NHL March 16th, 2015

This is my 2,000th post on this blog! I'm very excited to report that over 30,000 visits have occurred in the last four-plus years. I thank you all for your support. In the near future, I will be making a focus to change the style/tone of the writing to meet journalistic standards set forth by the Associated Press. I hope to see you all again at the 2,500 post milestone. With that, the first of tonight's four games is in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Anders Lindback are set to start in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a Tyler Ennis power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Brian Gionta. Washington tied it on a Curtis Glencross goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming on the power play from Joel Ward and Matt Niskanen. The Sabres retook the lead on a Cody Hodgson goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Tim Schaller. The Capitals tied it in the second period as Mike Green scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Marcus Johansson and Brooks Laich. Washington took the lead in the third period on an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Niskanen. Buffalo retied it with a Johan Larsson goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Chad Ruhwedel and Matt Moulson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Kuznetsov's goal gave the Capitals a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Kuznetsov, Niskanen, and Green.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Ben Bishop are the masked men. Tampa Bay opened in the first period on a Valtteri Filppula power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning added on with a Stamkos goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay extended the lead with a second period Hedman goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Alex Killorn and Ryan Callahan. Montreal got on the board on a Tomas Plekanec power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov. The Canadiens pulled closer in the third period with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Plekanec. The Lightning finished it at 4-2 on a Stamkos power play empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-ninth of the year, set up by Vladislav Nemestnikov and Jason Garrison. The three stars were given to Stamkos, Hedman, and Plekanec.

Northwest to Edmonton, where the Oilers bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier faces former Maple Leaf Ben Scrivens in goal. Edmonton started in the first period on a Benoit Pouliot goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers added on with an Eberle power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Justin Schultz and Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton extended the lead on a Pouliot goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, passed from Nail Yakupov and Keith Aulie. Bernier was replaced by James Reimer in goal. The Oilers padded the lead on an Anton Lander power play goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Teddy Purcell and Eberle. Toronto got on the board with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Dion Phaneuf and Phil Kessel. This was it for the scoring, with the final at 4-1 and the three stars given to Pouliot, Eberle, and Nugent-Hopkins.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Jonathan Quick are the veteran goalies. Los Angeles got going in the second period on an Andy Andreoff goal, assisted by Jordan Nolan and Brayden McNabb. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Quick (25 save shutout), Andreoff, and Smith (34 for 35 in saves).

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Premier League Week 29

Another ten game slate this weekend, beginning with six games on Saturday, the first of which is in London as...

Crystal Palace hosts the Queens Park Rangers. Robert Green and Julian Speroni man the nets. Crystal Palace began with a Wilfried Zaha goal in the twenty-first minute, assisted by Yannick Bolasie with a cross. In the thirtieth minute, Karl Henry of QPR took a yellow card for his foul. Crystal Palace added on with a James McArthur goal in the fortieth minute, coming off of a Bolasie cross. Crystal Palace extended their lead with a Joel Ward goal in the forty-second minute, set up by Zaha. In the fifty-third minute, Sandro of QPR took a yellow card for a foul. Crystal Palace had a yellow card given to Glenn Murray for a foul in the fifty-ninth minute. QPR took another yellow card in the seventy-sixth minute on a foul by Nedum Onuoha. In the eighty-third minute, QPR got on the board with a goal from distance by Matthew Phillips. The final ended at 3-1 for Crystal Palace.

Staying in the city, Arsenal welcomes West Ham United. Adrian and David Ospina are in the six-yard boxes. Arsenal had a yellow card for a thirty-sixth minute handball by Alexis Sanchez. In first-half stoppage time, Arsenal started with an Olivier Giroud goal, passed from Aaron Ramsey. In the seventy-eighth minute, Diafra Sakho of West Ham United received a yellow card for a foul. Arsenal added on with an eighty-first minute Ramsey goal, via Giroud. Arsenal extended the lead on a Mathieu Flamini goal in the eighty-fourth minute, courtesy of Santiago Cazorla. The final favored Arsenal 3-0.

Up to Leicester City bringing in Hull City. Allan McGregor and Mark Schwarzer are the gloved men. Hull City had yellow cards in the first half given to Tom Huddlestone in the fourteenth minute and Andrew Robertson in the forty-fifth minute, both for fouls. Another pair of yellow cards were assessed to Hull City in the second half, going to Michael Dawson in the sixty-sixth minute and Alex Bruce in the sixty-eighth minute, also both for fouls. In the seventy-second minute, Hull City went down a man on a second yellow card for Huddlestone's foul. In the eighty-fifth minute, Hull City's Dame N'Doye took a yellow card. They held on to preserve the 0-0 draw for a final.

Next up, Sunderland hosts Aston Villa. Brad Guzan and Costel Pantilimon are between the posts. In the eighth minute, Leandro Bacuna received a yellow card for Aston Villa for his foul. Aston Villa led off in the sixteenth minute on a Christian Benteke goal, via Bacuna. In the eighteenth minute, Aston Villa added on with a Gabriel Agbonlahor goal, courtesy of Ciaran Clark. In the thirty-seventh minute, Aston Villa extended the lead on another Agbonlahor goal, made possible by Charles N'Zogbia on a fast break. Aston Villa padded the lead on another Benteke goal, set up by Bacuna's cross in the forty-fourth minute. Sunderland saw a yellow card for a foul given to Liam Bridcutt in stoppage time. Aston Villa dominated in a 4-0 win.

Following that, West Bromwich Albion welcomes Stoke City. Asmir Begovic and Ben Foster are the goalies. West Brom opened at the nineteen minute mark with a Brown Ideye header goal, set up by Craig Gardner's cross. Stoke City saw yellow cards go to Marc Wilson for a fifty-third minute foul and Mame Biram Diouf foul in the seventy-fourth minute. West Brom had a yellow card given to Boaz Myhill in stoppage time for a foul. West Brom won 1-0.

Closing out Saturday, Burnley brings in Manchester City. Joe Hart and Tom Heaton guard the nets. In the fifty-eighth minute, Ben Mee of Burnley received a yellow card for his foul. In the sixtieth minute, Martin Demichelis of Manchester City took a yellow card for his foul. George Boyd put Burnley on the board first with a sixty-first minute goal after a set piece. In the seventy-first minute, Michael Duff of Burnley had a yellow card for his foul. Burnley held on for the upset win, 1-0.

Sunday's first of three games had Chelsea hosting Southampton. Fraser Forster and Thibaut Courtois are the keepers. Chelsea led off in the eleventh minute on a Diego Costa header goal, set up by Branislav Ivanovic on a cross. Chelsea took a yellow card for an eighteenth minute foul by Nemanja Matic, leading to a penalty kick goal for Southampton's Dusan Tadic. In the twenty-ninth minute, Southampton saw a yellow card for a Sadio Mane foul. Chelsea had a pair of yellow cards in the second half, for Ivanovic in the sixty-third minute and Gary Cahill in the sixty-eighth minute, both for fouls. In the eighty-second minute, Filip Djuricic of Southampton received a yellow card for a foul. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Up north, Everton welcomes Newcastle United. Tim Krul and Tim Howard protect the nets. James McCarthy gave Everton the early lead in the twentieth minute with his goal, set up by Romelu Lukaku. In the twenty-ninth minute, Ryan Taylor of Newcastle United received a yellow card for a foul. Newcastle United had another yellow card in the fifty-fifth minute for Moussa Sissoko, leading to Everton adding onto their lead with a Lukaku penalty shot goal. In the fifty-ninth minute, Fabricio Coloccini was given a red card for a foul, putting Newcastle United at ten men. Everton's Aaron Lennon took a yellow card for his seventy-ninth minute foul. Everton iced it at 3-0 with a Ross Barkley stoppage time goal, with an assist from Christian Atsu on a through ball after a fast break.

Continuing to Sunday's last game, with Manchester United bringing in Tottenham Hotspur. Hugo Lloris and David de Gea are given the starting nods in goal. Manchester United was first to score in the ninth minute with a Marouane Fellaini goal, via Michael Carrick's through ball. Manchester United added on with a nineteenth minute goal by Carrick, a header after a corner kick. In the thirty-second minute, Juan Mata of Manchester United took a yellow card for a foul. In the thirty-fourth minute, Manchester United extended the lead on a Wayne Rooney goal. Tottenham Hotspur had a yellow card in the seventy-second minute for a Danny Rose foul. Manchester United cruised to a 3-0 win. 

Finally, Swansea City hosts Liverpool. Simon Mignolet and Lukasz Fabianski are the goalies. In the sixth minute, Jordan Henderson of Liverpool took a yellow card for his foul. In the twenty-sixth minute, Raheem Sterling of Liverpool received a yellow card for a foul. Liverpool's Alberto Moreno took a yellow card for a fiftieth minute foul. Liverpool got going in the sixty-eighth minute with a Henderson goal. This stood up for a 1-0 Liverpool victory.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

NHL March 15th, 2015

Seven games on for today, beginning in...

Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Marc-Andre Fleury are the goalies. Detroit struck first on a first period goal by Riley Sheahan, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Marek Zidlicky and Brendan Smith. The Red Wings added on with a Teemu Pulkkinen goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Niklas Kronwall and Zidlicky. Detroit extended the lead in the second period on a Zidlicky power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. The Red Wings chased Fleury with a Zetterberg goal, his sixteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Gustav Nyquist. Thomas Greiss relieved Fleury. Detroit padded the lead in the third period on another Pulkkinen goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, assisted by Danny DeKeyser and Sheahan. Pittsburgh got on the board with a David Perron goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist. The final was 5-1, and the three stars went to Pulkkinen, Zidlicky, and Mrazek (42 for 43 in saves), while Sheahan and Zetterberg get the honorable mentions.

Over in New York, the Rangers welcome the Florida Panthers. Dan Ellis and Cam Talbot are the backups covering for injured starters. New York started in the first period on a James Sheppard goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Dominic Moore and Matt Hunwick. The Rangers added on in the third period with a Hunwick goal, via Moore and Jesper Fast. Florida got on the board with a Brandon Pirri goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Nick Bjugstad. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Hunwick, Talbot (38 for 39 in saves), and Moore.

Back west a bit, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Sergei Bobrovsky are set to start in goal. Columbus was first to score in the first period on a Nick Foligno power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Ryan Johansen. Carolina tied it on a second period Justin Faulk power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Victor Rask and Andrej Nestrasil. The Hurricanes took the lead on a Ron Hainsey goal, his second of the season, via Chris Terry and Nestrasil. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Scott Hartnell goal, his twenty-first of the year, fueled by Marko Dano and the goalie Bobrovsky. Carolina took the lead back with a Brad Malone goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Brett Bellemore and Patrick Dwyer. This produced the 3-2 final, with the three stars given to Malone, Nestrasil, and Hainsey.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Kari Lehtonen are between the pipes. St. Louis got going in the third period on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, courtesy of Paul Stastny and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues added on with an Alexander Steen power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Pietrangelo and T.J. Oshie. St. Louis extended the lead on an empty net goal by Oshie, his nineteenth of the campaign, set up by David Backes and Steen. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Steen, Allen (28 save shutout), and Oshie, while Pietrangelo gets an honorable mention.

North again to Ottawa, where the Senators bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Andrew Hammond are the backups making spot starts. Ottawa dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Mark Borowiecki and Erik Condra. Philadelphia tied it with a Jakub Voracek goal, his twenty-first of the year, going in unassisted. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Bobby Ryan gave the Senators a 2-1 win. The three stars were handed to Hammond (27 for 28 in saves), Ryan, and Emery (27 for 28 in saves).

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington opened in the first period on a John Carlson power play goal, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Troy Brouwer. The Capitals added on in the second period on a Nate Schmidt goal, via Tom Wilson and Backstrom. This was all they needed for a 2-0 win, with the three stars given to Holtby (32 save shutout), Backstrom, and Carlson.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and John Gibson are the goalies. Nashville began in the second period on a Taylor Beck goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Gabriel Bourque. The Predators added on with a Roman Josi power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Shea Weber and Filip Forsberg. Anaheim got on the board with a Ryan Getzlaf goal in the third period, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Corey Perry and Patrick Maroon. The Ducks tied it on a Kyle Palmieri goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Hampus Lindholm and Francois Beauchemin. Anaheim took the lead as Nate Thompson scored his fourth of the season, via Jakob Silfverberg and Lindholm. The Ducks iced it at 4-2 with a power play goal by Cam Fowler, his seventh of the year, helped along by Maroon and James Wisniewski. The three stars were Thompson. Maroon, and Lindholm.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Major League Soccer Week 2

First game of the week is on Friday, followed by five Saturday and two Sunday. We begin with...

The Houston Dynamo hosting Orlando City SC. Donovan Ricketts and Tyler Deric are the keepers. Houston's Kofi Sarkodie took a yellow card for his thirty-fourth minute foul. Orlando City had a yellow card assessed to Amobi Okugo in the forty-sixth minute for a foul. Orlando City was first to score as Deric deflected the ball into his own net for an own goal in the seventy-fourth minute. The final stood at 1-0 for Orlando City, with the man of the match being Pedro Ribeiro for firing the shot that Deric misplayed.

The first of five games on Saturday saw the Chicago Fire welcome the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Jon Busch. Chicago had a yellow card for persistent infringement by Matt Polster in the fourth minute. Vancouver took a yellow card for a twenty-second minute Kendall Waston foul. The Whitecaps had three yellow cards in the second half: Pedro Morales for dissent in the sixty-sixth minute, Nicolas Mezquida in the seventy-seventh minute for dissent, and Raul Octavio Rivero in the eighty-second minute for a foul. Vancouver began with a Rivero goal in the eighty-sixth minute, via Steven Beitashour. The Fire had a yellow card assessed to Kennedy Igboananike for a foul in stoppage time. Ousted's four-save clean sheet earned him the man of the match honors.

To the east, the Columbus Crew SC bring in Toronto FC. Joe Bendik and Steve Clark are given the starting nods. Toronto went down to ten men in first-half stoppage time as Justin Morrow received a red card for his foul. Columbus started in the fifty-seventh minute on a Justin Meram goal, courtesy of Ethan Finlay. The Crew added on with a Kei Kamara goal in the sixty-first minute, passed from Waylon Francis and Wil Trapp. In the eighty-fifth minute, Kevan George received a yellow card for Columbus for his foul. The final stood at 2-0 for the Crew, and Meram was the man of the match.

Down in Texas, FC Dallas hosts Sporting Kansas City. Luis Marin and Chris Seitz are in the six-yard boxes. Dallas struck first in the seventeenth minute on a Blas Perez goal, fueled by Tesho Akindele and Fabian Castillo. Dallas' Atiba Harris received a yellow card in the thirty-fifth minute for a foul. Kansas City saw a yellow card given to Graham Zusi for dissent in the forty-first minute. Sporting tied it on a Roger Espinoza goal in the forty-fourth minute, set up by Benny Feilhaber. Dallas retook the lead on a Perez goal in the fifty-second minute, assisted by Michel. Dallas added on in the seventy-third minute on a Castillo goal, via Ryan Hollingshead and Michel. The teams each saw a yellow card for an argument in the ninetieth minute, going to Kevin Ellis of Kansas City and Kyle Bekker of Dallas. The game ended 3-1 for Dallas, and Perez was the man of the match with a brace.

Northwest to Salt Lake, as Real welcomes the Philadelphia Union. Rais M'bolhi and Nick Rimando are set to start in goal. In the fourth minute, Olmes Garcia received a yellow card for a foul. Philadelphia's Steven Vitoria took a yellow card in the twenty-third minute for a foul. Real began in the twenty-ninth minute with a Javier Morales goal. The Union tied it on a Fernando Aristeguieta goal in the thirty-fourth minute. Philadelphia gained the lead on another Aristeguieta goal in the thirty-eighth minute. Salt Lake suffered a yellow card for Kyle Beckerman's dissent in the fiftieth minute. The Union had a yellow card in the fifty-second minute for a Maurice Edu foul. Real tied it in the fifty-fifth minute on a Jamison Olave goal, with an assist credited to Morales. Philadelphia reclaimed the lead in the fifty-eighth minute when Olave redirected the ball into his own net. The Union took a yellow card in the sixty-second minute on an Ethan White foul. Salt Lake's Luke Mulholland took a yellow card in the seventy-fourth minute for his foul. Philadelphia's Aristeguieta was given a yellow card for dissent in the eighty-sixth minute, and Alvaro Saborio tied it for Real with a penalty kick in the same minute. The final stood at 3-3, with the man of the match being Aristeguieta.

Closing out Saturday, the Seattle Sounders FC bring in the San Jose Earthquakes. David Bingham and Stefan Frei are the keepers. Seattle began in the first minute on a Clint Dempsey goal. San Jose tied it with a thirteenth minute goal by Chris Wondolowski, set up by Marvell Wynne. The Earthquakes took the lead with a Wondolowski goal in the forty-eighth minute. San Jose went down to ten men when Victor Bernardez received a red card in the fifty-second minute for a foul. The Sounders' Micheal Azira received a yellow card in the fifty-seventh minute for his foul. The Earthquakes added on with an Innocent Emeghara goal in the seventieth minute, coming off of Adam Jahn. Seattle got one back with an eighty-fourth minute Obafemi Martins goal, set up by Andy Rose and Gonzalo Pineda. In the eighty-fifth minute, San Jose's Emeghara was given a yellow card for a foul. The Sounders took a yellow card for a Cristian Roldan foul in stoppage time. The Earthquakes took the game 3-2, with the man of the match being Wondolowski.

On Sunday, New York City FC host the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth and Josh Saunders are the goalies. New York City's Chris Wingert took a yellow card in the sixth minute for a foul. New England took a yellow card for a Jose Agudelo foul in the ninth minute. New York City began in the nineteenth minute on a David Villa goal, fueled by Ned Grabavoy. New York City's Josh Williams received a yellow card for his foul in the fifty-seventh minute. The Revolution went down a man when Jose Goncalves took a red card for a fight in the sixty-sixth minute. New England's Andy Dorman picked up a yellow card for a seventy-third minute foul. New York City added on with a Patrick Mullins goal in the eighty-fourth minute. The final stood at 2-0 for New York City, and the man of the match was Villa.

Finally, the Portland Timbers host the Los Angeles Galaxy. Brian Rowe and Adam Larsen Kwarasey are in the six-yard boxes. Portland began in the thirty-first minute on a Fanendo Adi goal, via Rodney Wallace. Los Angeles tied it in the sixty-fifth minute on a Gyasi Zardes goal, passed from Jose Villarreal. The Galaxy saw yellow cards go to Mika Vayrynen in the seventy-ninth minute and Dan Gargan in the eighty-eighth minute, both for fouls. The Timbers took the lead on a ninetieth minute goal by Adi, courtesy of Darlington Nagbe and Liam Ridgewell. Los Angeles tied it in stoppage time on an Alan Gordon goal, assisted by Stefan Ishizaki. The final was 2-2, and Adi was the man of the match.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL March 14th, 2015

Twelve games on a big and important Saturday, beginning with three matinees, the first of which has...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Steve Mason are in the creases. Philadelphia struck first in the first period on a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Brayden Schenn and Mark Streit. The Flyers added on with a Nicklas Grossmann goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Sean Couturier and Simmonds. Detroit got on the board with a second period Justin Abdelkader goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Henrik Zetterberg and Danny DeKeyser. Philadelphia shot back on a Schenn power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Simmonds and Claude Giroux. The Flyers extended the lead in the third period on Schenn's second of the game and fourteenth of the season, helped along by Jakub Voracek and Giroux. Philadelphia padded the lead on a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Zac Rinaldo and Vincent Lecavalier. The Red Wings got one back with an Erik Cole power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, with helpers from Marek Zidlicky and Pavel Datsyuk. The Flyers answered on a Matt Read power play goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Andrew MacDonald and Carlo Colaiacovo. Philadelphia finished it at 7-2 on a Rinaldo goal, dished from Ryan White and Michael Raffl. The three stars went to Schenn, Simmonds, and Rinaldo, while Giroux gets an honorable mention.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces a lesser foe in Thomsa Greiss in goal. Boston was first to score in the first period on a Milan Lucic goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by David Pastrnak and Dougie Hamilton. The Bruins iced it at 2-0 with a Zdeno Chara empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Gregory Campbell. The three stars were Rask (30 save shutout), Lucic, and Chara.

Out west, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford faces former Blackhawk Antti Niemi in goal. Chicago started in the first period on a Patrick Sharp goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Antoine Vermette and Brent Seabrook. San Jose tied it on a Melker Karlsson goal, his twelfth of the year, via Joe Pavelski and Matt Irwin. The Blackhawks retook the lead in the second period on a Duncan Keith power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Marian Hossa and Brandon Saad. The Sharks tied it again with a Joe Thornton power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Logan Couture and Brent Burns. Chicago regained the lead in the third period on a Saad goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Teuvo Teravainen and the goalie Crawford. The Blackhawks added on with a Bryan Bickell goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Brad Richards and Michal Rozsival. Chicago extended the lead on a Sharp power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Seabrook and Vermette. The Blackhawks padded the lead as Hossa scored an empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Jonathan Toews. The final was 6-2, with the three stars being Sharp, Saad, and Hossa, while Seabrook and Vermette get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Buffalo Sabres host the New York Rangers. Mackenzie Skapski and Anders Lindback are the unknown goalies. New York dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Keith Yandle goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Martin St. Louis and Chris Kreider. The Rangers added on with a St. Louis empty net goal, his twentieth of the year, going in unassisted. The final stood at 2-0, with the three stars going to Skapski (20 save shutout), St. Louis, and Yandle.

Down the coast, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Florida Panthers. Dan Ellis and Cam Ward are the experienced goalies. Florida got going in the second period on a Brandon Pirri power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Jimmy Hayes. The Panthers iced it at 2-0 in the third period on an empty net goal by Dave Bolland, his fourth of the year, set up by Jussi Jokinen and Derek MacKenzie. The three stars were given to Ellis (27 save shutout), Pirri, and Ward (20 for 21 in saves).

North again to New York, as the Islanders bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Michal Neuvirth occupy the creases. Montreal opened in the second period on a Tomas Plekanec goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Alex Galchenyuk and P.A. Parenteau. The Canadiens added on with a Max Pacioretty goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, a shorthanded goal set up by Lars Eller. New York got on the board in the third period on a Josh Bailey goal, his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted on the power play. Montreal finished it at 3-1 in the third period with an empty net goal by Eller, his eleventh of the year, with a lone assist from Brendan Gallagher. The three stars were Price (35 for 36 in saves), Eller, and Pacioretty.

South to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the backups in goal. Tampa Bay led off in the third period on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted Jonathan Drouin and Matthew Carle. Winnipeg tied it on a Drew Stafford power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Lee Stempniak and Jiri Tlusty. The Jets took the lead on a Blake Wheeler goal, his twentieth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars going to Pavelec (15 for 16 in saves), Wheeler, and Stafford.

All the way across the continent, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Eddie Lack are the masked men. Vancouver began in the first period on a Chris Higgins goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Brad Richardson and Derek Dorsett. The Canucks added on in the second period on a Dorsett goal, his sixth of the year, via Nick Bonino. Vancouver extended the lead as Jannik Hansen scored, his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Ronalds Kenins and Bo Horvat. Toronto got on the board with a third period penalty shot goal by Phil Kessel, his twenty-fourth of the year, coming after he was hooked by Henrik Sedin. The Canucks wrapped it up at 4-1 with a Shawn Matthias empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up Dorsett and Kevin Bieksa. The three stars went to Dorsett, Lack (28 for 29 in saves), and Hansen.

Backtracking to St. Louis, the Blues bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Brian Elliott guard the cages. St. Louis got going in the second period on a David Backes goal, his twenty-third of the season, fueled by Alexander Steen and Paul Stastny. Minnesota tied it on a Thomas Vanek goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Justin Fontaine and Charlie Coyle. The Wild took the lead on a Nino Niederreiter goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming in the third period via Mikko Koivu and Jared Spurgeon. Minnesota added on with a Kyle Brodziak goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars given to Dubnyk (41 for 42 in saves), Niederreiter, and Brodziak.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. New Jersey dented the scoreboard in the second period on an Adam Henrique power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Travis Zajac and Damon Severson. The Devils added on in the third period as Stephen Gionta scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Jordin Tootoo and Jon Merrill. Arizona got on the board with a Shane Doan goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Mark Arcobello and Tobias Rieder. New Jersey shot back with a Tootoo goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Michael Cammalleri and Zajac. The Devils extended the lead with a Cammalleri goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, helped along by Andy Greene and Adam Larsson. The final was 4-1, and the three stars belonged to Tootoo, Cammalleri, and Schneider (30 for 31 in saves), while Zajac gets an honorable mention.

West to Los Angeles, as the Kings welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. Los Angeles opened in the first period on a Jeff Carter power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Andrej Sekera and Drew Doughty. Nashville got on the board in the third period on a Craig Smith power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Ryan Ellis and Seth Jones. The Predators took the lead on a Viktor Stalberg goal, via Roman Josi and Matt Cullen. This was all they needed for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Rinne (23 for 24 in saves), Stalberg, and Smith.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo and Semyon Varlamov have the green light to play goal. Colorado started in the second period on an Alex Tanguay power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Jarome Iginla and Tyson Barrie. The Avalanche added on with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Tanguay and Nate Guenin. Calgary got on the board in the third period on a David Jones goal, his twelfth of the season, via Mikael Backlund and Lance Bouma. Colorado shot back on a John Mitchell goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Matt Duchene and Barrie. The Flames pulled back on a Bouma goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Jones and Backlund. The final was 3-2, with the three stars given to Tanguay, Bouma, and Jones, while Barrie and Backlund get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

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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