Eight games on tonight, beginning with...
The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Eddie Lack are the backups in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period on a Mike Cammalleri goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Tyler Kennedy. The Devils added on with an Adam Henrique power play goal in the second period, his twelfth of the year, powered by Lee Stempniak and John Moore. New Jersey extended the lead as Stephen Gionta scored, thanks to Brian O'Neill and Kennedy. Carolina got on the board with a Brad Malone goal, his second of the season, made possible by Jay McClement. The Devils replied with a Jacob Josefson goal, via Cammalleri. New Jersey padded the lead with a Cammalleri goal in the third period, his ninth of the year and second of the game, coming off of Patrik Elias and Moore. The three stars of the 5-1 game went to Cammalleri, Kennedy, and Moore.
Up in New York, the Rangers welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov faces a lesser foe in Antti Raanta in goal. Colorado got going in the second period on a Chris Wagner goal, his third of the season, made possible by Jack Skille and Tyson Barrie. The Avalanche added on with a Matt Duchene goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Gabriel Landeskog and Carl Soderberg. New York got on the board with a third period Oscar Lindberg goal, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Derick Brassard and Rick Nash. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Duchene, Varlamov (24 for 25 in saves), and Wagner.
Over to Detroit, with the Red Wings hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Jimmy Howard are the underrated goalies. Detroit led off in the first period on a Justin Abdelkader goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Dylan Larkin. The Red Wings added on with a Niklas Kronwall goal, his second of the year, coming off of Tomas Tatar and Pavel Datsyuk. Detroit extended the lead as Gustav Nyquist scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Darren Helm and Mike Green. Anders Lindback replaced Smith for the second period. Arizona got on the board with a Jordan Martinook goal, his third of the year, passed from Steve Downie and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Red Wings replied on a Danny DeKeyser goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Jonathan Ericsson and Datsyuk. Detroit finished it at 5-1 with a Helm goal in the third period, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Helm, Howard (26 for 27 in saves), and Datsyuk.
Into Montreal, with the Canadiens bringing in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Mike Condon draw the starts. Washington started in the first period on a Tom Wilson goal, his second of the season, guided in by Brooks Laich. Montreal tied it on a second period goal by Lars Eller, his seventh of the year, via Alex Galchenyuk and Tomas Plekanec. The Capitals retook the lead on a T.J. Oshie goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Nicklas Backstrom and Matt Niskanen. The Canadiens tied it again with a Brian Flynn shorthanded goal in the third period, his third of the year, set up by Paul Byron and Jeff Petry. Washington took the lead again with Oshie's second of the game and eighth of the campaign, coming off of Karl Alzner and Alex Ovechkin. The final stood from here at 3-2, with the three stars being Oshie, Holtby (33 for 35 in saves), and Flynn.
Along to Ottawa, with the Senators hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Craig Anderson are the goalies. Ottawa began in the first period on a Mike Hoffman goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Kyle Turris and Bobby Ryan. The Senators added on with a Ryan power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Erik Karlsson and Hoffman. Chicago got on the board with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Duncan Keith and Artemi Panarin. The Blackhawks tied it on a Panarin goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Kane and Artem Anisimov. Ottawa regained the lead on a Mark Stone goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Karlsson and Ryan on the power play. Chicago retied it on an Anisimov goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Kane and Panarin. The Senators won 4-3 with a Hoffman goal in overtime, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, with a lone helper by Karlsson, who got a sock trick. The three stars were Hoffman, Kane, and Karlsson, while Panarin, Ryan, and Anisimov get the honorable mentions.
Down in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Florida struck first in the first period on a Quinton Howden goal, his third of the season, assisted by Connor Brickley and Willie Mitchell. The Panthers added on with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal in the second period, his second of the year, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Steven Kampfer. Nashville got on the board with a Roman Josi goal, his fifth of the campaign, helped along by Craig Smith and Colin Wilson. The scored held at 2-1, with the three stars going to Luongo (32 for 33 in saves), Huberdeau, and Howden.
North to Minnesota, with the Wild hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Devan Dubnyk are the reliable goalies. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Matt Dumba power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Jared Spurgeon and Charlie Coyle. The final was 1-0, with the three stars being Dubnyk (28 save shutout), Dumba, and Reimer (27 for 28 in saves).
Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Ryan Miller protect the nets. Vancouver was first to score in the first period on an Alexander Edler goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. Dallas tied it on a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his third of the year, via Patrik Nemeth. The Stars took the lead in the second period on a Tyler Seguin goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, assisted by Nichushkin and Alex Goligoski. The Canucks retied it in the third period with a Jannik Hansen goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Henrik Sedin. Dallas took the lead again with a Patrick Sharp goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Goligoski. The Stars won 4-2 on an unassisted empty net goal by Jason Spezza, his eleventh of the campaign. The three stars were Nichushkin, Henrik Sedin, and Goligoski.
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Friday, December 4, 2015
Thursday, December 3, 2015
2015/16 KHL Season - Day 91
Five games are on the slate here today, beginning with...
Avangard Omsk hosting Medvescak Zagreb. Danny Taylor and Dominik Furch are in goal. Omsk led off in the first period on an Valentin Pyanov goal, passed from Denis Kulyash and Alexander Perezhogin. Avangard added on with an Alexander Chernikov goal, via Yury Petrov and Valery Vasilyev. Omsk extended the lead in the second period as Jonas Ahnelov scored, thanks to Perezhogin and Martin Erat. Gasper Kroselj replaced Taylor in goal at this time. Zagreb got one back on a Gilbert Brule goal, with a lone helper by Patrick Bjorkstrand. Avangard replied on another Pyanov goal, assisted by Perezhogin, who got a sock trick, and Erat. Omsk padded the lead with a third period goal by Ilya Zubov, helped along by Denis Parshin. Medvescak replied with an unassisted Brule goal, his second of the game. Zagreb got closer on a Tomas Mertl goal, with a lone assist provided by Edwin Hedberg. Avangard iced it at 6-3 on a Chernikov goal, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Pyanov, Perezhogin, and Chernikov, while Brule and Erat get the honorable mentions.
Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana welcomes Slovan Bratislava. Michael Garnett and Jan Laco are in goal. Bratislava began in the first period with a Ziga Jeglic power play goal, powered by Lubomir Visnovsky and Rok Ticar. Astana tied it on a Maxim Khudyakov goal, passed from Brandon Bochenski and Alexander Lipin. Barys took the lead on an Ilya Lobanov goal, via Ilya Solarev. Slovan tied it on a Vaclav Nedorost goal, guided in by Lukas Kaspar. Astana retook the lead in the second period on a Kevin Dallman power play goal, assisted by Nigel Dawes and Bochenski. Bratislava replied with a Pavol Skalicky goal, with a lone assist from David Skokan. Barys took the lead again on a Roman Starchenko power play goal, fueled by Khudyakov and Konstantin Pushkaryov. Slovan tied it again with a Tomas Starosta goal, helped along by Visnovsky and Ticar. In overtime, Astana won 5-4 on a Khudyakov goal, coming off of Dawes. The three stars went to Khudyakov, Dawes, and Bochenski, and Visnovsky and Ticar get the honorable mentions.
Back in Russia, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosts Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Vitaly Kolesnik are the veteran goalies. Cherepovets struck first in the first period on an Anatoly Nikontsev goal, via Ondrej Nemec. Yaroslavl tied it in the second period on a Vladislav Kartayev power play goal, powered by Pavel Koledov and Emil Galimov. Lokomotiv took the lead with another Kartayev power play goal in the third period, made possible by Vladislav Gavrikov and Galimov. Yaroslavl added on with a Jiri Novotny goal, courtesy of Denis Mosalyov and Andrei Loktionov. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kartayev, Kolesnik (18 for 19 in saves), and Galimov.
Down to Kazan, where Ak Bars brings in Jokerit Helsinki. Henrik Karlsson and Emil Garipov man the nets. Kazan was first to score in the first period on an Alexander Svitov goal, passed from Dmitry Arkhipov. Helsinki tied it on a Brandon Kozun goal, via Jesse Joensuu in the second period. Ak Bars took the lead back with an Albert Yarullin power play goal, powered by Yakov Rylov. Kazan added on as Svitov scored his second of the game, with the help of Vasily Tokranov. Ak Bars capped it at 4-1 with a Mikhail Varnakov empty net goal in the third period, set up by Justin Azevedo. The three stars belonged to Svitov, Garipov (27 for 28 in saves), and Yarullin.
Finally, the Sochi Leopards host Dinamo Riga. Joacim Eriksson faces a lesser foe in Dmitry Shikin in goal. Riga got going in the second period on an unassisted goal by Gunars Skvorcovs. Sochi tied it on a Denis Kazionov goal, guided in by Vadim Shchegolkov and Dmitry Kazionov. Dinamo retook the lead in the third period as Guntis Galvins scored a power play goal, powered by Ville Leino. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Eriksson (34 for 35 in saves), Galvins, and Skvorcovs.
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Avangard Omsk hosting Medvescak Zagreb. Danny Taylor and Dominik Furch are in goal. Omsk led off in the first period on an Valentin Pyanov goal, passed from Denis Kulyash and Alexander Perezhogin. Avangard added on with an Alexander Chernikov goal, via Yury Petrov and Valery Vasilyev. Omsk extended the lead in the second period as Jonas Ahnelov scored, thanks to Perezhogin and Martin Erat. Gasper Kroselj replaced Taylor in goal at this time. Zagreb got one back on a Gilbert Brule goal, with a lone helper by Patrick Bjorkstrand. Avangard replied on another Pyanov goal, assisted by Perezhogin, who got a sock trick, and Erat. Omsk padded the lead with a third period goal by Ilya Zubov, helped along by Denis Parshin. Medvescak replied with an unassisted Brule goal, his second of the game. Zagreb got closer on a Tomas Mertl goal, with a lone assist provided by Edwin Hedberg. Avangard iced it at 6-3 on a Chernikov goal, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Pyanov, Perezhogin, and Chernikov, while Brule and Erat get the honorable mentions.
Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana welcomes Slovan Bratislava. Michael Garnett and Jan Laco are in goal. Bratislava began in the first period with a Ziga Jeglic power play goal, powered by Lubomir Visnovsky and Rok Ticar. Astana tied it on a Maxim Khudyakov goal, passed from Brandon Bochenski and Alexander Lipin. Barys took the lead on an Ilya Lobanov goal, via Ilya Solarev. Slovan tied it on a Vaclav Nedorost goal, guided in by Lukas Kaspar. Astana retook the lead in the second period on a Kevin Dallman power play goal, assisted by Nigel Dawes and Bochenski. Bratislava replied with a Pavol Skalicky goal, with a lone assist from David Skokan. Barys took the lead again on a Roman Starchenko power play goal, fueled by Khudyakov and Konstantin Pushkaryov. Slovan tied it again with a Tomas Starosta goal, helped along by Visnovsky and Ticar. In overtime, Astana won 5-4 on a Khudyakov goal, coming off of Dawes. The three stars went to Khudyakov, Dawes, and Bochenski, and Visnovsky and Ticar get the honorable mentions.
Back in Russia, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosts Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Vitaly Kolesnik are the veteran goalies. Cherepovets struck first in the first period on an Anatoly Nikontsev goal, via Ondrej Nemec. Yaroslavl tied it in the second period on a Vladislav Kartayev power play goal, powered by Pavel Koledov and Emil Galimov. Lokomotiv took the lead with another Kartayev power play goal in the third period, made possible by Vladislav Gavrikov and Galimov. Yaroslavl added on with a Jiri Novotny goal, courtesy of Denis Mosalyov and Andrei Loktionov. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kartayev, Kolesnik (18 for 19 in saves), and Galimov.
Down to Kazan, where Ak Bars brings in Jokerit Helsinki. Henrik Karlsson and Emil Garipov man the nets. Kazan was first to score in the first period on an Alexander Svitov goal, passed from Dmitry Arkhipov. Helsinki tied it on a Brandon Kozun goal, via Jesse Joensuu in the second period. Ak Bars took the lead back with an Albert Yarullin power play goal, powered by Yakov Rylov. Kazan added on as Svitov scored his second of the game, with the help of Vasily Tokranov. Ak Bars capped it at 4-1 with a Mikhail Varnakov empty net goal in the third period, set up by Justin Azevedo. The three stars belonged to Svitov, Garipov (27 for 28 in saves), and Yarullin.
Finally, the Sochi Leopards host Dinamo Riga. Joacim Eriksson faces a lesser foe in Dmitry Shikin in goal. Riga got going in the second period on an unassisted goal by Gunars Skvorcovs. Sochi tied it on a Denis Kazionov goal, guided in by Vadim Shchegolkov and Dmitry Kazionov. Dinamo retook the lead in the third period as Guntis Galvins scored a power play goal, powered by Ville Leino. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Eriksson (34 for 35 in saves), Galvins, and Skvorcovs.
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Wednesday, December 2, 2015
2015-16 NHL Season - Day 56
Four games on today, beginning with...
The Winnipeg Jets hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Garret Sparks and Connor Hellebuyck are the young goalies. Toronto was first to score in the first period on a Michael Grabner goal, assisted by Daniel Winnik and Nick Spaling. Winnipeg tied it on a Drew Stafford goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Mark Scheifele and Mathieu Perreault. The Jets took the lead on a Stafford power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, powered by Nikolaj Ehlers and Scheifele. Winnipeg added on with a Scheifele goal in the third period, his ninth of the campaign, courtesy of Perreault and Ben Chiarot. The Jets extended the lead as Andrew Ladd scored his seventh of the season, with the help of Tyler Myers. Winnipeg padded the lead on a Bryan Little goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets iced it at 6-1 on an Anthony Peluso goal, passed from Andrew Copp and Jacob Trouba. The three stars were Stafford, Scheifele, and Perreault.
Back east, the New York Islanders welcome their rivals from Manhattan, the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jaroslav Halak tend the twines. The Islanders dented the scoreboard in the second period on a John Tavares power play goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Kyle Okposo and Johnny Boychuk. The Rangers tied it on a Viktor Stalberg goal, his third of the year, guided in by Marc Staal and Dominic Moore. The tie went to a shootout, where Okposo's tally gave the Islanders a 2-1 win. The three stars were awarded to Okposo, Halak (33 for 34 in saves), and Lundqvist (36 for 37 in saves).
Out west, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Anders Nilsson are the Scandinavian goalies. Edmonton got going in the second period on a Mark Letestu shorthanded goal, his third of the season, set up by Matt Hendricks and Andrej Sekera. Boston tied it on a Torey Krug goal, his second of the year, via Patrice Bergeron and Adam McQuaid. The Oilers retook the lead in the third period on a Hendricks goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Letestu and Lauri Korpikoski. The Bruins retied it on a Zdeno Chara goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by David Krejci and Loui Eriksson. In the shootout, a tally by Jordan Eberle gave the Oilers the 3-2 win. The three stars were Hendricks, Letestu, and Nilsson (38 for 40 in saves).
Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and John Gibson are in goal. Tampa Bay got started in the second period with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his second of the season, fueled by Vladislav Namestnikov and Jason Garrison. Anaheim tied it on a Corey Perry goal, his ninth of the year, via Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell. The Lightning took the lead back on a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his second of the season, a power play goal made possible by Drouin and Valtteri Filppula. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Drouin, Marchessault, and Bishop (32 for 33 in saves).
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The Winnipeg Jets hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Garret Sparks and Connor Hellebuyck are the young goalies. Toronto was first to score in the first period on a Michael Grabner goal, assisted by Daniel Winnik and Nick Spaling. Winnipeg tied it on a Drew Stafford goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Mark Scheifele and Mathieu Perreault. The Jets took the lead on a Stafford power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, powered by Nikolaj Ehlers and Scheifele. Winnipeg added on with a Scheifele goal in the third period, his ninth of the campaign, courtesy of Perreault and Ben Chiarot. The Jets extended the lead as Andrew Ladd scored his seventh of the season, with the help of Tyler Myers. Winnipeg padded the lead on a Bryan Little goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets iced it at 6-1 on an Anthony Peluso goal, passed from Andrew Copp and Jacob Trouba. The three stars were Stafford, Scheifele, and Perreault.
Back east, the New York Islanders welcome their rivals from Manhattan, the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jaroslav Halak tend the twines. The Islanders dented the scoreboard in the second period on a John Tavares power play goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Kyle Okposo and Johnny Boychuk. The Rangers tied it on a Viktor Stalberg goal, his third of the year, guided in by Marc Staal and Dominic Moore. The tie went to a shootout, where Okposo's tally gave the Islanders a 2-1 win. The three stars were awarded to Okposo, Halak (33 for 34 in saves), and Lundqvist (36 for 37 in saves).
Out west, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Anders Nilsson are the Scandinavian goalies. Edmonton got going in the second period on a Mark Letestu shorthanded goal, his third of the season, set up by Matt Hendricks and Andrej Sekera. Boston tied it on a Torey Krug goal, his second of the year, via Patrice Bergeron and Adam McQuaid. The Oilers retook the lead in the third period on a Hendricks goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Letestu and Lauri Korpikoski. The Bruins retied it on a Zdeno Chara goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by David Krejci and Loui Eriksson. In the shootout, a tally by Jordan Eberle gave the Oilers the 3-2 win. The three stars were Hendricks, Letestu, and Nilsson (38 for 40 in saves).
Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and John Gibson are in goal. Tampa Bay got started in the second period with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his second of the season, fueled by Vladislav Namestnikov and Jason Garrison. Anaheim tied it on a Corey Perry goal, his ninth of the year, via Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell. The Lightning took the lead back on a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his second of the season, a power play goal made possible by Drouin and Valtteri Filppula. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Drouin, Marchessault, and Bishop (32 for 33 in saves).
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The Problem(s) With All-Star Game Fan Voting
If the post title didn't make it explicitly clear, I can't stand fan votes for All-Star games. This is rooted in my history of playing a lot of fantasy sports, and knowing who is statistically deserving or undeserving on a year-to-year basis, rather than which under-performing and marketable star will occupy the spot. I've seen a lot of bad choices for the NHL, MLB, and MLS, but this is the cost that comes with giving the fans a hand in the process. You're going to get lousy results because the casual or moderate fan will not take their time to make a choice. I may have no right to complain about any of this, because I rarely cast a vote myself in All-Star votes. Still, there are three major problems with these votes.
1. The fans do not pick the most deserving players
As mentioned above, a lot of times the players who are definite stars in the league get in the All-Star Game, regardless of worthiness. This year, it wouldn't be a shock to see Sidney Crosby representing the Metropolitan Division despite having arguably the worst statistical season of his career, just because he's the face of hockey. Ditto Anze Kopitar in the Pacific Division. While there are better choices on their own teams and certainly in the division at large, fans vote for big names whether they should or not.
2. Joke Votes
There have been joke votes in probably every balloting system in human history. From Mickey Mouse for President of the United States to the poor kid who didn't realize what a can of laughter his election to the Homecoming Court at my high school was, there will always be people who advance a candidate for the sole purpose of being a clown. This year, the King of the Clowns is John Scott, face-puncher extraordinaire. I don't ask for much out of the All-Star Game, especially in the NHL, but if you can't propose a player without smirking, maybe you shouldn't vote for that player. If being at least an arguable star is no longer a requirement for the All-Star Game, the branding needs to be updated to reflect that. Might I propose "Game of Random Players Who Had Nothing Better to Do This Weekend."
3. The League is a better judge of which players should participate
Rare is it for a fan to have actual faith in their favorite league's decision-making process, but here we go. I think the NHL can fill out all the rosters just fine without any help from the fans. At the very least, let the general managers or coaches, who see these players on a day-to-day basis, make the majority of the decisions for the teams. It seems like a novel concept, but people will have a central target to whine about when their favorite player is left off the teams. As far as I see it, nothing will ever replace the Fantasy Draft system in creating teams, so the league doing all of the work is the next best option. I understand they already do most of it. It's more that that fan vote stirs up so much emotion for so little of the game that it would be better off for the league to do it all themselves.
If we're going to participate in this as it is, it would be fair if I gave my opinion of who deserved to be in the All-Star Game. Here's how I see it breaking down.
Metropolitan Division
Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Mike Cammalleri, Claude Giroux, John Tavares, John Carlson, Justin Faulk, Keith Yandle, Henrik Lundqvist, Braden Holtby.
Atlantic Division
Max Pacioretty, Patrice Bergeron, Tomas Plekanec, Brad Marchand, Dylan Larkin, Mike Hoffman, Erik Karlsson, P.K. Subban, Dion Phaneuf, Ben Bishop, Roberto Luongo.
Central Division
Patrick Kane, Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Nathan MacKinnon, Vladimir Tarasenko, James Neal, John Klingberg, Dustin Byfuglien, Ryan Suter, Jake Allen, Devan Dubnyk.
Pacific Division
Daniel Sedin, Taylor Hall, Joe Pavelski, Jeff Carter, Henrik Sedin, Corey Perry, Brent Burns, Drew Doughty, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Martin Jones, Jonathan Quick.
The three teams here that are not represented are Calgary, Columbus, and Buffalo. In the case of Calgary, their best bet would be Johnny Gaudreau replacing Jeff Carter, which would also make the 3-on-3 aspect more exciting. The Buffalo Sabres could make a case for Rasmus Ristolainen to be included over Dion Phaneuf, but that would take away the Maple Leafs representative. Columbus really doesn't have anyone that should be in the All-Star Game, as I see it. Let me know what you think in the comments.
1. The fans do not pick the most deserving players
As mentioned above, a lot of times the players who are definite stars in the league get in the All-Star Game, regardless of worthiness. This year, it wouldn't be a shock to see Sidney Crosby representing the Metropolitan Division despite having arguably the worst statistical season of his career, just because he's the face of hockey. Ditto Anze Kopitar in the Pacific Division. While there are better choices on their own teams and certainly in the division at large, fans vote for big names whether they should or not.
2. Joke Votes
There have been joke votes in probably every balloting system in human history. From Mickey Mouse for President of the United States to the poor kid who didn't realize what a can of laughter his election to the Homecoming Court at my high school was, there will always be people who advance a candidate for the sole purpose of being a clown. This year, the King of the Clowns is John Scott, face-puncher extraordinaire. I don't ask for much out of the All-Star Game, especially in the NHL, but if you can't propose a player without smirking, maybe you shouldn't vote for that player. If being at least an arguable star is no longer a requirement for the All-Star Game, the branding needs to be updated to reflect that. Might I propose "Game of Random Players Who Had Nothing Better to Do This Weekend."
3. The League is a better judge of which players should participate
Rare is it for a fan to have actual faith in their favorite league's decision-making process, but here we go. I think the NHL can fill out all the rosters just fine without any help from the fans. At the very least, let the general managers or coaches, who see these players on a day-to-day basis, make the majority of the decisions for the teams. It seems like a novel concept, but people will have a central target to whine about when their favorite player is left off the teams. As far as I see it, nothing will ever replace the Fantasy Draft system in creating teams, so the league doing all of the work is the next best option. I understand they already do most of it. It's more that that fan vote stirs up so much emotion for so little of the game that it would be better off for the league to do it all themselves.
If we're going to participate in this as it is, it would be fair if I gave my opinion of who deserved to be in the All-Star Game. Here's how I see it breaking down.
Metropolitan Division
Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Mike Cammalleri, Claude Giroux, John Tavares, John Carlson, Justin Faulk, Keith Yandle, Henrik Lundqvist, Braden Holtby.
Atlantic Division
Max Pacioretty, Patrice Bergeron, Tomas Plekanec, Brad Marchand, Dylan Larkin, Mike Hoffman, Erik Karlsson, P.K. Subban, Dion Phaneuf, Ben Bishop, Roberto Luongo.
Central Division
Patrick Kane, Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Nathan MacKinnon, Vladimir Tarasenko, James Neal, John Klingberg, Dustin Byfuglien, Ryan Suter, Jake Allen, Devan Dubnyk.
Pacific Division
Daniel Sedin, Taylor Hall, Joe Pavelski, Jeff Carter, Henrik Sedin, Corey Perry, Brent Burns, Drew Doughty, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Martin Jones, Jonathan Quick.
The three teams here that are not represented are Calgary, Columbus, and Buffalo. In the case of Calgary, their best bet would be Johnny Gaudreau replacing Jeff Carter, which would also make the 3-on-3 aspect more exciting. The Buffalo Sabres could make a case for Rasmus Ristolainen to be included over Dion Phaneuf, but that would take away the Maple Leafs representative. Columbus really doesn't have anyone that should be in the All-Star Game, as I see it. Let me know what you think in the comments.
2015/16 KHL Season - Day 90
Four games were played today, beginning with...
Salavat Yulaev Ufa hosting Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Niklas Svedberg are in goal. Ufa opened in the first period on a Nikolai Prokhorkin goal, assisted by Maxim Mayorov and Teemu Hartikainen. Salavat Yulaev added on with a power play goal by Alexander Loginov, powered by Linus Omark and Sami Lepisto. Ufa extended the lead in the second period as Dmitry Makarov scored, thanks to Loginov and Hartikainen. Ilya Samsonov replaced Koshechkin in goal at this time. Salavat Yulaev padded the lead on an Igor Grigorenko goal, via Omark and Andreas Engqvist. Ufa kept going on an Artyom Chernov goal, with a lone assist from Prokhorkin. Magnitogorsk got on the board with a Sergei Mozyakin goal, fueled by Chris Lee and Wojtek Wolski. Metallurg got closer in the third period on a Denis Osipov goal, guided in by Tomas Filippi and Danis Zaripov. Salavat Yulaev finished it at 6-2 with an Anton Lazarev goal, helped along by Engqvist. The three stars went to Loginov, Hartikainen, and Prokhorkin, while Omark and Engqvist get the honorable mentions.
Over in Nizhny Novgorod, Torpedo welcomes Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Andrei Kareyev and Mikhail Biryukov are in the creases. Novokuznetsk got going in the second period on an Andrei Karavayev goal, passed from Alexei Razumov and Stanislav Butuzov. Metallurg added on with a Roman Manukhov goal, assisted by Kirill Kaprizov and Robert Kousal on the power play. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board with a Carter Ashton goal, via Nikolai Zherdev and Sergei Kostitsyn. Torpedo tied it in the third period with a Maxim Osipov goal, fueled by Zherdev and Kostitsyn. Novokuznetsk retook the lead with an Ignat Zemchenko goal, guided in by Manukhov and Alexander Komaristy. Metallurg iced it at 4-2 with a Kirill Lebedev empty net goal, set up by Evgeny Orlov and Mark Skutar. The three stars were handed to Manukhov, Zherdev, and Kostitsyn.
West to St. Petersburg, where SKA brings in Spartak Moscow. Atte Engren and Igor Shestyorkin are called on to start. St. Petersburg started in the first period with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, assisted by Alexander Kadeikin and Anton Burdasov. SKA added on with a Jarno Koskiranta goal, via Evgeny Ketov and Anton Belov in the second period. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Nikita Gusev scored a power play goal, powered by Vadim Shipachyov. SKA padded the lead on an unassisted Shipachyov goal. St. Petersburg continued in the third period with an Evgeny Dadonov goal, made possible by Gusev and Vyacheslav Voynov. This made it 5-0, the final, with the three stars going to Gusev, Shestyorkin (31 save shutout), and Shipachyov.
Finally, Dinamo Minsk hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Kevin Lalande protect the nets. Novosibirsk drew first blood on an Alexei Kopeikin goal, via Maxim Shalunov in the first period. Minsk tied it in the third period on a Ryan Gunderson power play goal, powered by Alexander Materukhin and Nick Bailen. Dinamo took the lead on a Jonathan Cheechoo goal, coming off of Bailen. Sibir tied it with an Andrej Meszaros goal, guided in by Tomas Vincour and Calle Ridderwall. Novosibirsk won 3-2 in overtime with another Meszaros goal, assisted by Konstantin Alexeyev and Oleg Gubin. The three stars went to Meszaros, Bailen, and Kopeikin.
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Salavat Yulaev Ufa hosting Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Niklas Svedberg are in goal. Ufa opened in the first period on a Nikolai Prokhorkin goal, assisted by Maxim Mayorov and Teemu Hartikainen. Salavat Yulaev added on with a power play goal by Alexander Loginov, powered by Linus Omark and Sami Lepisto. Ufa extended the lead in the second period as Dmitry Makarov scored, thanks to Loginov and Hartikainen. Ilya Samsonov replaced Koshechkin in goal at this time. Salavat Yulaev padded the lead on an Igor Grigorenko goal, via Omark and Andreas Engqvist. Ufa kept going on an Artyom Chernov goal, with a lone assist from Prokhorkin. Magnitogorsk got on the board with a Sergei Mozyakin goal, fueled by Chris Lee and Wojtek Wolski. Metallurg got closer in the third period on a Denis Osipov goal, guided in by Tomas Filippi and Danis Zaripov. Salavat Yulaev finished it at 6-2 with an Anton Lazarev goal, helped along by Engqvist. The three stars went to Loginov, Hartikainen, and Prokhorkin, while Omark and Engqvist get the honorable mentions.
Over in Nizhny Novgorod, Torpedo welcomes Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Andrei Kareyev and Mikhail Biryukov are in the creases. Novokuznetsk got going in the second period on an Andrei Karavayev goal, passed from Alexei Razumov and Stanislav Butuzov. Metallurg added on with a Roman Manukhov goal, assisted by Kirill Kaprizov and Robert Kousal on the power play. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board with a Carter Ashton goal, via Nikolai Zherdev and Sergei Kostitsyn. Torpedo tied it in the third period with a Maxim Osipov goal, fueled by Zherdev and Kostitsyn. Novokuznetsk retook the lead with an Ignat Zemchenko goal, guided in by Manukhov and Alexander Komaristy. Metallurg iced it at 4-2 with a Kirill Lebedev empty net goal, set up by Evgeny Orlov and Mark Skutar. The three stars were handed to Manukhov, Zherdev, and Kostitsyn.
West to St. Petersburg, where SKA brings in Spartak Moscow. Atte Engren and Igor Shestyorkin are called on to start. St. Petersburg started in the first period with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, assisted by Alexander Kadeikin and Anton Burdasov. SKA added on with a Jarno Koskiranta goal, via Evgeny Ketov and Anton Belov in the second period. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Nikita Gusev scored a power play goal, powered by Vadim Shipachyov. SKA padded the lead on an unassisted Shipachyov goal. St. Petersburg continued in the third period with an Evgeny Dadonov goal, made possible by Gusev and Vyacheslav Voynov. This made it 5-0, the final, with the three stars going to Gusev, Shestyorkin (31 save shutout), and Shipachyov.
Finally, Dinamo Minsk hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Kevin Lalande protect the nets. Novosibirsk drew first blood on an Alexei Kopeikin goal, via Maxim Shalunov in the first period. Minsk tied it in the third period on a Ryan Gunderson power play goal, powered by Alexander Materukhin and Nick Bailen. Dinamo took the lead on a Jonathan Cheechoo goal, coming off of Bailen. Sibir tied it with an Andrej Meszaros goal, guided in by Tomas Vincour and Calle Ridderwall. Novosibirsk won 3-2 in overtime with another Meszaros goal, assisted by Konstantin Alexeyev and Oleg Gubin. The three stars went to Meszaros, Bailen, and Kopeikin.
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Tuesday, December 1, 2015
2015-16 NHL Season - Day 55
Ten games line the schedule tonight, beginning with...
The New Jersey Devils hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Reto Berra and Cory Schneider are in the creases. Colorado got going in the second period on a Matt Duchene goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Erik Johnson and the goalie Berra. The Avalanche added on with a Tyson Barrie goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Jack Skille. New Jersey got on the board with a third period goal by Kyle Palmieri, his ninth of the season, helped along by Travis Zajac. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Berra (27 for 28 in saves), Barrie, and Duchene.
Northwest to Detroit, with the Red Wings welcoming the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Petr Mrazek receive the starting nods. Detroit led off in the first period on a Tomas Tatar goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Mike Green and Gustav Nyquist. The Red Wings added on with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his sixth of the year, via Jonathan Ericsson and Danny DeKeyser. Buffalo got on the board with an Evander Kane goal, his third of the season, coming off of Ryan O'Reilly and Rasmus Ristolainen. Detroit answered in the second period on a Drew Miller goal, courtesy of Abdelkader and Luke Glendening. The Sabres replied with a Zemgus Girgensons power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Ristolainen and Matt Moulson. Buffalo tied it on Kane's second of the game and fourth of the season, a power play goal helped along by Brian Gionta and Ristolainen, the latter getting a sock trick. The Sabres took the lead as Zach Bogosian scored, thanks to Girgensons and Ristolainen. The Red Wings retied it on an Abdelkader power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with assists provided by Nyquist and Niklas Kronwall. In the shootout, Detroit's Brad Richards scored the only goal for a 5-4 Red Wings win. The three stars went to Ristolainen, Abdelkader, and Kane, while Nyquist and Girgensons get the honorable mentions.
Into Quebec, where the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Mike Condon are the streaky goalies. Montreal was first to score in the first period on a Paul Byron goal, his third of the season, made possible by Christian Thomas and Nathan Beaulieu. Columbus tied it on a Nick Foligno goal, his second of the year, coming off of Ryan Johansen. The Canadiens took the lead on a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, powered by Dale Weise and P.K. Subban. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Pacioretty, Condon (22 for 23 in saves), and Byron.
Over in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Craig Anderson are the veteran goalies. Philadelphia struck first in the first period on a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Claude Giroux and Brayden Schenn. Ottawa tied it on a Zack Smith goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone helper by Cody Ceci. The Flyers regained the lead with a second period goal by Evgeny Medvedev, passed from Sean Couturier and Michael Del Zotto. The Senators tied it again with a Mike Hoffman goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Bobby Ryan and Kyle Turris. Philadelphia gained the lead again on a Wayne Simmonds goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Couturier and Brandon Manning. The Flyers iced it at 4-2 in the third period on a Couturier empty net goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Simmonds. The three stars were handed to Couturier, Simmonds, and Medvedev.
Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Corey Crawford protect the nets. Minnesota began in the first period on a Jason Pominville goal, his second of the season, guided in by Mikael Granlund and Jared Spurgeon. Chicago tied it on a Patrick Kane power play goal in the second period, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Duncan Keith. The Wild retook the lead in the third period on a Ryan Suter goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Granlund and Zach Parise. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars being Dubnyk (30 for 31 in saves), Granlund, and Crawford (34 for 36 in saves).
Down in St. Louis, the Blues bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Jake Allen guard the cages. Florida dented the scoreboard with a second period goal by Brandon Pirri, his fifth of the season, made possible by Aleksander Barkov and Willie Mitchell. The Panthers added on with a Derek MacKenzie goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. St. Louis got on the board with a David Backes goal, his sixth of the season, via Robby Fabbri and Colton Parayko. Florida replied with another unassisted MacKenzie goal, his second of the season and third of the year. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars awarded to MacKenzie, Luongo (29 for 30 in saves), and Pirri.
East to Nashville, with the Predators hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. Arizona opened in the first period on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Max Domi and Mikkel Boedker. Nashville tied it with a second period Calle Jarnkrok power play goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Shea Weber and Filip Forsberg. The Coyotes retook the lead on a Kyle Chipchura goal, his third of the season, passed from Boyd Gordon and Zbynek Michalek. The Predators tied it again in the third period as Mike Ribeiro scored his third of the year, with the help of Cody Hodgson. Nashville gained the lead on a Forsberg goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Craig Smith and Weber. The Predators added on with a Forsberg goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, assisted by Ribeiro and Weber. Nashville iced it at 5-2 with a James Neal empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, going in unassisted.
Out in Alberta, the Calgary Flames welcome the Dallas Stars. Antti Niemi and Karri Ramo are the Finnish goalies. Dallas started in the first period on a Jason Spezza goal, his tenth of the season, via Jordie Benn. The Stars added on with a Cody Eakin goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Jyrki Jokipakka and Valeri Nichushkin. Dallas extended the lead as Mattias Janmark scored his fourth of the season in the second period, with the help of Johnny Oduya and Jason Demers. Calgary got on the board with a Mikael Backlund goal in the third period, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Flames pulled closer with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Sean Monahan and T.J. Brodie. Calgary tied it with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his third of the year, helped along by Monahan and Dennis Wideman. The tie went to a shootout, where Joe Colborne, Gaudreau, and Monahan topped Patrick Sharp to give the Flames a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Monahan, Gaudreau, and Hamilton.
Down to Los Angeles, where the Kings bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with a Daniel Sedin power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Henrik Sedin and Yannick Weber. Los Angeles tied it with a third period Drew Doughty power play goal, his third of the year, assisted by Nick Shore and Marian Gaborik. The Kings won 2-1 with an Anze Kopitar goal in overtime, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Jeff Carter. The three stars were Quick (15 for 16 in saves), Kopitar, and Doughty.
Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Martin Jones are the solid goalies. Pittsburgh got started in the first period on a Phil Kessel goal, his eighth of the season, via Evgeni Malkin and David Perron. The Penguins added on with a second period Matt Cullen goal, his second of the year, coming off of Brian Domoulin and Eric Fehr. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Malkin scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Chris Kunitz. San Jose got on the board with a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Joe Pavelski and Joel Ward. The Penguins answered with a Perron power play goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Kunitz and Beau Bennett. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-1 with a Kessel empty net goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, set up by Malkin and Ian Cole. The three stars went to Malkin, Kessel, and Fleury (33 for 34 in saves), while Perron and Kunitz get the honorable mentions.
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The New Jersey Devils hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Reto Berra and Cory Schneider are in the creases. Colorado got going in the second period on a Matt Duchene goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Erik Johnson and the goalie Berra. The Avalanche added on with a Tyson Barrie goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Jack Skille. New Jersey got on the board with a third period goal by Kyle Palmieri, his ninth of the season, helped along by Travis Zajac. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Berra (27 for 28 in saves), Barrie, and Duchene.
Northwest to Detroit, with the Red Wings welcoming the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Petr Mrazek receive the starting nods. Detroit led off in the first period on a Tomas Tatar goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Mike Green and Gustav Nyquist. The Red Wings added on with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his sixth of the year, via Jonathan Ericsson and Danny DeKeyser. Buffalo got on the board with an Evander Kane goal, his third of the season, coming off of Ryan O'Reilly and Rasmus Ristolainen. Detroit answered in the second period on a Drew Miller goal, courtesy of Abdelkader and Luke Glendening. The Sabres replied with a Zemgus Girgensons power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Ristolainen and Matt Moulson. Buffalo tied it on Kane's second of the game and fourth of the season, a power play goal helped along by Brian Gionta and Ristolainen, the latter getting a sock trick. The Sabres took the lead as Zach Bogosian scored, thanks to Girgensons and Ristolainen. The Red Wings retied it on an Abdelkader power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with assists provided by Nyquist and Niklas Kronwall. In the shootout, Detroit's Brad Richards scored the only goal for a 5-4 Red Wings win. The three stars went to Ristolainen, Abdelkader, and Kane, while Nyquist and Girgensons get the honorable mentions.
Into Quebec, where the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Mike Condon are the streaky goalies. Montreal was first to score in the first period on a Paul Byron goal, his third of the season, made possible by Christian Thomas and Nathan Beaulieu. Columbus tied it on a Nick Foligno goal, his second of the year, coming off of Ryan Johansen. The Canadiens took the lead on a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, powered by Dale Weise and P.K. Subban. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Pacioretty, Condon (22 for 23 in saves), and Byron.
Over in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Craig Anderson are the veteran goalies. Philadelphia struck first in the first period on a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Claude Giroux and Brayden Schenn. Ottawa tied it on a Zack Smith goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone helper by Cody Ceci. The Flyers regained the lead with a second period goal by Evgeny Medvedev, passed from Sean Couturier and Michael Del Zotto. The Senators tied it again with a Mike Hoffman goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Bobby Ryan and Kyle Turris. Philadelphia gained the lead again on a Wayne Simmonds goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Couturier and Brandon Manning. The Flyers iced it at 4-2 in the third period on a Couturier empty net goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Simmonds. The three stars were handed to Couturier, Simmonds, and Medvedev.
Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Corey Crawford protect the nets. Minnesota began in the first period on a Jason Pominville goal, his second of the season, guided in by Mikael Granlund and Jared Spurgeon. Chicago tied it on a Patrick Kane power play goal in the second period, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Duncan Keith. The Wild retook the lead in the third period on a Ryan Suter goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Granlund and Zach Parise. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars being Dubnyk (30 for 31 in saves), Granlund, and Crawford (34 for 36 in saves).
Down in St. Louis, the Blues bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Jake Allen guard the cages. Florida dented the scoreboard with a second period goal by Brandon Pirri, his fifth of the season, made possible by Aleksander Barkov and Willie Mitchell. The Panthers added on with a Derek MacKenzie goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. St. Louis got on the board with a David Backes goal, his sixth of the season, via Robby Fabbri and Colton Parayko. Florida replied with another unassisted MacKenzie goal, his second of the season and third of the year. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars awarded to MacKenzie, Luongo (29 for 30 in saves), and Pirri.
East to Nashville, with the Predators hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. Arizona opened in the first period on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Max Domi and Mikkel Boedker. Nashville tied it with a second period Calle Jarnkrok power play goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Shea Weber and Filip Forsberg. The Coyotes retook the lead on a Kyle Chipchura goal, his third of the season, passed from Boyd Gordon and Zbynek Michalek. The Predators tied it again in the third period as Mike Ribeiro scored his third of the year, with the help of Cody Hodgson. Nashville gained the lead on a Forsberg goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Craig Smith and Weber. The Predators added on with a Forsberg goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, assisted by Ribeiro and Weber. Nashville iced it at 5-2 with a James Neal empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, going in unassisted.
Out in Alberta, the Calgary Flames welcome the Dallas Stars. Antti Niemi and Karri Ramo are the Finnish goalies. Dallas started in the first period on a Jason Spezza goal, his tenth of the season, via Jordie Benn. The Stars added on with a Cody Eakin goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Jyrki Jokipakka and Valeri Nichushkin. Dallas extended the lead as Mattias Janmark scored his fourth of the season in the second period, with the help of Johnny Oduya and Jason Demers. Calgary got on the board with a Mikael Backlund goal in the third period, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Flames pulled closer with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Sean Monahan and T.J. Brodie. Calgary tied it with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his third of the year, helped along by Monahan and Dennis Wideman. The tie went to a shootout, where Joe Colborne, Gaudreau, and Monahan topped Patrick Sharp to give the Flames a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Monahan, Gaudreau, and Hamilton.
Down to Los Angeles, where the Kings bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with a Daniel Sedin power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Henrik Sedin and Yannick Weber. Los Angeles tied it with a third period Drew Doughty power play goal, his third of the year, assisted by Nick Shore and Marian Gaborik. The Kings won 2-1 with an Anze Kopitar goal in overtime, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Jeff Carter. The three stars were Quick (15 for 16 in saves), Kopitar, and Doughty.
Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Martin Jones are the solid goalies. Pittsburgh got started in the first period on a Phil Kessel goal, his eighth of the season, via Evgeni Malkin and David Perron. The Penguins added on with a second period Matt Cullen goal, his second of the year, coming off of Brian Domoulin and Eric Fehr. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Malkin scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Chris Kunitz. San Jose got on the board with a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Joe Pavelski and Joel Ward. The Penguins answered with a Perron power play goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Kunitz and Beau Bennett. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-1 with a Kessel empty net goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, set up by Malkin and Ian Cole. The three stars went to Malkin, Kessel, and Fleury (33 for 34 in saves), while Perron and Kunitz get the honorable mentions.
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2015/16 KHL Season - Day 89
Five games on today, beginning with...
Barys Astana hosting Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Jan Laco guard the cages. Astana got going in the third period on a Mike Lundin power play goal, powered by Nigel Dawes and Kevin Dallman. Moscow tied it on a Juuso Hietanen goal, via Maxim Karpov. The tie went to a shootout, where Roman Starchenko and Dawes overcame a lone tally by Artyom Fyodorov to give Barys the 2-1 win. The three stars went to Dawes, Laco (24 for 25 in saves), and Yeryomenko (26 for 27 in saves).
In Russia, Avangard Omsk welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Dominik Furch protect the nets. Podolsk started in the first period on a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, courtesy of Ilya Davydov and Pavel Lukin on the power play. Omsk tied it with a power play goal by Artur Lauta, powered by Michal Kempny and Martin Erat. Avangard took the lead in the third period on a Sergei Shirikov goal, assisted by Ilya Zubov. Omsk iced it at 3-1 on an empty net goal by Denis Parshin, set up by Zubov and Shirokov. The three stars went to Shirokov, Furch (26 for 27 in saves), and Zubov.
Up to Yekaterinburg, where Avtomobilist hosts Slovan Bratislava. Michael Garnett and Jakub Kovar man the creases. Bratislava opened in the first period on a Lubomir Visnovsky goal, passed from Pavol Skalicky and Patrik Lusnak. Yekaterinburg tied it on an Anatoly Golyshev goal, coming off of Alexander Torchenyuk. Slovan retook the lead on a power play goal by Francis Pare, powered by Cam Barker and Milan Bartovic. Avtomobilist tied it again as Torchenyuk scored, thanks to Alexei Simakov. Yekaterinburg took the lead on an Eero Elo power play goal in the second period, helped along by Simakov and Petr Koukal. Avtomobilist added on with an unassisted goal by Alexander Pankov. Barry Brust replaced Garnett for the third period. Bratislava got one back on a Ladislav Nagy power play goal in the third period, with a lone helper by Visnovsky. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Torchenyuk, Visnovsky, and Simakov.
Next up, Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk brings in the Medvescak Zagreb. Danny Taylor and Vladislav Fokin draw the starts in goal. Zagreb dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Marek Kvapil power play goal, with a lone assist by Milan Jurcina. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it on a Pavel Medvedev goal, passed from Evgeny Lapenkov and Andrei Taratukhin. Yugra took the lead on a Pavel Varfolomeyev goal, guided in by Stanislav Kalashnikov and Andrei Ivanov. Khanty-Mansiysk added on with an Lapenkov goal in the third period, via Andrei Antonov and Varfolomeyev on the power play. Yugra made it 4-1 with an Igor Bortnikov goal, fueled by Denis Gorbunov and Konstantin Panov. This was the final, with the three stars given to Varfolomeyev, Lapenkov, and Fokin (30 for 31 in saves).
Finally, Jokerit Helsinki hosts Lada Togliatti. Edgars Masalskis and Riku Helenius are the masked men. Togliatti drew first blood on an Alexander Bumagin goal, fueled by Tobias Viklund and Yefim Gurkin in the first period on a power play. Lada added on with an Alexander Streltsov goal, courtesy of Vasily Streltsov and Vladimir Malenkikh. Togliatti extended the lead as Vasily Streltsov scored an unassisted goal in the second period. Helsinki got on the board in the third period on a Niko Kapanen goal, assisted by Pekka Jormakka. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Vasily Streltsov, Masalskis (36 for 37 in saves), and Alexander Streltsov.
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Barys Astana hosting Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Jan Laco guard the cages. Astana got going in the third period on a Mike Lundin power play goal, powered by Nigel Dawes and Kevin Dallman. Moscow tied it on a Juuso Hietanen goal, via Maxim Karpov. The tie went to a shootout, where Roman Starchenko and Dawes overcame a lone tally by Artyom Fyodorov to give Barys the 2-1 win. The three stars went to Dawes, Laco (24 for 25 in saves), and Yeryomenko (26 for 27 in saves).
In Russia, Avangard Omsk welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Dominik Furch protect the nets. Podolsk started in the first period on a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, courtesy of Ilya Davydov and Pavel Lukin on the power play. Omsk tied it with a power play goal by Artur Lauta, powered by Michal Kempny and Martin Erat. Avangard took the lead in the third period on a Sergei Shirikov goal, assisted by Ilya Zubov. Omsk iced it at 3-1 on an empty net goal by Denis Parshin, set up by Zubov and Shirokov. The three stars went to Shirokov, Furch (26 for 27 in saves), and Zubov.
Up to Yekaterinburg, where Avtomobilist hosts Slovan Bratislava. Michael Garnett and Jakub Kovar man the creases. Bratislava opened in the first period on a Lubomir Visnovsky goal, passed from Pavol Skalicky and Patrik Lusnak. Yekaterinburg tied it on an Anatoly Golyshev goal, coming off of Alexander Torchenyuk. Slovan retook the lead on a power play goal by Francis Pare, powered by Cam Barker and Milan Bartovic. Avtomobilist tied it again as Torchenyuk scored, thanks to Alexei Simakov. Yekaterinburg took the lead on an Eero Elo power play goal in the second period, helped along by Simakov and Petr Koukal. Avtomobilist added on with an unassisted goal by Alexander Pankov. Barry Brust replaced Garnett for the third period. Bratislava got one back on a Ladislav Nagy power play goal in the third period, with a lone helper by Visnovsky. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Torchenyuk, Visnovsky, and Simakov.
Next up, Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk brings in the Medvescak Zagreb. Danny Taylor and Vladislav Fokin draw the starts in goal. Zagreb dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Marek Kvapil power play goal, with a lone assist by Milan Jurcina. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it on a Pavel Medvedev goal, passed from Evgeny Lapenkov and Andrei Taratukhin. Yugra took the lead on a Pavel Varfolomeyev goal, guided in by Stanislav Kalashnikov and Andrei Ivanov. Khanty-Mansiysk added on with an Lapenkov goal in the third period, via Andrei Antonov and Varfolomeyev on the power play. Yugra made it 4-1 with an Igor Bortnikov goal, fueled by Denis Gorbunov and Konstantin Panov. This was the final, with the three stars given to Varfolomeyev, Lapenkov, and Fokin (30 for 31 in saves).
Finally, Jokerit Helsinki hosts Lada Togliatti. Edgars Masalskis and Riku Helenius are the masked men. Togliatti drew first blood on an Alexander Bumagin goal, fueled by Tobias Viklund and Yefim Gurkin in the first period on a power play. Lada added on with an Alexander Streltsov goal, courtesy of Vasily Streltsov and Vladimir Malenkikh. Togliatti extended the lead as Vasily Streltsov scored an unassisted goal in the second period. Helsinki got on the board in the third period on a Niko Kapanen goal, assisted by Pekka Jormakka. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Vasily Streltsov, Masalskis (36 for 37 in saves), and Alexander Streltsov.
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