KHL December 22nd, 2014

As you may have heard, the Russian economy took a drastic downturn this past week. This has trickled down to having a dire impact on the health of the KHL. I'm here to say that I will continue covering the league as long as it operates. With that, three games on today, beginning in...

Helsinki, as Jokerit hosts Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Riku Helenius are in goal. Helsinki began with a first period Steve Moses power play goal, powered by Linus Omark. Riga tied it on a Gunars Skvorcovs goal, with a lone assist by Maris Bicevskis. Jokerit regained the lead with a Moses goal, assisted by Ville Lajunen and Omark. Helsinki added on in the second period on an Omark power goal, helped along by Moses. This produced the 3-1 final, with the three stars going to Moses, Omark, and Helenius (21 for 22 in saves).

Down in Bratislava, Slovan welcomes Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Jaroslav Janus are the masked men. Bratislava opened in the first period on a Ziga Jeglic goal, courtesy of Andrej Stastny and Michal Vondrka. Togliatti tied it on an unassisted Stanislav Romanov power play goal. Lada took the lead in the third period on an Alexander Streltsov goal, made possible by Fedor Fedorov. Slovan tied it as Tomas Netik scored, thanks to Michal Sersen. Lada won 3-2 in the shootout on a Yury Petrov goal. The three stars went to Streltsov, Ezhov (46 for 48 in saves), and Petrov.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ville Kolppanen and Calvin Heeter are in the creases. Zagreb started on a first period goal by Edwin Hedberg, via Mark Popovic and James Wright. Medvescak added on with a Ville Leino power play goal, powered by Mathieu Carle. Zagreb extended the lead in the second period as Eric Beaudoin scored an unassisted goal. Nizhnekamsk got on the board with a Igor Polygalov goal, made possible by Maxim Berezin and Yegor Milovzorov. Medvescak answered with a Mark Flood power play goal, coming off of Pascal Pelletier and Martin St. Pierre. Neftekhimik replied in the third period on an Andrei Ivanov goal, with a lone assist by Milovzorov. Zagreb countered with a Patrick Bjorkstrand goal, with helpers from Hedberg and Shaone Morrisonn. Nizhnekamsk got one back on a Maxim Rybin shorthanded goal, set up by Matt Anderson and Stanislav Kalashnikov. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Hedberg, Milovzorov, and Flood.

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NHL December 21st, 2014

Six games today, beginning in...

Detroit, as the Red Wings host the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Petr Mrazek are the unknown goalies. Detroit dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Pavel Datsyuk power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Riley Sheahan and Henrik Zetterberg. Colorado tied it on an Erik Johnson goal, his eighth of the year, a power play goal coming off of Tyson Barrie and Gabriel Landeskog. In the shootout, Landeskog and Matt Duchene scored for the Avalanche before Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar matched for the Red Wings, and then Jarome Iginla gave the Avalanche a 2-1 shootout win. The three stars went to Pickard (34 for 35 in saves), Iginla, and Mrazek (22 for 23 in saves).

West to Edmonton, as the Oilers welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen faces a lesser foe in Ben Scrivens in goal. Edmonton led off in the first period on a Taylor Hall power play goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Teddy Purcell and Jordan Eberle. Dallas tied it with Shawn Horcoff's fifth of the year, via Jyrki Jokipakka and Colton Sceviour. The Stars took the lead as Erik Cole scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Ales Hemsky and Alex Goligoski. The Oilers retied it in the second period on a Purcell goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Hall. Edmonton took the lead on a Mark Arcobello goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Jeff Petry and Andrew Ference. The Oilers added on with another Arcobello goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Steven Pinizzotto and Matt Hendricks. Edmonton extended the lead with a Hall goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, made possible by Purcell. Dallas shot back with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Jason Spezza and Tyler Seguin. The Stars pulled closer on a Seguin goal in the third period, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by John Klingberg and Goligoski. Dallas tied it on a Seguin goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, with helpers from Benn and Hemsky. Seguin and Eberle cancelled each other out in the shootout, followed by Vernon Fiddler matched by Purcell, and a Horcoff goal to give the Stars a 6-5 win. The three stars belonged to Seguin, Hall, and Arcobello, while Purcell, Eberle, Horcoff, Hemsky, Benn, and Goligoski get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Boston Bruins bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Tuukka Rask are between the pipes. Boston began in the first period on a Dougie Hamilton power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Carl Soderberg and Loui Eriksson. Buffalo tied it on an Andrej Meszaros goal, fueled by Chris Stewart and Johan Larsson. The Sabres took the lead on a Rasmus Ristolainen power play goal, his third of the year, assisted by Tyler Ennis and Zemgus Girgensons. The Bruins retied it with a Chris Kelly goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Zdeno Chara and Hamilton. Buffalo pulled ahead with a Tim Schaller goal in the third period, passed from Nicolas Deslauriers and Brian Flynn. Boston retied it as Hamilton scored his second of the game and seventh of the year, thanks to Patrice Bergeron and Reilly Smith. The Bruins won 4-3 in overtime on an Eriksson goal, his seventh of the campaign, made possible by Milan Lucic and Chara. The three stars went to Hamilton, Eriksson, and Chara.

Westward again, where the Chicago Blackhawks host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Antti Raanta are in the blue paint. Chicago started in the first period on a David Rundblad goal, via Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp. The Blackhawks added on with a Kris Versteeg goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Kane and Sharp. Chicago extended the lead on a third period Kane power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Sharp, who got a sock trick, and Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks finished it at 4-0 with a Jonathan Toews goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, assisted by Seabrook and Duncan Keith. The three stars belonged to Raanta (31 save shutout), Kane, and Sharp, while Seabrook gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to New York, where the Rangers welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Backups Anton Khudobin and Cam Talbot make the starts. New York got going in the first period on a Ryan McDonagh goal, his second of the season, fueled by Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello. This was good for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Talbot (18 save shutout), Khudobin (30 for 31 in saves), and McDonagh.

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Rob Zepp and Ondrej Pavelec are given the green light to play goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period on a Jakub Voracek goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Claude Giroux and Michael Raffl. Winnipeg tied it with an unassisted Matt Halischuk goal. The Jets took the lead on a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Bryan Little. Winnipeg added on in the second period as Mathieu Perreault scored his sixth of the season, with the help of Mark Scheifele and Michael Frolik. The Flyers got one back in the third period on a Mark Streit goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Chris VandeVelde and Vincent Lecavalier. Philadelphia tied it on a Lecavalier goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Flyers won on Voracek's second of the game and fourteenth of the year in overtime, an unassisted goal for a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Voracek, Lecavalier, and Streit.

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NHL December 20th, 2014

Twelve games on today, beginning with a matinee in...

Los Angeles, as the Kings host the Arizona Coyotes. Devan Dubnyk is mismatched with Jonathan Quick in goal. Los Angeles began in the first period on a Jeff Carter goal, his ninth of the season, via Anze Kopitar. Arizona tied it on a Martin Hanzal goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Coyotes took the lead on a Kyle Chipchura goal, his second of the season, fueled by Shane Doan and Keith Yandle. The Kings retied it on a Marian Gaborik power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Kopitar and Jamie McBain. Los Angeles took the lead in the third period on an Alec Martinez power play goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Kopitar, who got a sock trick, and McBain. The Kings finished it at 4-2 with a Trevor Lewis goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Tyler Toffoli and Gaborik. The three stars went to Gaborik, Kopitar, and McBain.

At the normal time, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Jhonas Enroth are in the blue paint. Colorado led off in the first period with an Erik Johnson goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Nathan MacKinnon and Max Talbot. The Avalanche added on with a shorthanded goal by Cody McLeod, his second of the year, set up by Ryan O'Reilly. Colorado extended the lead in the third period on an Alex Tanguay goal, his tenth of the season, via Jarome Iginla and John Mitchell. The Avalanche padded the lead as Mitchell scored his fourth of the year, a power play goal powered by Tanguay and Iginla. Buffalo got on the board with a Johan Larsson goal, passed from Chris Stewart and Andre Benoit. Colorado wrapped it up on a Tanguay empty net goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, courtesy of Iginla, who got a sock trick, and Johnson. The three stars were given to Tanguay, Iginla, and Mitchell, while Johnson gets an honorable mention.

Down to the Carolina Hurricanes bringing in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Cam Ward are the veteran goalies. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Chris Terry goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Nathan Gerbe. New York tied it in the third period as J.T. Miller scored his fourth of the year, a power play goal powered by Mats Zuccarello and Ryan McDonagh. The Hurricanes took the lead back on a Jeff Skinner goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Elias Lindholm and Justin Faulk. The Rangers tied it again as Kevin Klein scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan. New York won 3-2 in the shootout with a Zuccarello tally. The three stars went to Zuccarello, Klein, and Miller.

North to Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Carey Price are between the pipes. Ottawa opened in the first period on an Erik Condra shorthanded goal, his second of the season, set up by David Legwand. Montreal tied it on a Brandon Prust goal, his third of the year, passed from Tom Gilbert and Jiri Sekac. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Alex Galchenyuk and Max Pacioretty. Montreal added on with a Tomas Plekanec power play goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, powered by P.A. Parenteau and Andrei Markov. The Canadiens iced it at 4-1 with a Galchenyuk goal, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Alexei Emelin and Pacioretty. The three stars belonged to Galchenyuk, Price (24 for 25 in saves), and Pacioretty.

Back stateside, the New Jersey Devils welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Cory Schneider are the young goalies. Washington got going in the second period on a Mike Green goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Jack Hillen and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on with a Backstrom goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Jay Beagle and John Carlson. Washington extended the lead in the third period on an unassisted Alex Ovechkin goal, his fifteenth of the season. The Capitals padded the lead on a Backstrom empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Beagle and Carlson. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Holtby (21 save shutout), Backstrom, and Beagle, while Carlson gets an honorable mention.

Out on Long Island, the New York Islanders bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jaroslav Halak are the masked men. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Brett Connolly goal, his sixth of the season, via Tyler Johnson and Mark Barberio. New York tied it with a John Tavares goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey. The Islanders took the lead as Anders Lee netted his seventh of the season, with the help of Travis Hamonic and Brock Nelson. New York iced it at 3-1 with a Nikolay Kulemin empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Cal Clutterbuck. The three stars were given to Halak (20 for 21 in saves), Vasilevskiy (45 for 47 in saves), and Lee.

West a little to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Pittsburgh was first to score in the first period on a Nick Spaling goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Steve Downie and Marcel Goc. The Penguins added on with a Derrick Pouliot goal, coming off of Downie and Spaling. Florida got on the board with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. Pittsburgh answered in the third period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Kris Letang and Simon Despres. This held up for a 3-1 win, and the three stars were Fleury (45 for 46 in saves), Spaling, and Downie.

Crossing into Canada again for the Toronto Maple Leafs welcoming the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Jonathan Bernier made the starts. Toronto started in the first period on a Joffrey Lupul goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Morgan Rielly and Phil Kessel. The Maple Leafs added on with a power play goal by James van Riemsdyk, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Cody Franson and Kessel. Philadelphia got on the board with a R.J. Umberger goal, his third of the season, passed from Sean Couturier and Matt Read. The Flyers tied it as Couturier scored, his eighth of the year, thanks to Read. Toronto took the lead back on a David Clarkson goal, his ninth of the season, via Daniel Winnik and Stephane Robidas. Philadelphia tied it again on a Claude Giroux goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Jakub Voracek and Michael Raffl. The Flyers took the lead in the second period as Nicklas Grossmann potted his third of the season, with the help of Mark Streit and Voracek. Philadelphia extended the lead with another Giroux goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Voracek, who got a sock trick. The Flyers padded the lead in the third period on a Scott Laughton goal, his second of the season, coming off of Voracek and Giroux. Philadelphia kept going with a Raffl goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Wayne Simmonds and Giroux. The Maple Leafs got one back as Peter Holland potted his eighth of the campaign, helped along by Korbinian Holzer and Lupul. This produced the 7-4 final, with the three stars given to Giroux, Voracek, and Raffl, while Couturier, Lupul, Read, and Kessel get the honorable mentions.

South to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Columbus led off in the first period with a Jack Skille goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Ryan Johansen and Fedor Tyutin. Chicago tied it in the second period on a Patrick Sharp goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Michal Rozsival. The Blue Jackets regained the lead as Kevin Connauton scored his third of the season in the third period, with the help of David Savard and Matt Calvert. The Blackhawks tied it on a Ben Smith goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Marcus Kruger and Patrick Kane. In the shootout, Jeremy Morin scored for Columbus against his former team, only to be matched by Andrew Shaw before Jack Johnson lifted the Blue Jackets to a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Bobrovsky (39 for 41 in saves), Connauton, and Skille.

Northwest to Minnesota, where the Wild host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Darcy Kuemper are in the creases. Minnesota struck first in the first period on a Jason Zucker goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Jason Pominville and Mikko Koivu. Nashville tied it on a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his third of the year, passed from Shea Weber and Roman Josi. The Wild took the lead back on a Zach Parise goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Charlie Coyle and Thomas Vanek. The Predators tied it on a Matt Cullen goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Victor Bartley and Mike Fisher. Nashville took the lead as Craig Smith scored his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Mike Ribeiro. Niklas Backstrom came on for Kuemper at the start of the second period. Minnesota tied it again in the second period on a Marco Scandella goal, his seventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Coyle and Parise. The Predators retook the lead in the third period on a Filip Forsberg goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Bartley and Smith. Nashville added on with a Josi power play goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Weber and Cullen. The Wild pulled back on Parise's second of the game and thirteenth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Pominville and Ryan Suter. Minnesota tied it with a Vanek goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Scandella and Suter. The Predators won 6-5 in overtime with a Mattias Ekholm goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were handed to Josi, Cullen, and Parise, while Pominville, Weber, Coyle, Vanek, Bartley, Smith, Scandella, and Suter all get honorable mentions.

Westward to Vancouver, as the Canucks welcome the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Ryan Miller are the goalies with rhyming names. Vancouver opened with an own goal off a Dennis Wideman botched pass, credited as the second of the season for Yannick Weber. The Canucks added on with a Radim Vrbata power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Alexandre Burrows and Daniel Sedin. Calgary got on the board in the second period with a David Jones goal, his sixth of the season, via Kris Russell and Markus Granlund. The Flames tied it in the third period on a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Jiri Hudler and Deryk Engelland. Vancouver won 3-2 in overtime with a Christopher Tanev goal, his second of the campaign, made possible by Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. The three stars went to Daniel Sedin, Tanev, and Hiller (30 for 32 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Antti Niemi receive the starting nods. San Jose got going in the second period on an Andrew Desjardins goal, his second of the season, fueled by Justin Braun and Tye McGinn. St. Louis tied it on a Patrik Berglund goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Alex Pietrangelo and Dmitrij Jaskin. The Blues took the lead on a Steve Ott goal, guided in by Maxim Lapierre and Ian Cole. The Sharks tied it on a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal in the third period, his fourth of the season, via Joe Thornton and Melker Karlsson. San Jose won 3-2 with a Brent Burns power play goal in overtime, his tenth of the year, powered by Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture. The three stars were handed to Burns, Vlasic, and Desjardins.

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NHL December 19th, 2014

Five games on tonight, beginning in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Backups Evgeni Nabokov and Keith Kinkaid are in the creases. New Jersey led off in the first period on an Adam Henrique goal, his ninth of the season, a power play goal powered by Andy Greene and Scott Gomez. The Devils added on with a Patrik Elias goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Martin Havlat and Henrique. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his nineteenth of the season, guided in by Ryan Callahan and Jonathan Drouin. The Lightning tied it on a third period goal by Nikita Kucherov, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Callahan and Jason Garrison. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Elias scored for a 3-2 Devils win. The three stars went to Henrique, Elias, and Callahan.

West to Detroit, as the Red Wings welcome the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. Detroit started in the first period on a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Darren Helm and Tomas Tatar. New York tied it with a Brock Nelson goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Lubomir Visnovsky and Anders Lee. Petr Mrazek came on for Howard in the second period. The Islanders took the lead with a Lee goal in the second period, his sixth of the campaign, made possible by Nelson. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Lee, Nelson, and Halak (17 for 18 in saves).

Crossing into Ontario, as the Ottawa Senators host the Anaheim Ducks. Ilya Bryzgalov and Craig Anderson are the experienced goalies. Ottawa began in the first period with a Milan Michalek power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Erik Karlsson and Mika Zibanejad. The Senators added on as Mark Stone scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Mark Borowiecki and Kyle Turris. Ottawa extended the lead with a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Turris, his seventh of the season. The Senators padded the lead with a Mike Hoffman goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Anaheim got on the board with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Emerson Etem and Ben Lovejoy. The Ducks pulled closer with another Getzlaf goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, guided in by Lovejoy and the goalie Bryzgalov. Ottawa shot back on a Hoffman goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, passed from Bobby Ryan and Karlsson. The Senators iced it at 6-2 with a Zibanejad, his ninth of the year, fueled by Ryan. The three stars belonged to Hoffman, Getzlaf, and Turris, while Zibanejad, Karlsson, Lovejoy, and Ryan get the honorable mentions.

Over in Manitoba, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Michael Hutchinson are between the pipes. Winnipeg opened in the first period on an Evander Kane goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Grant Clitsome and Jay Harrison. Boston tied it on a second period goal by Torey Krug, his sixth of the year, helped along by Chris Kelly and Carl Soderberg. The Jets took the lead back with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his fifth of the campaign, via Dustin Byfuglien and Mark Scheifele. This was all they needed for the 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Hutchinson (30 for 31 in saves), Perreault, and Kane.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Jonas Hiller are the masked men. Dallas got going in the second period on a Jamie Benn goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Tyler Seguin and Cody Eakin. The Stars added on with a Trevor Daley goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Benn and Eakin. Calgary got on the board with a Mark Giordano goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. This was all the scoring, leaving the final at 2-1. The three stars were Benn, Lehtonen (21 for 22 in saves), and Eakin.

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NHL December 18th, 2014

Seven games on tonight, with the first in...

Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Steve Mason are the goalies. Florida began in the first period on a Scottie Upshall goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Tomas Kopecky and Dylan Olsen. Philadelphia tied it in the second period on a Jakub Voracek goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Nicklas Grossmann. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Voracek cancelled out Brandon Pirri only to have Dave Bolland win it 2-1 for the Panthers. The three stars went to Voracek, Luongo (25 for 26 in saves), and Mason (31 for 32 in saves).

Down to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Cam Ward are in the blue paint. Carolina led off in the first period on a Chris Terry goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Eric Staal and Nathan Gerbe. The Hurricanes added on with a Justin Faulk shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Patrick Dwyer and Andrej Sekera. Toronto got on the board in the second period on a Dion Phaneuf goal, his second of the season, via Peter Holland Cody Franson. Carolina shot back in the third period on a Sekera power play goal, powered by Faulk and Gerbe. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-1 on an Elias Lindholm empty net goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Staal and Ron Hainsey. The three stars belonged to Sekera, Faulk, and Gerbe, while Staal gets an honorable mention.

Back in Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Pittsburgh won 1-0 in overtime on a Blake Comeau goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Evgeni Malkin and Rob Scuderi. The three stars were awarded to Fleury (29 save shutout), Pickard (47 for 48 in saves), and Comeau.

West a little to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Sergei Bobrovsky are the young goalies. Washington struck first in the first period on a Joel Ward goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Eric Fehr and Karl Alzner. The Capitals added on with a Jason Chimera goal, his third of the year, via Michael Latta and Brooks Orpik. Columbus got on the board in the second period with a Jack Johnson goal, his third of the season, coming off of Nick Foligno and James Wisniewski on the power play. The Blue Jackets tied it with a power play goal by Foligno, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Kevin Connauton and Ryan Johansen. Columbus gained the lead in the third period on another Foligno goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, assisted by Jeremy Morin and Brian Gibbons. Washington tied it again on an Alzner goal, his second of the year, helped along by Latta and Chimera. The Blue Jackets pulled ahead on a Michael Chaput goal, passed from Jared Boll and Matt Calvert. The Capitals retied it as Troy Brouwer scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Mike Green. Washington won 5-4 with an overtime goal by Fehr, his seventh of the year, with a lone helper by Green. The three stars went to Foligno, Fehr, and Alzner, while Chimera, Latta, and Green get the honorable mentions.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Carey Price protect the nets. Anaheim was first to score in the first period on a Hampus Lindholm goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Ryan Getzlaf. Montreal tied it on a David Desharnais power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Andrei Markov and Alex Galchenyuk. The Ducks retook the lead with a Matt Beleskey goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, guided in by Rickard Rakell and Devante Smith-Pelly. This was good for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Beleskey, Andersen (23 for 24 in saves), and Lindholm.

Southwest to California, where the San Jose Sharks welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Scrivens and Antti Niemi draw the starts. Edmonton opened in the first period on a Boyd Gordon goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by David Perron and Jeff Petry. San Jose tied it in the second period on a James Sheppard goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Barclay Goodrow and Melker Karlsson. The Sharks took the lead as Logan Couture scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Brenden Dillon. The Oilers retied it on a Steven Pinizzotto goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Matt Hendricks and Justin Schultz. Edmonton pulled ahead on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Jordan Eberle and Perron. San Jose tied it with a Matt Tennyson power play goal, powered by Tommy Wingels and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks gained the lead with a Goodrow goal, his second of the year, assisted by Brent Burns and Karlsson. This held up for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Goodrow, Karlsson, and Perron.

Finally, we end with the Los Angeles Kings hosting the St. Louis Blues. Martin Brodeur and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. St. Louis started in the first period on a David Backes power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues added on with a Dmitrij Jaskin goal, his second of the year, fueled by Petteri Lindbohm and Patrik Berglund. St. Louis extended the lead as Kevin Shattenkirk scored his fifth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Alexander Steen and Paul Stastny. Los Angeles got on the board with a Marian Gaborik goal, his eighth of the year, a power play goal coming off of Jeff Carter and Anze Kopitar. The Kings pulled closer in the second period on a Kopitar goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Gaborik and Carter. Los Angeles tied it on a Gaborik power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, with helpers from Drew Doughty and Kopitar. The Blues gained the lead back on a Jori Lehtera goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Vladimir Tarasenko. The Kings tied it in the third period with a Carter goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Kopitar, who got a sock trick. Los Angeles took the lead with a Jake Muzzin power play goal, his third of the season, helped along by Carter, who got a sock trick, and Kopitar. The Kings finished it at 6-4 on a Dwight King goal, his fourth of the year, pushed through by Jarret Stoll. The three stars went to Kopitar, Gaborik, and Carter.

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NHL December 17th, 2014

Three games on tonight, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Cory Schneider protect the nets. Ottawa struck first in the first period on a Kyle Turris goal, his fifth of the season, coming on the power play from Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone. The Senators iced it at 2-0 with a Turris empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, set up by Clarke MacArthur and Mark Borowiecki. The three stars went to Anderson (34 save shutout), Turris, and Schneider (14 for 15 in saves).

West to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Boston Bruins. Niklas Svedberg is mismatched with Niklas Backstrom in goal. Boston was first to score on a Carl Soderberg goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Loui Eriksson and Chris Kelly. Minnesota tied it on a Kyle Brodziak goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Brett Sutter and Erik Haula. The Bruins retook the lead on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his sixth of the season, via Brad Marchand and Zach Trotman. The Wild tied it again in the third period with a Jason Pominville goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Ryan Suter. Boston won 3-2 in overtime with a Eriksson, his sixth of the campaign, thanks to Soderberg and Zdeno Chara. The three stars went to Eriksson, Soderberg, and Svedberg (35 for 37 in saves).

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Eddie Lack make the starts. Dallas got going in the second period on a Colton Sceviour goal, his second of the season, made possible by Shawn Horcoff and Vernon Fiddler. The Stars iced it at 2-0 with an unassisted Antoine Roussel empty net goal, his seventh of the year. The three stars were given to Lehtonen (27 save shutout), Sceviour, and Lack (27 for 28 in saves).

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NHL December 16th, 2014

Eleven games on a busy night tonight, with the first in...

Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Steve Mason receive the starting nods. Philadelphia opened in the first period on a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Mark Streit and Claude Giroux. Tampa Bay tied it on a second period Steven Stamkos goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Jonathan Drouin and Ryan Callahan. The Lightning took the lead as Tyler Johnson netted his tenth of the season, thanks to Callahan and Nikita Kucherov. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-1 on a Valtteri Filppula empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Cedric Paquette and Johnson. The three stars went to Vasilevskiy (23 for 24 in saves), Johnson, and Callahan.

West to Detroit, as the Red Wings welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. The game was scoreless into a shootout, where Ryan Johansen and Boone Jenner scored for Columbus to top Pavel Datsyuk's goal for Detroit and earn the Blue Jackets a 1-0 win. The three stars went to Bobrovsky (30 save shutout), Howard (29 save "shutout"), and Jenner.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Carey Price are in the blue paint. Montreal struck first in the first period on a Brandon Prust goal, his second of the season, via David Desharnais and P.A. Parenteau. The Canadiens added on as Alex Galchenyuk scored his seventh of the year in the second period, thanks to Max Pacioretty and Andrei Markov. Carolina got on the board in the third period on a Victor Rask goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Jeff Skinner and Elias Lindholm. Montreal answered on another Galchenyuk goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, passed from Pacioretty. The Canadiens extended the lead as Galchenyuk completed his hat trick on his ninth of the campaign, assisted by Pacioretty, who got a sock trick, and Brendan Gallagher. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Galchenyuk, Price (25 for 26 in saves), and Pacioretty.

Over in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Jonathan Bernier are the young goalies. Toronto began in the first period with a Tyler Bozak goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of James van Riemsdyk and Phil Kessel. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Joffrey Lupul goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Korbinian Holzer and Peter Holland. Anaheim got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Sami Vatanen, his ninth of the season, set up by Ryan Kesler and Getzlaf. Toronto shot back in the third period with an unassisted David Booth goal. The Maple Leafs extended the lead with a Nazem Kadri goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Daniel Winnik. Ilya Bryzgalov relieved Andersen at this time. The Ducks got one back with a Kesler goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Kyle Palmieri and Matt Beleskey. Toronto answered on a Kessel power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs made it 6-2 on another Kessel goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, helped along by van Riemsdyk and Bozak. This was the final, and the three stars went to Kessel, Bozak, and Kesler, while van Riemsdyk gets an honorable mention.

South to Florida, where the Panthers welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Roberto Luongo are the masked men. Florida led off in the first period on a Derek MacKenzie goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Scottie Upshall. Washington tied it in the second period on a Troy Brouwer power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. In the shootout, Ovechkin and Jussi Jokinen cancelled each other out, followed by Brooks Laich being matched by Jokinen again, Joel Ward trading goals with MacKenzie, John Carlson matching Sean Bergenheim, Brooks Orpik and Dylan Olsen scoring a goal each, and then finally, in the twentieth round, Nick Bjugstad sealed the deal for the Panthers for a 2-1 win. The three stars were given to Ovechkin, MacKenzie, and Jokinen.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick faces a lesser foe in Jake Allen. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Marian Gaborik goal, his sixth of the season, via Justin Williams and Drew Doughty. The Kings added on with another Gaborik goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter. St. Louis got on the board with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Steve Ott and Chris Butler. The Blues tied it in the third period with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Kevin Shattenkirk and Tarasenko on the power play. St. Louis took the lead as Tarasenko netted a power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, thanks to Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester. The Blues extended the lead on an Alexander Steen goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of David Backes and Patrik Berglund. St. Louis iced it at 5-2 when Tarasenko finished his hat trick on his twentieth of the campaign, set up by Schwartz. The three stars were awarded to Tarasenko, Gaborik, and Schwartz.

East to Nashville, where the Predators host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Boston got going in the second period on a Milan Lucic goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Chris Kelly and Torey Krug. Nashville tied it on a power play goal by Mike Fisher, his second of the year, powered by Shea Weber and Filip Forsberg. The Predators took the lead in the third period on a Mike Ribeiro goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by James Neal and Ryan Ellis. The Bruins retied it on a Reilly Smith goal, his eighth of the year, via Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Derek Roy scored to give Nashville the 3-2 win. The three stars went to Fisher, Ribeiro, and Roy.

North to Winnipeg, as the Jets welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Michal Neuvirth and Ondrej Pavelec are the weak goalies. Buffalo was first to score in the first period on a power play goal by Nikita Zadorov, his second of the season, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Cody Hodgson. Winnipeg tied it in the second period on a Mark Scheifele goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Grant Clitsome and Evander Kane. The Jets took the lead on a shorthanded goal by Michael Frolik, his seventh of the season, set up by Jim Slater. Winnipeg added on as Scheifele scored his second of the game and sixth of the year, thanks to Mathieu Perreault and Frolik. The Jets extended the lead in the third period with a Kane power play goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Blake Wheeler and Scheifele. Winnipeg padded the lead on Chris Thorburn's second of the year, with helpers from Anthony Peluso and Mark Stuart. This produced the 5-1 final, with the three stars given to Scheifele, Kane, and Frolik.

Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Antti Raanta are in the blue paint. Minnesota started in the first period on a Thomas Vanek goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Mikael Granlund. Chicago tied it in the second period on a Brent Seabrook goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Kris Versteeg and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks took the lead on a Marian Hossa goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jonathan Toews and Seabrook. Chicago added on with a Toews goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Ben Smith. The Wild got one back in the third period with a Nino Niederreiter penalty shot goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming after he was tripped by Hossa. Minnesota tied it on a Marco Scandella goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Christian Folin and Mikko Koivu. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a power play goal by Kane, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Toews and Seabrook. Chicago iced it at 5-3 with a Smith empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Kane and Kruger. The three stars went to Seabrook, Toews, and Kane, while Smith gets an honorable mention.

Into Canada again, as the Calgary Flames host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Karri Ramo draw the starts. New York led off in the first period with a Rick Nash goal, his nineteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Rangers added on with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his fifth of the year, an unassisted goal. New York extended the lead in the second period as Nash scored a shorthanded goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, set up by Derek Stepan and Dan Girardi. The Rangers chased Ramo on a Stepan goal, his third of the year, guided in by Martin St. Louis and the goalie Lundqvist. Jonas Hiller came on in relief. Calgary got on the board with a Jiri Hudler goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Mark Giordano and Matt Stajan. New York padded the lead on an empty net goal by Carl Hagelin, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Kevin Hayes and Lee Stempniak. The Flames got one back on a Curtis Glencross power play goal, his sixth of the campaign, powered by Sean Monahan and Dennis Wideman. This produced the 5-2 final, with the three stars going to Nash, Lundqvist (29 for 31 in saves), and Stepan.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Scrivens faces a former Oiler, Devan Dubnyk, in goal. Edmonton began in the first period on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Brad Hunt and Justin Schultz. Arizona tied it on a Brandon McMillan goal in the second period, via Joe Vitale and Chris Summers. The Coyotes won 2-1 in overtime on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Sam Gagner and Martin Erat. The three stars went to Dubnyk (31 for 32 in saves), Ekman-Larsson, and Scrivens (42 for 44 in saves).

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