Premier League Week 8

The Premier League is back after a week off. The first game on Saturday has...

Manchester City host Tottenham Hotspur. Hugo Lloris and Joe Hart draw the starts in goal. Manchester City began in the thirteenth minute on a Sergio Aguero goal, assisted by Frank Lampard. Tottenham Hotspur tied it in the fifteenth minute as Christian Eriksen scored, thanks to Roberto Soldado. Manchester City retook the lead in the twentieth minute on an Aguero penalty shot goal. Tottenham Hotspur had a pair of yellow cards for a thirty-third minute offense by Ryan Mason and a thirty-seventh minute foul by Eric Dier. In the fifty-fifth minute, Jesus Navas of Manchester City was shown the yellow card for a foul. In the sixty-seventh minute Federico Fazio of Tottenham Hotspur was shown a straight red card for a bad foul. Manchester City cashed in on the man advantage with an Aguero goal to complete his hat trick in the sixty-eighth minute on another penalty shot goal. In the seventy-fifth minute, Aguero scored his fourth of the game, via Fernandinho's through ball. This made it a 4-1 final.

Moving along to Arsenal welcoming Hull City. Steve Harper and Wojciech Szczesny are the goalies. Arsenal started in the thirteenth minute with an Alexis Sanchez goal, via Per Mertesacker. Hull City tied it in the seventeenth minute on a Mohamed Diame goal. In the forty-fourth minute, Hull City's James Chester picked up a yellow card for his foul. In the forty-sixth minute, Hull City got the lead with a header goal by Abel Hernandez, passed from Tom Huddlestone on a cross. In the sixty-sixth minute, Huddlestone was booked on a yellow card. Arsenal had a pair of yellow cards go to Jack Wilshere in the sixty-ninth minute for a foul and Santiago Cazorla in the eightieth minute, also for a foul. Arsenal salvaged a 2-2 tie with a Danny Welbeck goal in stoppage time, courtesy of Sanchez.

Next up, Burnley brings in West Ham United. Adrian and Tom Heaton are the keepers. In the thirty-fourth minute, West Ham's Winston Reid received a yellow card for his foul. West Ham opened in the forty-ninth minute on a Diafra Sakho goal, assisted by Aaron Cresswell's cross. West Ham added on with an Enner Valencia goal, courtesy of Carl Jenkinson's cross in the fifty-fourth minute. Burnley got on the board in the sixtieth minute with a close range goal from George Boyd. In the seventieth minute, Carlton Cole scored a header goal for West Ham, coming off of a Sakho headed pass after a corner. This made it 3-1 in favor of West Ham, the eventual final.

Following that, Crystal Palace hosts Chelsea. Thibaut Courtois and Julian Speroni are in the six-yard boxes. Chelsea led off in the sixth minute with an Oscar free kick goal. Damien Delaney of Crystal Palace had a yellow card for his thirtieth minute foul. In the fortieth minute, Chelsea went down a man as Cesar Azpilicueta was shown a straight red card for his foul. In the forty-first minute, Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas took a yellow card for a foul. In the forty-third minute, Crystal Palace lost their man advantage as Delaney was given a second yellow card for a foul, and was ejected from the game. Chelsea added on in the fifty-first minute with a Fabregas goal, fueled by Oscar. Crystal Palace got one back in the ninetieth minute on a Fraizer Campbell goal, guided in by Wilfried Zaha.

Continuing to Everton welcoming Aston Villa. Brad Guzan and Tim Howard are the American goalies. Aston Villa took a yellow card for a foul by Kieran Richardson in the seventh minute. Everton struck first in the eighteenth minute on a Phil Jagielka goal, coming off of a Leighton Baines cross after a corner. In the thirty-sixth minute, Aston Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor was given a yellow card for his foul. Everton added on in the forty-eighth minute with a goal by Romelu Lukaku, assisted by Ross Barkley. Everton took a yellow card for a sixty-first minute foul by Gareth Barry. In the seventy-first minute, Everton had another yellow card go to Steven Naismith for his foul. Everton extended the lead in the seventy-sixth minute as Seamus Coleman scored, thanks to Baines' cross after a set piece. The final favored Everton 3-0.

Up next, Newcastle United brings in Leicester City. Kasper Schmeichel and Tim Krul protect the nets. Leicester City took three straight yellow cards in the first half: Liam Moore in the twenty-second minute for a foul, Ritchie de Laet in the twenty-eighth minute, and Leonardo Ulloa in the thirty-fourth minute on a foul. Newcastle United got going with a seventy-first minute goal by Gabriel Obertan, assisted by Papiss Demba Cisse on a fast break. This held up for a 1-0 win.

Finally, Saturday ends with Southampton hosting Sunderland. Vito Mannone and Fraser Forster are set to start in goal. In the ninth minute, Sunderland had a yellow card go to Connor Wickham for a foul. Southampton was first to score on an own goal in the twelfth minute by Santiago Vergini. Southampton added on in the eighteenth minute with a Graziano Pelle goal, courtesy of Steven Davis. In the twenty-fifth minute, Sunderland's Lee Cattermole was given a yellow card for a foul. Southampton extended the lead with a thirty-seventh minute goal by Jack Cork, passed from Dusan Tadic. Southampton took a fiftieth minute yellow card for a Morgan Schneiderlin foul. In the sixty-third minute, Southampton padded the lead with another own goal from Liam Bridcutt. Southampton kept going in the sixty-ninth minute as Pelle scored, thanks to Tadic. Southampton struck again in the seventy-eighth minute on an unassisted Tadic goal. Southampton got another with a seventy-ninth minute Victor Wanyama goal, set up by Tadic. Making Bridcutt's day worse was his eighty-second minute yellow card for a foul for Sunderland. Southampton continued with a Sadio Mane goal in the eighty-sixth minute, with an assist by Tadic. This brought a merciful end to the 8-0 Southampton trouncing of Sunderland.

The first game on Sunday has the Queens Park Rangers welcoming Liverpool. Simon Mignolet and Alex McCarthy are the keepers. In first half stoppage time, Richard Dunne of QPR took a yellow card. Dunne's day got worse in the sixty-seventh minute, as he put the ball in his own net for an own goal to put Liverpool on the board. In the seventy-first minute, Glen Johnson was given a yellow card for a foul for Liverpool. In the eightieth minute, Karl Henry of QPR was shown a yellow card for his foul. Liverpool had two more yellow cards, going to Tomas Skrtel in the eighty-second minute and Phillipe Coutinho in the eighty-sixth minute. QPR got on the board in the eighty-seventh minute with a close range goal by Eduardo Vargas, set up by Charlie Austin's headed pass after a set piece. Liverpool took the lead back in the ninetieth minute on a Coutinho goal, passed from Steven Gerrard. QPR tied it again on a Vargas header goal, fueled by a Leroy Fer cross after a corner kick. Later in stoppage time, disaster struck for QPR, as Steven Caulker put the ball in his own net to give Liverpool a 3-2 lead, and eventually, victory.

The other Sunday game has Stoke City bringing in Swansea City. Lukasz Fabianski and Asmir Begovic guard the woodwork. In the thirty-third minute, Ryan Shawcross of Stoke City had a yellow card for his foul. In the thirty-fourth minute, Wilfried Bony converted the resulting penalty kick to give Swansea City the lead. In the thirty-fifth minute, Mame Biram Diouf was shown a yellow card for Stoke City for his foul. In the forty-third minute, Stoke City tied it on a penalty kick conversion by Charlie Adam. Stoke City's Phil Bardsley took a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. In the seventy-fifth minute, Bony took a yellow card for Swansea City. Stoke City took the lead in the seventy-sixth minute as Jonathan Walters headed in a goal, on a pass from Oussama Assaidi on a cross. In the eighty-ninth minute, Steven N'Zonzi was given a yellow card for Stoke City. They held on for a 2-1 win. 

Monday's game was West Bromwich Albion hosting Manchester United. David de Gea and Boaz Myhill are the keepers. West Brom began with an eighth minute goal by Stephane Sessegnon, courtesy of Andre Wisdom. West Brom had a thirty-ninth minute yellow card go to James Morrison. Manchester United tied it in the forty-eighth minute on a Marouane Fellaini goal, passed from Angel Di Maria. In the sixty-sixth minute, West Brom took the lead back with a Berahino goal, set up by Chris Brunt with the through ball. Manchester United got a yellow card for an eighty-third minute Daley Blind foul. Manchester United pulled level on a Blind goal in the eighty-seventh minute. The final stood at 2-2.

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NHL October 19th, 2014

Four games on today, beginning with a matinee in...

Los Angeles, as the Kings host the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Jonathan Quick are the veteran goalies. Los Angeles started with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal in the first period, his third of the season, powered by Mike Richards and Slava Voynov. The Kings added on in the third period as Tanner Pearson scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Toffoli and Jeff Carter. Minnesota got on the board with a Matt Cooke goal, assisted by Ryan Carter and Justin Fontaine. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Quick (40 for 41 in saves), Toffoli, and Pearson.

Back east, the New York Rangers welcome the San Jose Sharks. Alex Stalock and Henrik Lundqvist are the masked men. New York got going in the second period with a Carl Hagelin goal, assisted by John Moore and Dominic Moore. The Rangers added on as Martin St. Louis scored an unassisted goal. New York extended the lead on Rick Nash's seventh of the season, passed from Dominic Moore. The Rangers padded the lead in the third period with an unassisted Kevin Hayes goal. This made it 4-0, the eventual final, and the three stars belonged to Lundqvist (33 save shutout), Dominic Moore, and Hayes.

Northwest to Winnipeg, where the Jets bring in the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Ondrej Pavelec receive the starting nods. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Mark Scheifele goal, passed from Blake Wheeler and Mathieu Perreault. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Dennis Wideman goal, his second of the season, via Matt Stajan and Kris Russell. The Flames took the lead on a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, powered by Joe Colborne and Mason Raymond. Calgary added on with a Raymond goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Gaudreau and Wideman. The Flames extended the lead as T.J. Brodie scored his third of the season, thanks to Mikael Backlund and Raymond. They held on to win 4-1, and the three stars went to Raymond, Gaudreau, and Wideman.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Frederik Andersen are in the blue paint. Anaheim began in the first period with a Matt Beleskey goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Rickard Rakell. The Ducks added on with a Sami Vatanen power play goal, powered by Jakob Silfverberg and Ryan Getzlaf. Anaheim extended the lead with another Vatanen power play goal in the second period, courtesy of Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. This was it for the scoring, with the three stars being Vatanen, Andersen (28 save shutout), and Getzlaf.

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MLS Weekend October 16-19, 2014

For the second to last chunk of games, we have a four-day stretch of action. We begin with...

The Houston Dynamo hosting the New England Revolution on Thursday. Bobby Shuttleworth and Tyler Deric are the keepers. Houston started in the thirty-seventh minute with a Giles Barnes goal, going in unassisted. The Dynamo took a yellow card in the forty-seventh minute for a Jermaine Taylor foul. Houston had another yellow card in the fifty-second minute as Luis Garrido committed a foul. New England tied it on a sixty-fifth minute goal by Lee Nguyen, assisted by Kevin Alston and Jermaine Jones. Barnes was shown a yellow card for the Dynamo in the seventy-third minute, for his foul. The Revolution took the lead in the eighty-seventh minute on a Nguyen goal, courtesy of Darrius Barnes. This made it 2-1, the final, and the man of the match was Nguyen for his brace.

On Friday, the Portland Timbers welcome Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Donovan Ricketts tend the nets. The teams exchanged a pair of yellow cards in the fifty-fifth minute, as Kyle Beckerman got one for dissent and Diego Valeri committed a foul. The Timbers took another yellow card in the fifty-eighth minute on a Liam Ridgewell foul. Portland had another yellow card in stoppage time for a foul by Norberto Paparatto. The final score was 0-0, and the man of the match was Rimando for a six-save clean sheet.

The first Saturday game comes from Canada, as Toronto FC brings in the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Joe Bendik are the goalies. Montreal's Hassoun Camara took a yellow card for his foul in the fifth minute. Toronto was first to score in the twentieth minute on a Warren Creavalle goal. The Impact tied it with a thirty-ninth minute goal by Felipe Martins, assisted by Andres Romero and Patrice Bernier. Montreal took another yellow card for a fifty-fifth minute Matteo Ferrari foul. The Impact went down a man in the eighty-second minute after a Heath Pearce foul brought out a straight red card. Toronto's Jackson was given a yellow card for his eighty-eighth minute foul. In the ninetieth minute, Bush was shown a yellow card for time wasting for Montreal. In stoppage time, the discipline rained heavy on Toronto, as Jonathan Osorio was ejected for a foul on a straight red card, followed by yellow cards going to Bendik for dissent and Dwayne De Rosario for unsporting behavior. The Impact went to nine men a little later as Camara received a second yellow card for another foul. Despite the theatrics at the end, the final stood at 1-1. The man of the match was Martins for his equalizer.

Out in Colorado, the Rapids host FC Dallas. Raul Fernandez and Clint Irwin protect the nets. Dallas took a yellow card for a Jair Benitez foul in the forty-first minute. Dallas began with a fifty-sixth minute penalty kick goal by Blas Perez. Colorado's Jared Watts expressed dissent in the same minute, and received a yellow card. The Rapids had another yellow card in the sixty-fifth minute as Zat Knight committed a foul. Dallas' Adam Moffat picked up a yellow card for his foul in the seventy-third minute. Colorado went down to ten men when Watts was ejected in the seventy-ninth minute on his second yellow card of the game, this time for a foul. Dallas coasted to a 1-0 win from here, and Perez was the man of the match.

Back east, the Philadelphia Union welcome Sporting Kansas City. Eric Kronberg and Zac MacMath are in the six-yard boxes. Kansas City saw a yellow card come their way in the twenty-sixth minute for an Aurelien Collin foul. Philadelphia started in the forty-fifth minute on a Brian Brown goal, set up by Cristian Maidana. Sporting tied it in the fifty-fourth minute as Dominic Dwyer scored on a penalty kick. The Union got the lead back with a seventy-first minute Pedro Ribeiro goal, passed from Maidana and Sheanon Williams. Kansas City had another yellow card in the eighty-fourth minute for a foul by Lawrence Olum. Philadelphia's Carlos Valdes was shown a yellow card for time wasting in the ninetieth minute. The final stood at 2-1, and Maidana was the man of the match for his two assists.

Down in DC, United brings in the Chicago Fire. Kyle Reynish and Bill Hamid guard the woodwork. DC struck first in the thirty-first minute on a Chris Pontius goal, made possible by Eddie Johnson and Nick DeLeon. United added on with a Johnson goal in the fifty-third minute, going in unassisted. Chicago tied it with a sixty-seventh minute Harrison Shipp goal, guided in by Patrick Nyarko. The Fire took a yellow card in stoppage time on a foul by Chris Ritter. The final stood at 2-1, and Johnson was the man of the match with a goal and an assist.

Way out west, the San Jose Earthquakes host the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Jon Busch protect the nets. Vancouver took a yellow card for an eighty-sixth minute foul by Mauro Rosales. The game ended in a scoreless draw, and the man of the match was Ousted for a clean sheet with three saves.

On Sunday, the New York Red Bulls welcome the Columbus Crew. Steve Clark and Luis Robles are the experienced goalies. Columbus began in the seventeenth minute with an Aaron Schoenfeld goal, set up by Ethan Finlay. The Crew added on with a thirty-fourth minute Finlay goal, passed from Tony Tchani. The first yellow card of the game went to New York's Bradley Wright-Phillips for a foul in the fifty-sixth minute. The Red Bulls got on the board with a Lloyd Sam goal in the fifty-eighth minute, thanks to Dax McCarty. Columbus took a yellow card for Hector Jimenez's time wasting in the seventy-seventh minute. The Crew extended their lead with an eightieth minute goal by Schoenfeld, assisted by Finlay and Federico Higuain. In the eighty-third minute, Jamison Olave of New York was given a yellow card for a foul. The Red Bulls had another yellow card go to Armando in the eighty-ninth minute for his foul. The final stood at 3-1, and the man of the match was Schoenfeld for his brace.

Finally, the first of two games to determine the Supporters' Shield comes from Los Angeles, as the Galaxy bring in the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Jaime Penedo tend the nets. Los Angeles saw a yellow card go to Robbie Rogers for his twenty-second minute foul. Seattle had a yellow card for Zach Scott's foul in the twenty-sixth minute, followed by another going to Gonzalo Pineda a minute later. The Sounders next yellow card came for a Clint Dempsey foul in the thirty-sixth minute. The Galaxy saw Omar Gonzalez get booked on a yellow card for his forty-third minute foul. Los Angeles took the lead in first half stoppage time on a Baggio Husidic goal, going in unassisted. The Galaxy added on in the fiftieth minute on a Marcelo Sarvas goal, set up by Husidic. Seattle received another booking for Obafemi Martins' fifty-seventh minute foul. The Sounders got on the board with a sixty-ninth minute Dempsey goal, via Martins and DeAndre Yedlin. Seattle tied it in the seventy-second minute on a Lamar Neagle goal, assisted by Martins. In the eighty-eighth minute, Gonzalez was given a second yellow card for a foul, and was ejected from the game, putting Los Angeles at ten men for the last few minutes. The final was 2-2, and Martins was the man of the match for setting up the comeback.

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KHL October 19th, 2014

Nine games today, beginning in...

Vladivostok, as Admiral hosts the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Ivan Nalimov are in goal. They did a great job, keeping the game scoreless until a shootout. Here, Admiral got tallies from Ilya Zubov, Niclas Bergfors, and Richard Gynge to top Sochi's Mikhail Anisin and Andre Petersson for a 1-0 win. The three stars were given to Nalimov (26 save shutout), Popperle (36 save shutout), and Gynge.

Up in Khabarovsk, Amur welcomes Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Sergei Borisov are the masked men. Khabarovsk began in the first period with a Sergei Abramov goal, courtesy of Vyacheslav Litovchenko. Moscow tied it in the second period on an Alexei Tereshchenko power play goal, powered by Nikolai Zherdev and Andrei Mironov. Amur took the lead back on a power play goal by Rastislav Spirko, coming off of Dmitry Tarasov and Dmitry Lugin. Dynamo tied it on an Alexei Tsvetkov goal, with a lone assist by Martins Karsums. Moscow took the lead in the third period as Maxim Karpov scored, thanks to Filip Novak. This held up for a 3-2 victory, and the three stars went to Karpov, Tsvetkov, and Tereshchenko.

Over in Novosibirsk, Sibir brings in Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Nikita Bespalov receive the starting nods. Novosibirsk started in the first period on a Patrik Hersley power play goal, powered by Dmitry Monya and Jonas Enlund. Sibir added on with a Konstantin Okulov goal, with a lone assist by Artyom Voroshilo. Podolsk got on the board in the second period on a Maxim Afinogenov power play goal, with a lone helper from Ivan Vereshchagin. Vityaz tied it in the third period on a Roman Horak power play goal, made possible by Robert Kousal and Mathias Porseland. Podolsk gained the lead as Vyacheslav Solodukhin scored, thanks to Alexander Kucheryavenko. This made it 3-2, the final, and the three stars belonged to Solodukhin, Horak, and Sateri (37 for 39 in saves).

Nearby, Metallurg Novokuznetsk hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Rafael Khakimov are between the pipes. Yaroslavl dented the scoreboard in the third period on an unassisted Evgeny Grachyov goal. This was all they needed to win 1-0, with the three stars going to Sanford (36 save shutout), Grachyov, and Khakimov (16 for 17 in saves).

Way out west, Jokerit Helsinki welcomes Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Leland Irving and Rike Helenius guard the cages. Ufa led off in the first period with an Antti Pihlstrom goal, fueled by Evgeny Skachkov and Kirill Koltsov. Salavat Yulaev added on with a power play goal by Ivan Vishnevsky, powered by Koltsov and Alexei Kaigorodov. Helsinki got on the board in the second period with a Linus Omark goal, assisted by Steve Moses and Petr Koukal. Ufa shot back with an Ilkka Heikkinen goal, passed from Alexander Kutuzov and Dmitry Semin on the power play. Salavat Yulaev extended the lead as Heikkinen scored again, with the help of Denis Tolpeko and Alexander Mereskin. Jokerit got one back in the third period on a Moses goal, made possible by Koukal and Omark. This only made it 4-2, the final, and the three stars were handed to Heikkinen, Omark, and Moses, while Koukal and Koltsov get the honorable mentions.

Back in Russia, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod brings in Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Ivan Kasutin are the veteran goalies. Kazan struck first in the first period with an Ilya Nikulin power play goal, powered by Konstantin Korneyev. Nizhny Novgorod tied it in the second period with a Juuso Hietanen goal, passed from Sakari Salminen and Jarkko Immonen on the power play. Ak Bars took the lead back on a Fyodor Malykhin goal, assisted by Shaun Heshka and Kirill Petrov. Torpedo retied it in the third period on a Vyacheslav Kulyomin goal, courtesy of Petteri Nokelainen and Denis Kazionov. Nizhny Novgorod pulled ahead on a Salminen power play goal, with a lone assist by Immonen. This secured a 3-2 victory, with the three stars going to Salminen, Immonen, and Kulyomin.

West to Cherepovets, where Severstal hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakubs Kovar and Stepanek man the nets. Yekaterinburg was first to score with a first period goal by Tobias Viklund, coming on the power play via Jakub Petruzalek and Alexei Simakov. Cherepovets tied it on a Sergei Monakhov goal, assisted by Andrei Shefer and Pavel Chernov in the second period. Severstal took the lead on a Pavel Buchnevich goal, passed from Gennady Stolyarov and Shefer. Avtomobilist tied it again as Alexander Rybakov scored in the third period, thanks to Anton Krysanov and Nikita Tryamkin. In the shootout that followed, Severstal won on a lone tally by Marek Kvapil for a 3-2 decision. The three stars were awarded to Shefer, Kvapil, and Kovar (42 for 44 in saves).

Out in St. Petersburg, SKA welcomes Avangard Omsk. Konstantin Barulin and Alexander Salak protect the nets. Omsk got going in the second period with an Evgeny Kulik goal, assisted by Andrei Ivanov and Roman Berdnikov. St. Petersburg tied it on a Patrick Thoresen goal, fueled by Maxim Chudinov and Tony Martensson. Avangard took the lead in the third period with a power play goal by Alexander Popov, powered by Berdnikov. SKA retied it with a power play goal from Jimmie Ericsson, made possible by Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexei Ponikarovsky. St. Petersburg won 3-2 in overtime on an Artemy Panarin goal, with a lone assist from Chudinov. The three stars went to Panarin, Chudinov, and Berdnikov.

Finally, Dinamo Riga brings in Barys Astana. Jan Laco and Edgars Masalskis are in the blue paint. Astana opened in the first period with a Brandon Bochenski goal, with a lone assist by Dustin Boyd. Barys added on with an unassisted Roman Starchenko goal. Riga got on the board in the second period with an Andris Dzerins power play goal, powered by Roberts Bukarts and Oskars Cibulskis. Astana shot back in the third period with another Bochenski goal, coming on the power play via Kevin Dallman and Mike Lundin. Dinamo pulled back on a Marcel Hossa goal, fueled by Charles Genoway and Linus Videll. This was as close as it got, with the final being 3-2. The three stars belonged to Bochenski, Starchenko, and Laco (31 for 33 in saves).

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NHL October 18th, 2014

Eleven games on tonight, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Boston Bruins. Niklas Svedberg and Jhonas Enroth are called on to start in goal. Boston was first to score in the first period on a Dougie Hamilton goal, courtesy of Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on as Zdeno Chara scored his second of the year, thanks to Brad Marchand and Hamilton. Boston extended the lead in the second period on a Torey Krug goal, with a lone assist by David Krejci. The Bruins padded the lead with a Carl Soderberg goal, his second of the year, coming off of Chris Kelly and Loui Eriksson. This made it 4-0, the eventual final, and the three stars went to Hamilton, Svedberg (32 save shutout), and Chara.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and former Maple Leaf Jonas Gustavsson are in the blue paint. Detroit won 1-0 in overtime with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, courtesy of Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson. The three stars were awarded to Gustavsson (30 save shutout), Zetterberg, and Bernier (31 for 32 in saves).

Into Canada, as the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Dustin Tokarski are the relatively unknown goalies. Colorado started in the first period on an Alex Tanguay goal, his second of the season, courtesy of John Mitchell. Montreal tied it in the second period as P.K. Subban scored a power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Andrei Markov and Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens took the lead with a Galchenyuk goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Brandon Prust. Montreal added on with another Subban goal, his second of the game and third of the year, via Lars Eller. The Avalanche got one back in the third period on a Matt Duchene goal, his second of the campaign, assisted by Jarome Iginla and Tyson Barrie. This was as close as it got, with the final at 3-2, and the three stars went to Subban, Galchenyuk, and Tokarski (32 for 34 in saves).

Down in New Jersey, the Devils host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Cory Schneider receive the starting nods. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Logan Couture and Brent Burns. The Sharks added on with a Couture power play goal in the second period, guided in by Patrick Marleau and Pavelski. San Jose extended the lead in the third period on a Marleau goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Couture and Justin Braun. New Jersey got on the board with a Michael Cammalleri goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Jaromir Jagr and Andy Greene. The Devils pulled closer with an Adam Henrique goal, his second of the year, fueled by Michael Ryder and Jon Merrill. The Sharks iced it at 4-2 with a Joe Thornton empty net goal, set up by Pavelski. The three stars went to Couture, Pavelski, and Marleau.

Back north to Ottawa, as the Senators welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Robin Lehner are the backups making spot starts. Ottawa opened in the first period on a David Legwand goal, his second of the season, via Mike Hoffman and Chris Neil. The Senators added on in the second period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist from Clarke MacArthur. McElhinney was replaced by Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Columbus got on the board with a Nick Foligno goal, his second of the season, fueled by Scott Hartnell and Tim Erixon. The Blue Jackets tied it on a David Savard goal, assisted by Foligno and Ryan Johansen. Ottawa took the lead in the third period on a Hoffman goal, coming off of Neil. This was good for a 3-2 win, and the three stars went to Hoffman, Foligno, and Neil.

Stateside again to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins bring in the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. New York led off in the first period with a Thomas Hickey goal, assisted by Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson. Pittsburgh tied it on a second period power play goal by Evgeni Malkin, his second of the season, fueled by Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins gained the lead with a Hornqvist power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Malkin and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh finished it at 3-1 with an empty net Hornqvist goal in the third period, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, set up by Chris Kunitz and Crosby. The three stars were handed to Fleury (34 for 35 in saves), Hornqvist, and Malkin, while Crosby gets an honorable mention.

East to DC, where the Washington Capitals host the Florida Panthers. Al Montoya and Justin Peters are the in the creases. Washington began in the first period with a Jason Chimera goal, fueled by Eric Fehr and Joel Ward. Florida tied it with a third period power play goal by Brad Boyes, powered by Sean Bergenheim and Dylan Olsen. The tie lasted to a shootout, with the Capitals using goals from Evgeny Kuznetsov, Nicklas Backstrom, and Alex Ovechkin to overpower a Panthers goal from Jonathan Huberdeau and win the game 2-1. The three stars belonged to Peters (20 for 21 in saves), Montoya (27 for 28 in saves), and Backstrom.

Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Kari Lehtonen are the veteran goalies. Dallas started in the first period with a Trevor Daley power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza. Philadelphia tied it on a Sean Couturier goal, his second of the year, coming off of R.J. Umberger and Andrew MacDonald. The Flyers took the lead on a Brayden Schenn goal, fueled by Luke Schenn and the goalie Mason. The Stars retied it in the second period on an Erik Cole goal, guided in by Shawn Horcoff and Patrick Eaves. Dallas pulled ahead with a power play goal by Daley, his second of the game and third of the season, assisted by Seguin and Spezza. The Stars added on with a Jamie Benn goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Seguin and Spezza, who each got sock tricks. Philadelphia got one back in the third period as MacDonald scored a power play goal, helped along by Michael Del Zotto and Matt Read. The Flyers retied it with a Jakub Voracek goal, his second of the season, driven in by Nick Schultz and Claude Giroux. Dallas regained the lead on a Spezza goal, with assists provided by Jordie Benn and Seguin. Philadelphia tied it once again as Michael Raffl scored his second of the year, with the help of Voracek and Mark Streit. The Flyers won 6-5 in overtime on a Giroux power play goal, his second of the campaign, made possible by Streit and Voracek. The three stars went to Seguin, Voracek, and Spezza, while Daley, MacDonald, Giroux, and Streit get the honorable mentions.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton is mismatched with Corey Crawford in goal. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Johnny Oduya goal, assisted by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Bryan Bickell. Nashville tied it on a power play goal by Shea Weber, his third of the season, powered by Mike Ribeiro and Colin Wilson. The Blackhawks won 2-1 in overtime on a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Jonathan Toews. The three stars went to Toews, Hutton (35 for 37 in saves), and Crawford (18 for 19 in saves).

Continuing to Arizona, where the Coyotes host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Mike Smith have the green light to start in goal. St. Louis was first to score in the first period on a David Backes power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz. The Blues added on with an Alexander Steen goal in the second period, made possible by Backes and Tarasenko. St. Louis extended the lead with a Schwartz goal, his second of the year, coming on the power play from Tarasenko, who got a sock trick. The Blues padded the lead in the third period with a Schwartz goal, his second of the game and third of the season, with a lone helper by Jori Lehtera. Arizona got on the board with a power play goal by Lauri Korpikoski, courtesy of Shane Doan and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. St. Louis shot back on a Lehtera power play goal, thanks to Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues finished it at 6-1 with a Schwartz power play goal, completing his hat trick on his fourth of the year, with helpers from Shattenkirk and Lehtera. The three stars went to Schwartz, Tarasenko, and Backes, while Lehtera, Shattenkirk, and Steen get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Eddie Lack are the young goalies. Tampa Bay opened in the first period on a Steven Stamkos goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Ondrej Palat. Vancouver tied it on a Chris Higgins goal, coming off of Nick Bonino and Alexander Edler. The Lightning took the lead back as Stamkos scored his second of the game and fifth of the year, passed from Ryan Callahan and Palat. The Canucks pulled even with a power play goal by Edler in the second period, via Daniel Sedin and Kevin Bieksa. Tampa Bay took the lead back on a Callahan power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Stamkos and Jason Garrison. The Lightning added on with a third period Alex Killorn goal, his second of the year, fueled by Tyler Johnson and Anton Stralman. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars being Stamkos, Callahan, and Edler, while Palat gets an honorable mention.

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KHL October 18th, 2014

Four games on today, beginning in...

Chelyabinsk, as Traktor hosts Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Michael Garnett are the masked men. Bratislava opened in the first period with a Tomas Netik goal, via Milan Bartovic. Chelyabinsk tied it on a Jan Bulis goal, assisted by Stanislav Chistov and Konstantin Panov. Slovan took the lead back in the second period on a Ziga Jeglic goal, passed from Rok Ticar and Kurtis Foster. Traktor tied it again with an Anton Glinkin power play goal, powered by Andrei Popov. Chelyabinsk took the lead in the third period on a Semyon Kokuyov goal, courtesy of Oleg Piganovich. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Kokuyov, Glinkin, and Bulis.

Over to Khanty-Mansiysk, as Yugra welcomes Medvescak Zagreb. Barry Brust and Stepan Goryachevskikh are in the blue paint. Zagreb started in the first period on a Matt Anderson goal, assisted by Mark Flood and Aaron Polushaj. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it in the second period with a power play goal by Igor Magogin, powered by Andrei Sergeyev and Alexei Pepelyaev. Medvescak won 2-1 in overtime on a power play goal by Bill Thomas, with a lone assist by Mathieu Carle. The three stars went to Brust (30 for 31 in saves), Thomas, and Anderson.

West to Nizhnekamsk, where Neftekhimik brings in Dinamo Minsk. Dmitry Milchakov and Alexander Sudnitsin draw the starts in goal. Lars Haugen had to relieve an injured Milchakov in the first period. Nizhnekamsk promptly led off with a first period goal by Alexander Korolyuk, assisted by Alexander Yevseyenkov and Ilshat Bilalov. Neftekhimik added on with an unassisted Pyotr Khokryakov goal in the second period. Minsk got on the board with a Paul Szczechura goal, coming off of Ilya Shinkevich and Alexei Kalyuzhny. Dinamo tied it on a Charles Linglet goal, passed from Ryan Vesce and Ivan Svarny. Nizhnekamsk took the lead back with a Khokryakov penalty shot goal, after he was hooked by Nick Bailen. Minsk tied it again in the third period with another Linglet goal, made possible by Matt Ellison and Bailen. Neftekhimik pulled ahead on a Maxim Rybin goal, fueled by Korolyuk and Mikhail Zhukov. Dinamo tied it once more with an Ellison goal, with helpers provided by Linglet and Jonathan Cheechoo. Nizhnekamsk won 5-4 in overtime with a Tim Stapleton goal, guided in by Nikolai Belov and Igor Polygalov. The three stars were given to Linglet, Korolyuk, and Khokryakov.

Finally, Lada Togliatti hosts Atlant Mytishchi. Atte Engren and Ilya Ezhov receive the starting nods. Mytishchi got going in the second period on an Artyom Chernov power play goal, powered by Matthew Gilroy. Togliatti tied it in the third period as Andrei Nikitenko scored, thanks to Semyon Valuisky. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Lada got goals from Georgy Belousov, Valuisky, and a clincher from Nikitenko to top a lone tally by Maxim Mayorov from Atlant. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Ezhov (35 for 36 in saves), Engren (30 for 31 in saves), and Nikitenko.

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NHL October 17th, 2014

Six games on tonight, the first of which is in...

Buffalo, where the Sabres host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Jhonas Enroth are in the creases. Florida got going in the second period on a Sean Bergenheim goal, made possible by Brad Boyes and Dmitry Kulikov. This was the game's only goal, for a 1-0 Panthers win. The three stars were given to Luongo (26 save shutout), Bergenheim, and Enroth (34 for 35 in saves).

Out in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo and Sergei Bobrovsky man the nets. Columbus led off in the first period with a Jack Skille goal, his second of the season, coming off of Mark Letestu and Matt Calvert. The Blue Jackets added on with a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Nick Foligno and Cam Atkinson. Columbus extended the lead with a Calvert goal, via Letestu and James Wisniewski. Calgary got on the board in the third period with a Mason Raymond goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Curtis Glencross and Mikael Backlund. The Flames pulled closer on a Josh Jooris goal, fueled by Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie. They lost 3-2, and the three stars went to Calvert, Letestu, and Bobrovsky (29 for 31 in saves).

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and James Reimer are given the starting nods. Detroit was first to score in the first period with a Johan Franzen goal, courtesy of Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings added on with another Franzen goal in the second period, assisted by Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader. Detroit extended the lead as Gustav Nyquist scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Zetterberg, who got a sock trick, and Jakub Kindl. Toronto got on the board in the third period as Mike Santorelli scored, thanks to Leo Komarov and David Clarkson. The Red Wings shot back on an Abdelkader goal, his second of the year, via Nyquist and Zetterberg. This made it 4-1, a final, with the three stars awarded to Zetterberg, Franzen, and Nyquist, while Abdelkader gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Winnipeg, where the Jets host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Ondrej Pavelec are the veteran goalies. Nashville struck first in the first period on a Mike Ribeiro goal, his second of the season, via Seth Jones and Anton Volchenkov. The Predators added on in the third period with a James Neal goal, courtesy of Filip Forsberg and Volchenkov. They went on for a 2-0 win, with the three stars going to Rinne (31 save shutout), Ribeiro, and Volchenkov.

Further west, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Ben Scrivens are set to start. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Radim Vrbata goal, his third of the season, coming off of Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks iced it at 2-0 with a third period empty net goal by Daniel Sedin, set up by Henrik Sedin and Vrbata. The three stars went to Miller (28 save shutout), Vrbata, and Daniel Sedin, while Henrik Sedin gets an honorable mention.

Down in Anaheim, the Ducks bring in the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Frederik Andersen are the inexperienced goalies. Minnesota began in the second period with a Jason Zucker goal, his second of the season, passed from Ryan Carter and Keith Ballard. Anaheim tied it in the third period on a shorthanded Andrew Cogliano goal, set up by Devante Smith-Pelly and Cam Fowler. The Ducks got the lead on a Corey Perry goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Nate Thompson. This was good for a 2-1 victory, with the three stars going to Perry, Andersen (27 for 28 in saves), and Cogliano.

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