Sunday, November 2, 2014

KHL November 2nd, 2014

Twelve games on today, which will have to make up for none tomorrow. We begin with...

Avangard Omsk hosting Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Konstantin Barulin are in goal. Nizhnekamsk began in the first period on a Teemu Eronen goal, going in unassisted. Omsk tied it on a power play goal by Vladimir Sobotka, powered by Miroslav Blatak and Sergei Shirokov. Avangard took the lead on an Alexander Popov goal, guided in by Chad Kolarik. Omsk added on in the second period on a power play goal by Denis Parshin, fueled by Tom Wandell. Avangard extended the lead with an Evgeny Mozer goal, passed from Evgeny Kulik. Omsk padded the lead on a Shirokov goal, made possible by Kulik and Denis Kulyash. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Shirokov, Barulin (34 for 35 in saves), and Kulik.

Up in Ufa, Salavat Yulaev welcomes Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Vladimir Sokhatsky draw the starts. Togliatti was first to score in the first period with a power play goal by Semyon Valuisky, powered by Peter Podhradsky and Dmitry Vorobyov. Ufa tied it on an Antti Pihlstrom goal in the second period, assisted by Teemu Hartikainen. Salavat Yulaev took the lead in the third period on a Yegor Dubrovsky goal, coming off of Alexander Stepanov. Ufa added on as Dmitry Makarov goal, with a lone assist by Andrei Zubarev. Lada got one back with another Valuisky goal, helped along by Stanislav Bocharov and Fedor Fedorov. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Valuisky, Makarov, and Dubrovsky.

Back south to Magnitogorsk, as Metallurg brings in Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Vasily Koshechkin guard the cages. Yekaterinburg struck first in the first period with an Alexei Mikhnov goal, passed from Viktor Kozlov. Magnitogorsk tied it on a second period goal by Danis Zaripov, coming off of Jan Kovar. Metallurg took the lead on an Evgeny Biryukov goal, fueled by Denis Platonov and Kovar. Avtomobilist retied it as Mikhnov scored again, thanks to Yegor Zhuravlyov and Anatoly Golyshev. Yekaterinburg pulled ahead with a Golyshev goal, guided in by Eduard Lewandowski and Mikhnov. Avtomobilist added on with an Anton Lazarev goal, made possible by Golyshev. Magnitogorsk got one back in the third period on a Kovar goal, assisted by Zaripov and Biryukov. Metallurg tied it with a Zaripov goal, with helpers from Viktor Antipin and Platonov. Magnitogorsk won 5-4 in overtime on a Francis Pare goal with a lone assist by Chris Lee. The three stars went to Kovar, Mikhnov, and Zaripov, while Golyshev, Biryukov, and Platonov get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Moscow, as CSKA hosts Atlant Mytishchi. Atte Engren and Stanislav Galimov protect the nets. Moscow led off on a first period goal by Denis Denisov, a power play goal powered by Alexander Radulov and Igor Grigorenko. CSKA added on with an Ivan Telegin goal, with a lone assist by Georgy Misharin. Mytishchi got on the board in the second period with a shorthanded Sergei Shmelyov goal, set up by Artyom Chernov. Moscow shot back in the third period with a Nikita Zaitsev power play goal, guided in by Radulov and Denisov. This held up for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Denisov, Galimov (20 for 21 in saves), and Radulov.

Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk welcomes Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Rafael Khakimov and Danny Taylor are the unknown goalies. Novokuznetsk opened in the first period with a Dmitry Maltsev goal, guided in by Denis Kurepanov. Minsk tied it on a power play goal by Alexander Kulakov, powered by Lukas Krajicek and Nick Bailen. Dinamo took the lead on another power play goal, this time from Bailen, with assists by Ryan Vesce and Alexei Kalyuzhny. Minsk added on with a Sergei Drozd goal, via Konstantin Zakharov. Dinamo extended the lead in the third period on a Dmitry Meleshko goal, fueled by Zakharov. This produced a 4-1 final, with Bailen, Taylor (25 for 26 in saves), and Zakharov receiving the three stars.

Back in Russia, Severstal Cherepovets brings in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Jakub Stepanek receive the starting nods. Yaroslavl got going in the second period on a Jonas Holos goal, courtesy of Geoff Platt. Cherepovets tied it on a Dmitry Kagarlitsky goal, with a lone helper by Zakhar Arzamastsev. Severstal won in the shootout by a 2-1 score with tallies by Yury Trubachyov and Marek Kvapil. The three stars were given to Stepanek (28 for 29 in saves), Sanford (23 for 24 in saves), and Kvapil.

Into Podolsk, where Vityaz hosts Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Harri Sateri are the masked men. Riga started with a power play goal by Oskars Cibulskis, powered by Lauris Darzins and Mikelis Redlihs. Podolsk tied it on an Anton Korolyov goal, made possible by Robert Kousal. Vityaz took the lead on a Roman Horak power play goal, via Dmitry Tsyganov and Mario Kempe. Podolsk added on with a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, fueled by Korolyov and Kousal. Dinamo got one back in the third period on a Darzins goal, coming off of Krisjanis Redlihs and Linus Videll. Vityaz iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Horak, set up by Alexander Kucheryavenko. The three stars belonged to Horak, Korolyov, and Darzins, while Kousal gets an honorable mention.

East to Kazan, as Ak Bars welcomes Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Mikhail Biryukov and Anders Nilsson are in the creases. Kazan led off in the first period with an Oscar Moller goal, via Alexander Burmistrov. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it on a Sergei Lesnukhin goal, coming off of Denis Gorbunov. Ak Bars took the lead back with a Burmistrov goal, with a lone assist by Evgeny Medvedev. Kazan added on in the second period with an Artyom Lukoyanov goal, guided in by Ilya Nikulin. Ak Bars extended the lead with a shorthanded and unassisted Justin Azevedo goal in the third period. Kazan padded the lead as Sergei Kostitsyn scored, thanks to Mikhail Varnakov and Burmistrov. Stepan Goryachevskikh relieved Biryukov. Ak Bars finished it at 6-1 with a Burmistrov power play goal, powered by Nikulin. The three stars were awarded to Burmistrov, Nilsson (27 for 28 in saves), and Nikulin.

Southwest to Sochi, as the Leopards bring in SKA St. Petersburg. Evgeny Ivannikov and Tomas Popperle are between the pipes. St. Petersburg struck first in the first period on a Viktor Tikhonov goal, assisted by Artemy Panarin and Evgeny Dadonov on the power play. SKA added on with a Dadonov goal, made possible by Panarin and Tikhonov. Sochi got on the board with a second period goal by Ryan Whitney, via Igor Ignatushkin and Evgeny Lapenkov. This was as close as it got, with the final resting at 2-1. The three stars went to Dadonov, Tikhonov, and Panarin.

Back to Moscow, where Dynamo hosts Jokerit Helsinki. Henrik Karlsson and Alexander Yeryomenko tend the twines. Helsinki was first to score as Jani Rita scored, thanks to Jere Karalahti and Tomi Maki. Jokerit added on with a Niko Kapanen goal, with a lone assist by Juhamatti Aaltonen. Moscow got on the board as Andrei Mironov scored, with the help of Maxim Karpov and Nikolai Zherdev. Helsinki answered in the third period on an Aaltonen goal, courtesy of Karalahti and Atte Ohtamaa. This stood for a 3-1 win, and the three stars went to Aaltonen, Karlsson (42 for 43 in saves), and Karalahti.

West again to Bratislava, where Slovan welcomes Admiral Vladivostok. Ilya Proskuryakov and Jaroslav Janus play in the blue paint. Bratislava began with a Rok Ticar goal, assisted by Michal Sersen and Ziga Jeglic. Slovan added on with a Sersen power play goal, powered by Ivan Baranka and Tomas Netik. Bratislava extended the lead with a Baranka power play goal, via Netik. Slovan padded the lead in the second period as Tomas Surovy scored, thanks to Libor Hudacek. Vladivostok got on the board in the third period with a Nikita Lisov goal, passed from Enver Lisin and Ilya Zubov. This was as close as it got, with the final being 4-1, and the three stars going to Baranka, Sersen, and Janus (23 for 24 in saves), while Netik gets an honorable mention.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Amur Khabarovsk. Alexei Murygin and Mark Dekanich are the average goalies. Khabarovsk dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Mikhail Zheleznov goal, assisted by Vyacheslav Litovchenko and Mikhail Fisenko. Zagreb tied it on a Brandon Segal power play goal, powered by Aaron Palushaj and Brock Trotter. Amur took the lead back with a power play goal by Dmitry Lugin, with a lone assist by Alexander Loginov. Khabarovsk added on as Evgeny Orlov scored, thanks to Roman Kopiyenko. Amur extended the lead on a Michel Miklik goal, via Rastislav Spirko. Medvescak got one back in the third period on a Patrick Bjorkstrand scored, with the help of Segal. Khabarovsk finished it at 5-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Fisenko. The three stars were given to Fisenko, Segal, and Orlov.

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NHL November 1st, 2014

Twelve games on a typically busy Saturday. We begin in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Boston dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Brad Marchand goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Patrice Bergeron. Ottawa tied it on a Mark Stone goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Bruins replied with a Matt Fraser goal, made possible by Loui Erikson and Carl Soderberg. Boston added on as Fraser scored his second of the game, thanks to Soderberg and Zach Trotman. The Bruins extended the lead in the third period on an unassisted Dennis Seidenberg goal. The Senators got one back with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his second of the campaign, coming off of Alex Chiasson. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Fraser, Soderberg, and Seidenberg.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Cam Ward are the mediocre goalies. Carolina started in the first period with a Elias Lindholm goal, courtesy of Brett Bellemore and Nathan Gerbe. The Hurricanes added on with another Lindholm goal, made possible by Riley Nash and Justin Faulk. Carolina extended the lead in the second period with a Jiri Tlusty power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Erik Staal and Faulk. This was all they needed for a 3-0 win, with the three stars going to Lindholm, Ward (25 save shutout), and Faulk.

Back north, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Anton Forsberg and Cory Schneider draw the starts. Columbus began in the first period with a Jack Skille goal, his third of the season, coming off of Brian Gibbons and Nick Foligno. New Jersey tied it on a second period Marek Zidlicky power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Michael Ryder and Damon Severson. The Blue Jackets retook the lead with a Foligno power play goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jack Johnson and Gibbons. The Devils tied it in the third period on a power play goal by Adam Henrique, his fourth of the year, passed from Jaromir Jagr and Zidlicky. New Jersey took the lead on an Adam Larsson goal, guided in by Bryce Salvador and Patrik Elias. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Zidlicky, Foligno, and Gibbons.

Over in New York, the Rangers host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Henrik Lundqvist are in the blue paint. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Winnipeg got goals from Blake Wheeler and Evander Kane to top a single New York tally from Mats Zuccarello for a 1-0 win. The three stars were awarded to Pavelec (38 save shutout), Lundqvist (25 save "shutout"), and Kane.

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Marc-Andre Fleury receive the starting nods. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Chris Kunitz goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Patric Hornqvist and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins added on in the second period on a Blake Comeau goal, his third of the year, guided in by Evgeni Malkin and Pascal Dupuis. Pittsburgh extended the lead with a Hornqvist power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Kunitz and Malkin. The Penguins padded the lead on a power play goal by Kunitz in the third period, his second of the game and seventh of the year, fueled by Kris Letang and Crosby. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-0 on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Crosby, who got a sock trick, and Christian Ehrhoff on the power play. The three stars belonged Kunitz, Malkin, and Crosby, while Hornqvist and Fleury (18 save shutout) get the honorable mentions.

South to Florida, where the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Ben Bishop are the young goalies. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Ryan Callahan goal, his fourth of the season, via Brian Boyle. Washington tied it on a Marcus Johansson goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals took the lead in the second period on an Eric Fehr goal, fueled by Jason Chimera and John Carlson. The Lightning retied it on an Ondrej Palat goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Nikita Kucherov and Tyler Johnson. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Kucherov goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Eric Brewer and Johnson. Washington retied it with a Troy Brouwer power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Johansson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Lightning edged ahead on a Jason Garrison goal in the third period, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Steven Stamkos. They went on to win 4-3, with the three stars going to Kucherov, Johnson, and Johansson.

Up in Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and James Reimer are between the pipes. Toronto was first to score on a first period goal by Nazem Kadri, his fourth of the season, assisted by Daniel Winnik and Phil Kessel. Chicago tied it on a Brad Richards power play goal, powered by Brent Seabrook and Brandon Saad. The Blackhawks pulled ahead on a Seabrook power play in the second period, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Patrick Kane. The Maple Leafs tied it on an unassisted James van Riemsdyk goal, his fifth of the season. Toronto took the lead in the third period with a Peter Holland goal, via Leo Komarov. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Seabrook, Reimer (45 for 47 in saves), and Holland.

Back to Florida, where the Panthers welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Roberto Luongo have the green light to play goal. Florida struck first in the first period on a Willie Mitchell goal, assisted by Jussi Jokinen and Brad Boyes. The Panthers added on in the third period on an Aaron Ekblad power play goal, powered by Brian Campbell and Jimmy Hayes. Philadelphia got on the board with a Vincent Lecavalier goal, his second of the season, made possible by Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds. They failed to tie it, losing 2-1, with the three stars going to Luongo (36 for 37 in saves), Ekblad, and Mitchell.

Northwest to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Darcy Kuemper guard the cages. Minnesota got going with a Mikael Granlund goal in the second period, going in unassisted. The Wild added on as Matt Dumba scored, thanks to Jason Pominville and Zach Parise. Dallas got on the board with a Vernon Fiddler goal, his second of the season, guided in by Jamie Oleksiak. Minnesota shot back on a Thomas Vanek power play goal, powered by Parise and Mikko Koivu. The Wild extended the lead in the third period on a power play goal by Nino Neiderreiter, his third of the year, with assists provided by Ryan Suter and Charlie Coyle. This produced the 4-1 final, with the three stars going to Kuemper (19 for 20 in saves), Parise, and Dumba.

Down in St. Louis, the Blues host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Brian Elliott are in the blue paint. St. Louis opened in the first period on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Alexander Steen and Barret Jackman. The Blues added on in the third period on another Tarasenko goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, assisted by Alex Pietrangelo. Colorado got on the board with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Erik Johnson. The Avalanche tied it on a MacKinnon goal, his third of the year, coming on the power play via Johnson and O'Reilly. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Joakim Lindstrom's tally lifted St. Louis to a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Tarasenko, O'Reilly, and MacKinnon, while Johnson gets an honorable mention.

In Canada, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Ben Scrivens are the goalies. Edmonton started in the first period on a Jordan Eberle goal, his third of the season, via Taylor Hall and Martin Marincin. Vancouver tied it on a Luca Sbisa goal, his second of the year, coming off of Chris Higgins and Nick Bonino. The Canucks took the lead in the second period on a Linden Vey goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Derek Dorsett and Tom Sestito. The Oilers retied it on a David Perron goal, guided in by Leon Draisaitl and Andrew Ference. Vancouver took the lead back in the third period on a shorthanded and unassisted Dorsett goal. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Dorsett, Miller (25 for 27 in saves), and Sbisa.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Antti Niemi tend the twines. New York began in the first period on a Kyle Okposo goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk. San Jose tied it with a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Tommy Wingels and Matthew Nieto. The Sharks took the lead in the third period on a Logan Couture goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Justin Braun and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. San Jose added on with a James Sheppard goal, courtesy of Adam Burish and Andrew Desjardins. This held up for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Niemi (19 for 20 in saves), Couture, and Hertl.

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Saturday, November 1, 2014

KHL November 1st, 2014

One game on the first day of the month, as Dinamo Minsk hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Mikko Koskinen and Lars Haugen are the masked men. Novosibirsk was first to score with a Sergei Shumakov goal, assisted by Konstantin Alexeyev and Oleg Gubin. Sibir added on with an Alexei Kopeikin goal, fueled by Dmitry Monya. Novosibirsk extended the lead in the second period on a power play goal by Igor Ozhiganov, powered by Stepan Sannikov and Shumakov. Minsk got on the board with an Alexander Kulakov goal, via Matt Ellison and Evgeny Nogachyov. Sibir shot back in the third period on a Dmitry Kugryshev goal, courtesy of Patrik Hersley and Alexeyev on the power play. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Shumakov, Koskinen (21 for 22 in saves), and Alexeyev.

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Friday, October 31, 2014

NHL October 31st, 2014

Four games for Halloween night, beginning in...

Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Curtis McElhinney receive the starting nods. Toronto led off in the first period with a Phil Kessel goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Daniel Winnik and Nazem Kadri. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period on a David Clarkson power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Dion Phaneuf and Peter Holland. Toronto extended the lead with a Kadri goal, his third of the season, coming off of Kessel and Winnik. Columbus got one back with a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Ryan Johansen and Jack Johnson. The Maple Leafs shot back on a Winnik goal, with a lone assist by Kessel. This made it 4-1, the final, and the three stars were Kessel, Kadri, and Winnik.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. Detroit struck first in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings added on with an unassisted goal by Pavel Datsyuk, his third of the year. Detroit extended the lead with another Nyquist goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, a power play goal made possible by Kronwall and Datsyuk. The Red Wings padded the lead on a Tomas Tatar goal, his second of the year, guided in by Nyquist and Riley Sheahan. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period on an Alec Martinez goal, assisted by Mike Richards and Trevor Lewis. The Kings pulled closer with a shorthanded third period goal by Tyler Toffoli, his sixth of the season, set up by Robyn Regehr and Dwight King. Detroit iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Datsyuk, his second of the game and fourth of the year, with assists provided by Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader. The three stars went to Nyquist, Datsyuk, and Kronwall, while Zetterberg gets an honorable mention.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Kari Lehtonen are the masked men. Anaheim got going in the second period on a Corey Perry goal, his tenth of the season, via Francois Beauchemin. Dallas tied it in the third period on an Antoine Roussel goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Trevor Daley and Ryan Garbutt. The Ducks won 2-1 in overtime on a Nate Thompson goal, courtesy of Perry and Cam Fowler. The three stars were given to Perry, Andersen (21 for 22 in saves), and Thompson.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jonas Hiller are the veteran goalies. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Dennis Wideman and Curtis Glencross. Nashville tied it on a Craig Smith goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Ryan Ellis and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators took the lead on a James Neal goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Mike Ribeiro. The Flames tied it on a Jiri Hudler goal in the third period, his third of the year, passed from Markus Granlund and Johnny Gaudreau. Calgary took the lead on a T.J. Brodie power play goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Monahan and Mark Giordano. The Flames added on as Gaudreau scored his second of the year, thanks to Deryk Engelland and Ladislav Smid. Nashville pulled back with a power play goal by Neal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, via Matt Cullen and Filip Forsberg. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Gaudreau, Monahan, and Neal.

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KHL October 31st, 2014

Happy Halloween everyone. The KHL celebrates with ten games for today. We begin in...

Omsk, with Avangard hosting Lada Togliatti. Jeff Glass and Konstantin Barulin are the masked men. Omsk started in the first period with a Chad Kolarik power play goal, powered by Denis Kulyash and Alexander Perezhogin. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win. The three stars went to Barulin (24 save shutout), Kolarik, and Glass (35 for 36 in saves).

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys welcomes Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Jan Laco are between the pipes. Nizhnekamsk opened in the first period on a Dan Sexton goal, with a lone assist by Yegor Milovzorov. Astana tied it with a Kevin Dallman goal, passed from Dustin Boyd on the power play. Barys took the lead on another Dallman goal, fueled by Boyd and Brandon Bochenski. Neftekhimik retied it as Teemu Eronen scored, with the help of Tim Stapleton. Nizhnekamsk edged ahead on a Stapleton power play goal, powered by Sexton and Milovzorov. Astana pulled even in the second period on a Talgat Zhailauov goal, coming off of Andrei Gavrilin and Evgeny Blokhin. Neftekhimik took the lead back on a Gleb Klimenko goal, assisted by Pyotr Khokhryakov. Barys tied it again with a Nigel Dawes power play goal in the third period, and Bochenski had the lone helper. Astana gained the lead with a Konstantin Pushkaryov goal, guided in by Zhailauov and Gavrilin. Nizhnekamsk pulled level again as Stapleton scored a power play goal, thanks to Milovzorov, who got a sock trick, and Nikolai Belov. The tie went to a shootout, where Roman Starchenko's goal gave Barys a 6-5 win. The three stars went to Zhailauov, Dallman, and Stapleton, while Sexton, Milovzorov, Boyd, Bochenski, and Gavrilin get the honorable mentions.

Back in Russia, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Jakub Kovar guard the cages. Yekaterinburg dented the scoreboard in the third period on an Alexander Rybakov goal, via Alexander Bumagin and Jakub Petruzalek. They held on for a 1-0 win, with the three stars being Kovar (24 save shutout), Rybakov, and Garnett (39 for 40 in saves).

Over in Ufa, Salavat Yulaev hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Mikhail Biryukov and Leland Irving receive the starting nods. Khanty-Mansiysk led off in the first period with an Alexei Pepelyaev goal, via Vitaly Sitnikov. Yugra added on with a Lukas Kaspar goal, fueled by Mikhail Mamkin and Ivan Yatsenko. Khanty-Mansiysk extended the lead in the second period with an Igor Bortnikov goal, coming off of Denis Gorbunov and Andrei Chibisov. Ufa got on the board with an Ivan Vishnevsky power play goal, powered by Denis Khlystov and Kirill Koltsov. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Biryukov (35 for 36 in saves), Kaspar, and Bortnikov.

Southwest to Sochi, where the Leopards welcome Jokerit Helsinki. Riku Helenius and Tomas Popperle are the goalies with cool names. Helsinki got going in the second period with a Juhamatti Aaltonen power play goal, powered by Jere Karalahti. Sochi tied it on an Oleg Saprykin goal, courtesy of Roman Lyuduchin and Nikita Shchitov. Jokerit took the lead on a Linus Omark third period goal, made possible by Ryan Gunderson and Ville Lajunen. The Leopards tied it as Artyom Kryukov scored, thanks to Max Warn. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Cory Emmerton and Andre Petersson lifted Sochi to a 3-2 victory, as Helsinki's only tally came from Niko Kapanen. The three stars went to Kryukov, Saprykin, and Popperle (28 for 30 in saves).

North to Yaroslavl, where Lokomotiv brings in Dinamo Riga. Edgars Masalskis and Vitaly Kolesnik are the backups making spot starts. Yaroslavl struck first in the first period with an unassisted Staffan Kronwall goal. Lokomotiv added on with a Vladislav Kartayev goal, assisted by Yegor Korshkov. Riga got on the board with a second period power play goal by Andris Dzerins, powered by Krisjanis Redlihs and Oskars Cibulskis. Yaroslavl shot back on a third period goal by Yegor Averin, courtesy of Sergei Plotnikov and Daniil Apalkov on the power play. Lokomotiv finished it at 4-1 with a Korshkov goal, via Sergei Konkov and Kartayev. The three stars went to Korshkov, Kartayev, and Kolesnik (20 for 21 in saves).

Toward Moscow, Atlant Mytishchi hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Ilya Sorokin and Atte Engren occupy the creases. Novokuznetsk began in the first period on a Mikhail Plotnikov goal, passed from James O'Brien and Mark Skutar. Metallurg added on with a Ryan Stoa goal, with a lone assist by Mikhail Kuklev. Mytishchi tied it on a Vyacheslav Kozlov goal, courtesy of Artyom Chernov and Roman Rukavishnikov. Atlant tied it with a Nikita Soshnikov goal, coming off of Igor Levitsky. Mytishchi took the lead in the third period as Levitsky scored, thanks to Soshnikov. Atlant finished it at 4-2 with another Levitsky goal set up by Soshnikov. The three stars went to Levitsky, Soshnikov, and Kozlov.

Into Moscow, where Dynamo welcomes SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Alexander Yeryomenko tend the twines. St. Petersburg was first to score on an Andrei Kuteikin goal, passed from Artemy Panarin on the power play. Moscow tied it with a Denis Mosalyov power play goal, powered by Alexei Tsvetkov and Nikolai Zherdev. SKA took the lead back in the second period with a Tony Martensson goal, guided in by Patrick Thoresen and Anton Belov. Dynamo tied it on a shorthanded goal by Mat Robinson, set up by Sergei Soin and Mosalyov. Moscow gained the lead with a third period goal by Denis Kokarev, fueled by Mosalyov and Maxim Solovyov. St. Petersburg tied it again with a Yury Alexandrov goal, with a lone assist by Thoresen. Dynamo won 4-3 in overtime on a Janne Jalasvaara goal, assisted by Kaspars Daugavins and Alexei Tereshchenko. The three stars were handed to Mosalyov, Jalasvaara, and Thoresen.

Out in Croatia, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Admiral Vladivostok. Ivan Nalimov and Mark Dekanich play goal. Zagreb opened with a Bill Thomas power play goal in the first period, powered by Mathieu Carle and Pascal Pelletier. Vladivostok tied it on a Konstantin Makarov goal, made possible by Ilya Zubov and Enver Lisin. Admiral took the lead with a Jan Kolar power play goal, via Zubov and Niclas Bergfors. Vladivostok added on with a power play goal by Denis Kuzmin, coming off of Lisin and Alexei Ugarov. Admiral extended the lead in the second period with a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Zubov. Medvescak got one back as Aaron Palushaj scored, with a lone assist by Brock Trotter. Zagreb pulled closer in the third period on another Thomas goal, guided in by Matt Anderson and Pelletier. They failed to tie it, losing 4-3, with the three stars being Zubov, Thomas, and Lisin, while Pelletier gets an honorable mention.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Alexei Murygin and Johan Backlund are the veteran starters. Khabarovsk started with a Jesse Niinimaki goal, passed from Evgeny Orlov. Amur added on in the second period with a power play goal by Michel Miklik, powered by Alexander Ryazantsev and Tommi Taimi. Khabarovsk extended the lead in the third period with a Marcel Hascak goal, fueled by Mikhail Fisenko and Dmitry Lugin. Bratislava got on the board with a Mario Lunter goal, coming off of Rok Ticar. They still lost 3-1, with the three stars going to Murygin (34 for 35 in saves), Miklik, and Hascak.

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Thursday, October 30, 2014

NHL October 30th, 2014

Ten games on today, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Boston Bruins. Niklas Svedberg and Jhonas Enroth are set to start in goal. Buffalo got going in the second period on a Drew Stafford power play goal, powered by Tyler Ennis and Tyler Myers. Boston tied it on an Adam McQuaid goal, via Carl Soderberg and Brad Marchand. The Sabres took the lead with an Ennis goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Torrey Mitchell and Stafford. The Bruins tied it in the third period on a Marchand goal, his second of the year, guided in by Loui Eriksson and Dennis Seidenberg. Boston won 3-2 in overtime as Marchand scored his second of the game and third of the campaign, thanks to Reilly Smith and Dougie Hamilton. The three stars went to Marchand, Ennis, and Stafford.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Cory Schneider are the masked men. Winnipeg started with a first period goal by Blake Wheeler, his fourth of the season, coming off of Toby Enstrom and Zach Bogosian. New Jersey tied it in the third period as Michael Ryder scored his second of the year, with a lone assist by Jon Merrill. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Jacob Josefson gave the Devils a 2-1 win with the lone tally. The three stars went to Josefson, Schneider (24 for 25 in saves), and Pavelec (27 for 28 in saves).

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Martin Jones is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a power play goal by Chris Kunitz, his fourth of the season, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins added on as Kris Letang scored a power play goal, with the help of Kunitz. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the third period with another Kunitz goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, courtesy of Sidney Crosby and Christian Ehrhoff. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Kunitz, Fleury (36 save shutout), and Letang.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators host the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Craig Anderson are in the blue paint. Ottawa led off with a first period Mark Stone goal, his second of the season, via Curtis Lazar and Cody Ceci. Chicago tied it on a Jonathan Toews goal, his third of the year, passed from Marian Hossa and Bryan Bickell. The Blackhawks took the lead on a Kris Versteeg goal, his second of the season, made possible by Brad Richards. The Senators retied it on a second period Clarke MacArthur power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by David Legwand and Patrick Wiercioch. Ottawa took the lead on a third period Bobby Ryan goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Chicago tied it again as Toews scored his second of the game and fourth of the year, guided in by Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks edged ahead with a Hossa goal, his second of the season, with a lone helper by Versteeg. The Senators evened it again with a Mika Zibanejad goal, fueled by Alex Chiasson and Erik Karlsson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Patrick Sharp scored the game winner for a 5-4 Blackhawks victory. The three stars were handed to Toews, Hossa, and Versteeg.

Back south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Ben Bishop draw the starts. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period on a Vladislav Nemestnikov goal, his third of the season, fueled by Anton Stralman and Jonathan Drouin. Philadelphia tied it on a Wayne Simmonds goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Brayden Schenn. The Lightning reclaimed the lead with a second period Steven Stamkos power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Jason Garrison and Valtteri Filppula. Tampa Bay added on in the third period with another Stamkos goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, assisted by Filppula and Alex Killorn. The Flyers got one back on a Jakub Voracek goal, his third of the season, coming off of Brandon Manning and Claude Giroux. The Lightning replied with a Garrison power play goal, courtesy of Stamkos and Filppula, the latter getting a sock trick. Philadelphia answered on a Michael Raffl goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Voracek and Giroux. This only made it 4-3, with the three stars being Stamkos, Filppula, and Garrison, while Voracek and Giroux get the honorable mentions.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Roberto Luongo protect the nets. Arizona was first to score in the first period on a Martin Hanzal power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Keith Yandle. Florida tied it on a second period power play goal by Brandon Pirri, his third of the year, guided in by Jussi Jokinen and Erik Gudbranson. The Panthers took the lead on a Scottie Upshall goal in the third period, made possible by Tomas Kopecky and Derek MacKenzie. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being named as Luongo (32 for 33 in saves), Upshall, and Pirri.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Jake Allen are the young goalies. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the first period on an Alexander Steen goal, his second of the season, passed from Carl Gunnarsson and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues added on in the third period as Ryan Reaves scored his second of the year, thanks to Maxim Lapierre. This produced the 2-0 final, with the three stars going to Allen (24 save shutout), Steen, and Reaves.

Further north, the Minnesota Wild welcome the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Darcy Kuemper are in the creases. San Jose opened in the first period with a Mirco Mueller goal, assisted by Matthew Nieto and James Sheppard. The Sharks added on with a Tommy Wingels power play goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, powered by Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns. Minnesota got on the board with a Mikko Koivu goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Jason Zucker and Ryan Suter. San Jose shot back in the third period on a Joe Thornton goal, his third of the campaign, guided in by Pavelski. The Wild answered on a Kyle Brodziak goal, fueled by Thomas Vanek and Justin Fontaine. Minnesota tied it with Brodziak's second of the game, coming off of Vanek and Nate Prosser. In the shootout, the Wild got goals from Koivu and Jason Pominville, while Logan Couture had the only Sharks goal. The final was 4-3 for the Wild, with the three stars going to Brodziak, Vanek, and Pavelski.

Westward to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the New York Islanders. Chad Johnson and Semyon Varlamov are between the pipes. Colorado began with a first period goal by Cody McLeod, assisted by Matt Duchene and Max Talbot. The Avalanche added on as Nathan MacKinnon scored a power play goal in the second period, powered by Erik Johnson and Gabriel Landeskog. Colorado extended the lead on a Marc-Andre Cliche goal, via Talbot and McLeod. The Avalanche padded the lead on MacKinnon's second of the game, coming off of Jarome Iginla and Jamie McGinn. Colorado iced it at 5-0 with a Johnson goal, his second of the season, passed from Duchene. The three stars went to MacKinnon, Varlamov (40 save shutout), and McLeod, while Johnson, Talbot, and Duchene get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Ryan Miller tend the twines. Vancouver got going with a second period goal by Nick Bonino, his fourth of the season, made possible by Derek Dorsett. The Canucks added on in the third period as Brad Richardson scored his third of the year, thanks to Shawn Matthias and Yannick Weber. Montreal got on the board with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of P.K. Subban and Alexei Emelin. The Canadiens tied it on a Max Pacioretty goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Dale Weise and David Desharnais. Vancouver won 3-2 in overtime on a Daniel Sedin goal, his third of the campaign, via Henrik Sedin on the power play. The three stars went to Daniel Sedin, Richardson, and Bonino.

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New York Red Bulls VS. Sporting Kansas City: MLS Eastern Conference Play-In Game

From Harrison, New Jersey. The goalies are Luis Robles for New York and Eric Kronberg for Kansas City. Kansas City struck first in the fifty-third minute on a Dominic Dwyer goal, fueled by Benny Feilhaber. New York tied it as Bradley Wright-Phillips scored in the seventy-seventh minute, thanks to Thierry Henry and Peguy Luyindula. The Red Bulls took the lead on a Wright-Phillips goal in the ninetieth minute, set up by Ambroise Oyongo Bitolo and Luyindula. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the man of the match being Wright-Phillips. The Red Bulls will advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinal against DC United.

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