NHL February 17th, 2015

Seven games on tonight, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the New York Islanders. Chad Johnson and Anton Khudobin are the backups in goal. New York was first to score in the first period on an Anders Lee power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Frans Nielsen and John Tavares. The Islanders added on with a Brock Nelson goal in the second period, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Matt Martin and Colin McDonald. New York extended the lead in the third period as Michael Grabner scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Thomas Hickey and Nielsen. Carolina got on the board with a Jiri Tlusty goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Eric Staal and Jordan Staal. The Islanders iced it at 4-1 with a Tavares empty net goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Johnson (37 for 38 in saves), Nielsen, and Tavares.

North to Philadelphia, where the Flyers welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Ray Emery are the career backups in goal. Columbus began in the first period on a James Wisniewski power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Alexander Wennberg and Scott Hartnell. The Blue Jackets added on with a Ryan Johansen goal, his twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Corey Tropp and David Savard. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his twenty-second of the season, guided in by Michael Del Zotto and Luke Schenn. The Flyers tied it with a Del Zotto goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by R.J. Umberger and Ryan White. Columbus regained the lead in the third period on a Matt Calvert goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky. The Blue Jackets extended the lead on a Dubinsky goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Hartnell. Columbus finished it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Calvert, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, set up by Wennberg and Johansen. The three stars were given to Calvert, Dubinsky, and Johansen, while Hartnell, Wennberg, and Del Zotto receive the honorable mentions.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Washington started in the first period on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, assisted by Joel Ward and Mike Green on the power play. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period on a Steve Downie goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Craig Adams and Kris Letang. The Capitals retook the lead in the third period on a Ward power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Ovechkin. Washington wrapped it up at 3-1 on an empty net goal by John Carlson, his eighth of the year, going in shorthanded and unassisted. The three stars belonged to Ward, Holtby (32 for 33 in saves), and Ovechkin.

Back to New Jersey, where the Devils host the Buffalo Sabres. Michal Neuvirth is mismatched with Cory Schneider in goal. New Jersey struck first in the first period on a Patrik Elias power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Marek Zidlicky and Adam Henrique. Buffalo tied it in the third period as Tyler Ennis scored his fourteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Zemgus Girgensons. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Scott Gomez and Jacob Josefson lifted the Devils to a 2-1 victory. The three stars were Neuvirth (34 for 35 in saves), Elias, and Schneider (24 for 25 in saves).

Crossing into Canada, where the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Jonathan Bernier are the reliable goalies. Toronto led off in the first period on a Tyler Bozak power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by James van Riemsdyk and Nazem Kadri. Florida tied it on a Jussi Jokinen power play goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Brad Boyes and Brian Campbell. The Panthers took the lead in the second period as Nick Bjugstad scored his twenty-first of the season, a power play goal powered by Tomas Fleischmann and Dave Bolland. Florida added on with a Jimmy Hayes goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Campbell and Jokinen. The Maple Leafs got one back in the third period on a Phil Kessel power play goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, guided in by Kadri and Morgan Rielly. This only made it 3-2, with the three stars being Jokinen, Campbell, and Kadri.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Brian Elliott are the average goalies. Dallas opened in the first period on a Jamie Benn goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by John Klingberg and Jason Spezza. The Stars added on with another Benn goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, coming off of Spezza and Erik Cole. Dallas extended the lead as Cody Eakin scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Ryan Garbutt and Jyrki Jokipakka. Jake Allen relieved Elliott. The Stars padded the lead in the second period when Benn finished his hat trick on his twenty-second of the year, made possible by Spezza, who got a sock trick, and Jason Demers. St. Louis got on the board in the third period with a Patrik Berglund goal, his seventh of the campaign, with a lone assist by Paul Stastny. This produced the 4-1 final, with the three stars given to Benn, Spezza, and Lehtonen (27 for 28 in saves).

Finally, the Nashville Predators host the San Jose Sharks. Alex Stalock and Pekka Rinne are in the creases. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Matt Irwin goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Melker Karlsson and Joe Pavelski. Nashville tied it on a Shea Weber goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Mike Fisher. The Predators took the lead on a Craig Smith goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Mattias Ekholm and Mike Ribeiro. Nashville added on with a Smith power play goal in the second period, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, powered by Colin Wilson and Seth Jones. The Predators extended the lead on a Paul Gaustad goal, his second of the season, passed from Gabriel Bourque and Weber. Nashville padded the lead on a James Neal goal, his twentieth of the year, with a lone assist by Ribeiro. This held up for a 5-1 win, with the three stars given to Smith, Rinne (42 for 43 in saves), and Weber.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL February 17th, 2015

Two games on today, beginning with...

Sibir Novosibirsk hosting Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Leland Irving and Nikita Bespalov are the backups making spot starts. Ufa began in the first period with an Anton Slepyshev power play goal, powered by Kirill Koltsov and Ivan Vishnevsky. Novosibirsk tied it in the second period on an Igor Ozhiganov goal, made possible by Sergei Shumakov. Sibir took the lead on a Dmitry Monya goal, via Patrik Hersley and Konstantin Alexeyev. Salavat Yulaev tied it again as Koltsov scored a power play goal, with the help of Dmitry Makarov and Teemu Hartikainen. Novosibirsk regained the lead in the third period with a Monya power play goal, with a lone assist by Jarno Koskiranta. Sibir won 4-2 on an Alexei Kopeikin goal, assisted by Monya and Kosiranta. The three stars went to Monya, Koltsov, and Koskiranta.

Way out west, Vityaz Podolsk hosts Medvescak Zagreb. Mark Owuya and Harri Sateri protect the nets. Podolsk led off in the first period on an Alexander Kucheryavenko power play goal, powered by Georgy Berdyukov and Anton Korolyov. Zagreb tied it in the second period as Bill Thomas scored, thanks to Geoffrey Kinrade and Edwin Hedberg. Vityaz took the lead back on a third period goal by Maxim Mamin, via Berdyukov. Podolsk iced it at 3-1 on a Kucheryavenko empty net goal, set up by Yakov Seleznyov and Berdyukov, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were Kucheryavenko, Berdyukov, and Sateri (19 for 20 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL February 16th, 2015

Eight games on today, beginning with a...

Battle of New York, as the Islanders host their cross-town rivals, the Rangers. Cam Talbot is mismatched with Jaroslav Halak in goal. The Islanders opened in the first period on a John Tavares goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Islanders added on with a Frans Nielsen goal, his eleventh of the year, via Travis Hamonic and Mikhail Grabovski. The Rangers got on the board with a Ryan McDonagh goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Dan Girardi and Lee Stempniak. The Islanders shot back in the second period as Johnny Boychuk scored his fifth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Rangers pulled back on a Chris Kreider goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Derek Stepan and Dan Boyle. The Rangers tied it with a McDonagh goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, assisted by J.T. Miller. The Islanders pulled ahead on a Ryan Strome goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Brock Nelson and Hamonic. The Islanders extended the lead with a Strome goal in the third period, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with a lone assist by Nielsen. The Rangers got one back on a Stepan goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Kreider and Kevin Klein. The Rangers tied it again on a Martin St. Louis goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Stepan and Marc Staal. The Rangers took the lead with a Klein goal, his ninth of the campaign, driven in by St. Louis and Derick Brassard. This held up for a 6-5 win, with the three stars given to McDonagh, Strome, and Klein, while St. Louis, Stepan, Nielsen, Hamonic, and Kreider get the honorable mentions.

West to Detroit, where the Red Wings welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Jimmy Howard tend the twines. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Tomas Plekanec goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Dale Weise and Max Pacioretty. The Canadiens iced it at 2-0 with a Pacioretty empty net goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, set up by Plekanec and P.K. Subban. The three stars were awarded to Plekanec, Price (25 save shutout), and Pacioretty.

Into Ontario, where the Ottawa Senators host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Robin Lehner are set to start in goal. Carolina started in the first period with an Andrej Nestrasil goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Nathan Gerbe. Ottawa tied it on an Erik Condra goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Erik Karlsson and Shane Prince. The Hurricanes retook the lead in the second period as Jeff Skinner scored his thirteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Riley Nash and Andrej Sekera. The Senators tied it again with a Mike Hoffman goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Mika Zibanejad and Karlsson. Carolina gained the lead on a Gerbe goal, his sixth of the season, via Nestrasil and Michal Jordan. Ottawa got an equalizer on a Cody Ceci goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Zibanejad and Bobby Ryan. The Hurricanes again grabbed the lead with a Jay McClement goal, his third of the season, made possible by Brad Malone and Patrick Dwyer. Andrew Hammond relieved Lehner in goal. Carolina added on in the third period with a Jordan power play goal, guided in by Elias Lindholm and Justin Faulk. The Hurricanes wrapped it up at 6-3 on a Chris Terry power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Ron Hainsey and Nestrasil. The three stars belonged to Nestrasil, Jordan, and Gerbe, while Karlsson and Zibanejad get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Winnipeg, where the Jets bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth and Michael Hutchinson receive the starting nods. Winnipeg led off in the first period on a Bryan Little power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Toby Enstrom and Blake Wheeler. Edmonton tied it on a Nail Yakupov goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Derek Roy and Andrew Ference. The Oilers took the lead with an Anton Lander power play goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Jordan Eberle and Justin Schultz. The Jets tied it in the second period on a Little goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, with a lone assist by Ben Chiarot. Edmonton pulled ahead in the third period as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Jeff Petry and Eberle. Winnipeg tied it on a Tyler Myers goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Enstrom and Chris Thorburn. The Oilers regained the lead with Yakupov's second of the game and eighth of the season, a power play goal with helpers provided by Benoit Pouliot and Iiro Pakarinen. The Jets tied it again as Andrew Ladd scored his twentieth of the year, with the help of Wheeler and Little. Winnipeg won 5-4 in the shootout on a lone tally by Wheeler, which injured Fasth and brought Richard Bachman in for the rest of the shootout. The three stars were Little, Wheeler, and Yakupov, while Enstrom and Eberle get the honorable mentions.

Continuing to Alberta, where the Calgary Flames host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Karri Ramo are the Finnish goalies. Boston struck first in the first period on a Brad Marchand shorthanded goal, his sixteenth of the season, set up by Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on with a Zdeno Chara goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Dougie Hamilton and David Pastrnak. Boston extended the lead in the second period as Torey Krug scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Reilly Smith and Kevan Miller. Jonas Hiller relieved Ramo in goal. Calgary got on the board with a David Jones goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Mikael Backlund and Mark Giordano. The Flames pulled closer in the third period on a Jiri Hudler goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Sean Monahan and Paul Byron. Calgary tied it on another Hudler power play goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, powered by Giordano and Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames won 4-3 with a T.J. Brodie goal in overtime, his ninth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Giordano, who got a sock trick. The three stars were awarded to Hudler, Giordano, and Hiller (16 for 16 in saves in relief).

South to Colorado, where the Avalanche welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Mike McKenna and Semyon Varlamov are in the blue paint. Colorado was first to score in the first period on a Cody McLeod goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Paul Carey and Jan Hejda. The Avalanche added on with a Matt Duchene goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Jarome Iginla and Zach Redmond. Arizona got on the board with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Lucas Lessio and Kyle Chipchura. Colorado shot back on a power play goal by Nick Holden, his fifth of the year, powered by Redmond and Duchene. The Avalanche extended the lead as Tyson Barrie scored his seventh of the season in the second period, with the help of Iginla and Max Talbot. Colorado padded the lead on a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Ryan O'Reilly and Nathan MacKinnon. Varlamov had a slow night, so Reto Berra took the crease for the Avalanche in the third period. The Coyotes got one back in the third period on a Mark Arcobello goal, his tenth of the season, via Michael Stone and Jordan Martinook. This was as close as it got, with the final being 5-2. The three stars went to Duchene, Iginla, and Redmond.

Back in Canada, the Vancouver Canucks host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Eddie Lack are between the pipes. Minnesota began in the first period on a Nino Niederreiter goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Jordan Schroeder and Jonas Brodin. Vancouver tied it in the second period on a Henrik Sedin goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Daniel Sedin and Alexandre Burrows. The Canucks took the lead in the third period on a Bo Horvat goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Jannik Hansen and Luca Sbisa. Vancouver added on with an Alex Biega goal, via Henrik Sedin and Chris Higgins. The Wild pulled back on a Niederreiter goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, passed from Schroeder. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Niederreiter, Henrik Sedin, and Schroeder. 

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jonathan Quick occupy the creases. Tampa Bay got going in the first period on a Nikita Nesterov goal, passed from Ondrej Palat. Los Angeles tied it in the second period as Anze Kopitar scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Trevor Lewis and Brayden McNabb. The Kings took the lead in the third period on a Jordan Nolan goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Dwight King and Nick Shore. Los Angeles added on with a Jeff Carter goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Drew Doughty and King. The Lightning got one back with a Tyler Johnson goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to to Carter, King, and Nesterov.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL February 16th, 2015

Two games on today, both from the Far East. The first sees...

Amur Khabarovsk host Barys Astana. Pavel Poluektov and Alexander Pechursky are in goal. Astana struck first in the first period on a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Konstantin Romanov. Barys added on in the second period with an Oleg Kvasha goal, passed from Nikita Mikhailis and Oskars Bartulis. Astana extended the lead on a power play goal by Nikolai Antropov, powered by Roman Starchenko. Khabarovsk got on the board in the third period as Vyacheslav Litovchenko scored a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Amur pulled closer on a Michel Miklik goal, via Denis Yezhov and Grigory Shafigulin. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Antropov, Kvasha, and Romanov.

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral hosts Avangard Omsk. Denis Kostin and Ivan Nalimov are given the starting nods. Vladivostok was first to score in the first period as Enver Lisin scored, thanks to Tom Wandell and Denis Osipov. Admiral added on with a second period goal by Richard Gynge, coming off of Ilya Zubov and Shaun Heshka on the power play. Omsk got on the board with an Alexander Perezhogin goal, made possible by Alexander Popov and Chad Kolarik. Avangard tied it in the third period on a Perezhogin goal, his second of the game, assisted by Denis Kulyash and Popov. Omsk won 3-2 in overtime on a Kulyash goal, with a lone helper by Sergei Shirokov. The three stars belonged to Perezhogin, Kulyash, and Popov.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL February 15th, 2015

Five games on for today, beginning with...

The Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Chicago got going in the second period on a Niklas Hjalmarsson goal, his second of the season, fueled by Brandon Saad and Jonathan Toews. Pittsburgh tied it on a Nick Spaling goal, his ninth of the year, coming in the third period via Beau Bennett and Brandon Sutter. The tie lasted to a shootout, where David Perron and Sidney Crosby were topped by Toews, Patrick Kane, and Patrick Sharp for a 2-1 Blackhawks win. The three stars belonged to Crawford (36 for 37 in saves), Toews, and Fleury (31 for 32 in saves).

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Roberto Luongo are the veteran goalies. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Jaden Schwartz goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Jori Lehtera and Vladimir Tarasenko. Florida tied it on a third period goal by Nick Bjugstad, his twentieth of the year, passed from Aleksander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Tarasenko was matched by Brad Boyes before a winner from Lehtera to give the Blues the 2-1 win. The three stars went to Elliott (40 for 41 in saves), Luongo (32 for 33 in saves), and Lehtera.

North to Buffalo, where the Sabres host the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Michal Neuvirth are the mediocre goalies. Philadelphia started in the first period as Matt Read scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Wayne Simmonds and Nick Schultz. Buffalo tied it on a second period power play goal by Nikita Zadorov, his third of the year, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Marcus Foligno. The Flyers took the lead back in the third period on a Michael Raffl goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, made possible by Ryan White and Michael Del Zotto. This held up for the 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Emery (21 for 22 in saves), Raffl, and Read.

Westward to San Jose, where the Sharks bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Antti Niemi guard the cages. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his thirtieth of the season, assisted by Anton Stralman and Valtteri Filppula. The Lightning added on with an Alex Killorn goal, his twelfth of the year, coming in the second period from Ryan Callahan and Stamkos. San Jose got on the board with a Logan Couture goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from Matthew Nieto and Matt Irwin. Tampa Bay shot back in the third period on an Ondrej Palat goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The Sharks pulled back with a Brent Burns power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton. The Lightning answered with a Cedric Paquette goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Filppula and Jason Garrison. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Callahan, his seventeenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Stamkos, Filppula, and Callahan.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Washington Capitals. Justin Peters and John Gibson are the little-known goalies. Anaheim began in the first period on an Andrew Cogliano goal, his seventh of the season, via Francois Beauchemin and Hampus Lindholm. Washington tied it on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, guided in by Nicklas Backstrom. The Ducks retook the lead on a Corey Perry goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, made possible by Devante Smith-Pelly and Lindholm. The Capitals retied it on an Ovechkin power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, powered by Mike Green and Backstrom. Washington took the lead in the second period on a Marcus Johansson goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik. The Capitals added on with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Ovechkin and Jack Hillen. Anaheim got one back on a Cogliano goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, with assists provided by Jakob Silfverberg and Ben Lovejoy. Washington answered in the third period on a Burakovsky goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Ovechkin. This stood for a 5-3 win, with the three stars going to Ovechkin, Burakovsky, and Cogliano, while Backstrom and Lindholm get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL February 15th, 2015

This is another of those days where for me, it begins yesterday. The first two games out of eleven total are from the far east, starting late at night for me, with the first in...

Vladivostok, as Admiral hosts Avangard Omsk. Konstantin Barulin and Ilya Proskuryakov are in the creases. Vladivostok opened in the first period on an Artyom Zemchyonok goal, assisted by Ilya Zubov and Richard Gynge. Admiral added on in the second period with a Gynge goal, fueled by Jan Kolar and Shaun Heshka. Omsk got on the board with an Alexander Popov goal, courtesy of Igor Musatov and Denis Kulyash. Vladivostok shot back in the third period with a power play goal by Ivan Glazkov, powered by Konstantin Makarov and Enver Lisin. Admiral took the game 3-1, and the three stars went to Proskuryakov (28 for 29 in saves), Gynge, and Glazkov.

Up the coast, Amur Khabarovsk welcomes Barys Astana. Pavel Poluektov and Alexander Pechursky are the goalies. Khabarovsk started in the first period on a Dmitry Tarasov power play goal, powered by Michel Miklik and Tuukka Mantyla. Astana tied it in the second period as Dustin Boyd scored a power play goal, thanks to Brandon Bochenski. Amur retook the lead on an Alexander Ryazantsev goal, via Rastislav Spirko and Vyacheslav Litovchenko on the power play. Barys retied it with a Bochenski power play goal, made possible by Kevin Dallman and Mike Lundin. Astana pulled ahead on a Talgat Zhailauov goal, assisted by Roman Starchenko and Evgeny Blokhin. Khabarovsk retied it in the third period on an Evgeny Orlov goal, with a lone helper by Kirill Safronov. Barys took the lead back on a Nigel Dawes goal, helped along by Bochenski. Astana added on with a Bochenski power play goal, his second of the game, fueled by Dallman and Lundin. This made it a 5-3 win, with the three stars handed to Bochenski, Dallman, and Lundin.

West to Novokuznetsk, Metallurg brings in Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Vladimir Sokhatsky and Nikita Lozhkin are in the blue paint. Novokuznetsk struck first in the first period on a Kirill Kaprizov goal, assisted by Ansel Galimov. Metallurg added on with a Ryan Stoa goal, going in unassisted. Novokuznetsk extended the lead with an unassisted goal by Galimov. Metallurg padded the lead in the second period on an Alexander Komaristy goal, coming off of Cade Fairchild. Ufa got on the board with an Alexei Glukhov goal, passed from Andrei Zubarev. Novokuznetsk shot back in the third period as Komaristy scored on a penalty shot he received for being tripped by Alexander Kutuzov. Salavat Yulaev got one back with a Kirill Koltsov goal, courtesy of Teemu Hartikainen and Denis Bodrov. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Komaristy, Galimov, and Stoa.

Further west to Chelyabinsk, where Traktor hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Barry Brust and Vasily Demchenko are given the starting nods. Khanty-Mansiysk was first to score in the first period on a Philip Larsen goal, guided in by Nikolai Lemtyugov and Igor Bortnikov. Chelyabinsk tied it on a second period goal by Stanislav Chistov power play goal, powered by Deron Quint. Traktor took the lead with an unassisted Martin Ruzicka goal. Chelyabinsk added on in the third period on Ruzicka's second of the game, fueled by Vyacheslav Osnovin and Konstantin Panov. Yugra pulled back on another Larsen goal, with assists provided by Pavel Valentenko and Nikita Gusev. Traktor iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Artyom Penkovsky, set up by Dmitry Pestunov. The three stars were given to Ruzicka, Larsen, and Chistov.

Backtracking to Magnitogorsk, where Metallurg welcomes Lada Togliatti. Evgeny Ivannikov and Vasily Koshechkin are the masked men. Togliatti led off in the first period on a Dmitry Ogurtsov power play goal, powered by Andrei Nikitenko and Peter Podhradsky. Magnitogorsk tied it on a second period goal by Vladislav Kaletnik, coming off of Evgeny Timkin and Rinat Ibragimov. Lada took the lead in the third period on an Alexander Streltsov goal, made possible by Stanislav Bocharov. Metallurg retied it on a Jan Kovar goal, helped along by Viktor Antipin and Danis Zaripov. Togliatti regained the lead on a Denis Barantsev unassisted goal. Magnitogorsk tied it again with another Kovar goal, assisted by Zaripov and Tim Brent. Lada won 4-3 in overtime on a Dmitry Vorobyov goal, with a lone helper by Vasily Streltsov. The three stars were handed to Kovar, Vorobyov, and Zaripov.

Next up, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod brings in Medvescak Zagreb. Calvin Heeter and Ivan Kasutin man the nets. Nizhny Novgorod began in the first period on a Jarkko Immonen goal, passed from Sakari Salminen and Artyom Alyayev. Torpedo added on in the second period on a Valery Vasilyev goal, assisted by Nikita Dvurechensky. Zagreb got on the board with a James Wright goal, coming off of Geoffrey Kinrade and Edwin Hedberg. Nizhny Novgorod shot back in the third period on a Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev power play goal, powered by Alexei Pepelyaev. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars stars given to Vasilyev, Krasnoslobodtsev, and Kasutin (18 for 19 in saves).

A little west to Cherepovets, where Severstal hosts Slovan Bratislava. Johan Backlund and Jakub Stepanek are the experienced goalies. Cherepovets got going in the second period with an unassisted goal by Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Severstal added on with a Sergei Monakhov goal, made possible by Nikolai Stasenko and Sergei Kuptsov. Bratislava got on the board in the third period with a Ladislav Nagy goal, fueled by Rok Ticar. Cherepovets shot back with a Pavel Chernov goal, guided in by Kagarlitsky and Evgeny Mons. Slovan replied on a Ticar goal, assisted by Michal Sersen and Nagy. Severstal answered on a power play goal by Evgeny Kovyrshin, going in unassisted. This produced the 4-2 final, with the three stars handed to Kagarlitsky, Nagy, and Ticar.

Down in Kazan, Ak Bars welcomes Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ville Kolppanen and Anders Nilsson are between the pipes. Nizhnekamsk opened in the first period on a Pavel Zdunov goal, made possible by Ilshat Bilalov and Maxim Rybin. Neftekhimik added on with another Zdunov goal, coming off of Rybin. Kazan got on the board in the third period as Igor Mirnov scored a power play goal, powered by Yakov Rylov and Petr Vrana. This was as close as it got, with the final standing at 2-1. The three stars went to Zdunov, Kolppanen (40 for 41 in saves), and Rybin.

Back north, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl brings in the Sochi Leopards. Andrei Gavrilov and Vitaly Kolesnik are the backups making the starts. Sochi struck first in the first period on an unassisted goal by Igor Radulov. Yaroslavl tied it as Jonas Holos scored in the second period, thanks to Sergei Konkov and Daniil Apalkov. The Leopards won 2-1 in overtime on an unassisted Igor Ignatushkin power play goal. The three stars were Gavrilov (23 for 24 in saves), Ignatushkin, and Radulov.

Into Moscow, where CSKA hosts crosstown rivals Dynamo. Alexander Yeryomenko and Stanislav Galimov tend the twines, but Galimov was pulled for Ilya Sorokin in the early minutes of the second period. Dynamo dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Martins Karsums goal, via Denis Mosalyov and Alexei Tsvetkov. Dynamo added on in the third period as Kaspars Daugavins scored, thanks to Denis Kokarev and Alexander Osipov. The final stood at 2-0, with the three stars handed to Yeryomenko (32 save shutout), Karsums, and Daugavins.

Finally, SKA St. Petersburg hosts Jokerit Helsinki. Henrik Karlsson and Mikko Koskinen protect the nets. St. Petersburg was first to score in the first period on a Roman Rukavishnikov goal, fueled by Vadim Shipachyov. Helsinki tied it in the second period with a Ville Lajunen power play goal, powered by Steve Moses and Linus Omark. SKA won 2-1 in the shootout with goals by Ilya Kovalchuk and Pyotr Khokhryakov. The three stars were Koskinen (21 for 22 in saves), Karlsson (38 for 39 in saves), and Kovalchuk.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Hockey Feburary 14th, 2015

To celebrate Valentine's Day, we have eleven hockey games to love. Also, Canada is showing its love for its sport by celebrating Hockey Day in Canada. We begin with a single game from Russia, as...

Atlant Mytishchi hosts Dinamo Minsk. Danny Taylor and Atte Engren draw the starts in goal. Mytishchi led off in the first period on an Artyom Chernov power play goal, powered by Maxim Potapov and Sergei Shmelyov. Minsk tied it on a Charles Linglet goal, via Matt Ellison and Paul Szczechura. Dinamo took the lead with a second period power play goal by Alexander Kulakov, assisted by Lukas Krajicek and Andrei Stepanov. Atlant tied it on a Chernov power play goal, guided in by Potapov and Shmelyov. Minsk regained the lead on an unassisted Linglet goal, his second of the game. Mytishchi tied it in the third period as Mikhail Tyulyapkin scored an unassisted goal. Atlant took the lead on an Andrei Taratukhin goal, fueled by Vyacheslav Leshchenko and Chernov. The three stars were Chernov, Linglet, and Taratukhin, while Potapov and Shmelyov are given the honorable mentions.

In the NHL, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth and Robin Lehner are the unknown goalies. Ottawa was first to score in the first period on a Milan Michalek power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson. Edmonton tied it on a Derek Roy goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Ryan Hamilton and Nail Yakupov. The Senators took the lead back on a Cody Ceci goal, his fourth of the season, via Erik Condra and Alex Chiasson. Ottawa chased Fasth on a Kyle Turris goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Mark Stone and Michalek. Richard Bachman came on in relief. The Oilers got one back on a Mark Fayne goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jeff Petry and Andrew Ference. The Senators shot back on a Michalek goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, guided in by Turris and Stone. Ottawa extended the lead on a Chiasson goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Condra and Karlsson. The Senators padded the lead in the third period on a Hoffman goal, his nineteenth of the year, fueled by Mika Zibanejad and Bobby Ryan. Ottawa iced it at 7-2 on a David Legwand power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, with assists provided by Patrick Wiercioch and Ryan. The three stars were Michalek, Turris, and Chiasson, while Hoffman, Stone, Condra, Karlsson, and Ryan all get honorable mentions.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Jimmy Howard are the masked men. Winnipeg struck first in the first period on a Chris Thorburn goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jacob Trouba and Dustin Byfuglien. Detroit tied it on a Niklas Kronwall power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist. The Red Wings took the lead in the second period on a Darren Helm power play goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Tomas Tatar and Pavel Datsyuk. Detroit added on with a Datsyuk goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Helm and Tatar. The Jets pulled back on a Blake Wheeler goal, his sixteenth of the season, with helpers provided by Tyler Myers and Bryan Little. Winnipeg tied it on a Drew Stafford goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Myers and Michael Frolik on the power play. The Jets took the lead on a power play goal by Andrew Ladd in the third period, his nineteenth of the season, with assists from Little and Byfuglien. The Red Wings tied it as Datsyuk scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, thanks to Brendan Smith and Danny DeKeyser. Winnipeg won with a lone tally by Stafford in the shootout. The three stars went to Stafford, Datsyuk, and Byfuglien, while Little, Myers, Helm, and Tatar get the honorable mentions.

Back into Canada, where the Montreal Canadiens host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Carey Price guard the cages. Toronto began in the first period on a Daniel Winnik goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Richard Panik and Roman Polak. Montreal tied it on a Brendan Gallagher goal, his thirteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Tomas Plekanec and P.K. Subban. The Canadiens took the game 2-1 in the shootout with goals by Alex Galchenyuk and David Desharnais, topping a Mike Santorelli tally. The three stars went to Price (28 for 29 in saves), Bernier (31 for 32 in saves), and Desharnais.

Back stateside, the New York Islanders welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Anton Forsberg and Jaroslav Halak are called on to start in goal. New York opened in the first period with a Josh Bailey goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Anders Lee and John Tavares. The Islanders added on as Bailey scored his second of the game and eleventh of the year, thanks to Tavares and Nick Leddy. Columbus got on the board with a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Matt Calvert and Fedor Tyutin. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Cam Atkinson goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. New York took the lead in the second period on a Ryan Strome goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Lubomir Visnovsky and Frans Nielsen. Columbus tied it again with a Nick Foligno goal, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Scott Hartnell and James Wisniewski. The Islanders regained the lead in the third period with a Nielsen goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Thomas Hickey and Mikhail Grabovski. New York extended the lead with a Tavares goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with helped provided by Lee and Brian Strait. The Islanders padded the lead on another Tavares goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, driven in by Bailey and Travis Hamonic. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars going to Tavares, Bailey, and Nielsen, while Lee gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Arizona, where the Coyotes bring in the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot and Mike Smith occupy the creases. New York got going in the second period on a Chris Kreider goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Derek Stepan and Kevin Klein. Arizona tied it on an Antoine Vermette goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Lucas Lessio. The Rangers took the lead back in the third period on a Rick Nash goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, passed from Klein and Derick Brassard. New York added on with a Kevin Hayes shorthanded goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Rangers extended the lead on a Marc Staal goal, his fourth of the season, via Stepan and Martin St. Louis. New York finished it at 5-1 with a Lee Stempniak goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Dan Girardi and Dominic Moore. The three stars went to Talbot (34 for 35 in saves), Klein, and Stepan.

Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Nashville started in the first period on a Matt Cullen goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Craig Smith and Shea Weber. New Jersey tied it on a second period Steve Bernier power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Eric Gelinas and Scott Gomez. The Predators retook the lead in the third period on a Colin Wilson goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Victor Bartley and Mike Ribeiro. Nashville iced it at 3-1 with a Smith goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Cullen and Mike Fisher. The three stars went to Rinne (21 for 22 in saves), Smith, and Cullen.

Northward to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Devan Dubnyk are the inconsistent goalies. Minnesota led off in the first period on a Thomas Vanek goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Mikael Granlund and Justin Fontaine. The Wild added on with another Vanek goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, passed from Fontaine and Ryan Suter. Minnesota extended the lead as Jordan Schroeder scored his second of the season, with the help of Marco Scandella and Jared Spurgeon. Carolina got on the board with an Andrej Nestrasil goal, his third of the year, via Jay McClement and Justin Faulk. The Wild shot back in the second period with a Nate Prosser goal, his second of the season, made possible by Vanek and Granlund. The Hurricanes got one back with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Jordan Staal and Michal Jordan. Carolina pulled closer on an Elias Lindholm goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Faulk and McClement. Minnesota shot back in the third period on an Erik Haula goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Kyle Brodziak and Stephane Veilleux. The Wild made it 6-3 with a Zach Parise empty net goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, set up by Spurgeon and Mikko Koivu. This was a final, with the three stars going to Vanek, Fontaine, and Granlund, while Spurgeon, Faulk, and McClement get the honorable mentions.

Continuing to Colorado, where the Avalanche bring in the Dallas Stars. Jhonas Enroth and Semyon Varlamov are between the pipes. Colorado began in the first period on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Ryan O'Reilly and Nick Holden. The Avalanche added on in the second period with an Alex Tanguay goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Dennis Everberg and Nate Guenin. Colorado extended the lead in the third period on a Jarome Iginla goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Brad Stuart and Matt Duchene. Dallas got on the board with a Jason Spezza shorthanded goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Jamie Benn and Jyrki Jokipakka. The Avalanche ended it at 4-1 with an Everberg goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Tanguay and John Mitchell. The three stars went to Tanguay, Varlamov (24 for 25 in saves), and Everberg.

Up in Calgary, the Flames host the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller faces a lesser foe in Karri Ramo in goal. Vancouver struck first in the first period on a Ronalds Kenins goal, his third of the season, guided in by Jannik Hansen and Bo Horvat. Calgary tied it on a Sean Monahan goal in the second period, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Jiri Hudler. The Flames gained the lead on another Monahan goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, passed from Hudler and Deryk Engelland. The Canucks tied it on a Linden Vey goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Chris Higgins. Calgary took the lead on a third period Lance Bouma goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of David Jones and Dennis Wideman. The final stood at 3-2, and the three stars went to Monahan, Hudler, and Bouma.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jonathan Quick protect the nets. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Dwight King goal, his tenth of the season, via Tyler Toffoli and Jeff Carter. The Kings added on in the third period on a Trevor Lewis goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Marian Gaborik and Anze Kopitar. Washington got on the board with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov. Los Angeles shot back on a Jarret Stoll goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Dustin Brown and Justin Williams. This held up for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Quick (27 for 28 in saves), Lewis, and Stoll.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.