KHL September 30th, 2014

Nine games to work with today, beginning in...

Khabarovsk, as Amur hosts Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Sergei Borisov are the solid goalies. Cherepovets began in the first period with a Sergei Kuptsov goal, fueled by Andrei Shefer and Pavel Chernov. Severstal added on in the second period as Shefer scored, thanks to Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Cherepovets extended the lead with an Anatoly Nikontsev goal, via Kagarlitsky and Gennady Stolyarov. Khabarovsk got on the board as Dmitry Tarasov converted a penalty shot he received after he was tripped by Pavel Lukin. Severstal shot back with a Sergei Monakhov goal, with a lone assist by Evgeny Mons. Cherepovets padded the lead on another Nikontsev goal in the third period, passed from Marek Kvapil. Amur got one back with a Mikhail Fisenko goal, assisted by Rastislav Spirko and Tarasov. Khabarovsk pulled closer on a power play goal by Dmitry Lugin, powered by Spirko and Tarasov. Amur chipped away at the deficit again with another Lugin goal, again set up by Spirko and Tarasov. They couldn't tie the game, losing 5-4, with the three stars going to Nikontsev, Tarasov, and Lugin, while Spirko, Shefer, and Kagarlitsky get the honorable mentions.

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ivan Kasutin and Ilya Proskuryakov draw the starts in goal. Nizhny Novgorod was first to score in the first period with a Wojtek Wolski goal, via Sakari Salminen and Jarkko Immonen. Vladivostok tied it in the second period with a Niclas Bergfors goal, coming off of Jan Kolar. Admiral took the lead as Bergfors scored an unassisted goal in the third period. Vladivostok added on as Artyom Zemchyonok scored, thanks to Alexander Gorshkov. Admiral iced it at 4-1 with an Enver Lisin empty net goal, set up by Alexander Goroshansky and Kolar. The three stars went to Bergfors, Proskuryakov (25 for 26 in saves), and Kolar.

West a little to Novosibirsk, as Sibir brings in CSKA Moscow. Stanislav Galimov and Mikko Koskinen guard the cages. Novosibirsk got going in the second period on a Patrik Hersley power play goal, powered by Andrei Konev and Dmitry Monya. Moscow tied it with a Stephane Da Costa goal, assisted by Alexander Radulov. CSKA took the lead in the third period with a Nikolai Prokhorkin goal, courtesy of Chad Billins and Andrei Stas on the power play. Sibir tied it as Oleg Gubin scored, with a lone helper by Andreas Thuresson. Moscow took the lead back on a Radulov goal, helped along by Nikita Zaitsev. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Radulov, Prokhorkin, and Galimov (32 for 34 in saves).

Further west to Chelyabinsk, where Traktor hosts Avangard Omsk. Konstantin Barulin and Vasily Demchenko are in the blue paint. Omsk dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Sergei Shirokov power play goal, powered by Denis Parshin and Vladimir Sobotka. Avangard added on as Shirokov scored again, with the help of Nikita Pivtsakin. Omsk extended the lead on an Erik Gustafsson goal, courtesy of Kirill Lyamin and Sobotka. Chelyabinsk got on the board with a Deron Quint goal, made possible by Andrei Popov and Maxim Kondratyev. Traktor pulled closer with a third period goal by Konstantin Panov, fueled by Jan Bulis. Avangard finished it at 4-2 with a Parshin goal, helped along by Shirokov and Sobotka, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars went to Shirokov, Sobotka, and Parshin.

Back in Yekaterinburg, Avtomobilist welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Jakub Kovar are the masked men. Magnitogorsk struck first in the first period with a Danis Zaripov goal, assisted by Sergei Mozyakin and Evgeny Biryukov. Metallurg added on with a Mozyakin goal, fueled by Zaripov and Jan Kovar. Magnitogorsk extended the lead in the second period as Evgeny Grigorenko scored, thanks to Chris Lee and Vladislav Kamenev. Metallurg padded the lead on a Kamenev goal, with a lone assist by Mozyakin. Yekaterinburg got on the board with a Gilbert Brule goal, via Alexei Mikhnov. The scoring ended here, with the final at 4-1. Mozyakin, Zaripov, and Kamenev received the three stars.

Over in Khanty-Mansiysk, Yugra brings in Barys Astana. Jan Laco and Stepan Goryachevskikh are in the creases. Astana opened with a third period Dustin Boyd power play goal, courtesy of Brandon Bochenski and Mike Lundin. Barys added on with a shorthanded empty net goal by Oskars Bartulis with nearly eight minutes left in regulation, set up by Lundin. Khanty-Mansiysk got one back late as Lukas Kaspar scored an unassisted power play goal. The final came out to be an odd 2-1, with Lundin, Boyd, and Laco (34 for 35 in saves) being named the three stars.

Westward to Nizhnekamsk, as Neftekhimik hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Anders Nilsson and Ville Kolppanen are set to start in goal. Nizhnekamsk led off in the first period with a Yaroslav Alshevsky goal, via Stanislav Alshevsky and Pyotr Khokhryakov. Neftekhimik added on with a Dan Sexton power play goal, powered by Nikolai Belov. Kazan got on the board in the second period with a Fyodor Malykhin goal, passed from Mikhail Varnakov and Shaun Heshka. Ak Bars tied it with an Ilya Nikulin goal, courtesy of Igor Mirnov and Sergei Kostitsyn. Kazan took the lead in the third period with an unassisted Janne Pesonen goal. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Pesonen, and Nikulin, and Malykhin.

Close by, Lada Togliatti welcomes Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Vitaly Koval and Jeff Glass are the veteran goalies. Ufa started with a first period Ilkka Heikkinen power play goal, powered by Andrei Zubarev and Dmitry Makarov. Salavat Yulaev added on with a third period Evgeny Skachkov goal, assisted by Antti Pihlstrom and Kirill Koltsov. This was good for a 2-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Koval (28 save shutout), Heikkinen, and Skachkov.

Finally, Dynamo Moscow brings in Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Alexander Yeryomenko are the goalies with fun names. Moscow began in the first period with a Denis Mosalyov goal, fueled by Denis Kokarev. Podolsk tied it with a Nikita Vyglazov goal, passed from Georgy Berdyukov. Dynamo took the lead back with a Sergei Soin goal, courtesy of Mosalyov and Gleb Koryagin. Moscow added on with a Maxim Pestushko goal, assisted by Maxim Solovyov and Kaspars Daugavins. Igor Saprykin relieved Sateri at this time. Dynamo extended their lead with another Pestushko goal, made possible by Konstantin Gorovikov and Koryagin. Moscow padded the lead with a power play goal by Yury Babenko in the second period, powered by Alexei Tereshchenko and Nikolai Zherdev. Vityaz got one back with a Maxim Afinogenov goal, coming off of Ivan Vereshchagin and Roman Horak. Podolsk pulled closer with a Dmitry Shitikov goal, via Mikhail Yakubov and Konstantin Klimontov. Dynamo shot back with a power play goal in the third period by Mosalyov, with helpers from Kokarev and Dmitry Vishnevsky. Vityaz replied with a Shitikov power play goal, pushed through by Yakubov and Berdyukov. They failed to get closer, falling 6-4. The three stars were awarded to Pestushko, Mosalyov, and Shitikov, while Kokarev, Berdyukov, Koryagin, and Yakubov get the honorable mentions.

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Premier League Week 6

Welcome to Week 6, with ten games again. We begin with...

Liverpool hosting Everton. Tim Howard and Simon Mignolet are the goalies. In the second minute, Everton's Gareth Barry took a yellow card for his foul. It took until the sixty-fifth minute to see a goal, coming off the foot of Steven Gerrard on a free kick. Gerrard picked up a yellow card in the sixty-seventh minute for a foul. Everton tied it a minute into stoppage time with a Phil Jagielka goal. Liverpool took a yellow card for an Alberto Moreno foul during stoppage time. The score stayed level at 1-1 for a final.

Moving along to Chelsea welcoming Aston Villa. Brad Guzan and Thibaut Courtois are the gloved men. Chelsea began in the seventh minute with a goal by Oscar, with an assist by Willian. In the twenty-sixth minute, Chelsea's Gary Cahill took a yellow card for a foul. Aston Villa picked up a yellow card with a foul by Tom Cleverley in the fifty-first minute. Cesc Fabregas gave Chelsea another yellow card with a foul in the fifty-eighth minute. In the fifty-ninth minute, Diego Costa extended the Chelsea lead with a goal, made possible by a cross from Cesar Azpilicueta. In the sixty-second minute, Aston Villa's Philippe Senderos was given a yellow card for a foul. Chelsea added on in the seventy-ninth minute with a Willian goal from close range. They went on for a 3-0 win.

Next up, Crystal Palace brings in Leicester City. Kasper Schmeichel and Julian Speroni protect the woodwork. In the fifty-first minute, Crystal Palace got things going with a goal by Fraizer Campbell, courtesy of Scott Dann after a corner kick. Crystal Palace added on in the fifty-fourth minute on a Mile Jedinak goal, via Jason Puncheon's cross after a set piece. Leicester City took a pair of yellow cards late in the game, going to Danny Simpson in the eighty-fifth minute and Jamie Vardy in stoppage time, both for fouls. Crystal Palace claimed a 2-0 win in the end.

Continuing to Hull City hosting Manchester City. Willy Caballero is mismatched with Allan McGregor in goal. Manchester City was first to score in the seventh minute on a Sergio Aguero goal, set up with a headed pass by Pablo Zabaleta. Manchester City added on in the eleventh minute on an Edin Dzeko goal, via David Silva. Hull City got on the board with a gift as Eliaquim Mangala put the ball in his own net in the twenty-first minute. Mangala's day got worse when he gave Manchester City their first yellow card for a foul in the thirty-first minute. Even worse for him, Abel Hernandez scored on the penalty kick to bring Hull City level a minute later. Manchester City got the lead back on a Dzeko goal in the sixty-eighth minute, coming off of Silva. In the eighty-fourth minute, Manchester City saw another booking coming their way on a yellow card for Gael Clichy. Manchester City capped it off with a Frank Lampard goal in the eighty-seventh minute, thanks to Zabaleta to make it 4-2 as a final.

Now, Manchester United welcomes West Ham United. Adrian and David de Gea protect the nets. In the third minute, West Ham saw Alexandre Song booked on a yellow card for a foul. Manchester United opened in the fifth minute on a Wayne Rooney goal, courtesy of Rafael's cross. Manchester United added on in the twenty-second minute as Robin van Persie scored, thanks to Falcao. West Ham got on the board with a Diafra Sakho scored in the thirty-seventh minute on a header from close range after a corner kick. In the forty-eighth minute, Manchester United's Ander Herrera was given a yellow card for a foul. Manchester United went down to ten men in the fifty-ninth as Rooney was ejected on a straight red card. West Ham had two yellow cards in a row, going to Sakho in the seventy-second minute and Adrian in stoppage time, the former for a foul and the latter for a hand ball outside of the keeper's area. Despite the manpower deficit, Manchester United won 2-1 in the end.

Moving along to Southampton bringing in the Queens Park Rangers. Robert Green and Fraser Forster man the nets. In the twenty-sixth minute, Southampton took a yellow card for a Nathaniel Clyne foul. QPR took the next yellow card in the thirtieth minute on a foul by Karl Henry. Southampton replied with a yellow card for Sadio Mane's foul in the thirty-third minute. Southampton led off the scoring in the fifty-fourth minute with a Ryan Bertrand goal, with a helper from Mane. QPR tied it in the sixty-sixth minute as Charlie Austin scored, thanks to Eduardo Vargas. Southampton pulled ahead on a sixty-eighth minute Graziano Pelle goal, via Dusan Tadic's headed pass. This was good for a 2-1 win for Southampton.

Continuing along to Sunderland hosting Swansea City. Lukasz Fabianski and Vito Mannone are the keepers. Sunderland took a yellow card for a forty-fourth minute foul by Lee Cattermole. Swansea City had a pair of yellow cards early in the second half, going to Ashley Williams in the fiftieth minute and Angel Rangel in the sixtieth minute, both for fouls. In the seventy-fifth minute, Sunderland was hit with another yellow card for a foul by Billy Jones. Swansea City went down to ten men in the eighty-first minute as Rangel collected a second yellow card for a foul. They held on from here to maintain the scoreless draw as a final.

Closing out Saturday, Arsenal welcomes Tottenham Hotspur. Hugo Lloris and Wojciech Szczesny are given the starting nods in goal. Arsenal had the first booking, as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was given a yellow card for his twelfth minute foul. Arsenal took another yellow card in the twenty-second minute for a Jack Wilshere foul. In the twenty-seventh minute, Erik Lamela of Tottenham Hotspur was given a yellow card for his foul. In the fifty-sixth minute, Nacer Chadli put Tottenham Hotspur on the board first with a goal, made possible by Lamela, but Chadli drew the ire of the referee and got a yellow card for excessive celebration. Tottenham Hotspur saw the referee a couple more times, as Aaron Lennon and Ryan Mason got yellow cards for fouls in the sixty-eighth and seventy-second minutes, respectively. Arsenal tied the game with an Oxlade-Chamberlain goal in the seventy-fourth minute. Tottenham Hotspur got another yellow card for an eighty-third minute foul by Danny Rose. Arsenal saw a yellow card given to Calum Chambers in the eighty-sixth minute for his foul. The final score stood level at 1-1.

Sunday's game features West Bromwich Albion bringing in Burnley. Tom Heaton and Ben Foster will play goal. West Brom began in the thirtieth minute with a Craig Dawson header goal, passed on a cross after a corner kick from Chris Brunt. West Brom added on in first half stoppage time with a Saido Berahino header goal, after a header pass from Graham Dorrans following a corner kick. In the forty-seventh minute, Burnley took a yellow card for a Nathaniel Chalobah foul. West Brom extended their lead as Berahino scored again in the fifty-sixth minute, and Dorrans had the assist for his through ball. In the seventy-fifth minute, Dorrans was booked on a yellow card. Ben Mee of Burnley took a yellow card for his eighty-ninth minute foul. West Brom iced it at 4-0 with a Dorrans goal in the ninetieth minute, with an assist from Cristian Gamboa.

Finally, on Monday, Stoke City hosts Newcastle United. Tim Krul and Asmir Begovic are the keepers. Stoke City began in the fifteenth minute with a goal by Peter Crouch, via a cross from Victor Moses. In the forty-first minute, Newcastle United's Jack Colback was given a yellow card for his foul. Newcastle United had another booking for a foul by Papiss Demba Cisse in the sixtieth minute. Stoke City had a yellow card go to Glenn Whelan for his foul in the sixty-fourth minute. The score held to favor Stoke City 1-0 in the end.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

KHL September 29th, 2014

Four games on for today, beginning with...

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosting the Sochi Leopards. Andrei Gavrilov is mismatched with Curtis Sanford in goal. Sochi opened in the first period with a Nikita Shchitov goal, passed from Clay Wilson and Yegor Morozov on the power play. Yaroslavl tied it on a second period goal by Yegor Averin, assisted by Daniil Apalkov. Lokomotiv took the lead with a power play goal by Geoff Platt, powered by Jiri Novotny and Martin Thornberg. Yaroslavl added on with an Averin power play goal, made possible by Thornberg and Ilya Gorokhov. Lokomotiv iced it at 4-1 with a Thornberg goal on the power play in the third period, courtesy of Jonas Holos and Gorokhov. The three stars were handed to Averin, Thornberg, and Gorokhov.

Up in Helsinki, Jokerit welcomes Dinamo Riga. Edgars Masalskis and Riku Helenius are in the blue paint. Riga began with a first period goal by Miks Indrasis, courtesy of Gints Meija and Maris Bicevskis. Helsinki tied it on a power play goal by Niklas Hagman, powered by Juhamatti Aaltonen and Ville Lajunen. Dinamo took the lead back in the second period on a Meija goal, fueled by Indrasis and Bicevskis. Jokerit tied it again with an Oskari Korpikari goal, with a lone helper from Daine Todd. Helsinki took the lead in the third period as Topi Jaakola scored, thanks to Steve Moses and Ossi Vaananen. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Indrasis, Meija, and Bicevskis.

Out in Slovakia, Slovan Bratislava brings in Dinamo Minsk. Dmitry Milchakov and Jaroslav Janus are between the pipes. Bratislava got going in the second period on a Vaclav Nedorost goal, via Michal Vondrka and Ladislav Nagy on the power play. Minsk tied it with a Paul Szczechura goal, coming off of Alexei Kalyuzhny and Jonathan Cheechoo. Slovan took the lead back in the third period as Andrej Stastny scored, thanks to Tomas Netik. Dinamo tied it with a power play goal by Artur Gavrus, powered by Nick Bailen and the goalie Milchakov. Slovan won 3-2 with goals in the shootout by Nagy and Netik. The three stars were given to Netik, Nagy, and Janus (26 for 28 in saves).

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Mark Dekanich protect the nets. Zagreb started in the first period with a Matt Anderson power play goal, going in unassisted. St. Petersburg tied it on a Patrick Thoresen goal, via Viktor Tikhonov on the power play. SKA took the lead with a Vadim Shipachyov goal, courtesy of Artemy Panarin and Evgeny Dadonov. St. Petersburg added on in the second period with a Tony Martensson goal, guided in by Thoresen and Anton Belov. SKA extended the lead on an unassisted goal by Martensson. St. Petersburg padded the lead with a Dadonov goal, fueled by Yury Alexandrov and Shipachyov. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars being Martensson, Thoresen, and Shipachyov, while Dadonov gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

MLS Weekend September 26-28, 2014

Nine more games this weekend, beginning in...

Kansas City, as Sporting hosts the New England Revolution on Friday night. Bobby Shuttleworth and Eric Kronberg are in goal. New England got a yellow card for a Daigo Kobayashi foul in the eighth minute. The Revolution started in the twenty-second minute with a Kelyn Rowe goal, guided in by Kevin Alston and Teal Bunbury. New England added on in the thirty-fifth minute with a Jose Goncalves goal, going in unassisted. Kansas City picked up a yellow card for a thirty-ninth minute foul by Jorge Claros. Sporting got on the board in the fifty-fourth minute as Paulo Nagamura scored, with the help of Kevin Ellis. Kansas City tied it as Dominic Dwyer scored in the fifty-sixth minute, thanks to Nagamura and Toni. Sporting took another yellow card in the sixtieth minute for dissent by Graham Zusi. The Revolution pulled ahead with an eighty-fifth minute Jermaine Jones goal, courtesy of Lee Nguyen. There was a flurry of yellow cards near the end of the game. New England's Goncalves got one for a foul in the eighty-ninth minute, followed by Kansas City's Matt Besler getting one for a foul a minute later. In stoppage time, the Revolution had another yellow card issued to Charlie Davies for a dive. The final stood at 3-2, with the man of the match being Nagamura for his goal and assist.

Saturday's first game comes from Canada, as Toronto FC welcomes the Portland Timbers. Donovan Ricketts and Joe Bendik draw the starts in goal. Portland struck first in the thirteenth minute with a Fanendo Adi goal, coming off of Diego Chara. The Timbers added on in the sixteenth minute as Steven Caldwell put the ball in his own net for an own goal. In the seventh minute of first half stoppage time, Portland's Chara was given a yellow card for a foul. Toronto got on the board with a sixty-second minute Nick Hagglund goal, via Daniel Lovitz. Toronto tied it as Hagglund scored again in the seventieth minute, thanks to Gilberto and Michael Bradley. The Timbers took another yellow card in the eighty-eighth minute for a Diego Valeri foul. Toronto took the lead in the eighty-ninth minute as Bradley scored an unassisted goal. In the first minute of second half stoppage time, Toronto's Luke Moore was given a yellow card for a foul. It didn't impact their 3-2, come-from-behind win. The man of the match was Hagglund for his tying brace.

Back stateside, DC United brings in the Philadelphia Union. Rais Mbolhi and Bill Hamid are in the six-yard boxes. DC began with a tenth minute goal by Luis Silva, thanks to Chris Korb. United took a yellow card for an eighty-sixth minute hand ball by Perry Kitchen. Philadelphia had a yellow card for a Maurice Edu foul in the ninetieth minute. The final stood at 1-0, and Silva was the man of the match for his goal.

Out west, the Seattle Sounders FC host Chivas USA. Dan Kennedy and Stefan Frei are the gloved men. Chivas struck first in the twelfth minute with an unassisted Erick Torres goal. Chivas took a yellow card in the thirteenth minute for an Oswaldo Minda foul. Seattle tied it in the fourteenth minute with an Obafemi Martins goal, courtesy of Marco Pappa. Chivas took the lead back when Jalil Anibaba put the ball in his own net for an own goal. The Sounders retied it in the thirty-seventh minute on a Lamar Neagle goal. In the first minute of first half stoppage time, Clint Dempsey gave Seattle the lead with his goal, set up by Martins. The Sounders extended their lead with a Martins goal in the fifty-first minute, helped along by Neagle. Chivas was booked again in the seventy-eighth minute for a Bobby Burling foul. The final rested at 4-2 favoring Seattle, and the man of the match was Martins for his brace and an assist.

A little north, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC welcome Real Salt Lake. Jeff Attinella is mismatched with David Ousted in goal. Vancouver had a yellow card for a thirty-sixth minute foul by Steven Beitashour. Salt Lake led off in the fifty-seventh minute with a Nat Borchers goal, via Javier Morales. Real took a yellow card for a Carlos Salcedo foul in the sixtieth minute. The Whitecaps tied it on a sixty-second minute penalty kick goal by Pedro Morales. Vancouver took another yellow card on a Russell Teibert foul in the sixty-third minute. The Whitecaps took the lead as Morales scored again in the seventy-eighth minute, with helpers from Beitashour and Kekuta Manneh, but Morales also took a yellow card for unsporting behavior in the seventy-ninth minute. The final stood at 2-1, and Morales was the man of the match with his brace.

Back east, the Columbus Crew bring in the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Steve Clark are the goalies. Columbus opened in the second minute on an Ethan Finlay goal, set up by Wil Trapp. The Crew took a yellow card in the forty-ninth minute for a Tony Tchani foul. Montreal's Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare was given a yellow card in the fifty-sixth minute for his foul. Columbus cashed in on the penalty kick from that offense, as Federico Higuain converted to extend the lead. The Crew took another pair of yellow cards for fouls by Tyson Wahl and Finlay in the sixty-third and sixty-seventh minutes, respectively. The Impact had a yellow card for a Matteo Ferrari foul in the seventy-seventh minute. The final was 2-0, and the man of the match was Finlay for his quick, tone-setting goal.

Wrapping up Saturday, the Colorado Rapids host the San Jose Earthquakes. Jon Busch and Joe Nasco draw the starts in goal. Colorado took a yellow card for a Shane O'Neill foul in the eleventh minute. San Jose also had a booking for a twenty-second minute foul by Pablo Pintos. Colorado took another yellow card for a seventy-fourth minute foul by Marvell Wynne. The Rapids got on the board in the eighty-fourth minute with a Gabriel Torres goal, via Chris Klute and Dillon Serna. The Earthquakes had a yellow card given to Atiba Harris in stoppage time. Harris made up for his foul and booking by scoring three minutes later to tie the game, with the help of Matias Perez Garcia. The final stood at 1-1, and Harris' equalizer earned him man of the match honors.

Finally, the two Sunday games. The first saw the Houston Dynamo welcome the Chicago Fire. Sean Johnson and Tyler Deric man the nets. Houston's Ricardo Clark took a yellow card in the tenth minute for his foul. The Dynamo started the scoring with a fifteenth minute goal by Omar Cummings, set up by Clark. Houston took another yellow for unsporting behavior by David Horst in the twenty-first minute. Chicago had a yellow card in the forty-seventh minute as Gonzalo Segares committed a foul. The Fire had another booking for a foul by Jeff Larentowicz in the sixty-fifth minute. The Dynamo extended their lead in the sixty-seventh minute on an Oscar Garcia goal, via Brad Davis and Kofi Sarkodie. The final stood from here at 2-0, with the man of the match being Deric for his clean sheet with three saves.

Finishing up this weekend, the Los Angeles Galaxy bring in the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Jaime Penedo are the solid keepers. Los Angeles opened with an eighth minute Robbie Keane goal, passed from Landon Donovan. The Galaxy added on as Donovan scored in the fiftieth minute. New York took a yellow card in the sixty-seventh minute for a Jamison Olave foul. Los Angeles extended their lead in the sixty-ninth minute on a Gyasi Zardes goal, via Donovan. The Galaxy padded the lead with a second goal by Keane, going in unassisted. This made it 4-0, the final, and the man of the match was Keane for his brace.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL September 27th, 2014

Eleven games on a busy day today, beginning with...

Avangard Omsk hosting the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Konstantin Barulin are set to start. Omsk led off in the first period with an Ivan Nepryayev goal, with a lone assist by Nikolai Lemtyugov. Avangard added on as Andrei Ivanov scored, thanks to Alexander Popov and Tom Wandell. Omsk extended the lead with a shorthanded and unassisted Sergei Kalinin goal. Avangard padded the lead on an unassisted Denis Parshin goal in the second period. Omsk kept going with a power play goal by Sergei Shirokov, powered by Alexander Perezhogin. Ilya Krikunov got Sochi on the board with a goal, coming off of Nikita Shchitov and Igor Ignatushkin. Avangard shot back on a Popov shorthanded goal, set up by Wandell. Omsk struck again in the third period as Shirokov scored again, with the help of Parshin and Denis Kulyash. Avangard finished it at 8-1 with a Kirill Semyonov goal, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Shirokov, Parshin, and Popov, while Wandell gets an honorable mention.

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana welcomes Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Jan Laco are in the creases. Moscow dented the scoreboard in the second period on an unassisted Martins Karsums goal. Dynamo added on with a Kaspars Daugavins goal, fueled by Konstantin Gorovikov and Maxim Pestushko. Astana got on the board with a Konstantin Pushkaryov goal, guided in by Nikita Tserenok and Dmitry Upper. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Yeryomenko (35 for 36 in saves), Daugavins, and Karsums.

Back in Russia, we have Metallurg Magnitogorsk bringing in Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Ilya Sorokin and Vasily Koshechkin are the masked men. Magnitogorsk was first to score in the first period on a Bogdan Potekhin goal, via Sergei Tereshchenko. Magnitogorsk added on as Potekhin scored an unassisted goal in the second period. Magnitogorsk extended the lead with a Rafael Batyrshin power play goal in the second period, powered by Jan Kovar and Alexei Bereglazov. Novokuznetsk got on the board with a Mikhail Plotnikov goal, assisted by Cade Fairchild and Ryan Stoa. Magnitogorsk shot back in the third period with a Kovar power play goal, courtesy of Danis Zaripov and Batyrshin. This was good for a 4-1 win, with the three stars going to Potekhin, Kovar, and Batyrshin.

Up to Yekaterinburg, where Avtomobilist hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Sergei Borisov and Jakub Kovar are between the pipes. Yekaterinburg struck first in the first period on a Gilbert Brule goal, with a lone helper by Jakub Petruzalek. Avtomobilist added on in the second period as Alexander Bumagin scored, thanks to Dmitry Megalinsky. Khabarovsk got on the board with a Mikhail Zheleznov goal, assisted by Tommi Taimi and Evgeny Orlov. Yekaterinburg answered in the third period with another Brule goal, helped along by Alexei Simakov and Petruzalek. This made it a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Brule, Kovar (24 for 25 in saves), and Petruzalek.

Out in Riga, Dinamo welcomes Admiral Vladivostok. Ilya Proskuryakov and Jakub Sedlacek receive the starting nods. Riga began in the first period on a Oskars Cibulskis goal, fueled by Krisjanis Rdlihs and Mikelis Redlihs on the power play. Vladivostok tied it in the second period on an Ilya Zubov goal, courtesy of Alexei Ugarov. Dinamo took the lead back on a power play goal by Mikelis Redlihs, powered by Linus Videll and Krisjanis Redlihs. Riga added on in the third period with a Miks Indrasis goal, with a lone assist by Gints Meija. Admiral shot back as Logan Pyett scored, thanks to Niclas Bergfors and Alexander Gorshkov. Dinamo iced it at 4-2 with a Marcel Hossa empty net goal, set up by Pyotr Schastlivy.

Back to Russia again, as CSKA Moscow brings in Dinamo Minsk. Dmitry Milchakov and Kevin Lalande draw the starts. Moscow opened in the first period with an Alexander Radulov goal, fueled by Jan Mursak. CSKA added on in the second period with a Stephane Da Costa power play goal, powered by Radulov and Nikita Zaitsev. This held up for a 2-0 final, with the three stars belonging to Radulov, Lalande (15 save shutout), and Da Costa.

East to Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ville Kolppanen and Ivan Kasutin man the nets. Nizhny Novgorod got going in the second period with an unassisted power play goal by Sakari Salminen. Torpedo added on with a power play goal by Wojtek Wolski, powered by Juuso Hietanen and Salminen. Nizhnekamsk got on the board with a Maxim Trunyov power play goal, coming off of Dmitry Kosmachyov and Pavel Kulikov. Nizhny Novgorod answered with a power play goal by Hietanen, courtesy of Wolski and Alexander Makarov. Neftekhimik replied with a Gleb Klimenko power play goal, assisted by Josh Hennessy and Nikolai Belov. Nizhnekamsk tied it on a third period Dan Sexton goal, fueled by Tim Stapleton and Alexander Yevseyenkov. Torpedo took the lead back on a Vladimir Galuzin goal, going in unassisted. Nizhny Novgorod extended the lead as Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev scored a power play goal, thanks to Galuzin and Sergei Demagin. Neftekhimik clawed back with a Yevseyenkov goal, guided in by Stapleton and Yegor Milovzorov. Nizhnekamsk tied it again with a Maxim Rybin goal, passed from Sexton and Yevseyenkov. Neftekhimik completed the rally with an overtime goal by Pyotr Khokryakov, going in unassisted for the 6-5 win. The three stars went to Yevseyenkov, Hietanen, and Sexton, while Wolski, Salminen, Stapleton, and Galuzin all get honorable mentions.

Over to Cherepovets, where Severstal welcomes Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Jakub Stepanek have the green light to start. Cherepovets started in the first period with a Sergei Monakhov power play goal, powered by Evgeny Mons and Pavel Chernov. Severstal added on as Nikolai Kazakovtsev scored, thanks to Sergei Kuptsov. Cherepovets extended the lead as Mons scored, with the help of Chernov and Monakhov. Togliatti got on the board with a Marat Fakhrutdinov goal, with a lone assist by Peter Podhradsky. Lada pulled closer with a second period Stanislav Bocharov goal, fueled by Martin Zatovic and Andrei Nikitenko. Severstal shot back in the third period on a David Ullstrom power play goal, assisted by Anatoly Nikontsev. Togliatti got one back on an unassisted Fakhrutdinov goal. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Monakhov, Mons, and Fakhrutdinov, while Chernov gets an honorable mention.

Into St. Petersburg, where SKA brings in Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Alexander Salak guard the cages. St. Petersburg led off in the first period with a Vadim Shipachyov goal, via Artemy Panarin and Ilya Kovalchuk on the power play. Podolsk tied it in the second period on a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, assisted by Anton Korolyov. SKA took the lead back with an Andrei Kuteikin power play goal, powered by Evgeny Dadonov and Shipachyov. St. Petersburg added on in the third period with a Jimmie Ericsson goal, fueled by Kovalchuk and Dmitry Kalinin. SKA extended the lead with a Kalinin goal, guided in by Dadonov and Tony Martensson. St. Petersburg padded the lead on a Dadonov power play goal, helped along by Panarin and Shipachyov. SKA kept going on another Dadonov goal, with a lone helper from Viktor Tikhonov. St. Petersburg continued as Dadonov completed his natural hat trick, with the help of Panarin and Shipachyov, both of whom got sock tricks. The final stood at 7-1, with the three stars being Dadonov, Panarin, and Shipachyov, while Kovalchuk, and Kalinin got the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Kazan, as Ak Bars hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Mikko Koskinen and Emil Garipov are in the blue paint. Kazan began in the first period on an Alexander Burmistrov power play goal, powered by Shaun Heshka. Ak Bars added on with an Evgeny Bodrov goal, fueled by Alexander Svitov. Kazan extended the lead as Igor Mirnov scored, thanks to Konstantin Korneyev and Justin Azevedo. Ak Bars padded the lead on a Svitov goal, coming off of Bodrov and Yakov Rylov. Kazan struck again in the third period with another Bodrov goal, guided in by Dmitry Obukhov and Svitov. Novosibirsk got on the board with an Andreas Thuresson goal, courtesy of Jonas Enlund. Sibir pulled closer with a Vladimir Butuzov goal, assisted by Viktor Bobrov. This only made it a 5-2 final, with the three stars going to Bodrov, Svitov, and Garipov (34 for 36 in saves).

Finally, we end in Finland, as Jokerit Helsinki hosts Atlant Mytishchi. Atte Engren is mismatched with Riku Helenius in goal. Mytishchi struck first in the first period on a shorthanded Sergei Shmelyov goal, set up by Matthew Gilroy. Helsinki tied it with a Niko Kapanen power play goal, powered by Ryan Gunderson and Juhamatti Aaltonen. Jokerit took the lead on a Kurtis McLean goal, fueled by Jere Sallinen. Helsinki added on in the second period as Petr Koukal scored, thanks to Johan Harju and Ossi Vaananen. Jokerit extended the lead on a Steve Moses goal, assisted by Koukal and Tommi Huhtala. Atlant got one back on a Vitaly Novopashin goal, passed from Konstantin Koltsov. There was no scoring in the third period, for a 4-2 final score. The three stars went to Koukal, Moses, and Shmelyov.

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KHL September 26th, 2014

Three games on for today, beginning in...

Ufa, as Salavat Yulaev hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Vitalys Kolesnik and Koval are the goalies. Ufa got going in the second period with a Dmitry Makarov goal, fueled by Ivan Lekomtsev and Teemu Hartikainen. Salavat Yulaev added on with a Denis Tolpeko goal, courtesy of Ivan Vishnevsky and Ilkka Heikkinen on the power play. Ufa extended the lead on an unassisted goal by Anton Slepyshev. Salavat Yulaev padded the lead in the third period with an Alexei Kaigorodov goal, assisted by Kirill Koltsov and Evgeny Skachkov. Yaroslavl got on the board as Jonas Holos scored, thanks to Emil Galimov and Vladislav Kartayev. Ufa shot back with an Antti Pihlstrom goal, made possible by Koltsov and Kaigorodov on the power play. Lokomotiv got one back on a Sergei Konkov goal, with a lone assist by Alexei Kruchinin. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Kaigorodov, Slepyshev, and Koltsov.

Over in Chelyabinsk, Traktor welcomes Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Mikhail Biryukov and Vasily Demchenko are in the blue paint. Chelyabinsk started in the first period with a Stanislav Chistov goal, guided in by Andrei Popov and Anton Glinkin. Traktor added on with a power play goal by Konstantin Panov, powered by Deron Quint and Martin Ruzicka. Chelyabinsk extended the lead in the second period on a Vyacheslav Osnovin goal, passed from Artyom Penkovsky. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board in the third period with a Ben Maxwell goal, helped along by Toni Rajala. Yugra pulled closer with a Philip Larsen goal, with a lone helper from Rajala. Traktor iced it at 4-2 with a Popov goal, set up by Ruzicka. The three stars were Popov, Ruzicka, and Rajala.

Finally, out in Croatia, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Barry Brust are the masked men. Bratislava opened with a first period power play goal by Ladislav Nagy, going in unassisted. Zagreb tied it in the third period with a Bill Thomas power play goal, powered by Pascal Pelletier and Martin St. Pierre. Slovan took the lead back as Nagy scored again, thanks to Ziga Jeglic and Michal Sersen on the power play. Bratislava iced it at 3-1 as Nagy deposited an empty net goal set up by Michal Vondrka. The three stars were Nagy, Janus (20 for 21 in saves), and Thomas.

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KHL September 25th, 2014

Ten games on today, including some real whoppers out there. We begin with...

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg hosting Sibir Novosibirsk. Mikko Koskinen and Jakub Kovar are the goalies. Novosibirsk started in the first period with an Artyom Karavayev goal, courtesy of Andreas Thuresson. Yekaterinburg tied it on a power play goal by Alexander Bumagin, powered by Dmitry Megalinsky and Anton Krysanov. Avtomobilist took the lead with an Alexei Simakov goal, fueled by Megalinsky and Filipp Metlyuk. Sibir tied it in the second period as Konstantin Alexeyev scored, thanks to Oleg Gubin. Novosibirsk won 3-2 in overtime with a Patrik Hersley goal, with a lone assist by Thuresson. The three stars went to Hersley, Thuresson, and Megalinsky.

Down in Magnitogorsk, Metallurg welcomes Amur Khabarovsk. Sergei Borisov and Vasily Koshechkin get the starting nods. Khabarovsk led off in the first period with an Evgeny Orlov goal, courtesy of Mikhail Fisenko. Amur added on as Orlov scored again, with the help of Tommi Taimi on the power play. Alexander Pechursky relieved Koshechkin for the second period. Magnitogorsk got on the board in the second period with a Danis Zaripov goal, guided in by Viktor Antipin and Jan Kovar. Metallurg tied it on an Oskar Osala goal, helped along by Mikhail Yunkov. Magnitogorsk pulled ahead as Zaripov scored an unassisted goal. Metallurg extended their lead with a Denis Platonov goal, coming off of Zaripov. Magnitogorsk padded the lead when Francis Pare scored a power play goal, powered by Alexei Bereglazov. Metallurg kept going in the third period with another Pare goal, made possible by Chris Lee and Rafael Batyrshin. Magnitogorsk struck again when Zaripov finished his hat trick, with a lone helper from Kovar. Borisov was pulled in favor of Sergei Bolshakov at this time. The final stood at 7-2, with the three stars being Zaripov, Pare, and Orlov, while Kovar gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Sochi, where the Leopards bring in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Andrei Gavrilov are in the blue paint. Moscow struck first in the first with a power play goal by Yury Babenko, assisted by Alexei Tereshchenko and Nikolai Zherdev. This was it for the scoring, resulting in a 1-0 final. The three stars belonged to Yeryomenko (29 save shutout), Babenko, and Gavrilov (20 for 21 in saves).

Speaking of Moscow, CSKA hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Stanislav Galimov are the masked men. Moscow began with a power play goal by Chad Billins, powered by Alexander Radulov and Bogdan Kiselevich. Nizhnekamsk tied it on a Josh Hennessy goal, with a lone helper by Dan Sexton. CSKA took the lead back with a Nikita Zaitsev power play goal, via Stephane Da Costa and Radulov. Moscow added on as Da Costa scored a power play goal, courtesy of Radulov, who got a sock trick, and Igor Grigorenko. Neftekhimik got one back with a Sexton power play goal, made possible by Alexander Yevseyenkov. CSKA shot back on a Da Costa goal, coming off of Grigorenko and Radulov. Moscow extended their lead on an Andrei Stas goal in the second period, and Radulov had another apple on the play. CSKA padded the lead in the third period on an Evgeny Artyukhin goal, helped along by Nikolai Prokhorkin and Jan Mursak. Nizhnekamsk clawed back with a Pyotr Khokhryakov goal, passed from Yaroslav Alshevsky. This was as close as it got, with the final being 6-3. Radulov, Da Costa, and Grigorenko get the three stars, while Sexton gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Nizhny Novgorod, as Torpedo welcomes Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Ivan Kasutin are between the pipes. Nizhny Novgorod was first to score in the first period with a Wojtek Wolski power play goal, powered by Juuso Hietanen and Sakari Salminen. Torpedo added on with a Salminen power play goal, fueled by Alexander Makarov. Nizhny Novgorod iced it at 3-0 with a Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev empty net goal, set up by Maxim Osipov. The three stars were given to Salminen, Wolski, and Kasutin (15 save shutout).

A little over to Cherepovets, as Severstal brings in Dinamo Minsk. Dmitry Milchakov and Jakub Stepanek draw the starts. Cherepovets got going in the second period with a Sergei Monakhov power play goal, powered by Andrei Shefer and David Ullstrom. Minsk tied it on a Jonathan Cheechoo power play goal, assisted by Ryan Vesce and Charles Linglet. Dinamo took the lead as Linglet scored a power play goal, thanks to Matt Ellison and Vesce. Minsk iced it at 3-1 with a third period Ellison shorthanded and empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were handed to Linglet, Vesce, and Ellison.

South to Kazan, as Ak Bars hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Ilya Sorokin and Anders Nilsson are protecting the nets. Kazan opened in the first period with a Kirill Petrov goal, courtesy of Evgeny Medvedev and Oscar Moller. Novokuznetsk tied it with a Ryan Stoa power play goal, powered by Cade Fairchild and Mikhail Plotnikov. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Metallurg won 2-1 with a lone tally by Alexander Komaristy. The three stars went to Sorokin (32 for 33 in saves), Nilsson (31 for 32 in saves), and Komaristy.

North to Finland, where Jokerit Helsinki welcomes Admiral Vladivostok. Ari Ahonen and Riku Helenius guard the cages. Vladivostok dented the scoreboard in the first period with an Andrei Sigaryov goal, fueled by Konstantin Sokolov. Helsinki tied it on a Juhamatti Aaltonen goal, courtesy of Ryan Gunderson and Niko Kapanen. Jokerit took the lead in the second period on a Jere Karalahti goal, passed from Daine Todd and Riku Hahl on the power play. Helsinki added on with a Steve Moses goal, assisted by Petr Koukal and Tommi Huhtala. Admiral pulled back with a Niclas Bergfors power play goal, powered by Logan Pyett and Denis Osipov. Vladivostok tied it on a Vyacheslav Ushenin goal, made possible by Alexander Gorshkov and Denis Kuzmin. Jokerit regained the lead on an unassisted Moses goal. Helsinki extended their lead with a Huhtala goal, set up by Koukal and Jere Sallinen on the power play. Jokerit padded the lead as Niklas Hagman scored, thanks to Aaltonen and Kurtis McLean. Helsinki finished it at 7-3 with a Linus Omark goal, guided in by Karalahti and Todd on the power play. The three stars were handed to Karalahti, Aaltonen, and Todd, while Huhtala and Koukal get the honorable mentions.

Back in Russia, SKA St. Petersburg brings in Atlant Mytishchi. Dmitry Shikin is mismatched with Alexander Salak in goal. St. Petersburg led off with an Artemy Panarin power play goal, powered by Ilya Kovalchuk and Vadim Shipachyov. SKA added on as Alexei Ponikarovsky scored a goal, helped along by Viktor Tikhonov and Kovalchuk. Mytishchi got on the board with an Artyom Chernov goal, passed from Andreas Engqvist and Sergei Shmelyov on the power play. Atlant tied it with an Artyom Voronin goal, assisted by Mikhail Glukhov. St. Petersburg took the lead back with a Roman Cervenka goal, fueled by Tony Martensson. SKA extended the lead on a Martensson goal, guided in by Maxim Chudinov and Cervenka. Mytishchi replied with an Engqvist goal, coming off of Yaroslav Dyblenko and Shmelyov on the power play. St. Petersburg countered with a Panarin goal, via Shipachyov and Chudinov. Atlant pulled back on a Nikita Soshnikov unassisted goal in the third period. The final stood from here at 5-4. The three stars were Panarin, Martensson, and Cervenka, while Kovalchuk, Shipachyov, Engqvist, Shmelyov, and Chudinov all get honorable mentions.

Finally, Dinamo Riga hosts Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Jakub Sedlacek tend the twines. They did this very well for sixty-five minutes, keeping the game scoreless. In the shootout, Mario Kempe was the only one to score, giving Vityaz the 1-0 win. The three stars were Sateri (33 save shutout), Sedlacek (26 save "shutout"), and Kempe.

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