Major League Soccer Week 5

Another eight-game week, beginning with a Friday game in...

DC, as United hosts Orlando City SC. Donovan Ricketts and Bill Hamid are the gloved men. Orlando City's Kevin Molino took a yellow card for a handball in the twenty-seventh minute. DC's Davy Arnaud received a yellow card for a sixtieth minute foul. Orlando City saw Darwin Ceren take a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-fifth minute, followed by an eighty-third minute foul by Carlos Rivas. United struck late on a stoppage time goal by Luis Silva. This stood for a 1-0 win, and Hamid was the man of the match, making five saves to preserve a clean sheet.

The first of five games on Saturday had the Chicago Fire welcoming Toronto FC. Joe Bendik and Jon Busch are in the six-yard boxes. Toronto saw a yellow card go to Warren Creavalle in the fifth minute for a foul. Chicago began on a Joevin Jones goal in the fourteenth minute, passed from Shaun Maloney. Toronto tied it as Sebastian Giovinco scored in the twentieth minute, thanks to Ashtone Morgan. The Fire saw a thirty-second minute yellow card given to Adailton for his foul. Toronto took the lead on a fifty-fourth minute goal by Benoit Cheyrou, via Giovinco. Chicago retied it in the fifty-sixth minute with a Maloney goal, made possible by Harrison Shipp. Toronto went to ten men when Creavalle picked up another yellow card in the sixty-seventh minute for a foul. The Fire took the lead on a sixty-eighth minute goal by Jeff Larentowicz, assisted by Shipp. Chicago's Eric Gehrig received a yellow card for his seventy-third minute foul. Toronto saw a yellow card go to Justin Morrow in the ninetieth minute. Chicago held on for a 3-2 win, with the man of the match being Maloney.

Out west, the Colorado Rapids host the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth and Clint Irwin are the experienced keepers. New England struck first in the eighteenth minute on a Juan Agudelo goal, via Kelyn Rowe. The Revolution saw a yellow card for a twenty-sixth minute handball by Charlie Davies. Colorado had a yellow card for a Marcelo Sarvas foul in the thirty-second minute. New England's Andy Dorman received a yellow card for his thirty-fourth minute foul. The Revolution added to their lead with a Lee Nguyen penalty kick goal in the fifty-fourth minute. The Rapids had yellow cards assessed to Dillon Powers for dissent in the sixtieth minute and Michael Harrington for a sixty-sixth minute foul. New England took a yellow card for Chris Tierney's time wasting in the ninetieth minute. Colorado saw a stoppage time yellow card for Marc Burch's dissent. The final was 2-0, and the man of the match was Shuttleworth for a five-save clean sheet.

Northwest to the Seattle Sounders FC bringing in the Houston Dynamo. Tyler Deric and Stefan Frei are the gloved men. Seattle took a yellow card for an Andy Rose foul in the seventeenth minute. In the thirty-ninth minute, Luis Garrido of Houston took a yellow card for a foul, and Obafemi Martins scored for the Sounders, with the help of Clint Dempsey. In first half stoppage time, Ricardo Clark of the Dynamo took a yellow card for a foul. Houston had another yellow card for a fifty-second minute Jermaine Taylor foul. In the fifty-sixth minute, Seattle went to ten men when Gonzalo Pineda took a red card for his foul. This was it for the game, with the final favoring the Sounders 1-0. Martins was the man of the match.

Up in Vancouver, the Whitecaps FC hosts the Los Angeles Galaxy. Jaime Penedo and David Ousted are the goalies. Vancouver had a yellow card given to Pa Modou Kah in the forty-first minute for a foul. The Whitecaps began with a fifty-sixth minute Kekuta Manneh goal, via Pedro Morales and Russel Teibert. Vancouver saw Sam Adekugbe take a yellow card for his fifty-ninth minute foul. The Whitecaps added on with a Raul Octavio Rivero goal in the sixty-sixth minute. Los Angeles' Gyasi Zardes took a yellow card for an eighty-fifth minute foul. The final stood at 2-0, and the an of the match was Manneh. 

The last of Saturday's games has the Portland Timbers welcoming FC Dallas. Chris Seitz and Adam Larsen Kwarasey are in the six-yard boxes. Dallas had a yellow card go to David Texeira in the fifteenth minute for a foul. Portland started in the twenty-third minute with a Nat Borchers goal, via Jorge Villafana. Dallas tied it in the twenty-ninth minute with a Tesho Akindele goal, fueled by Atiba Harris and Michel. The Timbers retook the lead on a Maximiliano Urruti goal in the sixty-second minute, passed from Dairon Asprilla and Darlington Nagbe. Portland took a yellow card for Liam Ridgewell's dissent in the sixty-fourth minute. Dallas had a yellow card given to Harris in the sixty-fifth minute for his foul. The Timbers finished it at 3-1 with an eighty-seventh minute Diego Chara goal, set up by Fanendo Adi. The man of the match was Urruti.

Starting Sunday, the San Jose Earthquakes host Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and David Bingham are between the posts. San Jose's Innocent Emeghara took a yellow card for his forty-third minute foul. Salt Lake began with a forty-fourth minute goal by Javier Morales. In the sixtieth minute, Chris Wondolowski took a yellow card for dissent. Real had yellow cards given to Olmes Garcia in the seventy-third minute and Ken Mansally in the eighty-second minute, for time wasting. San Jose's Fatai Alashe took a yellow card in stoppage time for a foul. The final stood at 1-0, and Morales was named man of the match.

 Finally, Sporting Kansas City brings in the Philadelphia Union. Rais M'bolhi and Luis Marin are the goalies. Philadelphia received an early gift as Jacob Peterson put the ball in his own net in the third minute for an own goal. Kansas City tied it on a Dominic Dwyer goal in the sixteenth minute, set up by Benny Feilhaber. In the eighteenth minute, Sporting had a yellow card given to Marcel de Jong for a foul. The Union took the lead back on a Fernando Aristeguieta goal in the nineteenth minute, made possible by Sebastien Le Toux. Philadelphia took two yellow cards for fouls, going to Maurice Edu in the sixty-second minute and Brian Carroll in the sixty-eighth minute. Kansas City retied it on a Jalil Anibaba goal in stoppage time, coming off of Roger Espinoza. Sporting won with another goal three minutes later by Krisztian Nemeth, passed from Matt Besler and Feilhaber. The man of the match honor went to Nemeth for the late winner.

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NHL April 4th, 2015

Thirteen games on today, the second of three big Saturdays in a row. We begin with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Cam Ward are the veteran goalies. Carolina started in the first period on an Elias Lindholm goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Jordan Staal and Eric Staal. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with an unassisted Jordan Staal goal, his fifth of the year. Philadelphia got on the board with a power play goal by Michael Raffl, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Sean Couturier and Michael Del Zotto. The Flyers tied it in the third period with a Couturier goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Brayden Schenn and Del Zotto. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Nathan Gerbe and Chris Terry's goals for Carolina topped a Nick Cousins tally for Philadelphia to give the Hurricanes a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Jordan Staal, Couturier, and Del Zotto.

Up in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Pittsburgh opened in the first period on a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, fueled by Patric Hornqvist and Ian Cole. The Penguins added on in the second period as Brandon Sutter scored his eighteenth of the year, thanks to Cole and Nick Spaling. Columbus got on the board with a Nick Foligno goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, passed from Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov. The Blue Jackets tied it with a Matt Calvert goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Marko Dano and Mark Letestu. Columbus gained the lead in the third period on a Foligno goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Dubinsky. The Blue Jackets extended the lead with a Scott Hartnell goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Dano and Alexander Wennberg. Pittsburgh got one back on a Ben Lovejoy goal, his second of the season, helped along by Blake Comeau and Daniel Winnik. Columbus iced it at 5-3 on an empty net goal by Foligno, completing his hat trick on his thirtieth of the year, set up by David Savard and Dubinsky, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars went to Foligno, Dubinsky, and Dano, while Cole gets an honorable mention.

Crossing into Canada, as the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Ondrej Pavelec are in the blue paint. Winnipeg struck first in the first period on a Jim Slater goal, his fifth of the season, via Jiri Tlusty and Toby Enstrom. The Jets added on with a Michael Frolik goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Bryan Little and Mathieu Perreault. Vancouver got on the board with a Henrik Sedin power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Alexander Edler and Daniel Sedin. The Canucks tied it as Daniel Sedin scored his seventeenth of the year, thanks to Radim Vrbata and Dan Hamhuis. Winnipeg pulled ahead on a Lee Stempniak goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Perreault and Tyler Myers. The Jets extended the lead in the second period on a Mark Scheifele goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Blake Wheeler and Jacob Trouba. Vancouver pulled back on an Alexandre Burrows goal, his seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by Kevin Bieksa and Luca Sbisa. Winnipeg shot back on a Stempniak goal in the third period, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, dished from Perreault, who earned a sock trick. Vancouver got one back on a Burrows goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, with helpers provided by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars going to Stempniak, Perreault, and Daniel Sedin, while Henrik Sedin and Burrows get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Bruins host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Tuukka Rask are between the pipes. Boston got going in the second period on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Brad Marchand and David Krejci. Toronto tied it on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, passed from Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner. The Bruins won 2-1 with a Bergeron shootout goal. The three stars were Bergeron, Rask (27 for 28 in saves), and Reimer (49 for 50 in saves).

Down in New York, the Islanders welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Andrey Makarov is mismatched with Jaroslav Halak in goal. New York was first to score in the first period on a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by John Tavares and Frans Nielsen. The Islanders added on in the third period with a Brock Nelson goal, his twentieth of the year, going in unassisted. New York extended the lead as Nikolay Kulemin scored his fourteenth of the season, with the help of Travis Hamonic and Lubomir Visnovsky. This stood for a 3-0 final, with the three stars going to Halak (21 save shutout), Okposo, and Nelson.

Across town, the New York Rangers bring in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. New York began in the first period with a Rick Nash goal, his forty-second of the season, assisted by Mats Zuccarello and Keith Yandle. The Rangers added on with a Yandle goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan. New York extended the lead as Dominic Moore scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Tanner Glass and Jesper Fast. Keith Kinkaid replaced Schneider in goal. The Rangers padded the lead in the second period on a shorthanded Stepan goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Nash and Ryan McDonagh. New York continued in the third period with a Derick Brassard goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Martin St. Louis and Marc Staal. The Rangers kept going with a Moore goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, courtesy of McDonagh and Dan Girardi. New Jersey got on the board with a Tuomo Ruutu goal, his eighth of the season, dished from Mark Fraser and Jordin Tootoo. This made it a 6-1 final, and the three stars were Nash, Yandle, and Moore, while Stepan and McDonagh get honorable mentions.

Back in Canada, the Ottawa Senators host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Andrew Hammond are in the creases. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Mark Stone goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from Clarke MacArthur and Eric Gryba. The Senators added on with a MacArthur power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Erik Karlsson and Mika Zibanejad. Ottawa extended the lead with a Zibanejad power play goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Bobby Ryan and Karlsson. Washington got on the board in the second period with a Marcus Johansson goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Brooks Orpik and John Carlson. The Capitals pulled closer in the third period as Mike Green scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Nicklas Backstrom and Troy Brouwer. Washington tied it with a Brouwer goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Carlson and Eric Fehr. The Senators won 4-3 in overtime with a Kyle Turris goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Zibanejad, MacArthur, and Brouwer, while Karlsson and Carlson get the honorable mentions.

Way south to Florida, as the Panthers welcome their cross-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Roberto Luongo protect the nets. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his forty-first of the season, powered by Tyler Johnson and Nikita Nesterov. The Lightning added on with another Stamkos goal, his second of the game and forty-second of the year, with a lone assist by Ryan Callahan. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the third period with a Callahan goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, helped along by Stamkos. The Lightning padded the lead on Johnson's twenty-seventh of the year, guided in by Jonathan Drouin. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars belonging to Stamkos, Callahan, and Johnson, while Bishop (34 save shutout) gets an honorable mention.

North to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Devan Dubnyk are set to start in goal. Minnesota struck first in the first period on a Zach Parise goal, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by Mikael Granlund and Jason Pominville. Detroit tied it on a Riley Sheahan goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Stephen Weiss and Danny DeKeyser. The Red Wings took the lead in the second period with a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. The Wild retied it in the third period as Parise scored his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, with the help of Pominville and Ryan Suter on the power play. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Nyquist was matched by Pominville, Thomas Vanek evened out Sheahan, and then Darren Helm won it for the Red Wings 3-2. The three stars were handed to Parise, Pominville, and Helm.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators host the Dallas Stars. Jhonas Enroth and Pekka Rinne draw the starts. Nashville opened in the first period on a Filip Forsberg goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, fueled by Mattias Ekholm and Seth Jones. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Travis Moen goal, his third of the year, coming off of Colton Sceviour. The Stars took the lead in the third period with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, powered by John Klingberg and Patrick Eaves. Dallas added on with a Sceviour goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Moen and Alex Goligoski. The Predators got one back on a Ryan Ellis goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Forsberg and James Neal. Nashville tied it on a Neal goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Mike Ribeiro and Gabriel Bourque. The Stars won 4-3 with an overtime penalty shot goal by Cody Eakin, his eighteenth of the campaign, coming after he was slashed by Ekholm. The three stars went to Sceviour, Moen, and Forsberg, while Neal gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Mike Smith are between the pipes. Arizona started in the first period on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming on the power play from Mark Arcobello and John Moore. San Jose tied it on a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Taylor Fedun and Chris Tierney. The Coyotes took the lead back with a Shane Doan power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Michael Stone and Ekman-Larsson. Arizona added on in the second period with another Ekman-Larsson goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, passed from Sam Gagner and Doan. The Sharks replied with a Joe Thornton goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Brent Burns and Melker Karlsson. The Coyotes answered in the third period with an Arcobello goal, his seventeenth of the year, dished from Doan and Tobias Rieder. San Jose pulled back with a Tierney power play goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Matt Irwin and Fedun. The Coyotes iced it at 5-3 with a Gagner empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Martin Erat and David Moss. The three stars were Ekman-Larsson, Doan, and Arcobello, while Gagner, Tierney, and Fedun get the honorable mentions.

North to Edmonton, for a Battle of Alberta between the host Oilers and visiting Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo and Ben Scrivens are the starting goalies, but Ramo got hurt early and was replaced by Jonas Hiller in goal. Calgary was first to score in the first period on a Joe Colborne goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Mason Raymond and Dennis Wideman. The Flames added on in the second period with a Markus Granlund goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Josh Jooris and Wideman. Calgary extended the lead in the third period as Wideman scored a power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Kris Russell and Sean Monahan. The Flames padded the lead with Granlund's second of the game and eighth of the year, made possible by Jooris. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars going to Wideman, Granlund, and Jooris, while Hiller gets an honorable mention for recording 27 saves in relief of Ramo.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Jonathan Quick are the reliable goalies. Los Angeles began in the first period with a Dwight King goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Jeff Carter and Robyn Regehr. Colorado tied it on a Ryan O'Reilly goal in the second period, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Gabriel Landeskog and Alex Tanguay. The Kings took the lead back on an Alec Martinez goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Tyler Toffoli and Carter. Los Angeles won 3-1 with a third period goal by Marian Gaborik, his twenty-sixth of the year, coming off of Anze Kopitar and Regehr. The three stars were given to Regehr, Carter, and Martinez.

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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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