KHL Western Conference Quarterfinals Day 5 2014

Two games on today, beginning in...

Moscow, as Dynamo hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Alexander Yeryomenko tend the twines. It took until the second overtime for a goal to be scored, and it came from Konstantin Volkov of Moscow, via Yury Babenko and Denis Kokarev. This made it a 1-0 final, with Yeryomenko (33 save shutout), Volkov, and Sanford (40 for 41 in saves) earning the three stars. Dynamo will look to finish the series on Saturday, currently holding a 3-2 series lead.

Out in Ukraine, Donbass Donetsk hosts Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Jan Laco make the starts. Riga started in the first period with a Gints Meija power play goal, powered by Lauris Darzins. Dinamo added on in the second period as Darzins scored, thanks to Sandis Ozolins and Paul Szczechura. Donetsk got on the board with a Tuomas Kiiskinen goal, guided in by Petteri Wirtanen and Teemu Laine on the power play. They failed to tie it, losing 2-1, with the three stars being Darzins, Sedlacek (35 for 36 in saves), and Meija. Donbass still has a 3-2 series lead.

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NHL Day 163 2013-2014

Four games on tonight, a slow Wednesday for the NHL. We begin with a rivalry game in...

Montreal, where the Canadiens host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces a lesser foe in Peter Budaj in goal. Boston got going in the second period with a Carl Soderberg goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins added on with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Brad Marchand and Matt Bartkowski. Boston extended the lead with a Milan Lucic goal, his twentieth of the season, via Jarome Iginla and David Krejci. The Bruins padded the lead in the third period as Zdeno Chara scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Bergeron and Marchand. Montreal got on the board with a David Desharnais goal, his twelfth of the campaign, fueled by Max Pacioretty and Thomas Vanek. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Bergeron, Rask (35 for 36 in saves), and Marchand.

West to Winnipeg, where the Jets welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Ondrej Pavelec are the inconsistent goalies. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Andrew Ladd goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Bryan Little and Jacob Trouba. Vancouver tied it on an Alexandre Burrows goal, coming off of Jason Garrison and Jordan Schroeder. The Jets retook the lead in the third period with a Michael Frolik goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Olli Jokinen and Keaton Ellerby. The Canucks retied it as Burrows scored his second of the game, thanks to Jannik Hansen. In the shootout, Chris Higgins scored the only tally for a 3-2 Canucks win. Burrows, Higgins, and Lack (32 for 34 in saves) get the honorable mentions.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Antti Raanta is mismatched with Semyon Varlamov in goal. Colorado opened in the first period with a Brad Malone goal, fueled by Tyson Barrie and the goalie Varlamov. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Jamie McGinn and Ryan O'Reilly. Chicago got on the board with a Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, passed from Patrick Sharp and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Colorado shot back in the third period on an O'Reilly power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Duchene and Erik Johnson. The Blackhawks got one back as Brandon Saad scored his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Andrew Shaw and Duncan Keith. This made it 3-2, the final, with Duchene, O'Reilly, and Varlamov (37 for 39 in saves earning the three stars).

Finally, in Calgary, the Flames host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Joni Ortio are in the blue paint. Calgary started in the first period with a Mark Giordano goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by T.J. Brodie. The Flames added on with a T.J. Galiardi goal, his third of the year, going in shorthanded via Paul Byron and Brodie. Calgary extended the lead as Michael Cammalleri potted his seventeenth of the season, a power play goal, powered by Mikael Backlund and Giordano. Hiller was pulled for Frederik Andersen. The Flames padded the lead as Backlund scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Lance Bouma and the goalie Ortio. Calgary struck again in the second period on another Backlund goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Kris Russell. Anaheim got on the board with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Jakob Silfverberg and Francois Beauchemin. The Flames shot back with a Ladislav Smid goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Byron and Bouma. The Ducks got one back in the third period on a Nick Bonino goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Cam Fowler and Luca Sbisa. Calgary answered on a Corban Knight goal, made possible by Kevin Westgarth and Ben Hanowski. This made it 7-2, the final, with the three stars going to Backlund, Giordano, and Brodie, while Byron and Bouma get the honorable mentions.

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KHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Day 4 2014

Four more games today. We begin in...

Vladivostok, as Admiral hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Evgeny Ivannikov are given the starting nods. Magnitogorsk led off in the first period with an unassisted goal by Francis Pare. Vladivostok tied it in the second period with a Michael Commodore goal, going in unassisted. Admiral took the lead with an Ilya Zubov goal, assisted by Igor Bortnikov and Richard Gynge. Metallurg retied it in the third period as Jan Kovar scored, thanks to Sergei Mozyakin. Magnitogorsk won in the third overtime with a Danis Zaripov goal, made possible by Kovar and Mozyakin. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Kovar, Zaripov, and Mozyakin. Metallurg goes home with a 3-1 series lead.

West to Novosibirsk, as Sibir welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Mikko Koskinen are in the blue paint. Kazan got going in the second period with an unassisted goal by Ilya Nikulin. Ak Bars added on with a power play goal by Mikhail Varnakov, powered by Nikulin and Shaun Heshka. Kazan extended the lead on a power play goal by Janne Pesonen, fueled by Heshka and Alexander Svitov. Novosibirsk got on the board with a Jarno Koskiranta goal, going in unassisted. Ak Bars shot back in the third period with an unassisted goal from Nikolai Belov. Kazan padded the lead on a Heshka power play goal, via Svitov and Nikulin. Ak Bars kept going with a Tomas Vincour goal, passed from Alexei Tereshchenko and Kirill Petrov. Sibir got one back with a Jonas Enlund goal, with a lone assist by Dmitry Monya. Novosibirsk pulled closer on a power play goal by Ivan Lekomtsev, helped along by Monya. This only made it 6-3, the final, with Nikulin, Heshka, and Svitov getting the three stars, while Monya gets an honorable mention. The series heads west tied at 2.

Further to the west, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg brings in Barys Astana. Vitaly Yeremeyev and Jakub Kovar are between the pipes. Astana dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Roman Savchenko goal, via Fyodor Polishchuk. Barys added on with a Konstantin Romanov goal, with a lone assist by Talgat Zhailauov. Yekaterinburg got on the board with a power play goal by Fyodor Malykhin, powered by Tobias Viklund and the goalie Kovar. They failed to tie the game, losing 2-1, with the three stars being Yeremeyev (29 for 30 in saves), Romanov, and Savchenko. Barys sweeps Avtomobilist out of the playoffs, advancing to the semifinals.

Finally, in Nizhny Novgorod, Torpedo hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Andrei Vasilevsky and Ivan Kasutin are the masked men. Nizhny Novgorod began in the second period with a Vladimir Galuzin goal, helped along by Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev. Ufa tied it on a power play goal by Ivan Vishnevsky, powered by Kirill Koltsov and Alexei Kaigorodov. Salavat Yulaev took the lead on an Igor Mirnov goal, with a lone assist by Kaigorodov. Ufa added on with an Arturs Kulda goal, fueled by Brent Sopel and Teemu Hartikainen. Georgy Gelashvili relieved Kasutin for the third period. Torpedo got one back in the third period on a Jarkko Immonen goal, passed from Mikhail Grigoryev and Evgeny Skachkov. Salavat Yulaev iced it at 4-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Yegor Dubrovsky. The three stars were Kaigorodov, Kulda, and Vishnevsky. The series is now tied at 2.

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NHL Day 162 2013-2014

Nine games on tonight, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton and Jhonas Enroth are set to start. Buffalo was first to score in the first period with a Drew Stafford power play goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Cody Hodgson and Tyler Ennis. Nashville tied it on a power play goal by Nick Spaling, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Shea Weber and Roman Josi. The Predators took the lead in the second period as Weber scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Colin Wilson and Craig Smith. Nashville added on with a Smith goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Wilson and Gabriel Bourque. The Predators iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Paul Gaustad, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Spaling and Mike Fisher. The three stars were Weber, Smith, and Hutton (24 for 25 in saves), while Spaling and Wilson get the honorable mentions.

Down in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Steve Mason are in the blue paint. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Travis Zajac goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Jaromir Jagr and Tuomo Ruutu. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Nicklas Grossman goal, coming off of Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. The Devils retook the lead on a third period Jagr goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Marek Zidlicky and Ruutu. This was good for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Jagr, Brodeur (30 for 31 in saves), and Ruutu.

Further south to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Cam Ward are the veteran goalies. Carolina got going in the second period with a Jiri Tlusty goal, his eleventh of the season, via Jordan Staal and Andrej Sekera. New York tied it on a Kevin Klein goal, his second of the year, passed from Mats Zuccarello and Benoit Pouliot. The Hurricanes retook the lead with a Jordan Staal goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Tlusty and Alexander Semin. Carolina added on in the third period as Elias Lindholm scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Jeff Skinner and Eric Staal. This made it a 3-1 game, and the three stars went to Jordan Staal, Tlusty, and Ward (24 for 25 in saves).

Backtracking to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Detroit began in the first period with a Danny DeKeyser goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by David Legwand. Columbus tied it with a Nick Foligno goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Nick Schultz and Nathan Horton. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the third period with an unassisted goal by Boone Jenner, his twelfth of the season. Columbus added on with a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Matt Calvert and Horton. The Blue Jackets extended the lead on Derek MacKenzie's seventh of the campaign, fueled by Mark Letestu and Blake Comeau. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 4-1, and the three stars went to Bobrovsky (39 for 40 in saves), Jenner, and Horton.

South again to Florida, where the Panthers welcome the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Roberto Luongo are in the creases. Phoenix struck first in the first period on a Mike Ribeiro power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Keith Yandle and Radim Vrbata. The Coyotes added on in the second period with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Vrbata and Lauri Korpikoski. Phoenix extended the lead in the third period on a Vrbata goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Antoine Vermette and Mikkel Boedker. Florida got on the board with a Brandon Pirri goal, his seventh of the year, a power play goal made possible by Dmitry Kulikov and Nick Bjugstad. This only made it 3-1, with the three stars going to Vrbata, Smith (31 for 32 in saves), and Ekman-Larsson.

Back in Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Washington Capitals. Jaroslav Halak and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Jussi Jokinen goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Matt Niskanen and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins added on in the third period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirty-first of the year, guided in by Lee Stempniak. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars going to Fleury (32 save shutout), Jokinen, and Stempniak.

Southwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Dallas Stars. Tim Thomas and Ryan Miller have the green light to start. St. Louis started in the first period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Magnus Paajarvi and Maxim Lapierre. Dallas tied it on a Colton Sceviour power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Alex Goligoski and Ray Whitney. The Stars took the lead in the third period with an Antoine Roussel goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Jamie Benn. The Blues tied it on a Roman Polak goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrik Berglund. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, with assists provided by Trevor Daley and Tyler Seguin. The three stars were Jamie Benn, Roussel, and Sceviour.

North to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth and Darcy Kuemper are the relatively unknown goalies. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Zach Parise power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Mikael Granlund and Jason Pominville. The Wild added on with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his third of the year, guided in by Erik Haula and Dany Heatley. Minnesota extended the lead as Pominville scored his twenty-fourth of the season, courtesy of Granlund and Parise. Edmonton got on the board with a Jeff Petry goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers pulled closer in the third period with a David Perron goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Andrew Ference and Sam Gagner. Edmonton tied it with an Eberle goal, his twenty-first of the year, passed from Ference and Oscar Klefborn. In the shootout, Parise and Eberle traded goals, followed by Mikko Koivu doing the same with Perron, and then Taylor Hall scored the game winner. The three stars of the 4-3 Oilers victory were Eberle, Ference, and Parise, while Pominville and Granlund get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Antti Niemi are in goal. San Jose led off in the first period with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Matthew Nieto. Toronto tied it on a Jake Gardiner goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone helper by Mason Raymond. The Sharks retook the lead on a Brent Burns goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. San Jose added on in the second period with a Tommy Wingels goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Justin Braun and James Sheppard. The Sharks extended the lead on a Pavelski goal, his thirty-third of the season, fueled by Thornton and Dan Boyle. San Jose padded the lead in the third period with Pavelski's second of the game and thirty-fourth of the year, coming off of Jason Demers and Thornton, the latter getting a sock trick. The Maple Leafs got one back as Gardiner scored his second of the game and eighth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Raymond and James van Riemsdyk. The Sharks shot back on a Martin Havlat goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Sheppard and Wingels. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 6-2. The three stars were given to Pavelski, Thornton, and Wingels, while Gardiner, Sheppard, and Raymond get the honorable mentions.

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KHL Western Conference Quarterfinals Day 4 2014

Today is the last day of guaranteed games out west. We begin in...

Moscow, as CSKA hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Jeff Glass protect the nets. Moscow led off in the first period with a power play goal by Nikita Zaitsev, powered by Andrei Pervyshin and Jan Mursak. CSKA added on in the second period as Yakov Rylov scored, with a lone assist by Igor Fefelov. St. Petersburg got on the board with a power play goal by Patrick Thoresen, assisted by Kevin Dallman and Roman Cervenka. SKA tied it on a Tony Martensson goal, via Thoresen and Cervenka on the power play. Moscow retook the lead on Zaitsev's second power play goal of the game, coming off of Deron Quint. CSKA extended the lead with a Nikolai Prokhorkin third period goal, courtesy of Enver Lisin and Igor Grigorenko. St. Petersburg got one back with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, with a lone helper by Maxim Chudinov. SKA tied it on a Cervenka goal, guided in by Dallman and Dmitry Kalinin. St. Petersburg won 5-4 in overtime with an unassisted goal by Alexei Ponikarovsky. The three stars were Cervenka, Zaitsev, and Dallman, while Thoresen gets an honorable mention. SKA completes the 4-0 series sweep and advances to the Conference Semifinals.

Northeast to Yaroslavl, where Lokomotiv welcomes Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Curtis Sanford are between the pipes. Moscow got going in the second period with a Maxim Pestushko goal, assisted by Leo Komarov. Yaroslavl tied it on a Geoff Platt power play goal, powered by Ilya Gorokhov. Dynamo took the lead back on a Marek Kvapil power play goal, via Dmitry Pestunov and Maxim Solovyov. Lokomotiv tied it again in the third period with a power play goal from Staffan Kronwall, fueled by Sergei Plotnikov and Daniil Apalkov. Yaroslavl won 3-2 in overtime with a Mikelis Redlihs goal, coming off of Gorokhov and Janis Sprukts. The three stars went to Redlihs, Gorokhov, and Kronwall. The series is now tied at 2 as it heads back to Moscow.

Out in Riga, Dinamo brings in Donbass Donetsk. Jan Laco and Jakub Sedlacek are the backups making spot starts. Donetsk began in the first period with a Teemu Laine goal, fueled by Tuomas Kiiskinen and Clay Wilson. Donbass added on in the second period with a Maxim Yakutsenya goal, with a lone assist by Evgeny Dadonov. Donetsk extended the lead in the third period as Sergei Varlamov scored, thanks to Lukas Kaspar. Riga got on the board with a Gints Meija goal, coming off of Maris Bicevskis and Georgijs Pujacs. Donbass iced it at 4-1 with a Kiiskinen empty net goal, set up by Laine. The three stars were Laine, Laco (24 for 25 in saves), and Kiiskinen. Donbass leads the series 3-1 as they head back home.

Finally, in Zagreb, Medvescak hosts Lev Prague. Petri Vehanen and Mark Dekanich draw the starts. Prague dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Jakub Matai goal, via Lukas Cingel and Jakub Nakladal. Lev added on with a power play goal by Mikko Maenpaa goal, powered by Nathan Oystrick and Martin Thornberg. Zagreb got on the board in the third period with an Alan Letang goal, guided in by Boyd Kane. Prague shot back on a David Ullstrom goal, coming off of Jiri Novotny. Medvescak got one back with a Matt Ellison goal, coming off of Charles Linglet. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Ullstrom, Maenpaa, and Matai. Lev won the series 4-0, sweeping Medvescak out of the playoffs.

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KHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Day 3 2014

Four more quarterfinals today for the Eastern Conference, beginning in...

Vladivostok, as Admiral hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Evgeny Ivannikov protect the nets. Vladivostok was first to score in the first period on a Felix Schutz goal, assisted by Niclas Bergfors and Richard Gynge. Magnitogorsk tied it with a Danis Zaripov power play goal, powered by Sergei Mozyakin and Jan Kovar. Admiral retook the lead in the second period with a power play goal by Ilya Zubov, coming off of Igor Bortnikov and Justin Hodgman. Metallurg tied it on a Mikhail Yunkov goal, passed from Oskar Osala. Vladivostok pulled ahead on another Schutz goal, with a lone assist by Gynge. Magnitogorsk tied it once again in the third period with a Chris Lee goal, made possible by Zaripov and Kovar. Admiral won 4-3 in the second overtime with Zubov's second of the game, via Bortnikov. The three stars were given to Zubov, Schutz, and Zaripov, while Gynge, Bortnikov, and Kovar get the honorable mentions. Metallurg has a 2-1 series lead.

Over in Novosibirsk, Sibir welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Konstantin Barulin and Mikko Koskinen are the masked men. Novosibirsk struck first in the first period with a Jonas Enlund power play goal, powered by Vyacheslav Belov and Dmitry Monya. Sibir added on with another Enlund power play goal, guided in by Ivan Lekomtsev and Belov. Novosibirsk extended the lead in the second period as Enlund finished his natural hat trick, with a lone assist by Yegor Martynov. Sibir padded the lead with a Monya goal, helped along by Jori Lehtera. Emil Garipov relieved Barulin at this time. Novosibirsk kept going on an Igor Ignatushkin goal, passed from Alexander Romanov. Sibir struck again as Alexei Kopeikin scored, thanks to Lehtera. Kazan got on the board with a power play goal by Mikhail Varnakov, made possible by Ilya Nikulin. Novosibirsk finished it at 7-1 with an Oleg Gubin power play goal, courtesy of Alexander Kutuzov and Sergei Shumakov. The three stars were Enlund, Monya, and Lehtera. Sibir takes a 2-1 series lead.

Westward to Yekaterinburg, where Avtomobilist brings in Barys Astana. Vitaly Yeremeyev and Jakub Kovar are in the creases. Yekaterinburg opened in the first period with an Artyom Chernov goal, guided in by Anton Lazarev. Astana tied it on a Konstantin Romanov goal in the second period, passed from Konstantin Rudenko. Barys took the lead in the third period with a Rudenko goal, fueled by Brandon Bochenski. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Rudenko, Yeremeyev (26 for 27 in saves), and Romanov. Barys has a 3-0 series lead, leaving Avtomobilist on the brink.

Finally, in Nizhny Novgorod, Torpedo hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Andrei Vasilevsky and Ivan Kasutin draw the starts. Ufa started in the first period with a Igor Mirnov goal, passed from Kirill Koltsov and Alexei Kaigorodov. Nizhny Novgorod tied it in the third period as Mikhail Grigoryev scored, thanks to Alexei Potapov and Roman Konkov. Salavat Yulaev won 2-1 in the third overtime with an Alexander Stepanov goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Stepanov, Vasilevsky (52 for 53), and Kasutin (50 for 52 in saves). Torpedo still has a 2-1 series lead.

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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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