NHL January 7th, 2015

Four games today, beginning in...

Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jonathan Bernier are in the blue paint. Washington began in the first period on a Marcus Johansson goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Troy Brouwer. Toronto tied it on a second period Daniel Winnik goal, his second of the year, coming off of Cody Franson and Nazem Kadri. The Capitals retook the lead on a shorthanded goal by Eric Fehr, his twelfth of the season, set up by Jay Beagle and Matt Niskanen. Washington added on with a Brooks Laich goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Fehr. The Maple Leafs pulled back on a Trevor Smith goal, passed from Leo Komarov and Roman Polak. The Capitals shot back as Johansson scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with the help of John Carlson and Brouwer. Washington extended the lead with a Fehr goal in the third period, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, via Carlson and Mike Green. The Capitals padded the lead on an Alex Ovechkin empty net goal, his twentieth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The final stood at 6-2, with the three stars being Fehr, Johansson, and Brouwer, while Carlson gets an honorable mention.

Down in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Pittsburgh led off in the first period on a Beau Bennett goal, his second of the season, assisted by Evgeni Malkin and Simon Despres. Boston tied it on a Zdeno Chara goal, his third of the year, via Reilly Smith and David Krejci. The Bruins took the lead in the second period on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Daniel Paille and Milan Lucic. The Penguins tied it in the third period on a Malkin goal, his eighteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Christian Ehrhoff. Boston won 3-2 in overtime as Bergeron scored his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, thanks to Lucic and Torey Krug. The three stars were Bergeron, Malkin, and Lucic.

Westward to Calgary, where the Flames bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Karri Ramo are the backups in goal. Calgary opened in the first period on a Mason Raymond goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by David Jones and Mikael Backlund. Detroit tied it on a Riley Sheahan goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Darren Helm. Ramo was removed from the game in the second period after a collision, and replaced by Jonas Hiller. The Red Wings took the lead in the second period with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Justin Abdelkader and Gustav Nyquist. Detroit added on in the third period with an Abdelkader power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Nyquist and Zetterberg. The Flames got one back with a Backlund shorthanded goal, his second of the season, set up by Paul Byron and T.J. Brodie. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Abdelkader, Zetterberg, and Backlund, while Nyquist gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Ilya Bryzgalov receive the starting nods. New York started in the second period on a Derick Brassard goal, his eleventh of the season, via J.T. Miller and Marc Staal. The Rangers added on with a Rick Nash goal in the third period, his twenty-fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Kevin Klein. Anaheim got on the board with a Francois Beauchemin power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. New York replied with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Rangers iced it at 4-1 on an empty net goal by Dominic Moore, his third of the campaign, set up by Lee Stempniak and Miller. The three stars were Lundqvist (24 for 25 in saves), Miller, and Nash.

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KHL January 7th, 2015

Seven games for today, with the first in...

Yekaterinburg, as Avtomobilist hosts Lada Togliatti. Evgeny Ivannikov and Jakub Kovar are set to start in goal. Yekaterinburg opened in the first period on an Anton Lazarev goal, guided in by Gilbert Brule and Aaron Palushaj. Togliatti tied it on a power play goal by Stanislav Romanov, powered by Andrei Nikitenko and Alexei Mastryukov. Avtomobilist took the lead back in the second period on an Alexander Loginov goal, coming off of Brule and Lazarev. Lada tied it again with an Anton Shenfeld power play goal, passed from Dmitry Vorobyov and Martin Zatovic. Yekaterinburg won 3-2 in overtime on an Alexander Nesterov goal, via Loginov. The three stars went to Lazarev, Loginov, and Brule.

Into Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev welcomes Barys Astana. Pavel Poluektov and Vladimir Sokhatsky draw the starts. Ufa got going in the second period on a Dmitry Semin power play goal, powered by Ivan Vishnevsky and Kirill Koltsov. Astana tied it with a Roman Starchenko goal, guided in by Nikolai Antropov. Barys took the lead on a Nigel Dawes power play goal, coming off of Brandon Bochenski and Dustin Boyd. Astana iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Kevin Dallman, going in unassisted. The three stars were Poluektov (33 for 34 in saves), Dawes, and Starchenko.

Westward to Moscow, as CSKA brings in Vityaz Podolsk. Ivan Lisutin and Stanislav Galimov are the experienced goalies. Moscow dented the scoreboard with a second period goal by Damir Zhafyarov, courtesy of Evgeny Korotkov. Podolsk tied it in the third period with a Nikita Vyglazov power play goal, powered by Alexei Semenov and Dmitry Shitikov. Vityaz took the lead with a power play goal from Vyacheslav Solodukhin, via Anton Korolyov and Yakov Seleznyov. CSKA retied it on an Igor Grigorenko goal, assisted by Alexander Radulov and Nikolai Prokhorkin. Moscow won 3-2 in overtime with a Stephane Da Costa goal, fueled by Radulov and Nikita Zaitsev on the power play. The three stars were Da Costa, Radulov, and Grigorenko.

East a little to Nizhny Novgorod, as Torpedo hosts Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Mikhail Biryukov are the masked men. Cherepovets was first to score in the first period on a Marek Kvapil power play goal, with a lone assist by Maxim Trunyov. Severstal added on as Zakhar Arzamastsev scored in the second period, thanks to Alexander Shinin and Trunyov. Cherepovets extended the lead in the third period on an Evgeny Mons goal, passed from Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Ignat Zemchenko. Severstal padded the lead on an empty net goal by Vadim Berdnikov, set up by Logan Pyett and Sergei Monakhov. The three stars in the 4-0 game were Stepanek (19 save shutout), Kvapil, and Trunyov.

Moving along to Kazan, as Ak Bars brings in Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Anders Nilsson protect the nets. Kazan struck first in the first period on a Kirill Petrov goal, guided in by Vladimir Denisov and Yakov Rylov. Nizhnekamsk tied it on a Dan Sexton power play goal, powered by Teemu Eronen and Evgeny Grigorenko. Neftekhimik gained the lead as Matt Anderson scored, thanks to Sexton. Ak Bars retied it on a second period goal by Sheldon Brookbank, made possible by Mikhail Varnakov and Justin Azevedo. Kazan took the lead in the third period on an Azevedo goal, guided in by Alexander Svitov and Varnakov. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Azevedo, Sexton, and Varnakov.

Southwest to Sochi, as the Leopards welcome Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Tomas Popperle are in the creases. Yaroslavl started in the first period on a Jonas Holos goal, guided in by Daniil Apalkov and Sergei Plotnikov. Lokomotiv added on with an Andrei Loktionov power play goal, powered by Petri Kontiola and Martin Thornberg. Yaroslavl extended the lead as Apalkov scored, thanks to Plotnikov and Yegor Averin. Dmitry Shikin replaced Popperle in goal. Lokomotiv padded the lead on a Sergei Konkov goal, with a lone assist by Jiri Novotny. Sochi got on the board with an Evgeny Lapenkov power play goal, via Cory Emmerton and Andre Petersson. The Leopards pulled closer in the second period on a Ryan Whitney goal, made possible by Petersson and Pyotr Schastlivy. This only made it 4-2, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Apalkov, Plotnikov, and Petersson.

Westward to Riga, as Dinamo hosts Jokerit Helsinki. Henrik Karlsson and Jeff Deslauriers are all padded up. Riga led off in the first period on an Oskars Cibulskis power play goal, powered by Mikelis Redlihs. Helsinki tied it on a Tommi Huhtala goal in the second period, coming off of Niklas Hagman. Dinamo took the lead with a Roberts Bukarts goal, via Martins Cipulis and Linus Videll. Jokerit tied it in the third period on a Hagman goal, courtesy of Niko Kapanen and Ryan Gunderson. Riga regained the lead on a Bukarts goal, his second of the game, helped along by Videll and Redlihs. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Bukarts, Hagman, and Videll, while Redlihs gets an honorable mention.

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NHL January 6th, 2015

Ten games for tonight, with the first in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Cory Schneider are given the starting nods. New Jersey began in the first period with a Patrik Elias goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Michael Cammalleri and Adam Larsson. The Devils added on as Jordin Tootoo scored his third of the year, thanks to Marek Zidlicky and the goalie Schneider. New Jersey extended the lead on a shorthanded Travis Zajac goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Elias and Mark Fraser. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Mikhail Grigorenko power play goal, powered by Chris Stewart. The Devils replied on a third period empty net goal by Cammalleri, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Zajac and Elias. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Elias, Zajac, and Cammalleri.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Steve Mason are the average goalies. Ottawa dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Mike Hoffman goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Jared Cowen. Philadelphia tied it on a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Mark Streit. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Simmonds and Jakub Voracek led the Flyers to a 2-1 win over a lone tally by Mika Zibanejad. The three stars went to Mason (41 for 42 in saves), Anderson (33 for 34 in saves), and Simmonds.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Carey Price protect the nets. Montreal led off in the first period on a Dale Weise goal, his fifth of the season, via Tomas Plekanec and Sergei Gonchar. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period as J.T. Brown scored his second of the year, with the help of Jonathan Drouin and Brian Boyle. The Lightning took the lead on a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. Tampa Bay added on with a Brett Connolly goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Valtteri Filppula and Cedric Paquette. The Lightning extended the lead on Johnson's second power play goal of the game, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Palat and Kucherov. The Canadiens got one back in the third period on a Max Pacioretty goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Brendan Gallagher and Gonchar. The final stood from here at 4-2, with the three stars being Johnson, Palat, and Kucherov, while Gonchar gets an honorable mention.

Down to Nashville, where the Predators host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Pekka Rinne are the veteran goalies. Carolina was first to score in the first period on an Eric Staal power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Justin Faulk. Nashville tied it in the third period on a Ryan Ellis goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist from Viktor Stalberg. The Hurricanes retook the lead on a Faulk power play goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Victor Rask and Staal. The Predators tied it again with a Mike Fisher goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Colin Wilson and Filip Forsberg. Nashville took the lead on a Roman Josi goal, his seventh of the campaign, via Stalberg and Eric Nystrom. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Staal, Faulk, and Stalberg.

North to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the San Jose Sharks. Alex Stalock and Darcy Kuemper are the young goalies. Minnesota struck first in the first period on a Jason Zucker goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Jason Pominville. The Wild added on with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Zucker and Pominville. San Jose got on the board in the second period with a Melker Karlsson goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski. The Sharks tied it in the third period as Pavelski scored his twenty-first of the year, with a lone assist by Logan Couture. San Jose took the lead on a Tommy Wingels goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of James Sheppard and Burns. Minnesota tied it again with another Zucker goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, fueled by Charlie Coyle. The Sharks won 4-3 in overtime on a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Justin Braun. The three stars were Zucker, Pavelski, and Burns, while Pominville gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Chicago, where the Blackhawks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Corey Crawford are in the blue paint. Colorado opened in the first period on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of John Mitchell and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche added on with a Max Talbot goal, his third of the year, passed from MacKinnon and Mitchell. This was all they needed for a 2-0 win, with the three stars given to Varlamov (54 save shutout), MacKinnon, and Mitchell.

South to Dallas, where the Stars host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky faces a lesser foe in Anders Lindback in goal. Columbus started in the first period on a James Wisniewski goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Scott Hartnell and Nick Foligno. The Blue Jackets added on with a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Hartnell and Foligno. Columbus extended the lead on a Kevin Connauton goal in the second period, his sixth of the season, via Johansen and Foligno, the latter getting a natural sock trick. Dallas got on the board with an Ales Hemsky goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Jamie Oleksiak. The Stars pulled closer on an Antoine Roussel goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Ryan Garbutt. The Blue Jackets finished it at 4-2 in the third period on a Mark Letestu goal, his fourth of the yea, coming off of Alexander Wennberg and Sean Collins. The three stars belonged to Johansen, Foligno, and Hartnell.

Over to Arizona, where the Coyotes welcome the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Mike Smith are between the pipes. St. Louis got going in the first period on a Paul Stastny goal, his eighth of the season, via Dmitrij Jaskin and Patrik Berglund. The Blues added on in the second period with a David Backes goal, his tenth of the year, a power play goal powered by T.J. Oshie and Stastny. St. Louis extended the lead on a Backes power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Oshie. The Blues padded the lead as Backes completed a natural hat trick on his twelfth of the year, coming off of Berglund. St. Louis kept going in the third period on another Backes goal, his fourth of the game and thirteenth of the season, assisted by Alexander Steen and Oshie, the latter getting a sock trick. The Blues won 6-0 after a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Alex Pietrangelo and Steen. The three stars were Backes, Oshie, and Stastny, while Berglund and Steen get the honorable mentions.

Northward to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Viktor Fasth receive the starting nods. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Jordan Eberle power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Jeff Petry and Anton Lander. Detroit tied it in the second period on a Kyle Quincey goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Justin Abdelkader. The Red Wings took the lead as Abdelkader scored his tenth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Niklas Kronwall and Pavel Datsyuk. The Oilers retied it in the third period on an Eberle goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, assisted by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall. Detroit retook the lead on a Datsyuk power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Henrik Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist. The Red Wings iced it at 4-2 with a Luke Glendening power play goal into an empty net, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Eberle, Datsyuk, and Abdelkader.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Eddie Lack are the goalies with rhyming names. New York began in the first period on a Matt Martin goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Travis Hamonic. Vancouver tied it with a Ryan Stanton goal, via Brad Richardson. The Canucks took the lead in the second period on a Nick Bonino goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Kevin Bieksa. Vancouver added on with a Linden Vey goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Derek Dorsett. The Islanders got one back on a Mikhail Grabovski goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Kyle Okposo. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Vey, Bonino, and Stanton.

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KHL January 6th, 2015

One game for today, as Admiral Vladivostok hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Sergei Borisov and Ilya Proskuryakov are the goalies. Vladivostok began in the first period on a Vladislav Ushenin goal, assisted by Alexander Gorshkov and Denis Kuzmin. Admiral added on with a Jan Kolar power play goal, powered by Ilya Zubov and Richard Gynge. Vladivostok extended the lead in the second period as Enver Lisin scored, thanks to Konstantin Makarov. Admiral padded the lead on a shorthanded and unassisted Artyom Zemchyonok goal. Khabarovsk got on the board with a Tuukka Mantyla goal, via Dmitry Lugin and Marcel Hascak on the power play. Amur pulled closer in the third period on a Lugin goal, with a lone assist by Dmitry Tarasov. Vladivostok replied with a Tom Wandell goal, passed from Lisin and Makarov. Admiral got another on a Niclas Bergfors goal, guided in by Gynge and Zubov. Khabarovsk shot back with a Mikhail Fisenko power play goal, via Tarasov and Denis Yezhov. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars going to Lisin, Lugin, and Makarov, while Tarasov, Gynge, and Zubov get the honorable mentions.

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NHL January 5th, 2015

One game tonight, as the Winnipeg Jets host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Michael Hutchinson are in the creases. San Jose led off in the first period with a Brent Burns power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture. Winnipeg tied it on an Andrew Ladd power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler. The Sharks retook the lead in the second period on a Melker Karlsson goal, his third of the season, via Joe Pavelski and Burns. The Jets tied it again in the third period on Jay Harrison's second of the year, passed from Adam Lowry and Michael Frolik on the power play. San Jose gained the lead with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Couture and Pavelski. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Burns, Couture, and Pavelski.

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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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