NHL March 23rd, 2015

Seven games on tonight, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Anton Khudobin are the goalies. Chicago opened in the first period on an Andrew Shaw goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Marcus Kruger and Patrick Sharp. The Blackhawks added on with a Sharp goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Marian Hossa and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Carolina got on the board in the second period on a Victor Rask goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Eric Staal and John-Michael Liles. Chicago iced it at 3-1 on a Shaw empty net goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, set up by Joakim Nordstrom and Jonathan Toews in the third period. The three stars went to Crawford (43 for 44 in saves), Shaw, and Sharp.

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Cory Schneider protect the nets. Los Angeles began in the first period on an Andrej Sekera goal, his third of the season, made possible by Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik. The Kings added on with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Gaborik and Kopitar. New Jersey got on the board in the second period on a Scott Gomez goal, his seventh of the season, via Eric Gelinas and Damon Severson. Los Angeles answered on a Kopitar goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Jake Muzzin and Justin Williams. This produced the 3-1 final, with the three stars given to Kopitar, Gaborik, and Quick (19 for 20 in saves).

North to Ottawa, where the Senators bring in the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Andrew Hammond receive the starting nods. Ottawa started in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Mike Hoffman and Bobby Ryan. San Jose tied it in the second period on a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, powered by Brent Burns and Patrick Marleau. The Sharks took the lead on a Chris Tierney goal, his third of the season, made possible by Tommy Wingels and Matthew Nieto. The Senators retied it in the third period as Zibanejad scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, thanks to Ryan and Hoffman. Ottawa took the lead on an Alex Chiasson goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Mark Stone and Cody Ceci. The Senators added on with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Erik Karlsson. Ottawa wrapped it up at 5-2 on an empty net goal by Hoffman, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, set up by David Legwand and Ryan, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were handed to Zibanejad, Hoffman, and Ryan.

Across Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Jonathan Bernier are in the creases. Minnesota led off in the first period on a Charlie Coyle goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Thomas Vanek. The Wild added on in the third period on a Vanek goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Ryan Suter and Justin Fontaine. Toronto got on the board with a Jake Gardiner goal, his fourth of the campaign, with a lone assist from Joffrey Lupul. This produced the 2-1 final, with the three stars awarded to Dubnyk (35 for 36 in saves), Vanek, and Coyle.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Anders Lindback faces his former mentor, Kari Lehtonen, in goal. Buffalo struck first in the first period on a Brian Gionta goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Marcus Foligno and Mikhail Grigorenko. Dallas tied it on a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Patrick Eaves and Patrik Nemeth. The Sabres regained the lead in the second period on a Gionta power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, powered by Matt Moulson and Johan Larsson. The Stars retied it in the third period on Benn's second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, a power play goal with a lone assist from Alex Goligoski. Buffalo edged ahead again with a Moulson goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Tyler Ennis. Dallas evened the score on an Eaves goal, his tenth of the year, dished from Tyler Seguin and Benn. The Stars took the lead on a Cody Eakin goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, helped along by John Klingberg and Ales Hemsky. This held up for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Benn, Gionta, and Eaves, while Moulson gets an honorable mention.

North to Alberta, as the Calgary Flames welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Karri Ramo are between the pipes. Calgary was first to score in the first period on a David Jones goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Lance Bouma and Markus Granlund. Colorado tied it on an Alex Tanguay goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Gabriel Landeskog and Ryan O'Reilly. The Flames retook the lead with a Jiri Hudler goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, fueled by Dennis Wideman and Sean Monahan. Calgary added on in the third period with a Bouma goal, his fourteenth of the year, made possible by T.J. Brodie and Jones. The Avalanche got one back with a Landeskog goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, coming off of O'Reilly and Zach Redmond. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Bouma, Jones, and Landeskog, while O'Reilly gets an honorable mention.

Finally, we end in Alberta with the Edmonton Oilers hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Ben Scrivens are the mediocre goalies. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Drew Stafford goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Jets added on in the second period with a Lee Stempniak goal, his eleventh of the year, via Jim Slater and Jiri Tlusty. Winnipeg extended the lead as Tyler Myers scored his seventh of the season, a power play goal powered by Toby Enstrom. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming from Taylor Hall and Oscar Klefbom. The Jets iced it at 4-1 on a Michael Frolik goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, a power play goal with helpers provided by Andrew Ladd and Jay Harrison. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars going to Pavelec (33 for 34 in saves), Stempniak, and Myers.

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NHL March 22nd, 2015

Four games on today, beginning with the...

Detroit Red Wings hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Jimmy Howard are the goalies. St. Louis got going in the second period on an Alexander Steen goal, his twenty-third of the season, a power play goal made possible by Alex Pietrangelo and Paul Stastny. Detroit tied it in the third period on an Erik Cole goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Justin Abdelkader and Kyle Quincey. The Red Wings won 2-1 in overtime on an Abdelkader goal, his twentieth of the campaign, a power play goal powered by Marek Zidlicky and Niklas Kronwall. The three stars went to Abdelkader, Howard (23 for 24 in saves), and Cole.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Ben Bishop protect the nets. Boston led off in the first period on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-first of the season, fueled by Brad Marchand and Adam McQuaid. Tampa Bay tied it on a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Brenden Morrow and J.T. Brown. The Lightning took the lead on a Brown goal, his third of the season, via Ondrej Palat and Matthew Carle. Tampa Bay added on with an Anton Stralman goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Valtteri Filppula and Namestnikov. The Lightning extended the lead as Jason Garrison scored his fourth of the season in the second period, thanks to Tyler Johnson and Carle. Niklas Svedberg replaced Rask in goal. The Bruins got one back in the third period on a Zdeno Chara power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Reilly Smith and David Pastrnak. Tampa Bay replied with a Palat power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with helpers from Ryan Callahan and Nikita Kucherov. Boston got one back with a Daniel Paille goal, his sixth of the year, dished from Max Talbot and Gregory Campbell. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Palat, Namestnikov, and Brown, while Carle gets an honorable mention.

Up in New York, the Rangers bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Cam Talbot are set to start in goal. New York began in the first period on a Chris Kreider goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh. Anaheim tied it on a Corey Perry goal, his thirtieth of the year, pushed through by Patrick Maroon and Sami Vatanen. The Rangers retook the lead on a Stepan power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Keith Yandle and Rick Nash. New York added on with a Carl Hagelin goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Kevin Hayes and Yandle. John Gibson replaced Andersen in goal. The Ducks got one back on a Perry goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, coming off of Ryan Getzlaf. The Rangers extended the lead in the second period on a J.T. Miller goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Mats Zuccarello and Yandle, the latter getting a sock trick. New York padded the lead with a Stepan goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Rangers continued in the third period on a Jesper Fast goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Hayes. New York finished it at 7-2 on a Derick Brassard goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, dished from Zuccarello and Miller. The three stars belonged to Stepan, Perry, and Yandle, while Miller, Zuccarello, and Hayes get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Mike Smith draw the starts in goal. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Yannick Weber goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Daniel Sedin and Radim Vrbata. Arizona tied it on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Joe Vitale. The Canucks took the lead back in the third period on an Alexander Edler power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Weber and Vrbata. Vancouver iced it at 3-1 on a Henrik Sedin empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Daniel Sedin and Christopher Tanev. The three stars went to Weber, Markstrom (26 for 27 in saves), and Vrbata, while Daniel Sedin gets an honorable mention.

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Major League Soccer Week 3

Eight games on again this weekend, with six on Saturday and two on Sunday. Saturday begins with...

The New England Revolution hosting the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Bobby Shuttleworth are the goalies. Montreal had yellow cards given to Victor Cabrera in the eighth minute, Hassoun Camara in the twenty-ninth minute, and Calum Mallace in the thirty-ninth minute, all for fouls. The Impact saw Camara sent off in the sixty-first minute with a second yellow card for another foul. New England's Jeremy Hall received a yellow card in stoppage time, as did Montreal's Jack McInerney. The game ended 0-0. Bush was the man of the match for keeping a clean sheet with four saves.

Out west, the Colorado Rapids welcome New York City FC. Josh Saunders and Clint Irwin are in goal. New York City's Shay Facey received two separate yellow cards, going in the fifty-first and eighty-second minutes to put his team down to ten men after the two bad fouls. New York City saw yellow cards assessed to Saunders in the ninetieth minute and Chris Wingert in stoppage time, both for time wasting, but they held on for a 0-0 final. Saunders was the man of the match for maintaining a seven-save clean sheet.

East again to Philadelphia, as the Union bring in FC Dallas. Chris Seitz and Rais M'bolhi are the gloved men. Philadelphia's Vincent Nogueira received a yellow card for a twenty-third minute foul. Dallas took a yellow card in the twenty-sixth minute for a foul by Michel. Dallas had another yellow card given to Victor Ulloa in the thirty-first minute for a foul. The Union had another yellow card assessed to Fabinho for his thirty-second minute foul. Philadelphia went down to ten men as Zach Pfeffer received a straight red card for his forty-second minute foul. Dallas began in the forty-ninth minute on a Tesho Akindele goal. Dallas added on in the fifty-ninth minute as Ryan Hollingshead scored, thanks to Fabian Castillo. The Union received a yellow card for an eighty-sixth minute foul by Sebastien Le Toux. Dallas took a yellow card on a stoppage time foul by Hollingshead. The final favored Dallas 2-0. The man of the match went to Akindele.

Down to Orlando City SC hosting the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Donovan Ricketts are between the posts. Vancouver had three yellow cards in the first half: Gershon Koffie in the twenty-second minute for a foul, Sam Adekugbe in the thirty-sixth minute for a foul, and Raul Octavio Rivero in the forty-fourth minute for persistent infringement. The Whitecaps took another yellow card in the sixty-fifth minute on a Kekuta Manneh foul. Orlando City saw a seventy-eighth minute foul by Aurelien Collin go for a yellow card. In stoppage time, Jordan Harvey of Vancouver received a yellow card for time wasting. The Whitecaps struck late in stoppage time on a Rivero goal, passed from Pedro Morales. This went for a 1-0 win, and Rivero was the man of the match for his late winner.

Northwest to Kansas City, where Sporting welcomes the Portland Timbers. Adam Larsen Kwarasey and Luis Marin protect the nets. Portland's Diego Chara took a yellow card for a seventy-second minute foul. Kansas City saw a yellow card given to Benny Feilhaber in the eighty-second minute for a foul. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, with the man of the match being Marin with a three-save clean sheet.

Closing out Saturday, the Los Angeles Galaxy bring in the Houston Dynamo. Tyler Deric and Jaiem Penedo are in the six-yard boxes. Los Angeles started with a Robbie Keane goal in the third minute, set up by Jose Villarreal. Houston's Giles Barnes took a yellow card for a fifth minute foul. The Dynamo tied the game with a Nathan Sturgis goal in the eleventh minute, thanks to Davis Horst and Oscar Garcia. In the thirty-ninth minute, both teams had yellow cards for fouls, given to Luis Garrido of Houston and Baggio Husidic of the Galaxy. Los Angeles' Juninho took a yellow card for a fifty-ninth minute foul. In the seventy-seventh minute, Kofi Sarkodie of the Dynamo received a yellow card for a foul. The final ended 1-1, with the man of the match being Sturgis for his equalizer.

The first of Sunday's two games has the New York Red Bulls host DC United. Bill Hamid and Luis Robles are in goal. New York led off in the twenty-fifth minute on a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, set up by Dax McCarty. The Red Bulls added on in the seventy-first minute on a Lloyd Sam goal, coming off of Wright-Phillips. DC had a yellow card for a seventy-eighth minute foul by Bobby Boswell. New York received a yellow card for a Damien Perrinelle bout of time wasting. The final stood at 2-0 for a Red Bulls victory. The man of the match was Wright-Phillips.

Finally, the San Jose Earthquakes host the Chicago Fire. Sean Johnson and David Bingham make the starts in goal. San Jose began in the fifth minute with an Abdul-Fatai Alashe goal, passed from Clarence Goodson and Ty Harden. The Earthquakes added on with a Harden goal in the twenty-first minute. Chicago took a yellow card for a Matt Polster foul in the twenty-sixth minute. The Fire got on the board with a Harrison Shipp goal in the twenty-ninth minute, set up by Joevin Jones. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 2-1, and the man of the match was Harden.

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Premier League Week 30

Another full week ahead of an international break. Seven games on Saturday and three on Sunday, and the first is...

Manchester City hosting West Bromwich Albion. Boaz Myhill and Joe Hart are in goal. West Bromwich went down to ten men in the second minute for a Gareth McAuley offense that saw him take a red card. Manchester City opened in the twenty-seventh minute on a Wilfried Bony goal, via Fernando after a corner kick. Fernando added on for Manchester City in the fortieth minute on a close range goal after a corner kick. In the seventy-seventh minute, Manchester City extended the lead with a David Silva goal, fueled by Stevan Jovetic after a corner kick. Manchester City took advantage of the manpower disparity and won 3-0.

Down to Aston Villa welcoming Swansea City. Lukasz Fabianski and Brad Guzan are set to start in goal. Swansea City dented the scoreboard late with an eighty-seventh minute goal by Bafetimbi Gomis, set up by Jefferson Montero. This held up for a 1-0 win for Swansea City.

Back north, Newcastle United brings in Arsenal. David Ospina and Tim Krul man the nets. Arsenal struck first in the twenty-fourth minute as Olivier Giroud scored, thanks to Danny Welbeck after a ser piece. Arsenal added on in the twenty-eighth minute on a Giroud header goal, via Santiago Cazorla's cross after a corner kick. Newcastle United got on the board with a Moussa Sissoko goal in the forty-eighth minute, made possible by Remy Cabella. This was as close as it got, with the final standing at 2-1 for Arsenal.

Down to Southampton hosting Burnley. Tom Heaton and Fraser Forster made the starts, but Forster was hurt early and replaced by Kelvin Davis. In the thirty-seventh minute, Southampton led off with a Shane Long goal. Southampton added on in the fifty-eighth minute with an own goal by Jason Shackell of Burnley.

North again to Stoke City welcoming Crystal Palace. Julian Speroni and Asmir Begovic are given the starting nods. Stoke City began in the fourteenth minute with a Mame Biram Diouf goal after a set piece. Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha took a yellow card in the thirty-third minute for a foul. Stoke City's keeper Begovic took a yellow card for a fortieth minute foul, leading to a penalty kick goal a minute later by Glenn Murray of Crystal Palace. Stoke City had a yellow card given to Charlie Adam in the forty-second minute and another to Erik Pieters in the forty-fifth minute, both for fouls. Crystal Palace took the lead in first half stoppage time on a Zaha goal, set up by Murray's headed pass. Crystal Palace saw three yellow cards in the second half, given to James McArthur in the forty-ninth minute, Pape Souare in the sixty-seventh minute, and Dwight Gayle in the eighty-eighth minute, all for fouls. Crystal Palace managed to win 2-1.

Into London, as Tottenham Hotspur brings in Leicester City. Kasper Schmeichel and Hugo Lloris are the goalies, but Lloris was injured early and replaced by Michel Vorm. In the sixth minute, Tottenham Hotspur started with a Harry Kane goal after a corner kick. Kane added on for Tottenham Hotspur in the thirteenth minute with another goal. In the thirty-second minute, Nacer Chadli took a yellow card for his foul for Tottenham Hotspur. Leicester City got on the board in the thirty-eighth minute with a Jamie Vardy goal, guided in by David Nugent's cross after a fast break. Nugent took a yellow card for his forty-eighth minute foul for Leicester City. Leicester City tied it on a Wes Morgan header goal made possible by a Matthew James cross after a corner kick. Tottenham Hotspur regained the lead with a sixty-fourth minute Kane penalty kick goal, earning him a hat trick. In the seventy-eighth minute, Tottenham Hotspur had a yellow card given to Danny Rose for his foul. In the eighty-fifth minute, Jeffrey Schlupp put the ball in his own net to pad the Tottenham Hotspur lead. Leicester city got one back as Nugent scored in the ninetieth minute, thanks to Vardy's headed pass. Tottenham Hotspur won the wild game 4-3.

Across town, West Ham United hosts Sunderland. Costel Pantilimon and Adrian are the goalies. In the sixty-third minute, Sunderland's Connor Wickham took a yellow card for a foul. West Ham United began in the eighty-eighth minute on a Diafra Sakho goal, passed from Mark Noble. West Ham United secured a 1-0 win.

On Sunday, Liverpool welcomes Manchester United. David de Gea and Simon Mignolet are the keepers. Manchester United began in the fourteenth minute with a Juan Mata goal, courtesy of Ander Herrera's through ball. Liverpool's Joe Allen took a yellow card for a foul in the nineteenth minute. In the forty-sixth minute, Liverpool went to ten men after Steven Gerrard took a red card for fighting. Herrera received a yellow card for Manchester United in the forty-seventh minute, as did Phil Jones in the fifty-sixth minute. In the fifty-ninth minute, Manchester United added on with a Mata goal, coming off of Angel Di Maria. In the sixty-seventh minute, Mario Balotelli took a yellow card for a foul for Liverpool. Liverpool got on the board with a sixty-ninth minute goal by Daniel Sturridge at a difficult angle.

Over to Hull City bringing in Chelsea. Thibaut Courtois and Allan McGregor are in the six-yard boxes. Chelsea struck first in the second minute on an Eden Hazard goal, via Diego Costa. Chelsea added on with a ninth minute Costa goal, made possible by Cesc Fabregas. Chelsea took a yellow card for a thirteenth minute foul by Gary Cahill. In the twenty-sixth minute, Ahmed Elmohamady scored for Hull City, with the help of Andrew Robertson's cross. Hull City tied it on an Abel Hernandez goal in the twenty-eighth minute. Chelsea retook the lead on a Loic Remy goal in the seventy-seventh minute, set up by Willian. Chelsea's Nemanja Matic took a yellow card in the eighty-ninth minute for time wasting. Chelsea held on for a 3-2 win.

Finally, the Queens Park Rangers host Everton. Tim Howard and Robert Green are the solid goalies. Everton started in the eighteenth minute on a Seamus Coleman goal, passed from Leon Osman on a fast break. QPR saw a yellow card for a fortieth minute foul by Junior Holiett. QPR had another yellow card in the fifty-fourth minute for a Yun Suk-Young foul. QPR tied it in the sixty-fifth minute on an Eduardo Vargas goal, assisted by Charlie Austin after a corner kick. Everton regained the lead on a seventy-seventh minute Aaron Lennon goal. In stoppage time, Steven Naismith of Everton took a yellow card for time wasting. The final held at 2-1 for Everton.

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NHL March 21st, 2015

Thirteen games on a massive day for the NHL. We begin with three matinees, the first in...

Minnesota, as the Wild host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Devan Dubnyk are the goalies. Minnesota started in the first period on a Chris Stewart goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Wild added on with a Thomas Vanek goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Justin Fontaine and Ryan Suter. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period on a Zach Parise goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, assisted by Jonas Brodin and Mikael Granlund. The Wild padded the lead on a Brodin goal, his third of the year, guided in by Fontaine and Charlie Coyle. Jake Allen replaced Elliott in goal. St. Louis got on the board with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, powered by Jaden Schwartz and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues pulled closer with a Schwartz goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, helped along by Tarasenko and Jay Bouwmeester. Minnesota shot back on a Fontaine goal, his ninth of the season, via Coyle and Suter. The Wild continued with a Mikko Koivu power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Jason Pominville. St. Louis chipped back with a Paul Stastny power play goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, with helpers provided by Alexander Steen and David Backes. The final was 6-3 for the Wild, with the three stars going to Fontaine, Brodin, and Tarasenko, while Schwartz, Coyle, and Suter get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Calgary, as the Flames welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Karri Ramo draw the starts. Calgary struck first in the first period on a Sean Monahan power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Jiri Hudler and Johnny Gaudreau. Columbus tied it on a Rene Bourque goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Ryan Johansen. The Flames retook the lead in the second period on a Hudler goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, via Monahan. The Blue Jackets tied it in the third period on an unassisted Artem Anisimov goal, his sixth of the year. Columbus won 3-2 in overtime on a Bourque goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, helped along by Kevin Connauton and Fedor Tyutin. The three stars went to Bourque, Monahan, and Hudler.

Down in Los Angeles, the Kings bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Jonathan Quick are in the blue paint. Los Angeles got going in the second period on a Marian Gaborik goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming on the power play from Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. Vancouver tied it on a Nick Bonino goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Radim Vrbata and Kevin Bieksa. The Canucks took the lead on a Vrbata power play goal in the third period, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Alexander Edler and Yannick Weber. Vancouver added on with an unassisted empty net goal by Daniel Sedin, his sixteenth of the year. The Canucks iced it at 4-1 with a Bo Horvat shorthanded empty net goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Vrbata, Lack (25 for 26 in saves), and Bonino.

Back east, the Carolina Hurricanes lead off the regularly scheduled games by hosting the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot and Anton Khudobin are the reliable backups in goal. Carolina was first to score in the first period on an Elias Lindholm goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Victor Rask and Danny Biega. New York tied it in the second period on a J.T. Miller goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Mats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard. The Rangers took the lead with a Jesper Fast goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Kevin Hayes and Carl Hagelin. The Hurricanes tied it in the third period on a Ryan Murphy power play goal, his second of the year, powered by John-Michael Liles and Jordan Staal. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Zuccarello won it for the Rangers by a 3-2 score. The three stars belonged to Zuccarello, Fast, and Miller.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal opened in the first period with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Alex Galchenyuk and P.A. Parenteau. The Canadiens iced it at 2-0 with an empty net goal by Brendan Gallagher in the third period, his twenty-first of the year, set up by Max Pacioretty and Plekanec. The three stars were awarded to Price (29 save shutout), Plekanec, and Niemi (27 for 28 in saves).

Back stateside, the New Jersey Devils bring in the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Cory Schneider guard the cages. New York led off in the first period on a Ryan Strome goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Nikolay Kulemin. The Islanders added on in the third period on a Travis Hamonic goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Strome and Brock Nelson. New York finished it at 3-0 on a Kyle Okposo empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by John Tavares and Hamonic. The three stars were handed to Halak (26 save shutout), Strome, and Hamonic.

Into Canada again, as the Ottawa Senators host the Toronto Maple Leafs for a Battle of Ontario. James Reimer and Andrew Hammond are set to start in goal. Ottawa began in the first period on a Mike Hoffman goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, fueled by Alex Chiasson and Marc Methot. The Senators added on with an Erik Karlsson goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Mika Zibanejad and Matt Puempel. Toronto got on the board in the second period on a Joakim Lindstrom goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Dion Phaneuf and Sam Carrick. Ottawa shot back on a Curtis Lazar goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Methot. The Maple Leafs pulled back with a Leo Komarov goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Zach Sill. Toronto tied it on an unassisted goal by Tim Erixon, his second of the year. The Senators took the lead on a Kyle Turris power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Karlsson and Patrick Wiercioch. Ottawa wrapped it up at 5-3 on a Turris empty net goal in the third period, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, set up by Mark Stone and the goalie Hammond. The three stars were Turris, Karlsson, and Methot.

Way south to Florida, as the Panthers welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Roberto Luongo are the masked men. Florida struck first in the first period on a Jimmy Hayes goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Dave Bolland and Jussi Jokinen. Boston tied it in the second period on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twentieth of the year, a power play goal powered by Ryan Spooner and Dougie Hamilton. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Brandon Pirri scored to give the Panthers a 2-1 win. The three stars belonged to Luongo (26 for 27 in saves), Rask (24 for 25 in saves), and Pirri.

Northward again, with the Winnipeg Jets bringing in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Ondrej Pavelec are occupying the creases. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Mark Stuart goal, his second of the season, via Mark Scheifele and Drew Stafford. The Jets added on with a second period Scheifele goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Blake Wheeler and Stafford. Winnipeg iced it at 3-0 on an Adam Lowry shorthanded empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Pavelec (28 save shutout), Scheifele, and Stafford.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Kari Lehtonen are the talented goalies. Dallas led off in the first period on a Patrick Eaves goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Alex Goligoski and Jyrki Jokipakka. The Stars added on with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, powered by Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza. Dallas extended the lead in the third period on a Shawn Horcoff power play goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Goligoski and Ales Hemsky. The Stars finished it at 4-0 on a Spezza goal, his sixteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Eaves. The three stars were given to Lehtonen (33 save shutout), Eaves, and Spezza, while Goligoski gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Matt Hackett is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Taylor Beck goal, his seventh of the season, a power play goal from Shea Weber and Matt Cullen. The Predators added on in the third period as Craig Smith scored his twenty-third of the year, thanks to Ryan Ellis and Cullen. Nashville extended the lead on a Mike Fisher goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, courtesy of Viktor Stalberg and Ellis. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Rinne (22 save shutout), Cullen, and Ellis.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. Arizona started in the first period on a Tobias Rieder goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by David Moss. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period on a Brandon Sutter power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Penguins added on with a Daniel Winnik goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh finished it at 3-1 with a Crosby empty net goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars went to Fleury (30 for 31 in saves), Crosby, and Winnik.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Ben Scrivens are the mediocre goalies. Edmonton began in the first period on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twenty-first of the season, with a lone assist by Jordan Eberle. Philadelphia tied it on a Claude Giroux goal, his twentieth of the year, fueled by Jakub Voracek. The Flyers took the lead on a Giroux goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, a power play goal from Voracek and Wayne Simmonds. Philadelphia added on with a Ryan White goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Zac Rinaldo. The Oilers got one back as Teddy Purcell scored his tenth of the season, with the help of Derek Roy. Edmonton tied it on a Matt Hendricks goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Boyd Gordon and Andrew Ference. The Oilers took the lead in the second period on an Eberle goal, his twentieth of the season, guided in by Benoit Pouliot and Nugent-Hopkins. The Flyers tied it in the third period on a Michael Raffl goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Voracek, who got a sock trick, and Mark Streit. Edmonton won with another Nugent-Hopkins goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, making it 5-4 in overtime with the help of Nikita Nikitin and Taylor Hall. The three stars were Nugent-Hopkins, Giroux, and Eberle, while Voracek, gets an honorable mention.

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NHL March 20th, 2015

Just three games tonight, the first with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Anders Lindback are the unknown goalies. New Jersey got going in the second period on a Steve Bernier goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Scott Gomez and Adam Henrique. The Devils added on with another Bernier goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, fueled by Henrique and Gomez. New Jersey extended the lead in the third period on an unassisted Jordin Tootoo goal, his ninth of the season. Buffalo got on the board with a Matt Moulson power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Tyler Ennis and Brian Gionta. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Bernier, Kinkaid (28 for 29 in saves), and Gomez, while Henrique gets an honorable mention.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Ben Bishop guard the cages. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Anton Stralman goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Victor Hedman and Ondrej Palat. Detroit tied it on an unassisted power play goal by Tomas Tatar, his twenty-sixth of the year. The Lightning took the lead back in the third period on an Alex Killorn goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Hedman and Jonathan Drouin. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-1 on a Steven Stamkos empty net goal, his fortieth of the year, set up by Brian Boyle and Palat. The three stars went to Bishop (30 for 31 in saves), Hedman, and Palat.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Frederik Andersen are the solid goalies. Anaheim opened in the first period on a Jiri Sekac goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Tomas Fleischmann and Rickard Rakell. Colorado tied it in the third period with a Jarome Iginla goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Matt Duchene and Jan Hejda. The Avalanche took the lead on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in shorthanded and unassisted. The Ducks retied it on a Rakell goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Simon Despres and Sekac. Anaheim won 3-2 in overtime on Corey Perry's twenty-ninth of the campaign, with a lone helper by Sami Vatanen. The three stars went to Sekac, Rakell, and Perry.

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NHL March 19th, 2015

Ten games on a busy night in hockey, beginning with...

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Carey Price man the nets. Montreal began in the first period on a Dale Weise goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Manny Malhotra and Brandon Prust. The Canadiens added on with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his twentieth of the year, via Tomas Plekanec and Max Pacioretty. Montreal extended the lead in the second period as David Desharnais scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Tom Gilbert and Weise. The Canadiens padded the lead in the third period on a Pacioretty goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, made possible by Plekanec. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars going to Price (31 save shutout), Weise, and Pacioretty, while Plekanec gets an honorable mention.

Over in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Andrew Hammond are called on to start. Ottawa struck first in the first period on a Kyle Turris goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Milan Michalek and Mark Stone. Boston tied it on a Carl Soderberg goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Loui Eriksson and Dougie Hamilton. The Bruins took the lead with a Ryan Spooner goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Milan Lucic and David Pastrnak. The Senators tied it as Michalek scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Stone and Turris. Ottawa took the lead back in the second period with a David Legwand goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Erik Condra and Alex Chiasson. Boston tied it on a power play goal by Spooner, his second of the game and fifth of the year, powered by Torey Krug and Patrice Bergeron. The Senators regained the lead on a shorthanded goal by Jean-Gabriel Pageau, his fifth of the season, set up by Condra. The Bruins tied it again with a Krug goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Soderberg and Pastrnak. Ottawa claimed the lead again in the third period on a Bobby Ryan goal, his eighteenth of the season, dished from Cody Ceci and Mika Zibanejad. The Senators iced it at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Turris, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, with helpers provided by Stone, who got a sock trick, and Michalek. The three stars were Turris, Michalek, and Spooner, while Stone, Krug, Soderberg, and Pastrnak get the honorable mentions.

Staying in the province, the Toronto Maple Leafs brings in the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Jonathan Bernier are the masked men. San Jose started in the first period on a Tomas Hertl goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Chris Tierney and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks added on in the second period as Logan Couture scored his twenty-third of the year, thanks to Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. Toronto got on the board with a Jake Gardiner goal, his third of the season, via Leo Komarov and Brandon Kozun. San Jose shot back with a Melker Karlsson goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Thornton and Joe Pavelski. The Sharks extended the lead on a Tommy Wingels goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, helped along by Matthew Nieto and Couture. This made it 4-1, the eventual final, with the three stars being Couture, Niemi (27 for 28 in saves), and Thornton.

Way south to Florida, where the Panthers host the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek is mismatched with Roberto Luongo in goal. Florida got going in the second period on a Jaromir Jagr goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers added on with a Brandon Pirri goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Jagr and Aaron Ekblad. Florida extended the lead in the third period with an unassisted goal by Scottie Upshall, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Detroit got on the board with an Erik Cole goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Tomas Tatar and Riley Sheahan. This made it a 3-1 final, with the three stars given to Jagr, Pirri, and Luongo (26 for 27 in saves).

Back into Canada, where the Winnipeg Jets welcome the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Ondrej Pavelec are the veteran goalies. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the second period on a David Backes goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, guided in by Paul Stastny and Alex Pietrangelo. Winnipeg tied it on a Drew Stafford goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Tyler Myers and Toby Enstrom. In the shootout, Stafford and Andrew Ladd combined to beat T.J. Oshie for a 2-1 Jets win. The three stars went to Pavelec (32 for 33 in saves), Stafford, and Elliott (33 for 34 in saves).

A little south to Minnesota, where the Wild bring in the Washington Capitals. Devan Dubnyk and Braden Holtby are given the starting nods. Washington was first to score in the second period on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-sixth of the season, fueled by Karl Alzner and Matt Niskanen. The Capitals added on with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Minnesota got on the board with a Christian Folin goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Zach Parise and Mikael Granlund. Washington answered in the third period with another Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and forty-seventh of the year, made possible by Nicklas Backstrom. The Wild shot back with a Jared Spurgeon power play goal, his ninth of the campaign, powered by Thomas Vanek and Granlund. They took a 3-2 loss, with the three stars given to Ovechkin, Granlund, and Kuznetsov.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Kari Lehtonen guard the cages. Dallas opened in the second period with a Brett Ritchie goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Jamie Benn and Shawn Horcoff. The Stars added on with a Benn goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Tyler Seguin and Cody Eakin. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Kris Letang goal, his eleventh of the campaign, via Sidney Crosby and Christian Ehrhoff. This produced the 2-1 final, with the three stars going to Benn, Lehtonen (31 for 32 in saves), and Ritchie.

Up to Alberta, as the Flames welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Karri Ramo are the surprisingly reliable goalies. Calgary led off in the second period with a Dennis Wideman goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Jiri Hudler. The Flames added on with a T.J. Brodie goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Deryk Engelland and Johnny Gaudreau. Mason was pulled for Ray Emery. Philadelphia got on the board with a Claude Giroux goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Jakob Voracek and Nicklas Grossmann. Calgary shot back in the third period on a Sean Monahan power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Gaudreau and Kris Russell. The Flames finished it at 4-1 with a Gaudreau power play goal, his twentieth of the campaign, assisted by Hudler and Russell. The three stars belonged to Gaudreau, Hudler, and Russell.

West to British Columbia, as the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Eddie Lack are in the creases. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Bo Horvat goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canucks added on with a Daniel Sedin goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Henrik Sedin and Alexandre Burrows. Columbus got on the board with a Rene Bourque goal, his fourth of the season, via Ryan Johansen. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Marko Dano goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Artem Anisimov and Nick Foligno. Columbus took the lead on a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Mark Letestu and Jack Johnson. The Blue Jackets extended the lead in the third period on a Dano goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, guided in by Alexander Wennberg. Columbus chased Lack with a Scott Hartnell goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Dano and David Savard. The Blue Jackets padded the lead on a Wennberg goal, his third of the year, going unassisted into the empty net. The three stars were awarded to Dano, Wennberg, and Atkinson.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov faces a lesser foe in Louis Domingue in goal. Arizona struck first in the first period on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Sam Gagner and Shane Doan. Colorado tied it on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Gabriel Landeskog and Alex Tanguay. The Avalanche took the lead with a Jarome Iginla goal, his twenty-third of the season, guided in by John Mitchell and Jan Hejda. Colorado added on with a Freddie Hamilton goal, made possible by Brad Stuart and Daniel Briere. The Coyotes got one back in the third period on another Ekman-Larsson goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, assisted by Lauri Korpikoski and Brandon Gormley. The Avalanche shot back on a Matt Duchene goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Dennis Everberg. Colorado finished it at 5-2 on a Landeskog empty net goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by O'Reilly. The three stars went to O'Reilly, Ekman-Larsson, and Landeskog.

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