NHL January 14th, 2015

Four games for the night, with the first coming from...

Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Columbus started in the first period on a Kevin Connauton goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Jeremy Morin. The Blue Jackets added on with a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by James Wisniewski and Nick Foligno. Montreal got on the board with a Max Pacioretty goal, his nineteenth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Andrei Markov and Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens tied it on a P.K. Subban power play goal, his ninth of the year, via Markov and Alex Galchenyuk. Montreal took the lead on another Pacioretty power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the campaign, guided in by Tomas Plekanec and Sergei Gonchar. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Pacioretty, Subban, and Markov.

Back east, the Washington Capitals welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Rob Zepp is mismatched with Braden Holtby in goal. Washington struck first in the first period on a Jason Chimera goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Matt Niskanen. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Holtby (21 save shutout), Chimera, and Zepp (25 for 26 in saves).

Way west to Anaheim, as the Ducks bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Frederik Andersen are the young goalies. Anaheim was first to score in the first period on a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Hampus Lindholm and Cam Fowler. The Ducks added on in the second period as Corey Perry scored his sixteenth of the year, thanks to Ryan Getzlaf and Ben Lovejoy. Anaheim extended the lead on a Perry goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, with a lone assist by Getzlaf. The Ducks iced it at 4-0 in the third period on a Perry empty net goal to finish his hat trick, his eighteenth of the year, set up by Clayton Stoner and the goalie Andersen. The three stars went to Perry, Andersen (28 save shutout), and Getzlaf.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Jonathan Quick protect the nets. New Jersey opened in the first period on a Steve Bernier goal, his fourth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Michael Cammalleri and Scott Gomez. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with a Dustin Brown goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Drew Doughty and Brayden McNabb. The Devils shot back on a Bernier power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, powered by Gomez and Jon Merrill. New Jersey added on with a Martin Havlat goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Patrik Elias and Travis Zajac. The Devils extended the lead as Cammalleri scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Michael Ryder and Dainius Zubrus. New Jersey padded the lead on a Ryder goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Andy Greene and Adam Larsson. The Kings got one back in the third period with a Marian Gaborik goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from McNabb and Justin Williams. Los Angeles drew closer on a Williams goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Mike Richards. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Bernier, Ryder, and Cammalleri, while Williams, Gomez, and McNabb get the honorable mentions.

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KHL January 14th, 2015

Six games on today, beginning in...

Omsk, as Avangard hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Denis Kostin are in the creases. Magnitogorsk struck first in the first period on a Danis Zaripov power play goal, powered by Sergei Mozyakin and Jan Kovar. Metallurg added on with a Bogdan Potekhin goal, passed from Yaroslav Kosov and Vladislav Kaletnik. Magnitogorsk extended the lead in the second period with a power play goal by Kovar, assisted by Zaripov and Viktor Antipin. Omsk got on the board with an Ivan Fischenko goal, coming off of Erik Gustafsson and Kirill Rasskazov. This only made it 3-1, the eventual final, with the three stars being Koshechkin (29 for 30 in saves), Zaripov, and Kovar.

Up in Khanty-Mansiysk, Yugra welcomes Sibir Novosibirsk. Nikita Bespalov and Georgy Gelashvili are given the starting nods. Novosibirsk began with a first period goal by David Ullstrom, helped along by Konstantin Alexeyev and Jonas Enlund on the power play. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it with a Pavel Valentenko power play goal, with a lone assist by Nikita Gusev. Sibir pulled ahead in the third period on an Oleg Gubin goal, fueled by Igor Ozhiganov. Yugra tied it on an Artyom Bulyansky power play goal, powered by Gusev and Philip Larsen. Novosibirsk retook the lead on an Ullstrom power play goal, his second of the game, guided in by Patrik Hersley and Alexeyev. Sibir iced it at 4-2 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Hersley, set up by Stepan Sannikov and Gubin. The three stars belonged to Ullstrom, Hersley, and Alexeyev, while Gubin and Gusev get the honorable mentions.

West to Chelyabinsk, where Traktor brings in Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Nikita Lozhkin and Vasily Demchenko are the goalies. Chelyabinsk was first to score in the first period on a Vyacheslav Osnovin goal, passed from Artyom Penkovsky and Martin Ruzicka. Traktor added on with a power play goal by Maxim Kondratyev, powered by Dmitry Pestunov and Anton Glinkin. Chelyabinsk extended the lead as Andrei Popov scored, thanks to Kondratyev and Glinkin. Rafael Khakimov replaced Lozhkin in goal. Novokuznetsk got on the board in the third period on a Mikhail Plotnikov goal, made possible by Ansel Galimov and Ryan Stoa. Metallurg pulled closer on a Dmitry Maltsev goal, via Alexander Komaristy and Alexander Romanov. This only made it 3-2, the final, and the three stars were Kondratyev, Glinkin, and Popov.

Back to Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Vladimir Sokhatsky tend the twines. Ufa opened with a first period Denis Khlystov power play goal, helped along by Denis Tolpeko. Yekaterinburg tied it on a Sergei Yemelin goal, coming off of Tobias Viklund and Artyom Gareyev. Avtomobilist took the lead on a power play goal by Viklund, powered by Alexander Rybakov and Alexei Simakov. Salavat Yulaev tied it as Anton Slepyshev scored, thanks to Teemu Hartikainen. Ufa pulled ahead in the second period on another Khlystov power play goal, via Denis Bodrov and Tolpeko. Yekaterinburg retied it on a Viklund power play goal, with a lone assist by Simakov. Avtomobilist took the lead in the third period on a Sami Lepisto goal, courtesy of Simakov on the power play. Simakov got a sock trick with his third assist. Yekaterinburg ended it at 5-3 on a shorthanded empty net goal by Andrei Antonov, going in unassisted. The three stars were Viklund, Simakov, and Khlystov, while Tolpeko gets an honorable mention.

Out to Togliatti, where Lada welcomes Admiral Vladivostok. Ilya Proskuryakov faces former Admiral goalie Evgeny Ivannikov in goal. Vladivostok led off with an Alexander Gorshkov goal, passed from Denis Osipov and Vladislav Ushenin. Togliatti tied it in the second period as Anton Shenfeld scored, thanks to Georgy Belousov and Andrei Nikitenko. Lada took the lead on an unassisted Yury Petrov goal in the third period. Lada won 2-1, and the three stars were given to Ivannikov (20 for 21 in saves), Petrov, and Shenfeld.

Finally, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk brings in Amur Khabarovsk. Sergei Borisov and Ville Kolppanen are in the blue paint. Nizhnekamsk started in the first period on a Teemu Eronen power play goal, powered by Dan Sexton and Georgijs Pujacs. Khabarovsk tied it on an Alexander Ryazantsev goal, assisted by Grigory Shafigulin and Michel Miklik. Neftekhimik retook the lead in the second period on a Yegor Milovzorov goal, passed from Alexander Nikulin and Evgeny Ryasensky. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Milovzorov, Kolppanen (26 for 27 in saves), and Eronen.

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NHL January 13th, 2015

Ten games tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Tuukka Rask draw the starts. Tampa Bay opened with a first period Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov. Boston tied it on a Brad Marchand goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Carl Soderberg and Torey Krug. The Lightning retook the lead in the second period as Stamkos scored his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, courtesy of Palat and Nikita Nesterov. The Bruins tied it again with a David Pastrnak goal, his third of the year, coming off of Milan Lucic and Kevan Miller. Boston took the lead with a Lucic goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by David Krejci and Dennis Seidenberg. The Bruins added on with a Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, via Krug and Krejci. Tampa Bay got one back when Ryan Callahan scored his fourteenth of the campaign, thanks to Alex Killorn and Mark Barberio. This only made it 4-3 with the three stars going to Pastrnak, Stamkos, and Lucic, while Palat, Krug, and Krejci receive the honorable mentions.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Michal Neuvirth are the goalies. Detroit started in the first period with a Darren Helm shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Kyle Quincey. The Red Wings added on in the second period with a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Justin Abdelkader and Pavel Datsyuk. Buffalo got on the board with a Mike Weber goal, via Brian Flynn and Drew Stafford. Detroit answered with a Tomas Tatar goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, coming off of Quincey and Danny DeKeyser. This led to a 3-1 final, with the three stars going to Mrazek (25 for 26 in saves), Quincey, and Nyquist.

Down to Raleigh, where the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Anton Khudobin are the backups in goal. Carolina struck first with a first period Jordan Staal goal, courtesy of Ryan Murphy and Elias Lindholm. The Hurricanes added on in the second period as Patrick Dwyer scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Brad Malone and Jay McClement. Colorado got on the board in the third period on a Matt Duchene goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Jarome Iginla and Alex Tanguay. The Avalanche tied it on an unassisted John Mitchell goal, his sixth of the campaign. The tie went to a shootout, where Victor Rask and Lindholm scored to lift Carolina to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Lindholm, Dwyer, and Staal.

In New York, the Rangers host their cross-town rivals, the Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. The Islanders got going in the second period on an Anders Lee goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Calvin de Haan and Travis Hamonic. The Islanders added on with a Nikolay Kulemin, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Islanders extended the lead with a Frans Nielsen shorthanded goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Johnny Boychuk. Cam Talbot replaced Lundqvist for the third period. The Islanders secured a 3-0 win. The three stars went to Halak (27 save shutout), Lee, and Kulemin.

West a bit to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins welcome the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Marc-Andre Fleury received the starting nods. Pittsburgh was first to score in the first period on a Marcel Goc goal, his second of the season, made possible by Zach Sill and Craig Adams. The Penguins added on with a David Perron goal, his seventh of the year, via Christian Ehrhoff and Sidney Crosby. Minnesota got on the board in the second period as Jonas Brodin scored his second of the season, passed from Nate Prosser and Jason Pominville. Pittsburgh replied on a Chris Kunitz power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. The Penguins extended the lead as Brandon Sutter scored his ninth of the season in the third period, with a lone assist by Paul Martin. Pittsburgh padded the lead on a Martin goal, his second of the year, helped along by Nick Spaling and Malkin. The Penguins kept going on a Letang goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Perron and Crosby. John Curry replaced Backstrom in goal. The Wild got one back with a Justin Fontaine goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Erik Haula and Ryan Suter. Pittsburgh wrapped it up at 7-2 with a Perron goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, with helpers from Kunitz and Crosby, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars went to Perron, Letang, and Crosby, while Kunitz, Malkin, and Martin get the honorable mentions.

Out to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Scrivens and Jake Allen are in the blue paint. St. Louis led off with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Jori Lehtera and Barret Jackman. The Blues added on with a David Backes goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Lehtera and T.J. Oshie. St. Louis extended the lead in the second period on a Jaden Schwartz goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Jackman and Tarasenko. Edmonton got on the board with a Benoit Pouliot power play goal in the third period, his seventh of the year, powered by Justin Schultz and Jordan Eberle. The Blues answered with an Alexander Steen goal, his thirteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Backes. The Oilers got one back on a Pouliot goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, helped along by Teddy Purcell and Derek Roy. This only made it 4-2, with the three stars being Tarasenko, Backes, and Pouliot, while Jackman and Lehtera get the honorable mentions.

Back in Nashville, the Predators host the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Pekka Rinne are the starting goalies. Nashville began in the first period on a Craig Smith power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Colin Wilson and Mike Ribeiro. The Predators added on with a Wilson goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Mike Fisher and James Neal. Vancouver got on the board in the second period on an Alexander Edler goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Christopher Tanev and Linden Vey. Nashville lost Rinne to injury in the third period, putting Carter Hutton in goal. Nashville shot back with a Filip Forsberg goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Ribeiro and Victor Bartley. The Predators extended the lead on a Fisher goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Neal and Wilson. Nashville iced it at 5-1 with a Wilson power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Smith and Seth Jones. The three stars were awarded to Wilson, Smith, and Fisher, while Ribeiro and Neal get the honorable mentions.

North to Winnipeg, where the Jets welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Michael Hutchinson are between the pipes. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Zach Bogosian and Michael Frolik. The Jets added on with a Perreault power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, powered by Bryan Little and Dustin Byfuglien. Winnipeg extended the lead in the second period with a Byfuglien goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Mark Scheifele and Ben Chiarot. Florida got on the board with a Dave Bolland goal, via Tomas Fleischmann and Dylan Olsen. The Jets shot back on a Byfuglien goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, passed from Andrew Ladd and Jim Slater. Al Montoya replaced Luongo in goal. Winnipeg padded the lead on a Perreault goal, his fourteenth of the season securing a hat trick, assisted by Toby Enstrom and Scheifele. The Jets continued as Perreault scored his fourth of the game and fifteenth of the year, with the help of Frolik. Winnipeg kept going in the third period on a Jay Harrison goal, his third of the season, guided in by Mark Stuart and Slater. The Panthers got one back on a Brad Boyes goal, his ninth of the year, with assists from Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. The Jets finished it at 8-2 with an Evander Kane power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, made possible by Enstrom and Adam Lowry. The three stars belonged to Perreault, Byfuglien, and Scheifele, while Enstrom, Frolik, and Slater get the honorable mentions.

Way south to Dallas, where the Stars bring in the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Kari Lehtonen draw the starts in goal. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Mike Hoffman goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Bobby Ryan. The Senators added on with a Clarke MacArthur power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by David Legwand and Mark Stone. Anders Lindback replaced Lehtonen in goal. Dallas got on the board with an Ales Hemsky goal, his seventh of the season, via Alex Goligoski and the goalie Lindback. Ottawa replied with a Jared Cowen goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Stone. The Stars countered in the second period on a Trevor Daley goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Travis Moen and Shawn Horcoff. Dallas tied it on a John Klingberg goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Colton Sceviour and Moen. The Stars took the lead on an Erik Cole power play goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Goligoski and Jason Demers. Dallas extended the lead with a Klingberg goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, made possible by Hemsky and Cole. The Senators got one back on a Milan Michalek power play goal, his fifth of the campaign, driven in by Alex Chiasson and Ryan. They failed to tie it, losing 5-4. The three stars were Klingberg, Hemsky, and Cole, while Ryan, Stone, Goligoski, and Moen get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Devan Dubnyk man the nets. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Mikkel Boedker goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Kyle Chipchura. San Jose tied it in the second period on a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Joe Thornton and Logan Couture. The Sharks took the lead on a Tomas Hertl goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Coyotes tied it on a Shane Doan goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Antoine Vermette and Martin Erat. San Jose retook the lead on a Brenden Dillon goal in the third period, made possible by Couture and Justin Braun. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Dillon, Couture, and Hertl.

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KHL January 13th, 2015

Four games tonight, beginning in...

Nizhny Novgorod, as Torpedo hosts Jokerit Helsinki. Henrik Karlsson and Mikhail Biryukov are in goal. Helsinki was first to score in the first period on a Linus Omark power play goal, powered by Petr Koukal. Jokerit added on in the second period on a Steve Moses goal, assisted by Topi Jaakola. Helsinki extended the lead as Moses scored an unassisted goal. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board in the third period on a Vladmir Galuzin goal, passed from Jusso Hietanen and Sergei Bernatsky. Jokerit shot back on a Niko Kapanen goal, coming off of Ossi Vaananen and Niklas Hagman. Torpedo pulled back on a Wojtek Wolski power play goal, with a lone assist by Hietanen. Nizhny Novgorod got closer on an Evgeny Mozer goal, via Sakari Salminen and Jarkko Immonen. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Moses, Hietanen, and Kapanen.

Over in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk welcomes Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Sharychenkov and Lars Haugen are in the creases. Minsk led off in the first period with a Dmitry Meleshko goal, assisted by Alexander Materukhin and Evgeny Lisovets. Moscow tied it on a third period power play goal by Alexander Osipov, coming off of Maxim Pestushko. Dinamo took the lead again with a Ryan Vesce goal, fueled by Charles Linglet and Ilya Shinkevich. Dynamo tied it as Maxim Solovyov scored a power play goal, powered by Alexei Tsvetkov. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Minsk won 3-2 on goals by Vesce and Andrei Stepanov. The three stars went to Vesce, Meleshko, and Stepanov.

Back in Russia, SKA St. Petersburg brings in CSKA Moscow. Stanislav Galimov and Mikko Koskinen tend the twines. St. Petersburg began in the first period on an Artemy Panarin goal, passed from Dinar Khafizullin and Andrei Kuteikin. SKA added on with Panarin scoring on a penalty shot after he was slashed by Evgeny Korotkov. Moscow got on the board in the second period as Mikhail Naumenkov scored, with the help of Alexander Radulov. St. Petersburg shot back with a Kuteikin power play goal, powered by Panarin and Vadim Shipachyov. This was all they needed for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Panarin, Kuteikin, and Koskinen (22 for 23 in saves).

Finally, Dinamo Riga hosts Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Jeff Deslauriers draw the starts. Riga got going in the second period on a Mikelis Redlihs power play goal, powered by Roberts Bukarts and Linus Videll. Dinamo added on in the third period on a Gunars Skvorcovs shorthanded goal, set up by Maris Bicevskis. This was good for a 2-0 win, with the three stars being Deslauriers (25 save shutout), Redlihs, and Skvorcovs.

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NHL January 12th, 2015

Three games tonight, with the first in...

Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Evgeni Nabokov and Rob Zepp are the backups in goal. Philadelphia struck first in the first period on a Chris VandeVelde goal, his third of the season, coming off of Luke Schenn and Claude Giroux. Tampa Bay tied it on a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming on the power play from Tyler Johnson and Anton Stralman. The Flyers retook the lead on an R.J. Umberger goal, his seventh of the season, via Matt Read and Braydon Coburn. Philadelphia added on with a second period power play goal by Jakub Voracek, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Mark Streit and Giroux. The Flyers extended the lead with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his fourth of the season, passed from VandeVelde and Michael Del Zotto. Ben Bishop replaced Nabokov in goal. Philadelphia padded the lead on a Streit goal, his fifth of the year, a power play goal made possible by Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds. The Flyers kept going on a Brayden Schenn goal, his tenth of the season, a power play goal helped along by Streit and Voracek. Philadelphia continued on a Michael Raffl goal, his eleventh of the year, driven in by Scott Laughton and Simmonds. The Lightning got one back with a Brian Boyle goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Cedric Paquette and Stralman. Tampa Bay pulled closer in the third period on a Ryan Callahan power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, pushed through by Jonathan Drouin and Valtteri Filppula. This produced the 7-3 final, with the three stars given to VandeVelde, Streit, and Brayden Schenn, while Giroux, Simmonds, Voracek, and Stralman get the honorable mentions.

In DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov faces his former team and Braden Holtby in goal. Washington was first to score in the first period on a Jay Beagle goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Jason Chimera and Tom Wilson. Colorado tied it on an Alex Tanguay goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Jarome Iginla and Tyson Barrie. The Capitals took the lead on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, a power play goal powered by Troy Brouwer and Nicklas Backstrom. This made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Holtby (31 for 32 in saves), Ovechkin, and Beagle.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Martin Jones are the goalies. Los Angeles started in the first period on an Anze Kopitar goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter. The Kings iced it at 2-0 in the third period on a Marian Gaborik empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Kopitar and Carter. The three stars were awarded to Kopitar, Jones (19 save shutout), and Carter.

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KHL January 12th, 2015

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



Omsk, as Avangard hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Denis Kostin are the goalies. Omsk dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Felix Schutz goal, via Denis Kulyash. Avangard added on as Sergei Kalinin scored, thanks to Erik Gustafsson and Vladimir Sobotka. Yekaterinburg got on the board with a power play goal by Alexei Simakov, powered by Andrei Antonov. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kostin (32 for 33 in saves), Kalinin, and Schutz.

Down in Astana, Barys welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin faces a lesser foe in Pavel Poluektov in goal. Magnitogorsk led off in the first period on a Rinat Ibragimov goal, assisted by Danis Zaripov and Chris Lee. Metallurg added on with an Oskar Osala goal, passed from Denis Platonov. Magnitogorsk extended the lead on a Platonov goal, with a lone assist by Lee. Dmitry Malgin replaced Poluektov in goal. Astana got on the board in the third period on a Nigel Dawes goal, made possible by Dustin Boyd. Barys pulled closer with a Roman Starchenko goal, courtesy of Nikolai Antropov and Roman Savchenko. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Platonov, Lee, and Osala.

Back in Russia, Traktor Chelyabinsk brings in Admiral Vladivostok. Ilya Proskuryakov and Michael Garnett are in the blue paint. Vladivostok began in the first period with a Niclas Bergfors power play goal, powered by Richard Gynge. Chelyabinsk tied it in the second period as Vyacheslav Osnovin scored, thanks to Yegor Martynov and Artyom Penkovsky. Traktor took the lead with a Martin Ruzicka goal, made possible by Penkovsky. Chelyabinsk added on with an Andrei Popov goal, fueled by Dmitry Pestunov and Anton Glinkin. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Garnett (27 for 28 in saves), Penkovsky, and Ruzicka.

Over to Khanty-Mansiysk, where Yugra hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Sergei Borisov and Stepan Goryachevskikh are between the pipes. Khabarovsk opened in the first period on a Vyacheslav Litovchenko goal, via Ruslan Bashkirov and Tuukka Mantyla. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it in the second period on an Igor Magogin goal, guided in by Dmitry Ryabykin and Nikolai Lemtyugov. Yugra took the lead with a Lukas Kaspar power play goal, with a lone helper by Alexander Korolyuk. Amur tied it in the third period on a Mikhail Fisenko goal, passed from Kirill Safronov. Khanty-Mansiysk retook the lead on another Kaspar goal, coming off of Pavel Valentenko and Lemtyugov. Yugra finished it at 4-2 with a Nikita Gusev goal, courtesy of Valentenko and Andrei Sergeyev. The three stars belonged to Kaspar, Valentenko, and Lemtyugov.

Continuing to Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Anders Nilsson and Vladimir Sokhatsky are the masked men. Ufa was first to score in the first period on an Alexander Kutuzov power play goal, powered by Evgeny Skachkov and Antti Pihlstrom. Kazan tied it with a Justin Azevedo goal, fueled by Vladimir Denisov and Konstantin Koltsov. Salavat Yulaev took the lead back with a Denis Tolpeko goal, with a lone assist by Denis Khlystov. Ufa added on with an Anton Slepyshev goal, passed from Dmitry Makarov and Teemu Hartikainen. Salavat Yulaev extended the lead with a Hartikainen power play goal, assisted by Dmitry Makarov and Kirill Koltsov. Ak Bars got one back on an Igor Mirnov goal, made possible by Stepan Zakharchuk and Dmitry Obukhov. Kazan pulled closer on a Mikhail Varnakov power play goal, with assists provided by Konstantin Korneyev and Sergei Kostitsyn. Ufa iced it at 5-3 with a Kutuzov empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hartikainen, Kutuzov, and Slepyshev.

West a little to Togliatti, as Lada brings in Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Evgeny Ivannikov are the goalies. Novosibirsk started in the first period on a Vladimir Butuzov goal, assisted by Artyom Voroshilo. Togliatti tied it as Georgy Belousov scored, with the help of Anton Shenfeld. Sibir took the lead on a second period goal by Sergei Shumakov, going in unassisted. Novosibirsk closed it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Igor Ozhiganov, set up by the goalie Salak. The three stars went to Salak (24 for 25 in saves), Shumakov, and Butuzov.

Into Nizhnekamsk, where Neftekhimik hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Rafael Khakimov and Alexander Sudnitsin draw the starts. Nizhnekamsk got going in the second period on a Yaroslav Alshevsky goal, assisted by Stanislav Alshevsky and Pavel Kulikov. Neftekhimik added on with an Igor Polygalov goal, passed from Maxim Berezin and Yegor Milovzorov. Nizhnekamsk extended the lead in the third period as Milovzorov scored, thanks to Berezin and Polygalov. Neftekhimik padded the lead on an Evgeny Grigorenko goal, courtesy of Matt Anderson and Dan Sexton. Nizhnekamsk continued with a Sexton goal, with a lone assist by Anderson. Neftekhimik finished it at 6-0 on a Grigorenko goal, helped along by Sexton. The three stars were awarded to Milovzorov, Sexton, and Grigorenko, while Polygalov, Berezin, Anderson, and Sudnitsin (28 save shutout) received the honorable mentions.

Over in Yaroslavl, Lokomotiv welcomes Medvescak Zagreb. Calvin Heeter and Curtis Sanford occupy the creases. Zagreb struck first in the first period with a Sasa Martinovic goal, passed from Brandon Segal and Kurtis McLean. Yaroslavl tied it on a Yegor Yakovlev goal, assisted by Jonas Holos and Geoff Platt. Lokomotiv took the lead on a Platt goal, via Alexei Vasilyev and Ilya Lyubushkin. Yaroslavl added on with a Kirill Kapustin goal, made possible by Vladislav Kartayev. Medvescak got one back in the second period on a Bill Thomas power play goal, powered by Martin St. Pierre. Zagreb tied it in the third period as Mark Flood scored, thanks to Segal and McLean. Lokomotiv retook the lead on a Platt goal, his second of the game, coming off of Jiri Novotny. This held up for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Platt, Segal, and McLean.

Down to Sochi, as the Leopards bring in Atlant Mytishchi. Atte Engren and Tomas Popperle are the former Lev Praha goalie teammates. Sochi led off in the first period on a Nikita Shchitov goal, courtesy of Andrei Kostitsyn and Ryan Whitney. The Leopards added on with a power play goal by Andre Petersson, powered by Clay Wilson and Cory Emmerton. Sochi extended the lead with an Evgeny Lapenkov goal, made possible by Shchitov and Kostitsyn. The Leopards chased Engren on another Lapenkov goal, guided in by Wilson and Petersson on the power play. Mytishchi got on the board in the second period with an Anton Babchuk goal, passed from Nikita Soshnikov and Evgeny Bodrov. Atlant got closer with a Vyacheslav Kozlov goal, with a lone assist by Albert Yarullin. Sochi replied with a Lapenkov goal, completing his hat trick, with the help of Petersson and Pavel Koledov. Mytishchi answered with a Soshnikov goal, helped along by Yarullin and Sergei Shmelyov. Atlant pulled closer as Matthew Gilroy scored, thanks to Maxim Potapov and Artyom Chernov on the power play goal. The Leopards wrapped it up at 6-4 with a Petersson goal, with assists from Emmerton and Lapenkov. The three stars were Lapenkov, Petersson, and Shchitov, while Kostitsyn,Wilson, Emmerton, Soshnikov, and Yarullin receive the honorable mentions.

Finally, Vityaz Podolsk hosts Slovan Bratislava. Johan Backlund and Harri Sateri protect the nets. Bratislava began in the second period on a Libor Hudacek power play goal, powered by Peter Olvecky and Ladislav Nagy. Podolsk tied it on a Maxim Afinogenov power play goal in the third period, via Denis Grebeshkov. Vityaz won 2-1 in overtime with a Mario Kempe goal, assisted by Alexei Semenov and Mathias Porseland. The three stars were Sateri (16 for 17 in saves), Kempe, and Afinogenov.

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Hockey January 11th, 2015

Six games across two leagues today, beginning in Russia with...

SKA St. Petersburg hosting Severstal Cherepovets. Sergei Magarilov and Igor Shestyorkin are the backups in goal. St. Petersburg began with a first period goal by Evgeny Dadonov, a power play goal powered by Vadim Shipachyov and Artemy Panarin. SKA added on with a Panarin goal, via Maxim Chudinov on the power play. Cherepovets got on the board in the second period as Zakhar Arzamastsev goal, passed from Andreas Thuresson and Alexander Shinin. St. Petersburg replied with an Ilya Kablukov goal, courtesy of Evgeny Ketov and Anton Burdasov. Severstal pulled back with an unassisted goal by Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Cherepovets tied it in the third period as Nikolai Stasenko scored a power play goal, with the help of Shinin and Kagarlitsky. SKA won 4-3 in overtime on Dadonov's second of the game, made possible by Ilya Kovalchuk and Shipachyov on the power play. The three stars of the 4-3 game were Dadonov, Panarin, and Kagarlitsky, while Shipachyov and Shinin get the honorable mentions.

West to Riga, as Dinamo welcomes Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Mikhail Biryukov and Jakub Sedlacek protect the nets. Riga opened in the first period on a Miks Indrasis power play goal, powered by Kyle Wilson and Lauris Darzins. Dinamo added on with a Kaspars Saulietis goal, with a lone assist by Maris Bicevskis. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board in the second period with a Juuso Hietanen goal, coming off of Vladimir Galuzin and Sakari Salminen on the power play. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars being Sedlacek (31 for 32 in saves), Saulietis, and Indrasis.

Back to Moscow, where CSKA brings in Jokerit Helsinki. Henrik Karlsson and Stanislav Galimov are the masked men. Helsinki started in the first period on a Jere Sallinen goal, going in unassisted. Moscow tied it on an unassisted Simon Hjalmarsson goal. Jokerit took the lead in the second period on a power play goal by Petr Koukal, powered by Steve Moses and Atte Ohtamaa. CSKA tied it on an Ivan Telegin goal, courtesy of Ondrej Nemec and Vladimir Zharkov. Moscow gained the lead with an Andreas Engqvist goal, passed from Igor Grigorenko and Igor Makarov in the third period. Helsinki tied it again as Johan Harju scored, thanks to Ville Lajunen. CSKA won 4-3 in overtime with a Nikita Zaitsev power play goal, assisted by Engqvist and Stephane Da Costa. The three stars went to Zaitsev, Engqvist, and Telegin.

In the NHL, the Edmonton Oilers host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo faces a lesser foe in Ben Scrivens in goal. Florida led off in the first period on a Jimmy Hayes goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Nick Bjugstad and Jussi Jokinen. Edmonton tied it in the second period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his eleventh of the year, via Taylor Hall and Nick Schultz. The Panthers took the lead back as Brian Campbell scored his third of the season, thanks to Aaron Ekblad and Jokinen. Florida added on with a third period goal by Tomas Kopecky, his second of the year, helped along by Derek MacKenzie and Scottie Upshall. The Oilers got one back with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Derek Roy and Nikita Nikitin. The Panthers shot back as Sean Bergenheim scored his seventh of the year, with the help of Tomas Fleischmann. This produced a 4-2 final, with the three stars going to Kopecky, Bergenheim, and Jokinen.

Southeast to Chicago, where the Blackhawks welcome the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Corey Crawford are in the blue paint. Chicago struck first in the first period on a Marian Hossa goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad. The Blackhawks added on with a Bryan Bickell goal, his ninth of the year, via Patrick Kane and Brad Richards. Chicago extended the lead in the second period as Richards scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Kane and Bickell. The Blackhawks padded the lead on a Johnny Oduya goal, his second of the year, helped along by Toews and Hossa. Minnesota got on the board in the third period on a Matt Cooke goal, his third of the campaign, guided in by Kyle Brodziak and Jonas Brodin. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Bickell, Richards, and Hossa, while Toews, Kane, and Crawford (36 for 37 in saves) get honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Frederik Andersen are the goalies. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Adam Lowry and Toby Enstrom. Anaheim tied it on a Rickard Rakell power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Kyle Palmieri. The Jets took the lead with a Zach Bogosian goal, his second of the season, assisted by Michael Frolik and Mark Scheifele. Winnipeg added on with a Scheifele goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Mathieu Perreault and Dustin Byfuglien. The Ducks got one back in the second period on a Tim Jackman goal, his third of the season, guided in by Andrew Cogliano and Rakell. The Jets shot back on an Andrew Ladd goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little. Anaheim answered in the third period as Palmieri scored his seventh of the season, a power play goal via Rakell and Sami Vatanen. The Ducks tied it with a Rakell goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with a lone assist by Patrick Maroon. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Wheeler and Kane were topped by Ryan Kesler, Rakell, and Vatanen for a 5-4 Ducks win. The three stars went to Rakell, Vatanen, and Palmieri, while Scheifele gets an honorable mention.

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