NHL December 28th, 2014

Two games tonight, beginning in...

Florida, as the Panthers host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Roberto Luongo are in the creases. Toronto got going in the second period on a Richard Panik goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Morgan Rielly and David Clarkson. Florida tied it on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Brian Campbell and Nick Bjugstad. The Panthers took the lead on a Jimmy Hayes goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Sean Bergenheim. The Maple Leafs tied it again on a Roman Polak goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Joffrey Lupul and Jake Gardiner. Toronto took the lead with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Cody Franson and Tyler Bozak. The Maple Leafs added on with a Nazem Kadri goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Lupul and Gardiner. Florida got one back in the third period on a Dmitry Kulikov goal, courtesy of Jussi Jokinen. The Panthers tied it on a Willie Mitchell goal, his second of the season, via Huberdeau. Florida gained the lead on a Brad Boyes power play goal, his sixth of the year, from Kulikov and Jokinen. The Panthers iced it at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Scottie Upshall, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Tomas Kopecky and Derek MacKenzie. The three stars went to Huberdeau, Kulikov, and Jokinen, while Lupul and Gardiner are given honorable mentions.

The other game has the Anaheim Ducks host the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. Vancouver dented the scoreboard with a second period goal by Yannick Weber, his third of the season, assisted by Jannik Hansen and Alexandre Burrows. Anaheim tied it on a Francois Beauchemin goal in the third period, coming off of Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks won 2-1 on a Cam Fowler overtime goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Devante Smith-Pelly and Getzlaf. The three stars went to Andersen (13 for 14 in saves), Getzlaf, and Fowler.

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KHL December 28th, 2014

Eight games on for today, beginning with...

Metallurg Novokuznetsk hosting Amur Khabarovsk. Sergei Borisov and Rafael Khakimov are in the blue paint. Khabarovsk opened in the first period on a Michel Miklik goal, coming off of Anton Krysanov. Novokuznetsk tied it on a power play goal by Mikhail Plotnikov, powered by Artyom Garifullin. Amur took the lead back in the second period as Sergei Tverdokhlebov scored, thanks to Mikhail Zheleznov. Metallurg retied it in the third period with an unassisted Alexei Kosourov goal. Khabarovsk regained the lead on a Vyacheslav Litovchenko goal, assisted by Alexander Ryazantsev and Grigory Shafigulin. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Litovchenko, Tverdokhlebov, and Miklik.

Over in Novosibirsk, Sibir welcomes Admiral Vladivostok. Ilya Proskuryakov and Alexander Salak are set to start in goal. Novosibirsk began in the first period with a David Ullstrom power play goal, powered by Alexei Kopeikin and Igor Ozhiganov. Sibir added on with an Ullstrom goal, his second of the game, via Sergei Gimayev and Artyom Voroshilo. Novosibirsk extended the lead on a Jarno Koskiranta goal in the third period, coming off of Jonas Enlund and Patrik Hersley on the power play. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars given to Ullstrom, Salak (41 save shutout), and Koskiranta.

West to Omsk, where Avangard hosts Barys Astana. Jan Laco and Konstantin Barulin are the masked men. Astana got going in the second period on a Roman Starchenko power play goal, powered by Mike Lundin and Konstantin Rudenko. Omsk tied it with a Denis Kulyash goal, courtesy of Igor Musatov and Alexander Perezhogin. Avangard took the lead in the third period with a Denis Parshin goal, fueled by Anton Kuryanov and Alexander Popov. Omsk iced it at 3-1 with an Igor Musatov empty net goal, set up by Evgeny Kulik. The three stars belonged to Barulin (33 for 34 in saves), Parshin, and Kulyash.

Continuing to Metallurg Magnitogorsk bringing in Ak Bars Kazan. Anders Nilsson and Vasily Koshechkin protect the nets. Magnitogorsk led off in the first period on a Danis Zaripov power play goal, with a lone assist by Chris Lee. Kazan tied it on a Vladimir Tkachyov goal, guided in by Mikhail Glukhov and Dmitry Obukhov. Ak Bars took the lead in the second period as Evgeny Medvedev scored a power play goal, powered by Justin Azevedo. Metallurg tied it again in the third period on a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal, assisted by Lee and Zaripov. Kazan pulled ahead on a Vladimir Denisov goal, fueled by Konstantin Koltsov and Artyom Lukoyanov. They managed a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Denisov, Zaripov, and Lee.

Out in Togliatti, Lada hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Barry Brust and Evgeny Ivannikov are the masked men. Togliatti started in the first period with a Vasily Streltsov goal, with a lone assist from Alexander Streltsov. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it on an Alexander Korolyuk power play goal, powered by Lukas Kaspar and Philip Larsen. Yugra gained the lead in the second period as Nikita Gusev converted a penalty shot he received for Peter Podhradsky's hook. Lada tied it on a Podhradsky goal, via Alexei Mastryukov and Denis Barantsev in the third period. Togliatti retook the lead as Alexander Chernikov scored, thanks to Mastryukov. Khanty-Mansiysk pulled even with a Gusev goal, passed from Kaspar and Pavel Valentenko. Lada claimed a 4-3 win with a lone tally from Yury Petrov in the shootout. The three stars were given to Gusev, Kaspar, and Mastryukov.

Westward to Moscow, where CSKA welcomes the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Kevin Lalande draw the starts. Moscow struck first in the first period with an Andreas Engqvist goal, assisted by Alexander Radulov and Nikita Zaitsev. Sochi tied it in the second period on a Max Warn goal, courtesy of Igor Radulov and Cory Emmerton. CSKA retook the lead with a Zaitsev power play goal, powered by Igor Grigorenko and Alexander Radulov. The Leopards got another equalizer with a Nikita Shchitov goal, made possible by Clay Wilson. Sochi pulled ahead as Evgeny Lapenkov scored on a penalty shot from a Bogdan Kiselevich slashing call. Moscow tied it with an Alexander Radulov goal, fueled by Grigorenko and Engqvist. CSKA took the lead again in the third period as Alexander Radulov scored a power play goal, with a lone helper by Denis Denisov. Moscow finished it at 5-3 with an Igor Makarov goal, passed from Ondrej Nemec and Sergei Andronov. The three stars went to Alexander Radulov, Engqvist, and Zaitsev, while Grigorenko gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Yaroslavl, where Lokomotiv hosts Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek faces a lesser foe in Vitaly Kolesnik in goal. Yaroslavl was first to score on a Yegor Averin power play goal in the first period, powered by Staffan Kronwall. Cherepovets tied it in the second period on a Sergei Kuptsov goal, coming off of Yegor Antropov and Andreas Thuresson. Lokomotiv took the lead as Andrei Loktionov scored, thanks to Petri Kontiola and Martin Thornberg. This was all they needed for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Kolesnik (15 for 16 in saves), Loktionov, and Averin.

Finally, SKA St. Petersburg brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Sharychenkov and Mikko Koskinen are between the pipes. Moscow dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Maxim Pestushko power play goal, powered by Konstantin Volkov and Alexander Osipov. St. Petersburg tied it in the third period on an Andrei Kuteikin goal, via Patrick Thoresen. Dynamo took the lead back on a Maxim Karpov goal, assisted by Alexei Tsvetkov. This gave them a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Sharychenkov (35 for 36 in saves), Karpov, and Pestushko.

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NHL December 27th, 2014

Thirteen games on as the NHL comes out of the Christmas break. The first game is in...

Buffalo, with the Sabres hosting the New York Islanders. Kevin Poulin and Jhonas Enroth are the little-known goalies. New York led off in the first period with a Nick Leddy goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey. The Islanders added on in the second period with a John Tavares goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. New York extended the lead on Tavares' second of the game and fifteenth of the season, passed from Bailey and Okposo. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his fourth of the year, via Drew Stafford and Josh Gorges. The Sabres pulled back with a shorthanded goal by Zemgus Girgensons, his tenth of the season, set up by Deslauriers and Gorges. Buffalo tied it on a Chris Stewart goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Stafford and Patrick Kaleta. The Sabres won with a lone tally by Tyler Ennis in the shootout, for a 4-3 final. The three stars were Tavares, Deslauriers, and Gorges, while Bailey and Okposo get the honorable mentions.

In New York City, the Rangers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. New York struck first in the first period on a Derek Stepan shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Stepan power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Martin St. Louis and Dan Boyle. New Jersey got on the board with a Steve Bernier goal, his third of the season, via Eric Gelinas and Tuomo Ruutu. New York iced it at 3-1 in the third period with a Stepan empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his sixth of the year, set up by Carl Hagelin and St. Louis. The three stars went to Stepan, Lundqvist (19 for 20 in saves), and St. Louis.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Craig Anderson are in goal. Ottawa opened in the first period on a Mike Hoffman goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Mark Borowiecki and Bobby Ryan. Detroit tied it on a Justin Abdelkader goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. The Senators took the lead back in the second period with an unassisted Clarke MacArthur goal, his tenth of the season. The Red Wings tied it again in the third period on a Zetterberg power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Kronwall and Pavel Datsyuk. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were handed to Zetterberg, Nyquist, and Kronwall.

Way south to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Ben Bishop receive the starting nods. Tampa Bay began in the first period on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his fifteenth of the season, with a lone assist from Ondrej Palat. The Lightning added on in the third period with an Alex Killorn goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Ryan Callahan and Valtteri Filppula. Carolina got on the board with an Andrej Sekera goal, his second of the campaign, assisted by Eric Staal and Nathan Gerbe. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Bishop (25 for 26 in saves), Killorn, and Ward (36 for 38 in saves).

Backtracking to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the Boston Bruins. Niklas Svedberg and Curtis McElhinney are the backups making spot starts. Columbus was first to score in the first period with a Scott Hartnell goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Kevin Connauton. Boston tied it on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Reilly Smith and Zdeno Chara. The Blue Jackets regained the lead in the second period with a Hartnell goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, passed from James Wisniewski and Connauton. Columbus added on with a Connauton goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Matt Calvert and Brandon Dubinsky. Tuukka Rask replaced Svedberg in goal. The Blue Jackets extended the lead on a power play goal by Nick Foligno, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Jack Johnson and Ryan Johansen. The Bruins got one back with a Craig Cunningham goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Gregory Campbell and Daniel Paille. Columbus replied on an unassisted Calvert goal, his fourth of the campaign. The Blue Jackets padded the lead in the third period with a Jeremy Morin goal, helped along by Johnson and Dubinsky. This produced the 6-2 final, with the three stars being Connauton, Hartnell, and Calvert, while Wisniewski, Dubinsky, and johnson get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Minnesota, where the Wild bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and John Curry are the unknown goalies. Minnesota started in the first period on a Mikael Granlund goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Jason Pominville. Winnipeg tied it in the second period as Bryan Little scored his fourteenth of the year, thanks to Andrew Ladd and Grant Glitsome. The Jets took the lead in the third period on an Adam Lowry goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Evander Kane and Matt Halischuk. The Wild retied it with a Pominville goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Stu Bickel and Granlund. Winnipeg retook the lead with a shorthanded goal by Blake Wheeler, his eleventh of the season, set up by Kane and Dustin Byfuglien. Minnesota tied it again on a Thomas Vanek power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Jared Spurgeon and Marco Scandella. The
Jets won 4-3 in overtime with a Ladd goal, his twelfth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Little. The three stars were awarded to Ladd, Little, and Kane, while Pominville and Granlund get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Marc-Andre Fleury are the masked men. Washington struck first in the first period on an Eric Fehr goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Jay Beagle and Brooks Laich. The Capitals added on in the third period with a Marcus Johansson goal, his tenth of the year, via Evgeny Kuznetsov and Brooks Orpik. Washington extended the lead on another Fehr goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, fueled by Joel Ward and John Carlson. This was good for a 3-0 win, with the three stars belonging to Fehr, Holtby (31 save shutout), and Johansson.

Southwest to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Jake Allen are in the blue paint. Dallas was first to score in the first period on a Travis Moen goal, courtesy of Shawn Horcoff and Jordie Benn. St. Louis tied it on an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his fourth of the season, via Paul Stastny and Dmitrij Jaskin. The Stars took the lead back with an unassisted Ryan Garbutt goal, his sixth of the year. The Blues tied it again as Vladimir Tarasenko scored a power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Alexander Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. Dallas took the lead in the second period on a Trevor Daley power play goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Tyler Seguin and the goalie Lehtonen. The Stars added on with a Jason Demers power play goal, his second of the season, helped along by Erik Cole and Colton Sceviour. St. Louis got one back in the third period with a David Backes goal, his ninth of the year, with the help of Jay Bouwmeester and T.J. Oshie. This was as close as it got, with the final at 4-3, and the three stars going to Demers, Daley, and Garbutt.

Continuing to Arizona, where the Coyotes bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen faces a lesser foe in Devan Dubnyk in goal. Anaheim began in the first period on a Rene Bourque goal, his second of the season, fueled by Ryan Getzlaf and Devante Smith-Pelly. Arizona tied it on a Zbynek Michalek goal, passed from Martin Erat and Sam Gagner. In the shootout, Shane Doan scored the only goal for a 2-1 Coyotes win. The three stars were given to Dubnyk (35 for 36 in saves), Andersen (28 for 29 in saves), and Doan.

Heading east to Nashville, where the Predators host the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. Nashville led off in the first period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Roman Josi and Shea Weber on the power play. Philadelphia tied it on a Claude Giroux goal in the second period, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Braydon Coburn and Nick Schultz. The Predators took the lead back with a power play goal by Mike Fisher, his fourth of the season, powered by Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro. Nashville added on with a Colin Wilson power play goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Seth Jones and Josi. The Predators finished it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Wilson, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, set up by Fisher. The three stars went to Wilson, Forsberg, and Rinne (26 for 27 in saves), while Fisher and Josi get the honorable mentions.

West again to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Calvin Pickard man the creases. Colorado opened in the first period on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Max Talbot. Chicago tied it on a Brandon Saad goal, his eighth of the year, via Jonathan Toews. The Avalanche took the lead back with an Erik Johnson goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Ryan O'Reilly and Daniel Briere. The Blackhawks tied it again with a Patrick Kane goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Duncan Keith and Kris Versteeg. Chicago took the lead in the second period on a power play goal by Brent Seabrook, his seventh of the season, powered by David Rundblad and Marian Hossa. The Blackhawks added on in the third period on a power play goal by Patrick Sharp, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Toews and Kane. Chicago wrapped it up at 5-2 with a Kane empty net goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Ben Smith. The three stars were Kane, Toews, and Seabrook.

Up in Calgary, the Flames bring in the Edmonton Oilers for a Battle of Alberta. Viktor Fasth and Jonas Hiller are the former Ducks goalies in goal. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Joe Colborne goal, assisted by Paul Byron and Curtis Glencross. The Flames added on with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. Calgary extended the lead as Gaudreau scored his second of the game and twelfth of the year, thanks to Jiri Hudler and T.J. Brodie. Ben Scrivens replaced Fasth. Edmonton got on the board with a third period goal by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, his tenth of the season, passed from Justin Schultz and Andrew Ference. The Flames shot back with a Glencross goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Matt Stajan and Mark Giordano. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars belonging to Gaudreau, Glencross, and Hiller (26 for 27 in saves).

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Jonathan Quick guard the cages. San Jose started in the first period on a Joe Pavelski goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Joe Thornton. Los Angeles tied it on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his eleventh of the year, via Jamie McBain and Trevor Lewis. The Kings took the lead in the second period as Anze Kopitar scored a power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Marian Gaborik and Jeff Carter. Los Angeles added on in the third period with a Jake Muzzin power play goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Drew Doughty and Kopitar. This was good for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Kopitar, Quick (21 for 22 in saves), and Toffoli.

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KHL December 27th, 2014

Two games on today, beginning in...

Minsk, where Dinamo hosts the similarly named Dinamo Riga. Jeff Deslauriers and Danny Taylor are in goal. Riga began in the first period on a Gints Meija goal, via Milan Jurcina and Andris Dzerins. Minsk tied it in the third period with a Charles Linglet goal, going in unassisted. Minsk won 2-1 in overtime with a Paul Szczechura power play goal, powered by Alexei Kalyuzhny and Nick Bailen. The three stars went to Szczechura, Taylor (25 for 26 in saves), and Deslauriers (36 for 38 in saves).

In Russia, the other game is Vityaz Podolsk hosting Atlant Mytishchi. Atte Engren and Ivan Lisutin are the masked men. Mytishchi led off in the first period with an Igor Levitsky goal, assisted by Andrei Taratukhin. Podolsk tied it on a Maxim Mamin goal in the second period, made possible by Nikita Vyglazov. Vityaz took the lead with a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, coming off of Yakov Seleznyov and Alexander Kucheryavenko. Atlant retied it with another Levitsky goal, passed from Matthew Gilroy and Mikhail Tyulyapkin. Mytishchi took the lead with an unassisted goal by Gilroy in the third period. Atlant iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Taratukhin, set up by Gilroy and Levitsky. The three stars were Levitsky, Gilroy, and Taratukhin.

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Premier League Week 18 (Boxing Day)

Ten games on in one day? It must be Boxing Day. We begin with...

Chelsea hosting West Ham United. Adrian and Thibaut Courtois are the goalies. West Ham United's James Collins took a yellow card for his twenty-eighth minute foul. Chelsea began on a thirty-first minute goal by John Terry, passed from Diego Costa after a corner. In the thirty-third minute, Aaron Cresswell of West Ham had a yellow card for a foul. West Ham took another yellow card on a Winston Reid foul in the fifty-eighth minute. Chelsea extended their lead with a sixty-second minute Costa goal, coming off of Eden Hazard. This was good for a 2-0 win.

Next up, Burnley welcomes Liverpool. Bradley Jones and Tom Heaton draw the starts in goal. In the sixty-second minute, Raheem Sterling scored for Liverpool, with an assist from Philippe Coutinho on a through ball. In the eighty-second minute, Lucas Leiva took a yellow card for Liverpool. Liverpool claimed a 1-0 win.

Back to London, where Crystal Palace brings in Southampton. Fraser Forster and Julian Speroni protect the nets. In the seventeenth minute, Sadio Mane scored for Southampton, with the help of James Ward-Prowse. Southampton added on in the forty-eighth minute on a Ryan Bertrand goal, made possible by Mane's cross. Southampton extended the lead in the fifty-third minute on a Toby Alderweireld header goal, set up by a Ward-Prowse cross after a corner kick. Crystal Palace saw a yellow card go to Damien Delaney in the seventy-seventh minute for a foul. Crystal Palace got on the board with a Scott Dann header goal in the eighty-sixth minute, assisted by Mile Jedinak on a cross after a set piece. The final favored Southampton 3-1.

Continuing to Everton hosting Stoke City. Asmir Begovic and Tim Howard are guarding the woodwork. In the twenty-eighth minute, Steven Naismith of Everton received a yellow card for his foul Jonathan Walters of Stoke City had a yellow card in the thirty-fifth minute for a foul. In the thirty-eighth minute, Stoke City opened with a Bojan penalty kick goal. In the seventy-eighth minute, Gareth Barry took a yellow card for Everton for his foul. Stoke City saw a pair of yellow cards for Geoff Cameron in the eighty-third minute and Charlie Adam for a ninetieth minute foul. Stoke City held on for a 1-0 win.

Moving along to Leicester City welcoming Tottenham Hotspur. Hugo Lloris and Ben Hamer are in the six-yard boxes. Tottenham Hotspur began in the first minute on a Harry Kane goal, passed from Nacer Chadli on a cross. Tottenham Hotspur had a yellow card go to Kyle Walker in the thirty-fifth minute. Leicester City tied it in the forty-eighth minute with a Leonardo Ulloa goal, via Riyad Mahrez. In the seventy-first minute, Christian Eriksen gave Tottenham Hotspur the lead back with a goal on a free kick. In the eighty-second minute, Tottenham Hotspur's Jan Vertonghen took a yellow card for a foul. Leicester City's Jamie Vardy received a yellow card in stoppage time for a foul. The final was 2-1 for Tottenham Hotspur.

In Manchester, United brings in Newcastle United. Jak Alnwick is mismatched with David de Gea in goal. In the twenty-third minute, Manchester United opened with a Wayne Rooney goal, via Falcao. Rooney added on for Manchester United in the thirty-sixth minute with his second goal of the game, made possible by Juan Mata's through ball. In the fifty-third minute, Robin van Persie extended the lead for Manchester United with a goal guided in by Rooney with the through ball. In the sixty-first minute, Steven Taylor of Newcastle United received a yellow card for a foul. Manchester United had a yellow card go to van Persie in the sixty-sixth minute for a foul. In the eighty-seventh minute, Papiss Demba Cisse put Newcastle United on the board with a penalty kick goal. Yoan Gouffran of Newcastle United took a yellow card for his eighty-ninth minute foul. Manchester United won 3-1.

Over to Sunderland hosting Hull City. Allan McGregor and Costel Pantilimon are the keepers. Sunderland quickly struck first with a first minute Adam Johnson goal, going in unassisted. Sunderland saw yellow cards go to Sebastian Larsson in the sixteenth minute and Santiago Vergini in the nineteenth minute, both for fouls. Hull City tied it with a Gaston Ramirez goal at the thirty-two minute mark, passed from David Meyler. In first half stoppage time, James Chester of Hull City received a yellow card for a foul. In the fifty-first minute, Chester made up for his transgression with a header goal, made possible by Ramirez with a cross after a corner, putting Hull City ahead. Sunderland's Steven Fletcher took a yellow card for a fifty-third minute foul. In the seventy-third minute, Robbie Brady took a yellow card for a foul for Hull City. Sunderland took another yellow card on a Billy Jones foul in the seventy-fourth minute. Hull City iced it at 3-1 with a Nikica Jelavic goal in second half stoppage time, set up by Ahmed Elmohamady.

Out in Wales, Swansea City welcomes Aston Villa. Brad Guzan and Lukasz Fabianski are the gloved men. Swansea City was first to score in the thirteenth minute with a Gylfi Sigurdsson free kick goal. In the twenty-fourth minute, Swansea City's Jonjo Shelvey took a yellow card for a foul. Aston Villa had a yellow card in the thirty-sixth minute on a Carlos Sanchez foul. Aston Villa had yellow cards go to Ciaran Clark in the forty-ninth minute, Jores Okore in the seventy-sixth minute for a foul, and Gabriel Agbonlahor in the eighty-ninth minute during the second half. Swansea City held on to win 1-0.

Following that, West Bromwich Albion brings in Manchester City. Joe Hart and Ben Foster play goal. Manchester City got going in the eighth minute on a Fernando goal from close range. In the thirteenth minute, Yaya Toure converted the penalty kick to add on for Manchester City. Manchester City extended the lead in the thirty-fourth minute with a David Silva goal, assisted by Jesus Navas. In the eighty-fourth minute, Fernando received a yellow card for a foul for Manchester City. West Brom got on the board in the eighty-seventh minute with a Brown Ideye header goal, courtesy of James Morrison after a corner kick.

Finally, Arsenal hosts the Queens Park Rangers. Robert Green and Wojciech Szczesny man the nets. In the twenty-seventh minute, QPR took a yellow card for a Rio Ferdinand foul. In the thirty-seventh minute, Arsenal dented the scoreboard with an Alexis Sanchez header goal, via Kieran Gibbs. Arsenal went down to ten men in the fifty-third minute with an Olivier Giroud fight that drew out a straight red card. Jordon Mutch of QPR had a yellow card for a foul in the fifty-fifth minute. Arsenal added on in the sixty-fifth minute on a Tomas Rosicky goal, passed from Sanchez on a fast break. In the seventieth minute, QPR took a yellow card for a Junior Hoilett foul. QPR got on the board in the seventy-ninth minute with a Charlie Austin penalty kick conversion. In stoppage time, QPR's Niko Kranjcar took a yellow card for a foul, as did Arsenal's Francis Coquelin. Arsenal won 2-1 despite a manpower disadvantage.

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KHL December 26th, 2014

Six games on for today, beginning in...

Magnitogorsk, as Metallurg hosts Barys Astana. Jan Laco and Vasily Koshechkin are set to start in goal. Astana led off in the first period with a Kevin Dallman power play goal, powered by Brandon Bochenski and Mike Lundin. Barys added on with a Dustin Boyd goal, fueled by Nigel Dawes and Dallman. Alexei Murygin replaced Koshechkin in goal. Astana extended the lead with a Talgat Zhailauov goal, passed from Roman Savchenko and Nikolai Antropov. Barys padded the lead on a Bochenski goal, with a lone assist by Dawes. Magnitogorsk got on the board with a Sergei Mozyakin goal, helped along by Chris Lee. Koshechkin returned to the Metallurg net for the second period. Astana shot back with a Dawes goal, made possible by Bochenski. Metallurg replied on a Jan Kovar goal, with a lone helper from Mozyakin. Magnitogorsk pulled closer with an Alexei Bereglazov goal, coming off of Mozyakin and Vladislav Kaletnik. Metallurg chipped away on a Tim Stapleton power play goal, assisted by Lee and Danis Zaripov. Barys replied on a Bochenski goal, set up by Dawes, who got a sock trick. Magnitogorsk countered on a Mozyakin goal, from Zaripov. Metallurg tied it on a Stapleton goal, courtesy of Tim Brent and Denis Platonov. In the shootout, Konstantin Pushkaryov scored for Barys, but Lee and Stapleton tallied for Metallurg to give them a 7-6 win. Stapleton, Mozyakin, and Lee received the three stars, while Bochenski, Dallman, Boyd, Dawes, and Zaripov received honorable mentions.

Up in Yekaterinburg, Avtomobilist welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Anders Nilsson and Jakub Kovar are in the blue paint. Yekaterinburg got going in the second period with an unassisted Anton Lazarev goal. Avtomobilist added on with a Sergei Gusev power play goal in the third period, powered by Filipp Metlyuk. Yekaterinburg iced it at 3-0 with a Lazarev empty net goal, set up by Alexander Rybakov and Sami Lepisto. The three stars went to Lazarev, Kovar (35 save shutout), and Gusev.

West to Cherepovets, Severstal brings in the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Jakub Stepanek are the goalies. Cherepovets dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Yury Trubachyov goal, thanks to Zakhar Arzamastsev and Marek Kvapil. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win, with the three stars being Stepanek (15 save shutout), Trubachyov, and Popperle (24 for 25 in saves).

Into Moscow, where CSKA hosts Avangard Omsk. Eduard Reizvikh and Stanislav Galimov are between the pipes. Omsk began in the first period with an Alexander Popov goal, via Alexander Perezhogin. Moscow tied it with a Nikita Zaitsev power play goal, powered by Alexander Radulov. CSKA took the lead with an Igor Makarov goal, fueled by Alexei Bondarev. Moscow added on in the second period with an Igor Grigorenko goal, going in unassisted. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Zaitsev, Galimov (21 for 22 in saves), and Grigorenko.

Backtracking to Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo welcomes Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Sharychenkov and Mikhail Biryukov are the masked men. Nizhny Novgorod opened in the second period on a Sakari Salminen goal, guided in by Jarkko Immonen and Evgeny Mozer. Moscow tied it in the third period with a Filip Novak goal, fueled by Konstantin Volkov and Nikolai Zherdev. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Immonen and Wojtek Wolski scored for a 2-1 Torpedo win. The three stars went to Biryukov (24 for 25 in saves), Sharychenkov (25 for 26 in saves), and Immonen.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava bring in SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen faces a lesser foe in David LeNeveu in goal. St. Petersburg started in the first period on an Evgeny Ketov goal, guided in by Anton Burdasov and Alexander Kadeikin. SKA added on with an Alexander Barabanov goal, fueled by Burdasov. Jaroslav Janus replaced LeNeveu in goal. St. Petersburg extended the lead on a Tony Martensson goal, coming off of Patrick Thoresen and Jimmie Ericsson. SKA padded the lead in the second period as Burdasov scored, thanks to Ilya Klabukov and Barabanov. St. Petersburg struck again with a shorthanded goal by Burdasov, set up by Kablukov. SKA continued in the third period on a power play goal by Maxim Chudinov, powered by Anton Belov. Bratislava got on the board with a Milan Bartovic goal, made possible by Cam Barker. The final stood at 6-1, with the three stars given to Burdasov, Barabanov, and Kablukov.

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KHL December 25th, 2014

Merry Christmas to all celebrating the holiday today. My gift from the KHL was just two games to cover before I get the rest of the day to relax. We begin with...

Amur Khabarovsk hosting Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Alexander Pechursky are in the blue paint. Khabarovsk started in the first period with a Dmitry Tarasov goal, fueled by Tuukka Mantyla. Novosibirsk tied it on a Jonas Enlund goal, via Jarno Koskiranta. Sibir took the lead with a Dmitry Kugryshev goal, with a lone assist by Patrik Hersley. Novosibirsk added on with a power play goal by Hersley, powered by Enlund and Koskiranta. Sibir extended the lead on a Sergei Shumakov goal, made possible by Stepan Sannikov. Amur got one back on a Tarasov penalty shot goal after Maxim Ignatovich hooked him on a scoring opportunity. Khabarovsk pulled closer with an Anton Krysanov goal, coming off of Michel Miklik. Novosibirsk iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Dmitry Monya, set up by Alexei Kopeikin and Igor Ozhiganov. The three stars went to Hersley, Tarasov, and Enlund, while Koskiranta gets an honorable mention.

The other games has Lokomotiv Yaroslavl host Atlant Mytishchi. Atte Engren and Curtis Sanford draw the starts. Yaroslavl opened in the first period with a Staffan Kronwall goal, assisted by Daniil Apalkov and Sergei Plotnikov. Lokomotiv added on with an unassisted Plotnikov power play goal. Yaroslavl extended the lead on a Vladislav Kartayev goal, courtesy of Kirill Kapustin. Artyom Artemyev replaced Engren in goal. Lokomotiv padded the lead with an Ilya Gorokhov goal, via Emil Galimov and Sergei Konkov. Yaroslavl continued in the second period on a Galimov goal, made possible by Konkov. Mytishchi got on the board with a Vadim Khlopotov goal, passed from Yegor Alyoshin and Artyom Voronin. Atlant pulled closer with an Artyom Chernov goal, guided in by Alexander Yunkov and Albert Yarullin. Lokomotiv replied with a power play goal by Jonas Holos, powered by Yegor Averin and Alexei Vasilyev. Mytishchi countered in the third period with a Nikita Soshnikov goal, helped along by Dmitry Korobov and Sergei Shmelyov. This produced the 6-3 final, with the three stars going to Galimov, Konkov, and Gorokhov.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.