Tuesday, October 21, 2014

NHL October 21st, 2014

Ten games on tonight, with the first coming from...

Boston, as the Bruins host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Tuukka Rask are the Finnish goalies. Boston led off in the first period with a Brad Marchand power play goal, powered by Milan Lucic and Torey Krug. San Jose tied it on a Logan Couture power play goal, his second of the season, fueled by Patrick Marleau and Brent Burns. The Bruins took the lead back as Krug scored his second of the year in the second period, thanks to Lucic and David Krejci on the power play. The Sharks retied it with another Couture goal, his second of the game and third of the season, passed from Marleau and Tommy Wingels. San Jose took the lead on a Joe Thornton goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Joe Pavelski and Justin Braun. Boston pulled even on a Seth Griffith goal, coming off of Lucic, who got a sock trick, and Krug. The Bruins gained the lead with a Gregory Campbell goal, made possible by Daniel Paille. Boston finished it at 5-3 on a Krejci shorthanded empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Zdeno Chara and Chris Kelly. The three stars were given to Krug, Lucic, and Couture, while Krejci and Marleau get the honorable mentions.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Cory Schneider guard the cages. New York began in the first period with a power play goal by Chris Kreider, his second of the season, powered by Ryan McDonagh and Martin St. Louis. New Jersey tied it on a Jaromir Jagr power play goal, guided in by Damien Brunner and Travis Zajac. The Devils took the lead on an Adam Henrique power play goal in the second period, his third of the year, assisted by Jagr and Damon Severson. New Jersey added on with a Jon Merrill power play goal in the third period, passed from Brunner and Henrique. The Rangers got one back as Chris Mueller scored a power play goal, via McDonagh and Derrick Brassard. New York tied it on Rick Nash's eighth of the season, coming off of Kevin Hayes. The Rangers won 4-3 in overtime with a Kevin Klein goal, pushed through by Kreider and Mueller. The three stars were handed to Mueller, Kreider, and Henrique, while McDonagh, Jagr, and Brunner get the honorable mentions.

Staying in the area, the New York Islanders bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Jaroslav Halak are the masked men. New York started in the first period on a Nick Leddy goal, his third of the season, assisted by Ryan Strome and Josh Bailey. Toronto tied it on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his third of the year, coming off of Phil Kessel. The Islanders took the lead back on a John Tavares power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo. The Maple Leafs tied it again in the second period as Kessel scored his third of the year, thanks to Leo Komarov and Mike Santorelli. Toronto took the lead with a Roman Polak goal, made possible by Daniel Winnik and Santorelli. The Maple Leafs added on with a David Clarkson goal, his second of the season, guided in by Peter Holland and Stephane Robidas. Toronto extended the lead on Kessel's second of the night and fourth of the year, fueled by van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak. This made it 5-2, the final, and the three stars were Kessel, van Riemsdyk, and Santorelli.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Carey Price tend the twines. Detroit got going in the second period on a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his second of the season, made possible by Pavel Datsyuk and Danny DeKeyser. Montreal tied it on a third period Alex Galchenyuk goal, his third of the year, guided in by Alexei Emelin and Tomas Plekanec. The Canadiens won 2-1 in overtime on a David Desharnais goal, fueled by Max Pacioretty and P.K. Subban. The three stars were awarded to Price (27 for 28 in saves), Desharnais, and Galchenyuk.

South to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Devan Dubnyk is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. Arizona struck first in the first period on a Rob Klinkhammer goal, his second of the season, via David Moss and Kyle Chipchura. Nashville tied it on a Mike Ribeiro goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Ryan Ellis. The Predators took the lead in the second period as Ellis scored, thanks to Derek Roy and Seth Jones. The Coyotes tied it on a Keith Yandle power play goal, powered by Antoine Vermette. Arizona retook the lead on a power play goal by Martin Erat in the third period, his second of the season, guided in by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Yandle. Nashville retied it as James Neal potted his second of the year, coming off of Ribeiro and Ellis. In the shootout, Roy and Vermette cancelled each other out before Ellis won it for the Predators, with the final sitting at 4-3. The three stars belonged to Ellis, Yandle, and Ribeiro, while Roy and Vermette get honorable mentions.

Back in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Ondrej Pavelec man the creases. Winnipeg opened in the first period with an Andrew Ladd goal, via Roby Enstrom and Bryan Little. The Jets added on with an Adam Lowry goal, passed from Grant Clitsome and Paul Postma. Carolina got on the board with a Jiri Tlusty power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Riley Nash and Chris Terry. Winnipeg shot back in the second period with an unassisted Dustin Byfuglien goal, his second of the year. This held up for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Pavelec (21 for 22 in saves), Lowry, and Byfuglien.

Stateside again, where the Chicago Blackhawks host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason faces a lesser foe in Antti Raanta in goal. Chicago was first to score with a first period Brandon Saad goal, passed from Brad Richards and Bryan Bickell. The Blackhawks added on with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews. Chicago extended the lead on a Bickell goal, via Saad. The Blackhawks padded the lead with a Kane power play goal in the third period, his second of the game and third of the year, assisted by Duncan Keith and Sharp. This made it 4-0, the final, and the three stars were awarded to Kane, Raanta (32 save shutout), and Saad, while Bickell and Sharp get the honorable mentions.

Further south to Dallas, where the Stars welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Kari Lehtonen protect the nets. Dallas began in the first period with a Ryan Garbutt goal, assisted by Antoine Roussel and Trevor Daley. The Stars added on with an Erik Cole power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Jordie Benn and Shawn Horcoff. Dallas extended the lead as Tyler Seguin scored his fifth of the year, guided in by Jamie Benn and Kevin Connauton. The Stars padded the lead with a Jamie Benn goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, made possible by Seguin and Jason Spezza. Dallas kept going on a Cody Eakin goal, his second of the year, fueled by Garbutt. Miller was relieved by Eddie Lack at this time. Vancouver got on the board with a Radim Vrbata goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Stars shot back on another Cole goal, his second of the game and third of the year, helped along by Horcoff and Brenden Dillon. The Canucks answered with a Zack Kassian goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Christopher Tanev and Brad Richardson. Vancouver pulled closer in the third period as Jannik Hansen scored, thanks to Derek Dorsett and Linden Vey. This made it 6-3, the final, and the three stars went to Cole, Seguin, and Jamie Benn, while Garbutt and Horcoff get the honorable mentions.

North to Calgary, where the Flames bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Evgeni Nabokov and Karri Ramo are the backups making spot starts. Calgary dented the scoreboard on a Dennis Wideman goal in the third period, his third of the season, fueled by Johnny Gaudreau and Kris Russell on the power play. Tampa Bay tied it as Valtteri Filppula scored, thanks to Jason Garrison and Jonathan Drouin. The Lightning won in overtime on Ondrej Palat's second of the year, passed from Anton Stralman and Tyler Johnson. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Palat, Nabokov (21 for 22 in saves), and Filppula.

Finally, in Colorado, the Avalanche host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Reto Berra are called on to start. Florida led off in the first period with a Brandon Pirri goal, guided in by Jussi Jokinen. The Panthers added on with an Aleksander Barkov goal, passed from Aaron Ekblad and Brad Boyes. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Tyson Barrie power play goal, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Matt Duchene. The Avalanche tied it on a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his second of the season, fueled by O'Reilly and Nick Holden. Colorado took the lead as Alex Tanguay scored his third of the year, thanks to Jarome Iginla. Florida retied it on a Sean Bergenheim goal, his second of the season, assisted by Dylan Olsen and Nick Bjugstad. The Panthers won it 4-3 in overtime with a Boyes power play goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Jonathan Huberdeau and Jokinen. The three stars went to Boyes, Jokinen, and O'Reilly.

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KHL October 21st, 2014

Ten games on today. The first is in...

Khabarovsk, as Amur hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Alexei Murygin man the nets. Khabarovsk began in the first period with a power play goal by Alexander Ryazantsev, powered by Dmitry Tarasov and Michel Miklik. Yaroslavl tied it on a Martin Thornberg goal, via Sergei Konkov. Amur took the lead back in the second period as Dmitry Lugin scored, thanks to Evgeny Orlov and Ryazantsev. Lokomotiv tied it again with a Geoff Platt goal, fueled by Ilya Lyubushkin and Kirill Kapustin. Khabarovsk took the lead once again on a Miklik power play goal, assisted by Rastislav Spirko and Tarasov. Yaroslavl pulled even with a Thornberg goal, made possible by Jiri Novotny and Konkov. Lokomotiv gained the lead in the third period with a Sergei Plotnikov goal, passed from Yegor Averin and Yegor Martynov. Amur retied it on a Lugin goal, courtesy of Alexander Loginov. Amur got a tally from Lugin in the shootout to win the game 5-4. The three stars went to Lugin, Ryzantsev, and Thornberg, while Miklik, Tarasov, and Konkov get the honorable mentions.

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Ivans Lisutin and Nalimov are the goalies. Podolsk started with a first period power play goal by Dmitry Tsyganov, made possible by Mathias Porseland. Vladivostok tied it in the second period with an unassisted goal by Konstantin Makarov. Admiral took the lead on an Enver Lisin goal, with a lone assist by Makarov. Vladivostok added on as Niclas Bergfors scored, and the only helper came from the goalie Nalimov. Vityaz got one back in the third period on a Mikhail Yakubov goal, courtesy of Dmitry Shitikov. Admiral answered with a power play goal by Richard Gynge, powered by Bergfors and Ilya Zubov. Podolsk chipped back on a Roman Horak power play goal, via Porseland and Robert Kousal. Vladivostok shot back with a Lisin goal, coming off of Makarov and Alexei Ugarov. Vityaz replied with a Nikita Vyglazov goal, passed from Yakubov and Shitikov. This only made it 5-4, the final, and the three stars went to Lisin, Makarov, and Bergfors, while Porseland, Yakubov, and Shitikov are given honorable mentions.

West to Novosibirsk, as Sibir brings in the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Mikko Koskinen are the veteran goalies. Sochi opened in the first period with a power play goal by Andre Petersson, powered by Ilya Krikunov and Igor Ignatushkin. Novosibirsk tied it on a third period goal by Dmitry Kugryshev goal, courtesy of Viktor Bobrov. The Leopards won 2-1 in overtime on a Nikita Shchitov goal, passed from Cory Emmerton. The three stars belonged to Shchitov, Popperle (30 for 31 in saves), and Petersson.

Nearby, Metallurg Novokuznetsk hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Lazushin and Rafael Khakimov receive the starting nods. Novokuznetsk struck first with a first period goal by Alexander Komaristy, going in unassisted. Metallurg added on in the second period with a Vadim Mitryakov goal, passed from James O'Brien. Moscow got on the board with an Andrei Mironov goal, assisted by Kaspars Daugavins. Dynamo tied it in the third period as Maxim Pestushko scored, thanks to Filip Novak and Daugavins. In the shootout, Metallurg won with goals by Ryan Stoa and Komaristy, while Pestushko had Dynamo's only tally in the 3-2 game. The three stars were Komaristy, Pestushko, and Daugavins.

Way west to Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Ivan Kasutin are in the blue paint. Nizhny Novgorod led off in the first period with a Jarkko Immonen goal, assisted by Juuso Hietanen. Yekaterinburg tied it on a Tobias Viklund goal, made possible by Jakub Petruzalek. Torpedo took the lead back in the second period with an unassisted shorthanded goal by Petteri Nokelainen. Avtomobilist tied it on an Alexei Mikhnov goal, going in unassisted. Nizhny Novgorod took the lead again in the third period with a Nokelainen goal, guided in by Sergei Demagin and Vyacheslav Kulyomin. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Nokelainen, Immonen, and Mikhnov.

Over in Cherepovets, Severstal brings in Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Jakub Stepanek protect the nets. Magnitogorsk was first to score in the first period on a Mikhail Yunkov goal, assisted by Francis Pare. Cherepovets tied it as Nikolai Kazakovtsev scored in the second period, thanks to Alexander Urbom. In the shootout, Severstal got goals from Yury Trubachyov, Marek Kvapil, and Dmitry Kagarlitsky to top tallies from Metallurg's Danis Zaripov and Chris Lee. The three stars belonged to Stepanek (38 for 39 in saves), Koshechkin (30 for 31 in saves), and Kazakovtsev.

Up in Helsinki, Jokerit hosts Avangard Omsk. Konstantin Barulin and Henrik Karlsson are between the pipes. Omsk got going in the second period on an Alexander Perezhogin goal, via Evgeny Mozer and Erik Gustafsson. Helsinki tied it on a Topi Jaakola power play goal, powered by Linus Omark. Avangard took the lead back on a Denis Parshin power play goal, guided in by Gustafsson and Vladimir Sobotka. This was all they needed for a 2-1 win, and the three stars were handed to Barulin (25 for 26 in saves), Parshin, and Gustafsson.

Back in Russia, SKA St. Petersburg welcomes Barys Astana. Jan Laco and Alexander Salak are the masked men. Astana began in the first period with a Roman Savchenko goal, assisted by Nigel Dawes and Evgeny Blokhin. St. Petersburg tied it on an Anton Belov goal, courtesy of Patrick Thoresen. SKA took the lead on a second period power play goal by Jimmie Ericsson, powered by Roman Cervenka and Maxim Chudinov. St. Petersburg added on as Thoresen scored a power play goal, coming off of Chudinov. SKA extended the lead with an Alexander Barabanov goal, fueled by Ericsson and Ilya Kovalchuk. Barys shot back with a Mikhail Rakhmanov goal, guided in by Konstantin Pushkaryov and Andrei Gavrilov. Astana pulled closer on a Roman Starchenko goal, passed from Konstantin Rudenko and Dmitry Upper. St. Petersburg finished it at 5-3 with an empty net Kovalchuk goal, set up by Belov. The three stars were awarded to Thoresen, Chudinov, and Kovalchuk, while Belov and Ericsson get the honorable mentions.

Down in Moscow, CSKA brings in Ak Bars Kazan. Anders Nilsson and Stanislav Galimov are occupying the creases. Moscow dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Stephane Da Costa power play goal, powered by Nikita Zaitsev. CSKA added on with another Da Costa power play goal, via Denis Denisov. Kazan got on the board in the third period as Dmitry Obukhov scored an unassisted goal. Ak Bars tied it with a Janne Pesonen power play goal, assisted by Alexander Burmistrov and Evgeny Medvedev. Kazan won 3-2 with a lone tally by Pesonen in the shootout. The three stars went to Pesonen, Da Costa, and Obukhov.

Finally, Dinamo Riga hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Leland Irving and Jakub Sedlacek are the goalies. Ufa led off in the second period with a power play goal by Alexander Kutuzov, powered by Dmitry Makarov and Teemu Hartikainen. Riga tied it on a Linus Videll goal in the third period, passed from Miks Indrasis and Milan Jurcina. Dinamo took the lead as Pyotr Schastlivy scored, thanks to Videll. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Videll, Sedlacek (25 for 26 in saves), and Schastlivy.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL October 20th, 2014

Just one game tonight, as the Edmonton Oilers host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop faces a lesser Ben, Mr. Scrivens, in goal. Tampa Bay got going in the second period on a Brian Boyle goal, passed from Brenden Morrow and Jason Garrison. Edmonton tied it as Justin Schultz scored, thanks to Nail Yakupov and Taylor Hall. The Oilers took the lead with a Hall penalty shot goal, his fourth of the season, which he received after being hooked by Matthew Carle. The Lightning tied it in the third period with a Brett Connolly goal, assisted by Tyler Johnson. Edmonton retook the lead on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, made possible by Jordan Eberle. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Hall, Nugent-Hopkins, and Schultz.

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Monday, October 20, 2014

KHL October 20th, 2014

Four games on today, with the first in...

Traktor Chelyabinsk hosting Medvescak Zagreb. Barry Brust and Michael Garnett are the North American goalies. Zagreb got going in the second period on a Matt Anderson goal, with a lone assist by Ville Leino. Medvescak added on as Leino scored, thanks to Anderson and Bill Thomas. Zagreb extended the lead with a Brock Trotter goal, via James Wright. Chelyabinsk got one back with a Stanislav Chistov power play goal, powered by Deron Quint. Medvescak shot back in the third period on a Martin St. Pierre goal, coming off of Brandon Segal. Traktor got one back as Artyom Penkovsky scored, with the help of Anton Glinkin and Martin Ruzicka. This was only good to make it 4-2, the final, and the three stars were Anderson, Leino, and Trotter.

Up in Khanty-Mansiysk, Yugra welcomes Slovan Bratislava. Johan Backlund and Mikhail Biryukov are the veteran goalies. Bratislava began in the first period on a Ladislav Nagy goal, assisted by Ziga Jeglic and Tomas Starosta. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it on a Ben Maxwell goal, with a lone assist by Lukas Kaspar. Yugra took the lead on a power play goal by Alexei Pepelyaev, powered by Andrei Sergeyev and Igor Magogin. Khanty-Mansiysk added on in the second period as Nikita Gusev scored a power play goal, passed from Philip Larsen and Andrei Chibisov. Slovan pulled back with a Jeglic goal, coming off of Nagy and Rok Ticar. Bratislava tied it in the third period on a Vladimir Mihalik goal, via Nagy. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Nagy's lone tally secured a 4-3 Slovan win. The three stars went to Nagy, Jeglic, and Mihalik.

Over in Nizhnekamsk, Neftekhimik brings in Atlant Mytishchi. Dmitry Shikin is mismatched with Alexander Sudnitsin in goal. Mytishchi led off in the first period with a Roman Rukavishnikov power play goal, powered by Igor Radulov and Ondrej Nemec. Nizhnekamsk tied it on a Pyotr Khokryakov goal, made possible by Yaroslav Alshevsky. Atlant took the lead back with an Artyom Chernov goal, assisted by Andreas Engqvist. Neftekhimik retied it on a Tim Stapleton power play goal, guided in by Stanislav Kalashnikov. Mytishchi took the lead again in the third period as Engqvist scored, thanks to Chernov and Sergei Shmelyov. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Engqvist, Chernov, and Shikin (26 for 28 in saves).

Finally, in Togliatti, Lada hosts Dinamo Minsk. Lars Haugen and Ilya Ezhov are the masked men. Minsk started with an unassisted goal by Alexander Kulakov. Dinamo added on with a Jonathan Cheechoo goal, with a lone assist by Alexei Kalyuzhny. Minsk extended the lead as Matt Ellison scored in the third period, thanks to Charles Linglet. Togliatti got on the board with a power play goal by Denis Barantsev, powered by Alexander Chernikov and Yury Petrov. This only made it 3-1, and the three stars were given to Haugen (26 for 27 in saves), Cheechoo, and Ellison.

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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.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

Sunday, October 19, 2014

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.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

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.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.