NHL December 23rd, 2014

This is it for a couple of days. Eleven games on the last day before the Christmas break. We begin in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Boston led off in the first period on a Brad Marchand goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Patrice Bergeron. Nashville tied it on a Colin Wilson goal, his eighth of the year, via James Neal and Mattias Ekholm. The Bruins retook the lead on a David Krejci power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Torey Krug and Milan Lucic. The Predators retied it on a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Ekholm and Taylor Beck. Boston regained the lead on a Loui Eriksson goal in the second period, his eighth of the season, guided in by Matt Bartkowski and Chris Kelly. The Bruins added on with a Marchand goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, with helpers provided by Bergeron and Kevan Miller. Nashville got one back as Beck scored his fourth of the season in the third period, thanks to Jarnkrok and Shea Weber. Boston iced it at 5-3 with Eriksson's second of the game and ninth of the year, an empty net goal set up by Bergeron, who got a sock trick, and Kelly. The three stars went to Marchand, Bergeron, and Eriksson, while Jarnkrok, Beck, Ekholm, and Kelly get the honorable mentions.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Kari Lehtonen are the masked men. Toronto started in the first period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by James van Riemsdyk and Phil Kessel. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a van Riemsdyk goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Kadri and the goalie Bernier. Toronto extended the lead on a Tyler Bozak goal, his thirteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Dion Phaneuf and Kessel. The Maple Leafs padded the lead in the third period on a Mike Santorelli empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by van Riemsdyk. The three stars went to Bernier (43 save shutout), van Riemsdyk, and Kadri, while Kessel gets an honorable mention.

Back northeast to New Jersey, as the Devils bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Cory Schneider are given the starting nods. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Stephen Gionta goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Steve Bernier and Tuomo Ruutu. Carolina tied it on a third period goal by Ron Hainsey, via Patrick Dwyer and Andrej Sekera. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Chris Terry lifted the Hurricanes to a 2-1 win with the lone tally. The three stars belonged to Schneider (32 for 33 in saves), Khudobin (18 for 19 in saves), and Hainsey.

Out on Long Island, the New York Islanders host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price faces a lesser foe in Chad Johnson in goal. New York was first to score in the first period on a Kyle Okposo goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by John Tavares and Lubomir Visnovsky. Montreal tied it in the second period on an Andrei Markov goal, his fifth of the year, via P.K. Subban. The Canadiens took the lead on a Brendan Gallagher goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Sergei Gonchar and Alex Galchenyuk. Montreal added on in the third period with a David Desharnais goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Lars Eller and P.A. Parenteau. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Price (37 for 38 in saves), Gallagher, and Markov.

Staying in New York, the Rangers welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Henrik Lundqvist protect the nets. New York struck first in the first period on a Rick Nash goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Mats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Martin St. Louis power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Dan Boyle and Brassard. New York extended the lead in the third period as Nash scored his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, with the help of Zuccarello. Washington got on the board with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Troy Brouwer and John Carlson. The Capitals pulled closer with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Carlson and Marcus Johansson. The Rangers replied on a St. Louis power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Nash and Derek Stepan. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Nash, St. Louis, and Zuccarello, while Brassard and Carlson get the honorable mentions.

Out in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Darcy Kuemper are called on to start in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Sean Couturier goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by R.J. Umberger. The Flyers added on as Claude Giroux scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Luke Schenn and Jakub Voracek. Minnesota got on the board with a Marco Scandella goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Jared Spurgeon and Zach Parise. The Wild tied it in the second period with a Charlie Coyle power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Jason Pominville and Ryan Suter. Philadelphia took the lead with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Brayden Schenn and Mark Streit. The Flyers extended the lead in the third period on a Vincent Lecavalier goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Andrew MacDonald and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. Philadelphia finished it at 5-2 with a Michael Raffl empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Voracek. The three stars were given to Simmonds, Voracek, and Lecavalier.

Backtracking to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Buffalo Sabres. Michal Neuvirth and Petr Mrazek are the backups in goal. Buffalo started in the first period with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his third of the season, guided in by Drew Stafford and Brian Flynn. Detroit tied it on a Stephen Weiss power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Jakub Kindl and Gustav Nyquist. The Sabres took the lead as Chris Stewart scored his fourth of the season, with the help of Cody Hodgson and Mikhail Grigorenko. Buffalo added on in the second period on a shorthanded Andre Benoit goal, set up by Flynn. The Red Wings got one back on a Danny DeKeyser goal, his second of the year, coming off of Tomas Jurco and Luke Glendening. Detroit tied it in the third period with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Pavel Datsyuk and Justin Abdelkader. The Red Wings gained the lead with a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with helpers from DeKeyser and Nyquist. Detroit extended the lead on a Johan Franzen power play goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Zetterberg and Kindl. The Red Wings padded the lead with a Tatar power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, made possible by Brendan Smith and Nyquist, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars in the 6-3 game were Tatar, Nyquist, and DeKeyser, while Kindl, Flynn, and Zetterberg get the honorable mentions.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Andrei Vasilevskiy receive the starting nods. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his eleventh of the season, via Niktia Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. The Lightning added on with another Johnson goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, passed from Palat and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the second period on a Kucherov goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Matthew Carle and Valtteri Filppula. Fleury was relieved by Jeff Zatkoff in goal. The Lightning padded the lead on a Johnson goal, his thirteenth of the year clinching a hat trick, with helpers provided by Kucherov and Palat, the latter getting a sock trick. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Rob Klinkhammer. The Penguins pulled closer in the third period with a Chris Kunitz goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone helper from Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh chipped closer on a Kris Letang goal, his eighth of the campaign, guided in by Hornqvist and Malkin. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Johnson, Kucherov, and Palat, while Hornqvist and Malkin get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Edmonton, where the Oilers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Devan Dubnyk faces his former team and Viktor Fasth in goal. Arizona struck first in the first period on a Sam Gagner goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Martin Erat and Martin Hanzal. The Coyotes added on with an Erat goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Connor Murphy and Gagner. Edmonton got on the board with a Justin Schultz goal, his third of the season, fueled by Brad Hunt and Mark Arcobello. Arizona shot back in the second period with a Keith Yandle goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Shane Doan and Antoine Vermette. The Coyotes extended the lead in the third period on Brandon Gormley's second of the season, via Hanzal and Gagner. Arizona padded the lead on Gagner's second of the game and fifth of the year, passed from Gormley and Hanzal, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars went to Gagner, Hanzal, and Gormley, while Erat gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Colorado Avalanche host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Semyon Varlamov occupy the creases. Colorado was first to score in the first period on an Erik Johnson goal, his ninth of the season, via Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on with a Zach Redmond power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Gabriel Landeskog. Colorado extended the lead as Alex Tanguay scored his twelfth of the season in the second period, thanks to Jarome Iginla and Brad Stuart. The Avalanche padded the lead on an O'Reilly goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Landeskog and Stuart on the power play. Colorado kept going on an Iginla goal, his eighth of the campaign, coming off of John Mitchell and Tanguay. Martin Brodeur replaced Allen in goal. This made it a 5-0 final, with the three stars going to Tanguay, Iginla, and Varlamov (26 save shutout), while O'Reilly, Landeskog, and Stuart get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the last game until Friday has the Chicago Blackhawks host the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Corey Crawford are between the pipes. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Michael Frolik and Mark Scheifele. The Jets added on as Bryan Little scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Andrew Ladd and Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg extended the lead on an Anthony Peluso goal, made possible by Jim Slater and Chris Thorburn. Antti Raanta replaced Crawford in goal. The Jets padded the lead in the second period with a Perreault power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, powered by Dustin Byfuglien and Ladd. Chicago got on the board with a Marian Hossa goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Brandon Saad. Winnipeg iced it at 5-1 in the third period with an empty net goal by Wheeler, his tenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Perreault, Hutchinson (38 for 39 in saves), and Ladd, while Wheeler gets an honorable mention.

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KHL December 23rd, 2014

Just one game today, as Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosts Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Vitaly Kolesnik are the goalies. Podolsk began in the first period on a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, courtesy of Anton Korolyov. Yaroslavl tied it on an Emil Galimov goal, coming off of Staffan Kronwall and Kirill Kapustin. Lokomotiv added on with an Andrei Loktionov power play goal, powered by Petri Kontiola and Martin Thornberg. Yaroslavl extended the lead in the second period as Loktionov scored again, with a lone assist by Kronwall. Vityaz got one back with a Nikita Vyglazov goal, passed from Mathias Porseland. Lokomotiv shot back in the third period on a power play goal by Geoff Platt, assisted by Kontiola and Kronwall, the latter getting a sock trick. This made it a 4-2 final, with the three stars going to Loktionov, Kronwall, and Kontiola.

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NHL December 22nd, 2014

Six games today, beginning in...

DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Braden Holtby are the goalies. Washington got going in the second period on a Jay Beagle goal, his fifth of the season, via Evgeny Kuznetsov and Mike Green. Ottawa tied it on an Erik Condra goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Capitals retook the lead on a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, powered by Green and Marcus Johansson. The final stood at 2-1 from here, with Holtby (38 for 39 in saves), Green, and Backstrom getting the three stars.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Colin Wilson goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Victor Bartley. The Predators added on with a Craig Smith goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Mike Ribeiro and Shea Weber. Nashville extended the lead in the third period on a Seth Jones goal, guided in by Bartley and James Neal. The Predators padded the lead as Smith scored his second of the game and tenth of the season, thanks to Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi. Nashville continued on a Mike Fisher goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Wilson and Ryan Ellis. Columbus got on the board with an Alexander Wennberg power play goal, powered by Ryan Johansen and Jack Johnson. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Smith, Rinne (30 for 31 in saves), and Wilson, while Bartley gets an honorable mention.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Roberto Luongo guard the cages. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period on a Patric Hornqvist goal, his twelfth of the season, via Simon Despres and Sidney Crosby. Florida tied it on a Jussi Jokinen goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, assisted by Dave Bolland and Dmitry Kulikov. The Panthers took the lead on a Jimmy Hayes goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Sean Bergenheim. Florida added on with another Hayes goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, courtesy of Bergenheim and Aleksander Barkov. The Penguins got one back on a Nick Spaling power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Derrick Pouliot and Despres. Pittsburgh tied it on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Panthers won 4-3 with a Barkov shootout tally. The three stars went to Hayes, Bergenheim, and Despres.

Across the continent, the Vancouver Canucks host the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Ryan Miller are in goal. Vancouver was first to score with an Alexandre Burrows goal in the first period, his seventh of the season, passed from Bo Horvat and Derek Dorsett. The Canucks added on as Kevin Bieksa scored his third of the year, with the help of Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. Vancouver extended the lead with a Daniel Sedin goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Radim Vrbata and Christopher Tanev. The Canucks chased Smith with a second period Brad Richardson goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. Devan Dubnyk came on in relief. Vancouver padded the lead on a Burrows power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, powered by Henrik Sedin and Alexander Edler. Arizona got on the board with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Sam Gagner and Keith Yandle. The Canucks shot back with a third period goal by Chris Higgins, his sixth of the season, coming on the power play from Linden Vey and Nick Bonino. Vancouver struck again on a Shawn Matthias power play goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone helper by Richardson. The final stood at 7-1, with the three stars being Burrows, Richardson, and Daniel Sedin, while Henrik Sedin gets an honorable mention.

Down in Anaheim, the Ducks welcome the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Frederik Andersen are the masked men. Anaheim opened in the second period with a Rickard Rakell goal, coming off of Emerson Etem and Matt Beleskey. San Jose tied it in the third period on a Joe Pavelski goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. The Sharks took the lead with a Melker Karlsson goal, fueled by Barclay Goodrow and Brenden Dillon. The Ducks retied it on a Cam Fowler goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Ryan Getzlaf and Devante Smith-Pelly. Anaheim won 3-2 in overtime with a Ryan Kesler goal, his twelfth of the campaign, made possible by Patrick Maroon and Getzlaf. The three stars went to Kesler, Getzlaf, and Fowler.

Finally, a little up the freeway, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller is mismatched with Jonathan Quick in goal. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Trevor Lewis goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Drew Doughty and Brayden McNabb. The Kings added on with a power play goal by Marian Gaborik, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams. Los Angeles extended the lead in the second period with a power play goal by Jamie McBain, his second of the season, powered by Dustin Brown and Williams. Calgary got on the board with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his eighth of the year, via Dennis Wideman and Kris Russell. The Flames pulled closer in the third period on Gaudreau's second of the game and ninth of the season, assisted by Sean Monahan and Mark Giordano. Calgary tied it on a Gaudreau goal to complete the natural hat trick, his tenth of the year, made possible by Jiri Hudler and Wideman. The Flames won on a Giordano goal, his tenth of the campaign, passed from Lance Bouma and Hudler. The three stars of the 4-3 game went to Gaudreau, Giordano, and Hudler, while Wideman and Williams get the honorable mentions.

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Premier League Week 17

Ten games on over three days, beginning in...

Manchester, as City hosts Crystal Palace. Julian Speroni and Joe Hart are in goal. In the thirty-sixth minute, Aleksandar Kolarov received a yellow card for a foul for Manchester City. In the thirty-ninth minute, Jason Puncheon of Crystal Palace took a yellow card for his foul. Manchester City opened in the forty-ninth minute with a David Silva goal, guided in by Pablo Zabaleta. Manchester City added on with a Silva goal in the sixty-first minute, passed from Kolarov on a cross after a corner kick. Manchester City's James Milner received a yellow card in the seventh-ninth minute for a foul. Manchester City extended the lead as Yaya Toure scored in the eighty-first minute, with an assist from Milner. This made it a 3-0 final score.

Next up, Aston Villa welcomes Manchester United. David de Gea and Brad Guzan are in the six-yard boxes. In the eighteenth minute, Christian Benteke scored for Aston Villa after a set piece. Manchester United tied it on a fifty-third minute Falcao header, passed from Ashley Young on a cross. In the sixty-fifth minute, Aston Villa went down to ten men when Gabriel Agbonlahor was shown a straight red card for a foul. In the seventy-fifth minute, Tyler Blackett of Manchester United got a yellow card for a foul, and then Guzan got a yellow card for Aston Villa for backtalking the official. The score stayed level at 1-1.

Over to Hull City bringing in Swansea City. Lukasz Fabianski and Allan McGregor protect the nets. In the fifteenth minute, Ki Sung-Yueng scored for Swansea City, with the help of Jonjo Shelvey. Hull City took a yellow card in the twenty-seventh minute for a foul by Jake Livermore. Swansea City had a yellow card go to Ashley Richards in the fortieth minute for a foul. In the sixty-seventh minute, Sone Aluko of Hull City took a yellow card for a foul. Neil Taylor had the last yellow card in the seventy-fifth minute for a foul for Swansea City. The final favored Swansea City 1-0.

Down in London, the Queens Park Rangers host West Bromwich Albion. Ben Foster and Robert Green are the gloved men. West Brom started in the tenth minute with a Joleon Lescott header at close range, passed from Stephane Sessegnon on a headed pass after a corner kick. West Brom added on in the twentieth minute with a Silvestre Varela goal, set up by a Sessegnon through ball. QPR got on the board when Charlie Austin converted a penalty kick in the twenty-fourth minute. In the thirty-ninth minute, Richard Dunne of QPR took a yellow card for a foul. QPR tied it on a forty-eighth minute Austin goal, coming off of Bobby Zamora headed pass after corner kick. In the eighty-sixth minute, Austin completed his hat trick and gave QPR the lead with a goal, courtesy of Joey Barton's cross after a corner kick. QPR went on to win 3-2.

Along to Southampton welcoming Everton. Tim Howard and Fraser Forster are the keepers. In the thirty-eighth minute, Southampton received a gift as Everton's Romelu Lukaku put the ball in his own net. In the sixty-fifth minute, Southampton added on with a Graziano Pelle goal, coming off of Shane Long. Everton took a yellow card in the sixty-eighth minute for a Muhamed Besic foul. Southampton's Jose Fonte was given a yellow card for his seventy-second minute foul. Southampton extended the lead in the eighty-second minute on a Maya Yoshida header goal, made possible by a Steven Davis cross. This produced the 3-0 final for Southampton.

Back into London with Tottenham Hotspur bringing in Burnley. Tom Heaton and Hugo Lloris are set to start in goal. In the third minute, Tottenham Hotspur's Ben Davies received a yellow card for a foul. In the twenty-first minute, Tottenham led off the scoring on a Harry Kane header from close range, set up by Nacer Chadli with the cross after a set piece. Burnley tied it in the twenty-seventh minute with an Ashley Barnes goal, coming off of George Boyd. Tottenham Hotspur regained the lead with a thirty-fifth minute Erik Lamela goal, assisted by Ryan Mason. This was all they needed for a 2-1 win.

Closing out Saturday, West Ham United hosts Leicester City. Ben Hamer and Adrian are the goalies. West Ham United began in the twenty-fourth minute with an Andy Carroll goal. Leicester City saw yellow cards given to Andy King in the thirty-third minute and Jamie Vardy in the forty-first minute, both for fouls. West Ham United added on in the fifty-sixth minute on a Stewart Downing goal, made possible by Diafra Sakho headed pass. Leicester City took another yellow card in the sixty-fourth minute for a Leonardo Ulloa foul. The final stood at 2-0 for West Ham United.

Sunday's first game had Newcastle United welcome Sunderland. Costel Pantilimon and Jak Arnwick are set to start in goal. In the second minute, Sunderland's Sebastian Coates took a yellow card for a foul. Newcastle United took three straight yellow cards, going to Fabricio Coloccini in the ninth minute, Cheick Tiote in the twenty-fourth minute, and Jack Colback in the twenty-fifth minute, all for fouls. In the thirty-ninth minute, Connor Wickham of Sunderland was given a yellow card for a foul. Sunderland took a pair of yellow cards in the second half, for a fifty-sixth minute Lee Cattermole foul and a sixty-ninth minute John O'Shea foul. Sunderland got on the board with a ninetieth minute goal by Adam Johnson, set up by William Buckley after a fast break. Newcastle United's Paul Dummett had a yellow card in the same minute. Sunderland went on to win 1-0.

Over to Liverpool bringing in Arsenal. Wojciech Szczesny and Bradley Jones guard the woodwork. Arsenal's Mathieu Flamini took a yellow card for a fourteenth minute foul. In the forty-fifth minute, Liverpool began with a Philippe Coutinho goal, passed from Jordan Henderson. Arsenal tied it in first half stoppage time on a Mathieu Debuchy header goal, courtesy of a Flamini headed pass after a set piece. In the forty-seventh minute, Arsenal's Debuchy received a yellow card for a foul. Arsenal took the lead at the sixty-four minute mark on an Olivier Giroud goal, coming off of Santiago Cazorla. Liverpool took a ninetieth minute yellow card for a Fabio Borini foul. Two minutes later, Borini was sent off on a second yellow card foul, leaving Liverpool down at ten men and facing a one-goal deficit. Arsenal took a yellow card for a Cazorla foul a minute after that. Just over six minutes into stoppage time, Martin Skrtel got the improbable tying goal for Liverpool, a header assisted by an Adam Lallana cross after a corner kick. The final stood at 2-2.

Monday's game had Stoke City host Chelsea. Thibaut Courtois and Asmir Begovic are the keepers. Chelsea began in the second minute with a John Terry goal, via Cesc Fabregas' cross after a corner. In the twentieth minute, Stoke City's Phil Bardsley took a yellow card. Stoke City saw a yellow card go to Erik Pieters in the fifty-third minute. Chelsea added on with a Fabregas goal, assisted by Eden Hazard in the seventy-eighth minute. In the ninetieth minute, Jonathan Walters of Stoke City received a yellow card for a foul. Chelsea won 2-0.

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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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