KHL Eastern Conference Final: Ak Bars Kazan VS. Sibir Novosibirsk

Welcome to the post for the eastern conference final between Ak Bars Kazan and Sibir Novosibirsk. This post will cover the entire series.

Game 1: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Alexander Salak for Novosibirsk and Anders Nilsson for Kazan. Kazan struck first in the first period on an Oscar Moller goal, with a lone assist by Justin Azevedo. Ak Bars added on with a Konstantin Koltsov goal, made possible by Alexander Svitov. This held up for a 2-0 win, with the three stars going to Nilsson (21 save shutout), Moller, and Koltsov. Ak Bars has a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Alexander Salak for Novosibirsk and Anders Nilsson for Kazan. Kazan began in the first period on a Kirill Petrov goal, assisted by Ilya Nikulin and Alexander Burmistrov. Ak Bars added on in the second period with an Oscar Moller power play goal, powered by Petr Vrana and Evgeny Medvedev. Novosibirsk got on the board in the third period with a Vladimir Butuzov goal, passed from Stepan Sannikov. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Nilsson (28 for 29 in saves), Moller, and Petrov. Ak Bars travels with a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3: Ice Sports Palace Sibir, Novosibirsk, Russia. In goal: Anders Nilsson for Kazan and Alexander Salak for Novosibirsk. Novosibirsk got going in the second period on a Dmitry Kugryshev goal, assisted by Maxim Ignatovich and Jarno Koskiranta. Kazan tied it on a Konstantin Koltsov goal, passed from Artyom Lukoyanov and Yakov Rylov. Sibir retook the lead on an Igor Ozhiganov power play goal, powered by Oleg Gubin. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Salak (27 for 28 in saves), Ozhiganov, and Kugryshev.

Game 4: Ice Sports Palace Sibir, Novosibirsk, Russia. In goal: Anders Nilsson for Kazan and Alexander Salak for Novosibirsk. Kazan won 1-0 in overtime on an Oscar Moller goal, via Igor Mirnov. The three stars went to Nilsson (25 save shutout), Salak (36 for 37 in saves), and Moller. The series lead is 3-1 in favor of Ak Bars, who head home looking to close out the opposition.

Game 5: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Alexander Salak for Novosibirsk and Anders Nilsson for Kazan. Kazan won 1-0 in overtime with a Mikhail Glukhov goal, passed from Mikhail Varnakov. The three stars were handed to Nilsson (25 save shutout), Salak (40 for 41 in saves), and Glukhov. Ak Bars wins the series 4-1, and they now await the western conference representative for the Gagarin Cup final.

NHL April 3rd, 2015

Five games on tonight, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Anders Lindback are the unknown goalies. Chicago started in the first period on a Duncan Keith goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Brandon Saad and Andrew Shaw. The Blackhawks added on with a Patrick Sharp goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of David Rundblad and Brad Richards. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres tied it in the third period on a Johan Larsson power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Ristolainen and Tyler Ennis. Buffalo gained the lead with a Foligno goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, via Brian Gionta and Ristolainen, the latter getting a sock trick. Chicago tied it as Jonathan Toews scored his twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by Shaw. The Blackhawks pulled ahead on Toews' second of the game and twenty-seventh of the campaign, helped along by Saad and Marian Hossa. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Toews, Foligno, and Ristolainen, while Shaw and Saad get the honorable mentions.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Dustin Tokarski and Keith Kinkaid are the backups in goal. New Jersey began in the first period on a Stefan Matteau goal, assisted by Adam Larsson and Andy Greene. Montreal tied it on a Tomas Plekanec power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Sergei Gonchar and Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens took the lead with a Jeff Petry goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Devils tied it in the second period as Reid Boucher scored, thanks to Jon Merrill and Steve Bernier. In the shootout, Jacob Josefson and Patrik Elias scored to give the Devils a 3-2 win. The three stars belonged to Kinkaid (31 for 33 in saves), Matteau, and Boucher.

Further southwest, the Dallas Stars host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Kari Lehtonen are the experienced goalies. St. Louis led off in the first period as Patrik Berglund scored his eleventh of the season, coming off of Zbynek Michalek and David Backes. Dallas tied it on a Travis Moen penalty shot goal, his second of the year, coming after he was tripped by Michalek. The Blues retook the lead in the second period with a Berglund goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, via Kevin Shattenkirk and Dmitrij Jaskin. St. Louis added on with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by T.J. Oshie and Jay Bouwmeester. The Stars got one back with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, passed from Tyler Seguin. Dallas tied it again wit ha Seguin goal, his thirty-sixth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Benn. The Stars took the lead as Benn scored his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, with the help of Seguin and Valeri Nichushkin. Dallas extended the lead as Antoine Roussel scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Ryan Garbutt and Cody Eakin. The Blues pulled back on a Schwartz goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the campaign, guided in by Alex Pietrangelo and Shattenkirk. St. Louis evened the score in the third period on a Michalek goal, his fourth of the season, with helpers from Oshie and Bouwmeester. The Blues gained the lead on an unassisted Pietrangelo goal, his seventh of the year. St. Louis iced it at 7-5 on an empty net goal by Schwartz, completing his hat trick on his twenty-eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Schwartz, Benn, and Pietrangelo, while Berglund, Michalek, Shattenkirk, Oshie, Bouwmeester, and Seguin all receive honorable mentions.

Out in San Jose, the Sharks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue is mismatched with Antti Niemi in goal. San Jose opened in the first period with a Logan Couture goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, coming off of Tomas Hertl and Patrick Marleau. The Sharks added on with a Joe Pavelski goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, assisted by Marleau and Couture. Arizona got on the board in the second period as Mark Arcobello scored his sixteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. San Jose answered in the third period on a Matthew Nieto goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Chris Tierney and Matt Irwin. The final stood at 3-1, and the three stars were Couture, Niemi (20 for 21 in saves), and Marleau.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Colorado Avalanche. Reto Berra and John Gibson are between the pipes. Colorado struck first in the first period on a John Mitchell goal, his eleventh of the season, via Jarome Iginla and Matt Duchene. Anaheim tied it on a Jiri Sekac goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Ducks took the lead with a Rickard Rakell goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Corey Perry and Sekac. The Avalanche tied it in the second period as Gabriel Landeskog scored his twenty-third of the year, a power play goal powered by Alex Tanguay and Tyson Barrie. Colorado took the lead in the third period with a Duchene goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Dennis Everberg and Barrie. The Avalanche iced it at 4-2 on an Everberg empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Brad Stuart. The three stars were handed to Duchene, Sekac, and Everberg, while Barrie gets an honorable mention.

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NHL April 2nd, 2015

Nine games on tonight, beginning in...

Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. New York struck first in the first period on an Eric Boulton goal, via Casey Cizikas and Nick Leddy. Columbus tied it on a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Dalton Prout and Artem Anisimov. The Islanders regained the lead in the second period on a John Tavares goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, assisted by Johnny Boychuk and Leddy. New York added on in the third period with a Ryan Strome goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Travis Hamonic and Tavares. The Blue Jackets pulled back on a Jack Johnson goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Nick Foligno and Scott Hartnell. Columbus tied it as Ryan Johansen scored his twenty-sixth of the campaign, thanks to Cam Atkinson and David Savard. In the shootout, the Blue Jackets got goals from Mark Letestu and Johansen for a 4-3 win. The three stars belonged to Johansen, Tavares, and Leddy.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces a lesser foe in Petr Mrazek in goal. Detroit dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Luke Glendening goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Danny DeKeyser and Stephen Weiss. The Red Wings added on in the third period with a Weiss power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Riley Sheahan and Marek Zidlicky. Boston got on the board with a Carl Soderberg power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Reilly Smith and Brett Connolly. The Bruins tied it on a Loui Eriksson goal, his twenty-first of the year, fueled by Smith and Soderberg. Boston took the lead as Zach Trotman scored, with the help of Ryan Spooner and Connolly. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Soderberg, Weiss, and Connolly, while Smith gets an honorable mention.

Over in Quebec, as the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Carey Price are the masked men. Montreal got going in the second period on a Jeff Petry goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Alex Galchenyuk and P.K. Subban. Washington tied it on a Joel Ward goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Marcus Johansson. The Capitals took the lead on an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his fifty-first of the season, powered by John Carlson and the goalie Holtby. The Canadiens tied it again with a Tom Gilbert goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by P.A. Parenteau and Galchenyuk. Montreal took the lead as Lars Eller potted his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Dale Weise and Subban. Washington tied it again with a third period power play goal by Ovechkin, his second of the game and fifty-second of the year, with assists provided by Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals edged ahead on a Ward power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, helped along by Carlson, who got a sock trick, and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Canadiens tied it again on a Subban power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, pushed through by Andrei Markov and Max Pacioretty. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Troy Brouwer sealed the 5-4 win for the Capitals. The three stars were awarded to Ovechkin, Ward, and Carlson, while Subban and Galchenyuk get the honorable mentions.

West to Ontario, where the Ottawa Senators host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Andrew Hammond are in the creases. Ottawa was first to score in the first period on a Mark Stone goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Kyle Turris and Clarke MacArthur. Tampa Bay tied it with a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Anton Stralman and Valtteri Filppula. The Senators won 2-1 in overtime with a Patrick Wiercioch goal, his third of the campaign, helped along by Stone and Turris. The three stars were given to Stone, Hammond (28 for 29 in saves), and Turris.

Way south to Florida, as the Panthers welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin is mismatched with Roberto Luongo in goal. Florida began in the first period on a Willie Mitchell goal, his third of the season, assisted by Jimmy Hayes and Vincent Trocheck. The Panthers added on in the second period on a Brandon Pirri goal, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by Jaromir Jagr and Aaron Ekblad. Florida extended the lead as Jagr scored his sixteenth of the season, passed from Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers padded the lead on a Barkov goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Huberdeau and Erik Gudbranson. Florida kept going in the third period with a Trocheck goal, his sixth of the season, via Tomas Kopecky and Shawn Thornton. The Panthers continued with a Trocheck goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, helped along by Hayes and Jussi Jokinen. Carolina avoided the shutout with a Chris Terry power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, powered by Justin Faulk and Elias Lindholm. The final stood at 6-1, with the three stars being Trocheck, Jagr, and Barkov, while Huberdeau and Hayes get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Jake Allen are set to start in goal. St. Louis led off in the first period on a Jaden Schwartz goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, guided in by T.J. Oshie. The Blues added on with a second period goal by Paul Stastny, his fifteenth of the year, coming on the power play from David Backes and Schwartz. Calgary got on the board with a Sean Monahan goal, his thirtieth of the season, assisted by Jiri Hudler and Johnny Gaudreau. St. Louis answered in the third period on a Jori Lehtera goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Patrik Berglund. The Blues finished it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Berglund, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Lehtera and Stastny. The three stars went to Schwartz, Stastny, and Lehtera, while Berglund gets an honorable mention.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Devan Dubnyk are between the pipes. New York opened in the first period on a Dominic Moore goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Carl Hagelin. The Rangers added on with a Rick Nash power play goal, his forty-first of the year, powered by Derick Brassard and Ryan McDonagh. Minnesota got on the board in the second period with a Jason Pominville goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Matt Dumba and Mikael Granlund. The Wild tied it in the third period with a Thomas Vanek goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Dumba and Justin Fontaine. New York retook the lead on a J.T. Miller goal, his tenth of the campaign, passed from McDonagh and Chris Kreider. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to McDonagh, Miller, and Dumba.

Back south the Chicago Blackhawks welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Corey Crawford protect the nets. Chicago started in the first period on a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Marcus Kruger and Andrew Desjardins. Vancouver tied it on a Derek Dorsett goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks took the lead in the third period on a Jonathan Toews goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, helped along by Marian Hossa and Johnny Oduya. Chicago added on with a Kruger goal, his seventh of the year, an unassisted goal. This led to a 3-1 final, with the three stars given to Kruger, Crawford (35 for 36 in saves), and Toews.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Scrivens and Jonathan Quick have the green light to start in goal. Los Angeles struck first in the first period on a Dustin Brown goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Trevor Lewis and Jarret Stoll. The Kings added on with a Marian Gaborik goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams. Los Angeles extended the lead on Drew Doughty's sixth of the campaign, helped along by Kopitar and Jake Muzzin. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a Teddy Purcell power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Anton Lander and Justin Schultz. The Kings answered with a Jordan Nolan goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Kyle Clifford. Los Angeles padded the lead as Carter scored his twenty-seventh of the campaign, a power play goal made possible by Gaborik and Doughty. Tyler Bunz relieved Scrivens for the third period. The Kings continued in the third period with a Robyn Regehr goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles kept going as Gaborik scored his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, thanks to Williams. The Kings struck again with a Carter goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, with assists provided by Dwight King and Tyler Toffoli. The Oilers got one back with a Jordan Eberle goal, his twenty-third of the year, dished from Taylor Hall and Oscar Klefbom. The final was 8-2, and the three stars were Gaborik, Carter, and Doughty, while Williams and Kopitar get the honorable mentions.

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NHL April 1st, 2015

Four games tonight, with the first in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Anders Lindback are in goal. Buffalo started in the first period with a Zac Dalpe goal, coming off of Matt Ellis and Andrej Meszaros. Toronto tied it on an Eric Brewer goal, his third of the season, passed from Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak. The Maple Leafs took the lead on a James van Riemsdyk goal in the second period, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Kessel and Bozak. Toronto added on with a Nazem Kadri goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Richard Panik. The Sabres got one back with a Cody Hodgson goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Andre Benoit and Philip Varone. Buffalo tied it in the third period with a Matt Moulson power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Johan Larsson and Brian Gionta. The Sabres gained the lead on an Ellis goal, helped along by Nikita Zadorov and Gionta. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Ellis, Gionta, and Kessel, while Bozak gets an honorable mention.

Down in Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome their cross-state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Marc-Andre Fleury are the masked men. Pittsburgh opened in the first period on a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, fueled by Patric Hornqvist and Ian Cole. Philadelphia tied it on a Vincent Lecavalier goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The Flyers took the lead in the second period as Brayden Schenn scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Brandon Manning and Sean Couturier. Philadelphia added on with a third period Schenn goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, guided in by Jakub Voracek and Mark Streit on the power play. The Flyers extended the lead with an unassisted shorthanded goal by Carlo Colaiacovo. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Schenn, Mason (24 for 25 in saves), and Colaiacovo.

Out west, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Scrivens and Frederik Andersen are in the creases. Anaheim struck first in the first period on a Francois Beauchemin goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Jakob Silfverberg and Hampus Lindholm. The Ducks added on with a Nate Thompson goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Silfverberg. Anaheim extended the lead with a Corey Perry goal in the second period, his thirty-third of the season, guided in by Tomas Fleischmann and Beauchemin. The Ducks padded the lead on a Simon Despres goal, his third of the year, via Andrew Cogliano and Silfverberg, the latter getting a sock trick. Edmonton got on the board with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, coming off of Jordan Eberle. Anaheim shot back with a Cogliano penalty shot goal, his fifteenth of the year, after he was slashed by Oscar Klefbom. This produced the 5-1 final, with the three stars given to Beauchemin, Cogliano, and Silfverberg.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Colorado Avalanche. Reto Berra and Alex Stalock are the backups in goal. San Jose got going in the second period on a Scott Hannan goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski. The Sharks added on with a third period goal by Chris Tierney, his fifth of the year, via Matthew Nieto and Taylor Fedun. Colorado got on the board with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Zach Redmond and John Mitchell. San Jose shot back with a Patrick Marleau goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Logan Couture. The Sharks extended the lead on an empty net goal by Couture, his twenty-sixth of the season, set up by Melker Karlsson and Burns. San Jose finished it at 5-1 on a John Scott empty net goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Ben Smith. The three stars went to Couture, Stalock (19 for 20 in saves), and Burns.

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NHL March 31st, 2015

Seven games on for tonight, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Tuukka Rask guard the cages. Boston opened in the first period on a Loui Eriksson goal, his twentieth of the season, via Carl Soderberg. Florida tied it on a second period goal by Brandon Pirri, his twenty-first of the year, a power play goal powered by Brian Campbell and Jimmy Hayes. The Panthers took the lead on a Brad Boyes goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins tied it in the third period on a David Pastrnak goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Ryan Spooner and Milan Lucic. Boston won 3-2 with a Lucic goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, made possible by Pastrnak and Spooner. The three stars went to Lucic, Pastrnak, and Spooner.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Braden Holtby are in the blue paint. Washington struck first in the first period on Mike Green's eighth of the season, courtesy of Tom Wilson and Curtis Glencross. The Capitals added on with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his fiftieth of the year, assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Matt Niskanen. Carolina got on the board in the second period as Nathan Gerbe scored his ninth of the season, thanks to and Alexander Semin. The Hurricanes tied it with an Eric Staal goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Chris Terry and John-Michael Liles. Washington regained the lead with a Brooks Laich goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Jason Chimera and Green. The Capitals extended the lead with a Joel Ward goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Ovechkin and Kuznetsov. This held up for a 4-2 win, with the three stars being Ovechkin, Green, and Kuznetsov.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets bring in the New Jersey Devils. Sergei Bobrovsky and Cory Schneider tend the twines. New Jersey started in the first period on a Michael Cammalleri power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Eric Gelinas and Adam Henrique. Columbus tied it on a Nick Foligno power play goal in the second period, his twenty-seventh of the year, assisted by Alexander Wennberg and Ryan Johansen. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Brandon Dubinsky penalty shot goal for his tenth of the season. The Devils retied it in the third period on a Cammalleri shorthanded goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, set up by Dainius Zubrus and Adam Larsson. Columbus won 3-2 in overtime on a Jack Johnson goal, his seventh of the campaign, passed from David Savard and Johansen. The three stars went to Cammalleri, Johnson, and Johansen.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings host the Ottawa Senators. Andrew Hammond and Petr Mrazek draw the starts. Detroit got going in the second period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Justin Abdelkader. Ottawa tied it in the third period with a Clarke MacArthur goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Mark Stone and Kyle Turris. The tie went to a shootout, where Mika Zibanejad, Turris, and Stone scored for Senators to top the Red Wings' Nyquist and Tatar. The three stars of the 2-1 Senators win were Stone, Turris, and Nyquist.

Into Ontario, where the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and James Reimer are set to start in goal. Toronto began in the first period on a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Joakim Lindstrom and T.J. Brennan. The Maple Leafs added on with a David Booth goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Ryan Callahan power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, with helpers provided by Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov. Toronto shot back with a Morgan Rielly goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, made possible by Kadri and Jake Gardiner. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Kadri, Reimer (40 for 41 in saves), Booth.

South to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Pekka Rinne are the masked men. Nashville was first to score in the first period on a Cody Franson power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Mike Fisher. The Predators added on with Taylor Beck's eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Paul Gaustad. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a Linden Vey goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Derek Dorsett and Dan Hamhuis. The Canucks tied it as Jannik Hansen scored his fifteenth of the year, with the help of Nick Bonino and Hamhuis. Nashville pulled ahead on a Viktor Stalberg goal, his second of the season, coming off of Anton Volchenkov. Vancouver tied it in the third period on an Alexandre Burrows shorthanded goal, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Canucks took the lead with a power play goal by Chris Higgins, his twelfth of the season, passed from Burrows and Bonino. The Predators tied it with a Fisher power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. In the shootout, Bonino and Radim Vrbata scored for a 5-4 Canucks victory. The three stars went to Burrows, Bonino, and Fisher, while Hamhuis gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist opposes a lesser foe in Ondrej Pavelec in goal. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Jim Slater goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Chris Thorburn and Jiri Tlusty. New York tied it on a Mats Zuccarello goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Rick Nash and Derick Brassard. The Jets took the lead with a second period goal by Lee Stempniak, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Mathieu Perreault and Adam Lowry. The Rangers tied it again with a Brassard power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Ryan McDonagh and Keith Yandle. New York took the lead on a Chris Kreider goal in the third period, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by J.T. Miller and Derek Stepan. The final was 3-2, with the three stars going to Brassard, Kreider, and Lundqvist (32 for 34 in saves).

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NHL March 30th, 2015

Six games on this evening, beginning in...

Montreal, as the Canadiens host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Carey Price guard the cages. Tampa Bay got going in the second period on a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Steven Stamkos and the goalie Bishop. Montreal tied it with a Max Pacioretty goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, a shorthanded goal set up by Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Markov. The Lightning retook the lead on a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Anton Stralman and the goalie Bishop again. Tampa Bay added on with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, passed from Namestnikov and Ondrej Palat. The Canadiens got one back in the third period as Jeff Petry scored his fifth of the season, with the help of Lars Eller. The Lightning replied on a Namestnikov goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, guided in by Palat. Montreal chipped back on a P.K. Subban power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Nathan Beaulieu and David Desharnais. Tampa Bay wrapped it up at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Stralman, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Brian Boyle. The three stars went to Namestnikov, Stralman, and Palat, while the goalie Bishop also had a multi-point night for an honorable mention.

Down in St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Brian Elliott are the masked men. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Shawn Matthias goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Christopher Tanev. St. Louis tied it with a Zbynek Michalek goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Olli Jokinen and T.J. Oshie. The Canucks regained the lead on a Nick Bonino goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Kevin Bieksa and Radim Vrbata. Vancouver took the lead as Vrbata scored his thirty-first of the year, thanks to Chris Higgins and Tanev. The Canucks iced it at 4-1 on an Alexandre Burrows empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Daniel Sedin. The three stars belonged to Vrbata, Lack (23 for 24 in saves), and Tanev.

Back in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick faces a lesser foe in Scott Darling in goal. Chicago struck first in the first period on a Bryan Bickell goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Brandon Saad and Andrew Shaw. Los Angeles tied it on a Jake Muzzin goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Trevor Lewis and Nick Shore. The Blackhawks retook the lead in the second period as Duncan Keith scored his ninth of the season, a power play goal powered by Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews. Chicago added on with a Niklas Hjalmarsson goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks extended the lead on an unassisted Hossa goal, his twenty-second of the campaign. The final was 4-1, and the three stars were Hossa, Darling (31 for 32 in saves), and Keith.

South to Dallas, where the Stars host the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Kari Lehtonen are the veteran goalies. Dallas was first to score in the first period on a Jason Spezza goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Patrick Eaves and Trevor Daley. Calgary tied it on a Dennis Wideman power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Johnny Gaudreau and Joe Colborne. The Stars took the lead back on a Tyler Seguin goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, coming on the power play from Jamie Benn and Spezza. The Flames retied it on a second period Jiri Hudler goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, assisted by Kris Russell and Wideman. Calgary took the lead on a Raphael Diaz goal, his second of the season, fueled by David Jones and Lance Bouma. The Flames added on with a Gaudreau goal, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Sean Monahan and Hudler. Jhonas Enroth relieved Lehtonen in goal. Dallas got one back in the third period on a Jason Demers goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers from Benn and Fiddler. Calgary wrapped it up at 5-3 with a Mikael Backlund empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by T.J. Brodie. The three stars were handed to Gaudreau, Wideman, and Hudler, while Spezza and Benn get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Richard Bachman is mismatched with Semyon Varlamov in goal. Edmonton began in the first period on a Brandon Davidson goal, coming off of Anton Lander and Andrew Miller. Colorado tied it on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Alex Tanguay and Nate Guenin. The Oilers took the lead back in the second period on a Justin Schultz goal, his sixth of the year, via Teddy Purcell. Edmonton added on in the third period with a Nikita Nikitin empty net goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Miller and Lander. The Oilers iced it on a Taylor Hall empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Miller, who got a sock trick, and Martin Marincin. The three stars were given to Miller, Lander, and Bachman (29 for 30 in saves).

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Anders Lindback and Mike Smith are between the pipes. Arizona led off in the first period on a Connor Murphy goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Sam Gagner and Klas Dahlbeck. Buffalo tied it on a second period goal by Andrej Meszaros, his sixth of the year, coming on the power play from Andre Benoit and Mikhail Grigorenko. The Sabres took the lead on another Meszaros goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, passed from Nicolas Deslauriers and Zac Dalpe. Buffalo added on with a shorthanded empty net goal by Brian Gionta, his eleventh of the year, set up by Marcus Foligno and Mike Weber. The Sabres extended the lead as Rasmus Ristolainen scored his eighth of the campaign into an empty net, from Gionta and Matt Moulson. The three stars were handed to Meszaros, Gionta, and Lindback (28 for 29 in saves).

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NHL March 29th, 2015

Eight games on for today, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Cam Talbot are set to start in goal. Washington struck first in the first period on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-eighth of the season, assisted by Joel Ward and John Carlson. New York tied it on a Kevin Hayes goal, his fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Rangers took the lead as Derick Brassard scored his sixteenth of the season, passed from Mats Zuccarello and Ryan McDonagh. The Capitals tied it on a second period power play goal by Ovechkin, his second of the game and forty-ninth of the year, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Matt Niskanen. Washington pulled ahead in the third period on a Jason Chimera goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Eric Fehr and Brooks Laich. The Capitals added on with another Chimera goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, courtesy of Laich and Fehr. Washington won 5-2 on an empty net goal by Marcus Johansson, his eighteenth of the season, set up by Troy Brouwer. The three stars went to Ovechkin, Chimera, and Fehr, while Laich gets an honorable mention.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces former backup Anton Khudobin in goal. Boston started in the first period on a Ryan Spooner goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by David Pastrnak and Adam McQuaid. Carolina tied it in the second period on a Nathan Gerbe goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Chris Terry and Danny Biega. The Bruins won 2-1 with a Pastrnak goal in overtime, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Carl Soderberg and Torey Krug. The three stars were Pastrnak, Rask (30 for 31 in saves), and Spooner.

Back north, the New York Islanders bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek is mismatched with Jaroslav Halak in goal. Detroit quickly was first to score in the first period on a Tomas Tatar goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, coming off of Danny DeKeyser. The Red Wings added on with a Drew Miller goal, his fifth of the year, via Tomas Jurco and Luke Glendening. New York got on the board with a Brock Nelson power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Lubomir Visnovsky and Travis Hamonic. The Islanders tied it with a Ryan Strome goal, his sixteenth of the year, with a lone assist by John Tavares. New York gained the lead on a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Tavares and Nick Leddy. Detroit pulled even again on a Niklas Kronwall goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone helper from Pavel Datsyuk. Jimmy Howard took over for Mrazek in the second period. The Islanders edged ahead in the second period on a Frans Nielsen power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Tavares, who got a sock trick, and Leddy. New York extended the lead as Cal Clutterbuck scored a shorthanded and unassisted goal, his seventh of the year. The Red Wings got one back as Datsyuk scored a power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, with the help of Tatar and Marek Zidlicky. The scoring dried up here, with the game ending at 5-4. The three stars were handed to Tavares, Tatar, and Datsyuk, while Leddy gets an honorable mention.

Into Canada, as the Ottawa Senators host the Florida Panthers. Dan Ellis and Craig Anderson are the journeymen goalies. Florida got going in the second period on a Jaromir Jagr power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Dmitry Kulikov. The Panthers added on with a Jussi Jokinen power play goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Dave Bolland and Brian Campbell. Ottawa got on the board in the third period with an Erik Karlsson power play goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Mark Stone and Kyle Turris. Florida shot back on a Jagr goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, made possible by Huberdeau. The Senators chipped back on a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Mike Hoffman and Cody Ceci. The Panthers iced it at 4-2 on a Bolland shorthanded and empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Willie Mitchell. The three stars belonged to Jagr, Bolland, and Huberdeau.

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators welcome the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Pekka Rinne are the Finnish goalies. Nashville opened in the first period on a Roman Josi goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Michael Santorelli and Calle Jarnkrok. Calgary tied it on a Lance Bouma goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Mikael Backlund. The Flames took the lead on a Kris Russell goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Sean Monahan and Jiri Hudler. Calgary added on in the second period with a Michael Ferland goal, assisted by Drew Shore and Matt Stajan. The Flames extended the lead as Hudler scored his twenty-eighth of the year, with the help of Deryk Engelland. The Predators got one back in the third period with a Seth Jones goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Mike Ribeiro and Josi. Calgary finished it at 5-2 on a Bouma empty net goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, set up by Hudler and Engelland. The three stars were awarded to Hudler, Bouma, and Josi, while Engelland gets an honorable mention.

East to New Jersey, as the Devils bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Cory Schneider are the masked men. Anaheim led off in the first period on a Ryan Kesler goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of James Wisniewski. The Ducks added on in the third period with a Francois Beauchemin goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Kyle Palmieri and Tomas Fleischmann. New Jersey got on the board with a Dainius Zubrus goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Andy Greene and Patrik Elias. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars belonging to Gibson (26 for 27 in saves), Beauchemin, and Kesler.

Backtracking to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins host the San Jose Sharks. Alex Stalock and Marc-Andre Fleury are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Patric Hornqvist goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, passed from Daniel Winnik and Ian Cole. The Penguins added on with a Chris Kunitz power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Sidney Crosby and Derrick Pouliot. San Jose got on the board in the second period with a Ben Smith goal, his seventh of the season, via Justin Braun and Barclay Goodrow. The Sharks tied it with a Logan Couture power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Patrick Marleau and Brent Burns. In the shootout, David Perron and Crosby scored to lift Pittsburgh to a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Crosby, Kunitz, and Hornqvist.

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Ondrej Pavelec are the veteran goalies. Chicago began in the first period on an Andrew Shaw power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Brandon Saad and Duncan Keith. Winnipeg tied it in the second period on a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming on the power play unassisted. The Jets took the lead on a shorthanded goal by Blake Wheeler, his twenty-fifth of the season, set up by Tyler Myers and Andrew Ladd. The Blackhawks retied it as Brad Richards scored his twelfth of the year, with the help of Johnny Oduya and Antoine Vermette. Winnipeg took the lead back on another Byfuglien power play goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, guided in by Ladd and Drew Stafford. Chicago evened it in the third period on a Patrick Sharp goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Jonathan Toews goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, helped along by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Marian Hossa. The final was 4-3, and the three stars were Byfuglien, Sharp, and Ladd.

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