NHL November 13th, 2014

Nine games for tonight, beginning in...

Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Cam Ward draw the starts. Winnipeg struck first in the first period on a Blake Wheeler goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Mark Stuart and Mark Scheifele. Carolina tied it on an Elias Lindholm power play goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, powered by Nathan Gerbe and Riley Nash. The Jets took the lead back as Wheeler scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, thanks to Zach Bogosian and Scheifele. Winnipeg iced it at 3-1 on an empty net goal by Michael Frolik in the third period, his second of the year, set up by Andrew Ladd and Stuart. The three stars went to Wheeler, Scheifele, and Stuart.

Up in New York, the Rangers welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Henrik Lundqvist protect the nets. Colorado began in the first period with a Matt Duchene goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Tyson Barrie and Ryan O'Reilly. New York tied it on a Kevin Hayes goal, his second of the year, via Dominic Moore and Matt Hunwick. The Avalanche took the lead back on an Alex Tanguay goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Erik Johnson and Duchene. The Rangers tied it again with a Derek Stepan goal, assisted by Rick Nash. New York took the lead with a Dan Girardi goal, made possible by Mats Zuccarello and John Moore. Colorado retied it in the third period on a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Zach Redmond and Barrie. In the shootout, the Avalanche got goals from MacKinnon and Tanguay to top a tally by Stepan for a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Tanguay, MacKinnon, and Barrie, while Duchene gets an honorable mention.

Into Canada, where the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Boston Bruins. Niklas Svedberg is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Boston was first to score in the first period on a Dougie Hamilton goal, his fourth of the season, a power play goal coming off of Loui Eriksson. Montreal tied it on a Dale Weise penalty shot goal in the second period after he was tripped by Dennis Seidenberg. The Canadiens took the lead on a Lars Eller goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Brendan Gallagher. Montreal added on with a Max Pacioretty goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Weise and Mike Weaver. The Canadiens extended the lead in the second period on a Pacioretty goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, guided in by David Desharnais. Montreal padded the lead on a Jiri Sekac power play goal, his third of the campaign, powered by Nathan Beaulieu and Eller. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Pacioretty, Weise, and Eller.

Way south to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Ben Bishop are in the blue paint. San Jose got going in the second period on a Joe Thornton goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sharks added on as Tyler Kennedy scored, with the help of Brent Burns and the goalie Niemi. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period on a Steven Stamkos goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Andrej Sustr and Valtteri Filppula. They failed to tie it, losing 2-1, with the three stars going to Niemi (32 for 33 in saves), Kennedy, and Bishop (37 for 39 in saves).

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jake Allen receive the starting nods. St. Louis opened with a first period T.J. Oshie goal, made possible by Vladimir Tarasenko and Jori Lehtera on the power play. The Blues added on with a Carl Gunnarsson goal, coming off of Maxim Lapierre and Steve Ott. Nashville got on the board with a Filip Forsberg goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by James Neal and Roman Josi. The Predators tied it in the second period as Shea Weber scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Forsberg and Josi. St. Louis reclaimed the lead with a goal by Tarasenko, his tenth of the season, passed from Lehtera and Jaden Schwartz. Nashville retied it on a Josi power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Weber and Forsberg. The Blues shot back with a third period goal by Paul Stastny, his second of the campaign, with assists provided by Kevin Shattenkirk and Gunnarsson. This held up for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Tarasenko, Forsberg, and Josi, while Lehtera, Gunnarsson, and Weber get the honorable mentions.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Darcy Kuemper are the unknown goalies. Buffalo started in the first period on a Rasmus Ristolainen goal, via Matt Moulson and Zemgus Girgensons. Minnesota tied it as Ryan Carter potted his second of the season, with the help of Kyle Brodziak and Justin Fontaine. The Wild took the lead with a Nino Neiderreiter goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Charlie Coyle. The Sabres retied it on a Girgensons goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Tyler Ennis and Nikita Zadorov. Kuemper was removed for Niklas Backstrom at this point. Minnesota retook the lead on a Brodziak goal, his third of the year, helped along by Fontaine and Carter. The Wild added on as Neiderreiter scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, a power play goal powered by Mikael Granlund and Matt Dumba. Minnesota extended the lead with a second period Jared Spurgeon power play goal, his second of the year, with assists from Jason Pominville and Mikko Koivu. Buffalo got one back in the third period on a Torrey Mitchell goal, his second of the season, pushed through by Drew Stafford and Nicolas Deslauriers. The Wild iced it at 6-3 as Neiderreiter finished his hat trick on an empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Coyle and Ryan Suter. The three stars were handed to Neiderreiter, Girgensons, and Brodziak, while Carter, Fonatine, and Coyle get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Calgary, the Flames host the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Jonas Hiller are the average goalies. Calgary led off in the first period on a Paul Byron goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Sven Baertschi. Arizona tied it on a Shane Doan goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Antoine Vermette and Zbynek Michalek. The Flames retook the lead in the second period on another Byron goal, his second of the game and third of the season, passed from Baertschi and Kris Russell. Calgary added on with a Sean Monahan goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Curtis Glencross and David Jones. The Coyotes got one back with a Vermette power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Doan and Mikkel Boedker. Arizona tied it on a Joe Vitale goal, his second of the year, helped along by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and B.J. Crombeen. The Flames pulled ahead with a Mark Giordano goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by T.J. Brodie and Jiri Hudler. Calgary extended the lead in the third period on an unassisted Jones goal, his third of the year. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to Byron, Baertschi, and Jones, while Doan and Vermette get the honorable mentions.

Staying in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Ben Scrivens receive the starting nods. Ottawa struck first in the first period on a Mike Hoffman goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Cody Ceci. The Senators added on with an Alex Chiasson goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Chris Phillips and Clarke MacArthur. Ottawa extended the lead with a Milan Michalek goal, his second of the season, via Bobby Ryan and Mika Zibanejad. Edmonton got on the board with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal in the second period, his second of the year, powered by David Perron and Nikita Nikitin. The Oilers pulled closer in the third period on a Jordan Eberle goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Benoit Pouliot and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton tied it on a Jeff Petry goal, courtesy of Nugent-Hopkins and Justin Schultz. The Senators won 4-3 in overtime with a Hoffman goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with helpers from Curtis Lazar and Jared Cowen. The three stars were given to Hoffman, Nugent-Hopkins, and Michalek.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen faces a lesser foe in Martin Jones in goal. Dallas was first to score on a Ryan Garbutt goal in the first period, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Stars added on in the second period as Jason Spezza notched his third of the year, courtesy of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. This was all they needed for a 2-0 win, with the three stars going to Lehtonen (27 save shutout), Garbutt, and Spezza.

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KHL November 13th, 2014

Two games today, beginning in...

Chelyabinsk, as Traktor hosts Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Michael Garnett are in the creases. Togliatti got going in the second period on a Denis Golubev goal, with a lone assist by Yury Petrov. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win. The three stars went to Ezhov (34 save shutout), Golubev, and Garnett (19 for 20 in saves).

The other one is in Khanty-Mansiysk, as Yugra hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Barry Brust protect the nets. Nizhnekamsk began in the first period with an Igor Polygalov goal, via Mikhail Zhukov. Neftekhimik added on in the second period with an Andrei Ivanov goal, passed from Maxim Rybin and Zhukov. Nizhnekamsk extended the lead with a Maxim Berezin goal, courtesy of Tim Stapleton and Yegor Milovzorov. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with a Vitaly Sitnikov power play goal, powered by Andrei Chibisov and Philip Larsen. Yugra pulled closer with an Artyom Bulyansky goal, assisted by Igor Magogin and Larsen. Neftekhimik replied in the third period on a Stapleton goal, made possible by Dan Sexton. This made it 4-2, with the three stars going to Stapleton, Zhukov, and Larsen.

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NHL November 12th, 2014

Two games on today, beginning in...

Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Jonathan Bernier guard the cages. Toronto led off in the first period on a Phil Kessel goal, his ninth of the season, via Dion Phaneuf and Cody Franson. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period as Kessel scored his second of the game and tenth of the year, thanks to Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. Toronto extended the lead with a Morgan Rielly, his second of the season, coming off of Peter Holland. The Maple Leafs padded the lead when Bozak potted his sixth of the year, a power play goal, powered by van Riemsdyk and Franson. Toronto kept going on a power play goal by van Riemsdyk, his seventh of the season, guided in by Bozak and Jake Gardiner. Boston got on the board with a Dennis Seidenberg goal, his second of the year, made possible by Milan Lucic and Patrice Bergeron. The Maple Leafs wrapped it up with a Holland power play goal in the third period, his fourth of the campaign, with assists provided by Leo Komarov and Mike Santorelli. This was good for a 6-1 win, with the three stars going to Kessel, van Riemsdyk, and Holland, while Franson and Bozak get the honorable mentions.

The other game has the Anaheim Ducks host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. Los Angeles began in the first period on an Anze Kopitar penalty shot goal, his fourth of the season, after he was hooked by Sami Vatanen. The Kings added on as Drew Doughty scored, with the help of Jake Muzzin and Jeff Carter. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Cam Fowler goal, his second of the year, via Andrew Cogliano and Rickard Rakell. Los Angeles shot back with a Trevor Lewis goal, his second of the season, coming off of Kyle Clifford and Brayden McNabb. The Ducks pulled back on a Jakob Silfverberg goal, assisted by Ryan Kesler and Hampus Lindholm. Anaheim tied it in the third period on a Kesler goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Silfverberg and Matt Beleskey. The Kings took the lead back on a Marian Gaborik goal, his second of the season, fueled by Doughty and Muzzin. Los Angeles extended the lead with a Justin Williams goal, his second of the year, made possible by Alec Martinez and Kopitar. The Ducks replied on another Kesler goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, with helpers from Vatanen and Lindholm. Anaheim tied it with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his fifth of the year, pushed through by Devante Smith-Pelly and Vatanen. In the shootout, Kesler and Silfverberg topped Gaborik for a 6-5 Ducks win. The three stars went to Kesler, Silfverberg, and Kopitar, while Vatanen, Doughty, Muzzin, Gaborik, and Lindholm got the honorable mentions.

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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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