention.

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Ben Bishop tend the twines. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period with a shorthanded goal by Ondrej Palat, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Tyler Johnson and Eric Brewer. The Lightning added on with a Mark Barberio goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Tom Pyatt and Ryan Callahan. Boston got on the board with a Daniel Paille goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Gregory Campbell and Johnny Boychuk. The Bruins tied it with a Carl Soderberg goal, his eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Chris Kelly. Tampa Bay regained the lead as Valtteri Filppula scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Palat. Boston pulled even in the third period on a Boychuk goal, his third of the year, with helpers provided by Soderberg and Loui Eriksson. The Bruins won 4-3 in the shootout on a lone tally by Reilly Smith. The three stars were handed to Soderberg, Palat, and Boychuk.

Back north again, as the New Jersey Devils host the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Martin Brodeur are in the creases. New Jersey struck first in the first period on a Travis Zajac goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Tuomo Ruutu and Jaromir Jagr. Carolina tied it in the second period as Jeff Skinner put away his twenty-fifth of the year, with the help of Andrej Sekera and Eric Staal. The Devils retook the lead on a power play goal by Damien Brunner, his tenth of the campaign, powered by Marek Zidlicky and Zajac. New Jersey added on with an Adam Henrique goal, his twenty-second of the season, helped along by Ryane Clowe. The Devils extended the lead as Henrique scored his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, a shorthanded goal set up by Patrik Elias and Andy Greene. The Hurricanes shot back on a Jay Harrison power play goal, his fourth of the campaign, fueled by Jordan Staal and Alexander Semin. Carolina pulled closer in the third period as Nathan Gerbe scored his thirteenth of the season, a shorthanded goal coming off of Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes tied it with a Semin goal, his seventeenth of the year, with a lone assist by Manny Malhotra. New Jersey gained the lead with a Ruutu goal, his sixth of the campaign, passed from Zidlicky and Zajac. This was good for a 5-4 win, with the three stars being Zajac, Ruutu, and Henrique, while Zidlicky, Jordan Staal, and Semin got the honorable mentions.

Over in DC, the Washington Capitals host the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Jaroslav Halak are the slightly-above-average goalies. Phoenix led off in the first period with a Brandon McMillan goal via Keith Yandle and Antoine Vermette. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Radim Vrbata power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Michael Stone and Yandle. Washington got on the board in the third period with a Karl Alzner goal, his second of the year, guided in by Eric Fehr and Jay Beagle. The Capitals tied it on a Brooks Laich goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Jason Chimera. Washington took the lead with a Troy Brouwer goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson on the power play. They held on for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Brouwer, Laich, and Yandle.

Moving along to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Pekka Rinne protect the nets. Columbus got going in the third period with an Artem Anisimov goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by James Wisniewski and Corey Tropp. This was all they needed to win 1-0. The three stars were awarded to Bobrovsky (28 save shutout), Anisimov, and Rinne (35 for 36 in saves).

Further to the south, the Dallas Stars host the Minnesota Wild, and the Stars also retired Mike Modano's #9 jersey. Darcy Kuemper and Kari Lehtonen are the masked men. Dallas started quickly in the first period on a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Rich Peverley and Tyler Seguin. Minnesota tied it on a shorthanded goal by Erik Haula, his third of the year, set up by Mikko Koivu. The Stars retook the lead in the second period on a power play goal by Alex Chiasson, his eleventh of the season, powered by Seguin and Alex Goligoski. The Wild evened the score on a Charlie Coyle power play goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Matt Moulson and Jonas Brodin. Minnesota gained the lead in the third period on a Kyle Brodziak goal, his sixth of the season, via Nino Neiderreiter. Lehtonen was concussed later in the period, and Tim Thomas came on in relief. Dallas tied it with a Seguin power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, courtesy of Erik Cole and Sergei Gonchar. The Stars took the lead with an unassisted goal by Cole, his fifteenth of the campaign. This was good for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Cole, Seguin, and Lehtonen (26 for 29 in saves).

Northwest to Vancouver, where the Canucks bring in the Calgary Flames. Joni Ortio and Eddie Lack are the young goalies. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period as Brian McGrattan scored his second of the season from center ice, with helpers provided by Tyler Wotherspoon and Ben Hanowski. Vancouver tied it on a Darren Archiblad goal, assisted by Jordan Schroeder. The Canucks took the lead in the third period on a Yannick Weber goal, his third of the year, guided in by David Booth and Shawn Matthias. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Lack (22 for 23 in saves), Weber, and Archibald.

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks host the Montreal Canadiens. Peter Budaj and Antti Niemi receive the starting nods. San Jose opened in the first period with a Tommy Wingels shorthanded goal, his thirteenth of the season, set up by Logan Couture. The Sharks added on in the second period as Wingels potted his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, thanks to Matt Irwin and Raffi Torres. San Jose extended the lead with a Matthew Nieto goal, his eighth of the season, via Patrick Marleau and Couture. The Sharks padded the lead in the third period on a Couture goal, his eighteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Nieto. This iced it at 4-0, with the three stars being Wingels, Couture, and Niemi (27 save shutout), while Nieto gets an honorable mention.

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KHL Western Conference Quarterfinals Day 2 2014

Another four games today, beginning in...

St. Petersburg, where SKA hosts CSKA Moscow. Jeff Glass and Alexander Salak again draw the starts. St. Petersburg led off in the first period with a Viktor Tikhonov goal, assisted by Patrick Thoresen and Tony Martensson. SKA added on with a Yury Alexandrov power play goal, coming off of Kevin Dallman and Roman Cervenka. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Thoresen scored, thanks to Cervenka and Alexandrov. Moscow got on the board in the second period on an Igor Fefelov goal, courtesy of Deron Quint. SKA answered on a Cervenka goal, with a lone assist by Alexei Semenov. St. Petersburg finished it at 5-1 in the third period with a power play goal by Dallman, powered by Thoresen and Alexandrov. The three stars were Thoresen, Alexandrov, and Cervenka, while Dallman gets an honorable mention. SKA will head out on the road with a 2-0 series lead.

Into Moscow, where Dynamo welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Alexander Yeryomenko guard the cages. Moscow opened in the first period on a Maxim Solovyov goal, assisted by Dmitry Pestunov and Janne Jalasvaara. Dynamo added on with a second period goal by Solovyov, guided in by Jalasvaara and Maxim Karpov. Yaroslavl got on the board in the third period with an Alexander Chernikov goal, with a lone helper from Ilya Gorokhov. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Solovyov, Yeryomenko (27 for 28 in saves), and Jalasvaara. Dynamo will travel with a 2-0 series lead.

Out in Donetsk, Donbass brings in Dinamo Riga. Mikael Tellqvist and Michael Leighton man the creases. Donetsk dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Teemu Laine goal, assisted by Clay Wilson and Petteri Wirtanen. Donbass added on in the second period as Oleg Piganovich scored, thanks to Viktor Zakharov and Alexander Toryanik. Riga got on the board with a Roberts Bukarts goal, fueled by Georgijs Pujacs. Donetsk shot back in the third period with Laine's second of the game, and empty net goal via Oskars Bartulis. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being handed to Laine, Leighton (22 for 23 in saves), and Piganovich. Donbass owns a 2-0 series lead.

Finally, in Prague, Lev hosts Medvescak Zagreb. Petri Vehanen and Barry Brust are set to start. Prague started in the first period on a Lukas Cingel goal, courtesy of Calle Ridderwall. Zagreb tied it in the second period as Matt Ellison scored, thanks to Charles Linglet. Medvescak took the lead on a Bill Thomas goal, passed from Linglet and Jonathan Cheechoo. Lev retied it in the third period with a Jiri Novotny power play goal, powered by Jiri Sekac and Nathan Oystrick. Prague took the lead back with a Martin Thornberg power play goal, with a lone assist by Mikko Maenpaa. Lev added on with a Patrik Zackrisson goal, via Michal Repik. Prague iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Justin Azevedo, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Thornberg, Zackrisson, and Linglet.

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KHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Day 1 2014

Today marks the first day of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in the KHL. There are four games on, beginning in...

Ufa, as Salavat Yulaev Ufa hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ivan Kasutin and Andrei Vasilevsky get the starting nods. Nizhny Novgorod was first to score in the first period with an Alexei Badyukov goal, courtesy of Evgeny Skachkov. Torpedo added on in the second period with a power play goal by Mikhail Grigoryev, powered by Denis Parshin and Skachkov. Ufa got on the board with an Igor Mirnov goal, guided in by Kirill Koltsov. Nizhny Novgorod replied in the third period with a Skachkov goal, assisted by Pavel Valentenko and Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Skachkov, Kasutin (24 for 25 in saves), and Grigoryev. Torpedo holds a 1-0 series lead.

Down in Magnitogorsk, Metallurg welcomes Admiral Vladivostok. Evgeny Ivannikov and Vasily Koshechkin guard the cages. Vladivostok began in the first period with an Alexei Ugarov power play goal, with a lone assist by Andrei Nikitenko. Magnitogorsk tied it with an unassisted goal by Jan Kovar, coming on the power play. Metallurg gained the lead with a Danis Zaripov goal, fueled by Sergei Mozyakin and Evgeny Biryukov. Magnitogorsk added on with another Kovar goal, with a lone assist by Mozyakin. This produced a 3-1 final, with the three stars going to Kovar, Koshechkin (26 for 27 in saves), and Mozyakin. Metallurg owns a 1-0 series lead.

Further south, Barys Astana brings in Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Ari Ahonen are in the creases. Yekaterinburg got going in the second period with an unassisted goal by Artyom Chernov. Astana tied it on a Roman Starchenko power play goal, powered by Roman Savchenko and Alexei Litvinenko. Barys took the lead in the third period as Starchenko scored, thanks to Savchenko. Avtomobilist retied it with a power play goal by Sami Lepisto, courtesy of Chernov and Tobias Viklun. Astana won 3-2 in the second overtime with a Savchenko goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Savchenko, Starchenko, and Chernov. Barys earns a 1-0 series lead.

Finally, back in Russia, Ak Bars Kazan hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Mikko Koskinen and Konstantin Barulin protect the nets. Kazan struck first in the first period on a Mikhail Varnakov goal, assisted by Nikolai Belov and Stepan Zakharchuk. Novosibirsk tied it in the second period on a Jarno Koskiranta goal, fueled by Dmitry Kugryshev. Sibir took the lead with an Igor Ozhiganov goal, with a lone assist by Jori Lehtera. Novosibirsk added on with an Oleg Gubin goal, guided in by Sergei Shumakov. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 3-1, and the three stars went to Koskinen (24 for 25 in saves), Ozhiganov, and Gubin.

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