NHL February 3rd, 2015

Eleven games on tonight, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Cory Schneider are in the blue paint. Ottawa got going in the second period on a Curtis Lazar goal, his second of the season, coming off of Mike Hoffman and Mark Borowiecki. New Jersey tied it on an Adam Henrique goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Marek Zidlicky and Andy Greene. The Devils took the lead in the third period as Michael Cammalleri scored his seventeenth of the campaign, helped along by Jaromir Jagr. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Schneider (19 for 20 in saves), Cammalleri, and Henrique.

Over on Long Island, the New York Islanders welcome the Florida Panthers. Al Montoya and Jaroslav Halak are set to start. New York led off in the first period on an Anders Lee goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Josh Bailey and John Tavares. Florida tied it on a Jimmy Hayes goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Nick Bjugstad and Jussi Jokinen. The Panthers took the lead in the second period as Erik Gudbranson scored his third of the season, thanks to Tomas Fleischmann and Brandon Pirri. The Islanders retied it on a Lee power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, powered by Travis Hamonic and Nick Leddy. Florida retook the lead on a Hayes power play goal in the third period, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, fueled by Bjugstad and Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers iced it at 4-2 on a Pirri empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Jonathan Huberdeau. The three stars were Hayes, Lee, and Pirri, while Bjugstad gets an honorable mention.

Continuing to DC, where the Washington Capitals bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Braden Holtby are the reliable goalies. Washington began in the first period on a Troy Brouwer goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Karl Alzner. The Capitals added on with Brouwer's second of the game and fifteenth of the year in the second period, a power play goal powered by Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington extended the lead with a third period goal by Backstrom, his sixteenth of the season, via Marcus Johansson and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals finished it at 4-0 on an Eric Fehr goal, his sixteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Joel Ward. The three stars went to Brouwer, Holtby (27 save shutout), and Backstrom.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Anton Forsberg are the weak goalies. Arizona opened in the first period on a Lucas Lessio goal, his second of the season, fueled by B.J. Crombeen and Brendan Shinnimin. Columbus tied it in the second period as James Wisniewski scored his sixth of the year, a power play goal powered by Jack Johnson and Scott Hartnell. The Coyotes took the lead back on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Keith Yandle and Antoine Vermette. Arizona added on with a power play goal by Shane Doan, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Lauri Korpikoski and Yandle. The Coyotes finished it at 4-1 with a Tobias Rieder empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Vermette. The three stars belonged to Smith (30 for 31 in saves), Yandle, and Vermette.

North to Montreal, as the Canadiens welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Buffalo struck first in the first period on a Drew Stafford goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Cody Hodgson and Tyler Myers. Montreal tied it on a Brandon Prust goal, his fourth of the year, via David Desharnais. The Sabres regained the lead on a Matt Moulson goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Nikita Zadorov and Torrey Mitchell. Buffalo added on with a Brian Gionta goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens got one back in the third period as Desharnais scored his eighth of the campaign, with the help of Dale Weise and Max Pacioretty. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Gionta, Desharnais, and Moulson.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Brian Elliott are both former Senators goalies making the starts here. Tampa Bay was first to score on a first period goal by Cedric Paquette, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Alex Killorn and Jonathan Drouin. St. Louis tied it in the third period as Vladimir Tarasenko scored his twenty-sixth of the year, thanks to Paul Stastny. The Blues won 2-1 in overtime with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, coming off of Chris Butler and the goalie Elliott. The three stars were awarded to Elliott (30 for 31 in saves), Schwartz, and Tarasenko.

East to Nashville, where the Predators host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Carter Hutton are the goalies. Nashville started in the first period on a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Seth Jones, his fourth of the season. The Predators added on with a Shea Weber power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Filip Forsberg and Mike Fisher. Toronto got on the board in the second period with a Daniel Winnik goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Mike Santorelli and Joffrey Lupul. The Maple Leafs tied it in the third period on a Nazem Kadri goal, his fourteenth of the year, via David Booth and Cody Franson. Toronto took the lead on a Santorelli goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Lupul and Morgan Rielly. Nashville retied it as Fisher scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Colin Wilson and Roman Josi. The Predators pulled ahead on a Wilson goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Fisher and James Neal. Bernier couldn't finish the game after an injury, so James Reimer came on to finish the 4-3 loss. The three stars went to Fisher, Wilson, and Santorelli, while Lupul gets an honorable mention.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Devan Dubnyk occupy the creases. Minnesota led off in the first period on a Mikko Koivu goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. The Wild added on with a Jason Zucker goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Marco Scandella and Koivu. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period on a Mikael Granlund goal, his fifth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Zach Parise. This led to the eventual 3-0 final, with the three stars given to Dubnyk (24 save shutout), Koivu, and Zucker.

Way south to Dallas, where the Stars bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Kari Lehtonen are the inconsistent goalies. Dallas began in the first period as Patrick Eaves scored a power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza. The Stars added on with an Erik Cole goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Ales Hemsky. Colorado got on the board in the third period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Brad Stuart and Nick Holden. The Avalanche tied it on a Tyson Barrie goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Gabriel Landeskog and O'Reilly. In the shootout, Nathan MacKinnon of Colorado was matched by Tyler Seguin of Dallas, followed by Daniel Briere canceling out Antoine Roussel and Landeskog matching Colton Sceviour before Max Talbot won it 3-2 for the Avalanche. The three stars went to O'Reilly, Landeskog, and Talbot.

Northwest again to Vancouver, as the Canucks host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Eddie Lack are the backups in goal. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Ben Chiarot and Bryan Little. Vancouver tied it on an Alexandre Burrows goal, his eleventh of the year, via Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Jets took the lead on a Little power play goal in the third period, his twentieth of the season, powered by Andrew Ladd. The Canucks tied it on a Ronalds Kenins goal, his second of the year, passed from Bo Horvat and Adam Clendening. Vancouver won 3-2 with a Luca Sbisa goal in overtime, his third of the campaign, set up by Radim Vrbata and Dan Hamhuis. The three stars were Little, Sbisa, and Kenins.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Frederik Andersen are the young goalies. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the second period as Corey Perry scored his twentieth of the season, with a lone assist by Ryan Getzlaf. Carolina tied it on an Alexander Semin goal, his second of the year, helped along by Victor Rask and John-Michael Liles. The Hurricanes took the lead on a Jay McClement goal, his second of the campaign, guided in by Elias Lindholm and Andrej Sekera. The Ducks tied it on a Ryan Kesler power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Hampus Lindholm and Kyle Palmieri. Carolina retook the lead in the third period on a Brad Malone goal, his fifth of the year, a penalty shot goal he received after a hook from Cam Fowler. The Hurricanes added on with a Jordan Staal goal, his second of the campaign, with a lone helper by Eric Staal. Anaheim got one back with a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Jakob Silfverberg and Ben Lovejoy. The Ducks tied it on a Perry goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, assisted by Kesler and Sami Vatanen. Anahein won 5-4 on a Getzlaf goal in overtime, his sixteenth of the campaign, passed from Perry and Francois Beauchemin. The three stars were Perry, Getzlaf, and Kesler.

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KHL February 3rd, 2015

Seven games on in what is going to be a mild week for Russian hockey. We begin with...

Avangard Omsk hosting SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Konstantin Barulin tend the twines. Omsk led off in the first period on an Igor Musatov goal, coming off of Kirill Semyonov. St. Petersburg tied it on a Vadim Shipachyov goal, fueled by Ilya Kablukov and Artemy Panarin. SKA took the lead on an unassisted goal by Panarin. St. Petersburg added on in the second period on a power play goal by Evgeny Dadonov, powered by Panarin and Shipachyov. Avangard got one back with a Vadim Khomitsky goal, guided in by Kirill Rasskazov and Ivan Nepryayev. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Panarin, Shipachyov, and Dadonov.

Over to Chelyabinsk, where Traktor welcomes Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Michael Garnett are the masked men. Nizhnekamsk was first to score in the first period on a power play goal by Yegor Milovzorov, powered by Andrei Ivanov. Neftekhimik added on in the second period with a Dan Sexton power play goal, with a lone assist Georgijs Pujacs. Chelyabinsk got on the board with a Yegor Martynov goal, assisted by Semyon Kokuyov and Francis Pare. Traktor tied it on a Deron Quint power play goal, made possible by Martynov and Dmitry Pestunov. Nizhnekamsk took the lead in the third period on an Igor Polygalov goal, fueled by Maxim Berezin and Ivanov. The three stars were Martynov, Polygalov, and Ivanov.

Back east, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg brings in Lada Togliatti. Evgeny Ivannikov and Jakub Kovar are in the blue paint. Togliatti struck first in the first period on a Jiri Hunkes goal, coming off of Stanislav Bocharov. Yekaterinburg tied it on a Semi Lepisto power play goal, powered by Alexander Rybakov and Alexei Simakov. Lada won 2-1 in the shootout with a Semyon Valuisky goal. The three stars were Ivannikov (34 for 35 in saves), Kovar (25 for 26 in saves), Valuisky.

Into Moscow, where CSKA hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Kevin Lalande are the North American goalies. Yaroslavl began in the first period on a Sergei Konkov goal, assisted by Emil Galimov and Mikhail Pashnin. Moscow tied it on a Simon Hjalmarsson goal, with a lone assist by Jan Mursak. CSKA took the lead with a Nikita Kvartalnov goal in the second period, courtesy of Evgeny Artyukhin and Mikhail Naumenkov. Moscow added on with an Igor Volkov goal, via Alexander Radulov and Nikita Zaitsev. Lokomotiv got on the board with a power play goal in the third period by Staffan Kronwall, powered by Geoff Platt. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Volkov, and Kvartalnov, and Hjalmarsson.

Heading over to Kazan, where Ak Bars brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Lazushin and Anders Nilsson are in the creases. Kazan opened in the first period on an Oscar Moller power play goal, powered by Ilya Nikulin. Moscow tied it on a Nikolai Zherdev goal, made possible by Maxim Solovyov. Dynamo took the lead with a second period goal by Alexander Budkin, guided in by Yegor Dugin. Moscow added on with a Konstantin Glazachev goal, fueled by Dugin. Dynamo iced it at 4-1 in the third period on a Martins Karsums goal, with a lone assist by Alexander Osipov. The three stars went to Lazushin (38 for 39 in saves), Budkin, and Dugin.

Westward to Minsk, where Dinamo welcomes Medvescak Zagreb. Calvin Heeter and Lars Haugen. Minsk started in the first period on a Nick Bailen power play goal, powered by Charles Linglet and Matt Ellison. Dinamo added on in the second period with an Andrei Stepanov goal, coming off of Alexander Materukhin and Lukas Krajicek. Zagreb got on the board in the third period as Bill Thomas scored, thanks to Brandon Segal. Medvescak tied it with a power play goal by Ville Leino, with a lone assist by Patrick Bjorkstrand. Minsk regained the lead with another Stepanov goal, helped along by Krajicek and Paul Szczechura. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Stepanov, Krajicek, and Bailen.

Finally, Atlant Mytishchi hosts Slovan Bratislava. Johan Backlund and Atte Engren receive the starting nods. Mytishchi dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Vyacheslav Leshchenko goal, passed from Sergei Shmelyov and Vitaly Novopashin. Atlant added on with an Anton Babchuk power play goal, powered by Novopashin and Evgeny Bodrov. Mytishchi extended the lead in the second period as Artyom Chernov scored, thanks to Albert Yarullin and Vyacheslav Kozlov. Bratislava got on the board with an Andrej Kudrna goal, coming off of Michal Sersen and Tomas Surovy. Slovan pulled closer with a Libor Hudacek goal, with a lone assist by Matt Murley. Bratislava tied it on a Surovy goal, helped along by Kudrna. Atlant took the lead again with a Bodrov goal, courtesy of Matthew Gilroy. This made it 4-3, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Bodrov, Surovy, and Kudrna, while Novopashin gets an honorable mention.

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NHL February 2nd, 2015

Three games on tonight, beginning in...

New York, as the Rangers host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. Florida led off in the first period on an Aleksander Barkov goal, his sixth of the season, via Brad Boyes. New York tied it on a shorthanded and unassisted Rick Nash goal, his thirtieth of the year. The Rangers took the lead with a Kevin Hayes power play goal in the second period, his seventh of the season, powered by Mats Zuccarello and Ryan McDonagh. New York added on with a Marc Staal goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Jesper Fast and Carl Hagelin. The Panthers pulled back on a Dave Bolland goal, his second of the season, assisted by Sean Bergenheim and Jussi Jokinen. Florida tied it with a Brandon Pirri power play goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Bolland and Boyes. The Rangers retook the lead in the third period with an unassisted Dan Boyle goal, his sixth of the season. New York extended the lead as Zuccarello scored his eighth of the year, made possible by Chris Kreider and Derick Brassard. The Rangers iced it at 6-3 on a Nash goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the campaign, an empty net goal set up by Derek Stepan. The three stars went to Nash, Zuccarello, and Bolland, while Boyes gets an honorable mention.

West to Calgary, where the Flames welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Jonas Hiller draw the starts. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Bryan Little and Andrew Ladd. Calgary tied it on a David Jones goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Mark Giordano. The Flames took the lead in the second period on a Mason Raymond goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Sven Baertschi. Calgary added on in the third period with a power play goal by Raphael Diaz, powered by Lance Bouma and Joe Colborne. The Flames extended the lead on a Brandon Bolling goal, guided in by Colborne and Paul Byron. The Jets got one back as Little scored, his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Ladd and Ben Chiarot. Calgary iced it at 5-2 on a Sean Monahan empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Johnny Gaudreau and Kris Russell. The three stars belonged to Little, Colborne, and Ladd.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth and Antti Niemi are in the blue paint. San Jose opened in the first period on a power play goal by Joe Pavelski, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton. Edmonton tied it on a Jordan Eberle goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Taylor Hall and Oscar Klefbom. The Oilers took the lead in the second period on an Eberle goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Justin Schultz and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton added on with a Derek Roy goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Nail Yakupov. The Sharks got one back in the third period on a Scott Hannan goal, via Thornton and Pavelski. San Jose tied it on a Matt Tennyson goal, his second of the season, assisted by Tyler Kennedy and Matthew Nieto. The Sharks took the lead on Pavelski's second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, helped along by Brent Burns and Thornton, the latter getting a sock trick. The Oilers retied it on a Schultz goal, his fourth of the season, with helpers provided by Teddy Purcell and Anton Lander. In the shootout, Burns and Nugent-Hopkins cancelled each other out, before a Rob Klinkhammer goal in the thirteenth round sealed a 5-4 Oilers victory. The three stars went to Eberle, Pavelski, and Schultz, while Thornton gets an honorable mention.

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KHL February 2nd, 2015

Two games on for today, both in the Far East, with...

Amur Khabarovsk hosting Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Rafael Khakimov and Alexander Pechursky are set to start in goal. Novokuznetsk dented the scoreboard on an Alexei Kosourov goal in the second period, helped along by Denis Kurepanov and Vladimir Malinovsky. Khabarovsk tied it on a Ruslan Bashkirov goal, coming off of Rafael Akhmetov and Vyacheslav Litovchenko. Amur took the lead in the third period on a power play goal by Mikhail Fisenko, powered by Rastislav Spirko and Dmitry Lugin. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Fisenko, Pechursky (34 for 35 in saves), and Bashkirov.

The other game was down in Vladivostok, where Admiral hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Ilya Proskuryakov protect the nets. Vladivostok got going in the second period on an Alexander Kuznetsov goal, fueled by Fyodor Belyakov and Konstantin Sokolov. Novosibirsk tied it on a Patrik Hersley power play goal, powered by Maxim Shalunov and Dmitry Kugryshev. Sibir pulled ahead on a Dmitry Monya goal, with a lone assist by Alexei Kopeikin. Novosibirsk added on in the third period as Sergei Shumakov scored, thanks to Kugryshev. Sibir extended the lead on an unassisted goal by David Ullstrom. Admiral got one back with a Vladislav Ushenin goal, made possible by Vyacheslav Ushenin. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Shumakov, Kugryshev, and Ullstrom.

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NHL February 1st, 2015

Four games on pre-Super Bowl today, beginning in...

Montreal, as the Canadiens host the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Dustin Tokarski are the backups making spot starts. Montreal opened in the first period on an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Brendan Gallagher and Tom Gilbert. The Canadiens added on with a Galchenyuk goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, coming off of David Desharnais and Jiri Sekac. Arizona got on the board in the second period on a Lauri Korpikoski power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Martin Erat and Keith Yandle. The Coyotes tied it in the third period on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Arizona took the lead on a power play goal by Korpikoski, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, assisted by Sam Gagner and Yandle. The three stars were handed to Korpikoski, Galchenyuk, and Yandle.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott faces a lesser foe in Justin Peters in goal. St. Louis led off in the first period on an Alexander Steen goal, his sixteenth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Jaden Schwartz and T.J. Oshie. Washington tied it on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirtieth of the year, a power play goal powered by Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom. The Blues took the lead in the second period on Steen's second of the game and seventeenth of the season, fueled by Oshie and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Capitals tied it on another Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, guided in by Backstrom. St. Louis regained the lead as Dmitrij Jaskin scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Schwartz and Paul Stastny. The Blues added on in the third period with a Tarasenko goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, coming off of Steen and Oshie, the latter getting a sock trick. Washington got one back on a Karl Alzner goal, his fourth of the campaign, with assists provided by Green and Ovechkin. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to Steen, Ovechkin, and Oshie, while Tarasenko, Schwartz, Green, and Backstrom get the honorable mentions.

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins bring in the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Nashville began in the first period on a Roman Josi goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Filip Forsberg and Shea Weber. The Predators added on with a Gabriel Bourque goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Nashville extended the lead as Eric Nystrom scored his sixth of the season in the second period, thanks to Taylor Beck. The Predators wrapped it up at 4-0 on a third period goal by Mike Fisher, his twelfth of the year, a power play goal powered by Forsberg and Josi. The three stars went to Hutton (21 save shutout), Josi, and Forsberg.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Ryan Miller are the masked men. Minnesota got going in the second period on a Zach Parise goal, his twenty-first of the season, going in unassisted. The Wild added on with a Jared Spurgeon power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Nino Niederreiter and Mikael Granlund. Minnesota extended the lead in the third period on a Thomas Vanek goal, his tenth of the season, via Granlund. Vancouver got on the board with a Ronalds Kenins goal, made possible by Bo Horvat and Alexander Edler. The Canucks pulled closer on a Daniel Sedin goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Radim Vrbata. The Wild iced it at 4-2 with a Jason Zucker empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Ryan Suter. The three stars were Vanek, Granlund, and Spurgeon.

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KHL February 1st, 2015

Thirteen games on today, with the first in...

Vladivostok, as Admiral hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Ilya Proskuryakov are in the blue paint. Vladivostok got going in the second period on a Tom Wandell goal, fueled by Niclas Bergfors and Jan Kolar. Admiral added on with a Konstantin Sokolov goal, passed from Konstantin Makarov. Novosibirsk got on the board with a goal by Stepan Sannikov, courtesy of Vyacheslav Belov and David Ullstrom. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Proskuryakov (29 for 30 in saves), Sokolov, and Wandell.

North to Khabarovsk, where Amur welcomes Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Rafael Khakimov and Alexander Pechursky draw the starts. Novokuznetsk began in the first period on a Dmitry Maltsev power play goal, coming off of Nikita Kamalov. Metallurg added on in the second period with a Mikhail Plotnikov goal, via Cade Fairchild. Novokuznetsk extended the lead as Alexander Komaristy scored in the third period, thanks to Nikita Popov. This was good for a 3-0 win, with the three stars handed to Khakimov (28 save shutout), Maltsev, and Plotnikov.

Westward to Omsk, where Avangard brings in Severstal Cherepovets. Sergei Magarilov and Denis Kostin are the inexperienced goalies. Cherepovets led off in the first period on an Anatoly Nikontsev goal, via Vadim Berdnikov and Ilya Khokhlov. Severstal added on in the second period with a Pavel Chernov goal, with a lone assist by Pavel Buchnevich. Omsk got on the board in the third period with a power play goal by Alexander Popov, powered by Sergei Kalinin and Evgeny Kulik. Avangard tied it on a Kulik goal, courtesy of Alexander Perezhogin and Popov. Cherepovets won 3-2 in overtime on a Dmitry Kagarlitsky goal, passed from Chernov. The three stars went to Chernov, Popov, and Kulik.

Up to Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev hosts CSKA Moscow. Kevin Lalande and Leland Irving are the goalies. Moscow dented the scoreboard on a shorthanded goal in the second period by Jan Mursak, set up by Vladimir Zharkov. Ufa tied it on an Ivan Vishnevsky power play goal, powered by Dmitry Makarov and Andrei Zubarev. CSKA took the lead back with a power play goal by Alexander Radulov, with a lone assist by Stephane Da Costa. This made it a 2-1 final, with the three stars being Lalande (25 for 26 in saves), Radulov, and Mursak.

Continuing to Yekaterinburg, where Avtomobilist welcomes Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Barry Brust and Jakub Kovar are the masked men. Yekaterinburg struck first in the second period with an Alexander Nesterov goal, with a lone helper from Sergei Gusev. Avtomobilist added on in the third period with a Dmitry Megalinsky goal, helped along by Nesterov and Artyom Gareyev on the power play. This gave them a 2-0 win, with the three stars handed to Kovar (28 save shutout), Nesterov, and Megalinsky.

Back south, Metallurg Magnitogorsk brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Vasily Koshechkin tend the twines. Magnitogorsk was first to score in the second period as Chris Lee scored an unassisted goal. Metallurg added on in the third period with a Maxim Yakutsenya goal, assisted by Mikhail Yunkov. this produced the 2-0 final, with the three stars given to Koshechkin (23 save shutout), Lee, and Yakutsenya.

A little to the west, Lada Togliatti hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Evgeny Ivannikov are in the creases. Nizhnekamsk opened in the first period on an Evgeny Grigorenko goal, going in unassisted. Togliatti tied it in the second period as Martin Zatovic scored, thanks to Alexander Sharov. Lada took the lead with an Anton Shenfeld goal, coming off of Andrei Nikitenko. Togliatti added on with a power play goal by Georgy Belousov, powered by Dmitry Ogurtsov. Lada extended the lead as Vitaly Shulakov scored, with the help of Dmitry Vorobyov. Togliatti padded the lead on a Peter Podhradsky power play goal, fueled by Nikitenko and Shenfeld. Neftekhimik took one back in the third period on a power play goal by Maxim Rybin, guided in by Dmitry Kosmachyov and Mikhail Zhukov. Lada finished it at 6-2 with a Belousov goal, his second of the game, made possible by Shenfeld and Nikitenko, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were handed to Shenfeld, Belousov, and Nikitenko.

Over in Moscow, Dynamo welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Ivan Lisutin and Alexander Yeryomenko receive the starting nods. Podolsk started in the first period on a Mario Kempe goal, with a lone assist by Robert Kousal. Moscow tied it on a Gleb Koryagin goal, going in unassisted. Vityaz retook the lead in the second period with an unassisted goal by Dmitry Tsyganov. Dynamo tied it on a power play goal by Kaspars Daugavins, powered by Mat Robinson and Nikolai Zherdev. Moscow took the lead in the third period with a Denis Kokarev goal, fueled by Sergei Soin. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Kokarev, Daugavins, and Koryagin.

Back to Kazan, where Ak Bars brings in Dinamo Minsk. Dmitry Milchakov and Anders Nilsson are set to start. Kazan led off in the first period on a Justin Azevedo goal, guided in by Oscar Moller and Vladimir Denisov. Ak Bars added on in the second period with a Dmitry Obukhov goal, going in unassisted. Minsk got on the board with a power play goal by Matt Ellison, via Charles Linglet and Paul Szczechura. This was as close as it got, and the final stood at 2-1. The three stars were given to Nilsson (29 for 30 in saves), Obukhov, and Azevedo.

Northwest to St. Petersburg, where SKA hosts Medvescak Zagreb. Calvin Heeter and Igor Shestyorkin are the little-known goalies. St. Petersburg began in the first period on a power play goal by Evgeny Dadonov, powered by Ilya Kovalchuk and Vadim Shipachyov. SKA added on with a Jimmie Ericsson goal, fueled by Artemy Panarin and Roman Cervenka. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Maxim Chudinov scored, thanks to Anton Burdasov and Dinar Khafizullin. Zagreb got on the board with a Brandon Segal goal in the second period, with a lone assist by Andrew Hutchinson. Medvescak pulled closer on a Bill Thomas goal in the third period, helped along by Geoffrey Kinrade. SKA shot back with a Dadonov goal, his second of the game, guided in by Panarin and Shipachyov. St. Petersburg finished it with an unassisted Panarin goal. The final was 5-2, and the three stars were Dadonov, Panarin, and Shipachyov.

Down to Sochi, where the Leopards welcome Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Vitaly Kolesnik and Andrei Gavrilov are the backups in goal. Yaroslavl struck first in the first period on a Geoff Platt goal, courtesy of Martin Thornberg and Kirill Kapustin. Sochi tied it in the second period on a Mikhail Anisin goal, fueled by Pyotr Schastlivy. The Leopards took the lead with a Roman Lyuduchin goal, coming off of Ryan Whitney and Nikita Shchitov. Sochi added on in the third period as Ilya Krikunov scored a power play goal, powered by Shchitov and Andrei Kostitsyn. The Leopards wrapped it up at 4-1 with an Alexei Krutov goal, with a lone assist by Lyuduchin. The three stars were Lyuduchin, Gavrilov (28 for 29 in saves), and Shchitov.

Into Finland, where Jokerit Helsinki brought in Atlant Mytishchi. Atte Engren and Henrik Karlsson are between the pipes. Helsinki got going in the third period on a Jere Sallinen goal, assisted by Ryan Gunderson and Ossi Vaananen. Jokerit added on with a Petr Koukal power play goal into an empty net, powered by Niko Kapanen and Topi Jaakola. The final score was 2-0, and the three stars were handed to Karlsson (22 save shutout), Sallinen, and Koukal.

Finally, Dinamo Riga hosts Slovan Bratislava. Johan Backlund and Jakub Sedlacek are the reliable goalies. Riga was first to score in the first period on a Roberts Bukarts goal, coming off of Mikelis Redlihs and Linus Videll. Dinamo added on with a Kaspars Saulietis goal, fueled by Aleksandrs Jerofejevs. Denis Godla replaced Backlund. Riga extended the lead on a Videll goal, with a lone assist by Bukarts. Dinamo padded the lead in the second period as Lauris Darzins scored, thanks to Miks Indrasis and Kyle Wilson. Riga continued on a Krisjanis Redlihs power play goal, powered by Bukarts and Mikelis Redlihs. Dinamo finished it at 6-0 on an Indrasis goal in the third period, helped along by Darzins. The three stars were given to Bukarts, Videll, and Indrasis, while Mikelis Redlihs, Darzins, and Sedlacek (22 save shutout) received the honorable mentions.

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Premier League Week 23

Another ten games on for the next two days. The first of eight on Saturday features...

Hull City hosting Newcastle United. Tim Krul and Allan McGregor are the goalies. Hull City took the first yellow card in the twenty-fifth minute for a David Meyler foul. In the twenty-ninth minute, Newcastle United's Vurnon Anita received a yellow card. Newcastle United started the scoring with a fortieth minute Remy Cabella goal. Hull City took another yellow card for a first-half stoppage time hand ball by Ahmed Elmohamady. Newcastle United added on in the fiftieth minute with a Sammy Ameobi goal, passed from Jack Colback. In the sixty-fourth minute, Andrew Robertson of Hull City was shown a yellow card for his foul. Newcastle United extended their lead with a Yoan Gouffran goal, coming off of Massadio Haidara. Hull City had a yellow card for a Jake Livermore foul in the eighty-ninth minute. The final favored Newcastle United 3-0.

Down in London, Crystal Palace welcomes Everton. Joel Robles and Julian Speroni draw the starts. Everton began in the second minute with a Romelu Lukaku goal from close range. Everton saw yellow cards for Bryan Oviedo in the eightieth minute and Robles in stoppage time for time wasting. Everton took the game 1-0.

Back north, Liverpool brings in West Ham United. Adrian and Simon Mignolet protect the nets. Liverpool led off in the fifty-first minute on a Raheem Sterling goal, coming off of Philippe Coutinho. In the sixtieth minute, Andy Carroll of West Ham received a yellow card. Liverpool added on in the eightieth minute on a Daniel Sturridge goal, passed from Coutinho. Liverpool's Sterling received a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. Liverpool cruised to a 2-0 victory.

Continuing to Manchester United hosting Leicester City. Mark Schwarzer is mismatched with David de Gea in goal. In the twenty-seventh minute, Manchester United got going on a Robin van Persie goal, made possible by Daley Blind with the through ball. Manchester United added on in the thirty-second minute with a Falcao goal from close range. Leicester City took a yellow card for a thirty-fourth minute Daniel Drinkwater foul. Manchester United got a gift with an own goal by Leicester City's Wes Morgan in the forty-fourth minute. Leicester City got one back in the eightieth minute with a Marcin Wasilewski header goal on a cross after a corner kick by Marc Albrighton. Manchester United won 3-1.

Over to Stoke City welcoming the Queens Park Rangers. Robert Green and Asmir Begovic are between the posts. Stoke City struck first in the twenty-first minute on a Jonathan Walters goal, courtesy of Stephen Ireland. QPR had a yellow card for Mauricio Isla's foul in the twenty-fourth minute. In the thirty-fourth minute Ireland set up another Walters goal to extend the Stoke City lead. In the thirty-sixth minute, Niko Kranjcar got QPR on the board with an unassisted goal. Victor Moses of Stoke City took a yellow card in the fifty-eighth minute. QPR's Joey Barton received a yellow card for his sixty-eighth minute foul. In the eighty-fifth minute, Walters of Stoke City took a yellow card for a foul. Stoke City iced it at 3-1 as Walters completed his hat trick on a header goal after a set piece.

Next up, Sunderland brings in Burnley. Tom Heaton and Costel Pantilimon draw the starts in goal. Sunderland opened with a Connor Wickham goal in the twentieth minute, via Anthony Reveillere on a cross. Sunderland added on with a Jermain Defoe goal in the thirty-fourth minute, made possible by Patrick van Aanholt. Sunderland saw yellow cards for an Adam Johnson foul in the sixty-ninth minute, a Sebastian Larsson foul in the eighty-ninth minute, and time wasting in stoppage time by Pantilimon. Dean Marney of Burnley received a yellow card in stoppage time as well. Sunderland cruised to a 2-0 win.

Along the line, West Bromwich Albion hosts Tottenham Hotspur. Hugo Lloris and Ben Foster are the keepers. Tottenham Hotspur was first to score with a sixth minute Christian Eriksen goal on a free kick. In the fifteenth minute, Harry Kane scored for Tottenham Hotspur, with the help of Mousa Dembele. In the fifty-fifth minute, West Brom's Saido Berahino received a yellow card. Tottenham Hotspur extended the lead with a sixty-fourth minute Kane penalty kick goal. In the eightieth minute Claudio Yacob of West Brom took a yellow card for a foul. Tottenham Hotspur saw a yellow card for Erik Lamela's foul in stoppage time. Tottenham Hotspur claimed a 3-0 victory.

Closing out Saturday, Chelsea welcomes Manchester City in a battle at the top of the table. Joe Hart and Thibaut Courtois guard the woodwork. Chelsea dented the scoreboard with a forty-first minute goal by Loic Remy, via Eden Hazard. Manchester City tied it as David Silva scored in the forty-fourth minute, thanks to Sergio Aguero. Silva took a yellow card in the fifty-second minute for Manchester City. In the seventy-fourth minute, Fernando of Manchester City had a yellow card for his foul. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Sunday's first game had Arsenal bringing Aston Villa. Brad Guzan and David Ospina are in the six-yard boxes. Arsenal struck first in the eighth minute with a goal by Olivier Giroud, passed from Mesut Ozil on a through ball. In the fifty-sixth minute, Ozil scored on a pass from Giroud on a through ball. Aston Villa took a yellow card for a fifty-seventh minute foul by Ciaran Clark. Arsenal extended the lead on a Theo Walcott goal in the sixty-third minute, coming off of Santiago Cazorla. In the sixty-eighth minute, Aston Villa took a yellow card for a Carles Gil foul. Arsenal padded the lead on a Cazorla penalty kick goal in the seventy-fifth minute. Arsenal iced it at 5-0 with a stoppage time goal by Hector Bellerin, made possible by Cazorla.

Finally, Southampton hosts Swansea City. Lukasz Fabianski and Fraser Forster draw the starts in goal. In the forty-fourth minute, Neil Taylor of Swansea City took a yellow card for a foul. Southampton saw a yellow card go to Maya Yoshida in the sixty-fourth minute for his foul. Swansea City opened the scoring in the eighty-third minute on a Jonjo Shelvey goal, via Modou Barrow. Southampton went down a man in the eighty-ninth minute when Ryan Bertrand received a red card for a foul. Swansea City won 1-0.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.