Major League Soccer Week 1

Full slate of games for the opening weekend of MLS. After Wednesday's eleventh hour deal in principle for the CBA, the league was allowed to start on time. Thus, we begin with...

The Los Angeles Galaxy hosting the Chicago Fire on Friday. Sean Johnson and Brian Rowe are the gloved men. Chicago's Shaun Maloney was given a yellow card in the twenty-second minute for his foul. In the sixty-first minute, Los Angeles took a yellow card for a foul by Kenney Walker. The Galaxy began in the sixty-fifth minute with a goal by Jose Villarreal. The Fire took another yellow card for a Guly foul in the seventy-fifth minute. Los Angeles added on in the eighty-first minute as Robbie Keane scored, with the help of Baggio Husidic and Omar Gonzalez. The final stood at 2-0, with the man of the match being Villarreal.

The first of six games for Saturday features DC United welcoming the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Bill Hamid are in the six-yard boxes. DC led off in the fifty-eighth minute with a Jairo Arrieta goal, set up by Chris Rolfe and Davy Arnaud. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win. Arrieta was the man of the match.

Next up, the Philadelphia Union bring in the Colorado Rapids. Clint Irwin and Rais M'bolhi are set to start in goal. Colorado had a yellow card for a twenty-fourth minute Bobby Burling foul. Philadelphia took a yellow card in the twenty-fifth minute as Steven Vitoria committed a foul. In the forty-fifth minute, Axel Sjoberg of Colorado was given a yellow card for a foul. The Rapids went down a man in the sixty-eighth minute when Burling had another yellow card for a foul, his second of the game getting him sent off. Dillon Serna of the Rapids had a yellow card for his foul in the seventy-third minute. In stoppage time, Fernando Aristeguieta of the Union and Lucas Pittinari received yellow cards, the former for unsporting behavior and the latter for a foul. The scoring never happened, with the final being 0-0. The man of the match was Irwin, who kept a clean sheet with four saves in the season opener on the road for the Rapids.

Out west and in Canada, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC host Toronto FC. Joe Bendik and David Ousted draw the starts in goal. Vancouver was first to score in the nineteenth minute on Raul Octavio Rivero goal, via Pa Modou Kah. Toronto tied it on a Jozy Altidore goal in the thirty-second minute, made possible by Sebastian Giovinco. Toronto took the lead in the fifty-ninth minute with a Robbie Findley goal, passed from Justin Morrow and Benoit Cheyrou. The Whitecaps took a yellow card for persistent infringement by Gershon Koffie in the seventy-seventh minute, but Toronto's Warren Creavalle followed with a yellow card-worthy foul in the seventy-eighth minute. Vancouver saw a yellow card assessed to Kah in the eighty-ninth minute for a foul, and Altidore buried the resulting penalty kick a minute later for Toronto. Toronto won 3-1, and Altidore was the man of the match with a brace.

Back southeast, the Houston Dynamo welcome the Columbus Crew SC. Steve Clark and Tyler Deric man the nets. Columbus' Emanuel Pogatetz took a yellow card in the twenty-eighth minute for a foul. Houston started in the sixty-sixth minute on a Giles Barnes goal, via Kofi Sarkodie. The Crew's Tony Tchani received a yellow card for seventy-eighth minute foul. Houston held on for a 1-0 win, with the man of the match given to Deric for his six-save clean sheet.

Also in Texas, FC Dallas brings in the San Jose Earthquakes. David Bingham and Chris Seitz make the starts in goal. Dallas saw a yellow card given to Atiba Harris for a fiftieth minute foul. San Jose took a yellow card in the sixty-seventh minute for a foul by Shaun Francis. In the seventy-seventh minute, the Earthquakes received a yellow card for a Shea Salinas foul. San Jose had another yellow card in the stoppage time for a Sanna Nyassi foul, leading to a Blas Perez goal for Dallas, made possible by Moises Hernandez. The Earthquakes took another yellow card two minutes later on an Adam Jahn foul. Dallas won 1-0, with the man of the match going to Perez for his late winner.

Closing out Saturday, the Portland Timbers host Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando faces a lesser foe in Adam Larsen Kwarasey in goal. Salt Lake's Kenny Mansally received a yellow card for his twenty-seventh minute foul. Portland saw a yellow card assessed to Alvas Powell in the thirty-second minute for a foul. In first half stoppage time, Luis Gil of Real took a yellow card for his foul. Salt Lake had another yellow card in the forty-eighth minute for a Chris Schuler foul. In the fifty-seventh minute, Liam Ridgewell of the Timbers took a yellow card. The game ended in a scoreless draw, and the man of the match was Rimando with his clean sheet and five save performance.

On Sunday, the first ever game for Orlando City SC sees them welcome fellow expansion team New York City FC. Josh Saunders and Donovan Ricketts make the starts. Orlando City had the first two yellow cards, both for dives by Brek Shea in the twenty-ninth minute and Kevin Molino in the fortieth minute. New York City had the next three yellow cards, given to Mehdi Ballouchy in the forty-first minute, Jason Hernandez in the fifty-fourth minute, and Jeb Brovsky in the sixtieth minute, all for fouls. New York City struck first in the seventy-sixth minute on a Mix Diskerud goal, with an assist from David Villa. Orlando City saw a yellow card given to Cristian Higuita in the seventy-eighth minute. Orlando City went down to ten men as Aurelien Collin got a red card for his eighty-third minute foul. Orlando City tied it in stoppage time on a Kaka goal. The final held at 1-1, with the man of the match being Kaka for the late equalizer.

Northwest to Kansas City, as Sporting brings in the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Luis Marin are the keepers. Kansas City's Matt Besler received a yellow card for a foul in the thirtieth minute. Sporting started in the fiftieth minute on an Ike Opara goal, set up by Benny Feilhaber. New York tied it on a Lloyd Sam goal, made possible by Felipe. Kansas City's Besler was ejected with a second yellow card in the seventieth minute for another foul. The Red Bulls had two yellow cards, given to Bradley Wright-Phillips in the eightieth minute and Sacha Kljestan in the eighty-sixth minute, both for fouls. The final was 1-1, and the man of the match was Sam for the equalizer.

Finally, the Seattle Sounders FC host the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth and Stefan Frei guard the nets. Seattle dented the scoreboard in the twenty-fifth minute on a Clint Dempsey penalty kick goal. The Sounders added on with an Obafemi Martins goal in the forty-first minute, guided in by Tyrone Mears and Dempsey. Seattle extended the lead as Dempsey scored his second of the game, thanks to Martins and Marco Pappa. New England took a yellow card on a Jose Goncalves foul in the seventy-third minute. The Sounders secured a 3-0 win, with the man of the match being Dempsey with a brace.

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KHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Sibir Novosibirsk VS. Traktor Chelyabinsk

Welcome to the western conference quarterfinal round for the 2015 Gagarin Cup Playoffs. This post will act as a reference for the entire series between Sibir Novosibirsk and Traktor Chelyabinsk.

Game 1: Ice Sports Palace Novosibirsk, Novosibirsk, Russia. In goal: Michael Garnett of Chelyabinsk and Nikita Bespalov of Novosibirsk. Novosibirsk opened in the first period on a Jarno Koskiranta power play goal, powered by Dmitry Kugryshev and Ivan Vereshchagin. Chelyabinsk tied it on a Deron Quint power play goal, coming off of Konstantin Panov and Stanislav Chistov. Traktor took the lead on a Francis Pare goal, via Martin Ruzicka. Chelyabinsk added on in the second period on an Ilya Davydov goal, passed from Quint and Chistov on the power play. Traktor extended the lead in the third period as Quint scored an unassisted goal. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars belonging to Quint, Garnett (33 for 34 in saves), and Chistov. Traktor owns a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Ice Sports Palace Novosibirsk, Novosibirsk, Russia. In goal: Michael Garnett of Chelyabinsk and Alexander Salak of Novosibirsk. Novosibirsk struck first in the first period on a Stepan Sannikov goal, via Sergei Gimayev and Oleg Gubin. Sibir added on in the second period with a shorthanded goal by Maxim Shalunov, set up by Viktor Bobrov and Patrik Hersley. Chelyabinsk got on the board with a Martin Ruzicka goal, fueled by Deron Quint and Artyom Borodkin. Traktor tied it in the third period as Quint scored a power play goal, powered by Stanislav Chistov. Novosibirsk took the lead on a Jarno Koskiranta penalty shot goal, received after he was hooked by Dmitry Pestunov. Sibir extended the lead as Koskiranta scored his second of the game, thanks to Alexei Kopeikin and Dmitry Kugryshev. Novosibirsk finished it at 5-2 with a shorthanded goal by Shalunov, with a lone assist by Bobrov. The three stars went to Shalunov, Koskiranta, and Quint, while Bobrov gets an honorable mention. The series is now tied at 1.

Game 3: Traktor Sport Palace, Chelyabinsk, Russia. In goal: Alexander Salak of Novosibirsk and Michael Garnett of Chelyabinsk. Novosibirsk began in the first period on a Patrik Hersley goal, fueled by Jonas Enlund and David Ullstrom on the power play. Chelyabinsk tied it on an Andrei Popov goal, via Dmitry Pestunov. Traktor took the lead with a Stanislav Chistov penalty shot goal, coming after he was hooked by Viktor Bobrov. Sibir retied it in the second period on a Maxim Shalunov goal, passed from Bobrov. Novosibirsk took the lead on an Enlund power play goal, with a lone helper by Dmitry Kugryshev. Sibir added on with a Stepan Sannikov power play goal, assisted by Oleg Gubin and Maxim Ignatovich. Novosibirsk extended the lead with a power play goal from Dmitry Monya, powered by Hersley and Enlund. Vasily Demchenko came on in relief of Garnett. Sibir padded the lead on a power play goal from Sergei Shumakov, made possible by Vyacheslav Belov. The four power play goals were a result of a major penalty against Pestunov for a check to the head. Novosibirsk struck again in the third period on a Shalunov goal, his second of the game, with assists provided by Hersley and Monya. Chelyabinsk got one back on a Maxim Kondratyev goal, helped along by Vyacheslav Osnovin and Artyom Penkovsky. The final stood at 7-3, with the three stars given to Enlund, Shalunov, and Hersley, while Monya gets an honorable mention. Sibir showed an opportunistic side to move to a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4: Traktor Sport Palace, Chelyabinsk, Russia. In goal: Alexander Salak of Novosibirsk and Vasily Demchenko of Chelyabinsk. Chelyabinsk was first to score in the first period on an Anton Glinkin goal, assisted by Deron Quint and Stanislav Chistov. Novosibirsk tied it on a third period power play goal by David Ullstrom, powered by Igor Ozhiganov and Patrik Hersley. Traktor won 2-1 in overtime on an Ilya Davydov goal, with a lone assist by Glinkin. The three stars were Glinkin, Demchenko (17 for 18 in saves), and Davydov. The series returns to the Far East tied at 2.

Game 5: Ice Sports Palace Novosibirsk, Novosibirsk, Russia. In goal: Vasily Demchenko of Chelyabinsk and Alexander Salak of Novosibirsk. Novosibirsk led off in the first period on a David Ullstrom goal, via Jonas Enlund. Sibir added on in the second period as Stepan Sannikov scored, thanks to Vladimir Butuzov and Vitaly Menshikov. Chelyabinsk got on the board with a Semyon Kokuyov goal, passed from Francis Pare and Vitaly Atyushov. Novosibirsk shot back on a Jarno Koskiranta goal, assisted by Dmitry Kugryshev and Konstantin Alexeyev. This produced the 3-1 final, with the three stars going to Salak (19 for 20 in saves), Sannikov, and Koskiranta. Sibir looks to close out the series on the road, with a 3-2 lead in hand now.

Game 6: Traktor Sport Palace, Chelyabinsk, Russia. In goal: Alexander Salak of Novosibirsk and Michael Garnett of Chelyabinsk. Novosibirsk started in the first period on a David Ullstrom power play goal, powered by Jonas Enlund and Igor Ozhiganov. Chelyabinsk tied it on an Anton Glinkin goal, fueled by Andrei Popov and Dmitry Pestunov in the second period. Sibir retook the lead in the third period on a Jarno Koskiranta goal, made possible by Sergei Gimayev. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Koskiranta, Salak (23 for 24 in saves), and Ullstrom. Sibir won the series 4-2, advancing to the semifinals. 

NHL March 7th, 2015

Ten games for the day, with the first a matinee from...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Tuukka Rask are the veteran goalies. Boston led off in the first period on a Zdeno Chara power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Patrice Bergeron. Philadelphia tied it on a Jakub Voracek power play goal in the second period, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Mark Streit and Claude Giroux. The Flyers took the lead in the third period on a Chris VandeVelde goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Nick Schultz and Brayden Schenn. The Bruins tied it on a Brad Marchand power play goal, his twentieth of the year, coming off of Hamilton and Loui Eriksson. Boston won 3-2 in overtime with another Marchand goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the campaign, helped along by Max Talbot and Ryan Spooner. The three stars were Marchand, Hamilton, and Rask (29 for 31 in saves).

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Dallas Stars. Jhonas Enroth and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the backups in goal. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period on an Anton Stralman power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Ondrej Palat. Dallas tied it on a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his thirtieth of the year, assisted by Jason Spezza and Jamie Benn. The Lightning retook the lead on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, passed from Palat and Braydon Coburn. The Stars tied it on a Seguin goal in the second period, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, made possible by John Klingberg. Dallas took the lead on a Vernon Fiddler goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Alex Goligoski and Colton Sceviour. Tampa Bay tied it in the third period on an Alex Killorn goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Ryan Callahan and Victor Hedman. The Lightning took the lead on a Hedman goal, his ninth of the season, via Tyler Johnson and Palat, the latter getting a sock trick. Tampa Bay added on with a Brian Boyle shorthanded empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Stars got one back as Fiddler scored his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, thanks to Jordie Benn and Sceviour on the power play. The three stars went to Seguin, Palat, and Fiddler, while Hedman and Sceviour get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Jonathan Bernier are between the pipes. St. Louis was first to score in the first period on a Jaden Schwartz goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Vladimir Tarasenko and Jori Lehtera. The Blues added on with a T.J. Oshie goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Alexander Steen and the goalie Elliott. St. Louis extended the lead on a Tarasenko goal, his thirty-second of the season, fueled by Lehtera and Carl Gunnarsson. James Reimer relieved Bernier for the second period. The Blues padded the lead on a second period goal by Chris Butler, his third of the year, a shorthanded goal set up by Schwartz and Lehtera, the latter getting a sock trick. St. Louis kept going with a Paul Stastny power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Oshie and Steen. Toronto got on the board with a third period goal by David Booth, his third of the year, passed from Jake Gardiner and Peter Holland. The Blues shot back on a David Backes goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, helped along by Steen, who got a sock trick, and Alex Pietrangelo. The final stood at 6-1, with the three stars awarded to Lehtera, Steen, and Schwartz, while Tarasenko and Oshie get the honorable mentions.

Stateside again, with the Washington Capitals hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Matt Hackett is mismatched with Braden Holtby in goal. Buffalo started in the first period on a Johan Larsson goal, his second of the season, made possible by Marcus Foligno and Zach Bogosian. Washington tied it on a Curtis Glencross goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Mike Green and Jay Beagle. The Capitals took the lead in the second period on a Beagle goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Troy Brouwer and Glencross. Washington added on with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his forty-fourth of the year, powered by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals extended the lead as Brooks Laich scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Tom Wilson. Anders Lindback relieved Hackett. Washington padded the lead on a Joel Ward power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Glencross and Green. The Capitals finished it at 6-1 with a Marcus Johansson goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, with the helpers provided by Ovechkin and Backstrom. The three stars went to Glencross, Ovechkin, and Beagle, while Backstrom and Green receive honorable mentions.

Way southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Mike Smith receive the starting nods. Montreal got going in the second period as Lars Eller scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Devante Smith-Pelly. The Canadiens finished it at 2-0 with a third period goal by Brendan Gallagher, his nineteenth of the year, an empty net goal set up by Tomas Plekanec and Max Pacioretty. The three stars belonged to Price (28 save shutout), Eller, and Smith (33 for 34 in saves).

Back east, the Florida Panthers bring in the New York Islanders. Michal Neuvirth and Dan Ellis are the mediocre goalies. Florida opened in the first period with an unassisted goal by Erik Gudbranson, his fourth of the season. New York tied it in the second period on a John Tavares goal, his thirty-second of the year, via Anders Lee. The Panthers retook the lead on a Nick Bjugstad goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Jussi Jokinen and Alex Petrovic. The Islanders tied it again on a power play goal by Nick Leddy, his tenth of the year, powered by Tavares and Frans Nielsen. Florida regained the lead in the third period on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Jaromir Jagr. New York tied it on a Josh Bailey goal, his fourteenth of the year, with a lone assist from Tavares. In the shootout, Huberdeau had the lone tally for the Panthers, giving them a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Tavares, Huberdeau, and Gudbranson.

Up in Columbus, the Blue Jackets host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov faces a lesser foe in Curtis McElhinney in goal. Colorado began in the first period on a Jarome Iginla power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Tyson Barrie and Alex Tanguay. The Avalanche added on with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Ryan O'Reilly and Barrie. Colorado extended the lead as Matt Duchene scored his seventeenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Avalanche iced it at 4-0 with a third period goal by Tanguay, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Barrie, who got a sock trick, and Nate Guenin. The three stars went to Varlamov (44 save shutout), Barrie, and Tanguay.

Continuing to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Pekka Rinne protect the nets. Winnipeg began in the first period on a Michael Frolik goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Andrew Ladd and Toby Enstrom. Nashville tied it in the second period on a Ryan Ellis goal, his sixth of the year, via Craig Smith and Mike Ribeiro. The Jets retook the lead on a Blake Wheeler goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Tyler Myers and Drew Stafford. Winnipeg iced it at 3-1 on an empty net goal by Stafford, his twelfth of the year, set up by Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. The three stars were named as Wheeler, Hutchinson (20 for 21 in saves), and Stafford.

Out west, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. Pittsburgh dented the scoreboard in overtime for a 1-0 win on a Patric Hornqvist goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were awarded to Fleury (31 save shutout), Hornqvist, and Quick (17 for 18 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Antti Niemi occupy the creases. San Jose led off in the first period on a Melker Karlsson goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on with a Thornton power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski. Vancouver got on the board with a Radim Vrbata goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, coming off of Nick Bonino and Daniel Sedin. The Canucks tied it on a Bo Horvat goal in the second period, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. Vancouver took the lead on a third period power play goal by Vrbata, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the campaign, set up by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars going to Vrbata, Thornton, and Daniel Sedin.

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QPR VS. Tottenham Hotspur make up game

After last week's Capital One Cup, these two teams needed to make up their missed league game, doing so today on an otherwise quiet day for the Premier League. The goalies are Hugo Lloris of Tottenham Hotspur and Robert Green of the Queens Park Rangers. Tottenham Hotspur led off in the thirty-fourth minute with a Harry Kane header goal, fueled by Andros Townsend on a cross after a set piece. In the sixtieth minute, QPR's Karl Henry took a yellow card for his foul. Tottenham Hotspur saw a yellow card go to Nabil Bentaleb in the sixty-second minute for a foul. Tottenham Hotspur added on with a Kane goal, passed from Ryan Mason on a through ball. QPR got one back with a Sandro goal, assisted by Bobby Zamora. Tottenham Hotspur's Mason took a yellow card in the eightieth minute for a foul. Tottenham Hotspur held on for a 2-1 win.

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KHL Western Conference Quarterfinal: Dynamo Moscow VS. Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

Welcome to the western conference quarterfinal round for the 2015 Gagarin Cup Playoffs. This post will act as a reference for the entire series between Dynamo Moscow and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

Game 1: Luzhniki Minor Arena, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Vitaly Kolesnik of Yaroslavl and Alexander Lazushin of Moscow. Yaroslavl started in the first period on a Martin Thornberg goal, assisted by Andrei Loktionov. Moscow tied it in the second period on a Denis Mosalyov goal, going in unassisted. Dynamo took the lead with a Vladimir Bryukvin goal, coming off of Filip Novak. Moscow finished it at 3-1 on an empty net goal in the third period, scored by Konstantin Gorovikov and set up by Mat Robinson and Mosalyov. The three stars went to Lazushin (24 for 25 in saves), Mosalyov, and Bryukvin. Dynamo takes a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Luzhniki Minor Arena, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Curtis Sanford for Yaroslavl and Alexander Lazushin for Moscow. Yaroslavl struck first in the first period on a power play goal by Sergei Plotnikov, powered by Staffan Kronwall and Yegor Averin. Moscow tied it in the third period as Martins Karsums, thanks to Dmitry Vishnevsky. Lokomotiv took the lead back on a Geoff Platt goal, guided in by Ilya Gorokhov. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Sanford (36 for 37 in saves), Platt, and Plotnikov. The series is tied at 1.

Game 3: Arena 2000, Yaroslavl, Russia. In goal: Alexander Lazushin of Moscow and Curtis Sanford of Yaroslavl. Yaroslavl opened in the first period on a Martin Thornberg goal, fueled by Sergei Konkov and Emil Galimov. Moscow tied it in the second period with a Sergei Soin goal, guided in by Dmitry Markovin and Alexei Sopin. Lokomotiv won 2-1 in overtime on a Daniil Apalkov goal, via Yegor Averin and Yegor Yakovlev. The three stars belonged to Apalkov, Sanford (30 for 31 in saves), and Lazushin (32 for 34 in saves). Lokomotiv gained the series lead at 2-1.

Game 4: Arena 2000, Yaroslavl, Russia. In goal: Alexander Lazushin of Moscow and Curtis Sanford of Yaroslavl. Moscow got going in the second period on an Alexander Osipov goal, coming off of Alexei Tsvetkov and Janne Jalasvaara. Dynamo added on with a Vladimir Bryukvin goal, via Konstantin Volkov. Moscow extended the lead in the third period on an unassisted Denis Kokarev goal. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Lazushin (25 save shutout), Osipov, and Bryukvin. The series heads back to Russia's capital tied at 2.

Game 5: Luzhniki Minor Arena, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Curtis Sanford for Yaroslavl and Alexander Lazushin for Moscow. Moscow was first to score in the first period on a Sergei Soin goal, assisted by Yury Babenko. Yaroslavl tied it on a Jiri Novotny goal, passed from Evgeny Grachyov. Dynamo retook the lead on an Alexei Tsvetkov goal, courtesy of Maxim Karpov and Mat Robinson. Moscow added on in the second period with a Janne Jalasvaara goal, coming off of Martins Karsums and Karpov. Dynamo extended the lead as Karsums scored an unassisted goal. Moscow padded the lead on an Alexei Tereshchenko goal, fueled by Maxim Pestushko and Denis Kokarev. Dynamo struck again with a Robinson goal, via Kokarev and Soin. Vitaly Kolesnik relieved Sanford in the third period. Moscow continued in the third period with a Vladimir Bryukvin goal, with assists provided by Kaspars Daugavins and Filip Novak. Lokomotiv got one back on a Daniil Apalkov goal, helped along by Sergei Konkov and Ilya Gorokhov. Yaroslavl pulled closer with a Martin Thornberg goal, made possible by Jonas Holos and Emil Galimov on the power play. The final stood at 7-3, with the three stars going to Karsums, Robinson, and Soin, while Karpov and Kokarev receive the honorable mentions. Dynamo established a commanding victory and have pushed Lokomotiv to the edge with a 3-2 series lead. 

Game 6: Arena 2000, Yaroslavl, Russia. In goal: Alexander Lazushin of Moscow and Vitaly Kolesnik of Yaroslavl. Moscow dented the scoreboard in the first period on a power play goal by Martins Karsums, powered by Kaspars Daugavins and Mat Robinson. Dynamo added on with an Alexander Osipov goal, made possible by Sergei Soin and Yury Babenko. Moscow extended the lead in the second period as Maxim Pestushko scored a power play goal, with the help of Karsums and Janne Jalasvaara. Dynamo iced it at 4-0 in the third period with an Alexei Tereshchenko goal, via Filip Novak and Daugavins on the power play. The three stars were Lazushin (15 save shutout), Karsums, and Daugavins. Dynamo wins the series 4-2, and the western conference semifinals are now set.

NHL March 6th, 2015

Six games on tonight, beginning in...

Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Anton Khudobin are in the creases. Minnesota opened in the first period on a Charlie Coyle goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Nino Niederreiter and Mikael Granlund. Carolina tied it in the second period as Riley Nash scored his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Jeff Skinner. The Wild retook the lead in the third period on a Granlund goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Jason Pominville and Zach Parise. Minnesota added on with a Parise goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Pominville. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Dubnyk (37 for 38 in saves), Granlund, Parise, while Pominville gets the honorable mention.

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Cory Schneider guard the cages. Columbus led off in the first period on a Justin Falk goal, made possible by Cody Goloubef and Brandon Dubinsky. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Dubinsky goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Nick Foligno. New Jersey got on the board with a Jordin Tootoo power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Adam Henrique and Jacob Josefson. Columbus shot back on a Marko Dano goal, his fourth of the year, via Alexander Wennberg and Falk. The Devils replied in the third period with a Peter Harrold goal, his third of the season, passed from Andy Greene and Tuomo Ruutu. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Falk, Dubinsky, and Dano.

West to Detroit, as the Red Wings bring in the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Jimmy Howard are the masked men. Detroit began in the first period on a Justin Abdelkader goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Henrik Zetterberg and Erik Cole. The Red Wings added on with an Abdelkader goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Zetterberg and Cole. Calgary got on the board with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, courtesy of Kris Russell and Dennis Wideman. The Flames tied it in the second period on a Matt Stajan goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Brandon Bollig. Calgary took the lead on a Jiri Hudler goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Monahan and Wideman. The Flames extended the lead in the third period with a Mason Raymond goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Drew Shore and Josh Jooris. Calgary iced it at 5-2 on a Hudler empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the campaign, set up by Johnny Gaudreau and Mikael Backlund. The three stars were named as Hudler, Abdelkader, and Monahan, while Zetterberg, Cole, and Wideman get the honorable mentions.

Into Ottawa, where the Senators host the Buffalo Sabres. Anders Lindback and Andrew Hammond are the little-known goalies. Buffalo started in the first period on a Philip Varone goal, his third of the season, coming off of Matt Moulson and Andre Benoit. The Sabres added on with a Tyler Ennis goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Varone and Zach Bogosian. Ottawa got on the board in the second period on an Erik Karlsson goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Milan Michalek and Mark Stone. The Senators tied it in the third period as Mika Zibanejad scored, his seventeenth of the year, with the help of Bobby Ryan and Mike Hoffman. Ottawa took the lead on a Stone goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, helped along by Marc Methot and Michalek. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars handed to Stone, Varone, and Michalek.

Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Scrivens and Corey Crawford are in the blue paint. Edmonton struck first in the first period on a Derek Roy goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Nail Yakupov. Chicago tied it on a third period with a Brent Seabrook goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Antoine Vermette scored to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 win. The three stars went to Crawford (46 for 47 in saves), Scrivens (38 for 39 in saves), and Seabrook.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Thomas Greiss and Frederik Andersen are set to start in goal. Pittsburgh was first to score in the second period with a Blake Comeau goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Derick Pouliot and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins added on with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from David Perron and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Hornqvist scored his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, thanks to Ian Cole and Paul Martin. The Penguins padded the lead in the third period on a Malkin goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, fueled by Chris Kunitz and Comeau. Anaheim got on the board with a Tomas Fleischmann goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Jakob Silfverberg. The Ducks pulled closer on a Corey Perry goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, made possible by Rickard Rakell and Emerson Etem. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-2 with a Sidney Crosby empty net goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Brandon Sutter and Kris Letang. The three stars belonged to Hornqvist, Malkin, and Comeau, while Crosby gets an honorable mention.

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KHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Ak Bars Kazan VS. Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg

Welcome to the eastern conference quarterfinal round for the 2015 Gagarin Cup Playoffs. This post will act as a reference for the entire series between Ak Bars Kazan and Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg.

Game 1: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Jakub Kovar for Yekaterinburg and Anders Nilsson for Kazan. Yekaterinburg started in the first period on a Tobias Viklund power play goal, powered by Anton Lazarev and Alexei Simakov. Kazan tied it on an Alexander Svitov goal, passed from Artyom Lukoyanov. Ak Bars took the lead on an Igor Mirnov power play goal, courtesy of Yakov Rylov and Petr Vrana. Avtomobilist retied it in the second period on an Anatoly Golyshev goal, made possible by Artyom Gareyev and Sergei Yemelin. Kazan won 3-2 in overtime on an Oscar Moller power play goal, via Sergei Kostitsyn. The three stars went to Moller, Mirnov, and Svitov. Ak Bars leads 1-0 in the series.

Game 2: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Jakub Kovar for Yekaterinburg and Anders Nilsson for Kazan. Yekaterinburg dented the scoreboard in the second period on an Eduard Lewandowski power play goal, powered by Alexei Mikhnov and Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Avtomobilist added on in the third period as Artyom Gareyev scored, with the help of Sergei Yemelin and Anatoly Golyshev. Kazan got on the board with an Artyom Lukoyanov goal, assisted by Damir Musin and Yakov Rylov. Ak Bars tied it with a Justin Azevedo goal, going in unassisted. Kazan won 3-2 in overtime with an Oscar Moller power play goal, helped along by Igor Mirnov and Mikhail Varnakov. The three stars went to Moller, Azevedo, and Lukoyanov. Ak Bars heads east holding a 2-0 series lead.  

Game 3: KRK Uralets, Yekaterinburg, Russia. In goal: Anders Nilsson for Kazan and Jakub Kovar for Yekaterinburg. Yekaterinburg led off in the first period on an Alexander Nesterov goal, guided in by Alexei Mikhnov. Avtomobilist added on in the third period as Alexander Rybakov scored a power play goal, powered by Alexei Simakov and Tobias Viklund. The final was 2-0, and the three stars went to Kovar (34 save shutout), Nesterov, and Rybakov. Avtomobilist got a game back to cut the series deficit to 2-1.

Game 4: KRK Uralets, Yekaterinburg, Russia. In goal: Anders Nilsson for Kazan and Jakub Kovar for Yekaterinburg. Kazan got going in the second period with a Dmitry Obukhov goal, passed from Alexander Burmistrov and Kirill Petrov. Ak Bars added on with a power play goal by Justin Azevedo, powered by Ilya Nikulin. Yekaterinburg got on the board in the third period on an unassisted goal by Alexei Simakov. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars belonging to Nilsson (18 for 19 in saves), Azevedo, and Obukhov. Ak Bars heads home holding a 3-1 series lead.

Game 5: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Jakub Kovar for Yekaterinburg and Anders Nilsson for Kazan. Kazan opened in the first period on an Oscar Moller goal, helped along by Justin Azevedo. Yekaterinburg tied it on a Vitaly Popov goal, going in unassisted. Ak Bars retook the lead on a Moller goal, via Vladimir Denisov. Kazan added on in the second period with a Kirill Petrov goal, coming off of Dmitry Obukhov and Alexander Burmistrov. Avtomobilist got one back in the third period on a power play goal by Tobias Viklund, powered by Alexei Simakov. They failed to tie it, losing 3-2. The three stars were Moller, Petrov, and Nilsson (21 for 23 in saves). Ak Bars wins the series 4-1.