NHL January 15th, 2015

Ten games today, with the first in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot and Tuukka Rask are in the creases. Boston started in the first period on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Dougie Hamilton. The Bruins added on in the second period on a David Krejci goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Torey Krug and Adam McQuaid. Boston extended the lead in the third period on a Loui Eriksson goal, his tenth of the season, via Krug and Kevan Miller. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars going to Rask (30 save shutout), Krug, and Bergeron.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Jhonas Enroth are the underrated goalies. Minnesota struck first in the first period on a Zach Parise goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Mikko Koivu and Jason Pominville. The Wild added on with a Thomas Vanek goal, his eighth of the year, coming on the power play from Koivu and Pominville. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period on a Kyle Brodziak shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Erik Haula. The Wild padded the lead on a Matt Dumba goal, his second of the year, guided in by Pominville, who got a sock trick, and Parise. Minnesota continued with a Jared Spuregon goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jonathon Blum and Ryan Carter. The Wild kept going in the third period on a Matt Cooke goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist from Brodziak. Minnesota capped it at 7-0 with a Haula power play goal, his fourth of the campaign, with helpers from Vanek and Christian Folin. The three stars were Pominville, Parise, and Brodziak, while Koivu, Haula, and Vanek get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Ray Emery are the veteran goalies. Vancouver was first to score in the first period on a Nick Bonino goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Shawn Matthias and Ryan Stanton. The Canucks added on with a Henrik Sedin power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Daniel Sedin and Alexandre Burrows. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period with a Radim Vrbata power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. Rob Zepp relieved Emery. The Canucks padded the lead as Jannik Hansen scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Alexander Edler. This held up for a 4-0 win, with the three stars given to Miller (30 save shutout), Henrik Sedin, and Daniel Sedin.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators host the Montreal Canadiens. Dustin Tokarski is mismatched with Craig Anderson in goal. Ottawa opened in the first period on a Mika Zibanejad goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Mike Hoffman and Bobby Ryan. Montreal tied it on a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Plekanec. The Senators took the lead back with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, passed from Milan Michalek and Mark Stone. Ottawa added on in the second period on an Erik Karlsson goal, his eighth of the season, via Michalek and Pageau. The Senators finished it at 4-1 in the third period on an empty net goal by Erik Condra, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were handed to Pageau, Anderson (25 for 26 in saves), and Michalek.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Scrivens and Ben Bishop are the similarly-named goalies. Edmonton began in the first period on a Benoit Pouliot shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, coming off of Matthew Carle and Jason Garrison. The Oilers retook the lead on a Pouliot power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, powered by Taylor Hall and Nugent-Hopkins. The Lightning tied it on a third period goal by Ondrej Palat, his tenth of the year, helped along by Nikita Kucherov and Tyler Johnson. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Palat goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, fueled by Johnson and Nikita Nesterov. This made it a 3-2 final, with the three stars given to Palat, Pouliot, and Johnson, while Nugent-Hopkins gets an honorable mention.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Roberto Luongo are the streaky goalies. Colorado led off in the first period on a Tyson Barrie goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by John Mitchell and Nate Guenin. Florida tied it on an Aaron Ekblad power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Brian Campbell and Nick Bjugstad. The Avalanche took the lead in the second period on a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his ninth of the season, via Ryan O'Reilly. The Panthers tied it again on an Aleksander Barkov goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Brad Boyes and Jonathan Huberdeau. Colorado took the lead with a third period Nick Holden power play goal, his third of the season, assisted by Alex Tanguay and Barrie. The Avalanche iced it at 4-2 with a Jarome Iginla empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Tanguay. The three stars were Barrie, Holden, and Tanguay.

Up to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Brian Elliott occupy the blue paint. Detroit got going in the second period with a Joakim Andersson goal, assisted by Drew Miller and Luke Glendening. The Red Wings added on with a Tomas Tatar goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Jonathan Ericsson and Riley Sheahan. St. Louis got on the board in the third period with a David Backes goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Jay Bouwmeester and Kevin Shattenkirk on the power play. The Blues tied it in on an Alexander Steen goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Alex Pietrangelo and Vladimir Tarasenko. Detroit won 3-2 with an overtime goal by Pavel Datsyuk, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Kyle Quincey and Danny DeKeyser. The three stars were Datsyuk, Tatar, and Andersson.

South to Dallas, where the Stars welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Anders Lindback are the backups making spot starts. Winnipeg opened the scoring in the first period with a Michael Frolik goal, his ninth of the season, via Mathieu Perreault. The Jets added on in the third period on an Evander Kane shorthanded goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Mark Stuart. Dallas got on the board with a Trevor Daley goal, his eleventh of the campaign, made possible by Antoine Roussel and Jason Spezza. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Pavelec (46 for 47 in saves), Kane, and Frolik.

West to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the Calgary Flames. Joni Ortio and Mike Smith draw the starts in goal. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Mikael Backlund goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Johnny Gaudreau and Dennis Wideman. Arizona tied it on a Mikkel Boedker goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Keith Yandle and Kyle Chipchura. The Flames took the lead in the third period on a David Jones goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Sean Monahan and T.J. Brodie. Calgary added on with a Mark Giordano goal, his eleventh of the year, via Monahan and Lance Bouma. The Flames iced it at 4-1 on a Monahan empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Wideman and Jones. The three stars went to Monahan, Ortio (27 for 28 in saves), and Jones, while Wideman gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Antti Niemi are the goalies. San Jose started in the first period on a Tyler Kennedy goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Brenden Dillon and Justin Braun. The Sharks added on with a Patrick Marleau goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Matthew Nieto and Braun. Toronto got on the board with a Roman Polak goal, his fifth of the season, via Mike Santorelli and Daniel Winnik. San Jose iced it at 3-1 with a Tommy Wingels empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Tye McGinn and James Sheppard. The three stars belonged to Niemi (24 for 25 in saves), Braun, and Marleau.

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KHL January 15th, 2015

Six games on today, beginning in...

Moscow, as CSKA hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Mikhail Biryukov and Kevin Lalande are in goal. Moscow struck first in the first period on a Stephane Da Costa goal, made possible by Jan Mursak and Simon Hjalmarsson. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Lalande (17 save shutout), Da Costa, and Biryukov (26 for 27 in saves).

West to Minsk, where Dinamo welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Lars Haugen are the goalies. Minsk began in the first period on a Jonathan Cheechoo power play goal, powered by Charles Linglet and Ryan Vesce. Dinamo added on in the second period as Paul Szczechura scored, with a lone assist by Cheechoo. Minsk finished it at 3-0 in the third period on an Alexander Materukhin goal, passed from Dmitry Meleshko. The three stars were handed to Cheechoo, Haugen (29 save shutout), and Szczechura.

Back in Russia, Atlant Mytishchi brings in Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Atte Engren are between the pipes. Mytishchi led off in the first period with an Albert Yarullin power play goal, powered by Sergei Shmelyov. Atlant added on in the second period as Maxim Potapov scored a power play goal, with the help of Shmelyov and Nikita Soshnikov. Mytishchi extended the lead on a Shmelyov goal, coming off of Soshnikov and Yarullin. Podolsk got on the board with a Robert Kousal goal, with a lone assist by Mario Kempe. This only made it 3-1, the eventual final, with the three stars awarded to Shmelyov, Yarullin, and Soshnikov.

Westward again, as Dinamo Riga hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Igor Shestyorkin is mismatched with Jakub Sedlacek in goal. Riga was first to score in the second period on a Lauris Darzins goal, via Mikelis Redlihs. St. Petersburg tied it on an Evgeny Dadonov goal, passed from Vadim Shipachyov and Artemy Panarin. SKA took the lead with a third period Dadonov goal, again coming off of Shipachyov and Panarin. Dinamo retied it on a Redlihs goal, fueled by Roberts Bukarts. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Panarin won it 3-2 for SKA. The three stars were Dadonov, Panarin, and Redlihs, while Shipachyov gets an honorable mention.

Out to Zagreb, where Medvescak welcomes Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Sharychenkov and Calvin Heeter draw the starts. Zagreb opened in the first period on a Martin St. Pierre goal, guided in by Andrew Hutchinson and Mark Popovic. Moscow tied it on a Maxim Karpov goal, assisted by Gleb Koryagin and Martins Karsums. Dynamo took the lead with a Yury Babenko goal, fueled by Denis Kokarev and Dmitry Vishnevsky. Medvescak tied it again in the second period on an unassisted power play goal by Hutchinson. Zagreb pulled ahead with a Ville Leino goal, made possible by Mark Flood and Popovic. Moscow tied it again with a Karpov goal, with a lone assist by Karsums. Dynamo won 4-3 in overtime with an unassisted power play goal by Kaspars Daugavins. The three stars belonged to Karpov, Hutchinson, and Karsums, while Popovic gets an honorable mention.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava brings in the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Jaroslav Janus are the experienced goalies. Bratislava started in the first period on a Libor Hudacek goal, passed from Tomas Starosta and Patrik Luza. Sochi tied it on an Ilya Krikunov goal, coming off of Andrei Kostitsyn and Artyom Kryukov. The Leopards took the lead in the second period with an Andre Petersson goal, made possible by Cory Emmerton and Ryan Whitney. Sochi added on with an Igor Radulov goal, via Max Warn. The Leopards extended the lead in the third period on a Emmerton goal, with a lone helper by Petersson. Slovan got one back with a power play goal by Michal Vondrka, powered by Milan Bartovic and Michal Sersen. Bratislava pulled closer with a Rok Ticar goal, with a lone assist by Martin Stajnoch. Sochi iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Petersson, going in unassisted. The three stars were Petersson, Emmerton, and Radulov.

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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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