NHL April 6th, 2015

Five games on tonight, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Anders Lindback are given the starting nods. Buffalo was first to score in the first period on a Mikhail Grigorenko goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Brian Gionta and Zach Bogosian. The Sabres added on with a Gionta goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. Buffalo extended the lead in the second period as Johan Larsson scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Tyler Ennis and Bogosian. The Sabres padded the lead on an Ennis goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Larsson. Carolina got on the board with a Patrick Dwyer goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Jay McClement and John-Michael Liles. The Hurricanes pulled closer on an Alexander Semin goal, his sixth of the year, via Eric Staal and Liles. Carolina chipped closer with a Staal goal, his twenty-third of the season, an unassisted goal. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Ennis, Larsson, and Gionta, while Staal, Bogosian, and Liles get the honorable mentions.

Down in New York City, the Rangers welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. New York led off in the first period on a Martin St. Louis goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from Jimmy Hayes. Columbus tied it on a Matt Calvert goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Jeremy Morin. The Rangers retook the lead on a Dan Girardi goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, via Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Marko Dano goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Artem Anisimov and Alexander Wennberg. Columbus took the lead in the third period with a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Nick Foligno and Cody Goloubef. New York tied it on a Stepan goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Kreider and J.T. Miller. The Rangers won 4-3 in overtime with another Stepan goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist from Keith Yandle. The three stars went to Stepan, Kreider, and Yandle.

West to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Devan Dubnyk are the inconsistent goalies. Winnipeg struck first in the first period on a Blake Wheeler power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Andrew Ladd and Mathieu Perreault. The Jets added on with a second period goal by Drew Stafford, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Tyler Myers and Mark Scheifele. This was good for a 2-0 win, with the three stars belonging to Pavelec (32 save shutout), Wheeler, and Stafford.

Further to the west, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Eddie Lack are between the pipes. Los Angeles began in the first period on a Dwight King goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli.Vancouver tied it in the third period as Daniel Sedin scored his eighteenth of the year, thanks to Henrik Sedin and Alexander Edler. The Canucks won with a Chris Higgins shootout tally for a 2-1 final. The three stars went to Lack (36 for 37 in saves), Quick (37 for 38 in saves), and Higgins.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Dallas Stars. Jhonas Enroth and Alex Stalock are the backups in goal. Dallas opened in the first period on a Colton Sceviour goal, his ninth of the season, via Jason Demers and Vernon Fiddler. The Stars added on with a Patrick Eaves goal, his twelfth of the year, coming on the power play from Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza. Dallas extended the lead in the second period on a Benn power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Tyler Seguin and Spezza. San Jose got on the board with a Joe Thornton power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Chris Tierney. The Stars shot back on a Benn goal in the third period, his second of the game and thirty-second of the season, with a lone assist by Seguin. Dallas padded the lead with a Ryan Garbutt goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Trevor Daley. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars given to Benn, Seguin, and Spezza.

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Premier League Week 31

Full slate this week, beginning with...

Arsenal hosting Liverpool. Simon Mignolet and David Ospina are in goal. In the thirty-seventh minute, Arsenal began with a Hector Bellerin goal, courtesy of Aaron Ramsey. Arsenal added on with a Mesut Ozil free kick goal in the fortieth minute. Arsenal extended the lead in the forty-fifth minute as Alexis Sanchez scored, thanks to Ramsey. In the forty-ninth minute, Emre Can of Liverpool took a yellow card for a foul. Bellerin of Arsenal had a yellow card for a seventieth minute foul. Liverpool got on the board with a seventy-sixth minute penalty kick goal by Jordan Henderson. In the eighty-fourth minute, Liverpool went to ten men as Can picked up another yellow card for a foul. Arsenal iced it at 4-1 in stoppage time with an Olivier Giroud goal, set up by Sanchez.

Up in Liverpool, Everton welcomes Southampton. Kelvin Davis is mismatched with Tim Howard in goal. In the sixteenth minute, Phil Jagielka scored for Everton on a close range shot, passed from Gareth Barry after a corner kick. In the twenty-first minute, Ryan Bertrand had a yellow card for Southampton. The final stood at 1-0 for Everton.

Over to Leicester City bringing in West Ham United. Adrian and Kasper Schmeichel are the gloved men. Leicester City struck first in the twelfth minute with an Esteban Cambiasso goal. In the fourteenth minute, Carl Jenkinson of West Ham United had a yellow card for a foul. West Ham United tied it in the thirty-second minute as Cheikhou Kouyate scored, thanks to Alexandre Song. West Ham United had two yellow cards in the second half, for Winston Reid in the fifty-third minute and Aaron Cresswell in the eighty-fifth minute, both for fouls. In the eighty-sixth minute, Andy King of Leicester City put them ahead on a close range goal, via Jamie Vardy. The final favored Leicester City 2-1.

Continuing to Manchester, where United hosts Aston Villa. Brad Guzan and David de Gea are between the posts. Manchester United led off in the forty-third minute with an Ander Herrera goal, passed from Daley Blind. Manchester United added on in the seventy-ninth minute with a Wayne Rooney goal, assisted by Angel Di Maria on a cross. Aston Villa got one back with a Christian Benteke goal in the eightieth minute, coming off of Joe Cole's cross after a corner kick. In the eighty-third minute, Aston Villa's Fabian Delph took a yellow card for a foul. Manchester United finished it at 3-1 in stoppage time with another Herrera goal, fueled by Juan Mata.

Out in Wales, Swansea City welcomes Hull City. Allan McGregor and Lukasz Fabianski man the nets. Swansea City started in the eighteenth minute on a Ki Sung-Yueng goal. In the thirty-seventh minute, Bafetimbi Gomis scored for Swansea City. In the forty-seventh minute, Abel Hernandez of Hull City had a yellow card for a foul. Swansea City's Ashley Williams took a yellow card in the forty-eighth minute for a foul. Hull City took a yellow card on a Dame N'Doye offense in the forty-ninth minute. Hull City got on the board in the fiftieth minute with a Paul McShane goal, via Alex Bruce's headed pass after a set piece. In the fifty-third minute, Hull City went down a man when David Meyler received a red card for his foul. Hull City saw a yellow card given to McShane in the fifty-fourth minute, and another to Bruce in the sixty-ninth minute for a foul. Swansea City added on in stoppage time with another Gomis goal, made possible by Gylfi Sigurdsson's through ball on a fast break. The final was 3-1 for Swansea City.

Back in England, West Bromwich Albion brings in the Queens Park Rangers. Robert Green faces a lesser for in Boaz Myhill in goal. QPR was first to score in the fifteenth minute with an Eduardo Vargas goal, coming off of Charlie Austin's headed pass. In the twenty-third minute, Steven Caulker of QPR had a yellow card for a foul. In the thirty-seventh minute, QPR added on with an Austin header goal, set up by Niko Kranjcar after a corner kick. In the forty-third minute, Bobby Zamora scored to extend the QPR lead, with the help of Matthew Phillips. In first half stoppage time, Stephane Sessegnon took a yellow card for West Brom for his foul. West Brom got on the board with a Victor Anichebe header goal, passed from Saido Berahino on a cross. In the seventy-fourth minute, QPR's Joey Barton took a yellow card. West Brom went down a man in the eighty-fourth minute when a red card was assessed to Youssuf Mulumbu for a fight. In the fifth minute of second half stoppage time, Karl Henry of QPR took a yellow card for a foul. QPR padded their lead with a Barton goal later that minute, via Austin. West Brom saw a yellow card given to Chris Brunt a minute later for his foul. The final favored QPR 4-1.

Closing out Saturday's seven, Chelsea hosts Stoke City. Asmir Begovic and Thibaut Courtois are the keepers. Stoke City had two yellow cards in the first half, to Glenn Whelan in the twenty-sixth minute and Ryan Shawcross in the thirty-first minute. In the thirty-ninth minute, Eden Hazard scored on a penalty kick to lead off for Chelsea. Stoke City tied it on a forty-forth minute Charlie Adam goal from midfield, set up by Jonathan Walters. In first half stoppage time, Stephen Ireland of Stoke City took a yellow card for a foul. Chelsea retook the lead in the sixty-second minute on a Loic Remy goal, courtesy of Hazard. Stoke City saw two more yellow cards, for Adam in the sixty-sixth minute and Philipp Wollscheid in the sixty-ninth minute for a foul. In second half stoppage time, Peter Crouch of Stoke City took a yellow card for a foul, as did Chelsea's Didier Drogba for wasting time. Chelsea won 2-1.

The first of two on Sunday had Burnley welcoming Tottenham Hotspur. Michel Vorm and Tom Heaton are in goal. Burnley had two yellow cards in the second half, going to Kieran Trippier for a sixty-eighth minute foul, and to Ben Mee for a seventy-eighth minute foul. The match ended in a 0-0 draw.

The other game saw Sunderland bring in Newcastle United. Tim Krul and Costel Pantilimon are the gloved men. In the thirty-ninth minute, Sunderland's Santiago Vergini took a yellow card for his foul. Newcastle United had a yellow card for a Ryan Taylor foul in the forty-first minute. Sunderland began with a first half stoppage time goal by Jermain Defoe, passed from Steven Fletcher on a headed pass after a set piece. In the sixty-first minute, Jordi Gomez of Sunderland had a yellow card for his foul. Newcastle United took a yellow card on a Jack Colback foul in the sixty-second minute. Sunderland received three more yellow cards, going to Patrick van Aanholt in the sixty-sixth minute, Connor Wickham in the seventy-seventh minute, and Sebastian Larsson in the eighty-first minute, all for fouls. The final stood at 1-0 for Sunderland. 

Finally, Monday had Crystal Palace hosting Manchester City. Joe Hart and Julian Speroni are given the starting nods. Crystal Palace was first to score with a thirty-fourth minute Glenn Murray goal at close range. Crystal Palace had a yellow card given to Damien Delaney in the fortieth minute for a foul. In the forty-eighth minute, Crystal Palace added on with a free kick goal by Jason Puncheon. Puncheon took a yellow card for a fifty-seventh minute handball. Manchester City had a yellow card for a Martin Demichelis foul in the sixty-eighth minute. Manchester City got on the board with a Yaya Toure goal. This only made it 2-1, the final.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

NHL April 5th, 2015

Just five games on today to bring in the last week of the regular season. We begin with the matinee in...

Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Thomas Greiss and Steve Mason are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period on a Brandon Sutter power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by David Perron and Ian Cole. Philadelphia tied it on a power play goal by Jakub Voracek, his twenty-second of the year, courtesy of Mark Streit and Brayden Schenn. The Flyers took the lead in the second period as Schenn scored his seventeenth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Voracek and Streit. Philadelphia added on in the third period with a Ryan White goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Sean Couturier and Michael Raffl. The Flyers extended the lead on a power play goal by Michael Del Zotto, his tenth of the campaign, fueled by Schenn and Claude Giroux. The final was 4-1, with the three stars given to Schenn, Mason (46 for 47 in saves), and Voracek, while Streit gets an honorable mention.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Petr Mrazek draw the starts in goal. Washington was first to score in the first period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Matt Niskanen and Mike Green. The Capitals added on in the second period with a Green goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Tim Gleason and Alex Ovechkin. Detroit got on the board with a Darren Helm power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Pavel Datsyuk and Teemu Pulkkinen. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Green, Holtby (35 for 36 in saves), and Kuznetsov.

Down in Florida, the Panthers host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price faces a lesser foe in Dan Ellis in goal. Montreal began in the first period with a Tomas Plekanec power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Andrei Markov and Alex Galchenyuk. Florida tied it in the second period on an Aaron Ekblad power play goal, his twelfth of the year, via Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. The Canadiens regained the lead as Brendan Gallagher scored his twenty-fourth of the season, with the help of P.K. Subban. Montreal added on with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Jeff Petry. The Canadiens extended the lead as Devante Smith-Pelly scored his sixth of the campaign, thanks to Parenteau. This held up for a 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Parenteau, Price (24 for 25 in saves), and Gallagher.

Northwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Corey Crawford are given the starting nods. Chicago led off in the first period with a Kris Versteeg goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Marian Hossa. St. Louis tied it in the second period on a David Backes power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Jaden Schwartz and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues took the lead on an Olli Jokinen goal, his fourth of the season, via Ty Rattie and Alex Pietrangelo. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Jokinen, Allen (38 for 39 in saves), and Backes.

Finally, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Ottawa Senators. Andrew Hammond and Jonathan Bernier man the creases. Toronto opened in the first period on a Joffrey Lupul goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Eric Brewer and Leo Komarov. Ottawa tied it with an Erik Karlsson power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Kyle Turris and Mark Stone. The Maple Leafs took the lead back on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, courtesy of Peter Holland and Brewer. The Senators tied it again in the third period with a Stone power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Turris and Clarke MacArthur. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Lupul matched Mika Zibanejad before Holland won it 3-2 for the Maple Leafs. The three stars went to Stone, Turris, and Brewer, while Holland and Lupul get the honorable mentions.

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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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