KHL November 12th, 2014

Ten games on today, beginning in...

Khabaovsk, as Amur hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Alexei Murygin are set to start in goal. Yekaterinburg got going in the second period with an Anatoly Golyshev power play goal, powered by Filipp Metlyuk and Andrei Antonov. This stood for a 1-0 victory, with the three stars going to Kovar (24 save shutout), Golyshev, and Murygin (31 for 32 in saves).

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Ivan Nalimov are in the blue paint. Kazan began in the first period with a Justin Azevedo goal, assisted by Mikhail Varnakov. Ak Bars added on with a power play goal by Varnakov, powered by Konstantin Korneyev and Sergei Kostitsyn. Kazan extended the lead as Dmitry Obukhov scored, thanks to Amitry Arkhipov and Stepan Zakharchuk. Ilya Proskuryakov replaced Nalimov in goal. Ak Bars padded the lead with a shorthanded Azevedo goal in the second period, set up by Zakharchuk. Vladivostok got on the board in the third period with an Andrei Sigaryov goal, going in unassisted. Kazan shot back with an Alexander Svitov goal, coming off of Artyom Lukoyanov and Igor Mirnov. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Azevedo, Garipov (26 for 27 in saves), and Zakharchuk.

Out to Astana, where Barys brings in the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Jan Laco are the masked men. Sochi struck first with a Roman Derlyuk goal, via Ilya Krikunov and Nikita Shchitov. Astana tied it on a Dustin Boyd goal, made possible by Nigel Dawes and Brandon Bochenski. Barys took the lead on a Bochenski goal, with a lone assist by Dawes. Astana added on with a Talgat Zhailauov goal, passed from Konstantin Pushkaryov. Barys extended the lead with a Konstantin Rudenko goal, fueled by Roman Starchenko. The Leopards got one back with a power play goal by Cory Emmerton, powered by Evgeny Lapenkov and Clay Wilson. Sochi pulled closer in the third period on a Krikunov goal, guided in by Andrei Kostitsyn. The Leopards tied it on a Kostitsyn goal, helped along by Igor Ignatushkin and Krikunov. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Pushkaryov and Dawes gave Barys a 5-4 win. The three stars were given to Krikunov, Dawes, and Bochenski, while Pushkaryov and Kostitsyn get the honorable mentions.

Back east, Sibir Novosibirsk hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Alexander Pechursky is mismatched with Mikko Koskinen in goal. Novosibirsk was first to score in the first period on a Dmitry Monya power play goal, powered by Alexei Kopeikin and Viktor Bobrov. Sibir added on in the second period on a Jarno Koskiranta goal, via Stepan Sannikov and Konstantin Alexeyev. Novosibirsk extended the lead as Maxim Ignatovich scored a power play goal, with the help of Renat Mamashev and Koskiranta. Sibir padded the lead with an Oleg Gubin goal, assisted by Sannikov and Mamashev. Magnitogorsk got on the board with an Oskar Osala goal, guided in by Maxim Yakutsenya. This was as close as it got, with the final at 4-1. The three stars went to Koskiranta, Mamashev, and Sannikov.

Westward to Ufa, as Salavat Yulaev welcomes Avangard Omsk. Konstantin Barulin and Vladimir Sokhatsky are between the pipes. Omsk led off with a first period goal by Vladimir Pervushin, assisted by Kirill Semyonov and Ivan Nepryayev. Ufa tied it on a Dmitry Makarov goal, coming off of Teemu Hartikainen and Anton Slepyshev. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Avangard got goals from Artur Lauta and Semyonov to top a single tally by Salavat Yulaev's Alexei Kaigorodov for a 2-1 win. The three stars belonged to Semyonov, Barulin (28 for 29 in saves), and Sokahtsky (29 for 30 in saves).

Continuing to Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo brings in Atlant Mytishchi. Atte Engren and Ivan Kaustin draw the starts. Mytishchi opened in the first period with a Maxim Potapov power play goal, powered by Dmitry Korobyov and Artyom Chernov. Atlant added on with a Chernov goal, with a lone helper by Andreas Engqvist. This was all they needed for a 2-0 win, with the three stars being Chernov, Engren (22 save shutout), and Potapov.

Down in Moscow, CSKA hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Stanislav Galimov tend the twines. Moscow dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Roman Lyubimov goal, via Sergei Andronov. CSKA added on with a Damir Zhafyarov goal, assisted by Stanislav Yegorshev and Vladimir Zharkov. Yaroslavl got on the board in the third period with a Geoff Platt power play goal, powered by Jiri Novotny and Sergei Konkov. Lokomotiv tied it with another Platt goal, courtesy of Sergei Plotnikov and Ilya Gorokhov. Moscow won 3-2 in a shootout with a Lyubimov tally. The three stars went to Platt, Lyubimov, and Zhafyarov.

North to Helsinki, where Jokerit welcomes Dinamo Minsk. Danny Taylor and Henrik Karlsson occupy the creases. Helsinki started in the second period on an Eetu Poysti goal, made possible by Jere Karalahti. Jokerit added on with a Jere Sallinen goal, fueled by Johan Harju and Ryan Gunderson. Helsinki extended the lead in the third period as Topi Jaakola scored, thanks to Niko Kapanen and Tommi Huhtala. Minsk got on the board with a Charles Linglet power play goal, powered by Lukas Krajicek and Dmitry Meleshko. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Karlsson (21 for 22 in saves), Sallinen, and Jaakola.

Back in Russia, SKA St. Petersburg brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Evgeny Ivannikov guard the cages. Moscow got going in the second period on a Konstantin Gorovikov penalty shot goal, after he was slashed by Andrei Kuteikin. Dynamo added on with an Andrei Mironov goal, via Denis Kokarev. St. Petersburg got on the board with an Alexander Barabanov goal, passed from Anton Burdasov. Moscow replied with a power play goal by Alexander Osipov, powered by Kokarev and Mironov. Dynamo extended the lead in the third period as Martins Karsums scored a power play goal, with a lone helper by Nikolai Zherdev. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Yeryomenko (33 for 34 in saves), Kokarev, and Mironov.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava hosts Medvescak Zagreb. Mark Owuya and Johan Backlund protect the nets. Zagreb dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Pascal Pelletier power play goal, powered by Mark Katic and Martin St. Pierre. Bratislava tied it on a Rok Ticar penalty shot goal in the third period, after he was hooked by Mark Flood. Medvescak won 2-1 with a lone tally by Pelletier in the shootout. The three stars were awarded to Pelletier, Owuya (32 for 33 in saves), and Backlund (26 for 27 in saves).

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NHL November 11th, 2014

Appropriately enough, eleven games will be played this Veteran's Day. We begin in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Cory Schneider are the young goalies. New Jersey got going in the second period on a Tuomo Ruutu goal, his third of the season, via Seth Helgeson and Adam Larsson. The Devils added on with a Michael Cammalleri, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Jaromir Jagr and Andy Greene. Minnesota got on the board with a shorthanded and unassisted Ryan Carter goal in the third period. New Jersey answered on a power play empty net goal by Travis Zajac, his third of the campaign, powered by Jagr and Marek Zidlicky. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Schneider (23 for 24 in saves), Jagr, and Cammalleri.

Out on Long Island, the New York Islanders welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Jaroslav Halak protect the nets. New York struck first in the first period on a Nick Leddy goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Johnny Boychuk and Ryan Strome. The Islanders added on with an unassisted power play goal by Anders Lee, his second of the year. New York extended the lead in the second period with a Travis Hamonic goal, his second of the season, assisted by John Tavares and Nikolay Kulemin. The Islanders padded the lead as Kulemin scored his second of the year, a shorthanded goal set up by Frans Nielsen. New York struck again on a third period goal by Casey Cizikas, via Lubomir Visnovsky and Cory Conacher. The Islanders finished it at 6-0 on a Strome goal, with a lone assist by Brock Nelson. The three stars went to Kulemin, Strome, and Halak (20 save shutout).

Staying in New York, the Rangers bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. New York was first to score in the first period on a Mats Zuccarello goal, his third of the season, helped along by Derek Stepan. The Rangers added on with a Martin St. Louis goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Rick Nash and Marc Staal. New York extended the lead on a Kevin Klein goal, his third of the season, fueled by Kevin Hayes and Lee Stempniak. The Rangers padded the lead in the second period as Derick Brassard scored a power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Nash and Dan Girardi. New York continued in the third period on a shorthanded goal by Nash, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Stepan and Staal. This made it 5-0, the final, with the three stars going to Lundqvist (33 save shutout), Nash, and Stepan, while Staal gets an honorable mention.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Braden Holtby are called on to start in goal. Washington opened in the first period on a Marcus Johansson goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Troy Brouwer and Andre Burakovsky. The Capitals added on with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom. Columbus got on the board with a Cam Atkinson goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Boone Jenner. Washington shot back with another Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, passed from Jay Beagle and Backstrom. The Blue Jackets got one back in the second period as David Savard scored his third of the season, thanks to Fedor Tyutin and Jenner. The Capitals answered in the third period with a Johansson goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, coming off of Burakovsky and Nate Schmidt. This made it a 4-2 final, with the three stars going to Johansson, Ovechkin, and Burakovsky, while Backstrom and Jenner get the honorable mentions.

North to Montreal, as the Canadiens welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Carey Price are in the blue paint. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Lars Eller goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Jiri Sekac and Mike Weaver. The Canadiens added on in the third period with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Brendan Gallagher and Tom Gilbert. Montreal iced it at 3-0 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Tomas Plekanec, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Max Pacioretty. The three stars were handed to Price (29 save shutout), Eller, and Galchenyuk.

Way south to Florida, where the Panthers bring in the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Roberto Luongo are between the pipes. Florida started in the first period with a Jimmy Hayes goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Vincent Trocheck and Jussi Jokinen. The Panthers added on with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his second of the year, assisted by Scottie Upshall and Tomas Kopecky. Florida extended the lead in the second period on a Derek MacKenzie goal, his second of the season, passed from Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers padded the lead in the third period on a Tomas Fleischmann goal, made possible by Shawn Thornton and Ekblad. San Jose got on the board as Joe Thornton buried his fifth of the year, with the help of Brent Burns and Tomas Hertl. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Ekblad, Luongo (21 for 22 in saves), and Barkov.

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Buffalo Sabres. Michal Neuvirth is mismatched with Jake Allen in goal. St. Louis led off in the first period on a Jori Lehtera goal, his fourth of the season, via Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz. The Blues added on as Lehtera scored again in the second period, his second of the game and fifth of the year, passed from Tarasenko and Schwartz. St. Louis extended the lead on with Lehtera completing his natural hat trick on his sixth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Schwartz, who got a natural sock trick, and Barret Jackman. Buffalo got on the board with a third period Tyler Ennis power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Matt Moulson and Drew Stafford. The Blues shot back on a David Backes power play goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk and Alexander Steen. St. Louis padded the lead as Joakim Lindstrom potted his second of the year, a power play goal made possible by Steen and Magnus Paajarvi. The Blues finished it with another Lindstrom goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, again on the power play, guided in by Steen, who got a sock trick, and Shattenkirk. The three stars of the 6-1 game were Lehtera, Lindstrom, and Schwartz, while Tarasenko, Steen, and Shattenkirk get the honorable mentions.

Over in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth and Pekka Rinne occupy the creases. Nashville began in the first period on a Mike Ribeiro goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of James Neal and Filip Forsberg. The Predators added on with a Matt Cullen goal, his second of the year, via Seth Jones and Craig Smith. Nashville extended the lead as Forsberg netted his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Ribeiro. Ben Scrivens replaced Fasth in the second period. Edmonton got on the board in the second period on a Benoit Pouliot goal, his third of the year, guided in by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle. The Oilers pulled closer with a Nail Yakupov goal, his third of the campaign, assisted by David Perron and Mark Arcobello. This was as close as it got, with the final being 3-2. The three stars belonged to Forsberg, Ribeiro, and, Cullen.

Continuing to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Corey Crawford are the goalies exemplifying alliteration in their names. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period on a Cedric Paquette goal, his fourth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Ondrej Palat and Eric Brewer. Chicago tied it in the second period with a Brad Richards goal, his third of the year, guided in by Kris Versteeg and Brandon Saad. The Blackhawks took the lead in the third period on a Marcus Kruger goal, his second of the season, passed from Niklas Hjalmarsson and Marian Hossa. The Lightning tied it with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Drouin. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Patrick Kane scored to give Chicago a 3-2 win. The three stars belonged to Richards, Kruger, and Kane.

Southwest to Arizona, where the Coyotes host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. Arizona was first to score in the first period on an unassisted Connor Murphy goal, his second of the season. The Coyotes added on in the second period on a Joe Vitale goal, via Kyle Chipchura and Murphy. Dallas got on the board with a Tyler Seguin goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Patrick Eaves and Jordie Benn. The Stars tied it on a power play goal by Seguin, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, powered by Jason Spezza and Antoine Roussel. Dallas took the lead with a third period goal by Erik Cole, his fourth of the year, coming off of Colton Sceviour and Shawn Horcoff. Arizona tied it again with a Mikkel Boedker goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Michael Stone and Lauri Korpikoski. The Stars regained the lead on a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Ryan Garbutt, his second of the year. They held on for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Seguin, Murphy, and Garbutt.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Ryan Miller received the starting nods. Vancouver got going in the second period on a Shawn Matthias goal, his second of the season, passed from Linden Vey and Brad Richardson. Ottawa tied it with a Mike Hoffman goal, his fifth of the year, via Curtis Lazar and Jared Cowen. The Canucks took the lead back with an Alexandre Burrows goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Nick Bonino and Chris Higgins. The Senators tied it on a Kyle Turris goal, his third of the year, assisted by Clarke MacArthur and Alex Chiasson. Vancouver retook the lead in the third period on a Kevin Bieksa goal, coming off of Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. Ottawa tied it on a Mark Stone goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Turris. The Canucks won 4-3 in overtime on a Daniel Sedin goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Henrik Sedin and Dan Hamhuis. The three stars were Daniel Sedin, Turris, and Henrik Sedin.

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KHL November 9-11, 2014

Since there are only four games the next three days, I'll condense them into this one post here. On Sunday, the single game had...

Metallurg Novokuznetsk hosting Dinamo Riga. Edgars Masalskis and Rafael Khakimov are the average goalies. Novokuznetsk struck first in the first period on an Ansel Galimov goal, passed from Alexei Kosourov and Mikhail Kuklev. Riga tied it on a second period Andris Dzerins goal, via Roberts Bukarts and Marcel Hossa. Metallurg took the lead back on a Konstantin Turukin goal, assisted by Galimov. Novokuznetsk added on with a Galimov goal, courtesy of Kirill Kaprizov. Metallurg extended the lead with a James O'Brien goal, guided in by Sergei Dorofeyev and Mikhail Plotnikov. Jakub Sedlacek replaced Masalskis for the third period. Novokuznetsk padded the lead in the third period as Kuklev scored an unassisted goal. Metallurg kept going on a Plotnikov goal, made possible by Vadim Mitryakov and O'Brien. Dinamo got one back with a Miks Indrasis goal, with an assist provided by Maris Bicevskis. Riga pulled closer with another Indrasis goal, with helpers from Kristaps Sotnieks and Bicevskis. This only made it 6-3, the final, with Galimov, Indrasis, and Kuklev receiving the three stars, while O'Brien, Plotnikov, and Bicevskis get honorable mentions.

On Monday, the first game saw Salavat Yulaev welcome the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Vladimir Sokhatsky protect the nets. Ufa was first to score on a first period goal by Yegor Dubrovsky goal, assisted by Alexei Glukhov. Salavat Yulaev added on with a power play goal by Alexei Kaigorodov, powered by Kirill Koltsov. Ufa extended the lead in the second period as Koltsov scored, thanks to Evgeny Skachkov and Kaigorodov. Salavat Yulaev padded the lead with an Anton Slepyshev goal, via Dmitry Makarov and Teemu Hartikainen. Popperle was pulled for Andrei Gavrilov at this time. Ufa kept going on another Kaigorodov goal, passed from Arturs Kulda and Skachkov. Salavat Yulaev continued in the third period with a Denis Tolpeko goal, coming off of Denis Khlystov. Sochi got on the board with an Artyom Kryukov goal, courtesy of Alexei Krutov. The Leopards pulled closer with an Andre Petersson goal, made possible by Evgeny Lapenkov. This only made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars being Kaigorodov, Koltsov, and Skachkov.

The other Monday game features Vityaz Podolsk bring in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Ivan Lisutin are in the blue paint. Moscow got going in the third period with a power play goal by Dmitry Vishnevsky, powered by Martins Karsums and Kaspars Daugavins. This was good for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Yeryomenko (24 save shutout), Vishnevsky, and Lisutin (37 for 38 in saves).

Finally, on Tuesday, Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk hosts Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Stepan Goryachevskikh are the masked men. Togliatti dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Semyon Valuisky goal, passed from Dmitry Vorobyov and Stanislav Bocharov. Lada added on in the second period as Georgy Belousov scored, thanks to Anton Shenfeld and Yury Petrov. Togliatti extended the lead on a power play goal by Shenfeld, powered by Martin Zatovic and Belousov. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with a penalty shot goal by Artyom Bulyansky, after he was slashed by Dmitry Stulov. Yugra pulled closer in the third period on a Denis Sokolov goal, assisted by Andrei Chibisov and Airat Ziazov. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Shenfeld, Belousov, and Ezhov (37 for 39 in saves).

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MLS Western Conference Semifinal: FC Dallas VS. Seattle Sounders FC

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

In Frisco, Texas, the goalies are Raul Fernandez of Dallas and Stefan Frei of Seattle. In the thirty-fourth minute, Michel converted a penalty kick to give Dallas the lead. Seattle tied it in the fifty-fourth minute with an Osvaldo Alonso goal, with an assist by Marco Pappa. The Sounders took a yellow card for a Leonardo Gonzales foul in the seventy-fourth minute. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, and Alonso was man of the match for the equalizer. 

In Seattle, the goalies are Frei for Seattle and Chris Seitz for Dallas. Dallas took a yellow card in the fourteenth minute for a foul by Moises Hernandez. This was the only scorecard action, as the game ended in a scoreless draw. Zach Scott was the man of the match for his strong defensive play. The Sounders advance on the away goals tiebreaker to face the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Western Conference Final.

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NHL November 10th, 2014

Two games tonight, beginning in...

Boston, with the Bruins hosting the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Tuukka Rask are the masked men. New Jersey began in the first period on a Travis Zajac goal, his second of the season, coming off of Michael Cammalleri and Andy Greene. Boston tied it with a Carl Soderberg goal, his fifth of the year, a power play goal powered by Reilly Smith and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on with an unassisted goal by Bergeron, his third of the season. The Devils retied it in the second period as Jaromir Jagr scored his third of the year, thanks to Zajac and Cammalleri. Boston pulled ahead on a Seth Griffith goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins extended the lead with a Smith goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Bergeron. This held up for a 4-2 win, with the three stars being Bergeron, Zajac, and Smith, while Cammalleri gets an honorable mention.

The other game has the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Cam Ward draw the starts. Calgary led off in the first period with a David Jones goal, his second of the season, a power play goal powered by Curtis Glencross and Mark Giordano. Carolina tied it on a Zach Boychuk goal, his third of the year, via Justin Faulk and Andrej Sekera. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period with a Faulk goal, his second of the season, assisted by Riley Nash on the power play. Carolina added on with a Jeff Skinner goal, his third of the year, passed from Alexander Semin and Faulk. The Hurricanes extended the lead in the third period when Tim Gleason scored, with the help of Skinner. This was good for a 4-1 win, with the three stars going to Faulk, Skinner, and Ward (22 for 23 in saves).

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NHL November 9th, 2014

Five games on throughout the afternoon. We begin in...

Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. Detroit was first to score in the first period on a Johan Franzen power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Niklas Kronwall and Gustav Nyquist. Tampa Bay tied it on a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Valtteri Filppula and Ryan Callahan. The Lightning took the lead in the second period on a Stamkos goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, via Callahan. Tampa Bay added on with a Tyler Johnson goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone helper by Ondrej Palat. The Red Wings got one back on a power play goal by Darren Helm, powered by Franzen and Kronwall. Detroit tied it on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his eighth of the season, coming in the third period from Jonathan Ericsson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Callahan's tally gave the Lightning a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Stamkos, Callahan, and Franzen, while Kronwall gets an honorable mention.

Back east, the New York Rangers welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth is mismatched with Henrik Lundqvist in goal. Edmonton struck first with a first period goal by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Benoit Pouliot and Jordan Eberle. New York tied it with a Carl Hagelin goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Kevin Hayes and Lee Stempniak. The Oilers retook the lead in the second period on a Pouliot goal, his second of the season, assisted by Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton added on in the third period with a Teddy Purcell empty net goal to make it 3-1, his second of the year, set up by Matt Hendricks. The three stars went to Pouliot, Nugent-Hopkins, and Fasth (20 for 21 in saves).

Into Canada, as the Ottawa Senators host the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Battle of Ontario. James Reimer and Robin Lehner receive the starting nods. Ottawa began with a Mike Hoffman goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto tied it with a Peter Holland goal, his third of the year, passed from Roman Polak and Leo Komarov. The Senators retook the lead on a Kyle Turris goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jared Cowen and Bobby Ryan. The Maple Leafs tied it again with a James van Riemsdyk goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, via Cody Franson. Ottawa pulled ahead again as Mark Stone scored his fourth of the season, a power play goal powered by David Legwand and Erik Karlsson. Toronto pulled even with a Josh Leivo goal, made possible by Trevor Smith. The Maple Leafs gained the lead on a shorthanded goal by Mike Santorelli, his second of the year, set up by Holland. Toronto added on as David Clarkson scored his fourth of the campaign, thanks to Morgan Rielly and Stephane Robidas in the third period. They held on for a 5-3 win, with the three stars going to Holland, Santorelli, and Clarkson.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Chicago led off in the first period on a Trevor van Riemsdyk goal, passed from Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks added on with a Brent Seabrook goal, his third of the season, coming off of Brad Richards and Peter Regin. Chicago extended the lead on a Niklas Hjalmarsson goal, assisted by Marian Hossa and Marcus Kruger. San Jose got on the board with a Joe Pavelski goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Justin Braun and Joe Thornton. The Sharks pulled closer in the second period as Pavelski scored a power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, powered by Thornton and Patrick Marleau. The Blackhawks shot back in the third period with a Bryan Bickell goal, his second of the year, made possible by Johnny Oduya and Brandon Saad. Chicago iced it at 5-2 with a Toews empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. The three stars were Pavelski, Toews, and Thornton.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Frederik Andersen are set to start in goal. Anaheim got going with a Sami Vatanen power play goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, powered by Ryan Kesler. Vancouver tied it on an Alexandre Burrows goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Dan Hamhuis and Nick Bonino. In the shootout, Bonino scored to give the Canucks the win. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Lack (28 for 29 in saves), Andersen (34 for 35 in saves), and Bonino.

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MLS Western Conference Semifinal: Real Salt Lake VS. Los Angeles Galaxy

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

For game 1 in Salt Lake City, Nick Rimando of Salt Lake and Jaime Penedo of Los Angeles protect the nets. Los Angeles saw a yellow card go to Omar Gonzales in the fifty-third minute for a foul. salt Lake took a yellow card for a Tony Beltran foul in the sixty-third minute. Real's Chris Wingert was given a yellow card in the sixty-seventh minute for a foul. The Galaxy's Robbie Rogers also had a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-seventh minute. The final was 0-0 for the first leg of the series. The man of the match was Penedo for a clean sheet with six saves on the road.

The same goalies participated in game 2 in Carson, California. Los Angeles began in the tenth minute on a Landon Donovan goal, via A.J. DeLaGarza and Marcelo Sarvas. The Galaxy added on with a Robbie Keane goal in the twentieth minute, passed from Donovan and Juninho. In the fifty-fourth minute, Los Angeles extended the lead as Donovan scored his second of the game, thanks to Keane. The Galaxy padded the lead with a Sarvas goal in the sixty-third minute, assisted by Keane and Robbie Rogers. Los Angeles kept going on with Donovan completing his hat trick in the seventy-second minute, courtesy of Keane, who had what I call a sock trick, which is three assists. Salt Lake took a yellow card in the seventy-ninth minute for a foul by Alvaro Saborio. The Galaxy had their own yellow card for an eighty-first minute foul by Donovan. Real took another booking on a yellow card as Tony Beltran committed a foul in the eighty-sixth minute. The final was 5-0, and that was also the score of the aggregate series. The man of this match was Donovan with his hat trick and an assist.

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