NHL December 14th, 2014

Three games today, beginning in the afternoon with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and James Reimer are the goalies. Toronto struck first in the first period on a Mike Santorelli goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Daniel Winnik and Korbinian Holzer. The Maple Leafs added on with a Cody Franson goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Nazem Kadri and Santorelli. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Justin Williams goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Kyle Clifford and Alec Martinez. The Kings tied it on a Dwight King goal, his third of the year, assisted by Robyn Regehr and Martinez. Los Angeles took the lead on a Marian Gaborik third period goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Williams and Jarret Stoll. Toronto tied it as James van Riemsdyk scored his thirteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Franson and Phil Kessel. The tie lasted to a  shootout, where Joffrey Lupul's lone tally led the Maple Leafs to a 4-3 victory. The three stars went to Santorelli, Franson, and Williams, while Martinez gets an honorable mention.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Antti Raanta are set to start in goal. Calgary got going in the second period on a Jiri Hudler goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and T.J. Brodie. Chicago tied it on a Patrick Sharp goal, his fourth of the year, a power play goal powered by Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks took the lead in the third period on a Brandon Saad goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Toews and Niklas Hjalmarsson. This produced the 2-1 final, with the three stars going to Raanta (23 for 24 in saves), Toews, and Saad.

Finally, in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Ben Scrivens are in the blue paint. New York was first to score in the first period on a Dan Girardi goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by Rick Nash and Mats Zuccarello. The Rangers iced it at 2-0 with an empty net goal by Carl Hagelin, his sixth of the year, set up by Dominic Moore. The three stars went to Lundqvist (16 save shutout), Girardi, and Hagelin.

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KHL December 14th, 2014

Due to my United States, West Coast location, today's ten games of action actually started with two games yesterday for me, with the first game in...

Khabarovsk, as Amur hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Stepan Goryachevskikh and Alexei Murygin are in the blue paint. Khabarovsk opened in the first period on an Evgeny Orlov goal, guided in by Alexander Yunkov and Anton Krysanov. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it in the second period on an unassisted Ilari Melart goal. Yugra took the lead with a Melart power play goal, his second of the game, powered by Lukas Kaspar. Khanty-Mansiysk added on in the third period with an Ivan Yatsenko goal, assisted by Pavel Valentenko and Igor Bortnikov. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Melart, Goryachevskikh (21 for 22 in saves), and Yatsenko.

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Ivan Nalimov draw the starts in goal. Chelyabinsk started in the first period as Jan Bulis scored, with the help of Konstantin Panov. Vladivostok tied it on an Andrei Sigaryov goal, fueled by Richard Gynge and Niclas Bergfors. Traktor retook the lead as Panov scored a power play goal, powered by Stanislav Chistov and Deron Quint. Admiral tied it again on a Konstantin Makarov goal, courtesy of Jan Kolar and Enver Lisin. Vladivostok pulled ahead on an Alexander Gorshkov goal, assisted by Fyodor Belyakov. Chelyabinsk retied it in the third period as Martin Ruzicka scored, thanks to Vyacheslav Osnovin and Igor Velichkin. Admiral won 4-3 with Gynge and Bergfors tallies. The three stars went to Panov, Bergfors, and Gynge.

West to Novokuznetsk, where Metallurg brings in Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Rafael Khakimov are in the creases. Novokuznetsk began in the first period on a Ryan Stoa goal, courtesy of Dmitry Maltsev and Alexander Romanov. Nizhnekamsk tied it on an unassisted goal by Evgeny Ryasensky. Metallurg retook the lead in the second period on a Nikolai Skladnichenko power play goal, powered by Kirill Gavrilychev. Neftekhimik tied it on a third period Tim Stapleton goal, passed from Teemu Eronen. In the shootout, Novokuznetsk got goals from Konstantin Turukin and Ansel Galimov to top a lone tally by Igor Makarov of Nizhnekamsk for a 3-2 win. The three stars were Stoa, Skladnichenko, and Khakimov (35 for 37 in saves).

Continuing to Novosibirsk, Sibir hosts Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Alexander Salak are the former teammates in goal. Novosibirsk led off in the first period on a Jonas Enlund goal, coming off of Jarno Koskiranta and Dmitry Kugryshev. Sibir added on with a Dmitry Monya goal, assisted by Patrik Hersley and David Ullstrom. Novosibirsk extended the lead with a second period power play goal by Hersley, powered by Kugryshev and Enlund. Togliatti got on the board with a Denis Barantsev power play goal, via Yury Petrov and Alexander Chernikov. Lada pulled closer on another Barantsev power play goal, going in unassisted. Sibir shot back in the third period as Koskiranta scored a power play goal, thanks to Hersley and Kugryshev, the latter getting a sock trick. Togliatti took one back on a Dmitry Ogurtsov goal, fueled by Alexander Streltsov and Vasily Streltsov. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Koskiranta, Hersley, and Kugryshev, while Enlund and Barantsev get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Sochi Leopards welcome Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Vitaly Kolesnik and Tomas Popperle are between the pipes. Yaroslavl struck first in the first period on a Geoff Platt goal, guided in by Ilya Lyubushkin and Ilya Gorokhov. Lokomotiv added on in the second period on a Gorokhov goal, made possible by Martin Thornberg and Sergei Konkov. Yaroslavl extended the lead as Sergei Plotnikov scored, thanks to Jonas Holos and Yegor Averin. Andrei Gavrilov replaced Popperle in goal. Lokomotiv padded the lead on a Konkov goal, passed from Thornberg and Lyubushkin. Yaroslavl kept going with an Averin goal, with a lone assist by Plotnikov. Lokomotiv continued with a Kirill Kapustin goal, fueled by Emil Galimov. Yaroslavl struck again as Averin put away a power play goal, powered by Staffan Kronwall. Sochi got on the board with an Alexander Shcherbina goal, with assists provided by Timofei Shishkanov and Mikhail Anisin. Popperle returned to the crease in the third period. The Leopards pulled closer in the third period on a Cory Emmerton goal, coming off of Ilya Krikunov and Ryan Whitney. Lokomotiv shot back as Andrei Loktionov scored, with a lone helper from Yegor Yakovlev on the power play. Yaroslavl wrapped it up at 9-2 on a Kapustin goal, his second of the game, set up by Kronwall. The three stars went to Kapustin, Averin, and Gorokhov, while Lyubushkin, Thornberg, Plotnikov, Konkov, and Kronwall all get honorable mentions.

Leaving Russia, Dinamo Minsk brings in Barys Astana. Jan Laco and Danny Taylor are given the starting nods. Minsk was first to score with a first period goal by Jonathan Cheechoo, a power play goal powered by Charles Linglet and Ryan Vesce. Dinamo added on with a Linglet goal, made possible by Nick Bailen and Matt Ellison. Astana got on the board in the second period with a Konstantin Rudenko power play goal, via Mike Lundin and Nikolai Antropov. Barys tied it in the third period as Dmitry Upper scored, thanks to Oskars Bartulis and Talgat Zhailauov. Minsk took the lead back on an Ellison goal, with a lone assist by Linglet. Dinamo extended the lead on another Cheechoo power play goal, assisted by Bailen and Vesce. Minsk padded the lead with an Alexei Kalyuzhny goal, guided in by Paul Szczechura and Cheechoo. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars belonging to Cheechoo, Linglet, and Ellison, while Vesce and Bailen get honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Mytishchi, where Atlant hosts Avangard Omsk. Konstantin Barulin and Atte Engren protect the nets. Mytishchi opened in the first period on an Igor Levitsky goal, passed from Matthew Gilroy and Vyacheslav Kozlov. Atlant added on with an Andreas Engqvist goal, fueled by Ondrej Nemec and Vitaly Novopashin. Mytishchi extended the lead in the second period with a Nikita Soshnikov goal, via Vsevolod Sorokin and Gilroy. Omsk got on the board with a third period goal by Roman Berdnikov, courtesy of Artyom Volkov and Artur Lauta. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Engren (41 for 42 in saves), Gilroy, and Engqvist.

Into Moscow, where CSKA brings in cross-city rivals Dynamo. Alexander Lazushin is mismatched with Stanislav Galimov in goal. Dynamo started in the first period on a Maxim Karpov goal, with a lone assist by Konstantin Volkov. Dynamo added on in the third period as Karpov scored again, thanks to Martins Karsums and Volkov. CSKA got on the board with a Damir Zhafyarov goal, passed from Simon Hjalmarsson and Jan Mursak. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Karpov, Lazushin (24 for 25 in saves), and Volkov.

Further east, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Mikhail Biryukov are set to start in goal. Nizhny Novgorod led off in the first period on a Sakari Salminen power play goal, powered by Jarkko Immonen and Artyom Blazhiyevsky. Torpedo added on with a Vladimir Galuzin goal, assisted by Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev and Alexei Pepelyaev. Ivan Lisutin relieved Sateri in goal. Nizhny Novgorod extended the lead as Kirill Knyazev scored, thanks to Blazhiyevsky and Alexei Potapov. Torpedo padded the lead on a Krasnoslobodtsev goal, fueled by Nikita Filatov. Podolsk got one back on a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, coming off of Anton Korolyov. Nizhny Novgorod answered in the third period with a Knyazev goal, going in unassisted. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Knyazev, Krasnoslobodtsev, and Blazhiyevsky.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Vladimir Sokhatsky and Mark Owuya are the goalies. Ufa began in the first period with an Evgeny Skachkov goal, coming off of Kirill Koltsov and Andrei Zubarev. Salavat Yulaev added on in the second period with a Yegor Dubrovsky goal, made possible by Denis Khlystov and Stanislav Golovanov. Zagreb got on the board with a James Wright goal, via Ville Leino. Ufa iced it at 3-1 in the third period on a Zubarev power play goal, powered by Antti Pihlstrom. The three stars went to Zubarev, Sokhatsky (31 for 32 in saves), and Dubrovsky.

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NHL December 13th, 2014

Thirteen games on for a remarkably busy day, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Ottawa Senators in the first of two matinees. Robin Lehner and Tuukka Rask will play goal. Boston struck first in the first period on a Craig Cunningham shorthanded goal, set up by Zdeno Chara. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Mike Hoffman. The Bruins retook the lead as Loui Eriksson scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Kevan Miller and Carl Soderberg. The Senators tied it again in the third period on a David Legwand power play goal, his sixth of the campaign, powered by Mark Stone and Kyle Turris. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Zibanejad and Bobby Ryan scored to top a lone tally by Brad Marchand for a 3-2 Ottawa win. The three stars went to Zibanejad, Lehner (29 for 31 in saves), and Rask (29 for 31 in saves).

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Steve Mason are the goalies. Philadelphia began in the first period on a Sean Couturier goal, his seventh of the season, via R.J. Umberger and Matt Read. The Flyers added on as Wayne Simmonds scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Brayden Schenn and Scott Laughton. Carolina got on the board in the second period with an Eric Staal power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Jeff Skinner and John-Michael Liles. Philadelphia answered with a Jakub Voracek power play goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Simmonds and Claude Giroux. The Flyers extended the lead on a Laughton goal, guided in by Schenn and Braydon Coburn. Philadelphia padded the lead as Michael Raffl netted his eighth of the campaign, with the help of Giroux and Voracek. This produced the eventual 5-1 final, with the three stars going to Simmonds, Laughton, and Voracek, while Schenn and Giroux get the honorable mentions.

At the normal time, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Florida Panthers. Al Montoya and Jhonas Enroth are the little-known goalies. Buffalo was first to score in the first period on a Cody Hodgson goal, his second of the season, assisted by Patrick Kaleta and Nikita Zadorov. The Sabres added on with a Marcus Foligno goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Nicolas Deslauriers and Drew Stafford. Florida got on the board in the second period as Sean Bergenheim scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Brad Boyes. The Panthers tied it on a Jimmy Hayes goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Bergenheim and Dmitry Kulikov. Florida pulled ahead in the third period on a Jussi Jokinen goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Dave Bolland. Buffalo tied it again with a Brian Gionta goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Tyler Myers and Andre Benoit. The Sabres won 4-3 in overtime on a Zadorov goal, with assists provided by Tyler Ennis and Zemgus Girgensons. The three stars went to Zadorov, Bergenheim, and Gionta.

Down on Long Island, the New York Islanders host the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling is mismatched with Jaroslav Halak in goal. Chicago got going in the second period with a Daniel Carcillo goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Johnny Oduya and Niklas Hjalmarsson. New York tied it six seconds later on an unassisted Cal Clutterbuck goal, his fourth of the year. The Blackhawks took the lead in the third period with a Patrick Kane goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Brandon Saad. The Islanders retied it on a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by John Tavares and Nick Leddy. New York took the lead on a Lubomir Visnovsky goal, his second of the season, via Ryan Strome and Matt Martin. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Visnovsky, Clutterbuck, and Okposo.

North to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Jonathan Bernier draw the starts. Detroit opened in the first period on a Niklas Kronwall power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Johan Franzen and Gustav Nyquist. Toronto tied it on a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period on a Richard Panik goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Korbinian Holzer. Toronto added on in the third period as Morgan Rielly scored his fourth of the year, via Daniel Winnik. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-1 with a Nazem Kadri empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Winnik and Mike Santorelli. The three stars went to Bernier (27 for 28 in saves), Winnik, and Panik.

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Braden Holtby are the young goalies. Washington dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his sixth of the season, via Tom Wilson and Nate Schmidt. The Capitals added on as Backstrom scored his second of the game and seventh of the year, with the help of Alex Ovechkin and Wilson. Washington extended the lead in the third period on Backstrom's eighth of the season, a natural hat trick clinching goal set up by Ovechkin. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Tyler Johnson goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Matthew Carle and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning pulled closer on a Carle goal, his third of the season, coming off of Steven Stamkos and Jason Garrison. The Capitals finished it at 4-2 with an empty net goal from Eric Fehr, his sixth of the year, with a lone assist by John Carlson. The three stars were given to Backstrom, Ovechkin, and Wilson, while Carle gets an honorable mention.

Into Canada again, where the Winnipeg Jets host the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Michael Hutchinson protect the nets. Winnipeg led off in the first period on a Bryan Little power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Mathieu Perreault and Dustin Byfuglien. Anaheim tied it in the second period on a Jakob Silfverberg power play goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell. The Ducks took the lead with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Patrick Maroon and Tim Jackman. Anaheim added on with a shorthanded Nate Thompson goal, his third of the year, set up by Getzlaf. The Ducks iced it at 4-1 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Andrew Cogliano, his fourth of the campaign, coming off of Ben Lovejoy. The three stars belonged to Getzlaf, Thompson, and Andersen (27 for 28 in saves).

South to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Thomas Greiss and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the creases. Columbus started in the first period on a Nick Foligno power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Boone Jenner and David Savard. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period on a Blake Comeau goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Paul Martin and Rob Klinkhammer. The Penguins gained the lead in the third period on a Kris Letang shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Craig Adams and Marcel Goc. The Blue Jackets retied it on a Jenner penalty shot goal, his sixth of the year, after he was held by Simon Despres. Columbus took the lead on a Jack Johnson goal, his second of the season, via Brandon Dubinsky and Savard. Pittsburgh tied it on another Letang goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, passed from Christian Ehrhoff and Evgeni Malkin. In the shootout, the Blue Jackets got goals from Cam Atkinson and Ryan Johansen to top a Letang tally for a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Letang, Jenner, and Savard.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Devan Dubnyk receive the starting nods. Minnesota began in the first period on a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Ryan Suter and Thomas Vanek. Arizona tied it on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Mikkel Boedker and Antoine Vermette. The Coyotes took the lead in the second period on a Vermette goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Ekman-Larsson and Boedker. The Wild tied it on a Jason Zucker goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Jason Pominville and Mikko Koivu. Arizona took the lead back with a Lauri Korpikoski goal, his third of the season, made possible by Kyle Chipchura. Minnesota retied it on a third period Zach Parise power play goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Pominville and Suter. In the shootout, the Wild won 4-3 with tallies from Parise and Koivu to top a Vermette goal for the Coyotes. The three stars went to Parise, Vermette, and Ekman-Larsson,while Suter, Boedker, Pominville, and Koivu get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Dallas Stars host the New Jersey Devils. Kari Lehtonen and Cory Schneider guard the cages. Dallas opened in the first period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Erik Cole and Jason Spezza. The Stars added on with a Spezza goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Seguin and Antoine Roussel. New Jersey got on the board in the second period with a Jon Merrill power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Adam Henrique and Marek Zidlicky. The Devils tied it on an Eric Gelinas goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Jacob Josefson and Steve Bernier. Dallas took the lead back with a Trevor Daley goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Roussel and Ales Hemsky. The Stars extended the lead as Shawn Horcoff scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Vernon Fiddler and Colton Sceviour. Keith Kinkaid replaced Schneider in the third period. New Jersey got one back in the third period on a Scott Gomez goal, passed from Henrique and Jaromir Jagr. This produced the 4-3 final, with the three stars given to Seguin, Spezza, and Roussel, while Henrique gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Colorado, where the Avalanches welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Calvin Pickard man the nets. Colorado started in the first period on an Erik Johnson power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Nick Holden and Gabriel Landeskog. St. Louis tied it on a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his fourth of the year, coming on the power play from Vladimir Tarasenko and Jori Lehtera. The Blues took the lead in the second period on a David Backes goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Alex Pietrangelo. The Avalanche tied it on another Johnson goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, via Nathan MacKinnon and Landeskog. St. Louis won 3-2 in overtime on a T.J. Oshie goal, his fifth of the campaign, assisted by Barret Jackman and Shattenkirk. The three stars went to Johnson, Shattenkirk, and Landeskog.

Into Canada again, as the Vancouver Canucks bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Ryan Miller tend the twines. New York led off in the first period with a Ryan McDonagh goal, assisted by Jesper Fast and Dominic Moore. The Rangers added on as J.T. Miller scored his third of the season, with the help of Derek Stepan and Martin St. Louis. New York extended the lead with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Rick Nash and Derick Brassard. The Rangers padded the lead in the second period on a Marc Staal goal, via Kevin Hayes and Lee Stempniak. New York continued with another Zuccarello goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, guided in by Brassard and Nash. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Nick Bonino goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Jannik Hansen and Alexandre Burrows. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Zuccarello, Brassard, and Nash.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Antti Niemi are the Finnish goalies. San Jose struck first in the first period on a Tomas Hertl goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on in the third period with an empty net goal by Thornton, his eighth of the year, set up by Logan Couture and Tommy Wingels. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars going to Niemi (29 save shutout), Thornton, and Hertl.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL December 13th, 2014

Three games today, beginning with...

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg hosting Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Jakub Kovar are the reliable goalies. Riga struck first in the first period on a Charles Genoway goal, assisted by Mikelis Redlihs. Dinamo added on as Miks Indrasis scored a power play goal in the third period, powered by Genoway and Marcel Hossa. Riga iced it at 3-0 with an empty net goal by Lauris Darzins, set up by Redlihs. The three stars went to Sedlacek (26 save shutout), Genoway, and Redlihs.

Down in Magnitogorsk, Metallurg welcomes Jokerit Helsinki. Henrik Karlsson and Vasily Koshechkin are in the blue paint. Helsinki was first to score in the first period on a Linus Omark goal, via Steve Moses on the power play. Jokerit added on with a Ville Lajunen power play goal, powered by Moses. Magnitogorsk got on the board in the second period with a Jan Kovar power play goal, assisted by Chris Lee and Danis Zaripov. Metallurg tied it with an Oskar Osala goal, fueled by Evgeny Timkin. Helsinki took the lead back with a Moses goal, coming off of Atte Ohtamaa. Magnitogorsk tied it again with a Lee power play goal, with a lone assist from Kovar. Jokerit regained the lead on another Moses goal in the third period, set up by Petr Koukal. This held up for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Moses, Kovar, and Lee.

Finally, Ak Bars Kazan brings in SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Anders Nilsson are the masked men. Kazan led off in the first period with an Ilya Nikulin goal, via Dmitry Obukhov. Ak Bars added on with an Alexander Burmistrov goal in the second period, courtesy of Oscar Moller and Kirill Petrov. Kazan extended the lead on a Nikulin power play goal in the third period, powered by Justin Azevedo and Moller. St. Petersburg got on the board with an Anton Burdasov goal, fueled by Alexei Ponikarovsky and Ilya Kablukov. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Nikulin, Nilsson (25 for 26 in saves), and Moller.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL December 12th, 2014

Four games this evening, with the first in...

Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Marc-Andre Fleury are the veteran goalies. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period on a Blake Comeau goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Evgeni Malkin and Robert Bortuzzo. The Penguins added on with a Kris Letang goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Simon Despres and Nick Spaling. Calgary got on the board with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Markus Granlund and Jiri Hudler. Pittsburgh replied in the third period on a Rob Klinkhammer goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Steve Downie and Malkin. This led to a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Malkin, Fleury (26 for 27 in saves), and Letang.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. Detroit was first to score in the first period on a Riley Sheahan goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Tatar on the power play. Florida tied it on a Tomas Fleischmann goal, his third of the year, via Dave Bolland and Sean Bergenheim. The Panthers took the lead with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his third of the season, passed from Nick Bjugstad. The Red Wings tied it on a power play goal by Gustav Nyquist, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Henrik Zetterberg. The tie lasted to a shootout, where the Panthers won 3-2 with Vincent Trocheck and Brandon Pirri supplying the tallies. The three stars went to Luongo (29 for 31 in saves), Huberdeau, and Fleischmann.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens brings in the Los Angeles Kings. Martin Jones is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Montreal led off in the first period with a power play goal by Jiri Sekac, his fifth of the season, powered by P.K. Subban and Tomas Plekanec. The Canadiens added on in the second period on an Andrei Markov goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Sergei Gonchar and David Desharnais. Montreal extended the lead as Subban scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Dale Weise and Manny Malhotra. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period on a Jake Muzzin goal, his second of the year, fueled by Drew Doughty and Tyler Toffoli. The Canadiens shot back on a Desharnais goal, his third of the season, assisted by P.A. Parenteau and Brandon Prust. The Kings answered with a Doughty goal, his third of the year, coming off of Toffoli and Mike Richards. Montreal countered with a Sven Andrighetto goal, his second of the season via Michael Bournival and Alexei Emelin. The Canadiens finished it at 6-2 with a Sekac goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Markov and Subban. The three stars went to Sekac, Markov, and Subban, while Desharnais, Doughty, and Toffoli get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Viktor Fasth are the former teammates in goal. Anaheim began in the first period with a Sami Vatanen power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Rene Bourque. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Vatanen and Ryan Kesler. Anaheim chased Fasth on a Getzlaf goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Bourque and Ben Lovejoy. Ben Scrivens came on in relief. Edmonton got on the board as Tyler Pitlick scored, thanks to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers pulled closer in the third period with a Jeff Petry power play goal, his third of the year, coming off of Taylor Hall and Teddy Purcell. The Ducks replied with an empty net goal by Nate Thompson, his second of the campaign, set up by Jakob Silfverberg and Cam Fowler. The three stars went to 4-2, with the three stars being Vatanen, Getzlaf, and Bourque.

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KHL December 12th, 2014

Ten games on for today, beginning in...

Khabarovsk, with Amur hosting Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Alexei Murygin are in the creases. Chelyabinsk began with a first period power play goal by Andrei Popov, powered by Dmitry Pestunov and Anton Glinkin. Traktor added on with a Popov goal, with a lone assist by Glinkin. Chelyabinsk extended the lead as Vitaly Atyushov scored a power play goal, thanks to Glinkin, who got a sock trick, and Maxim Kondratyev. Khabarovsk got on the board in the second period with a Denis Yezhov goal, assisted by Dmitry Tarasov and Michel Miklik on the power play. Traktor shot back in the third period with a Jan Bulis power play goal, coming off of Deron Quint. Amur pulled back on a Mikhail Fisenko goal, guided in by Yezhov and Miklik. The final was 4-2, and the three stars went to Popov, Glinkin, and Yezhov, while Miklik gets an honorable mention.

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Barry Brust and Ilya Proskuryakov are the masked men. Khanty-Mansiysk opened in the first period on a Denis Gorbunov goal, passed from Alexander Korolyuk and Igor Bortnikov. Vladivostok tied it on a Richard Gynge goal, going in unassisted. Yugra took the lead back as Nikita Gusev scored, thanks to the goalie Brust in the second period. This made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Brust (27 for 28 in saves), Gusev, and Gorbunov.

Over in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg brings in Lada Togliatti. Jeff Glass and Nikita Lozhkin are the backups in goal. Novokuznetsk started in the first period on a Denis Kurepanov goal, going in unassisted. Metallurg added on with an Alexander Romanov power play goal, powered by Ryan Stoa. Togliatti got on the board with a Fedor Fedorov goal, guided in by Denis Golubev. Lada tied it in the second period with a Fedorov goal, passed from Karol Sloboda. Togliatti took the lead as Stanislav Bocharov scored, with the help of Dmitry Vorobyov. Rafael Khakimov replaced Lozhkin in goal. Novokuznetsk tied it with an Anton Kapotov power play goal, with a lone assist by Ansel Galimov. Metallurg gained the lead with an Alexei Kosourov goal, coming off of Kurepanov and Mark Skutar. Novokuznetsk finished it at 5-3 in the third period on an empty net goal by Dmitry Maltsev, courtesy of Romanov and Stoa. The three stars went to Kurepanov, Romanov, and Fedorov, while Stoa gets an honorable mention.

Nearby, Sibir Novosibirsk hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Alexander Salak guard the cages. Nizhnekamsk led off in the first period with an Evgeny Ryasensky goal, courtesy of Andrei Ivanov. Neftekhimik added on with an Igor Polygalov goal, passed from Yegor Milovzorov on the power play. Novosibirsk got on the board with a Jonas Enlund goal, coming off of Dmitry Kugryshev and Jarno Koskiranta. Sibir tied it as Sergei Shumakov scored, with the help of Stepan Sannikov. Novosibirsk took the lead with a power play goal by David Ullstrom, powered by Dmitry Monya and Vitaly Menshikov. Sibir extended the lead with an Enlund goal, assisted by Kugryshev and Vyacheslav Belov. Novosibirsk padded the lead with an Ullstrom goal, made possible by Monya and Alexander Kopeikin. Sibir continued in the third period on a Patrik Hersley goal, fueled by Enlund and Koskiranta. Novosibirsk won 7-2 with an unassisted power play goal by Alexei Yefimenko. The three stars belonged to Enlund, Ullstrom, and Koskiranta, while Monya and Kugryshev get the honorable mentions.

Way out in Sochi, the Leopards welcome Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Tomas Popperle are given the starting nods. Moscow struck first in the first period on a Konstantin Volkov goal, fueled by Maxim Karpov and Alexander Osipov. Dynamo added on in the second period with a Denis Mosalyov goal, guided in by Denis Kokarev and Alexei Tsvetkov. Moscow extended the lead on a Martins Karsums goal, with a lone assist by Filip Novak. Sochi got on the board with an Andrei Kostitsyn goal, via Ilya Krikunov and Clay Wilson. Dynamo answered on a Maxim Pestushko goal, coming off of Konstantin Gorovikov. Moscow padded the lead with a Sergei Soin goal, coming off of Konstantin Glazachev and Yury Babenko. Dynamo iced it at 6-1 with a Karsums goal, with a lone helper from Mosalyov. The three stars went to Karsums, Mosalyov, and Yeryomenko (24 for 25 in saves).

Next up, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod bring in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Vitaly Kolesnik and Mikhail Biryukov. Yaroslavl was first to score with a Daniil Apalkov goal, assisted by Sergei Plotnikov and Yegor Averin. Lokomotiv added on with a second period Plotnikov goal, guided in by Averin and Apalkov. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board in the third period with a power play goal by Jarkko Immonen, powered by Sakari Salminen and Wojtek Wolski. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Plotnikov, Apalkov, and Averin.

Out in Minsk, Dinamo hosts Avangard Omsk. Konstantin Barulin and Danny Taylor draw the starts. Omsk opened in the first period on an Artyom Volkov goal, guided in by Tom Wandell. Minsk tied it on a Ryan Vesce goal, with a lone assist by Matt Ellison. Dinamo took the lead on an Alexander Kulakov goal, assisted by Alexander Materukhin and Artur Gavrus. Minsk added on in the second period on a shorthanded goal by Jonathan Cheechoo, set up by Lukas Krajicek. Avangard pulled back on a Denis Parshin goal, made possible by Denis Kulyash. Dinamo answered on a power play goal by Dmitry Meleshko, powered by Krajicek and Alexei Kalyuzhny. Minsk extended the lead with a Krajicek power play goal, via Paul Szczechura and Kalyuzhny. Dinamo iced it at 6-2 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Ellison, coming off of Krajicek. The three stars went to Krajicek, Kalyuzhny, and Ellison.

Back east in Russia, Severstal Cherepovets welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Ivan Lisutin and Jakub Stepanek are in the blue paint. Cherepovets started in the second period on a power play goal by Gennady Stolyarov, powered by Marek Kvapil and Logan Pyett. Podolsk tied it in third period on an Anton Korolyov goal, guided in by Mathias Porseland. Vityaz took the lead with a Roman Horak power play goal, via Yakov Seleznyov. Severstal tied it on a power play goal by Dmitry Kagarlitsky, fueled by Nikolai Stasenko and Yury Trubachyov. Podolsk grabbed the lead back on a Robert Kousal goal, made possible by Igor Golovkov and Horak. Vityaz iced it at 4-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Korolyov. The three stars were given to Horak, Korolyov, and Kousal.

Southwest to Mytishchi, where Atlant brings in Barys Astana. Jan Laco and Atte Engren protect the nets. Mytishchi began in the first period on an Andrei Taratukhin goal, via Matthew Gilroy and Igor Levitsky. Astana tied it on a Roman Starchenko goal, passed from Dmitry Upper. Barys took the lead on a Talgat Zhailauov goal, with a lone assist by Roman Pushkaryov. Atlant tied it on anohter Taratukhin goal, made possible by Vyacheslav Kozlov and Ondrej Nemec. Mytishchi took the lead on a Sergei Shmelyov goal, guided in by Dmitry Korobov. Astana tied it again with a Brandon Bochenski goal, coming off of Dustin Boyd and Maxim Semyonov. Barys took the lead with a Starchenko goal, assisted by Nikolai Antropov and Konstantin Rudenko. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Starchenko, Taratukhin, and Bochenski.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Vladimir Sokhatsky and Jaroslav Janus are the strong goalies. Ufa led off in the first period on an Ilkka Heikkinen goal, with a lone assist by Denis Tolpeko. Bratislava tied it on a second period with a Vaclav Nedorost goal, assisted by Milan Bartovic. Salavat Yulaev took the lead back in the third period, passed from Heikkinen and Teemu Hartikainen. Slovan tied it again with a Martin Stajnoch goal, courtesy of Rok Ticar and Libor Hudacek. In the shootout, Ticar and Tomas Netik scored to give Slovan a 3-2 win over a lone tally by Alexei Kaigorodov. The three stars went to Heikkinen, Tolpeko, and Ticar.

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NHL December 11, 2014

Ten games this evening, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Chicago struck first in the first period on a Klas Dahlbeck goal, fueled by Ben Smith and Marcus Kruger. The Blackhawks added on with a Smith goal, his third of the season, coming off of Dan Carcillo and Kruger. Chicago extended the lead on a third period goal by Patrick Kane, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Kris Versteeg. Boston got on the board with a Reilly Smith goal, his seventh of the season, via Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins pulled closer in the third period with a Torey Krug goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Milan Lucic. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Smith, Kruger, and Darling (32 for 34 in saves).

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo and Jhonas Enroth are in the blue paint. Buffalo got going in the second period on a Matt Moulson goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Tyler Ennis. Calgary tied it on a Mark Giordano power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Dennis Wideman and Jiri Hudler. The Sabres took the lead on a Marcus Foligno goal, his third of the season, guided in by Drew Stafford and Nicolas Deslauriers. The Flames retied it with a David Jones goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Curtis Glencross and Josh Jooris. Calgary gained the lead in the third period on a Sean Monahan goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Joe Colborne. Buffalo tied it again as Zemgus Girgensons scored, his ninth of the year, thanks to Ennis and Josh Gorges. The Sabres gained the lead with a Moulson goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, assisted by Ennis, who got a sock trick, and Girgensons. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars giving to Moulson, Ennis, and Girgensons.

Down in Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Ray Emery draw the starts. Philadelphia was first to score on a shorthanded Sean Couturier goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Matt Read. The Flyers added on with a Read goal, his third of the year, passed from Couturier and Nick Schultz. New Jersey got on the board in the second period with a Martin Havlat power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Scott Gomez and Jaromir Jagr. Philadelphia shot back with a power play goal by Wayne Simmonds, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Mark Streit and Claude Giroux. The Flyers iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Jakub Voracek, his tenth of the campaign, with the help of Giroux and Streit. The three stars went to Couturier, Read, and Streit, while Giroux gets an honorable mention.

Continuing to DC, where the Washington Capitals host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Braden Holtby are in the blue paint. Washington led off with an Eric Fehr goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov on the power play. Columbus tied it with a Nick Foligno goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Brian Gibbons and James Wisniewski. The Capitals took the lead in the third period on a Troy Brouwer goal, his eighth of the season, via Matt Niskanen and Karl Alzner. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Kevin Connauton goal, his second of the year, assisted by James Wisniewski and Cam Atkinson. Columbus won 3-2 in overtime with a Foligno goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, guided in by Jack Johnson and Ryan Johansen on the power play. The three stars belonged to Foligno, and Wisniewski, and Bobrovsky (39 for 41 in saves).

In the other national capital, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Craig Anderson are between the pipes. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Matt Greene goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Jeff Carter. The Kings added on with a Justin Williams goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Jake Muzzin and Drew Doughty. Ottawa got on the board as Bobby Ryan scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Eric Gryba and Jared Cowen. The Senators tied it in the third period on a shorthanded Mark Stone goal, his sixth of the year, set up by David Legwand. Los Angeles took the lead back with an Anze Kopitar goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Doughty and Muzzin on a power play goal. The Kings extended the lead with a Trevor Lewis goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Tyler Toffoli and Muzzin, the latter getting a sock trick. Ottawa got one back with a Cowen goal, his second of the season, helped along by Kyle Turris. Los Angeles wrapped it up at 5-3 with a Tanner Pearson goal, his eleventh of the year, going into the empty net with assists provided by Mike Richards and the goalie Quick. The three stars went to Muzzin, Cowen, and Doughty.

South to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Evgeni Nabokov are the experienced goalies. Tampa Bay opened in the third period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his tenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Anton Stralman and the goalie Nabokov. Carolina tied it on a Justin Faulk goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Riley Nash and Andrej Sekera. The Lightning took the lead back as Kucherov scored his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, thanks to Alex Killorn and Matthew Carle. They held on for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Kucherov, Nabokov (29 for 30 in saves), and Faulk.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Jake Allen are the former teammates in goal. St. Louis began in the first period on an Alexander Steen goal, his sixth of the season, a power play goal powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues added on with a Barret Jackman goal, made possible by Steen and Maxim Lapierre. New York got on the board with a John Tavares goal in the second period, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Kyle Okposo. The Islanders tied it with a Mikhail Grabovski goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Frans Nielsen. St. Louis took the lead on a Steen goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with assists provided by T.J. Oshie and Jackman. The Blues extended the lead on an Oshie goal, his fourth of the season, via Patrik Berglund and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis padded the lead as Paul Stastny scored his seventh of the year, thanks to David Backes and Oshie on the power play. New York got one back with an Okposo goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone helper from Matt Donovan. The Blues finished it at 6-3 with a Jaden Schwartz empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Shattenkirk and Jori Lehtera. The three stars were given to Steen, Oshie, and Jackman, while Shattenkirk and Okposo get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Calvin Pickard are the mediocre goalies. Winnipeg started in the second period with an Andrew Ladd goal, his eleventh of the season, a power play goal powered by Mark Scheifele and Michael Frolik. Colorado tied it on a Matt Duchene goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Jan Hejda and Alex Tanguay. The Jets took the lead with a Paul Postma power play goal, his second of the season, via Scheifele and Adam Lowry. Winnipeg added on in the third period with a Scheifele goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Mathieu Perreault and Frolik. The Avalanche got one back with a Jarome Iginla goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Tanguay and Duchene. Colorado tied it on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Gabriel Landeskog and Zach Redmond. The Avalanche won 4-3 in the shootout with Nathan MacKinnon and Duchene goals. The three stars belonged to Duchene, Scheifele, and Tanguay, while Frolik gets an honorable mention.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. Arizona struck first in the first period on an Antoine Vermette power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Mikkel Boedker and Keith Yandle. Nashville tied it on a Mike Fisher goal, guided in by Shea Weber and Filip Forsberg on the power play. The Predators took the lead on a James Neal goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Fisher and Roman Josi. Nashville added on as Ryan Ellis scored, his third of the season, thanks to Neal and Mike Ribeiro. The Predators extended the lead on a third period goal by Calle Jarnkrok, his second of the year, coming off of Gabriel Bourque and Forsberg. Nashville finished it at 5-1 with an Olli Jokinen goal, his second of the campaign, made possible by Colin Wilson and Weber. The three stars went to Fisher, Neal, and Forsberg, while Weber gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Alex Stalock are given the green light to start in goal. San Jose was first to score in the second period with a Brent Burns power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Justin Braun and Joe Thornton. Minnesota got on the board with a third period Christian Folin goal, going in unassisted. The Sharks took the lead back as Joe Pavelski netted his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Thornton and Brenden Dillon. This produced the 2-1 final, with the three stars given to Thornton, Stalock (18 for 19 in saves), and Pavelski.

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