Premier League Week 13

The Premier League season is heating up. There are ten games this weekend, and then another ten in the middle of the week. We begin with...

West Bromwich Albion hosting Arsenal. Damian Martinez and Ben Foster are in goal. In the fifty-third minute, Graham Dorrans of West Brom took a yellow card for his foul. Arsenal opened in the sixtieth minute on a Danny Welbeck goal, assisted by Santiago Cazorla. West Brom had another yellow card in the eighty-fourth minute on a foul by Cristian Gamboa. Arsenal saw a booking on a yellow card for a stoppage time foul by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The final favored Arsenal 1-0.

Next up, Burnley welcomes Aston Villa. Brad Guzan and Tom Heaton protect the nets. At the twenty-eight minute mark, Burnley had a yellow card for a Michael Kightly foul. Burnley had another yellow card in the thirty-eighth minute for a foul by Dean Marney. Aston Villa got going later that minute with a Joe Cole goal, passed from Andreas Weimann. Aston Villa's Tom Cleverley took a yellow card for his forty-first minute foul. Burnley saw a yellow card go to Alan Hutton in the forty-fifth minute for a foul. Aston Villa had a pair of yellow cards in the second half, going in the eighty-fifth and eighty-sixth minutes to Jores Okore and Ciaran Clark, leading to an eighty-sixth minute penalty kick goal by Danny Ings to tie the game for Burnley. The final was 1-1.

Over to Liverpool bringing in Stoke City. Asmir Begovic and Simon Mignolet are the keepers. In the thirty-eighth minute, Marc Wilson of Stoke City took a yellow card for his foul. Stoke City took two more yellow cards in the second half, going to Geoff Cameron in the fifty-third minute and Ryan Shawcross in the fifty-eighth minute. Liverpool struck first with an eighty-fifth minute Glen Johnson close-range header goal. This held for a 1-0 win.

In Manchester, United hosts Hull City. Allan McGregor and David de Gea are in the six-yard boxes. Chris Smalling put Manchester United on the board in the sixteenth minute with his goal after a corner kick. Manchester United added on in the forty-second minute with a Wayne Rooney goal, passed from Robin van Persie. In the forty-seventh minute Marouane Fellaini took a yellow card for Manchester City for his foul. Hull City took yellow cards in the fifty-fourth minute for a James Chester foul and the sixty-fifth minute for a foul by Michael Dawson. Manchester United extended their lead with a van Persie goal in the sixty-sixth minute, made possible by Ander Herrera. Manchester United had a yellow card given to Marcos Rojo in the eighty-ninth minute for a foul. The final was 3-0 for Manchester United.

Down in London, the Queens Park Rangers welcome Leicester City. Kasper Schmeichel and Robert Green are the goalies. Leicester City started in the fourth minute on an Esteban Cambiasso goal, passed from Leonardo Ulloa. QPR tied it with an own goal in the thirty-seventh minute by Wes Morgan. QPR took a yellow card in the forty-fourth minute on a Yun Suk-Young foul. QPR took the lead on a forty-fifth minute goal by Leroy Fer from close range. Leicester City tied it in the sixty-seventh minute on a Jeffrey Schlupp goal. QPR took the lead back in the seventy-third minute on a close range header goal by Charlie Austin. Austin received a yellow card in the seventy-seventh minute for a foul for QPR. Leicester City had a yellow card in stoppage time for David Nugent's foul. QPR took another yellow card for time wasting by Green in stoppage time. Leicester City took another booking on a yellow card for Marc Albrighton's offense. QPR held on for a 3-2 win.

Out in Wales, Swansea City brings in Crystal Palace. Julian Speroni and Lukasz Fabianski are given the starting nods. Swansea City began in the fifteenth minute on a Wilfried Bony goal, assisted by Gylfi Sigurdsson. Crystal Palace tied it in the twenty-fifth minute on a Mile Jedinak penalty kick goal. Crystal Palace had a yellow card in the fortieth minute for a Marouane Chamakh foul. In the sixty-ninth minute, Crystal Palace's James McArthur was given a yellow card for his foul. The final was 1-1.

Back in England, West Ham United hosts Newcastle United. Robert Elliott and Adrian guard the woodwork. Newcastle United took a yellow card in the nineteenth minute for a Michael
Williamson foul. In the fifty-fourth minute, Newcastle United's Jack Colback received a yellow card for his foul. West Ham United got on the board in the fifty-sixth minute with an Aaron Cresswell goal, set up by Cheikhou Kouyate. In the sixty-sixth minute, Mark Noble of West Ham United took a yellow card for his foul. In the seventy-fifth minute, Newcastle United's Moussa Sissoko received a yellow card for his foul, and a minute later Sissoko committed another yellow card-worthy foul to be sent off. In the eighty-seventh minute, Mauro Zarate of West Ham United was given a yellow card for a foul. West Ham United held on for a 1-0 win.

Finally, Saturday's games close out with Sunderland welcoming Chelsea. Thibaut Courtois and Costel Pantilimon are the gloved men. In the fifty-fifth minute, Diego Costa took a yellow card for his foul for Chelsea. At the seventy-five minute mark, John O'Shea of Sunderland was given a yellow card for a foul. Nemanja Matic of Chelsea had a yellow card in the eighty-sixth minute. Sunderland ended with a pair of yellow cards, going to Santiago Vergini in the eighty-ninth minute and Jordi Gomez in stoppage time. The game ended in a scoreless draw.

On Sunday, Southampton brings in Manchester City. Joe Hart and Fraser Forster are in the six-yard boxes. Southampton took a yellow card in the seventh minute for a Victor Wanyama foul. In the ninth minute, Sergio Aguero of Manchester City was given a yellow card for his foul, followed by another yellow card in the twenty-second minute to Eliaquim Mangala. Manchester City opened the scoring in the fifty-first minute with a Yaya Toure goal, set up by Aguero. In the seventy-fourth minute, Mangala received another yellow card and was ejected from the game, putting Manchester City down a man. Manchester City added on in the eightieth minute with a Frank Lampard goal, passed from James Milner on a fast break. In the eighty-first minute, Vincent Kompany took a yellow card for Manchester City. Manchester City extended the lead in the eighty-eighth minute on a Gael Clichy goal, via Aguero on a fast break. Manchester City cruised to a 3-0 victory despite the manpower disadvantage.

Closing out the week, Tottenham Hotspur hosts Everton. Tim Howard and Hugo Lloris are the keepers. Everton began in the fifteenth minute on a Kevin Mirallas goal. Tottenham Hotspur tied it in the twenty-first minute with a Christian Eriksen goal. In the forty-third minute, Mirallas was given a yellow card for Everton. In first half stoppage time, Tottenham Hotspur took the lead on a Roberto Soldado goal, passed from Aaron Lennon. Tottenham Hotspur took a fifty-sixth minute yellow card for a foul by Vlad Chiriches. Tottenham Hotspur had three late yellow cards assessed to Erik Lamela in the eighty-seventh minute, Ben Davies in the eighty-ninth minute, and Nabil Bentalib in the ninetieth minute, all for fouls. The final favored Tottenham Hotspur 2-1.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

NHL November 29th, 2014

Twelve games on today, beginning in...

New York, as the Rangers host the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Henrik Lundqvist draw the starts. New York began in the first period with Derick Brassard's seventh of the season, a power play goal powered by Rick Nash and Derek Stepan. Philadelphia tied it with a Nicklas Grossmann goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Jakub Voracek and Brayden Schenn. The Flyers took the lead with a second period goal by Voracek, his ninth of the season, coming on the power play from Schenn and Claude Giroux. The Rangers retied it on a Jesper Fast goal, assisted by Kevin Klein and J.T Miller. New York took the lead in the third period on a Brassard goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, via Kevin Hayes and Klein. The Rangers added on with a Miller goal, guided in by Fast and Matt Hunwick. New York iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Lee Stempniak, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Ryan McDonagh. The three stars went to Brassard, Fast, and Miller, while Voracek, Schenn, and Klein get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Thomas Greiss and Anton Khudobin are the backups making spot starts. Carolina led off in the first period with a Justin Faulk power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Victor Rask and Nathan Gerbe. Pittsburgh tied it on a Chris Kunitz goal, his ninth of the year, via Evgeni Malkin and Blake Comeau. The Penguins took the lead on a Robert Bortuzzo goal, his second of the season, guided in by Paul Martin and Andrew Ebbett. Pittsburgh added on in the third period with a Christian Ehrhoff goal, passed from Olli Maatta. The Hurricanes got one back on an Elias Lindholm goal, his seventh of the year, coming on the power play from Rask and Eric Staal. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Ehrhoff, Rask, and Bortuzzo.

North to Montreal, where the Canadiens bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Dustin Tokarski are the little-known goalies. Buffalo struck first in the first period on a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Tyler Ennis and Nicolas Deslauriers. Montreal tied it with a Brendan Gallagher goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, guided in by Alex Galchenyuk and Bryan Allen. The Sabres took the lead back in the third period on a Chris Stewart goal, his third of the season, via Marcus Foligno. The Canadiens pulled even on a Lars Eller goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Brandon Prust and Alexei Emelin. Montreal took the lead as Max Pacioretty scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Dale Weise and P.K. Subban. Buffalo retied it on a Brian Flynn goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Brian Gionta and Torrey Mitchell. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Flynn scored to give the Sabres a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Flynn, Stewart, and Girgensons.

Back stateside, the New York Islanders host the New Jersey Devils. Jaroslav Halak and Cory Schneider guard the cages. New York was first to score in the first period on a Nikolay Kulemin goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Kyle Okposo and John Tavares. New Jersey tied it on a Damien Brunner goal, his second of the year, coming off of Adam Larsson and Michael Ryder. The Islanders retook the lead in the second period on a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his third of the season, fueled by Calvin de Haan and Casey Cizikas. New York iced it at 3-1 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Cizikas, his third of the year, set up by Frans Nielsen and Thomas Hickey. The three stars went to Halak (34 for 35 in saves), Cizikas, and Clutterbuck.

South to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning welcome the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Ben Bishop are the masked men. Ottawa opened in the first period on a David Legwand goal, his third of the season, a power play goal powered by Erik Karlsson and Kyle Turris. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period on a Ryan Callahan goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Steven Stamkos and Alex Killorn. The Lightning took the lead in the third period with a Killorn goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Anton Stralman and Callahan. Tampa Bay added on with a Brenden Morrow goal, courtesy of Cedric Paquette. The Lightning extended the lead on a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Tyler Johnson and Jason Garrison. This produced the 4-1 final, with the three stars being Callahan, Killorn, and Bishop (26 for 27 in saves).

Into Canada again, as the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Washington Capitals. Justin Peters is mismatched with Jonathan Bernier in goal. Toronto started in the first period on an unassisted goal by Morgan Rielly, his third of the season. The Maple Leafs added on with a Cody Franson power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Joffrey Lupul and Mike Santorelli. Toronto extended the lead in the second period with a Tyler Bozak goal, his tenth of the season, via James van Riemsdyk and Phil Kessel. Washington got on the board with a Troy Brouwer power play goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson. The Maple Leafs shot back on a David Clarkson goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Nazem Kadri and Jake Gardiner. Toronto padded the lead with a Bozak power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Kessel and van Riemsdyk. The Capitals got one back in the third period with a Tom Wilson goal, his second of the season, helped along by Backstrom and Carlson. The Maple Leafs answered on a Lupul power play goal, his third of the year, driven in by Gardiner and Rielly. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars going to Bozak, Rielly, and Lupul, while van Riemsdyk, Kessel, Backstrom, Carlson, and Gardiner get the honorable mentions.

Back south to Nashville, where the Predators host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Pekka Rinne are the goalies. Nashville got going in the second period on a Mike Ribeiro goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Roman Josi and Shea Weber. Columbus tied it in the third period on a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Nick Foligno and Jack Johnson. The Predators regained the lead with a Colin Wilson goal, his fourth of the campaign, assisted by Craig Smith and Calle Jarnkrok. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Rinne (21 for 22 in saves), Wilson, and Ribeiro.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Niklas Backstrom receive the starting nods. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Minnesota tied it on a Mikko Koivu goal, his third of the year, passed from Jason Zucker and Charlie Coyle. The Wild took the lead with a power play goal by Zach Parise, his ninth of the season, powered by Ryan Suter and Jason Pominville. The Blues tied it in the third period as David Backes scored his seventh of the year, with the help of Patrik Berglund. St. Louis won 3-2 in the shootout on a lone tally by Tarasenko. The three stars went to Tarasenko, Allen (36 for 38 in saves), and Backes.

Southwest to Colorado, where the Avalanche bring in the Dallas Stars. Anders Lindback and Calvin Pickard are the unknown goalies. Dallas led off in the first period on a Cody Eakin goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. Colorado tied it on a Daniel Briere goal, his fifth of the year, passed from John Mitchell and Nate Guenin. The Avalanche took the lead with a Jarome Iginla goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Gabriel Landeskog and Tyson Barrie. The Stars tied it with an unassisted goal by Patrick Eaves, his third of the year. Colorado retook the lead in the second period on an Alex Tanguay goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Matt Duchene and Barrie. The Avalanche added on in the third period with a Duchene power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Barrie, who got a sock trick, and Tanguay. Colorado finished it at 5-2 with a Landeskog power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, with assists provided by Tanguay and Nathan MacKinnon. The three stars went to Tanguay, Barrie, and Duchene, while Landeskog gets an honorable mention.

Out in Los Angeles, the Kings host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jonathan Quick are in the creases. Chicago began in the first period with a Dan Carcillo goal, his third of the season, assisted by Bryan Bickell. The Blackhawks added on with a Brad Richards goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Kris Versteeg. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Jordan Nolan goal, passed from Jake Muzzin. Chicago shot back on another Richards goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, fueled by Michal Rozsival and Versteeg. The Blackhawks iced it at 4-1 with a Brandon Saad empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Marian Hossa. The three stars went to Richards, Versteeg, and Carcillo.

Back east to Arizona, where the Coyotes welcome the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo and Devan Dubnyk are the backups in goal. Calgary got going in the second period on a T.J. Brodie goal, his sixth of the season, via Jiri Hudler and Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames added on in the third period with a Gaudreau goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Hudler and Mark Giordano. Calgary extended the lead with a Hudler power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Sean Monahan and Dennis Wideman. This produced the 3-0 final, with the three stars going to Hudler, Gaudreau, and Ramo (26 save shutout).

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Antti Niemi protect the nets. San Jose struck first in the first period on a Logan Couture goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Tommy Wingels and Patrick Marleau. Anaheim tied it on a Matt Beleskey goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Hampus Lindholm and Devante Smith-Pelly. The Sharks took the lead back on another Couture goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, coming shorthanded and unassisted. San Jose added on with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Joe Thornton and Wingels. The Sharks extended the lead in the second period with a Wingels goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Marleau and Justin Braun. San Jose padded the lead on a Tomas Hertl goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of James Sheppard. The Ducks got one back with a Corey Perry goal, his thirteenth of the season, pushed through by Ryan Getzlaf and Sami Vatanen. Anaheim chipped closer in the third period with another Perry goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, via Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. The Ducks pulled closer on a Getzlaf goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Perry. The Sharks finished it at 6-4 with a power play empty net goal by Matthew Nieto, his second of the year, set up by Wingels. The three stars went to Wingels, Couture, and Perry, while Marleau and Getzlaf get honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

MLS Eastern Conference Final: New England Revolution VS. New York Red Bulls

The Eastern Conference Final for MLS features the New England Revolution against the New York Red Bulls. In game 1 at New York, the goalies are Bobby Shuttleworth for New England and Luis Robles and New York. New England struck first in the seventeenth minute with a Teal Bunbury goal, set up by Jermaine Jones. The Revolution took a yellow card for a twenty-third minute foul by A.J. Soares. New England had another yellow card in the twenty-sixth minute as Jones committed a foul. New York tied the game with a twenty-seventh minute Bradley Wright-Phillips goal. In the thirty-seventh minute, the Red Bulls saw a yellow card go to Thierry Henry for his foul. New York took another yellow card for persistent infringement in the forty-third minute by Ibrahim Sekagya. The Red Bulls saw a booking in the fifty-fourth minute for a yellow card foul on Richard Eckersley. New York's Wright-Phillips was booked on a yellow card for encroachment in the sixtieth minute. The Red Bulls took another yellow card in the sixty-third minute as Eric Alexander committed a foul. The Revolution took a yellow card for a sixty-seventh minute foul by Scott Caldwell. New York saw a yellow card go to Tim Cahill in the seventy-seventh minute for a foul. New England's Lee Nguyen took a yellow card in the eighty-third minute for his foul. The Revolution gained the lead in the eighty-fifth minute on a Jones goal, via Bunbury and Nguyen. This made it 2-1, the final, with the man of the match being Jones for his goal and assist.

In New England, the same goalies take the field. New York struck first in the twenty-sixth minute on a Tim Cahill goal, passed from Thierry Henry. New England tied it with a Charlie Davies goal in the forty-first minute, set up by Chris Tierney and Lee Nguyen. The Red Bulls took the lead back with a fifty-second minute Peguy Luyindula goal. New York had a yellow card in the sixtieth minute for a Dax McCarty foul. The Revolution retied it on a seventieth minute goal by Davies, via Tierney and Scott Caldwell. The Red Bulls took a pair of yellow cards in stoppage time for an Ambroise Oyongo Bitolo foul and unsporting behavior by Lloyd Sam. The game ended 2-2, and the Revolution took the series 4-3 on aggregate. The man of the match was Davies for his brace.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

KHL November 29th, 2014

Eleven games on today, beginning in...

Astana, as Barys hosts Admiral Vladivostok. Ilya Proskuryakov and Jan Laco are in the creases. Astana struck first in the first period on a Nigel Dawes power play goal, with a lone assist by Brandon Bochenski. Vladivostok tied it in the second period as Ivan Glazkov scored, thanks to Ilya Zubov and Richard Gynge. Admiral took the lead with a Felix Schutz power play goal, powered by Konstantin Makarov and Glazkov. Barys tied it with a Dawes goal, fueled by Kevin Dallman and Dustin Boyd. Vladivostok regained the lead in the third period on an unassisted Zubov goal. Admiral added on with a Vladislav Ushenin goal, coming off of Vyacheslav Ushenin and Alexander Gorshkov. Astana got one back with a Boyd goal, passed from Bochenski and Mike Lundin. Barys tied it with a Konstantin Rudenko goal, assisted by Konstantin Pushkaryov and Nikolai Antropov. Vladivostok won 5-4 in overtime with an Artyom Zemchyonok goal, courtesy of Enver Lisin and Schutz. The three stars went to Zubov, Dawes, and Schutz, while Bochenski, Boyd, and Glazkov get the honorable mentions.

Up in Khanty-Mansiysk, Yugra welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Stepan Goryachevskikh are set to start. Khanty-Mansiysk opened in the first period on a Nikita Gusev goal, courtesy of Igor Magogin. Yugra added on with an Igor Bortnikov goal, via Vitaly Sitnikov. Khanty-Mansiysk extended the lead on an Airat Ziazov goal, assisted by Denis Gorbunov and Philip Larsen. Yugra padded the lead on a Lukas Kaspar goal, passed from Ben Maxwell. This held up for a 4-0 win, with the three stars going to Goryachevskikh (30 save shutout), Gusev, and Bortnikov.

West to Chelyabinsk, where Traktor brings in Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Michael Garnett guard the cages. Magnitogorsk got going in the second period on a Chris Lee goal, guided in by Vladimir Malenkikh and Tim Brent. Metallurg added on with an Evgeny Timkin goal, fueled by Mikhail Yunkov. Chelyabinsk got on the board in the third period with a Jan Bulis goal, with a lone assist by Deron Quint. Traktor tied it with an Anton Glinkin power play goal, powered by Artyom Borodkin and Andrei Popov. Magnitogorsk won 3-2 in overtime with a Yaroslav Kosov goal. The three stars were given to Kosov, Timkin, and Lee.

Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk hosts Medvescak Zagreb. Mark Dekanich and Danny Taylor are all padded up. Minsk was first to score in the first period on a Matt Ellison power play goal, with a lone assist by Ryan Vesce. Dinamo added on in the second period as Vesce scored, with the help of Charles Linglet and Ellison. Zagreb got one back with a James Wright goal, helped along by Krystofer Kolanos and Shaone Morrisonn. Minsk shot back in the third period with another Ellison goal, fueled by Linglet. Dinamo extended the lead on a Linglet power play goal, powered by Jonathan Cheechoo and Vesce. Medvescak replied with a Mark Flood goal, made possible by Pascal Pelletier. Zagreb pulled closer on a Kolanos goal, with assists provided by Bill Thomas and Mathieu Carle. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Ellison, Vesce, and Linglet, while Kolanos gets an honorable mention.

To Russia again, as the Sochi Leopards welcome Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ivan Kasutin and Tomas Popperle receive the starting nods. Sochi started in the first period on an Ilya Krikunov goal, assisted by Andrei Kostitsyn and Igor Ignatushkin. The Leopards added on with an Alexander Shcherbina goal, passed from Timofei Shishkanov and Artyom Kryukov. Sochi extended the lead on a shorthanded Ignatushkin goal in the second period, set up by Pavel Koledov. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board with a Vladimir Galuzin goal, coming off of Nikita Filatov. The Leopards answered in the third period as Andre Petersson scored an unassisted goal. This gave them a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Ignatushkin, Popperle (25 for 26 in saves), and Shcherbina.

North to St. Petersburg, where SKA brings in Sibir Novosibirsk. Mikko Koskinen and Evgeny Ivannikov are between the pipes. Novosibirsk began in the first period on a Dmitry Monya goal, made possible by Viktor Bobrov. Sibir added on with a Jonas Enlund goal, guided in by Renat Mamashev and Jarno Koskiranta. St. Petersburg got on the board in the second period with an Ilya Kablukov goal, passed from Dmitry Yudin and Alexei Ponikarovsky. Novosibirsk shot back with a power play goal by Alexei Kopeikin, powered by Igor Ozhiganov and Mamashev. SKA got one back with a Vadim Shipachyov power play goal, assisted by Artemy Panarin and Patrick Thoresen. St. Petersburg tied it in the third period as Dmitry Kalinin scored, thanks to Roman Rukavishnikov and Roman Cervenka on the power play. SKA took the lead with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, with helpers from Thoresen and Andrei Kuteikin. St. Petersburg extended the lead with a Kuteikin goal, helped along by Panarin and Cervenka. Sibir got one back with an Enlund power play goal, fueled by Dmitry Kugryshev and Patrik Hersley. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars given to Kuteikin, Enlund, and Thoresen, while Mamashev, Panarin, and Cervenka get the honorable mentions.

Back east to Nizhnekamsk, where Neftekhimik hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Alexander Sudnitsin are the masked men. Kazan led off in the first period with a Fyodor Malykhin goal, assisted by Dmitry Obukhov and Dmitry Arkhipov. Ak Bars added on with a Mikhail Varnakov goal in the second period, guided in by Stepan Zakharchuk and Mikhail Glukhov. Kazan extended the lead with an Alexander Burmistrov power play goal, powered by Evgeny Medvedev. Ak Bars padded the lead in the third period on a Kirill Petrov goal, passed from Oscar Moller and Burmistrov. Nizhnekamsk got on the board with a Teemu Eronen goal, coming off of Tim Stapleton and Dan Sexton on the power play. This produced a 4-1 final, with the three stars going to Burmistrov, Garipov (34 for 35 in saves), and Varnakov.

Down in Podolsk, Vityaz welcomes Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Harri Sateri draw the starts. Cherepovets struck first in the first period with a shorthanded Pavel Chernov goal, set up by David Ullstrom. Severstal added on with a Logan Pyett goal, fueled by Yury Trubachyov and Evgeny Mons. Cherepovets extended the lead in the second period on a power play goal by Marek Kvapil, powered by Pavel Buchnevich and Trubachyov. Podolsk got on the board with an Ivan Vereshchagin power play goal, coming off of Roman Horak and Denis Grebeshkov. Severstal shot back with a Dmitry Kagarlitsky goal, guided in by Zakhar Arzamastsev and Chernov. Cherepovets padded the lead in the third period on a Buchnevich goal, via Gennady Stolyarov and Andrei Shefer. Vityaz took one back with an Anton Korolyov goal, passed from Alexei Makeyev. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Chernov, Buchnevich, and Trubachyov.

Into Moscow, where Dynamo brings in crosstown rivals CSKA. Stanislav Galimov and Alexander Yeryomenko tend the twines. Dynamo was first to score in the first period on a Filip Novak goal, fueled by Dmitry Vishnevsky and Alexei Tsvetkov. CSKA tied it on a second period power play goal by Igor Grigorenko, powered by Alexander Radulov and Nikita Zaitsev. CSKA took the lead with a Roman Lyubimov goal, assisted by Andrei Kuzmenko. Dynamo tied it with a third period Tsvetkov goal, guided in by Martins Karsums and Maxim Karpov. Dynamo gained the lead on an unassisted Karpov power play goal. CSKA retied it on a Zaitsev power play goal, with a lone assist by Nikolai Prokhorkin. In the shootout, CSKA got goals from Jan Mursak and Simon Hjalmarsson for a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Zaitsev, Karpov, and Tsvetkov.

Out in Latvia, Dinamo Riga hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Rafael Khakimov and Jakub Sedlacek are in the blue paint. Riga dented the scoreboard in the second period with a power play goal by Miks Indrasis, powered by Marcel Hossa and Kyle Wilson. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win. The three stars were awarded to Sedlacek (29 save shutout), Indrasis, and Khakimov (25 for 26 in saves).

Finally, Slovan Bratislava hosts Atlant Mytishchi. Atte Engren and Johan Backlund have the green light to start in goal. Bratislava opened in the first period with a Rok Ticar goal, coming off of Ziga Jeglic. Mytishchi tied it in the second period as Vyacheslav Leshchenko scored, thanks to Igor Levitsky. In the shootout, Slovan won 2-1 with goals by Jeglic and Ticar to top an Andreas Engqvist tally. The three stars went to Ticar, Backlund (26 for 27 in saves), and Engren (45 for 46 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL November 28th, 2014

Eleven games on all throughout the day today, beginning in...

Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot and Steve Mason draw the starts. New York led off in the first period with a power play goal by Dan Boyle, his second of the season, powered by Derek Stepan and Martin St. Louis. The Rangers added on with a St. Louis goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, guided in by Stepan and Chris Kreider. New York extended the lead in the third period with a shorthanded Rick Nash goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Stepan, who got a sock trick, and Ryan McDonagh. This produced the 3-0 final, with the three stars given to St. Louis, Talbot (26 save shutout), and Stepan.

Way out west, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Frederik Andersen are in the blue paint. Chicago began in the first period on a Brad Richards goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks added on with an Andrew Shaw goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Duncan Keith and Dan Carcillo. Anaheim got on the board with a Hampus Lindhoml goal, his third of the season, passed from Patrick Maroon and Ryan Kesler. Chicago shot back in the second period on a Patrick Kane goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Kris Versteeg and Richards. The Blackhawks finished it 4-1 with a Kane empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, set up by Versteeg and Shaw. The three stars went to Kane, Crawford (23 for 24 in saves), and Richards, while Shaw and Versteeg get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Washington Capitals bring in the New York Islanders. Chad Johnson and Braden Holtby get the starting nods. Washington struck first in the first period with an Andre Burakovsky power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Matt Niskanen and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals added on with a Marcus Johansson goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Niskanen. New York got on the board with a John Tavares goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Nick Leddy and Kyle Okposo. The Islanders tied it on an Anders Lee goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Travis Hamonic and Casey Cizikas. Washington took the lead back in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Tom Wilson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals extended the lead in the third period as Kuznetsov scored his second of the year, thanks to Troy Brouwer and Johansson. Washington iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Joel Ward, his ninth of the campaign, set up by John Carlson and Niskanen, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars belonged to Kuznetsov, Johansson, and Niskanen.

Over in Boston, the Bruins host the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Tuukka Rask are set to start in goal. Winnipeg was first to score with a Dustin Byfuglien power play goal in the first period, his fourth of the season, powered by Evander Kane and Mark Scheifele. Boston tied it in the third period on a Milan Lucic goal, his fifth of the year, via Carl Soderberg and Dougie Hamilton. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime on a Hamilton goal, his fifth of the campaign, with assists provided by Soderberg and Loui Eriksson. The three stars went to Rask (35 for 36 in saves), Hamilton, and Soderberg.

Up in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price faces a lesser foe in Jhonas Enroth in goal. Buffalo opened in the first period on a Tyler Ennis goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Zemgus Girgensons and Matt Moulson. Montreal tied it on a P.A. Parenteau goal in the third period, his sixth of the year, coming on the power play from David Desharnais and Jiri Sekac. The Sabres retook the lead on a Moulson power play goal, his fourth of the campaign, powered by Ennis and Rasmus Ristolainen. This produced the 2-1 final, with the three stars given to Moulson, Ennis, and Enroth (30 for 31 in saves).

Back south to New Jersey, where the Devils bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Cory Schneider are in the blue paint. New Jersey started in the first period on a Jaromir Jagr goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Andy Greene and Damon Severson. Detroit tied it on a Riley Sheahan power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Niklas Kronwall and Henrik Zetterberg. The Devils took the lead back with a Michael Cammalleri power play goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Marek Zidlicky. New Jersey added on with a Peter Harrold goal, via Jagr and Adam Henrique. The Devils extended the lead as Cammalleri scored his second of the game and tenth of the year, thanks to Severson and Henrique on the power play. The Red Wings got one back with a Xavier Ouellet goal, assisted by Darren Helm and Stephen Weiss. Detroit pulled closer with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his seventh of the campaign, a power play goal with helpers provided by Zetterberg and Johan Franzen. The Red Wings tied it in the third period on a Drew Miller goal, helped along by Kronwall and Tomas Jurco. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Gustav Nyquist scored to give Detroit the 5-4 win. The three stars were handed to Cammalleri, Jagr, and Kronwall, while Severson, Zetterberg, and Henrique get the honorable mentions.

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Marc-Andre Fleury are the veteran goalies. Carolina led off in the first period on a Jiri Tlusty goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Jay McClement. Pittsburgh tied it on a Kris Letang goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Sidney Crosby and Nick Spaling. The Hurricanes took the lead back in the second period on a Patrick Dwyer goal, his second of the season, coming off of Tlusty and Justin Faulk. The Penguins retied it with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his eleventh of the year, via Crosby and Chris Kunitz. Carolina took the lead again in the third period as Nathan Gerbe scored his third of the season, a power play goal powered by Elias Lindholm and Victor Rask. The Hurricanes rapped it up at 4-2 with a power play empty net goal by Tlusty, his second of the game and tenth of the year, set up by Eric Staal and Faulk. The three stars went to Tlusty, Crosby, and Faulk.

Into Ohio, where the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Vancouver got going in the second period on a Chris Higgins goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Nick Bonino and Luca Sbisa. The Canucks added on with a third period goal by Henrik Sedin, his sixth of the year, fueled by Radim Vrbata and Daniel Sedin. Vancouver extended the lead on a Shawn Matthias goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Brad Richardson and Yannick Weber. The Canucks padded the lead on a Richardson empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Bonino. Vancouver struck again on an Alexandre Burrows goal, his sixth of the campaign, guided in by Higgins and Bonino, the latter getting a sock trick. This made it 5-0, the final, with the three stars going to Bonion, Miller (31 save shutout), and Higgins, while Richardson gets an honorable mention.

Way south to Florida, where the Panthers bring in the Ottawa Senators. Al Montoya and Craig Anderson are between the pipes. Ottawa began in the first period with a Chris Neil goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Erik Condra and David Legwand. Florida tied it on a Dylan Olsen goal, with a lone assist by Vincent Trocheck. The Senators took the lead back on a Cody Ceci goal, passed from Neil. The Panthers tied it on a third period goal by Sean Bergenheim goal, his third of the year, guided in by Brad Boyes and Aleksander Barkov. Florida took the lead with a Jimmy Hayes goal, his fifth of the campaign, assisted by Trocheck and Tomas Fleischmann. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Neil, Trocheck, and Anderson (43 for 46 in saves).

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Scrivens and Jake Allen are the young goalies. St. Louis started in the first period on a T.J. Oshie goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Vladimir Tarasenko and Ian Cole. Edmonton tied it in the second period with a David Perron goal, his third of the year, thanks to Leon Draisaitl and Jesse Joensuu. The Oilers took the lead with a Nikita Nikitin goal, his second of the season, coming off of Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Blues tied it in the third period on a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his second of the year, passed from Oshie. Edmonton gained the lead on a Mark Arcobello goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Hall and Teddy Purcell. St. Louis tied it again with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Oshie. The Blues won 4-3 in overtime on a Tarasenko overtime goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, guided in by Jori Lehtera and Pietrangelo. The three stars were awarded to Tarasenko, Oshie, and Pietrangelo, while Hall gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Dallas Stars host the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Kari Lehtonen are the masked men. Minnesota opened in the first period on a Nino Niederreiter goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Thomas Vanek. The Wild added on with a Jason Zucker goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Nate Prosser and Mikko Koivu. Minnesota extended the lead on a Mikael Granlund goal, his third of the season, coming off of Jason Pominville and Zach Parise. Dallas got on the board with an Ales Hemsky goal, via Shawn Horcoff and Jyrki Jokipakka. The Stars pulled closer with a Tyler Seguin goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Jamie Benn and Jokipakka. Dallas tied it on an Erik Cole goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Trevor Daley and Jason Demers. The Stars took the lead with a third period goal by Alex Goligoski, with assists provided by Seguin and Benn. The Wild tied it again on a Vanek goal, his second of the year, made possible by Ryan Suter and Parise. Minnesota won 5-4 with a Marco Scandella goal, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Parise, who got a sock trick, and Vanek. The three stars went to Vanek, Parise, and Seguin, while Benn and Jokipakka get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL November 28th, 2014

Two games today, with the first in...

Omsk, as Avangard hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Vladimir Sokhatsky and Konstantin Barulin are set to start. Ufa started in the first period with an Antti Pihlstrom goal, via Andrei Zubarev. Omsk tied it in the second period on an Alexander Perezhogin goal, coming off of Alexander Popov and Chad Kolarik. Avangard took the lead at 2-1 with a Denis Parshin power play goal, powered by Nikita Pivtsakin. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Barulin (24 for 25 in saves), Parshin, and Perezhogin.

The other game has Dinamo Riga hosting Amur Khabarovsk. Alexei Murygin and Jeff Deslauriers are in the blue paint. Riga opened in the first period on a Marcel Hossa goal, courtesy of Miks Indrasis and Kyle Wilson. Khabarovsk tied it on a Tommi Taimi goal, made possible by Dmitry Tarasov and Alexander Ryazantsev on the power play. Dinamo took the lead back on a Mikelis Redlihs power play goal, powered by Lauris Darzins and Linus Videll. Riga added on with a Darzins goal in the second period, coming off of Videll and Redlihs. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Deslauriers (22 for 23 in saves), Redlihs, and Darzins, while Videll gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL November 27th, 2014

One game on Thanksgiving for the NHL, with the Nashville Predators hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth and Pekka Rinne are in goal. Nashville won 1-0 in overtime on a Filip Forsberg goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Roman Josi and Shea Weber. The three stars went to Rinne (37 save shutout), Forsberg, and Fasth (24 for 25 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.