KHL January 5th, 2015

Ten games make for a busy day, beginning in...

Novokuznetsk, as Metallurg hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Leland Irving and Rafael Khakimov are set to start in goal. Ufa started with a Dmitry Semin goal in the first period, made possible by Kirill Koltsov and Dmitry Makarov. Novokuznetsk tied it with a Mark Skutar goal, assisted by Ilya Musin and Dmitry Maltsev. Salavat Yulaev took the lead back on a Teemu Hartikainen goal, passed from Ilkka Heikkinen. Ufa added on with an Alexander Kutazov goal, guided in by Ivan Lekomtsev and Evgeny Skachkov. Andrei Kareyev replaced Khakimov. Salavat Yulaev extended the lead as Anton Slepyshev scored in the second period, thanks to Arturs Kulda and Hartikainen. Metallurg pulled back on a Mikhail Plotnikov goal, coming off of Maltsev and Alexander Romanov. Novokuznetsk got closer on a Musin goal, via Kirill Kaprizov and Anton Kapotov. Metallurg tied it on an unassisted Ryan Stoa power play goal. Novokuznetsk gained the lead with a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Romanov. This was good for a 5-4 win, with the three stars going to Romanov, Musin, and Hartikainen, while Maltsev gets the honorable mention.

Over in Novosibirsk, Sibir welcomes Avangard Omsk. Konstantin Barulin and Alexander Salak guard the cages. Novosibirsk opened in the first period on a Sergei Shumakov goal, passed from Sergei Gimayev and Oleg Gubin. Eduard Reizvikh replaced Barulin in the second period. Sibir added on with a David Ullstrom second period goal, assisted by Maxim Shalunov. Novosibirsk extended the lead on a Jonas Enlund goal, fueled by Dmitry Kugryshev and Maxim Ignatovich. Sibir padded the lead on a third period Ignatovich goal, with assists provided by Jarno Koskiranta and Enlund. This made it a 4-0 final, with the three stars going to Salak (32 save shutout), Enlund, and Ignatovich.

Out in Chelyabinsk, Traktor brings in Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Barry Brust and Michael Garnett are the goalies. Khanty-Mansiysk struck first in the first period on an Andrei Chibisov goal, fueled by Andrei Sergeyev. Chelyabinsk tied it on an Andrei Popov goal, via Dmitry Pestunov and Yegor Martynov. Traktor took the lead in the second period with a Pestunov goal, with a lone assist by Anton Glinkin. Yugra tied it in the third period as Ben Maxwell scored, with the help of Lukas Kaspar. Chelyabinsk retook the lead on a Semyon Kokuyov goal, going in unassisted. Traktor added on with a Francis Pare goal, helped along by Stanislav Chistov and Deron Quint. Chelyabinsk finished it at 5-2 with a Konstantin Panov goal, guided in by Chistov and Pare. The three stars went to Pestunov, Pare, and Chistov.

Backtracking to Magnitogorsk, where Metallurg hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ville Kolppanen and Alexei Murygin are the backups making spot starts. Nizhnekamsk led off in the first period with an unassisted goal by Dan Sexton. Magnitogorsk tied it in the second period on an Evgeny Biryukov goal, guided in by Tim Stapleton. Neftekhimik took the lead back in the third period as Georgijs Pujacs scored, thanks to Teemu Eronen and Matt Anderson. Nizhnekamsk iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Mikhail Zhukov, set up by Maxim Berezin. The three stars belonged to Kolppanen (41 for 42 in saves), Pujacs, and Sexton.

Southwest to Sochi, where the Leopards welcome Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Tomas Popperle are the masked men. Sochi was first to score with a first period Cory Emmerton goal, made possible by Andre Petersson and Clay Wilson. The Leopards added on with an Igor Ignatushkin goal, via Ryan Whitney and Andrei Kostitsyn. Sochi extended the lead in the second period with an Artyom Kryukov goal, passed from Timofei Shishkanov and Nikita Shchitov. Podolsk got on the board with a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, helped along by Robert Kousal and Anton Korolyov. Vityaz pulled closer on a Maxim Afinogenov goal, coming off of Kousal and Alexei Makeyev. The Leopards shot back with a power play goal by Evgeny Lapenkov, powered by Pavel Koledov and Wilson. Sochi padded the lead with a shorthanded Max Warn goal in the third period, set up by Whitney. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Whitney, Wilson, and Kryukov.

Into Moscow for an intra-city rivalry game, as CSKA Moscow brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Sharychenkov and Kevin Lalande are between the pipes. CSKA dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Nikolai Prokhorkin goal, assisted by Simon Hjalmarsson and Denis Denisov. This was all they needed to win 1-0, with the three stars awarded to Lalande (17 save shutout), Prokhorkin, and Sharychenkov (41 for 42 in saves).

Down in Kazan, Ak Bars hosts Lada Togliatti. Jeff Glass and Anders Nilsson protect the nets. Kazan began in the first period on an Oscar Moller goal, fueled by Igor Mirnov and Sheldon Brookbank. Ak Bars added on with a third period Mikhail Varnakov goal, guided in by Justin Azevedo and Sergei Kostitsyn. Kazan extended the lead on a Stepan Zakahrchuk goal, with a lone assist by Petr Vrana. This produced the 3-0 final, with the three stars handed to Nilsson (28 save shutout), Moller, and Varnakov.

Northeast to Cherepovets, where Severstal welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Vitaly Kolesnik and Jakub Stepanek draw the starts. Cherepovets got going in the first period with an Evgeny Mons goal, guided in by Vadim Berdnikov and Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Yaroslavl tied it on a Geoff Platt power play goal, powered by Petri Kontiola and Andrei Loktionov. In the shootout, Staffan Kronwall scored twice and Kontiola added another for Lokomotiv, topping tallies by Marek Kvapil and Andres Thuresson for Severstal to claim a 2-1 win. The three stars went to Kolesnik (32 for 33 in saves), Kronwall, and Kontiola.

Back toward Moscow, Atlant Mytishchi brings in Dinamo Minsk. Lars Haugen and Atte Engren receive the starting nods. Mytishchi opened in the first period on an Evgeny Bodrov goal, fueled by Albert Yarullin and Nikita Soshnikov. Minsk tied it on a Matt Ellison goal in the second period, coming off of Nick Bailen and Evgeny Nogachyov. Atlant took the lead back on a Yarullin goal, passed from Sergei Shmelyov on the power play. Dinamo retied it as Ryan Vesce scored, thanks to Ellison and Charles Linglet. Minsk took the lead on a power play goal by Jonathan Cheechoo, powered by Linglet and Ellison. Dinamo added on in the third period with an Alexei Kalyuzhny power play goal, helped along by Paul Szczechura and Dmitry Meleshko. This was good for a 4-2 win, with the three stars going to Ellison, Linglet, and Yarullin.

Finally, Jokerit Helsinki hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Henrik Karlsson are in the blue paint. St. Petersburg started with an Alexander Kadeikin goal, courtesy of Evgeny Ketov in the first period. Helsinki tied it on a Linus Omark goal,with a lone helper by Ville Lajunen. SKA took the lead back in the second period on a Patrick Thoresen power play goal, powered by Andrei Kuteikin and Dmitry Kalinin. St. Petersburg added on with an Evgeny Dadonov goal, guided in by Artemy Panarin. This held up for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Koskinen (32 for 33 in saves), Thoresen, and Dadonov.

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Hockey January 4th, 2015

Eight games across two leagues today, beginning with just one game in the KHL, as...

Medvescak Zagreb hosts Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Mark Owuya are the goalies. Bratislava opened in the first period on a Ziga Jeglic goal, courtesy of Rok Ticar. Slovan added on with an Andrej Stastny goal, coming off of Tomas Surovy. Bratislava extended the lead in the second period on a Matt Murley power play goal, powered by Michal Vondrka and Cam Barker. Slovan padded the lead on a Murley goal, passed from Martin Stajnoch and Barker. Calvin Heeter replaced Owuya in goal. Zagreb got on the board with a Bill Thomas goal, with assists by Patrick Bjorkstrand and Mark Flood. Medvescak pulled closer on a Mike Glumac goal, made possible by Nathan Perkovich and Mathieu Carle. Zagreb edged closer on an Andrew Murray goal, helped along by Glumac. Medvescak tied it on a third period goal by Edwin Hedberg, via Thomas and Bjorkstrand. Zagreb took the lead on a Pascal Pelletier goal, pushed through by Martin St. Pierre. This was good for an epic 5-4 comeback win, with the three stars going to Glumac, Thomas, and Murley, while Barker and Bjorkstrand are given honorable mentions.

Way west to Raleigh, where the NHL action begins with the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Boston Bruins in a matinee. Tuukka Rask faces his former backup Anton Khudobin in goal. Carolina led off in the first period with a Patrick Dwyer goal, his third of the season, assisted by Jay McClement and Brad Malone. Boston tied it on a second period Patrice Bergeron goal, his eighth of the year, via Brad Marchand and Dougie Hamilton. The Hurricanes won 2-1 with a shootout goal by Eric Staal. The three stars went to Rask (35 for 36 in saves), Khudobin (19 for 20 in saves), and Dwyer.

Up to DC, where the Washington Capitals welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Braden Holtby are in the blue paint. Washington got going in the second period on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his nineteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson. Florida tied it on a Vincent Trocheck goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Willie Mitchell and Jussi Jokinen. The Panthers took the lead as Dylan Olsen scored his second of the season, via Shane O'Brien and Nick Bjugstad. The Capitals retied it with a Brooks Laich goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by John Carlson and Brooks Orpik. Washington took the lead as Karl Alzner scored his third of the season, thanks to Eric Fehr. The Capitals added on with a third period goal by Andre Burakovsky, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Ovechkin and Jack Hillen. Florida got one back on a Bjugstad goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, helped along by Aaron Ekblad and Dave Bolland. This produced the 4-3 final, with the three stars going to Ovechkin, Bjugstad, and Burakovsky.

North to Ottawa, where the Senators bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Robin Lehner are the former teammates in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Kyle Turris goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Clarke MacArthur and Cody Ceci. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period on a Victor Hedman goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Jonathan Drouin and Matthew Carle. The Senators retook the lead as Mark Stone scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Turris and Erik Karlsson. The Lightning tied it again with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Anton Stralman. Tampa Bay took the lead on a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Alex Killorn and Hedman. The Lightning added on with Johnson's second of the game and fifteenth of the year in the third period, made possible by Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Johnson, Hedman, and Turris, while Kucherov gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Corey Crawford are between the pipes. Dallas began in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Tyler Seguin. Chicago tied it on a Brandon Saad goal, his tenth of the year, via Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook. The Stars replied with a Jordie Benn goal in the second period, with assists provided by Erik Cole and Ales Hemsky. The Blackhawks retied it on a Patrick Kane goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Patrick Sharp and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Dallas pulled ahead again on a Cole goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by John Klingberg and Alex Goligoski. Chicago tied it as Bryan Bickell scored his sixth of the season, a power play goal powered by Brad Richards and Marian Hossa. The Stars again edged ahead on a Cole goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, coming in the third period from Goligoski and Jason Spezza. The Blackhawks got another equalizer on a Richards goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Hossa and Duncan Keith. Chicago won 5-4 in overtime on a Sharp goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone helper by Keith. The three stars were Sharp, Cole, and Richards, while Goligoski, Hossa, and Keith get the honorable mentions.

Out to Colorado, where the Avalanche welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Semyon Varlamov are the mediocre goalies. Colorado struck first with an unassisted Jarome Iginla goal, his tenth of the season. Columbus tied it on a Brandon Dubinsky goal, via Cody Goloubef and Jack Johnson. The Blue Jackets took the lead on another Dubinsky goal in the second period, his second of the game, helped along by Matt Calvert and Goloubef. The Avalanche tied it again with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his eighth of the year, via Matt Duchene and Tyson Barrie. Columbus took the lead back on a Ryan Johansen goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Scott Hartnell and Nick Foligno. Colorado retied it on a Cody McLeod goal, his third of the year, guided in by Daniel Briere and Brad Stuart. The Blue Jackets regained the lead on a third period goal by David Savard, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Foligno and Hartnell. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Dubinsky, Foligno, and Hartnell.

Into California, where the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton is mismatched with Frederik Andersen in goal. Anaheim was first to score in the first period on a Matt Beleskey goal, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. Nashville tied it in the second period as Mattias Ekholm scored his third of the year, thanks to Mike Ribeiro and Filip Forsberg. The Ducks regained the lead on a Corey Perry goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Rene Bourque and Ryan Getzlaf. The Predators tied it again with a Seth Jones power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Ryan Ellis and Ribeiro. Nashville took the lead on a Craig Smith power play goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Ellis and Ribeiro, the latter getting a sock trick. Anaheim tied it on a third period goal by Francois Beauchemin, his second of the year, with assists provided by Nate Thompson and Hampus Lindholm. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Jakob Silfverberg and Ryan Kesler's tallies topped a lone tally by Smith to give the Ducks a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Ribeiro, Smith, and Ellis.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Ben Scrivens draw the starts in goal. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Matt Hendricks goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Rob Klinkhammer. The Oilers added on in the second period on a Jordan Eberle goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Taylor Hall and Andrew Ference. New York got on the board with a Johnny Boychuk goal, his fourth of the season, a power play goal powered by Nick Leddy and John Tavares. Edmonton answered with a Derek Roy goal in the third period, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The Oilers extended the lead on a Hendricks empty net goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. Edmonton padded the lead with a Matt Fraser goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Nikita Nikitin and Anton Lander. New York got one back with a Brock Nelson power play goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, with assists from Boychuk and Tavares. The three stars of the 5-2 game were Hendricks, Boychuk, and Tavares.

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NHL January 3rd, 2015

Ten games for today, beginning in...

Boston in a matinee, as the Bruins host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Tuukka Rask are the goalies. Ottawa dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Kyle Turris goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Clarke MacArthur. Boston tied it on a Torey Krug power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by David Krejci and Seth Griffith. The Bruins added on with a Brad Marchand goal in the third period, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Krejci and Loui Eriksson. The Senators tied it again with a Mike Hoffman goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Eric Gryba. Ottawa won 3-2 in overtime with a Bobby Ryan goal, his eleventh of the campaign, assisted by Erik Karlsson. The three stars went to Ryan, Hoffman, and Krejci.

The other matinee of the day has the Los Angeles Kings welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jonathan Quick guard the cages. Los Angeles began in the first period on a Matt Greene goal, his third of the season, coming off of Mike Richards. Nashville tied it on a Mike Fisher goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Roman Josi and Shea Weber. The Predators took the lead with a Colin Wilson goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Viktor Stalberg. Nashville added on with a power play goal by Ryan Ellis, his fourth of the year, powered by Mike Ribeiro and Seth Jones. The Predators extended the lead as Mattias Ekholm scored in the second period, his second goal of the season, fueled by Craig Smith and Ellis. Nashville padded the lead with a Mark Arcobello goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Wilson and Anton Volchenkov. The Kings got one back with an Alec Martinez goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Dustin Brown and Jamie McBain. Los Angeles pulled closer on a Dwight King goal, his sixth of the year, via Jake Muzzin and Anze Kopitar. The Predators shot back in the third period with an Olli Jokinen goal, his third of the season, with helpers by Gabriel Bourque and Paul Gaustad. The Kings answered with a King goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, helped along by Muzzin and Kopitar. Los Angeles pulled closer on a Martinez goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, pushed through by Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter. The Kings tied it on a Carter goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Kopitar, who got a sock trick, and Martinez. Nashville won 7-6 in overtime with a Josi goal, his sixth of the campaign, from Filip Forsberg and Ribeiro. The three stars went to Josi, Kopitar, and Martinez, while King, Wilson, Ellis, Ribeiro, and Muzzin get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Cory Schneider draw the starts. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Jaromir Jagr goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Adam Henrique. The Devils added on with a Patrik Elias power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Martin Havlat and Travis Zajac. New Jersey extended the lead with a Jagr goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, coming off of Scott Gomez and Andy Greene. Steve Mason replaced Emery for the second period. The Devils padded the lead as Gomez scored his third of the year, thanks to Henrique and Adam Larsson. New Jersey continued with Jagr completing his hat trick on his ninth of the season, made possible by Gomez and Seth Helgeson. Philadelphia got on the board with an Andrew MacDonald goal, his second of the year, passed from Brayden Schenn and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers pulled closer on a Vincent Lecavalier goal, his seventh of the campaign, coming on the power play in the third period via MacDonald and Michael Del Zotto. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Jagr, Gomez, and Henrique, while MacDonald gets an honorable mention.

Into New York, where the Rangers host the Buffalo Sabres. Michal Neuvirth is mismatched with Henrik Lundqvist in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Derick Brassard power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Martin St. Louis and Dan Boyle. The Rangers added on with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of J.T. Miller and Ryan McDonagh. New York extended the lead on a power play goal by Rick Nash, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by St. Louis and Brassard. The Rangers padded the lead as Boyle scored his third of the year, thanks to Nash and Mats Zuccarello. Neuvirth was replaced by Enroth at this time. New York kept going in the second period on a Carl Hagelin goal, his eighth of the season, via Matt Hunwick and Kevin Klein. Buffalo got on the board with a Drew Stafford goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Andre Benoit. The Rangers replied on a Jesper Fast goal, his third of the campaign, with a lone helper by Kevin Hayes. The three stars in the 6-1 game went to Nash, Brassard, and Boyle, while St. Louis gets an honorable mention.

West a little to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Montreal started in the first period on a Max Pacioretty goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Tom Gilbert and Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens added on as David Desharnais scored his sixth of the year, with the help of Tomas Plekanec and Dale Weise. Pittsburgh got on the board with a David Perron goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Sidney Crosby and Steve Downie. The Canadiens replied on a Gilbert goal in the second period, his second of the year, via Pacioretty and P.K. Subban. Montreal finished it at 4-1 with a third period Alexei Emelin goal, fueled by Lars Eller and Jiri Sekac. The three stars went to Pacioretty, Gilbert, and Price (30 for 31 in saves).

Northwest to Winnipeg, where the Jets bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Michael Hutchinson are the masked men. Toronto got going in the second period on a Mike Santorelli goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by James van Riemsdyk and Dion Phaneuf. Winnipeg tied it on a T.J. Galiardi goal, assisted by Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets took the lead with a Matt Halischuk goal, his second of the year, fueled by Ben Chiarot and Andrew Ladd. Winnipeg added on with a Byfuglien goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little. The Jets extended the lead in the third period on a Little goal, his fifteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Mathieu Perreault and Ladd. Winnipeg wrapped it up at 5-1 with a Chiarot goal, with a lone helper by Little. The three stars were handed to Byfuglien, Little, and Chiarot, while Ladd gets an honorable mention.

Down to Dallas, where the Stars host the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Kari Lehtonen are the average goalies. Dallas struck first in the first period on a Vernon Fiddler power play goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Erik Cole and Trevor Daley. The Stars added on as Colton Sceviour scored his fourth of the year in the second period, thanks to Tyler Seguin. Dallas extended the lead on a Fiddler goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, made possible by Brett Ritchie and Jamie Oleksiak. The Stars padded the lead with a Seguin goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, passed from John Klingberg and Jordie Benn. Niklas Backstrom replaced Kuemper in goal. Dallas kept going with a shorthanded goal by Cole, his seventh of the season, set up by Jamie Benn. Minnesota got on the board with a Thomas Vanek power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise. The Stars responded with an Antoine Roussel goal, his ninth of the season, via Ryan Garbutt and Oleksiak. Dallas capped it off with a Ritchie goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Travis Moen and Oleksiak, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars went to Fiddler, Oleksiak, and Seguin, while Cole and Ritchie get the honorable mentions.

Out to Arizona, where the Coyotes welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Mike Smith are between the pipes. Arizona was first to score in the first period on a Tobias Rieder goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Lauri Korpikoski and Kyle Chipchura. Columbus tied it on a Fedor Tyutin goal in the second period, passed from Jack Skille and Sean Collins. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a James Wisniewski goal, his third of the year, coming on the power play from Brandon Dubinsky and Nick Foligno. The Coyotes retied it on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Martin Hanzal and Keith Yandle. Arizona took the lead with a Sam Gagner goal, his sixth of the year, a power play goal fueled by Hanzal and Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes added on with a Hanzal goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Gagner and Martin Erat. Arizona extended the lead in the third period on a Chipchura goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Rieder. The Coyotes padded the lead on a Gagner power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, with helpers from Yandle and Hanzal, the latter getting a sock trick. Columbus got one back on an unassisted Ryan Johansen goal, his eleventh of the year. This produced the 6-3 final, with the three stars awarded to Hanzal, Gagner, and Ekman-Larrson, while Rieder, Chipchura, and Yandle receive honorable mentions.

North to Vancouver, where the Canucks bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Ryan Miller protect the nets. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the second period on an Alexander Edler power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. The Canucks added on with a Radim Vrbata power play goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Detroit got on the board with a Tomas Tatar goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Gustav Nyquist and Danny DeKeyser. Vancouver replied with a Henrik Sedin empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Daniel Sedin and Edler. The Canucks iced it at 4-1 with another Henrik Sedin empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, coming off of Daniel Sedin, who got a sock trick. The three stars went to Miller (29 for 30 in saves), Henrik Sedin, and Daniel Sedin, while Edler gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Antti Niemi are the veteran goalies. St. Louis led off in the first period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Alexander Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. San Jose tied it on a Melker Karlsson goal, his second of the year, made possible by Barclay Goodrow and Matt Tennyson. The Sharks took the lead with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Tomas Hertl and Brent Burns. The Blues tied it on a Steen goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Paul Stastny and Oshie. St. Louis took the lead with an Oshie goal in the second period, his second of the game and ninth of the season, courtesy of Steen and Carl Gunnarsson. The Blues added on with a Shattenkrik goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. St. Louis extended the lead in the third period on a Schwartz power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Steen, who got a sock trick, and Shattenkirk. The Blues padded the lead with a Dmitrij Jaskin goal, his fourth of the year, an unassisted goal. Alex Stalock relieved Niemi. St. Louis kept going as Oshie finished his hat trick with a power play goal, his tenth of the season, with helpers coming from Shattenkirk, who got a sock trick, and Stastny. The final was 7-2, with the three stars being Oshie, Steen, and Shattenkirk, while Stastny and Schwartz get the honorable mentions.

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KHL January 3rd, 2015

Welcome to the New Year, with three games on for the first day after the break. We begin in...

Yekaterinburg, as Avtomobilist hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Jakub Kovar are in the blue paint. Yekaterinburg got going in the second period on an Aaron Palushaj goal, via Gilbert Brule and Anton Lazarev. Nizhnekamsk tied it on a Stanislav Kalashnikov goal, passed from Matt Anderson. Neftekhimik took the lead as Evgeny Grigorenko scored, with the help of Anderson. Avtomobilist retied it in the third period on an Alexander Nesterov goal, fueled by Sergei Gusev. Neftekhimik won 3-2 with a shootout goal from Andrei Ivanov. The three stars were Anderson, Grigorenko, and Kalashnikov.

Down in Magnitogorsk, Metallurg welcomes Lada Togliatti. Jeff Glass and Alexei Murygin receive the starting nods. Magnitogorsk dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Mikhail Yunkov goal, made possible by Denis Platonov and Alexei Bereglazov. Metallurg added on with a Danis Zaripov goal, courtesy of Jan Kovar and Evgeny Biryukov. This was all they needed for a 2-0 win, with the three stars being Murygin (26 save shutout), Yunkov, and Zaripov.

Finally, Jokerit Helsinki brings in Dinamo Minsk. Danny Taylor and Henrik Karlsson are between the pipes. Helsinki started with a Juhamatti Aaltonen power play goal in the first period, powered by Ryan Gunderson and Niko Kapanen. Jokerit added on with a Gunderson power play goal, with a lone assist by Kapanen. Helsinki extended the lead as Tommi Huhtala scored, thanks to Topi Jaakola and Kapanen, the latter getting a natural sock trick. Minsk got on the board with an Alexei Kalyuzhny goal, courtesy of Lukas Krajicek and Paul Szczechura. Dinamo pulled closer in the second period with a Ryan Vesce goal, assisted by Matt Ellison and Charles Linglet. Jokerit answered in the third period with a Kapanen goal, passed from Niklas Hagman and Niko Peltola. Helsinki iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Tomi Maki, set up by Petteri Wirtanen. The three stars went to Kapanen, Gunderson, and Huhtala.

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NHL January 2nd, 2015

Eight games tonight, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo faces a lesser foe in Michal Neuvirth in goal. Florida started in the first period on a Brad Boyes goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Aleksander Barkov and Sean Bergenheim. The Panthers added on with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming on the power play from Jimmy Hayes and Aaron Ekblad. This was all they needed for a 2-0 win, with the three stars going to Luongo (24 save shutout), Boyes, and Bjugstad.

Down in Carolina, the Hurricanes welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Cam Ward draw the starts. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Brad Malone goal, made possible by Zach Boychuk. The Hurricanes added on with an Eric Staal goal in the second period, his tenth of the season, coming off of Jordan Staal and Justin Faulk. Philadelphia got on the board with a Chris VandeVelde goal in the third period, his second of the year, helped along by Vincent Lecavalier and Mark Streit. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Ward (17 for 18 in saves), Eric Staal, and Malone.

North again to New Jersey, as the Devils host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Keith Kinkaid receive the starting nods. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Michael Bournival goal, assisted by Sergei Gonchar and Nathan Beaulieu. The Canadiens added on with a Max Pacioretty goal, his fifteenth of season, a power play goal powered by P.K. Subban and Alex Galchenyuk. Montreal extended the lead in the third period on Bournival's second of the game, via Dale Weise and Subban. New Jersey got on the board with a Michael Ryder goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Devils pulled closer on a Michael Cammalleri goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Jaromir Jagr and Scott Gomez. The Canadiens iced it at 4-2 with a Tomas Plekanec empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Brendan Gallagher and Subban, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars went to Bournival, Subban, and Pacioretty.

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Thomas Greiss are set to start. Pittsburgh opened in the first period on a Chris Kunitz power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins added on with an Andrew Ebbett goal, via Evgeni Malkin and Simon Despres. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Malkin scored his seventeenth of the year, thanks to Ebbett and Bryan Rust. Evgeni Nabokov replaced Bishop. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Brian Boyle goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Ondrej Palat and Matthew Carle. The Lightning pulled closer in the second period as Victor Hedman scored his fourth of the year, with the help of Tyler Johnson and Palat. The Penguins replied on a Christian Ehrhoff goal, his third of the season, coming off of Beau Bennett and Crosby. Tampa Bay shot back again with an Alex Killorn goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Anton Stralman and Hedman. Pittsburgh countered on a Steve Downie goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Crosby, who got a sock trick, and Nick Spaling. The Penguins iced it at 6-3 with a Downie empty net goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, set up by Letang and Crosby. The three stars were Crosby, Downie, and Malkin, while Ebbett, Letang, Palat, and Hedman get the honorable mentions.

Over in Minnesota, the Wild host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Darcy Kuemper are the young goalies. Minnesota got going in the second period on a Kyle Brodziak goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Charlie Coyle and Nino Niederreiter. Toronto tied it in the third period on a Cody Franson power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Dion Phaneuf and James van Riemsdyk. The Wild took the lead back with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Coyle and Mikko Koivu. Minnesota added on with a Koivu power play goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville. This produced the 3-1 final, with the three stars going Kuemper (34 for 35 in saves), Koivu, and Coyle.

Into Canada, where the Calgary Flames welcome the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Jonas Hiller are in goal. New York struck first in the first period on a John Tavares power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Ryan Strome and Kyle Okposo. The Islanders added on in the third period with another Tavares goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, fueled by Okposo and Calvin de Haan. Calgary got on the board with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, helped along by Jiri Hudler and Kris Russell. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Tavares, Halak (22 for 23 in saves), and Okposo.

Back south, the Colorado Avalanche host the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Scrivens and Semyon Varlamov are given the green light in goal. Colorado led off in the second period on a Daniel Briere goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Matt Duchene and Tyson Barrie. Edmonton tied it on a third period power play goal by Benoit Pouliot, his fourth of the year, powered by Justin Schultz and Jordan Eberle. The Avalanche won with shootout goals by Duchene and Alex Tanguay. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Varlamov (27 for 28 in saves), Scrivens (27 for 28 in saves), and Duchene.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Martin Brodeur and Frederik Andersen are in the creases. Anaheim began in the first period with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his thirteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Patrick Maroon and Sami Vatanen. St. Louis tied it on a T.J. Oshie goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Alexander Steen and David Backes. The Ducks took the lead with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Ryan Kesler and Matt Beleskey. The Blues tied it again as Kevin Shattenkirk scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Paul Stastny and Jori Lehtera. Anaheim took the lead on an Andrew Cogliano goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Nate Thompson and Ben Lovejoy. St. Louis pulled even with a Steen goal, his ninth of the year, coming on the power play from Vladimir Tarasenko and Shattenkirk. The Ducks took the lead on a Beleskey goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Vatanen and Kesler. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Beleskey, Steen, and Shattenkirk, while Vatanen and Kesler are the honorable mentions.

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NHL January 1st, 2015

Two games on New Year's Day, with one carrying significantly more weight. The first is in...

Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. as the Capitals host the Chicago Blackhawks in the Winter Classic. Corey Crawford and Braden Holtby are the goalies. Washington led off in the first period with an Eric Fehr goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Capitals added on with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Mike Green and Jack Hillen. Chicago got on the board with a Patrick Sharp power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks tied it on a Brandon Saad goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa. Washington won 3-2 with a late third period power play goal by Troy Brouwer, his eleventh of the campaign, fueled by Ovechkin and Green. The three stars went to Ovechkin, Brouwer, and Green.

The later game had the Vancouver Canucks host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Ryan Miller tend the twines. Vancouver began in the first period with an Alexandre Burrows goal, his ninth of the season, coming on the power play from Daniel Sedin and Radim Vrbata. The Canucks added on with a Vrbata goal in the second period, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Chris Higgins and Henrik Sedin. Los Angeles got on the board with a Dwight King goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Mike Richards. The Kings tied it in the third period on a Justin Williams power play goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Drew Doughty and Alec Martinez. Los Angeles gained the lead with a Jarret Stoll goal, his fourth of the campaign, via Tanner Pearson. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Vrbata, Stoll, and Williams.

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Premier League Week 20

Ten games all on New Year's Day this time around. We begin with...

Stoke City hosting Manchester United. David de Gea and Asmir Begovic are the goalies. Stoke City began in the second minute with a Ryan Shawcross goal, via Peter Crouch after a corner kick. Manchester United tied it in the twenty-sixth minute as Falcao scored, thanks to Michael Carrick's headed pass after a corner kick. This held up for a 1-1 draw.

Continuing to Aston Villa welcoming Crystal Palace. Julian Speroni and Brad Guzan are set to start in goal. Aston Villa took a yellow card in the seventy-eighth minute for a Ciaran Clark foul. Crystal Palace took a yellow card for an eighty-sixth minute foul by Damien Delaney. The game ended in a scoreless draw.

Up to Hull City bringing in Everton. Joel Robles and Allan McGregor are in the six-yard boxes. Everton took the first yellow card in the eleventh minute on a Muhamed Besic foul. Hull City was given a yellow card for a twentieth minute David Meyler foul. In the thirty-third minute, Hull City opened with an Ahmed Elmohamady header goal, passed from Liam Rosenior on a cross. Hull City had another yellow card for a thirty-ninth minute Jake Livermore foul. In the forty-third minute, Hull City added on with a Nikica Jelavic goal, assisted by Abel Hernandez. In first half stoppage time Arouna Kone of Everton received a yellow card for a foul. Everton had a pair of yellow cards in the second half for a sixty-fifth minute Gareth Barry foul and a sixty-seventh minute Antolin Alcaraz foul. In the eighty-sixth minute, Alcaraz received another yellow card and was ejected. Hull City's Harry Maguire received a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-ninth minute. Hull City cruised to a 2-0 win.

Over to Liverpool hosting Leicester City. Ben Hamer and Simon Mignolet. Liverpool started in the seventeenth minute on a Steven Gerrard penalty kick goal. In the twenty-first minute, Lucas Leiva of Liverpool was given a yellow card for a foul. In the thirty-sixth minute, Marcin Wasilewski was given a yellow card for a foul for Leicester City. In the fortieth minute, Gerrard made another penalty shot to add on to the Liverpool lead. In the fifty-eighth minute, David Nugent got Leicester City on the board with a goal, assisted by Jamie Vardy. Leicester City tied it on a sixtieth minute goal by Jeffrey Schlupp, passed from Riyad Mahrez. In the eighty-ninth minute, Leicester City's Matthew James took a yellow card for a foul. Liverpool's Gerrard received a yellow card in stoppage time for his foul. The final held at 2-2.

Next up, Manchester City welcomes Sunderland. Costel Pantilimon faces a lesser foe in Willy Caballero in goal. Sunderland had a pair of yellow cards in the first half, going to Billy Jones for a foul in the seventeenth minute and Sebastian Larsson in the thirty-fourth minute. In the fifty-first minute, Samir Nasri took a yellow card for a foul for Manchester City. In the fifty-seventh minute, Yaya Toure put Manchester City on the board with a goal made possible by Stevan Jovetic. In the sixty-sixth minute, Jovetic added on for Manchester City with his goal, coming off of a Gael Clichy cross. Sunderland got on the board with a sixty-eighth minute goal by Jack Rodwell, passed from Larsson on a cross after a corner kick. In the seventy-first minute, Pablo Zabaleta took a yellow card for Manchester City, directly leading to an Adam Johnson equalizer on a penalty kick. In the seventy-third minute, Frank Lampard scored a header goal on a Clichy cross to give Manchester City the lead again. Sunderland saw a yellow card for a Wes Brown foul in the eighty-eighth minute. Manchester City held on for a 3-2 win.

Following that, Newcastle United brings in Burnley. Tom Heaton and Jak Alnwick are the gloved men. In the fifteenth minute, Newcastle United struck first on a Steven Taylor header goal, passed from Jack Colback on a cross after a corner kick. Burnley tied it on a Paul Dummett own goal in the nineteenth minute. Newcastle United took the lead back in the twenty-sixth minute as Colback scored, thanks to Daryl Janmaat. In the sixty-fourth minute, Burnley's Danny Ings was given a yellow card. Burnley tied the game again in the sixty-sixth minute on an Ings goal, made possible by Michael Kightly's cross. In the sixty-eighth minute, Janmaat received a yellow card for a foul for Newcastle United. Newcastle United took the lead back in the seventy-eighth minute on a Moussa Sissoko goal, assisted by Adam Armstrong. In the eighty-fourth minute, Ben Mee of Burnley had a yellow card for a foul, followed by a yellow card for Kieran Trippier's argument. In the eighty-sixth minute, Burnley pulled level on a George Boyd goal. In the eighty-ninth minute, Michael Williamson was given a yellow card for his foul for Newcastle United. Burnley had the last yellow card go to Boyd in stoppage time for a foul. The final stood at 3-3.

Into London, where the Queens Park Rangers host Swansea City. Lukasz Fabianski and Robert Green are between the posts. QPR began in the twentieth minute on a Leroy Fer goal. QPR had three straight yellow cards in the second half, for a fifty-eighth minute Mauricio Isla foul, a sixty-second minute Richard Dunne foul, and a seventy-fourth minute Joey Barton foul. In the eighty-sixth minute, QPR's Karl Henry received a yellow card for a foul, but Swansea City went down to ten men later in the minute when Wayne Routledge was sent off on a straight red card for fighting. Despite the manpower disadvantage, Swansea City tied it in stoppage time with a Wilfried Bony goal, set up by Ki Sung-Yueng. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Next up, Southampton welcomes Arsenal. Wojciech Szczesny and Fraser Forster guard the woodwork. Southampton had the first yellow card in the twenty-third minute for a Victor Wanyama foul. In the thirty-fourth minute, Sadio Mane put Southampton on the board with a long range goal at a bad angle, made possible by James Ward-Prowse. Southampton added on in the fifty-sixth minute with a Dusan Tadic goal. In the sixty-seventh minute, Florin Gardos took a yellow card for Southampton for his foul. Arsenal's Francis Coquelin was given a yellow card in the seventy-fourth minute for a foul. Southampton finished with a 2-0 lead.

West Ham United brought in West Bromwich Albion. Ben Foster and Adrian are the keepers. West Ham United had a yellow card in the fourth minute for a foul by Cheikhou Kouyate. West Ham United began in the tenth minute on a Diafra Sakho header goal, passed from Aaron Cresswell on a cross. West Brom tied it as Saido Berahino scored in the forty-second minute, with the help of Stephane Sessegnon on a fast break.

Finally, London clubs clash as Tottenham Hotspur hosts Chelsea. Thibaut Courtois and Hugo Lloris are the experienced goalies. Chelsea was first to score in the eighteenth minute on a Diego Costa goal, via Oscar. Tottenham Hotspur tied it on a thirtieth minute Harry Kane goal, coming off of Danny Rose. In the forty-fourth minute, Tottenham Hotspur took the lead with a Rose goal. Tottenham Hotspur added on in first-half stoppage time with an Andros Townsend penalty kick goal. Tottenham Hotspur extended the lead in the fifty-second minute Kane goal, with an assist from Nacer Chadli. Chelsea got one back in the sixty-first minute as Eden Hazard scored, thanks to Cesc Fabregas. Tottenham Hotspur saw yellow cards go to Nabil Bentaleb in the sixty-sixth minute and Paulinho in the seventy-second minute for a foul and dnagerous play, respectively. Tottenham Hotspur replied with a seventy-eighth minute goal by Chadli, courtesy of Kane. In the eighty-second minute, Chelsea's Fabregas took a yellow card for a foul. Chelsea pulled back with an eighty-seventh minute John Terry goal, via Branislav Ivanovic. Kane received a yellow card in the same minute for Tottenham Hotspur. The final was 5-3 in favor of Tottenham Hotspur.

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