NHL March 13th, 2015

Five games on tonight, with the first in...

New York, as the Islanders host the Ottawa Senators. Andrew Hammond and Jaroslav Halak receive the starting nods. Ottawa dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Matt Puempel goal, his second of the season, via Mika Zibanejad and Patrick Wiercioch. The Senators added on with a Kyle Turris goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone. New York got on the board in the third period on a Tyler Kennedy goal, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Lubomir Visnovsky and Nikolay Kulemin. The final stood at 2-1 from here, with the three stars going to Hammond (34 for 35 in saves), Turris, and Puempel.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Braden Holtby draw the starts. Dallas started in the first period on a Shawn Horcoff power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Ales Hemsky and Jason Demers. Washington tied it on a Curtis Glencross goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Troy Brouwer. The Stars retook the lead on a Colton Sceviour goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Vernon Fiddler and Patrik Nemeth. Dallas added on with a power play goal by Tyler Seguin in the third period, his thirty-second of the year, assisted by Jamie Benn and Alex Goligoski. The Stars extended the lead on a Fiddler power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone assist by Hemsky. Justin Peters relieved Holtby. The Capitals got one back in the third period on a Kuznetsov goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Andre Burakovsky and Alex Ovechkin. The final was 4-2, with the three stars going to Fiddler, Kuznetsov, and Hemsky.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Scrivens and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the blue paint. Columbus opened in the first period on a Marko Dano goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Alexander Wennberg. The Blue Jackets added on with a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Nick Foligno and Jack Johnson. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a Jordan Eberle power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Justin Schultz. The Oilers tied it on a Derek Roy power play goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Oscar Klefbom and the goalie Scrivens. Columbus retook the lead on an Artem Anisimov goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Foligno and Corey Tropp. Edmonton tied it again with an Andrew Ference goal, his third of the year, via Schultz and Benoit Pouliot. The Oilers pulled ahead in the third period on a Nail Yakupov power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins. The Blue Jackets got an equalizer on a Scott Hartnell goal, his twentieth of the year, dished from Dano and Wennberg. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Wennberg won it with a lone tally. The 5-4 game saw the three stars go to Wennberg, Dano, and Foligno, while Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins, and Schultz get the honorable mentions.

Way northwest to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Jonas Hiller are the masked men. Calgary led off in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Jiri Hudler and Sean Monahan. The Flames added on with a Drew Shore goal, made possible by T.J. Brodie and Mason Raymond. Toronto got on the board with a Richard Panik power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner. Calgary shot back on a Mikael Backlund shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Flames extended the lead with a shorthanded goal by Monahan, his twenty-sixth of the year, set up by Brodie and Deryk Engelland. Calgary padded the lead on another Monahan goal in the second period, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season, via Hudler and Gaudreau. The Maple Leafs got one back on a David Booth goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Leo Komarov and Eric Brewer. The Flames answered with a Hudler power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with helpers from Dennis Wideman and Gaudreau. Toronto pulled back in the third period on Booth's second of the game and sixth of the year, driven in by Gardiner and Dion Phaneuf. The final stood at 6-3 for Calgary, with the three stars belonging to Monahan, Gaudreau, and Hudler, while Booth, Gardiner, and Brodie get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Minnesota Wild host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Devan Dubnyk are between the pipes. Anaheim began in the first period on a Francois Beauchemin goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jakob Silfverberg and Ryan Kesler. Minnesota tied it in the second period on a Zach Parise power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Thomas Vanek and Mikko Koivu. The Ducks retook the lead on a Silfverberg goal, his eleventh of the campaign, passed from Simon Despres and Kesler. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Silfverberg, Gibson (32 for 33 in saves), and Kesler.

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NHL March 12th, 2015

Eleven games as the NHL enters its final month of the regular season. We begin with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Tuukka Rask guard the cages. Boston began in the first period on a David Pastrnak goal, his ninth of the season, via Ryan Spooner and Milan Lucic. Tampa Bay tied it on a Steven Stamkos goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Bruins retook the lead in the third period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his nineteenth of the season, courtesy of Dennis Seidenberg. The Lightning tied it on a Vladislav Nemestnikov goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Mark Barberio and Andrej Suster. The game went to a shootout, where Bergeron and Brad Marchand scored to give the Bruins a 3-2 win. The three stars were Bergeron, Rask (35 for 37 in saves), and Pastrnak.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Anton Khudobin make the starts. Carolina led off in the first period on a Victor Rask goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Brett Bellemore and Michal Jordan. Dallas tied it on a Curtis McKenzie goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Shawn Horcoff and Brett Ritchie. The Stars took the lead with an Alex Goligoski goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Cody Eakin and Patrick Eaves. Dallas added on with an unassisted goal by Jason Demers, his fourth of the year. The Stars extended the lead in the third period on Eakin's sixteenth of the season, via Goligoski and Jamie Benn. The Hurricanes got one back with an Andrej Nestrasil goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Chris Terry and Rask. Carolina pulled closer on a Terry goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Bellemore and Rask. Dallas finished it at 5-3 on an Eaves empty net goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Eakin, Goligoski, and Rask, while Terry, Bellemore, and Eaves get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Scrivens is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Pittsburgh opened with a shorthanded Brandon Sutter goal, his fourteenth of the season, set up by Daniel Winnik and Ben Lovejoy. The Penguins added on with another Sutter goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, assisted by Steve Downie and Winnik. Pittsburgh extended the lead as David Perron scored his sixteenth of the season, with the help of Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins padded the lead in the second period on a Crosby power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. Edmonton got on the board with an Anton Lander power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle. The Oilers pulled closer on an Eberle goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Nugent-Hopkins and Mark Fayne. Edmonton chipped closer in the third period as Benoit Pouliot scored his fourteenth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Derek Roy and Oscar Klefbom. The Oilers tied it on a Roy goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone helper from Nail Yakupov. Pittsburgh regained the lead as Downie scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Maxim Lapierre and Nick Spaling. The Penguins wrapped it up at 6-4 on a Hornqvist goal, his twenty-third of the year, with helpers provided by Crosby and Perron. The three stars were handed to Downie, Crosby, and Sutter, while Winnik, Perron, Hornqvist, Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins, and Roy all get honorable mentions.

West to Detroit, as the Red Wings host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. Detroit was first to score in the first period on a Justin Abdelkader power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Marek Zidlicky and Gustav Nyquist. Columbus tied it on a Fedor Tyutin goal, his third of the year, fueled by Nick Foligno and Corey Tropp. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Scott Hartnell goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Artem Anisimov and Marko Dano. Columbus added on in the second period on a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by David Savard. This held up for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Hartnell, Bobrovsky (41 for 42 in saves), and Tyutin.

Into Canada, with the Montreal Canadiens welcoming the Ottawa Senators. Andrew Hammond and Carey Price play between the pipes. Montreal struck first in the first period on a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, powered by P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov. The Canadiens added on with a shorthanded goal by Pacioretty, his second of the game and thirty-third of the season, set up by Lars Eller. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his seventeenth of the year, via David Legwand and Marc Methot. The Senators tied it on an Erik Condra goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Mark Borowiecki. Ottawa took the lead in the third period as Mark Stone scored a power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Patrick Wiercioch and Karlsson. The Senators extended the lead on a Karlsson goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, driven in by Milan Michalek. Ottawa iced it at 5-2 on a Methot goal, with assists provided by Alex Chiasson and Michalek. The three stars belonged to Karlsson, Pacioretty, and Methot, while Michalek gets an honorable mention.

Way to the south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Dan Ellis are in the creases. Florida started in the first period on a Derek MacKenzie goal, his fifth of the season, via Dave Bolland and Shawn Thornton. Winnipeg tied it on a Mark Scheifele goal in the second period, his eleventh of the year, passed from Blake Wheeler and Adam Pardy. The Panthers retook the lead as Brad Boyes scored his twelfth of the season, a power play goal from Jonathan Huberdeau and Jaromir Jagr. The Jets tied it again in the third period with a Drew Stafford goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Michael Frolik and Jiri Tlusty. Florida gained the lead on an Aleksander Barkov goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Huberdeau and Jagr. The Panthers iced it at 4-2 with a Nick Bjugstad empty net goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Jussi Jokinen. The three stars were given to Barkov, Huberdeau, and Jagr.

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Brian Elliott are the average goalies. The goalies played perfectly, and the game was decided on shootout goals by T.J. Oshie and Vladimir Tarasenko. The 1-0 Blues win saw the three stars awarded to Elliott (28 save shutout), Mason (35 save "shutout"), and Oshie.

Westward to Colorado, with the Avalanche welcoming the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Semyon Varlamov are the masked men. Colorado got going in the second period on a Jarome Iginla goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Matt Duchene and John Mitchell. New Jersey tied it on an Andy Greene goal, his third of the year, made possible by Adam Henrique and Adam Larsson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Ryan O'Reilly and Iginla combined to top Jacob Josefson for a 2-1 Avalanche win. The three stars went to Iginla, Varlamov (23 for 24 in saves), and Schneider (28 for 29 in saves).

Up in Vancouver, the Canucks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Eddie Lack occupy the blue paint. Los Angeles began in the first period on a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Justin Williams and Jake Muzzin. The Kings added on in the second period as Williams scored his seventeenth of the year, thanks to Brayden McNabb and Nick Shore. Los Angeles extended the lead with an unassisted Anze Kopitar goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the season. The Kings finished it at 4-0 on a Marian Gaborik empty net goal, his twenty-first of the year, set up by Kopitar and Trevor Lewis. The three stars were handed to Quick (19 save shutout), Williams, and Kopitar.

To the south, the Arizona Coyotes host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Mike Smith receive the starting nods. Arizona led off in the first period on a Tobias Rieder goal, his eleventh of the season, via Mark Arcobello and Sam Gagner. Chicago tied it on an Andrew Shaw power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Duncan Keith and Marian Hossa. The Blackhawks took the lead in the third period on a Brad Richards power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Kris Versteeg and Teuvo Teravainen. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Richards, Crawford (17 for 18 in saves), and Smith (42 for 44 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Antti Niemi tend the twines. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Justin Braun and Chris Tierney. The Sharks added on in the third period as Tommy Wingels scored an empty net power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Tierney and Hertl. The final stood at 2-0, with the three stars given to Niemi (35 save shutout), Hertl, and Tierney.

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NHL March 11th, 2015

Three games only tonight, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Anders Lindback is mismatched with Jonathan Bernier in goal. Buffalo struck first in the first period on a Johan Larsson goal, his third of the season, guided in by Tyler Ennis and Matt Moulson. Toronto tied it on a Brandon Kozun goal, his second of the year, made possible by Joakim Lindstrom and Brandon MacWilliam. The Maple Leafs took the lead as Leo Komarov scored his seventh of the season, thanks to David Booth and Trevor Smith. The Sabres tied it on an Ennis goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Moulson and Larsson. Buffalo took the lead in the second period on a Moulson goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Larsson and Ennis. Toronto tied it in the third period on a Tyler Bozak power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Phil Kessel and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 with a Bozak shootout goal. The three stars were Moulson, Larsson, and Ennis.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot and Braden Holtby receive the starting nods. New York was first to score in the first period on a Carl Hagelin goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Kevin Hayes and Dan Boyle. Washington tied it on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-fifth of the year, passed from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Joel Ward on the power play. The Rangers took the lead back with a J.T. Miller goal, his seventh of the season, via Hayes. New York added on in the third period with a Martin St. Louis goal, his nineteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Chris Kreider. The final was 3-1, and the three stars went to Talbot (28 for 29 in saves), Hayes, and Miller.

Finally, the Calgary Flames bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Karri Ramo are the average goalies. Anaheim opened in the first period on an unassisted Ryan Getzlaf goal, his twenty-first of the season. The Ducks added on with a Getzlaf power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, powered by Ryan Kesler and Kyle Palmieri. Calgary got on the board with a Matt Stajan goal, his sixth of the campaign, fueled by David Jones and Kris Russell. The Flames tied it on a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Josh Jooris and Russell. Calgary took the lead in the second period as Stajan scored his second of the game and seventh of the year, with the help of Michael Ferland and Brandon Bollig. The Flames extended the lead with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, coming off of Dennis Wideman. Calgary padded the lead on a power play goal from Gaudreau, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, via Wideman and Russell, the latter getting a sock trick. Anaheim got one back on a Hampus Lindholm goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Flames finished it at 6-3 in the third period on a Jiri Hudler goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, dished from Mikael Backlund and Wideman, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars belonged to Gaudreau, Stajan, and Getzlaf, while Wideman and Russell get the honorable mentions.

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NHL March 10th, 2015

Eight games on tonight, beginning in...

Carolina, as the Hurricanes host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Cam Ward are given the starting nods. Carolina struck first in the first period on a Justin Faulk goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Nathan Gerbe and Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes added on with a Victor Rask power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Faulk and Elias Lindholm. Columbus got on the board with a Rene Bourque goal, his third of the season, coming on the power play from Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky. Carolina shot back with an Eric Staal power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Ryan Murphy and Faulk. The Blue Jackets answered on a second period Scott Hartnell power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Artem Anisimov and Kevin Connauton. Columbus tied it in the third period as Hartnell scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the year on the power play, thanks to Anisimov and Ryan Johansen. The Blue Jackets won 4-3 with a Johansen shootout goal. The three stars went to Hartnell, Faulk, and Johansen, while Anisimov gets an honorable mention.

Up in New York, the Islanders welcome their cross town rivals, the Rangers. Cam Talbot and Jaroslav Halak man the creases. The Islanders began in the first period on an Anders Lee goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson. The Rangers tied it in the second period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Mats Zuccarello and Rick Nash. The Rangers took the lead in the third period on a Nash goal, his thirty-ninth of the campaign, fueled by Derick Brassard and Marc Staal. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Nash, Talbot (29 for 30 in saves), and Hayes.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Steve Mason are the oft-injured goalies. Philadelphia was first to score in the first period on a Luke Schenn goal, his third of the season, made possible by Carlo Colaiacovo and Jakub Voracek. Dallas tied it on a Brett Ritchie goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Curtis McKenzie and Jordie Benn. The Stars took the lead in the third period on a Vernon Fiddler goal, his eleventh of the campaign, passed from Colton Sceviour and Ryan Garbutt. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Lehtonen (25 for 26 in saves), Fiddler, and Mason (37 for 39 in saves).

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Carey Price tend the twines. Tampa Bay got going in overtime on a Tyler Johnson goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Jason Garrison and Braydon Coburn. The final stood at 1-0, with the three stars going to Bishop (19 save shutout), Johnson, and Price (35 for 36 in saves).

Over in Ottawa, the Senators host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Craig Anderson are the masked men. Boston dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Ryan Spooner power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Torey Krug and Dougie Hamilton. The Bruins added on with a Loui Eriksson goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Hamilton. Boston extended the lead as Spooner scored his second of the game and third of the campaign, thanks to Milan Lucic and David Pastrnak. Ottawa got on the board in the third period on a Matt Puempel goal, via Patrick Wiercioch and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. This was it for the scoring, with the final at 3-1. The three stars went to Rask (39 for 40 in saves), Spooner, and Hamilton.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Brian Elliott occupy the blue paint. Winnipeg led off in the first period on a Michael Frolik goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Andrew Ladd and Jacob Trouba. St. Louis tied it on a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues took the lead in the second period on a Tarasenko goal, his thirty-third of the campaign, helped along by Jori Lehtera and Chris Butler. St. Louis added on with a Steve Ott goal, his third of the season, fueled by David Backes and Ryan Reaves. The Blues extended the lead as Lehtera scored his tenth of the year, guided in by Schwartz and Pietrangelo. Hutchinson was pulled for Ondrej Pavelec. The Jets got one back in the third period on a Ladd power play goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, with helpers from Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. Winnipeg pulled closer on a Lee Stempniak goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Adam Lowry and Chris Thorburn. The Jets tied it on a Wheeler shorthanded goal, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Tyler Myers. St. Louis claimed the game 5-4 on a Barret Jackman goal, his second of the campaign, dished from Robert Bortuzzo and Backes. The three stars went to Tarasenko, Lehtera, and Schwartz, while Ladd, Wheeler, Pietrangelo, and Backes get the honorable mentions.

North to Minnesota, where the Wild host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Devan Dubnyk duel in goal. Minnesota started in the first period on a Sean Bergenheim goal, his ninth of the season, via Kyle Brodziak and Erik Haula. The Wild added on in the second period as Chris Stewart scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Mikko Koivu and Nino Niederreiter. Minnesota extended the lead on a Jared Spurgeon goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Mikael Granlund and Stewart. New Jersey got on the board with a Dainius Zubrus goal, his third of the year, guided in by Steve Bernier and Patrik Elias. The Wild replied on a Thomas Vanek goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Charlie Coyle and Justin Fontaine. Minnesota padded the lead with a third period Jason Pominville goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Spurgeon and Zach Parise. The Wild got another with Vanek's second of the game and sixteenth of the season, helped along by Parise and Ryan Suter on the power play. The Devils got one back with a Scott Gomez goal, his sixth of the year, via Bernier and Damon Severson. The final stood at 6-2, with the three stars awarded to Vanek, Spurgeon, and Stewart, while Parise and Bernier get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick faces a lesser foe in Calvin Pickard in goal. Los Angeles opened in the first period on a Marian Gaborik power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Dustin Brown and Brayden McNabb. The Kings added on with a Jeff Carter goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Jordan Nolan and Trevor Lewis. Colorado got on the board with a Tyson Barrie goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Gabriel Landeskog and Ryan O'Reilly. Los Angeles shot back with a McNabb goal, his second of the year, assisted by Kyle Clifford and Justin Williams. Reto Berra replaced Pickard. The Kings extended the lead in the second period on a Clifford goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Anze Kopitar and McNabb. The Avalanche got one back on an Alex Tanguay goal, his eighteenth of the year, helped along by Marc-Andre Cliche and Dennis Everberg. Los Angeles finished it at 5-2 on a Jake Muzzin goal, his seventh of the campaign, dished from Nick Shore and Williams. The three stars went to McNabb, Clifford, and Williams.

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KHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Avangard Omsk VS. Barys Astana

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 Avangard Omsk and Barys Astana.

Game 1: Omsk Arena, Omsk, Russia. In goal: Jan Laco for Astana and Konstantin Barulin for Omsk. Astana led off in the first period on a Konstantin Pushkaryov goal, fueled by Dmitry Upper and Talgat Zhailauov. Omsk tied it on a Denis Kulyash power play goal, powered by Sergei Shirokov and Alexander Popov. Avangard took the lead in the second period on a shorthanded goal by Felix Schutz, set up by Vladimir Sobotka. Omsk added on in the third period on a Sobotka goal, coming off of Denis Parshin. Avangard extended the lead on an empty net goal by Vadim Khomitsky, going in unassisted. Barys got one back on a Pushkaryov goal, his second of the game, assisted by Artemy Lakiza. Omsk finished it at 5-2 on an empty net goal by Alexander Perezhogin, via Chad Kolarik. The three stars went to Sobotka, Pushkaryov, and Schutz. Avangard has a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Omsk Arena, Omsk, Russia. In goal: Jan Laco for Astana and Konstantin Barulin for Omsk. Astana was first to score in the first period on a Dmitry Upper power play goal, powered by Roman Savchenko and Konstantin Rudenko. Barys added on with a Fyodor Polishchuk goal, via Talgat Zhailauov. This was all they needed for a 2-0 win, with the three stars going to Laco (37 save shutout), Upper, and Polishchuk. The series heads south tied at 1.

Game 3: Kazakhstan Sports Palace, Astana, Kazakhstan. In goal: Konstantin Barulin of Omsk and Jan Laco of Astana. Astana struck first in the first period on a power play goal by Konstantin Rudenko, powered by Mike Lundin and Kevin Dallman. Barys added on with a Nigel Dawes goal in the second period, with a lone assist by Dallman. Astana extended the lead in the third period as Dustin Boyd scored, thanks to Dawes and Konstantin Pushkaryov. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars given to Laco (41 save shutout), Dawes, and Dallman. Barys has Laco to thank for giving them a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4: Kazakhstan Sports Palace, Astana, Kazakhstan. In goal: Denis Kostin of Omsk and Jan Laco of Astana. Omsk began in the first period with a Denis Kulyash goal, courtesy of Alexander Perezhogin. Avangard added on with a Chad Kolarik goal, coming off of Alexander Popov. Astana got on the board in the second period with a Dustin Boyd goal, assisted by Nigel Dawes and Konstantin Pushkaryov. Barys tied it on a Roman Starchenko goal, via Konstantin Rudenko in the third period. Omsk retook the lead on an Ivan Fischenko goal, made possible by Kirill Semyonov. Avangard extended the lead as Anton Kuryanov scored, with a lone assist by Popov. Astana got one back with a Dawes goal, passed from Boyd. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Popov, Dawes, and Boyd. The series returns to Omsk tied at 2.

Game 5: Omsk Arena, Omsk, Russia. In goal: Jan Laco for Astana and Denis Kostin for Omsk. Omsk opened in the first period on a Chad Kolarik goal, coming off of Alexander Popov and Alexander Perezhogin. Avangard added on with a Perezhogin power play goal in the second period, powered by Popov and Kolarik. This was all they needed to win 2-0. The three stars went to Kostin (32 save shutout), Kolarik, and Perezhogin, while Popov gets an honorable mention. Avangard owns a 3-2 series lead, with the hopes of ending the series on the road.

Game 6: Kazakhstan Sports Palace, Astana, Kazakhstan. In goal: Denis Kostin of Omsk and Jan Laco of Astana. Astana got going in the second period on a Roman Savchenko goal, fueled by Alexei Litvinenko and Konstantin Rudenko. Barys added on with a Roman Starchenko goal, courtesy of Nikolai Antropov. Omsk got on the board in the third period on a Kirill Semyonov goal, passed from Maxim Goncharov and Kirill Lyamin. Astana shot back with a Nigel Dawes goal, with a lone assist by Dustin Boyd. Barys iced it at 4-1 with a Konstantin Pushkaryov empty net goal, set up by Dawes. The three stars went to Laco (26 for 27 in saves), Dawes, and Starchenko. The series heads to its decisive game in Omsk tied at 3. 

Game 7: Omsk Arena, Omsk, Russia. In goal: Jan Laco for Astana and Konstantin Barulin for Omsk. Astana started in the first period with a Nigel Dawes goal, via Dustin Boyd. Omsk tied it on a Chad Kolarik goal, made possible by Alexander Perezhogin and Alexander Popov. Avangard took the lead in the second period on a Perezhogin goal, passed from Kirill Lyamin and Kolarik. Omsk iced it at 3-1 on a Kolarik empty net goal in the third period, set up by Popov. The three stars went to Kolarik, Perezhogin, and Popov. Avangard is the last team into the conference semifinals with a 4-3 series win.

NHL March 9th, 2015

Five games this evening, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Scrivens and Jimmy Howard are in the creases. Edmonton led off in the first period on a Rob Klinkhammer goal, his fifth of the season, via Matt Hendricks and Boyd Gordon. Detroit tied it on a Niklas Kronwall power play goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, powered by Erik Cole and Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings took the lead on a Riley Sheahan goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Gustav Nyquist and Teemu Pulkkinen. Detroit added on in the third period on a Pulkkinen goal, his third of the year, guided in by Pavel Datsyuk. The Oilers got one back on a Nail Yakupov power play goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Justin Schultz and Jordan Eberle. The Red Wings answered on an empty net goal by Justin Abdelkader, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Sheahan and Zetterberg. Detroit iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal from Datsyuk, his twenty-third of the campaign, with a lone assist from Zetterberg, who got a sock trick. The three stars went to Pulkkinen, Zetterberg, and Datsyuk, while Sheahan gets an honorable mention.

Over in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the New York Islanders. Michal Neuvirth and Jonathan Bernier draw the starts. Toronto was first to score in the first period on a David Booth goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Jake Gardiner. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period on a Peter Holland goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Richard Panik and James van Riemsdyk. New York got on the board with a Tyler Kennedy goal in the third period, his fifth of the season, fueled by John Tavares and Josh Bailey. Toronto shot back with a van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-third of the year, going in unassisted. The Islanders pulled back on a Frans Nielsen power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Anders Lee and Bailey. New York tied it with a Casey Cizikas goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Travis Hamonic. The Islanders won 4-3 in overtime on a Tavares goal, his thirty-third of the campaign, with assists provided by Kennedy and Hamonic. The three stars belonged to Tavares, van Riemsdyk, and Kennedy, while Bailey and Hamonic get the honorable mentions.

Way out west, the San Jose Sharks host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Antti Niemi guard the cages. San Jose began in the first period on a Matthew Nieto goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Chris Tierney and Ben Smith. Pittsburgh tied it in the third period on a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-second of the year, dished from David Perron and Kris Letang. In the shootout, Letang matched Melker Karlsson, but Tommy Wingels lifted the Sharks to a 2-1 victory. The three stars went to Niemi (39 for 40 in saves), Fleury (29 for 30 in saves), and Letang.

Up to Vancouver, where the Canucks bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Eddie Lack are the young goalies. Vancouver struck first in the first period on a Bo Horvat goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Jannik Hansen. Anaheim tied it in the third period as Emerson Etem scored his fifth of the year, with the help of Nate Thompson and Cam Fowler. The Canucks took the lead back on a Zack Kassian goal, his tenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Dan Hamhuis. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Lack (29 for 30 in saves), Kassian, and Horvat.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne faces a lesser foe in Louis Domingue in goal. Nashville got going in the second period on a Paul Gaustad goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Taylor Beck. Arizona tied it in the third period as Kyle Chipchura scored his fourth of the year, a power play goal powered by John Moore and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Predators won 2-1 in overtime on a James Neal goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, assisted by Seth Jones and Cody Franson. The three stars went to Neal, Rinne (27 for 28 in saves), and Gaustad.

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NHL March 8th, 2015

Six games for the day, with the first in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Detroit Red Wings. Backups Jonas Gustavsson and Niklas Svedberg make the starts. Boston began in the first period on a Brad Marchand shorthanded goal, his twenty-second of the season, going in unassisted. Detroit tied it on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Kyle Quincey. The Bruins took the lead on a power play goal by David Pastrnak, his eighth of the season, powered by Milan Lucic and Reilly Smith. Boston added on with a Daniel Paille shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Bruins extended the lead as Paille scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, via Max Talbot and Gregory Campbell. Jimmy Howard relieved Gustavsson. The Red Wings got one back in the third period on a Luke Glendening goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Pavel Datsyuk. Boston answered with Loui Eriksson's sixteenth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Patrice Bergeron and Ryan Spooner. Detroit shot back on a Marke Zidlicky power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Tomas Tatar and Datsyuk. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars being Paille, Datsyuk, and Marchand.

Down in Carolina, the Hurricanes welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Richard Bachman is mismatched with Cam Ward in goal. Edmonton opened in the first period on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his seventeenth of the season, with a lone assist by Jordan Eberle. The Oilers added on in the second period on an Eberle goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Matt Hendricks and Nugent-Hopkins on the power play. Edmonton extended the lead as Nugent-Hopkins scored a power play goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, powered by Eberle. Carolina got on the board with an Alexander Semin goal, his fourth of the year, via Riley Nash and Michal Jordan. The Hurricanes pulled closer with an Elias Lindholm goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Ron Hainsey and Eric Staal. Carolina tied it on a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Staal and Lindholm. The Hurricanes took the lead as Andrej Nestrasil scored a power play goal, his fifth of the season, with the help of Lindholm and Victor Rask. Carolina padded their lead on a Skinner power play goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, with helpers from Ryan Murphy and John-Michael Liles. The Hurricanes got another as Lindholm scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, helped along by Rask and Staal, the latter getting a sock trick. The Oilers pulled back on a Nugent-Hopkins goal, earning his hat trick with his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina finished it at 7-4 with a Lindholm empty net goal, securing his hat trick on his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Staal and Justin Faulk. The three stars were Lindholm, Nugent-Hopkins, and Staal, while Eberle, Skinner, and Rask get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Keith Kinkaid are in the blue paint. New Jersey led off in the first period on an Adam Henrique goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Scott Gomez and Steve Bernier. Philadelphia tied it on a Ryan White goal, his third of the year, via Luke Schenn. The Devils retook the lead in the second period on a shorthanded goal by Jacob Josefson, his fourth of the season, set up by Stephen Gionta and Andy Greene. New Jersey added on with an Eric Gelinas power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Gomez and Bernier. The Devils extended the lead in the third period as Henrique scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Bernier, who got a sock trick. The Flyers shot back with a Michael Raffl shorthanded goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by White and the goalie Mason. New Jersey answered with a Gionta goal, his fourth of the campaign, made possible by Patrik Elias and Greene. This produced the 5-2 final, with the three stars being Henrique, Bernier, and Gionta, while White, Gomez, and Greene get the honorable mentions.

West to Minnesota, where the Wild host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Colorado started in the first period with a Cody McLeod goal, his sixth of the season, via Jarome Iginla and Zach Redmond. The Avalanche added on in the second period as Redmond scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Gabrial Landeskog and Jan Hejda. Colorado extended the lead with a Landeskog power play goal in the third period, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Iginla. Minnesota got on the board with a Chris Stewart goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Jonas Brodin. The Wild pulled closer on a Thomas Vanek goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Nino Niederreiter and Brodin. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Landeskog, Iginla, and Redmond, while Brodin gets an honorable mention.

Back to Ottawa, where the Senators welcome the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo and Craig Anderson draw the starts in goal. Ottawa struck first in the first period on an Alex Chiasson goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone helper by David Legwand. The Senators added on with a Milan Michalek goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Mark Stone and Eric Gryba. Ottawa extended the lead in the second period on a Mark Borowiecki goal, made possible by Erik Condra. The Senators padded the lead on a Mike Hoffman goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Mika Zibanejad and Cody Ceci. Jonas Hiller relieved Ramo in goal. Calgary got on the board with a Joe Colborne goal in the third period, his seventh of the year, assisted by Matt Stajan. The Flames pulled closer on a Kris Russell power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Jiri Hudler and Sean Monahan. Calgary chipped back on a Mikael Backlund goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Mason Raymond and Deryk Engelland. The Flames tied it with a Russell goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, helped along by Johnny Gaudreau and Hudler. In the shootout, Gaudreau and Hudler were topped by Kyle Turris, Michalek, and Erik Karlsson. The final was 5-4 for Ottawa, with the three stars being Michalek, Russell, and Hudler.

Finally, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot and Corey Crawford are between the pipes. New York scored the only goal in overtime on a Derick Brassard goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Mats Zuccarello and Ryan McDonagh. The final was 1-0, with the three stars awarded to Talbot (29 save shutout), Brassard, and Crawford (35 for 36 in saves).

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