Premier League Week 10

Here's another week of British soccer, beginning in...

Newcastle, with Newcastle United hosting Liverpool. Simon Mignolet and Tim Krul are in goal. Liverpool had the first yellow card in the forty-fourth minute for a Martin Skrtel foul. Newcastle United's Steven Taylor took a yellow card in the forty-fifth minute. Newcastle United saw yellow cards also go to Moussa Sissoko in the forty-ninth minute and Daryl Janmaat in the sixty-second minute, both for fouls. In the seventy-second minute, Liverpool's Jordan Henderson was booked on a yellow card. Newcastle United got going in the seventy-third minute on an Ayoze Perez goal. In the seventy-ninth minute, Newcastle United saw a yellow card go to Jack Colback for a foul. Liverpool had another yellow card in the eighty-ninth minute for a foul by Dejan Lovren. The final stood at 1-0 for Newcastle United.

Down in London, Arsenal welcomes Burnley. Tom Heaton and Wojciech Szczesny are the keepers. Burnley was given a yellow card for a George Boyd foul in the sixteenth minute. Arsenal began with a seventieth minute goal by Alexis Sanchez, set up by a Calum Chambers cross. In the seventy-second minute, Chambers scored on a close-range shot to extend the Arsenal lead. Arsenal added on with a close-range Sanchez goal in stoppage time, via a cross by Kieran Gibbs. This made it a 3-0 final.

Staying in the city, Chelsea brings in the Queens Park Rangers. Robert Green and Thibaut Courtois protect the nets. Chelsea started in the thirty-second minute as Oscar scored, thanks to Cesc Fabregas. In the sixty-second minute, QPR tied it on a Charlie Austin goal, guided in by Leroy Fer after a fast break. Chelsea reclaimed the lead in the seventy-fifth minute with a penalty kick goal by Eden Hazard. They held on from here for a 2-1 win.

Northward to Everton hosting Swansea City. Lukasz Fabianski and Tim Howard are set to start in goal. Swansea City had the first two yellow cards go to Jonjo Shelvey in the twenty-fourth minute and Wilfried Bony in the thirty-third minute. In the thirty-eighth minute, Gareth Barry of Everton took a yellow card for his foul. Swansea City took another pair of yellow cards in the second half. The first went to Ashley Williams for a fifty-fourth minute foul, and the second went to Gylfi Sigurdsson for a foul in the sixty-sixth minute. In the seventy-second minute, Shelvey took a second yellow card for a foul and was sent off, leaving Swansea City at ten men for about 20 minutes. In stoppage time, Everton saw a booking for a Muhamed Besic foul for a yellow card. The game remained a scoreless draw through to the end.

East to Hull City welcoming Southampton. Fraser Forster and Eldin Jakupovic receive the starting nods in goal. In the third minute, Victor Wanyama blasted a long range shot into the top left corner for an early Southampton lead. Hull City's Mohamed Diame was given a yellow card for his ninetieth minute foul. Southampton made sure the early Wanyama screamer held up for a 1-0 win.

Back south to Leicester City bringing in West Bromwich Albion. Ben Foster and Kasper Schmeichel are in the six-yard boxes. West Brom received a gift in the forty-seventh minute to open the scoring, as Esteban Cambiasso put the ball in his own net. Craig Gardner of West Brom was given a yellow card in the eighty-seventh minute. The final score favored West Brom 1-0.

Saturday's last game sees Stoke City host West Ham United. Adrian and Asmir Begovic wear the mitts. Stoke City struck first in the thirty-third minute on a Victor Moses goal from close range. Stoke City received a yellow card for a Steven Sidwell foul in the fifty-fourth minute. Stoke City added on in the fifty-sixth minute with a Mame Biram Diouf goal, via Jonathan Walters on a cross. West Ham got on the board in the sixtieth minute as Enner Valencia scored, thanks to a Stewart Downing cross after a fast break. In the sixty-sixth minute, James Collins of West Ham received a yellow card for his foul. West Ham tied it in the seventy-third minute on a Downing goal, set up by Valencia. The final ended up at 2-2.

On Sunday, Manchester City welcomed their cross-town rivals, Manchester United. David de Gea and Joe Hart are the keepers. Manchester United saw all of the first half discipline. Daley Blind got a yellow card in the twenty-eighth minute for a foul, followed by consecutive yellow cards to Chris Smalling in the thirty-first and thirty-ninth minutes, both for fouls. Manchester United went down to ten men after Smalling was ejected. In the sixtieth minute, Martin Demichelis of Manchester City was shown a yellow card for his foul. Manchester City got on the board with a Sergio Aguero goal, set up by Gael Clichy. Manchester City saw yellow cards assessed to Pablo Zabaleta in the seventy-seventh minute and Fernando in the seventy-ninth minute, both for fouls. They held on for a 1-0 win anyway.

The other game has Aston Villa bringing in Tottenham Hotspur. Hugo Lloris and Brad Guzan man the nets. In the sixteenth minute, Andreas Weimann scored to give Aston Villa a lead, with an assist by Charlies N'Zogbia. Tottenham Hotspur took a yellow card for a twenty-fifth minute foul by Christian Eriksen. In the thirty-eighth minute, Aly Cissokho of Aston Villa received a yellow card for a foul. Tottenham Hotspur's Jan Vertonghen was given a yellow card for a sixty-first minute foul. Aston Villa went down to ten men in the sixty-fifth minute as Christian Benteke was sent off on a straight red card for fighting. Weimann took a yellow card for Aston Villa at the sixty-nine minute mark. Tottenham Hotspur's Nacer Chadli received a yellow card for his eightieth minute foul. Chadli made up for it by tying the score in the eighty-fourth minute for Tottenham Hotspur, with an assist from Erik Lamela's cross after a corner kick. In the eighty-ninth minute, Carlos Sanchez of Aston Villa received a yellow card. Tottenham Hotspur took the lead in the ninetieth minute on a Harry Kane goal on a free kick. This held up for a 2-1 win. 

Finally, Crystal Palace hosts Sunderland. Costel Pantilimon and Julian Speroni are given the starting nods. Sunderland struck first on a thirty-first minute Steven Fletcher header goal, passed on a cross from Patrick van Aanholt. Crystal Palace tied it on a Wes Brown own goal in the fifty-fifth minute. In the sixty-third minute, Sunderland's William Buckley was given a yellow card for his foul. Crystal Palace had a yellow card go to Mile Jedinak in the sixty-fifth minute. Sunderland picked up another yellow card for Pantilimon's offense in the seventy-first minute. In the seventy-fourth minute, Lee Cattermole of Sunderland received a yellow card for his foul. Sunderland took the lead in the seventy-ninth minute on a Jordi Gomez goal, via Buckley. In the eighty-seventh minute, Jedinak took a second yellow card for a foul and Crystal Palace went down to ten men. Sunderland extended the lead in stoppage time on another Fletcher goal, made possible by Liam Bridcutt. This made it 3-1, the final.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL November 2nd, 2014

Seven games on throughout the afternoon today, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Michal Neuvirth draw the starts. Buffalo got going in the second period on a Brian Flynn goal, assisted by Zemgus Girgensons and Tyson Strachan. Detroit tied it on a Tomas Tatar goal, his third of the season, via Riley Sheahan and Pavel Datsyuk. The Red Wings took the lead in the third period on a Datsyuk goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Justin Abdelkader and Brendan Smith. The Sabres tied it as Chris Stewart scored, thanks to Tyler Ennis and Strachan. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Ennis and Girgensons scored to lead Buffalo to 3-2 win over a lone tally from Gustav Nyquist. The three stars went to Datsyuk, Gigernsons, and Strachan.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Cam Ward are in the blue paint. Carolina began in the first period on a Victor Rask goal, assisted by Chris Terry and Zach Boychuk. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a power play goal by Terry, his fourth of the season, powered by Andrej Sekera and Elias Lindholm. Los Angeles got on the board with a power play goal by Mike Richards, his second of the year, guided in by Drew Doughty and Justin Williams. Carolina shot back on a Lindholm goal, his third of the season, made possible by Nathan Gerbe and Riley Nash. The Kings pulled back in the third period on an Alec Martinez goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. They failed to tie it, losing 3-2, with the three stars going to Terry, Lindholm, and Rask.

North to Montreal, where the Canadiens bring in the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Carey Price are the veteran goalies. Calgary opened in the first period with a Josh Jooris goal, his second of the season, fueled by Dennis Wideman and Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames added on with a Markus Granlund goal, guided in by Jiri Hudler and Gaudreau. Calgary extended the lead as Curtis Glencross scored in the second period, his second of the year, made possible by T.J. Brodie and Sean Monahan. Montreal got on the board with a Max Pacioretty goal, his fifth of the season, via Dale Weise and P.K. Subban. The Flames shot back on a Jooris power play goal, his second of the game and third of the year, powered by Brodie and Hudler. Calgary padded the lead on a Lance Bouma goal, his second of the campaign, coming off of Mark Giordano. The Canadiens got one back with a Lars Eller goal, his second of the season, helped along by Rene Bourque and Andrei Markov. The Flames finished it at 6-2 on a Giordano empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Glencross and Brodie. The three stars were given to Jooris, Giordano, and Gaudreau, while Hudler, Glencross, and Brodie get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals host the Arizona Coyotes. Devan Dubnyk and Justin Peters are the backups making spot starts. Arizona struck first in the first period on an Antoine Vermette power play goal, his second of the season, coming off of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Keith Yandle. Washington tied it on a Tom Wilson goal, courtesy of Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals took the lead as John Carlson scored his second of the year, thanks to Backstrom and Wilson. Washington added on with an Ovechkin goal, his sixth of the season, via Mike Green and Backstrom on the power play, the latter getting a natural sock trick. The Coyotes pulled back in the second period with a Michael Stone goal, made possible by Chris Summers and Martin Hanzal. Arizona tied it with a Shane Doan power play goal, his second of the year, guided in by Vermette and Mikkel Boedker. The Coyotes took the lead on a third period Sam Gagner goal, with a lone assist by Boedker. Arizona extended the lead with another Doan goal, his second of the game and third of the season, going in unassisted. The Coyotes padded the lead with a Tobias Rieder goal, assisted by Doan and Vermette. The Capitals got one back as Joel Ward scored a power play goal, his fifth of the year, with the help of Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington clawed closer with a Troy Brouwer goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Ovechkin, who got a sock trick, and Marcus Johansson. This only made it 6-5, the final, with the three stars going to Doan, Ovechkin, and Vermette, while Wilson, Backstrom, and Boedker get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Jason LaBarbera is mismatched with Semyon Varlamov in goal. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Dennis Everberg goal, assisted by John Mitchell. Anaheim tied it on a Corey Perry goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Ryan Getzlaf and Francois Beauchemin. The Avalanche retook the lead as Nathan MacKinnon scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Tyson Barrie and Nate Guenin. The Ducks pulled even again in the second period on a Hampus Lindholm goal, via Patrick Maroon and Getzlaf. Anaheim took the lead with a Cam Fowler goal, passed from Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Getzlaf, Fowler, and Lindholm.

Backtracking to Chicago, where the Blackhawks welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Corey Crawford are the masked men. Twenty seconds into the first period, Winnipeg started with a Michael Frolik goal, assisted by Andrew Ladd and Zach Bogosian. This was the game's only goal, with the final standing at 1-0. The three stars went to Hutchinson (33 save shutout), Frolik, and Crawford (26 for 27 in saves).

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne faces a lesser foe in Eddie Lack in goal. Vancouver led off with an Alexander Edler goal in the first period, his second of the season, coming on a power play via Henrik Sedin and Radim Vrbata. Nashville tied it in the second period as Filip Forsberg scored a power play goal, his second of the year, powered by James Neal and Matt Cullen. The Predators took the lead in the third period on another Forsberg goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, coming off of Neal and Mike Ribeiro. Nashville added on with a Colin Wilson goal, guided in by Forsberg and Mattias Ekholm. This produced a 3-1 final, with the three stars going to Forsberg, Rinne (26 for 27 in saves), and Neal.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

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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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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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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