KHL January 20th, 2015

Eleven games for today, beginning in...

Novokuznetsk, as Metallurg hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Rafael Khakimov are in the blue paint. Novosibirsk began with a first period Igor Ozhiganov goal, passed from Oleg Gubin and Sergei Shumakov. Novokuznetsk got on the board in the second period on an Artyom Garifullin goal, going in unassisted. Metallurg took the lead on a Vadim Mitryakov goal, coming off of Ryan Stoa and Alexei Kosourov. Sibir tied it on a Shumakov goal, assisted by Stepan Sannikov and Renat Mamashev. Novosibirsk took the lead as Ozhiganov scored, with a lone assist by Dmitry Kugryshev. Sibir added on in the third period with a Jonas Enlund penalty shot goal, after he was tripped by Nikita Popov. Novosibirsk iced it at 5-2 with an Alexei Kopeikin power play goal, powered by Dmitry Monya and David Ullstrom. The three stars went to Ozhiganov, Shumakov, and Enlund.

West to Yekaterinburg, where Avtomobilist welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Jakub Kovar tend the twines. Yekaterinburg led off in the second period on an Eduard Lewandowski power play goal, powered by Gleb Klimenko and Andrei Antonov. Magnitogorsk tied it with a Yaroslav Khabarov goal, fueled by Maxim Yakutsenya and Denis Platonov. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Danis Zaripov and Tim Stapleton both scored to lift Metallurg to a 2-1 win. The three stars went to Koshechkin (19 for 20 in saves), Khabarov, and Kovar (35 for 36 in saves).

Continuing to Cherepovets, where Severstal brings in Jokerit Helsinki. Riku Helenius and Jakub Stepanek are the masked men. Helsinki struck first in the second period on a Topi Jaakola goal, via Jere Sallinen and Juhamatti Aaltonen. Cherepovets tied it on an Evgeny Mons goal, passed from Alexander Urbom and Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Severstal took the lead with a Kagarlitsky goal, with a lone assist by Mons. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Kagarlitsky, Mons, and Stepanek (26 for 27 in saves).

Down in Sochi, the Leopards host Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Andrei Gavrilov draw the starts. Nizhnekamsk was first to score in the second period on a Teemu Eronen power play goal, powered by Dan Sexton and Evgeny Grigorenko. Sochi tied it on an Ilya Krikunov goal, via Nikita Shchitov and Andrei Kostitsyn. The Leopards took the lead in the third period as Cory Emmerton scored, thanks to Pavel Koledov and Evgeny Lapenkov. Neftekhimik tied it with an Alexander Yevseyenkov goal, with assists provided by Pavel Kulikov and Alexander Nikulin. The tie went to a shootout, where Emmerton and Grigorenko cancelled each other out, before a Neftekhimik winner from Andrei Mnikhovich for a 3-2 final. The three stars were Grigorenko, Emmerton, and Mnikhovich.

Back north, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod welcomes SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Mikhail Biryukov are between the pipes. They were the only things to be in such a position for 65 minutes. The scoreless tie was broken by Ilya Kovalchuk and Artemy Panarin of SKA topping Torpedo's Wojtek Wolski for a 1-0 shootout win for SKA. The three stars were Koskinen (27 save shutout), Biryukov (27 save "shutout"), and Panarin.

Into Yaroslavl, where Lokomotiv brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Vitaly Kolesnik guard the cages. Yaroslavl dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Sergei Plotnikov goal, fueled by Jiri Novotny and Yegor Averin. This was all they needed to win 1-0, with the three stars going to Kolesnik (27 save shutout), Plotnikov, and Garnett (34 for 35 in saves).

Southwest to Moscow, where Dynamo hosts Lada Togliatti. Evgeny Ivannikov and Alexander Lazushin are the goalies. Togliatti got going in the second period as Jiri Hunkes scored a power play goal, powered by Fedor Fedorov and Vasily Streltsov. Lada added on in the third period as Georgy Belousov scored, thanks to Anton Shenfeld and Andrei Nikitenko. Moscow got on the board with a Kaspars Daugavins power play goal, assisted by Dmitry Vishnevsky and Mat Robinson. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Ivannikov (35 for 36 in saves), Belousov, and Hunkes.

Staying in the city, CSKA Moscow welcomes Dinamo Riga. Jeff Deslauriers and Stanislav Galimov have the green light to play goal. Moscow opened in the first period on a Sergei Andronov goal, fueled by Ondrej Nemec and Simon Hjalmarsson. CSKA added on with a Maxim Mamin goal in the second period, courtesy of Ivan Telegin. Moscow extended the lead in the third period as Hjalmarsson scored, thanks to Igor Grigorenko and Andreas Engqvist. This was good for a 3-0 win, and the three stars belonged to Galimov (18 save shutout), Hjalmarsson, and Andronov.

Down in Podolsk, Vityaz brings in Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Barry Brust and Ivan Lisutin are in the creases. Podolsk started in the first period on a Mario Kempe goal, courtesy of Maxim Afinogenov. Vityaz added on with an Alexei Semenov power play goal, powered by Kempe and Mathias Porseland. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with a Nikita Gusev goal, fueled by Igor Magogin. Yugra tied it on a Ben Maxwell power play goal, with a lone assist by Philip Larsen. Khanty-Mansiysk took the lead in the second period with a Maxwell goal, guided in by Lukas Kaspar and Larsen. Podolsk retied it with a third period Kempe goal, his second of the game, coming off of Semenov and Porseland. Yugra won 4-3 in overtime on a Gusev goal, set up by Magogin. The three stars were Gusev, Kempe, and Maxwell, while Semenov, Porseland, Magogin, and Larsen all get honorable mentions.

Out to Croatia, where Medvescak Zagreb hosts Atlant Mytishchi. Atte Engren and Calvin Heeter man the nets. Mytishchi began in the second period as Anton Babchuk scored a power play goal, powered by Sergei Shmelyov and Maxim Potapov. Atlant added on with a shorthanded Matthew Gilroy goal, set up by Andrei Taratukhin and Shmelyov. Zagreb got on the board with a Mark Flood goal, with a lone assist by Ville Leino. Medvescak tied it on a power play goal by James Wright, guided in by Mathieu Carle and Flood. Mytishchi retook the lead in the third period as Vyacheslav Leshchenko scored, thanks to Alexander Yunkov and Vsevolod Sorokin. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Flood, Shmelyov, and Leshchenko.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava hosts Dinamo Minsk. Danny Taylor and Denis Godla are the inexperienced goalies. Minsk led off in the first period with a Pavel Razvadovsky goal, fueled by Lukas Krajicek. Dinamo added on with a Matt Ellison goal, coming off of Ryan Vesce and Charles Linglet. Bratislava got on the board with a power play goal by Libor Hudacek, with a lone assist by Ladislav Nagy. Slovan tied it on a Ziga Jeglic power play goal, powered by Tomas Netik and Rok Ticar. Minsk took the lead in the second period with a Paul Szczechura goal, courtesy of Nick Bailen. Dinamo extended the lead with a power play goal by Ellison, his second of the game, assisted by Jonathan Cheechoo and Bailen. Bratislava got one back with a Nagy power play goal, helped along by Hudacek and Matt Murley. Minsk replied in the third period on a Krajicek goal, guided in by Szczechura and Alexei Kalyuzhny. Slovan got one back with a Ticar goal, with a lone assist from Cam Barker. Dinamo finished it at 6-4 with an Andrei Stepanov goal, via Linglet. The three stars went to Ellison, Nagy, and Ticar, while Krajicek, Linglet, Hudacek, Szczechura, and Bailen get the honorable mentions.

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NHL January 19th, 2015

Seven games on, including and MLK Day matinee in...

New York, with the Islanders hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Rob Zepp is mismatched with Jaroslav Halak in goal. New York started in the first period on a Michael Grabner goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Nikolay Kulemin and Johnny Boychuk. The Islanders added on with a Kulemin goal, his tenth of the year, via Boychuk and Grabner. New York extended the lead as Kulemin scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season in the second period, a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Philadelphia got on the board with a Mark Streit power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Brayden Schenn and Jakub Voracek. The Islanders replied with a Josh Bailey goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Nick Leddy and Ryan Strome. Zepp was pulled for Ray Emery in goal. The Flyers answered on a Michael Del Zotto goal, his third of the year, made possible by Voracek and Brayden Schenn. New York countered on a John Tavares power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, with a lone assist by Frans Nielsen. Philadelphia pulled back in the third period on a Claude Giroux goal, his fifteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Zac Rinaldo. The Islanders shot back on a Leddy goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Tavares and Kyle Okposo. The Flyers chipped back on a Chris VandeVelde goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Luke Schenn. New York iced it at 7-4 with an empty net goal by Anders Lee, his thirteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were given to Tavares, Leddy, and Kulemin, while Grabner, Boychuk, Brayden Schenn, and Voracek get the honorable mentions.

Up in Toronto at the normal time, the Maple Leafs welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Jonathan Bernier draw the starts. Carolina struck first in the first period on a Brad Malone goal, his third of the season, guided in by Patrick Dwyer and Jay McClement. The Hurricanes added on with an Elias Lindholm goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Andrej Sekera. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Eric Staal scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Jordan Staal and Jiri Tlusty. James Reimer relieved Bernier in goal. Toronto got on the board with a third period power play goal by Nazem Kadri, his twelfth of the year, powered by Morgan Rielly and Cody Franson. The Hurricanes wrapped it up on an Eric Staal empty net goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Jordan Staal and Victor Rask. The three stars were Eric Staal, Khudobin (34 for 35 in saves), and Jordan Staal.

Back south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller faces the man he replaced, Roberto Luongo, in goal. Vancouver was first to score in the first period on a Radim Vrbata goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks added on with a Bo Horvat goal, his third of the year, coming off of Jannik Hansen and Dan Hamhuis. Florida got on the board in the third period as Brandon Pirri scored his fourth of the campaign, thanks to Dave Bolland. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Miller (23 for 24 in saves), Horvat, and Vrbata.

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Brian Elliott are in the blue paint. St. Louis began in the first period on a Carl Gunnarsson goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jaden Schwartz and Paul Stastny. Colorado tied it on a Matt Duchene goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blues took the lead in the second period on a Schwartz power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Alexander Steen. St. Louis added on with a T.J. Oshie goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of David Backes and Steen. This was good for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Schwartz, Elliott (17 for 18 in saves), and Steen.

Further north, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Darcy Kuemper are the young goalies. Columbus opened in the first period on a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his third of the season, made possible by James Wisniewski and Kevin Connauton. Minnesota tied it on a Zach Parise power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Mikko Koivu and Jason Pominville. The Blue Jackets gained the lead in the third period with a Wisniewski power play goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Nick Foligno and Scott Hartnell. Columbus won 3-1 on a Hartnell goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Wisniewski. The three stars were Wisniewski, Bobrovsky (25 for 26 in saves), and Hartnell.

Out in Los Angeles, the Kings welcome the Calgary Flames. Joni Ortio and Jonathan Quick are in the blue paint. Los Angeles got going in the third period on a Matt Greene goal, his third of the season, passed from Dustin Brown and Trevor Lewis. Calgary tied it on a Sean Monahan goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Flames won 2-1 with a Dennis Wideman goal in overtime, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Kris Russell and Johnny Gaudreau. The three stars were awarded to Wideman, Ortio (33 for 34 in saves), and Monahan.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Alex Stalock make the starts. San Jose led off in the first period on a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Joe Thornton. New Jersey tied it on a Jordin Tootoo goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Tim Sestito and Jacob Josefson. The Devils took the lead as Steve Bernier scored his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Scott Gomez. The Sharks tied it in the second period on a Matthew Nieto goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Tyler Kennedy and Tomas Hertl. New Jersey took the lead on a Michael Cammalleri power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Adam Henrique and Gomez. The Devils added on in the third period on a Travis Zajac goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Adam Larsson and Martin Havlat. New Jersey extended the lead on a shorthanded goal by Josefson, his second of the season, set up by Henrique and Jon Merrill. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Josefson, Gomez, and Henrique.

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KHL January 19th, 2015

Two games today, with the first in...

Khabarovsk, as Amur hosts Admiral Vladivostok. Ilya Proskuryakov and Sergei Borisov receive the starting nods. Vladivostok struck first in the first period on an Alexei Ugarov goal, passed from Denis Kuzmin. Admiral added on in the second period with an Enver Lisin power play goal, powered by Ilya Zubov. Khabarovsk got on the board in the third period on a Dmitry Tarasov goal, fueled by Grigory Shafigulin and Michel Miklik. Amur tied it with an Evgeny Orlov goal, coming off of Rafael Akhmetov and Anton Krysanov. Vladivostok won 3-2 in overtime on a Fyodor Belyakov goal, made possible by Vladislav Ushenin and Vyacheslav Ushenin. The three stars went to Belyakov, Lisin, and Ugarov.

The other game had Barys Astana host Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Vladimir Sokhatsky faces a lesser foe in Pavel Poluektov in goal. Astana was first to score in the second period on an unassisted Roman Starchenko goal. Barys added on in the third period with a power play goal by Kevin Dallman, powered by Brandon Bochenski. Ufa got on the board with an Evgeny Skachkov goal, going in unassisted. Salavat Yulaev tied it with an Anton Slepyshev goal, fueled by Teemu Hartikainen and Alexander Kutuzov. Astana won 3-2 with an unassisted goal by Nikolai Antropov. The three stars belonged to Antropov, Dallman, and Starchenko.

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Premier League Week 22

Another week of action in Britain begins with...

Aston Villa hosting Liverpool. Simon Mignolet and Brad Guzan are the goalies. Liverpool began with a twenty-fourth minute goal by Fabio Borini, assisted by Jordan Henderson's cross. Aston Villa took a yellow card in the fifty-second minute for a Jores Okore foul. Liverpool added on in the seventy-ninth minute with a Rickie Lambert goal, coming off of Raheem Sterling. In the eighty-first minute, Lambert was given a yellow card for excessive celebration. Liverpool won 2-0.

Up to Burnley welcoming Crystal Palace. Julian Speroni and Tom Heaton are in the six-yard boxes. Burnley was first to score on a twelfth minute header by Ben Mee, passed from Kieran Trippier on a cross after a corner kick. Burnley added on in the sixteenth minute as Danny Ings scored, thanks to Scott Arfield. Crystal Palace took a yellow card for a Scott Dann foul in the seventeenth minute. Crystal Palace got on the board in the twenty-eighth minute with a Dwight Gayle goal. Crystal Palace tied it on a Jason Puncheon goal in the forty-eighth minute, set up by Gayle. Burnley took a yellow card in the sixty-first minute for a Jason Shackell offense. Crystal Palace saw a pair of yellow cards for a Yaya Sanogo foul in the seventy-fourth minute and a Joel Ward foul in the seventy-seventh minute. Crystal Palace took the lead as Gayle scored in the eighty-seventh minute, with the help of Puncheon. Crystal Palace secured the 3-2 win.

Next up, Leicester City brings in Stoke City. Asmir Begovic and Ben Hamer are the keepers. Leicester City's Marcin Wasilewski had a yellow card for a foul in the nineteenth minute. Stoke City opened with a sixty-third minute Bojan goal, passed from Jonathan Walters. This was all Stoke City needed for a 1-0 win.

In London, the Queens Park Rangers host Manchester United. David de Gea and Robert Green are the gloved men. QPR had a yellow card for a Joey Barton foul in the forty-first minute. In the forty-fifth minute, Juan Mata of Manchester United took a yellow card for his foul. Manchester United led off in the fifty-eighth minute with a Marouane Fellaini goal, coming off of Antonio Valencia. Mauricio Isla of QPR took a yellow card for a sixtieth minute foul. In the sixty-eighth minute, Marcos Rojo took a yellow card for a foul for Manchester United. QPR had a yellow card go to Clint Hill for his eighty-second minute foul. Manchester United iced it at 2-0 with a James Wilson goal in stoppage time.

Out in Wales, Swansea City welcomes Chelsea. Petr Cech and Lukasz Fabianski are between the posts. Chelsea quickly started with an Oscar goal in the first minute. Chelsea added on with a Diego Costa goal in the twentieth minute, made possible by a through ball from Cesc Fabregas. Chelsea extended the lead as Costa scored in the thirty-fourth minute. Chelsea padded the lead on an Oscar goal in the thirty-sixth minute, coming off of Costa. Chelsea made it 5-0, the final, on a seventy-ninth minute goal by Andre Schurrle, assisted by Branislav Ivanovic.

Back to London again, as Tottenham Hotspur brings in Sunderland. Costel Pantilimon and Hugo Lloris are manning the nets. Tottenham Hotspur got going in the third minute with a Jan Vertonghen goal, coming off of a set piece. In the thirtieth minute, Vertonghen received a yellow card for a foul, and Sunderland tied it on a free kick by Sebastian Larsson in the next minute. Sunderland had a yellow card go to Jack Rodwell in the fifty-eighth minute for a foul, and another go to Billy Jones in the eighty-seventh minute, also for a foul. In the eighty-eighth minute, Tottenham Hotspur took the lead with a Christian Eriksen goal, via Andros Townsend. Tottenham Hotspur took a 2-1 victory.

Finally, Saturday's last game has Newcastle United hosting Southampton. Fraser Forster and Tim Krul are set to start in goal. Southampton dented the scoreboard in the fourteenth minute on an Eljero Elia goal, passed from James Ward-Prowse. Newcastle United tied it in the twenty-ninth minute as Yoan Gouffran scored. Southampton retook the lead on another Elia goal, with a header pass from Shane Long earning the assist. In the sixty-third minute, Southampton's Steven Davis received a yellow card, followed by Long's yellow card in stoppage time. Southampton won 2-1.

On Sunday, the first game saw West Ham United welcome Hull City. Allan McGregor and Adrian are the goalies. In the twenty-first minute, West Ham's Mark Noble received a yellow card for his foul. Hull City saw a yellow card go to Ahmed Elmohamady in the thirty-fourth minute for a foul. West Ham was first to score in the forty-ninth minute on a close range goal by Andy Carroll. West Ham added on with a Morgan Amalfitano goal in the sixty-ninth minute, via Enner Valencia. West Ham extended the lead in the seventy-second minute with a Stewart Downing goal, passed from Alexandre Song on a through ball. Hull City took yellow cards for a seventy-fifth minute Stephen Quinn foul and an eighty-seventh minute foul by David Meyler. West Ham cruised to a 3-0 victory.

Up to Manchester, where City brings in Arsenal. David Ospina is mismatched with Joe Hart in goal. Arsenal took a yellow card for a Laurent Koscielny offense. Arsenal began on a twenty-fourth minute penalty kick goal by Santiago Cazorla. Arsenal had another yellow card for a thirty-eighth minute Aaron Ramsey foul. Manchester City saw a yellow card go to Vincent Kompany in the forty-first minute for a foul. In the fifty-fourth minute, Manchester City's Fernandinho received a yellow card for a hand ball. In the fifty-sixth minute, Arsenal's Hector Bellerin took a yellow card. Arsenal extended their lead on an Olivier Giroud header goal, passed from Cazorla after a set piece. Sergio Aguero received a yellow card in the eighty-sixth minute for Manchester City. Arsenal took the game 2-0.

Monday's game had Everton host West Bromwich Albion. Ben Foster and Joel Robles are the gloved men. Everton had yellow cards go to Gareth Barry in the forty-ninth minute and Bryan Oviedo in the fifty-second minute, both for fouls. West Brom took a yellow card for a James Morrison foul in the fifty-eighth minute. In the seventy-seventh minute, Muhamed Besic of Everton received a yellow card. West Brom saw a yellow card go to Graham Dorrans in the ninetieth minute. The game ended 0-0.

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NHL January 18th, 2015

Four games today, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. New York quickly struck first in the first period on an unassisted Rick Nash goal, his twenty-seventh of the season. The Rangers added on as Derick Brassard scored his twelfth of the year, coming off of Kevin Klein and Mats Zuccarello. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by David Perron and Kris Letang. New York answered in the second period with another Nash goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, via Brassard. The Rangers extended the lead on a Derek Stepan power play goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Martin St. Louis and Chris Kreider. Thomas Greiss replaced Fleury in goal. The Penguins got one back in the third period on a Perron goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Robert Bortuzzo and Letang. New York finished it at 5-2 with a Stepan goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, with assists provided by Kreider and St. Louis. The three stars were awarded to Nash, Stepan, and Brassard, while Perron, Letang, St. Louis, and Kreider get the honorable mentions.

West to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Corey Crawford guard the cages. Dallas began on a first period goal by Tyler Seguin, his twenty-eighth of the season, assisted by Colton Sceviour and Jamie Benn. The Stars added on with a Cody Eakin shorthanded goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Benn and Alex Goligoski. Chicago got on the board with a Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Brent Seabrook and Bryan Bickell. The Blackhawks tied it on a power play goal by Brandon Saad, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Patrick Sharp and Seabrook. Dallas took the lead back with a Vernon Fiddler goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by John Klingberg and Travis Moen. Chicago tied it again with a second period Saad goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, guided in by Jonathan Toews and Niklas Hjalmarsson. The Stars pulled ahead in the third period on an Eakin power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, via Seguin and Benn, the latter getting a sock trick. Dallas extended the lead with an Erik Cole goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Jason Spezza and Klingberg. The Stars closed it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Shawn Horcoff, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Goligoski and Eakin. The three stars were Eakin, Seguin, and Benn, while Goligoski, Saad, Seabrook, and Klingberg get the honorable mentions.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Ondrej Pavelec are the lousy goalies. Winnipeg led off with a first period goal by Bryan Little goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Andrew Ladd. Arizona tied it on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Shane Doan and Martin Hanzal. The Jets took the lead in the second period on a Michael Frolik, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg added on in the third period as Dustin Byfuglien scored his twelfth of the year, thanks to Mark Scheifele. The Coyotes got one back with a Lauri Korpikoski power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Michael Stone and Keith Yandle. Arizona tied it on a Tobias Rieder goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Antoine Vermette and Doan. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Little's goal lifted the Jets to a 4-3 win. The three stars were given to Little, Doan, and Byfuglien.

Finally, the Detroit Red Wings host the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Petr Mrazek are the little-known goalies. Buffalo was first to score on a first period goal by Drew Stafford, his seventh of the season, fueled by Cody Hodgson and Andrej Meszaros. The Sabres added on with a Tyler Ennis goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Nikita Zadorov and Andre Benoit. Buffalo extended the lead with a Chris Stewart power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Ennis and Zadorov. Tom McCollum replaced Mrazek in goal. Detroit got on the board in the second period on a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings got closer with a Drew Miller goal, his second of the season, passed from Joakim Andersson and Danny DeKeyser. Detroit tied it on a Tomas Tatar goal, his twenty-first of the year, going in unassisted. The Red Wings took the lead in the third period on a Zetterberg goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Pavel Datsyuk and Tatar. Detroit padded the lead with another Zetterberg goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, a power play goal with helpers from Nyquist and Justin Abdelkader. The Sabres got one back with an Ennis goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, pushed through by Matt Moulson. The Red Wings won 6-4 when Zetterberg finished his hat trick on his fourteenth of the year, with assists from Kyle Quincey and DeKeyser. The three stars were Zetterberg, Ennis, and Nyquist, while Tatar, DeKeyser, and Zadorov get honorable mentions.

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KHL January 18th, 2015

Six games on today, beginning in...

Chelyabinsk, where Traktor hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Michael Garnett guard the cages. Chelyabinsk opened in the first period on an Andrei Popov goal, via Dmitry Pestunov. Traktor added on with an Alexei Vasilchenko goal, guided in by Anton Glinkin and Francis Pare. Yekaterinburg got on the board with a second period power play goal by Alexander Rybakov, powered by Alexei Simakov and Anton Lazarev. Chelyabinsk replied in the third period on another Popov goal, passed from Pestunov and Glinkin on the power play. Traktor finished it at 4-1 with a Vyacheslav Osnovin empty net goal, set up by Martin Ruzicka and Artyom Penkovsky. The three stars went to Popov, Pestunov, and Glinkin.

Over in Magnitogorsk, Metallurg welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Anders Nilsson and Vasily Koshechkin tend the twines. Kazan got going in the second period on a Dmitry Obukhov goal, guided in by Kirill Petrov. Magnitogorsk tied it in the third period on a power play goal by Sergei Mozyakin, powered by Danis Zaripov and Jan Kovar. Metallurg took the lead with an Evgeny Timkin goal, coming off of Denis Platonov and Mikhail Yunkov. Magnitogorsk added on with an unassisted Platonov goal. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Platonov, Koshechkin (38 for 39 in saves), and Timkin.

Up in Khanty-Mansiysk, Yugra brings in Neftekhimik. Alexander Sudnitsin and Stepan Goryachevskikh are the goalies with long names. Nizhnekamsk began in the first period on a Dan Sexton goal, fueled by Matt Anderson and Evgeny Ryasensky. Neftekhimik added on as Evgeny Grigorenko scored, thanks to Sexton and Teemu Eronen. Nizhnekamsk extended the lead in the second period on a Maxim Berezin goal, assisted by Yaroslav Alshevsky and Mikhail Zhukov. Neftekhimik padded the lead on a Maxim Rybin goal, helped along by Zhukov. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with an Andrei Chibisov goal, with assists provided by Ben Maxwell and Andrei Sergeyev. Nizhnekamsk finished it at 5-1 in the third period on a Zhukov goal, with a lone assist by Eronen. The three stars went to Zhukov, Sexton, and Eronen.

Over in Cherepovets, Severstal hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Jakub Stepanek are the masked men. St. Petersburg led off in the first period on an Andrei Kuteikin goal, coming off of Maxim Chudinov. SKA added on with a Roman Cervenka goal in the second period, courtesy of Pyotr Khokhryakov. Cherepovets got on the board with an Andreas Thuresson goal, assisted by Nikolai Kazakovtsev and Evgeny Kovyrshin. Severstal tied it in the third period on an Evgeny Mons goal, guided in by Pavel Buchnevich and Ilya Khokhlov. St. Petersburg took the lead back with a Cervenka goal, his second of the game, passed from Tony Martensson and Khokhryakov. SKA wrapped it up with an empty net goal by Viktor Tikhonov, set up by Alexei Ponikarovsky. The final was 4-2, and the three stars went to Cervenka, Khokhryakov, and Kuteikin.

Into Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo welcomes Dinamo Riga. Jeff Deslauriers and Mikhail Biryukov are in the creases. Riga started in the first period on a Krisjanis Redlihs power play goal, powered by Linus Videll. Nizhny Novgorod tied it in the second period on a Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev goal, courtesy of Vladimir Galuzin. Torpedo took the lead on a Galuzin power play goal, made possible by Evgeny Mozer and Alexei Pepelyaev. Nizhny Novgorod added on with a Jarkko Immonen goal, guided in by Sakari Salminen and Pepelyaev. Dinamo pulled back with a Videll power play goal, assisted by Krisjanis Redlihs and Mikelis Redlihs. Riga tied it on an Andris Dzerins goal, with a lone assist by Rodrigo Abols. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Dzerins and Lauris Darzins topped an Immonen tally for a 4-3 Dinamo win. The three stars were Videll, Krisjanis Redlihs, and Galuzin, while Pepelyaev is given an honorable mention.

Finally, Jokerit Helsinki brings in CSKA Moscow. Kevin Lalande and Henrik Karlsson are the former NHL goalies. Helsinki dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Steve Moses power play goal, powered by Juhamatti Aaltonen. Jokerit added on with an Aaltonen goal in the third period, assisted by Topi Jaakola and Daine Todd. Moscow got on the board with an Igor Makarov goal, helped along by Jan Mursak. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Aaltonen, Karlsson (30 for 31 in saves), and Moses.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL January 17th, 2015

Twelve games on today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Columbus opened in the first period on a Ryan Johansen goal, his seventeenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Jack Johnson and Scott Hartnell. Boston tied it on a Carl Soderberg goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Loui Eriksson and Chris Kelly. The Blue Jackets took the lead back with a Matt Calvert goal in the third period, his fifth of the season, assisted by Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky. Columbus iced it at 3-1 with a Calvert empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, set up by Johansen and James Wisniewski. The three stars went to McElhinney (34 for 35 in saves), Calvert, and Johansen.

Over to Buffalo, where the Sabres welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Rob Zepp and Michal Neuvirth are the little-known goalies. Buffalo struck first in the first period on a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Chris Stewart and Brian Flynn. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with an R.J. Umberger power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Matt Read and Michael Del Zotto. The Flyers took the lead on a power play goal by Mark Streit, his sixth of the season, via Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. The Sabres retied it on a Tyler Ennis goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Matt Moulson and Rasmus Ristolainen. Philadelphia took the lead again in the third period on a Chris VandeVelde goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Vincent Lecavalier and Carlo Colaiacovo. The Flyers added on with a Michael Raffl goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Del Zotto and Luke Schenn. Buffalo got one back on Girgensons' second of the night and thirteenth of the campaign, helped along by Moulson and Stewart. This only made it 4-3, with the three stars going to Girgensons, Moulson, and Del Zotto, while Stewart gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Detroit, as the Red Wings bring in the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton and Petr Mrazek are the unknown goalies. Detroit quickly started in the first period on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Riley Sheahan and Tomas Tatar. The Red Wings added on with a Kyle Quincey goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Pavel Datsyuk. Detroit extended the lead with a Tatar goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Nyquist and Niklas Kronwall. Hutton was pulled for Marek Mazanec. Nashville got on the board with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Colin Wilson. The Red Wings answered on a Henrik Zetterberg power play goal in the second period, his eleventh of the season, powered by Datsyuk and Kronwall. Detroit padded the lead as Tatar scored his second of the game and twentieth of the year, with the help of Sheahan and Stephen Weiss. The Predators got one back in the third period on a Mike Fisher goal, his ninth of the campaign, driven in by Roman Josi and Shea Weber on the power play. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Tatar, Nyquist, and Datsyuk, while Sheahan and Kronwall get the honorable mentions.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Dustin Tokarski are called on to start. Montreal was first to score in the first period on a P.K. Subban power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Andrei Markov and Tomas Plekanec. The Canadiens added on in the second period on a Dale Weise goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Plekanec and Max Pacioretty. New York got on the board with a Kyle Okposo goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by John Tavares and Josh Bailey. Montreal shot back on a Plekanec power play goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Markov and Pacioretty. The Islanders replied on a Nikolai Kulemin goal, his ninth of the season, via Brock Nelson and Bailey. The Canadiens answered with a third period Alex Galchenyuk goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Brendan Gallagher and David Desharnais. Montreal padded the lead on a Desharnais goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens extended the lead on a Plekanec goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, fueled by Markov, who got a sock trick, and the goalie Tokarski. Chad Johnson replaced Halak in goal. New York countered with an Anders Lee goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Ryan Strome. The Islanders edged closer with a Tavares power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with helpers provided by Frans Nielsen and Okposo. The final stood from here at 6-4, with the three stars going to Plekanec, Markov, and Desharnais, while Okposo, Tavares, Pacioretty, and Bailey get the honorable mentions.

Over to Ontario, as the Ottawa Senators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Craig Anderson occupy the creases. Carolina led off in the first period on a Brad Malone goal, his second of the season, fueled by Patrick Dwyer and Jay McClement. Ottawa tied it on a Cody Ceci goal in the second period, his third of the year, coming off of Erik Condra and David Legwand. The Senators took the lead in the third period on a Mark Stone goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes tied it with a Justin Faulk goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Nathan Gerbe and Victor Rask. Carolina took the lead on a Gerbe goal, his fourth of the campaign, guided in by Faulk and Tim Gleason. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Gerbe, Faulk, and Khudobin (30 for 32 in saves).

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Brian Elliott are between the pipes. St. Louis began in the first period on a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Ryan Reaves and Maxim Lapierre. The Blues added on in the third period on an Alexander Steen goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of David Backes and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis made it 3-0, the final, with a T.J. Oshie goal, his twelfth of the campaign, with helpers by Steen and Backes. The three stars were Elliott (27 save shutout), Steen, and Backes.

Southeast to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Ben Bishop are the talented goalies. Tampa Bay was first to score in the first period on a Ryan Callahan power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Alex Killorn and Anton Stralman. Colorado tied it in the second period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his eighth of the year, via Nathan MacKinnon and Jan Hejda. The Lightning took the lead back in the third period on a Stralman goal, his third of the season, passed from Valtteri Filppula. The Avalanche tied it again on a MacKinnon goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Gabriel Landeskog and Erik Johnson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Nikita Kucherov and Callahan topped Matt Duchene to give Tampa Bay the 3-2 win. The three stars went to Stralman, Callahan, and MacKinnon.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth and Roberto Luongo are in the blue paint. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Jordan Eberle goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone assist by Matt Fraser. Florida tied it on an Erik Gudbranson goal, his second of the year, fueled by Jussi Jokinen and Nick Bjugstad. The Panthers took the lead on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Dmitry Kulikov. The Oilers tied it in the third period as Matt Hendricks scored his sixth of the year, a shorthanded goal, set up by Boyd Gordon and Mark Fayne. In the shootout, Nail Yakupov had the only tally so Edmonton won 3-2. The three stars went to Fasth (35 for 37 in saves), Luongo (32 for 34 in saves), and Hendricks.

Westward to Dallas, where the Stars bring in the Washington Capitals. Justin Peters and Kari Lehtonen will play in goal. Dallas opened in the first period on a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Jason Spezza and Cody Eakin. The Stars added on with an Erik Cole, his eleventh of the year, via Jyrki Jokipakka and Ales Hemsky. Dallas extended the lead in the second period on a Spezza goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Cole and Jokipakka. Washington got on the board with an Eric Fehr goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Joel Ward and Brooks Laich. The Capitals pulled closer on an Andre Burakovsky goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Matt Niskanen and John Carlson. Washington tied it in the third period on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Nicklas Backstrom. The Stars regained the lead on an Antoine Roussel goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Ryan Garbutt and John Klingberg. Dallas padded the lead with a Jamie Benn goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Seguin and Colton Sceviour. The Capitals chipped back on a Backstrom goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, helped along by Ovechkin and Karl Alzner. This made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars going to Seguin, Spezza, and Cole, while Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Jokipakka getting the honorable mentions.

Way north to Minnesota, where the Wild host the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith faces former job-stealer Devan Dubnyk in goal. Minnesota started in the first period on a Charlie Coyle goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Nino Niederreiter and Christian Folin. The Wild added on in the second period with a Jason Zucker goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Justin Fontaine and the goalie Dubnyk. Arizona got on the board with an Antoine Vermette goal, his eleventh of the season, a power play goal powered by David Moss and Keith Yandle. Minnesota iced it at 3-1 with a third period empty net goal by Zach Parise, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Mikko Koivu. The three stars were handed to Dubnyk (25 for 26 in saves), Zucker, and Coyle.

Southwest to Los Angeles, as the Kings welcome the Anaheim Ducks for a Battle of California. Frederik Andersen and Jonathan Quick tend twines. Los Angeles got going on an Alec Martinez goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Jeff Schultz and Kyle Clifford. Anaheim tied it on a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Patrick Maroon and Corey Perry. The Kings took the lead back on an Anze Kopitar goal, his eleventh of the season, a power play goal powered by Marian Gaborik and Jake Muzzin. The Ducks tied it in the third period on a Sami Vatanen power play goal, guided in by Cam Fowler and Maroon. Anaheim won 3-2 in the shootout on a Jakob Silfverberg goal. The three stars went to Maroon, Vatanen, and Getzlaf.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Calgary Flames. Joni Ortio and Antti Niemi are the Finnish goalies. Calgary struck first in the first period on a Dennis Wideman goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Joe Colborne and Mason Raymond. The Flames added on with a Colborne shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Matt Stajan. San Jose got on the board in the second period as Logan Couture scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Patrick Marleau and Justin Braun. The Sharks tied it on a Joe Thornton power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Joe Pavelski and Marleau. San Jose took the lead on a Melker Karlsson goal, his seventh of the season, via Pavelski and Braun. Calgary retied it on a Jiri Hudler goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Mikael Backlund and Mark Giordano. The Flames won 4-3 in overtime on a Sean Monahan goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Giordano and Paul Byron. The three stars were given to Colborne, Giordano, and Pavelski, while Marleau and Braun get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.