NHL February 10th, 2015

Nine games on tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen faces a lesser foe in Niklas Svedberg in goal. Dallas struck first on a Vernon Fiddler shorthanded and unassisted goal, his seventh of the season. Boston tied it with a David Krejci goal, his seventh of the year, passed from David Pastrnak and Milan Lucic. The Stars retook the lead on a Jamie Benn goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Alex Goligoski and John Klingberg. Dallas added on with another Jamie Benn goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, via Patrick Eaves and Jordie Benn. Tuukka Rask relieved Svedberg in the second period. The Bruins pulled back with a Patrice Bergeron second period goal, his fifteenth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Brad Marchand. Boston tied it again with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Chris Kelly and Torey Krug. The Stars regained the lead on a Trevor Daley shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Dallas iced it at 5-3 in the third period on an Erik Cole empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jason Demers and Jason Spezza. The three stars were handed to Jamie Benn, Daley, and Fiddler.

Over to Buffalo, where the Sabres welcome the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Jhonas Enroth are the inexperienced goalies. Ottawa was first to score in the first period with an Erik Karlsson power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Kyle Turris and Mark Stone. Buffalo tied it in the third period on a Tyler Myers power play goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Matt Moulson and Chris Stewart. The Senators took the lead back with a Milan Michalek goal, his eighth of the campaign, helped along by Patrick Wiercioch and Mike Hoffman. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Lehner (35 for 36 in saves), Michalek, and Karlsson.

Back at the coast, the New York Islanders bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth is mismatched with Jaroslav Halak. Edmonton opened in the first period on a Ryan Hamilton power play goal, powered by Nail Yakupov and Iiro Pakarinen. New York tied it on a Colin McDonald goal, his second of the season, guided in by Matt Martin and Travis Hamonic. The Islanders took the lead in the second period as Josh Bailey scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Thomas Hickey and Anders Lee. The Oilers retied it on an Anton Lander power play goal, his second of the season, via Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. New York took the lead in the third period on a Casey Cizikas goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of McDonald and Hickey. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to McDonald, Cizikas, and Hickey.

Into Canada, where the Montreal Canadiens host the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Carey Price receive the starting nods. Philadelphia began in the first period on a Matt Read goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Wayne Simmonds. Montreal tied it in the third period with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens won 2-1 in overtime on a David Desharnais goal, his ninth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Andrei Markov. The three stars were Price (23 for 24 in saves), Desharnais, and Plekanec.

West to Ontario, where the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot and James Reimer occupy the creases. New York led off in the first period on a Dan Boyle goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Derick Brassard and Rick Nash. The Rangers added on with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his ninth of the year, via Nash and Brassard. Toronto got on the board with a Morgan Rielly power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Cody Franson and Tyler Bozak. New York replied in the second period on a Kevin Hayes goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Marc Staal and Kevin Klein. The Maple Leafs replied with a Stephane Robidas goal, made possible by Leo Komarov. The Rangers shot back on a shorthanded goal by Dominic Moore, his fifth of the season, set up by Carl Hagelin and Staal. Toronto pulled back on a Rielly goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with helpers provided by Daniel Winnik and Nazem Kadri. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Winnik goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. New York regained the lead as Zuccarello scored his second of the game and tenth of the year, with the help of Nash, who got a sock trick, and Moore. The final stood at 5-4, with the three stars handed to Zuccarello, Rielly, and Nash, while Brassard, Staal, Winnik, and Moore get the honorable mentions.

Way south to Florida, as the Panthers bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Ilya Bryzgalov and Roberto Luongo are the veteran goalies. Florida started in the first period on a Dmitry Kulikov power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Brian Campbell and Dave Bolland. The Panthers added on with a Nick Bjugstad power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Jimmy Hayes and Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida extended the lead in the second period with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Huberdeau and Campbell. John Gibson replaced Bryzgalov in goal. Anaheim got on the board with a power play goal by Kyle Palmieri, his eleventh of the year, via Rickard Rakell and Cam Fowler. The Panthers replied on an Aleksander Barkov goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Brad Boyes and Huberdeau, the latter getting a sock trick. Florida padded the lead as Bolland scored his third of the year, thanks to Tomas Fleischmann and Erik Gudbranson. The Ducks got one back on a Tim Jackman goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Clayton Stoner and Sami Vatanen. The Panthers wrapped it up at 6-2 in the third period on a power play goal by Hayes, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Steven Kampfer and Gudbranson. The three stars were Huberdeau, Hayes, and Bolland, while Campbell and Gudbranson get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Jake Allen are between the pipes. Arizona struck first in the first period on a Sam Gagner goal, his tenth of the season, via Martin Erat and Michael Stone. St. Louis tied it on an Alexander Steen goal, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by T.J. Oshie and David Backes. The Blues took the lead in the second period on a Dmitrij Jaskin goal, his seventh of the campaign, coming off of Carl Gunnarsson. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Allen (25 for 26 in saves), Jaskin, and Steen.

Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Pekka Rinne guard the cages. Nashville got going in the second period on a Seth Jones goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Viktor Stalberg and Anton Volchenkov. The Predators added on with a Taylor Beck goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Paul Gaustad and Eric Nystrom. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period as Brett Connolly scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Valtteri Filppula. The Lightning tied it on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson. Nashville won 3-2 in overtime on a James Neal goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, via Roman Josi and Matt Cullen. The three stars went to Neal, Beck, and Jones.

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Michael Hutchinson are the surprising goalies. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Toby Enstrom goal, his third of the season, fueled by Mathieu Perreault. Minnesota tied it on an unassisted goal by Jason Pominville, his eleventh of the year. The Jets won 2-1 with a Dustin Byfuglien goal in overtime, his fourteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Hutchinson (29 for 30 in saves), Byfuglien, and Dubnyk (32 for 34 in saves).

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NHL February 9th, 2015

Five games on tonight, beginning in...

New Jersey, with the Devils hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Scrivens and Cory Schneider draw the starts. New Jersey led off in the first period on a Patrik Elias goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Martin Havlat and Travis Zajac. Edmonton tied it on an Oscar Klefbom goal, his second of the year, assisted by Jordan Eberle and Teddy Purcell. The Oilers took the lead in the second period on a Nail Yakupov power play goal, his sixth of the campaign, powered by Eberle and Jeff Petry. This was it for the scoring, with the final at 2-1. The three stars went to Yakupov, Eberle, and Scrivens (13 for 14 in saves).

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick faces a lesser foe in Curtis McElhinney in goal. Columbus opened in the first period on a Jack Skille goal, his sixth of the season, via Artem Anisimov and Denis Savard. Los Angeles tied it on a Dwight King goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Jeff Carter and Robyn Regehr. The Kings took the lead on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from King. The Blue Jackets retied it on a second period Scott Hartnell goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Ryan Johansen. Los Angeles retook the lead as Carter scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Brayden McNabb and Jamie McBain. The Kings added on with a Dustin Brown goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, fueled by Marian Gaborik. Columbus got one back with a Savard goal, his eighth of the campaign, wist assists provided by Nick Foligno and Jack Johnson. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Carter, King, and Savard.

Northwest to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Devan Dubnyk are in the blue paint. Minnesota started in the first period on a Jordan Schroeder goal, courtesy of Charlie Coyle and Matt Dumba. The Wild added on with a Jason Pominville power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Thomas Vanek and Mikko Koivu. Vancouver got on the board with a Zack Kassian goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Chris Higgins and Dan Hamhuis. Minnesota shot back on a Nino Niederreiter goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Koivu and Ryan Suter. The Canucks pulled back on a Shawn Matthias goal in the second period, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Radim Vrbata and Hamhuis. The Wild answered with a Suter power play goal, his second of the season, made possible by Koivu, who got a sock trick, and Zach Parise. Minnesota extended the lead on a Kyle Brodziak goal, his seventh of the year, via Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin. Eddie Lack replaced Miller in goal. Vancouver got one back in the third period on a Ryan Stanton goal, his second of the campaign, coming off of Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars being Suter, Koivu, and Hamhuis.

Backtracking to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Antti Raanta draw the starts. Chicago got going in the second period on a Marian Hossa goal, his thirteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Jonathan Toews. Arizona tied it on a Shane Doan goal, his twelfth of the year, via Keith Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the power play. The Coyotes took the lead in the third period on an Antoine Vermette goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Ekman-Larsson. The Blackhawks retied it on a Hossa goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, guided in by Toews. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Lucas Lessio and Vermette combined to top Patrick Kane and give Arizona a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Hossa, Vermette, and Ekman-Larsson, while Toews gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Antti Niemi are the veteran goalies. Calgary began in the first period with a Mason Raymond goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Lance Bouma and Kris Russell. The Flames added on in the second period with Bouma's ninth of the year, courtesy of Mark Giordano and David Jones. San Jose got on the board with a Brent Burns goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski. Calgary shot back in the third period as Jiri Hudler scored a power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, thanks to Johnny Gaudreau and Dennis Wideman. The Flames iced it at 4-1 with a Jones empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by T.J. Brodie. The three stars went to Bouma, Hiller (33 for 34 in saves), and Jones.

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KHL February 9th, 2015

Eight games on today before the schedule ramps up to a higher fluctuation later this week. We begin with...

Metallurg Magnitogorsk hosting CSKA Moscow. Stanislav Galimov and Vasily Koshechkin tend the twines. Magnitogorsk got going in the second period as Danis Zaripov scored a power play goal, powered by Chris Lee and Jan Kovar. Moscow tied it on a Stephane Da Costa goal, via Alexander Radulov. CSKA took the lead as Da Costa scored again, with another lone helper by Radulov. Moscow iced it at 3-1 with a third period goal by Vladimir Zharkov, an empty net goal set up by Roman Lyubimov. The three stars went to Da Costa, Galimov (21 for 22 in saves), and Radulov.

Over in Togliatti, Lada welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Evgeny Ivannikov are set to start in goal. Togliatti led off in the first period on a Georgy Belousov power play goal, powered by Peter Podhradsky. Yekaterinburg tied it on a Vitaly Popov goal, courtesy of Anatoly Golyshev. Yekaterinburg took the lead in the third period as Sami Lepisto scored, thanks to Alexei Simakov and Alexander Rybakov. Yekaterinburg iced it at 3-1 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Anton Lazarev, set up by Nikita Tryamkin. The three stars belonged to Kovar (24 for 25 in saves), Lepisto, and Popov.

Way west to Minsk, where Dinamo hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Minsk opened in the first period on a Ryan Vesce goal, made possible by Charles Linglet and Matt Ellison. Chelyabinsk tied it on a second period goal by Francis Pare goal, with a lone helper from Artyom Borodkin. Traktor took the lead with a Vyacheslav Osnovin goal, fueled by Martin Ruzicka and Maxim Kondratyev. Dinamo tied it on a power play goal by Ellison, powered by Paul Szczechura and Vesce. Chelyabinsk took the lead back on a Stanislav Chistov goal, assisted by Ruzicka and Osnovin. Traktor finished it at 4-2 on a Ruzicka shorthanded empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Ruzicka, Ellison, and Vesce, while Osnovin gets an honorable mention.

Back in Russia, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl brings in Admiral Vladivostok. Ivan Nalimov and Curtis Sanford are the goalies. Vladivostok dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Andrei Sigaryov goal, courtesy of Alexei Ugarov. Admiral added on as Alexander Gorshkov scored, with the help of Vyacheslav Ushenin. Vladivostok finished it at 3-0 with an Ugarov empty net goal, set up by Shaun Heshka. The three stars were handed to Nalimov (28 save shutout), Ugarov, and Sigaryov.

Down in Mytishchi, Atlant hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Stepan Goryachevskikh and Artyom Artemyev are the backups in goal. Mytishchi began in the first period on a Nikita Soshnikov goal, guided in by Sergei Shmelyov. Atlant added on with another Soshnikov goal, coming off of Maxim Potapov and Shmelyov. Mytishchi extended the lead as Shmelyov scored, thanks to Matthew Gilroy and Potapov. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with an Alexander Korolyuk goal, made possible by Nikita Gusev. Atlant shot back on a Gilroy penalty shot goal, after he was slashed by Vitaly Sitnikov. Mytishchi padded the lead with a penalty shot goal by Oleg Yashin in the third period, after he was held my Dmitry Ryabykin. Atlant wrapped it up at 6-1 with an Alexander Yunkov goal, with a lone assist by Potapov, who got a sock trick. The three stars were given to Soshnikov, Shmelyov, and Gilroy, while Potapov gets an honorable mention.

Further south, Vityaz Podolsk welcomes Amur Khabarovsk. Alexander Pechursky and Ivan Lisutin are the masked men. Podolsk started in the first period on an Anton Korolyov goal, courtesy of Alexander Kucheryavenko and Georgy Berdyukov. Khabarovsk tied it on a Dmitry Tarasov goal, via Maxim Velikov and Tuukka Mantyla. Amur took the lead in the second period on a Michel Miklik power play goal, powered by Denis Yezhov. Vityaz tied it in the third period on a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, with a lone assist by Kucheryavenko. Podolsk took the lead on a Kucheryavenko goal, assisted by Korolyov. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Kucheryavenko, Korolyov, and Solodukhin.

Northwest to St. Petersburg, where SKA hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Anders Nilsson and Mikko Koskinen guard the cages. Kazan struck first in the first period on a power play goal by Oscar Moller, powered by Sergei Kostitsyn and Mikhail Varnakov. Ak Bars added on with a Petr Vrana goal, made possible by Kostitsyn and Igor Mirnov. St. Petersburg got on the board in the second period as Evgeny Dadonov scored a power play goal, via Andrei Kuteikin and Artemy Panarin. Kazan shot back with a Sheldon Brookbank goal, with a lone assist by Moller. Ak Bars extended the lead with a Varnakov goal in the third period, helped along by Justin Azevedo. Kazan padded the lead on a Vrana goal, his second of the game, passed from Vasily Tokranov and Kostitsyn, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were given to Vrana, Moller, and Kostitsyn, while Varnakov gets the honorable mention.

Finally, Jokerit Helsinki brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Lazushin and Henrik Karlsson are between the pipes. Moscow was first to score in the second period on a Konstantin Glazachev goal, passed from Yegor Dugin. Helsinki tied it in the third period on a Petr Koukal power play goal, powered by Ryan Gunderson and Linus Omark. Dynamo took the lead back with a Maxim Karpov goal, guided in by Dugin. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Lazushin (30 for 31 in saves), Dugin, and Karpov.

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NHL February 8th, 2015

Eight games on an unusually busy Sunday. We begin in...

St. Louis, as the Blues host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Brian Elliott are the solid goalies. Chicago led off in the first period on a Marcus Kruger goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Daniel Carcillo. St. Louis tied it on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal in the second period, his twenty-eighth of the year, coming off of Jaden Schwartz and Paul Stastny. The Blackhawks retook the lead on a Bryan Bickell goal, his tenth of the season, via David Rundblad and Patrick Kane. The Blues tied it again as David Backes scored his eighteenth of the year, thanks to T.J. Oshie and Alex Pietrangelo. Chicago reclaimed the lead with a Marian Hossa power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Brandon Saad and Bickell. The Blackhawks iced it at 4-2 on a Hossa empty net goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, set up by Saad. The three stars went to Hossa, Bickell, and Saad.

East to DC, where the Washington Capitals welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Braden Holtby are in goal. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Mark Streit goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Michael Del Zotto and Claude Giroux. Mason was removed with an injury in the ensuing TV timeout, and Ray Emery relieved him. Washington tied it on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-third of the year, a power play goal powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom. The Flyers reclaimed the lead in the third period with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Sean Couturier and Matt Read. Philadelphia iced it at 3-1 with a Jakub Voracek empty net power play goal, set up by Brayden Schenn and Giroux. The three stars were given to Giroux, Simmonds, and Streit.

Down to Florida, where the Panthers host the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton and Roberto Luongo are set to start in goal. Florida got going in the second period on a Tomas Fleischmann goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Dave Bolland. The Panthers added on with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Jimmy Hayes. Nashville got on the board with a third period power play goal by Seth Jones, his fifth of the season, powered by Mike Ribeiro. The Predators tied it on an unassisted Filip Forsberg power play goal, his eighteenth of the year. In the shootout, goals were exchanged between Matt Cullen of Nashville and Brad Boyes of Florida as well as the Predators' Craig Smith and the Panthers' Nick Bjugstad before Forsberg won it 3-2 for Nashville. The three stars went to Forsberg, Jones, and Ekblad.

Back north, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Michal Neuvirth are between the pipes. New York began in the first period on a Colin McDonald goal, fueled by Casey Cizikas. The Islanders added on in the second period on an Anders Lee power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Travis Hamonic and John Tavares. New York extended the lead with a Mikhail Grabovski goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Hamonic and Frans Nielsen. Buffalo got on the board with a Marcus Foligno goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Nikita Zadorov and Brian Flynn. The Sabres pulled closer with the ninth of the year by Drew Stafford, with a lone helper by Foligno. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Hamonic, Foligno, and Grabovski.

Staying in the state, the New York Rangers host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Cam Talbot are in the creases. Dallas struck first in the second period on a Jason Spezza power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Tyler Seguin and John Klingberg. New York tied it on a Carl Hagelin goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Kevin Hayes and Kevin Klein. The Stars took the lead with an Erik Cole goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Spezza and Ales Hemsky. The Rangers tied it again in the third period as Chris Kreider scored his twelfth of the year, via Mats Zuccarello on the power play. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime on a Hemsky goal, his ninth of the campaign, made possible by Jyrki Jokipakka and Spezza. The three stars went to Hemsky, Spezza, and Cole.

Back south again to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Ben Bishop are the talented goalies. Tampa Bay opened in the first period on a Brian Boyle goal, his eleventh of the season, via Victor Hedman and Brett Connolly. The Lightning added on with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Steven Stamkos and Ryan Callahan. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Nikita Kucherov scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Tyler Johnson and Filppula. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Corey Perry and Matt Beleskey. The Lightning answered on a Boyle goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, fueled by Connolly and Ondrej Palat. Tampa Bay padded the lead in the third period with a Callahan goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Stamkos and Filppula. The Ducks got one back with a Sami Vatanen power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Getzlaf and the goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, who had earlier replaced an injured Andersen. Anaheim pulled closer with an Eric Brewer goal, his first of the year, helped along by Nate Thompson and Andrew Cogliano. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Boyle, Filppula, and Callahan, while Stamkos, Connolly, and Getzlaf get the honorable mentions.

Way to the northwest, the Winnipeg Jets host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Ondrej Pavelec are the inconsistent goalies. Colorado started in the first period on a Tyson Barrie goal, his sixth of the season, via Alex Tanguay and Jarome Iginla. Winnipeg tied it on a second period Mathieu Perreault goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Mark Scheifele and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets took the lead on a Byfuglien power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg added on with a Ben Chiarot goal, his second of the year, helped along by Jim Slater and Chris Thorburn. The Jets extended the lead as Little scored a power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Perreault and Byfuglien. The Avalanche got one back in the third period on a Matt Duchene goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Iginla and Nate Guenin. Winnipeg answered on a Jacob Trouba goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Perreault and Scheifele. Colorado edged closer with a Tanguay goal, his fourteenth of the year, driven in by Duchene and Cody McLeod. This produced the 5-3 final, with the three stars given to Perreault, Byfuglien, and Little, while Scheifele, Duchene, Tanguay, and Iginla get the honorable mentions.

Finally, we end with the Boston Bruins bringing in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Montreal was first to score in the second period on a Dale Weise goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais. The Canadiens added on with a Pacioretty goal in the third period, his twenty-fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Weise. Boston got on the board with a David Pastrnak goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Milan Lucic and Dougie Hamilton. Montreal iced it at 3-1 with an Andrei Markov goal, his seventh of the year, going unassisted into the empty net. The three stars went to Pacioretty, Price (34 for 35 in saves), and Weise.

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KHL February 8th, 2015

Two games on a calm day, beginning in...

Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Rafael Khakimov and Ivan Kasutin are in the blue paint. Nizhny Novgorod began in the first period on a Denis Kazionov goal, fueled by Juuso Hietanen. Novokuznetsk tied it on a Dmitry Maltsev goal, courtesy of Alexander Romanov. Torpedo retook the lead on a Nikita Dvurechensky penalty shot goal, after he was held by Nikita Popov. Nizhny Novgorod added on in the second period with an Alexei Potapov goal, via Gennady Stolyarov and Nikita Filatov. Metallurg got one back with a power play goal by Ryan Stoa, powered by Vladimir Malinovsky and Sergei Dorofeyev. This was as close as it got, with the final being 3-2, and the three stars going to Potapov, Dvurechensky, and Kazionov.

The other game had Severstal Cherepovets host Sibir Novosibirsk. Nikita Bespalov and Jakub Stepanek draw the starts. Novosibirsk led off in the first period on a Sergei Shumakov goal, coming off of Oleg Gubin and Stepan Sannikov. Sibir added on in the second period with a Jarno Koskiranta goal, fueled by Dmitry Monya and Alexei Kopeikin. Novosibirsk extended the lead as Artyom Voroshilo scored a shorthanded goal, set up by Konstantin Alexeyev. This produced the 3-0 final, with the three stars given to Bespalov (45 save shutout), Shumakov, and Voroshilo.

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Premier League Week 24

Another round of games this weekend. The next two sets will all happen within a week as well, so lots of soccer/football coming your way this coming week. We begin week 24 with...

Tottenham Hotspur hosting Arsenal. David Ospina and Hugo Lloris draw the starts. In the eleventh minute, Arsenal began with a Mesut Ozil goal, via Olivier Giroud. Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane took a yellow card for a thirty-sixth minute foul. Arsenal saw yellow cards for a Nacho Monreal foul in the forty-third minute and a Danny Welbeck foul in first half stoppage time. Arsenal took another yellow card for Laurent Koscielny's foul in the fifty-third minute. Tottenham Hotspur tied it in the fifty-sixth minute with a Kane goal, following a corner kick. Ryan Mason of Tottenham Hotspur took a yellow card for a seventy-ninth minute offense. In the eighty-fourth minute, Arsenal's Giroud was shown a yellow card for a foul. Tottenham Hotspur gained the lead on a Kane header goal in the eighty-sixth minute, set up by Nabil Bentaleb on a cross. Tottenham Hotspur took a yellow card in stoppage time for time wasting by Bentaleb. Tottenham Hotspur won 2-1.

Next up, Aston Villa welcomes Chelsea. Thibaut Courtois and Brad Guzan are the keepers. Aston Villa's Tom Cleverley took a yellow card for his foul in the fifth minute. Chelsea led off in the eighth minute with an Eden Hazard goal, via Willian. In the thirty-fifth minute, Ramires of Chelsea took a yellow card for a foul. Aston Villa's Ashley Westwood received a yellow card for his forty-fourth minute foul. Aston Villa tied it in the forty-eighth minute on a Jores Akore header goal, fueled by Carles Gil on a cross following a corner kick. Okore received a yellow card for excessive celebration. In the sixty-sixth minute, Branislav Ivanovic gave Chelsea the lead with his goal, passed from Cesar Azpilicueta on a cross. Ivanovic received a yellow card for time wasting in stoppage time. Chelsea took the game 2-1.

Over to Leicester City bringing in Crystal Palace. Julian Speroni and Mark Schwerzer are in the six-yard boxes. Leicester City took a yellow card for a Jeffrey Schlupp foul in the ninth minute and another in the thirty-second minute on a Danny Simpson foul. Crystal Palace opened with a fifty-fifth minute header goal by Joe Ledley, passed from Brede Hangeland on a headed pass after a corner kick. Leicester City saw a yellow card for a Leonardo Ulloa foul in the seventy-ninth minute. Crystal Palace's Martin Kelly had a yellow card in the eighty-second minute for a foul. Leicester City had a stoppage time yellow card given to Paul Konchesky. Crystal Palace won 1-0.

Continuing to Manchester City hosting Hull City. Allan McGregor and Joe Hart protect the nets. Hull City started in the thirty-fifth minute on a David Meyler goal. Hull City took yellow cards for an Ahmed Elmohamady offense in the sixtieth minute and a Michael Dawson foul in the sixty-eighth minute. Manchester City had yellow cards assessed to Samir Nasri in the seventy-eighth minute and Fernandinho for a foul in the eighty-fifth minute. Hull City's Tom Huddlestone was given a yellow card for his foul in stoppage time, directly leading to the Manchester City equalizer on a free kick by James Milner. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Back in London, the Queens Park Rangers welcome Southampton. Fraser Forster and Robert Green are between the posts. QPR saw a yellow card for a Joey Barton foul in the fourteenth minute. In the fifty-eighth minute, Clint Hill of QPR took a yellow card for his foul. Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin received a yellow card for his foul in the seventy-fifth minute. Southampton got a late goal by Sadio Mane in stoppage time, made possible by Maya Yoshida. Southampton held on for the 1-0 win.

Out in Wales, Swansea City brings in Sunderland. Costel Pantilimon and Lukasz Fabianski are the goalies with interesting names. Swansea City saw yellow cards for a fifteenth minute Jack Cork foul and a thirty-first minute Nathan Dyer foul. In the forty-second minute, Sunderland struck first with a Jermain Defoe goal, via Liam Bridcutt. Bridcutt took a yellow card in the forty-ninth minute for a foul for Sunderland. In the sixty-sixth minute, Swansea City tied it on a Ki Sung-Yueng header goal, passed from Kyle Naughton on a cross. Sebastian Larsson of Sunderland took a yellow card for a hand ball in the seventy-first minute. Swansea City saw a yellow card given to Naughton in the seventy-fifth minute. Sunderland had two more yellow cards for Jordi Gomez in the seventy-seventh minute and Steven Fletcher in the eighty-eighth minute, both for fouls. The game ended 1-1.

Finally, Everton hosts Liverpool in a classic Merseyside derby battle. Simon Mignolet and Joel Robles guard the woodwork. Everton had a yellow card for a thirty-seventh minute foul by James McCarthy. Everton took two yellow cards in the second half for a seventy-second minute Bryan Oviedo foul and a Jordan Henderson offense in the seventy-eighth minute. The game ended in a scoreless draw.

On Sunday, the first game had Burnley welcoming West Bromwich Albion. Ben Foster and Tom Heaton are given the starting nods in goal. Burnley struck first in the eleventh minute with an Ashley Barnes header set up by Danny Ings. Burnley added on in the thirty-second minute as Ings scored, thanks to George Boyd's cross. In the fortieth minute, Chris Baird of West Brom took a yellow card for his foul. In first half stoppage time, Chris Brunt got West Brom on the board with a header goal made possible by Callum McManaman on a cross after a corner kick. West Brom took yellow cards for a forty-eighth minute Claudio Yacob foul and a Brown Ideye foul in the sixty-fourth minute. West Brom tied it on a sixty-seventh minute Ideye header goal, set up by Brunt on a cross after a corner kick. West Brom saw another yellow card given to Craig Dawson in the eighty-fifth minute. The final held at 2-2.

Next up, Newcastle United brings in Stoke City. Asmir Begovic and Tim Krul are the goalies. Stoke City took three straight yellow cards, going to Victor Moses in the fifteenth minute, Stephen Ireland in the twenty-third minute, and Glenn Whelan in the thirty-third minute, all for fouls. In the thirty-fifth minute, Sammy Ameobi of Newcastle United took a yellow card for his foul. Jack Colback of Newcastle United had a yellow card for his fifty-third minute foul. Newcastle United opened the scoring on a Colback goal in the seventy-fourth minute, passed from Moussa Sissoko. In the eighty-ninth minute, Stoke City's Marc Muniesa received a yellow card for his foul. Stoke City tied it on a ninetieth minute Peter Crouch header goal, made possible by Geoff Cameron's cross. The game ended at 1-1.

Finally, West Ham United hosts Manchester United. David de Gea and Adrian occupy the six-yard boxes. Manchester United took a yellow card in the forty-third minute for a Marcos Rojo offense. West Ham United got going in the forty-ninth minute with a Cheikhou Kouyate goal after a set piece. West Ham United saw yellow cards assessed for Alexandre Song in the seventy-third minute for a foul and Adrian in the eightieth minute. Manchester United took a yellow card for a Luke Shaw foul in the eighty-third minute. Manchester United tied it in stoppage time with a Daley Blind goal after a set piece. Manchester United went down a man a minute later when Shaw took a second yellow card for a foul. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL February 7th, 2015

Eleven games today, beginning in...

Nashville, as the Predators host the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. New York got going in the second period on a Rick Nash power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, powered by Derick Brassard and Kevin Hayes. Nashville tied it on a Roman Josi goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Gabriel Bourque and Calle Jarnkrok. The Predators took the lead with a Shea Weber goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Josi and Matt Cullen. The Rangers retied it with a third period goal by Ryan McDonagh, his fourth of the year, passed from Mats Zuccarello and Brassard. Nashville regained the lead on a Mike Ribeiro goal, his eleventh of the campaign, guided in by Seth Jones and Filip Forsberg. This made it 3-2, with the three stars going to Josi, Ribeiro, and Brassard.

Southeast to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Ben Bishop are the relatively young goalies. Los Angeles opened in the first period on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Kings added on with a Justin Williams goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Trevor Lewis and Jake Muzzin. Los Angeles extended the lead as Drew Doughty scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Robyn Regehr and Anze Kopitar. Andrei Vasilevskiy came on for Bishop in the second period. Tampa Bay got on the board with an unassisted Nikita Kucherov goal, his nineteenth of the year. The Lightning pulled closer in the third period on a Victor Hedman goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Ryan Callahan. The Kings wrapped it up at 4-2 with Williams' second of the game and fifteenth of the year, via Marian Gaborik and Regehr. The three stars went to Williams, Regehr, and Doughty.

Up the coast, the Boston Bruins bring in the New York Islanders. Chad Johnson and Tuukka Rask draw the starts. New York started in the first period on a John Tavares power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Frans Nielsen and Travis Hamonic. Boston tied it on a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Bruins took the lead in the third period on a Loui Eriksson goal, his twelfth of the campaign, helped along by Carl Soderberg and Chris Kelly. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Rask (39 for 40 in saves), Eriksson, and Bergeron.

Continuing to Buffalo, where the Sabres host the Dallas Stars. Anders Lindback and Jhonas Enroth are the unknown goalies. Buffalo led off in the first period on a Tyler Myers goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Chris Stewart and Zemgus Girgensons. The Sabres added on with a Tyler Ennis power play goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Stewart and Matt Moulson. Buffalo extended the lead as Girgensons potted his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Nikita Zadorov and Stewart, the latter getting a sock trick. Dallas got on the board with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, assisted by John Klingberg and Jason Spezza. The Stars pulled closer in the third period on a Cody Eakin goal, his tenth of the campaign, with helpers from Klingberg and Ryan Garbutt. The three stars of the 3-2 game went to Girgensons, Stewart, and Klingberg.

Into Canada, where the Montreal Canadiens welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Carey Price are in the blue paint. New Jersey began in the first period with a Michael Cammalleri goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Peter Harrold and Jaromir Jagr. Montreal tied it on a second period goal by Andrei Markov, his sixth of the year, a power play goal powered by P.K. Subban and David Desharnais. The Canadiens took the lead on a Lars Eller power play goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Subban. Montreal added on with a Tomas Plekanec power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Subban, who got a sock trick, and Sergei Gonchar. The Devils got one back in the third period on a Jacob Josefson goal, his third of the season, helped along by Tuomo Ruutu and Marek Zidlicky. The Canadiens replied on a Plekanec goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, passed from Brendan Gallagher and Markov. Montreal extended the lead on a Dale Weise goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Max Pacioretty and Desharnais. The Canadiens wrapped it up at 6-2 with another Weise goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with assists provided by Pacioretty and Desharnais, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars went to Plekanec, Weise, and Markov, while Subban, Desharnais, and Pacioretty get the honorable mentions.

West to Ontario, where the Ottawa Senators bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Robin Lehner are the backups covering for injured starters. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Cam Atkinson goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Scott Hartnell and Ryan Johansen. The Blue Jackets added on with a Nick Foligno goal, his twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Cody Goloubef. Ottawa got on the board with an Erik Condra goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Columbus shot back on a Hartnell empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by David Savard and Atkinson. The Blue Jackets finished it at 4-1 with a Mark Letestu goal, his sixth of the campaign, via Jared Boll and Matt Calvert. The three stars belonged to Atkinson, McElhinney (34 for 35 in saves), and Hartnell.

Staying in the province, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth and James Reimer occupy the creases. Toronto was first to score in the second period on a Richard Panik power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Peter Holland and Jake Gardiner. The Maple Leafs added on with a Phil Kessel goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Gardiner and Cody Franson. Toronto extended the lead as Morgan Rielly scored his fifth of the season, an unassisted. The Maple Leafs padded the lead in the third period on a Mike Santorelli goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Nazem Kadri. Toronto kept going on a Holland goal, his ninth of the campaign, via Stephane Robidas. Edmonton got on the board with a Luke Gazdic goal, made possible by Rob Klinkhammer and Oscar Klefbom. This made it a 5-1 final, with the three stars going to Holland, Gardiner, and Reimer (31 for 32 in saves).

Way southwest to Arizona, where the Coyotes welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Mike Smith receive the starting nods. Detroit struck first in the second period on a Riley Sheahan power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Tatar. The Red Wings added on in the third period with a Tatar goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Darren Helm. Arizona got on the board with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by David Moss and Keith Yandle. Detroit iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Helm, his eleventh of the year, set up by Tatar and Niklas Kronwall. The three stars were given to Tatar, Mrazek (22 for 23 in saves), and Helm.

Backtracking to Minnesota, where the Wild bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Devan Dubnyk are between the pipes. Minnesota opened in the first period on a Charlie Coyle goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Marco Scandella and Nino Niederreiter. This held up for a 1-0 win, with the three stars belonging to Dubnyk (18 save shutout), Coyle, and Varlamov (28 for 29 in saves).

Westward to Vancouver, where the Canucks host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Thomas Greiss and Ryan Miller are the masked men. Vancouver started in the first period on an Alexandre Burrows power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Radim Vrbata and Alexander Edler. The Canucks added on with a Bo Horvat goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Derek Dorsett. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period as Shawn Matthias scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Vrbata. The Canucks padded the lead on a Zack Kassian goal, his third of the year, coming off of Linden Vey. Vancouver won 5-0 with a third period goal by Daniel Sedin, his eleventh of the campaign, a power play goal made possible by Burrows and Henrik Sedin. The three stars were given to Miller (31 save shutout), Burrows, and Vrbata.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Antti Niemi are the veteran goalies. Carolina led off in the first period on an Eric Staal goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Jiri Tlusty and Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with an Andrej Nestrasil goal, his second of the year, coming off of Alexander Semin and Andrej Sekera. San Jose got on the board with a Tomas Hertl goal, his ninth of the campaign, passed from Chris Tierney and Andrew Desjardins. Carolina shot back on an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Justin Faulk. The Sharks replied with a Hertl goal in the third period, his second of the game and tenth of the year, with assists provided by Scott Hannan and Tierney. San Jose tied it on a Logan Couture goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, fueled by Matt Tennyson and Patrick Marleau. The Hurricanes regained the lead on a Sekera goal, his second of the season, helped along by Jay McClement and Faulk. Carolina extended the lead with an empty net goal by Victor Rask, his eighth of the year, set up by Lindholm and Faulk, the latter getting a sock trick. The Sharks got one back with a Marleau goal, his eleventh of the campaign, pushed through by Joe Thornton and Hertl. This made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars going to Sekera, Hertl, and Faulk, while Tierney, Lindholm, and Marleau get honorable mentions.

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