MLS Eastern Conference Semifinal: Columbus Crew VS. New England Revolution

In MLS, the conference semifinals and finals are played in two game, aggregate goal sets, with a road goals tiebreakers. Here is the Eastern Conference Semifinal.

In Columbus, Bobby Shuttleworth of New England and Steve Clark of Columbus man the nets. New England took a yellow card in the nineteenth minute on a Jose Goncalves foul. The Revolution began with a thirty-fourth minute Charlie Davies goal, passed from Kelyn Rowe. New England added on in the fifty-first minute with a Chris Tierney goal. Columbus got on the board as Justin Meram scored. The Revolution shot back with a Lee Nguyen goal in the seventieth minute, set up by Jermaine Jones, while the Crew's Waylon Francis received a yellow card for a foul around the same time. New England extended the lead on a seventy-eighth minute Davies goal, coming off of Scott Caldwell. In stoppage time, Columbus' Bernardo Anor received a yellow card for a foul, and the Crew got a goal back three minutes later on a Federico Higuain penalty kick conversion. The final was 4-2 in favor of the Revolution, who will look to close things out at home next weekend. The man of the match for game 1 was Davies for his brace.

In Foxboro, the same goalies take the field. New England struck first with a forty-third minute Lee Nguyen goal, via Teal Bunbury. The Revolution added on in the fifty-fifth minute as Jose Goncalves scored, with the help of Charlie Davies and Nguyen. Columbus' playoff hopes dimmed further in the sixty-first minute as Ethan Finlay was sent off on a straight red card for his contact with Shuttleworth in goal. In the sixty-sixth minute, the Crew's Justin Meram was given a yellow card for a foul. Columbus got on the board with a Tony Tchani goal in the sixty-ninth minute, made possible by Meram. New England shot back on a Bunbury goal in the seventy-seventh minute, coming off of Daigo Kobayashi. The Crew went to nine men as Meram was ejected for his second yellow card foul in the eighty-fifth minute. The Revolution won the game 3-1, with Nguyen being the man of the match. They win the series 7-3 on aggregate, and play the New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference Final.

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Premier League Week 11

Ten more games coming at you from Britain! We begin with...

Liverpool hosting Chelsea. Thibaut Courtois and Simon Mignolet tend the twines. Liverpool struck first in the ninth minute on an Emre Can goal, passed from Raheem Sterling. Chelsea tied it on a fourteenth minute goal by Gary Cahill, via Nemanja Matic after a corner kick. Sterling was given a yellow card for a foul in the forty-third minute for Liverpool. Chelsea had a yellow card on a Branislav Ivanovic foul in the forty-eighth minute. Liverpool's Mario Balotelli took a yellow card for his foul in the sixty-fifth minute. Chelsea took the lead on a Diego Costa goal in the sixty-seventh minute. Chelsea received another booking for a Matic foul in the sixty-ninth minute. Chelsea received three more yellow cards in the later minutes of the game, going to Oscar in the eighty-third minute, Costa for a foul in the eighty-seventh minute, and Courtois for time wasting in stoppage time. Chelsea held on for a 2-1 win anyway.

Moving along to Burnley welcoming Hull City. Steve Harper and Tom Heaton are the gloved men. Hull City had the first yellow card for a James Chester foul in the seventh minute. Burnley had a pair of first half yellow cards, going to Jason Shackell in the twenty-eighth minute and Stephen Ward in the forty-second minute, both for fouls. Burnley got going in the fiftieth minute on an Ashley Barnes header goal coming off of a Kieran Trippier cross. In the fifty-sixth minute, Michael Duff received a yellow card for his foul for Burnley. Hull City had the next yellow card in the seventy-second minute for an Abel Hernandez foul. Burnley saw yellow cards assessed to Dean Marney for an eighty-sixth minute foul and to Danny Ings for a ninetieth minute foul. Burnley still won 1-0.

Continuing to Manchester, where Manchester United brings in Crystal Palace. Julian Speroni and David de Gea receive the starting nods. Crystal Palace received two yellow cards in the first half, going to Joel Ward in the thirty-fifth minute and Damien Delaney in the thirty-eighth minute, both for fouls. Crystal Palace saw a booking on a yellow card for Yannick Bolasie in the sixty-fourth minute for his foul. Manchester United opened with a sixty-seventh minute Juan Mata goal, via Angel Di Maria. In the eighty-third minute, Manchester United's Antonio Valencia was shown a yellow card for a foul. Manchester United came out of it with a 1-0 victory.

South to Southampton hosting Leicester City. Kasper Schmeichel and Fraser Forster protect the nets. In the thirty-seventh minute, Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin received a yellow card for a foul. Southampton took another yellow card as Toby Alderweireld committed a foul in the fifty-fourth minute. Leicester City's Liam Moore was booked on a yellow card for his fifty-eighth minute foul. In the seventy-fifth minute, Shane Long scored to give Southampton the lead, with the help of Graziano Pelle. Leicester City took another yellow card in the seventy-eighth minute for a foul by Marcin Wasilewski. In the eightieth minute, Southampton added on with Long's second of the game, passed from Victor Wanyama. This produced the 2-0 final.

Next up, West Ham United welcomes Aston Villa. Brad Guzan and Adrian are in the six-yard boxes. Aston Villa took a yellow card in the sixty-ninth minute for a foul by Tom Cleverley. In the eighty-ninth minute, Aston Villa had another yellow card go to Gabriel Agbonlahor for a foul. The final score was 0-0.

Finally, in London, the Queens Park Rangers bring in Manchester City. Joe Hart and Robert Green are the keepers. QPR took a yellow card in the nineteenth minute for a foul by Sandro. QPR began in the twenty-first minute on a Charlie Austin goal, passed from Mauricio Isla. Manchester City tied it on a thirty-second minute goal by Sergio Aguero, assisted by Eliaquim Mangala on a through ball. QPR took three yellow cards to end the half: Isla in the thirty-seventh minute, Richard Dunne in the fortieth minute, and Eduardo Vargas in first half stoppage time, all for fouls. Manchester City saw a booking on a yellow card for Bacary Sagna's fifty-fifth minute foul. QPR took the lead in the seventy-sixth minute as Martin Demichelis put the ball in his own net for an own goal. Manchester City retied it on an Aguero goal in the eighty-third minute, via Yaya Toure on a through ball. This made it 2-2, the final.

On Sunday, we begin with Sunderland hosting Everton. Tim Howard and Costel Pantilimon are the goalies. At the ten minute mark, Jordi Gomez of Sunderland received a yellow card for a foul. In the thirtieth minute, Everton's James McCarthy received a yellow card. Everton had another yellow card for a fifty-seventh minute Aiden McGeady foul. In the sixty-seventh minute, Sunderland began with a Sebastian Larsson free kick goal. Everton tied it on a seventy-sixth minute Leighton Baines penalty kick goal. The final held at 1-1.

Next up, Tottenham Hotspur welcomes Stoke City. Asmir Begovic and Hugo Lloris protect the nets. Stoke City started in the sixth minute with a Bojan goal, passed from Steven N'Zonzi. Stoke City had a pair of yellow cards go to Geoff Cameron in the twenty-second minute and Begovic in the twenty-fourth minute. Stoke City added on with a Jonathan Walters goal, passed from Mame Biram Diouf. Tottenham Hotspur took a yellow card in first half stoppage time for an Etienne Capoue goal. Tottenham Hotspur had a pair of second half yellow cards go to Ryan Mason in the sixty-ninth minute and Younes Kaboul in the seventy-second minute, both for fouls. In the seventy-seventh minute, Tottenham Hotspur got on the board with a Nacer Chadli goal, coming off of a Danny Rose cross. Tottenham Hotspur's comeback attempt faced a hurdle in the eighty-fifth minute when Kyle Naughton's bad foul earned him a straight red card, putting his team at ten men.

Continuing to West Bromwich Albion bringing in Newcastle United. Tim Krul and Ben Foster are in the six-yard boxes. Newcastle United opened in the forty-fifth minute on an Ayoze Perez goal, passed from Daryl Janmaat. In the sixty-second minute, Newcastle Unite added on with a Fabricio Coloccini goal, made possible by a Janmaat cross. This made it 2-0, the final score.

Finally, Swansea City hosts Arsenal. Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski have the difficult to spell names. Swansea City had two bookings in the first half with a Neil Taylor foul in the thirty-seventh minute and Ki Sung-Yueng in the forty-first minute, both for yellow cards. Arsenal had a yellow card assessed to Aaron Ramsey in first half stoppage time. In the fiftieth minute, Ashley Williams of Swansea City received a yellow card for his foul. Arsenal took two more yellow cards for fouls by Per Mertesacker in the fifty-seventh minute and Calum Chambers in the sixty-second minute. Arsenal struck first in the sixty-third minute as Alexis Sanchez scored, with the help of Danny Welbeck on a fast break. Tom Carroll of Swansea City received a yellow card immediately after the goal. In the seventy-fourth minute, Kieran Gibbs of Arsenal was handed a yellow card. Swansea City tied it in the seventy-fifth minute with a Gylfi Sigurdsson free kick goal. Swansea City took the lead on a Bafetimbi Gomis goal in the seventy-eighth minute, set up by Jefferson Montero's cross. Arsenal's Sanchez received a yellow card in the eighty-sixth minute for his foul. Swansea City took a yellow card in the ninetieth minute with a Modou Barrow foul. The sloppy game ended favoring Swansea City 2-1.

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NHL November 8th, 2014

Twelve games on a busy day today, with the first coming as a matinee in...

Florida, with the Panthers hosting the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo and Al Montoya are the backups making spot starts. Florida began in the first period with a Scottie Upshall goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his second of the year, coming off of Willie Mitchell and Dmitry Kulikov. Calgary got on the board with a David Jones goal, via Johnny Gaudreau and Deryk Engelland. Florida shot back on Upshall's second of the game and third of the season, passed from Vincent Trocheck and Kulikov. The Flames replied on a shorthanded Mark Giordano goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Paul Byron and Lance Bouma. Calgary tied it with a Jiri Hudler goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Curtis Glencross and Markus Granlund. The Panthers regained the lead on a Jimmy Hayes goal, fueled by Upshall and Ekblad. The Flames tied it again on a Sean Monahan goal in the third period, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Gaudreau and Giordano. Calgary took the lead as Bouma scored his fourth of the season, with the help of Hudler and Giordano. The Flames iced it at 6-4 on a power play empty net goal by Gaudreau, his third of the year, powered by Monahan. The three stars went to Giordano, Bouma, and Gaudreau, while Upshall, Ekblad, Kulikov, Hudler, and Monahan get the honorable mentions.

Up in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jhonas Enroth are in goal. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period on a Kris Letang goal, his second of the season, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins added on with a power play goal by Hornqvist, his eighth of the year, powered by Letang and Crosby. Pittsburgh extended the lead on a Letang goal, his second of the game and third of the season, via Paul Martin and Crosby, the latter getting a natural sock trick. The Penguins padded the lead in the second period on another Hornqvist power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, courtesy of Chris Kunitz and Crosby. Pittsburgh kept going on a Robert Bortuzzo goal, coming off of Crosby and Kunitz. Buffalo got on the board with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his third of the season, made possible by Josh Gorges and Brian Gionta. The Penguins shot back on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Blake Comeau and Letang. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars going to Crosby, Hornqvist, and Letang, while Kunitz gets an honorable mention.

Into Philadelphia, where the Flyers bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Reto Berra is mismatched with Semyon Varlamov in goal. Philadelphia was first to score on a Claude Giroux power play goal in the first period, his third of the season, powered by Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers added on as Simmonds scored his seventh of the year in the second period, a power play goal made possible by Giroux and Voracek. Philadelphia extended the lead as Brayden Schenn scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Matt Read and Nick Schultz. The Flyers padded the lead on another Giroux power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, assisted by Vincent Lecavalier and Voracek. Colorado got on the board in the third period on a Max Talbot goal, going in unassisted. The Avalanche pulled closer on an Alex Tanguay goal, his sixth of the campaign, fueled by Tyson Barrie and Dennis Everberg. Colorado got another one back with a Zach Redmond goal, passed from Talbot and Cody McLeod. They failed to tie it, losing 4-3, with the three stars being Giroux, Voracek, and Simmonds, while Talbot gets an honorable mention.

North to Montreal, as the Canadiens host the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Carey Price are in the blue paint. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Brendan Gallagher goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Tomas Plekanec. Minnesota tied it with a Jason Pominville goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Thomas Vanek. The Canadiens retook the lead on a Lars Eller goal, his third of the season, coming off of Brandon Prust and Jiri Sekac. Montreal added on with a Sekac goal, his second of the year, made possible by Prust and Eller. The Canadiens extended the lead as Max Pacioretty scored his sixth of the campaign, thanks to P.A. Parenteau and David Desharnais. This produced the 4-1 final, with the three stars given to Price (30 for 31 in saves), Sekac, and Eller, while Prust gets an honorable mention.

West to Ontario, as the Ottawa Senators welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Craig Anderson are the weak goalies. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Chris Neil power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Mika Zibanejad and Milan Michalek. Winnipeg tied it with a power play goal by Toby Enstrom, courtesy of Mark Scheifele and Dustin Byfuglien. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Mathieu Perreault scored to give the Jets a 2-1 win. The three stars were awarded to Pavelec (37 for 38 in saves), Anderson (36 for 37 in saves), and Perreault.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Evgeni Nabokov and Anton Forsberg are the backups in goal. Tampa Bay opened in the first period on a J.T. Brown goal, assisted by Jason Garrison and Andrej Sustr. The Lightning added on with a Cedric Paquette goal, his third of the season, via Jonathan Drouin and Vladislav Namestnikov. Tampa Bay extended the lead on an Anton Stralman power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Ryan Callahan and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning padded the lead on a Brian Boyle goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Brenden Morrow and Brown. Curtis McElhinney replaced Forsberg in goal for the second period. Columbus got on the board with a Scott Hartnell goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by James Wisniewski and Tim Erixon on the power play. Tampa Bay shot back with a Callahan goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Valtteri Filppula and Radko Gudas. The Blue Jackets answered on another Hartnell power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, with helpers from Nick Foligno and Ryan Johansen. The Lightning struck back with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his third of the season, helped along by Nikita Kucherov and Drouin. Columbus replied on a Johansen goal in the third period, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Brian Gibbons and Wisniewski. The Blue Jackets pulled closer on a power play goal by Foligno, his seventh of the season, coming off of Wisniewski, who got a sock trick, and Erixon. Tampa Bay finished it at 7-4 with an empty net goal by Johnson, his second of the game and fourth of the year, set up by Callahan. The three stars were handed to Callahan, Brown, and Hartnell, while Drouin, Wisniewski, Erixon, Foligno, Johansen, and Johnson get the honorable mentions.

Into Canada again, as the Toronto Maple Leafs host the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot and Jonathan Bernier receive the green light to start. New York started in the first period on a Chris Kreider goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Kevin Klein and Mats Zuccarello. Toronto tied it on a Phil Kessel power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by James van Riemsdyk and Dion Phaneuf. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a shorthanded Peter Holland goal, his second of the season, set up by Leo Komarov. Toronto added on with a Richard Panik goal, his third of the year, passed from Cody Franson and Nazem Kadri. The Rangers got one back on a Zuccarello goal, his second of the season, assisted by Kreider and Derek Stepan. New York tied it in the second period on a Carl Hagelin goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Dominic Moore. The Rangers gained the lead in the third period on a Rick Nash goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Martin St. Louis and Derick Brassard. The Maple Leafs retied it on a Roman Polak goal, his second of the year, made possible by Kadri. Toronto took the lead on a Komarov goal, with a lone assist from Jake Gardiner. This held up for a 5-4 win, with the three stars given to Komarov, Zuccarello, and Kreider, while Kadri gets the honorable mention.

South to DC, where the Washington Capitals welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin faces former teammate Justin Peters in goal. Washington led off in the first period with a Troy Brouwer power play goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Capitals added on with a Jay Beagle goal, via John Carlson. Carolina got on the board with a Riley Nash power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Justin Faulk and Victor Rask. Washington shot back with a second period Eric Fehr goal, his second of the season, assisted by Carlson and Brooks Orpik. The Hurricanes got one back in the third period on an Eric Staal goal, his third of the year, coming off of Jeff Skinner and Alexander Semin. Carolina tied it as Elias Lindholm scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Faulk and Nash. The Capitals won 4-3 in overtime on a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green. The three stars belonged to Nash, Carlson, and Faulk.

Out west, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Brian Elliott protect the nets. St. Louis began in the first period on a Jori Lehtera goal, his third of the season, fueled by Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. Nashville tied it on a Filip Forsberg goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, guided in by Roman Josi and James Neal. The Predators took the lead in the third period as Neal potted his eighth of the campaign, thanks to Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Rinne (28 for 29 in saves), Neal, and Forsberg.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the San Jose Sharks. Alex Stalock and Anders Lindback receive the starting nods. Dallas struck first in the first period on a Tyler Seguin goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Sergei Gonchar and Kevin Connauton. The Stars added on as Seguin scored his second of the game and ninth of the year, fueled by Erik Cole and Jamie Benn. San Jose got on the board with a James Sheppard goal, his third of the season, guided in by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Tomas Hertl. Dallas shot back in the second period on a Seguin power play goal, completing his hat trick with his tenth of the year, powered by Antoine Roussel and Jason Spezza. The Sharks got one back in the third period as Patrick Marleau scored his fifth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture. San Jose tied it with a Brent Burns goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Couture and Marleau. The Sharks took the lead as Burns scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Sheppard and Hertl. San Jose finished it at 5-3 on a Joe Thornton empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Couture, who got a sock trick, and Justin Braun. The three stars went to Seguin, Marleau, and Burns, while Couture, Sheppard, and Hertl get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. New York got going in the third period with the fifth of the season for Frans Nielsen, assisted by Mikhail Grabovski and Thomas Hickey. This was the only goal, so the Islanders won 1-0. The three stars belonged to Halak (19 save shutout), Nielsen, and Smith (31 for 32 in saves).

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Jonathan Quick are the American goalies. Los Angeles was first to score with a first period goal by Marian Gaborik, via Alec Martinez and Anze Kopitar. The Kings added on with a Jake Muzzin goal, fueled by Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli. Los Angeles extended the lead on a Kopitar goal, his third of the season, assisted by Gaborik and Muzzin. The Kings padded the lead in the second period on a Toffoli goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Martinez and Jeff Carter. Eddie Lack replaced Miller for the third period. Los Angeles kept going in the third period on a Carter goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Toffoli and Martinez, the latter getting a sock trick. Vancouver got on the board with a Chris Higgins goal, his third of the year, coming off of Linden Vey and Ryan Stanton. This only made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Toffoli, Muzzin, and Gaborik, while Martinez, Kopitar, and Carter get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL November 8th, 2014

Five games on today, with the first coming from...

Chelyabinsk, as Traktor hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ivan Kasutin and Michael Garnett protect the nets. Chelyabinsk started in the first period on an Oleg Piganovich power play goal, powered by Stanislav Chistov and Jan Bulis. Nizhny Novgorod tied it on a second period goal by Denis Kazionov, via Vladimir Galuzin. Torpedo took the lead with a Mikhail Grigoryev goal, coming off of Galuzin. Traktor tied it on a Konstantin Panov goal, fueled by Chistov and Bulis. Chelyabinsk went ahead on another Panov goal, with a lone assist by Chistov, who got a sock trick. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Panov, Chistov, and Bulis, while Galuzin gets an honorable mention.

Back east, Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk welcomes Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Stepan Goryachevskikh are in the blue paints. Khanty-Mansiysk began in the first period on an Ilari Melart goal, via Lukas Kaspar. Cherepovets tied it on an Andrei Shefer goal, assisted by Yury Trubachyov and Anatoly Nikontsev. Yugra took the lead back with an Artyom Bulyansky power play goal, powered by Igor Magogin and Nikita Gusev. Khanty-Mansiysk added on in the third period with an Ivan Yatsenko goal, coming off of Pavel Medvedev and Sergei Lesnukhin. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Goryachevskikh (29 for 30 in saves), Bulyansky, and Yatsenko.

Continuing to Togliatti, as Lada hosts Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Jeff Glass are the masked men. Podolsk led off in the first period on a Roman Horak goal, via Dmitry Tsyganov and Mario Kempe. Togliatti tied it on a Martin Zatovic goal, going in unassisted. Lada took the lead with an Alexander Chernikov goal, fueled by Denis Barantsev. Vityaz retied it on a Denis Grebeshkov goal, assisted by Alexei Makeyev. Podolsk took the lead with a Nikita Vyglazov goal, passed from Mathias Porseland. Glass was pulled for Ilya Ezhov in the second period. Togliatti tied it on a Yury Petrov goal, coming off of Alexander Streltsov. Lada pulled ahead as Anton Shenfeld scored in the third period, thanks to Georgy Belousov. Vityaz retied it with a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, guided in by Igor Golovkov. Podolsk gained the lead once again with an Alexander Kucheryavenko goal, with a lone assist by Solodukhin. This made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars given to Solodukhin, Kucheryavenko, and Shenfeld.

Next up, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk brings in the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Ville Kolppanen are set to start. Nizhnekamsk opened in the first period on a Dan Sexton goal, via Dmitry Kosmachyov and Tim Stapleton. Sochi tied it on an Evgeny Lapenkov goal, fueled by Clay Wilson and Alexander Shcherbina. The Leopards tied it with an Andrei Kostitsyn power play goal, powered by Ilya Krikunov and Nikita Shchitov. Sochi added on with a Roman Lyuduchin goal, courtesy of Ryan Whitney and Mikhail Anisin. Neftekhimik got one back on a Gleb Klimenko goal, passed from Yegor Milovzorov in the second period. The Leopards shot back as Krikunov scored, thanks to Shchitov and Kostitsyn on the power play. Nizhnekamsk replied with a third period Maxim Berezin goal, made possible by Pyotr Khokhryakov. Sochi answered on an Igor Ignatushkin goal, helped along by Wilson and Kostitsyn. The Leopards finished it at 6-3 with a Lapenkov goal, with helpers provided by Rafael Akhmetov and Joonas Jarvinen. The three stars went to Lapenkov, Kostitsyn, and Krikunov, while Wilson and Shchitov get the honorable mentions.

Finally, Ak Bars Kazan hosts CSKA Moscow. Stanislav Galimov and Emil Garipov are between the pipes. Kazan got going in the second period on a Vladimir Denisov goal, passed from Vladimir Tkachyov and Artyom Lukoyanov. Moscow tied it with a Simon Hjalmarsson goal, assisted by Jan Mursak and Stanislav Yegorshev. CSKA took the lead on a third period Mursak power play goal, powered by Evgeny Artyukhin and Alexei Bondarev. Ak Bars tied it again on a Justin Azevedo goal, fueled by Sergei Kostitsyn and Dmitry Obukhov on the power play. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Mursak and Roman Lyubimov scored to give Moscow the 3-2 win. The three stars went to Mursak, Hjalmarsson, and Galimov (29 for 31 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

MLS Eastern Conference Semifinal: New York Red Bulls VS. DC United

In MLS, the conference semifinals and finals are played in two game, aggregate goal sets, with a road goals tiebreakers. Here is the Eastern Conference Semifinal.

In Harrison, New Jersey, the goalies are Luis Robles for New York and Bill Hamid for DC. New York opened in the fortieth minute on a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, set up by Thierry Henry and Lloyd Sam. The Red Bulls took a yellow card in the forty-third minute for persistent infringement by Dax McCarty. New York added on with a Peguy Luyindula goal, with an assist by Henry. The Red Bulls had two more yellow cards go to Ambroise Oyongo Bitolo in the eighty-second minute and Roy Miller in the eighty-fourth minute, both for fouls. The final stood at 2-0, and Henry was the man of the match for a pair of assists. 

Moving to DC, the goalies remain the same. DC began in the thirty-seventh minute on a Nick DeLeon goal, passed from Taylor Kemp and Fabian Espindola. New York took a yellow card in the forty-second minute as Roy Miller committed a foul. The Red Bulls tied the game in the fifty-seventh minute on a Peguy Luyindula goal, via Thierry Henry and Bradley Wright-Phillips. United took a yellow card for dissent from Espindola. New York went down a man in the seventy-eighth minute on a straight card to Miller for a bad foul. DC took a yellow card for persistent infringement in the eighty-fifth minute by Kemp. The Red Bulls saw another booking on a yellow card for Wright-Phillips' foul. United took the lead with a stoppage time goal by Steve Birnbaum and DeLeon. DC's Espindola received a straight red card for a fight after the match concluded with a 2-1 score. DeLeon was the man of the match. The Red Bulls won the series on aggregate 3-2.

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NHL November 7th, 2014

Five games on this evening, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth and Michal Neuvirth are the mediocre goalies. Buffalo got going in the second period on a Matt Moulson goal, via Brian Gionta and Zemgus Girgensons. Edmonton tied it on an Iiro Pakarinen goal, assisted by Mark Fayne and Teddy Purcell. The Sabres retook the lead in the third period on a Drew Stafford goal, his third of the season, made possible by Nicolas Deslauriers and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Oilers pulled even on a Mark Arcobello goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of David Perron and Nail Yakupov. Edmonton went ahead with a Boyd Gordon goal, his second of the campaign, guided in by Purcell and Matt Hendricks. The three stars in the 3-2 game were Purcell, Pakarinen, and Gordon.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Cam Ward draw the starts. Carolina dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Jeff Skinner goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Columbus tied it on a Scott Hartnell goal, his second of the year, passed from Boone Jenner and Frederic St-Denis. The Blue Jackets took the lead with another Hartnell goal, his second of the game and third of the season, courtesy of Jenner and Cam Atkinson. The Hurricanes tied it on a third period Victor Rask goal, his second of the year, via Nathan Gerbe and Alexander Semin. Carolina won 3-2 in overtime on a power play goal by Elias Lindholm, his fourth of the campaign, powered by Eric Staal and Rask. The three stars were given to Rask, Hartnell, and Jenner.

Northwest to Detroit, as the Red Wings host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. New Jersey struck first in the first period on a Steve Bernier goal, assisted by Bryce Salvador and Stephen Gionta. Detroit tied it on a Jakub Kindl power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Tomas Tatar and Darren Helm. The Red Wings took the lead with a Brendan Smith goal, coming off of Joakim Andersson and Drew Miller. Detroit added on in the second period with a Johan Franzen power play goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Niklas Kronwall and Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings extended the lead with an unassisted Kronwall goal, his third of the season. The Devils got one back as Jordin Tootoo scored, thanks to Marek Zidlicky. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Kronwall, Franzen, and Smith.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Corey Crawford are the solid goalies. Chicago was first to score in the first period on a Brandon Saad goal, his second of the season, coming off of Marian Hossa and Andrew Shaw. The Blackhawks added on in the second period with a Duncan Keith goal, his third of the year, a power play goal powered by Brad Richards and Jonathan Toews. Washington got on the board with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his third of the season, made possible by Marcus Johansson. The Capitals tied it on a Johansson goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Matt Niskanen and Burakovsky. Washington took the lead with a Joel Ward goal, his seventh of the campaign, guided in by Niskanen and Karl Alzner. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Holtby (38 for 40 in saves), Burakovsky, and Johansson, while Niskanen gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Frederik Andersen are between the pipes. Anaheim led off in the first period on a Ryan Getzlaf power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Sami Vatanen and Devante Smith-Pelly. The Ducks added on as Matt Beleskey scored his seventh of the year, with the help of Jakob Silfverberg and Ryan Kesler. Arizona got on the board in the second period with a Rob Klinkhammer goal, his third of the season, passed from Martin Hanzal and Martin Erat. The Coyotes tied it on a Shane Doan goal, his fourth of the year, via Antoine Vermette and Keith Yandle. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Arizona won on goals by Sam Gagner and Mikkel Boedker, topping a lone Silfverberg tally. The three stars in the 3-2 game were Silfverberg, Smith (37 for 39 in saves), and Doan.

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KHL November 7th, 2014

Five games today, beginning with...

Amur Khabarovsk hosting Atlant Mytishchi. Dmitry Shikin and Alexei Murygin receive the starting nods. Mytishchi got going in the second period on a power play goal by Konstantin Koltsov, powered by Vitaly Novopashin and Ondrej Nemec. Atlant added on with a Dmitry Korobov goal, guided in by Matthew Gilroy and Artyom Chernov. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars going to Shikin (31 save shutout), Koltsov, and Korobov.

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Dinamo Minsk. Lars Haugen and Ivan Nalimov man the creases. Vladivostok opened in the first period on an Artyom Podshendyalov goal, via Denis Osipov and Niclas Bergfors. Minsk tied it on a power play goal by Nick Bailen, powered by Alexei Kalyuzhny. Admiral took the lead back with a Felix Schutz goal, coming off of Bergfors and Andrei Sigaryov. Dinamo retied it in the second period as Dmitry Meleshko scored, thanks to Paul Szczechura and Alexander Kulakov. Vladivostok pulled ahead again on a Vyacheslav Ushenin power play goal, made possible by Alexander Gorshkov. Minsk got another equalizer with a Ryan Vesce goal, passed from Bailen and Evgeny Nogachyov. Admiral reclaimed the lead in the third period with a Denis Kuzmin goal, with a lone assist by Shaun Heshka. Vladivostok added on as Schutz scored again, with the help of Sigaryov and Bergfors, the latter getting a sock trick. Admiral closed out at 6-3 with a Bergfors goal, assisted by Schutz and Osipov. The three stars went to Bergfors, Schutz, and Bailen, while Osipov and Sigaryov get the honorable mentions.

A little west to Novokuznetsk, as Metallurg hosts Medvescak Zagreb. Mark Owuya and Rafael Khakimov are the unknown goalies. Zagreb dented the scoreboard in the second period on an Andrew Hutchinson goal, passed from Mark Katic. Novokuznetsk tied it on a Sergei Dorofeyev goal, coming off of Alexander Romanov. Medvescak retook the lead on an unassisted Matt Anderson goal. Metallurg tied it again in the third period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, assisted by Mikhail Plotnikov. Zagreb won 3-2 with ten seconds left in regulation on a James Wright goal, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Wright, Owuya (24 for 26 in saves), and Anderson.

Southwest to Astana, where Barys brings in Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Jan Laco protect the nets. Astana started in the first period on a power play goal by Roman Savchenko, powered by Konstantin Rudenko and Oskars Bartulis. Barys added on with a Konstantin Pushkaryov goal in the second period, going in unassisted. Astana extended the lead as Kevin Dallman scored, thanks to Brandon Bochenski and Dustin Boyd. Bratislava got on the board with a Vaclav Nedorost goal, passed from Milan Bartovic and Tomas Surovy. Barys replied on a Rudenko power play goal, courtesy of Savchenko and Roman Starchenko. Astana padded the lead with a Starchenko power play goal in the third period, made possible by Rudenko and Savchenko. Barys iced it at 6-1 with a Konstantin Romanov goal, via Pushkaryov and Evgeny Blokhin. The three stars went to Savchenko, Rudenko, and Starchenko, while Pushkaryov gets an honorable mention.

Finally, we head back east to Novosibirsk, where Sibir hosts Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Mikko Koskinen guard the cages. Novosibirsk began in the second period on a Dmitry Monya goal, assisted by Viktor Bobrov. Sibir added on with a Jonas Enlund goal, courtesy of Renat Mamashev and Artyom Voroshilo. Novosibirsk extended the lead in the third period on an Oleg Gubin goal, with a lone assist by Igor Ozhiganov. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars being Koskinen (25 save shutout), Monya, and Enlund.

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