KHL December 11th, 2014

Three games for the day, beginning in...

Yekaterinburg, with Avtomobilist hosting SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Jakub Kovar tend the twines. St. Petersburg started in the first period with a Vadim Shipachyov penalty shot goal after he was hooked by Alexei Simakov. SKA added on with an Artemy Panarin goal, via Shipachyov. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Patrick Thoresen scored, thanks to Tony Martensson and Roman Cervenka. SKA padded the lead in the second period with an Anton Burdasov goal, passed from Alexander Kadeikin and Ilya Kablukov. Yekaterinburg got on the board in third period with an Ilya Arkalov goal, guided in by Nikita Tryamkin. St. Petersburg shot back with an Evgeny Ketov goal, with a lone assist by Shipachyov. This made it 5-1, with the three stars going to Shipachyov, Koskinen (28 for 29 in saves), and Panarin.

Moving along to Magnitogorsk, with Metallurg welcoming Dinamo Riga. Jeff Deslauriers and Vasily Koshechkin are given the starting nods. Magnitogorsk opened in the first period with a Danis Zaripov goal, fueled by Sergei Mozyakin. Metallurg added on with a Jan Kovar goal, with a lone assist by Mozyakin. Riga got on the board with a Miks Indrasis goal, coming off of Charles Genoway and Nikolajs Jelisejevs. Magnitogorsk shot back on a Mozyakin goal, assisted by Viktor Antipin and Kovar. Metallurg extended the lead in the second period with a Kovar goal, courtesy of Antipin. Dinamo replied with a power play goal by Mikelis Redlihs, powered by Krisjanis Redlihs and Lauris Darzins. Riga pulled closer with a Linus Videll goal, passed from Krisjanis Redlihs and Darzins. Dinamo tied it on a Oskars Cibulskis goal, made possible by Darzins, who got a sock trick, and Mikelis Redlihs. Magnitogorsk won 5-4 with a third period Chris Lee goal, with assists provided by Maxim Yakutsenya and Denis Platonov. The three stars went to Mozyakin, Kovar, and Darzins, while Antipin, Krisjanis Redlihs, and Mikelis Redlihs are given the honorable mentions.

Finally, Ak Bars Kazan brings in Jokerit Helsinki. Riku Helenius and Anders Nilsson protect the nets. Helsinki struck first in the first period with a power play goal by Niklas Hagman, powered by Juhamatti Aaltonen and Ryan Gunderson. Jokerit added on with a Steve Moses goal, via Petr Koukal. Kazan got on the board in the third period with an Ilya Nikulin power play goal, guided in by Oscar Moller and Justin Azevedo. The final stood at 2-1 with the three stars being Helenius (27 for 28 in saves), Moses, and Hagman.

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NHL December 10th, 2014

Two games tonight, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Jimmy Howard are set to start in goal. Detroit got going in the second period on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Tomas Jurco and Henrik Zetterberg. Toronto tied it on a third period Phil Kessel goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Pavel Datsyuk was upended by Bozak and Mike Santorelli as the Maple Leafs won 2-1. The three stars went to Bozak, Reimer (41 for 42 in saves), and Howard (18 for 19 in saves).

The other game has the Anaheim Ducks host the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth opposes former teammates Frederik Andersen in goal. Anaheim dented the scoreboard on a Matt Beleskey goal in the first period, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Kyle Palmieri and Rickard Rakell on the power play. The Ducks added on in the second period as Ryan Kesler scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Hampus Lindholm and Andersen. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. This only made it 2-1, with the three stars given to Andersen (21 for 22 in saves), Kesler, and Beleskey.

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KHL December 10th, 2014

Ten games on a busy day today. Personal crisis is the reason for the late posting hour. We begin in...

Khabarovsk, as Amur hosts Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Alexei Murygin are in the blue paint. Khabarovsk was first to score in the first period with an Evgeny Orlov goal, coming off of Michel Miklik. Togliatti tied it in the second period on a Semyon Valuisky, with a lone assist by Andrei Nikitenko. Amur took the lead back on a Dmitry Lugin goal, passed from Mikhail Fisenko and Marcel Hascak. Khabarovsk added on with a Dmitry Tarasov goal, assisted by Denis Yezhov and Miklik. Lada got one back with a Vitaly Shulakov power play goal, powered by Anton Shenfeld and Martin Zatovic. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Tarasov, Lugin, and Orlov.

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Ivan Nalimov are set to start in goal. Nizhnekamsk began with a Matt Anderson goal, made possible by Tim Stapleton. Vladivostok tied it on a Niclas Bergfors power play goal, with a lone assist by Ilya Zubov. Neftekhimik retook the lead with a power play goal by Mikhail Zhukov, powered by Teemu Eronen and Maxim Rybin. Nizhnekamsk added on in the second period on an Igor Makarov goal, helped along by Zhukov. Admiral got one back with a Sergei Barbashev goal, passed from Alexander Kuznetsov and Nikita Lisov. Vladivostok tied it on a Bergfors goal in the third period, guided in by Richard Gynge and Jan Kolar. Admiral took the lead with a Shaun Heshka goal, via Felix Schutz and Konstantin Makarov. Vladivostok wrapped it up at 5-3 when Bergfors completed his hat trick with a power play goal fueled by Denis Osipov and Gynge. The three stars were awarded to Bergfors, Gynge, and Zhukov.

West to Novokuznetsk, where Metallurg brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Rafael Khakimov are given the starting nods. Chelyabinsk struck first in the first period on an Anton Glinkin goal, via Andrei Popov. Traktor added on with a Vyacheslav Osnovin goal, courtesy of Martin Ruzicka. Chelyabinsk extended the lead in the second period as Deron Quint scored a power play goal, powered by Dmitry Pestunov and Stanislav Chistov. Traktor padded the lead as Chistov scored in the third period, thanks to Yegor Martynov and Konstantin Panov. Novokuznetsk got on the board with an Ansel Galimov goal, made possible by Dmitry Maltsev. Chelyabisnk replied on a Danil Gubarev goal, coming off of Alexei Kruchinin. Traktor finished it at 6-1 with a Popov power play goal, with a lone helper from Osnovin. The three stars went to Chistov, Popov, and Osnovin.

Next up, Sibir Novosibirsk hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Barry Brust and Alexander Salak are the respectable goalies. Novosibirsk led off in the first period with a Jarno Koskiranta power play goal, powered by Dmitry Kugryshev and Patrik Hersley. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it on a Grigory Zheldakov goal, courtesy of Andrei Sergeyev. Sibir took the lead back with a shorthanded and unassisted Viktor Bobrov goal. Novosibirsk added on in the second period as Alexei Kopeikin scored, thanks to Oleg Gubin and Konstantin Alexeyev. Sibir extended the lead with a Jonas Enlund goal, fueled by Hersley and Gubin. Novosibirsk padded the lead with a Hersley power play goal, assisted by Enlund and Vyacheslav Belov. Yugra got one back in the third period on an Artyom Bulyansky goal, guided in by Mikhail Biryukov, the replacement goalie for Brust. This only made it 5-2, with the three stars going to Hersley, Enlund, and Gubin.

Way west to Nizhny Novgorod, Torpedo welcomes the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Ivan Kasutin are the masked men. Nizhny Novgorod opened in the first period on a Nikita Filatov goal, coming off of Sergei Bernatsky. Sochi tied it on a Cory Emmerton power play goal, powered by Clay Wilson and Andre Petersson. The Leopards took the lead in the second period on an Andrei Kostitsyn goal, via Ilya Krikunov and Nikita Shchitov. Torpedo tied it on a Wojtek Wolski goal, fueled by Viktor Drugov and Bernatsky. Sochi took the lead again on a Roman Lyuduchin goal, with a lone helper from Mikhail Anisin. Nizhny Novgorod retied it on a Dmitry Kazionov goal, made possible by Denis Kazionov and Alexei Potapov. The Leopards reclaimed the lead in the third period with a Wilson goal, helped along by Lyuduchin and Roman Derlyuk. Sochi added on with another Emmerton goal, passed from Max Warn and Derlyuk. The Leopards extended the lead on an empty net goal by Wilson, going in unassisted. Torpedo got one back as Wolski scored a power play goal, with the help of Sakari Salminen and Jarkko Immonen. The final was 6-4, and the three stars went to Emmerton, Wilson, and Lyuduchin, while Bernatsky, Wolski, and Derlyuk get the honorable mentions.

Continuing to Cherepovets, where Severstal brings in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Vitaly Kolesnik and Jakub Stepanek are the goalies. Cherepovets started with a Vadim Berdnikov power play goal, powered by Marek Kvapil and Alexander Urbom. Yaroslavl tied it in the third period on a Sergei Plotnikov goal, guided in by Yegor Averin and Staffan Kronwall. Severstal retook the lead on an Evgeny Mons goal, fueled by Zakhar Arzamastsev and Pavel Chernov. They held on for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Stepanek (26 for 27 in saves), Mons, and Berdnikov.

Down in Mytishchi, Atlant hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Vladimir Sokhatsky and Atte Engren are between the pipes. Mytishchi got going in the second period with a Maxim Mayorov goal, assisted by Artyom Chernov and Matthew Gilroy. Atlant added on with a Vyacheslav Kozlov goal, fueled by Andrei Taratukhin and Dmitry Korobov. Mytishchi extended the lead Chernov passed from Andreas Engqvist and Mayorov. Leland Irving replaced Sokhatsky at this time. Atlant padded the lead on a Vsevolod Sorokin goal, assisted by Nikita Soshnikov. Mytishchi kept going with a Mayorov goal, with a lone assist by Engqvist. Atlant continued in the third period with a power play goal by Taratukhin, powered by Albert Yarullin and Kozlov. Ufa got on the board with an Anton Slepyshev goal, made possible by Andrei Zubarev and Alexei Glukhov. This produced the 6-1 final, with the three stars being Mayorov, Chernov, and Kozlov, while Taratukhin and Engqvist get the honorable mentions.

South to Podolsk, where Vityaz welcomes CSKA Moscow. Kevin Lalande and Ivan Lisutin are all padded up. Moscow began in the first period on an Alexander Radulov power play goal, powered by Denis Denisov and Nikolai Prokhorkin. CSKA added on in the second period with a Stephane Da Costa goal, courtesy of Grigory Panin and Jan Mursak. Moscow extended the lead as Prokhorkin scored, thanks to Radulov and Igor Grigorenko. Podolsk got on the board in the third period with a Mario Kempe power play goal, passed from Roman Horak and Mathias Porseland. CSKA responded with a Da Costa power play goal, with a lone assist by Radulov. The three stars of the 4-1 game were Da Costa, Prokhorkin, and Radulov.

Out in Slovakia, Slovan Bratislava brings in Barys Astana. Alexei Ivanov is mismatched with Jaroslav Janus in goal. Bratislava led off in the first period with a Matt Murley goal, via Peter Olvecky. Slovan added on with a Tomas Surovy goal, fueled by Andrej Stastny and Andrej Kudrna. Astana got on the board with an unassisted Konstantin Rudenko goal. Barys tied it in the second period with a Brandon Bochenski goal, made possible by Nigel Dawes and Dustin Boyd. Bratislava retook the lead as Milan Bartovic scored, thanks to Vaclav Nedorost. They cruised to a 3-2 victory, with the three stars being Bartovic, Surovy, and Murley.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb hosts Avangard Omsk. Konstantin Barulin faces a lesser foe in Mark Dekanich in goal. Omsk dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Denis Kulyash goal, passed from Kirill Semyonov. Avangard added on as Denis Parshin scored a power play goal, powered by Erik Gustafsson and Miroslav Blatak. Omsk extended the lead on another Parshin goal, made possible by Nikita Pivtsakin and Vladimir Sobotka. Avangard padded the lead with a Chad Kolarik goal, guided in by Alexander Popov and Alexander Perezhogin. Calvin Heeter replaced Dekanich for the third period. Omsk continued on a Perezhogin goal, with a lone assist by Pivtsakin on the power play. Zagreb got on the board with a Mark Katic goal, fueled by Martin St. Pierre and Brock Trotter. Avangard shot back in the third period as Pivtsakin scored, thanks to Sobotka. Medvescak answered on a Kurtis McLean goal, coming off of Mathieu Carle and Geoffrey Kinrade. This produced the 6-2 final, with the three stars given to Parshin, Pivtsakin, and Perezhogin, while Sobotka gets an honorable mention.

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NHL December 9th, 2014

Ten games on for today, beginning in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Keith Kinkaid are the unknown goalies. New Jersey began in the first period on a Jordin Tootoo goal, his second of the season, fueled by Steve Bernier. Chicago tied it in the second period on a Bryan Bickell goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Patrick Sharp. The Devils retook the lead in the third period on a Stephen Gionta goal, his second of the season, coming off of Bernier and Damon Severson. The Blackhawks tied it on a Duncan Keith goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews. Chicago won 3-2 in the shootout with goals by Toews and Patrick Kane. The three stars went to Toews, Bernier, and Keith.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Sergei Bobrovsky each play against their former teams. Columbus struck first in the first period on a Boone Jenner power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Brandon Dubinsky and James Wisniewski. Philadelphia tied it on a power play goal by Brayden Schenn, his eighth of the year, made possible by Claude Giroux and Mark Streit. The Blue Jackets retook the lead in the second period with a Scott Hartnell power play goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Nick Foligno and Jack Johnson. The Flyers tied it in the third period with Schenn's second of the game and ninth of the year, passed from Jakub Voracek and Sean Couturier. Columbus won 3-2 in overtime on a Kevin Connauton goal, with a lone assist from Ryan Johansen. The three stars went to Schenn, Connauton, and Hartnell.

Back east, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Jhonas Enroth are the Olympian goalies. Buffalo got going in the third period on a Tyler Ennis power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Matt Moulson and Drew Stafford. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Enroth (34 save shutout), Ennis, and Quick (15 for 16 in saves).

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens host the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Carey Price guard the cages. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his eighth of the season, via Max Pacioretty and Tom Gilbert. Vancouver tied it with a shorthanded Derek Dorsett goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Jannik Hansen and Kevin Bieksa. The Canadiens took the lead on a third period goal by Tomas Plekanec, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Sven Andrighetto and Jiri Sekac. Montreal iced it at 3-1 with a Pacioretty empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from P.K. Subban. The three stars went to Plekanec, Gallagher, and Pacioretty.

Way south to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Ben Bishop are the young goalies. Washington led off in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Tom Wilson and John Carlson. Tampa Bay tied it on a Brian Boyle goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Victor Hedman and J.T. Brown. The Capitals took the lead back with a Matt Niskanen goal, his second of the season, a power play goal powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson. The Lightning tied it in the second period on a Steven Stamkos goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Ryan Callahan and Hedman. Washington took the lead back with a Brooks Laich goal, his third of the season, made possible by Joel Ward. The Capitals added on in the third period with a Troy Brouwer goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Johansson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Tampa Bay pulled back with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Tyler Johnson and Hedman, the latter getting a sock trick. Washington finished it at 5-3 with an Ovechkin empty net goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, set up by Backstrom. The three stars went to Hedman, Johansson, and Ovechkin, while Backstrom gets an honorable mention.

Back north to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs bring in the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Jonathan Bernier receive the starting nods. Toronto was first to score with a Peter Holland goal, his seventh of the season, via David Clarkson and Joffrey Lupul. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Nazem Kadri and Dion Phaneuf. Calgary got on the board in the third period with a Markus Granlund power play goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie. Toronto answered with a Phil Kessel empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by van Riemsdyk. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Mike Santorelli, his fifth of the campaign, helped along by Kadri and Phaneuf. The three stars belonged to Bernier (32 for 33 in saves), van Riemsdyk, and Kadri, while Phaneuf gets an honorable mention.

Stateside, the Minnesota Wild host the New York Islanders. Chad Johnson and Niklas Backstrom are in the blue paint. New York opened in the first period on a Michael Grabner goal, his second of the season, passed from Anders Lee and Griffin Reinhart. The Islanders added on with a Brock Nelson power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Nick Leddy and John Tavares. New York extended the lead with a Matt Martin goal, his third of the season, coming off of Thomas Hickey and Lubomir Visnovsky. Minnesota got on the board with a power play goal by Jason Pominville, his sixth of the year, via Ryan Suter and Mikko Koivu in the second period. The Islanders replied with a Josh Bailey goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Mikhail Grabovski and Calvin de Haan. The Wild took one back in the third period with a Koivu goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Jason Zucker. Minnesota pulled closer on an Erik Haula goal, his third of the season, with helpers provided by Ryan Carter and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild tied it with a Thomas Vanek goal, his third of the year, made possible by Zach Parise and Suter. Minnesota took the lead on a Nino Niederreiter goal, his twelfth of the season, pushed through by Vanek and Suter, the latter getting a sock trick. This made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars going to Vanek, Suter, and Koivu.

South to Dallas, as the Stars welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Kari Lehtonen are the masked men. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Mathieu Perreault power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Bryan Little and Dustin Byfuglien. Dallas tied it on a power play goal by Tyler Seguin, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by Jason Spezza and Jamie Benn. The Jets regained the lead on a Blake Wheeler goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Andrew Ladd and Byfuglien. The Stars retied it in the second period as Antoine Roussel scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Seguin and Jordie Benn. Winnipeg gained the lead with an Adam Lowry goal, his third of the season, helped along by Michael Frolik and Ben Chiarot. Jussi Rynnas relieved Lehtonen at this time. The Jets added on as Lowry scored his second of the game and fourth of the year, with the help of Adam Pardy and Matt Halischuk. Winnipeg extended the lead on a shorthanded Frolik goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Wheeler and Mark Stuart. This held up for a 5-2 win, with the three stars being Lowry, Frolik, and Wheeler, while Byfuglien and Seguin get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Colorado, where the Avalanche bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne faces a lesser foe in Calvin Pickard in goal. Nashville began in the first period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Gabriel Bourque and Seth Jones. The Predators added on with an empty net goal by Bourque, via Mike Ribeiro. Nashville extended the lead on a James Neal empty net goal, set up by Ribeiro and Forsberg. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars given to Forsberg, Rinne (26 save shutout), and Bourque, while Ribeiro gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Scrivens and Alex Stalock are in the creases. San Jose led off in the first period on a Joe Pavelski goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Joe Thornton and Justin Braun. The Sharks added on with a Barclay Goodrow goal, via Melker Karlsson and James Sheppard. Edmonton got on the board with a Jordan Eberle goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers tied it on a David Perron goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Teddy Purcell. San Jose retook the lead in the second period as Logan Couture netted his twelfth of the year, thanks to Scott Hannan and Tommy Wingels. The Sharks extended the lead with Pavelski's second of the game and fourteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Patrick Marleau and Thornton. San Jose padded the lead on a Brent Burns goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone helped from Couture. This held up for a 5-2 win, with the three stars awarded to Pavelski, Couture, and Thornton.

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KHL December 9th, 2014

Three games on this afternoon, beginning with...

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg hosting Jokerit Helsinki. Henrik Karlsson and Jakub Kovar are given the starting nods. Yekaterinburg got going in the second period with an Aaron Palushaj goal, courtesy of Anton Lazarev. Avtomobilist added on with an Alexei Mikhnov goal, passed from Eduard Lewandowski and Viktor Kozlov. Yekaterinburg extended the lead in the third period on an unassisted goal by Artyom Gareyev. Avtomobilist iced it at 4-0 with an empty net goal by Alexei Simakov, set up by Alexander Rybakov while shorthanded. The three stars went to Kovar (33 save shutout), Palushaj, and Mikhnov.

Down in Magnitogorsk, Metallurg welcomes SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Vasily Koshechkin tend the twines. St. Petersburg started in the first period on a power play goal by Artemy Panarin, powered by Ilya Kovalchuk and Vadim Shipachyov. Magnitogorsk tied it with a Chris Lee power play goal in the second period, made possible by Sergei Mozyakin and Jan Kovar. SKA took the lead on a Roman Cervenka goal, fueled by Tony Martensson and Patrick Thoresen. St. Petersburg added on in the third period with an Evgeny Dadonov power play goal, helped along by Panarin and Shipachyov. Metallurg shot back with a Mozyakin goal, with a lone assist by Viktor Antipin. Magnitogorsk tied it on a Danis Zaripov goal, coming off of Tim Brent and Kovar. Metallurg won 4-3 with a Kovar goal, assisted by Mozyakin and Sergei Tereshchenko in overtime. The three stars went to Mozyakin, Kovar, and Panarin, while Shipachyov gets an honorable mention.

Finally, Ak Bars Kazan brings in Dinamo Riga. Jeff Deslauriers and Emil Garipov draw the starts. Riga opened in the first period on a Gints Meija penalty shot goal after he was hooked by Evgeny Medvedev. Kazan tied it on a Vladimir Tkachyov goal, passed from Justin Azevedo and Ilya Nikulin. Dinamo took the lead back in the second period with a Lauris Darzins goal, coming off of Charles Genoway. Ak Bars tied it on a Nikulin power play goal, powered by Oscar Moller. Kazan took the lead with an Artyom Lukoyanov shorthanded goal, set up by Tkachyov and Yakov Rylov. This made it 3-2, the eventual final, with the three stars being Nikulin, Tkachyov, and Lukoyanov.

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NHL December 8th, 2014

Three games on today, beginning in...

Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Cam Ward are set to start in goal. Carolina got going in the second period with a Justin Faulk goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Andrej Nestrasil and Ron Hainsey. New Jersey tied it on a Jaromir Jagr goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Scott Gomez. The Devils took the lead as Adam Henrique scored his eighth of the campaign, a power play goal powered by Jagr and Gomez. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Jagr, Schneider (39 for 40 in saves), and Gomez.

Up in New York, the Rangers welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. Pittsburgh led off in the first period on a Nick Spaling goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Sidney Crosby and Steve Downie. New York tied it in the second period on a J.T. Miller goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Martin St. Louis and Dominic Moore. The Rangers took the lead on a Rick Nash goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Mats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard. New York added on in the third period with an unassisted Kevin Hayes goal, his fourth of the year. The Penguins got one back on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Brandon Sutter and Blake Comeau. Pittsburgh tied it on a Downie goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Spaling and Rob Scuderi. The Rangers won 4-3 in overtime with a Kevin Klein goal, his sixth of the campaign, with helpers provided by Ryan McDonagh and Dominic Moore. The three stars went to Spaling, Downie, and Dominic Moore.

The last game has the St. Louis Blues bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Martin Brodeur are the veteran starters. St. Louis began in the first period on a Maxim Lapierre goal, his second of the season, guided in by Chris Porter and Ryan Reaves. The Blues added on with an Ian Cole goal, his third of the year, made possible by Jori Lehtera and Vladimir Tarasenko. Florida got on the board in the second period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Tomas Fleischmann and Erik Gudbranson. The Panthers tied it in the third period on an Aaron Ekblad goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Jussi Jokinen and Brian Campbell. St. Louis retook the lead on a Porter goal, coming off of Barret Jackman. The Blues iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Paul Stastny, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Jaden Schwartz. The three stars were awarded to Porter, Brodeur (32 for 34 in saves), and Cole.

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KHL December 8th, 2014

Eight games on today, beginning in...

Khabarovsk, as Amur hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Alexei Murygin are in goal. Nizhnekamsk got going in the third period on an unassisted Yegor Milovzorov power play goal. Neftekhimik added on with an unassisted Igor Makarov empty net goal. This made it 2-0, with the three stars going to Sudnitsin (30 save shutout), Milovzorov, and Murygin (28 for 29 in saves).

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Ivan Nalimov draw the starts in goal. Vladivostok began in the first period with an Oleg Li goal, assisted by Alexander Gorshkov. Admiral added on with a Niclas Bergfors power play goal in the second period, powered by Shaun Heshka. Vladivostok extended the lead as Richard Gynge scored, thanks to Bergfors and Ilya Zubov. This produced the 3-0 final, with the three stars given to Bergfors, Nalimov (24 save shutout), and Li.

Over in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Stepan Goryachevskikh and Rafael Khakimov are the little-known goalies. Khanty-Mansiysk dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Nikita Gusev goal, made possible by Andrei Sergeyev and Artyom Bulyansky. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Goryachevskikh (29 save shutout), Gusev, and Khakimov (25 for 26 in saves).

Staying close by, Sibir Novosibirsk brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Nikita Bespalov are in the blue paint. Chelyabinsk led off in the third period with a Deron Quint goal, via Ilya Davydov and Andrei Popov. This held up for a 1-0 win, with the three stars being Garnett (35 save shutout), Quint, and Bespalov (22 for 23 in saves).

Out west, Severstal Cherepovets hosts the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Jakub Stepanek protect the nets. Cherepovets opened in the first period with a power play goal by Andrei Shefer, powered by Pavel Lukin and Marek Kvapil. Severstal added on in the second period with a Shefer goal, courtesy of Andreas Thuresson. Sochi got on the board in the third period with a power play goal by Andre Petersson, assisted by Clay Wilson and Cory Emmerton. The Leopards tied it with a Emmerton goal, with a lone assist by Petersson. In the shootout, Sochi won 3-2 with goals by Emmerton and Andrei Kostitsyn. The three stars went to Shefer, Emmerton, and Petersson.

Further west to Minsk, where Dinamo welcomes Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Vladimir Sokhatsky and Danny Taylor are in the creases. Minsk struck first in the first period on a Nick Bailen goal, fueled by Charles Linglet and Matt Ellison. Dinamo added on in the second period with a Linglet goal, courtesy of Evgeny Nogachyov and Ellison. Minsk extended the lead as Ellison scored, with the help of Ryan Vesce and Linglet. Dinamo padded the lead with an unassisted power play goal by Alexander Materukhin in the third period. The three stars of the 4-0 game went to Ellison, Linglet, and Taylor (16 save shutout).

In Croatia, Medvescak Zagreb hosts Barys Astana. Alexei Ivanov and Calvin Heeter are given the green light to start in goal. Astana was first to score in the first period with a Nigel Dawes goal, made possible by Dustin Boyd and Mike Lundin. Barys added on with a Dawes goal, his second of the game, via Lundin on the power play. Zagreb got on the board with an Edwin Hedberg goal, passed from Sasa Martinovic and James Wright. Medvescak tied it on a second period power play goal by Pascal Pelletier, powered by Martin St. Pierre and Brock Trotter. Astana took the lead back in the third period with Dawes completing his hat trick, with a lone assist by Boyd. Zagreb retied it with a Pelletier goal, his second of the game, guided in by St. Pierre and Geoffrey Kinrade. Barys shot back on a Brandon Bochenski goal, with assists provided by Lundin, who got a sock trick, and Kevin Dallman. Astana iced it at 5-3 with a Bochenski empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Dawes, Pelletier, and Lundin, while Boyd, Bochenski, and St. Pierre get the honorable mentions.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava brings in Avangard Omsk. Konstantin Barulin and Jaroslav Janus tend the twines. Omsk started in the first period with a Denis Kulyash goal, courtesy of Chad Kolarik. Avangard added on with a Sergei Kalinin power play goal, powered by Denis Parshin. Omsk extended the lead with a Parshin goal, assisted by Vladimir Sobotka. Bratislava got on the board in the second period with a Rok Ticar goal, passed from Michal Sersen. Avangard answered in the third period on an Alexander Perezhogin goal, coming off of Erik Gustafsson and Kolarik. Slovan pulled back with a Tomas Netik goal, guided in by Ticar and Ziga Jeglic. Omsk countered with an unassisted Perezhogin goal. Bratislava took one back with a Matt Murley goal, fueled by Michal Vondrka and Milan Bartovic. This only made it 5-3, with the three stars going to Perezhogin, Parshin, and Ticar, while Kolarik gets an honorable mention.

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