Monday, January 11, 2016

2015/16 KHL Season - Day 119

Seven more games today, beginning in...

Yekaterinburg, with Avtomobilist hosting CSKA Moscow. Ilya Sorokin and Jakub Kovar are the goalies. Yekaterinburg struck first in the first period on a Vitaly Popov goal, via Nikolai Timashov and Kirill Polozov. Moscow tied it on a Roman Lyubimov goal, passed from Igor Makarov. The tie lasted to the shootout, where Lyubimov found the net again, giving CSKA the 2-1 win. The three stars went to Lyubimov, Sorokin (17 for 18 in saves), and Kovar (22 for 23 in saves).

Along to Khanty-Mansiysk, with Yugra welcoming Severstal Cherepovets. Stepan Goryachevskikh and Georgy Gelashvili are the backups in goal. Cherepovets got going in the second period on a Dmitry Kagarlitsky goal, via Mattias Karlsson. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it with an Evgeny Lapenkov goal, guided in by Evgeny Orlov and Mikhail Mamkin. Severstal retook the lead in the third period with an Igor Skorokhodov power play goal, powered by Vadim Berdnikov and Anatoly Nikontsev. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Goryachevskikh (32 for 33 in saves), Skorokhodov, and Kagarlitsky.

West a bit to Togliatti, where Lada brings in Barys Astana. Pavel Poluektov and Edgars Masalskis draw the starts. Astana was first to score in the first period with a Nigel Dawes goal, assisted by Mike Lundin and Dustin Boyd. Togliatti tied it on a Dmitry Vorobyov power play goal, powered by Anton Shenfeld and Anton Krysanov. Barys took the lead on another Dawes goal in the second period, with a lone assist by Brandon Bochenski. Astana added on in the third period with a Bochenski goal, fueled by Dawes and Kevin Dallman. Barys iced it at 4-1 with a Dawes goal, completing his hat trick with the help of Boyd and Bochenski. The three stars were awarded to Dawes, Bochenski, and Boyd.

Next up, Ak Bars Kazan hosts Avangard Omsk. Dominik Furch and Stanislav Galimov guard the cages. Omsk led off in the first period with an Andrei Pervyshin power play goal, powered by Michal Kempny and Anton Burdasov. Avangard added on in the second period on an Ilya Mikheyev goal, fueled by Valentin Pyanov and Pyotr Khokhryakov. Omsk iced it at 3-0 with an empty net goal by Khokhryakov, set up by Jonas Ahnelov in the third period. The three stars went to Furch (24 save shutout), Khokhryakov, and Pervyshin.

Into Moscow, with Spartak bringing in Slovan Bratislava. Barry Brust and Atte Engren are in the blue paint. Bratislava began in the first period with a Vaclav Nedorost goal, assisted by Lukas Kaspar and Tomas Kundratek. Slovan added on with a shorthanded Kaspar goal, set up by Kundratek and Nedorost. Bratislava extended the lead as Andrej Stastny scored in the second period, thanks to Ziga Jeglic and Rok Ticar. Slovan iced it at 4-0 in the third period on another Kaspar goal, coming off of Nedorost and Marek Viedensky. The three stars went to Kaspar, Nedorost, and Brust (22 save shutout).

Up in St. Petersburg, SKA welcomes Medvescak Zagreb. Danny Taylor and Ilya Ezhov are the masked men. St. Petersburg dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Jarno Koskiranta goal, assisted by Joakim Lindstrom and Steve Moses. SKA added on with another Koskiranta goal, made possible by Ilya Kovalchuk and Andrei Kuteikin on the power play. Zagreb got on the board with a third period goal from Andreas Jamtin, with a lone helper by Mark Katic. Medvescak tied it on an unassisted goal by Gilbert Brule. St. Petersburg regained the lead with a Moses goal, via Koskiranta and Maxim Chudinov. Zagreb tied it on a power play goal by Tomas Mertl, powered by Colby Genoway and Radek Smolenak. SKA gained the lead back with a Moses goal, his second of the game, helped along by Kovalchuk and Lindstrom on the power play. St. Petersburg iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Alexander Kadeikin, set up by Pavel Buchnevich and Kovalchuk, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were Moses, Koskiranta, and Kovalchuk, while Lindstrom gets an honorable mention.

Finally, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Mikhail Biryukov and Alexei Murygin are the experienced goalies. Yaroslavl drew first blood in the third period on a Yegor Averin goal, fueled by Daniil Apalkov on the power play. Lokomotiv added on with a Denis Mosalyov goal, coming off of Stanislav Chistov and Ilya Lyubushkin. Yaroslavl iced it at 3-0 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Dmitry Maltsev, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Murygin (27 save shutout), Averin, and Mosalyov.

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Sunday, January 10, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 92

Six games on for today in the NHL, beginning with a matinee in...

Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Connor Hellebuyck draw the starts in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period on a Sam Reinhart goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Johan Larsson and Mike Weber. Winnipeg tied it on a Blake Wheeler goal, his eleventh of the year, via Bryan Little and Drew Stafford. The Sabres retook the lead with a Reinhart power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Jack Eichel. The Jets tied it again with a Mathieu Perreault goal in the second period, his seventh of the season, coming off of Little and Wheeler on the power play. Buffalo regained the lead in the third period on a Marcus Foligno goal, his third of the year, passed from Brian Gionta and Jake McCabe. The Sabres iced it at 4-2 with a Reinhart empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Evander Kane. The three stars went to Reinhart, Wheeler, and Little.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Corey Crawford guard the cages. Chicago began in the first period on a Brandon Mashinter goal, his second of the season, via Ryan Garbutt and Dennis Rasmussen. The Blackhawks added on with a Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Chicago extended the lead in the second period as Marian Hossa scored his sixth of the campaign, thanks to Niklas Hjalmarsson and Jonathan Toews. Colorado got on the board with a Matt Duchene goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Carl Soderberg and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche got closer with a second Duchene goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Alex Tanguay and Nathan MacKinnon. The Blackhawks replied on a Kane power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the campaign, powered by Brent Seabrook and Artem Anisimov. Calvin Pickard replaced Varlamov in goal. Chicago padded the lead with a Toews goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Andrew Shaw and Erik Gustafsson. The Blackhawks kept going with a Hossa goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, dished from Toews and Shaw. Colorado got one back with a third period MacKinnon goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, fueled by Duchene and Nick Holden. The three stars went to Kane, Hossa, and Duchene, while Toews, MacKinnon, and Shaw get the honorable mentions.

East to DC, as the Washington Capitals bring in the Ottawa Senators. Andrew Hammond and Philipp Grubauer are the backups in goal. Washington started in the first period on a Justin Williams goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Andre Burakovsky. The Capitals added on with a T.J. Oshie goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom on the power play. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with an unassisted Mike Hoffman goal, his twentieth of the season. Washington replied on a Zach Sill goal, via Jason Chimera and Karl Alzner. The Capitals extended the lead as Dmitry Orlov scored his fourth of the year, with the help of Nate Schmidt and Backstrom. Washington padded the lead on an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Chimera and Burakovsky. The Capitals kept going in the third period with a Tom Wilson goal, his third of the year, fueled by Chimera, who got a sock trick, and Aaron Ness. Washington finished it at 7-1 with another Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the campaign, with helpers from Backstrom, who got a sock trick, and Oshie. The three stars were awarded to Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Chimera, while Oshie and Burakovsky get the honorable mentions.

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks host the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and John Gibson are in the blue paint. Detroit opened in the first period on a Tomas Tatar goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Anaheim tied it on a Corey Perry goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell. The Red Wings retook the lead in the third period with a Riley Sheahan goal, his seventh of the campaign, with a lone assist from Dylan Larkin. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars given to Mrazek (30 for 31 in saves), Sheahan, and Tatar.

Northeast to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Darcy Kuemper make the starts in goal. New Jersey dented the scoreboard in the third period on an unassisted Adam Henrique goal, his fifteenth of the season. Minnesota tied it on a Zach Parise goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Mikko Koivu and Ryan Suter. The Devils retook the lead with a Jon Merrill goal, passed from Sergey Kalinin and Kyle Palmieri. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Merrill, Henrique, and Schneider (17 for 18 in saves).

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Florida Panthers. Al Montoya and Cam Talbot are the relatively unknown goalies. Florida struck first on a Jaromir Jagr goal, his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Panthers added on with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Brian Campbell. Edmonton got on the board with a Mark Letetstu goal, his sixth of the campaign, fueled by Lauri Korpikoski and Matt Hendricks. They couldn't equalize, losing 2-1, with the three stars given to Montoya (24 for 25 in saves), Huberdeau, and Jagr.

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2015/16 KHL Season - Day 118

The KHL featured seven games for today. We begin with...

Admiral Vladivostok hosting Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vasily Demchenko and Igor Bobkov draw the starts in goal. Chelyabinsk struck first in the first period with an Alexei Kruchinin goal, assisted by Semyon Kokuyov. Vladivostok tied it on an Artyom Podshendyalov power play goal, powered by Geoffrey Kinrade and Konstantin Makarov. Admiral took the lead with another Podshendyalov power play goal in the second period, made possible by Makarov and Artyom Zemchyonok. Traktor tied it on an Andrei Popov goal, passed from Yegor Martynov and Dmitry Pestunov. Vladivostok retook the lead with a Makarov goal, guided in by Mikhail Fisenko and Jonathon Blum. Chelyabinsk tied it again in the third period with an Alexei Petrov goal, fueled by Anton Glinkin and Kokuyov on the power play. Admiral won 4-3 in overtime with a Blum goal, courtesy of Makarov and the goalie Bobkov. The three stars went to Podshendyalov, Blum, and Makarov, while Kokuyov gets an honorable mention.

Up in Khabarovsk, Amur welcomes Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ivan Lisutin and Alexander Pechursky are the goalies. Nizhnekamsk opened in the first period with an Andrei Stas power play goal, powered by Mikhail Zhukov. Neftekhimik added on with a Ryan Stoa goal in the second period, via Zhukov and Stas. Khabarovsk got on the board with an Evgeny Grachyov goal, passed from Niclas Bergfors. Nizhnekamsk replied with a Kirill Lyamin goal, made possible by Igor Polygalov. Amur got one back with a Tomas Zohorna goal in the third period, thanks to Bergfors. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Stas, Zhukov, and Bergfors.

West to Novokuznetsk, where Metallurg brings in Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Vladimir Sokhatsky and Andrei Kareyev are the young goalies. Ufa started in the first period on a Teemu Hartikainen goal, via Filipp Metlyuk and Nikolai Prokhorkin. Salavat Yulaev added on with an Andreas Engqvist goal, coming off of Igor Grigorenko and Linus Omark. Ufa extended the lead as Maxim Mayorov scored, thanks to Hartikainen and Prokhorkin. Vladislav Podyapolsky replaced Kareyev in the second period. Salavat Yulaev padded the lead with a Mikhail Vorobyov goal, guided in by Alexander Nesterov and Artyom Chernov. Novokuznetsk got on the board with an unassisted Robert Kousal goal. Ufa finished it at 5-1 with an Omark power play goal in the third period, powered by Sami Lepisto and Alexander Loginov. The three stars were Hartikainen, Omark, and Prokhorkin.

Nearby in Novosibirsk, Sibir hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Nikita Bespalov draw the starts. Novosibirsk was first to score in the first period on a Maxim Shalunov power play goal, powered by Sergei Shumakov and Vladimir Butuzov. Magnitogorsk tied it on a second period Tomas Filippi power play goal, assisted by Chris Lee and Sergei Mozyakin. Metallurg took the lead in the third period on a Jan Kovar goal, with a lone assist by Mozyakin. Magnitogorsk added on with Kovar's second goal of the game, set up by Mozyakin, who got a sock trick. Metallurg extended the lead with an unassisted Filippi goal, his second of the game. Magnitogorsk padded the lead on a Wojtek Wolski goal, coming off of Mozyakin and Kovar. Metallurg kept going with a Vladislav Kaletnik goal, via Denis Platonov. Sibir got one back with a Stepan Sannikov power play goal, with helpers from Sergei Gimayev and Calle Ridderwall. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars going to Moyakin, Kovar, and Filippi.

Into Moscow, where Dynamo brings in Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Alexander Lazushin protect the nets. Moscow got going in the second period with an Andrei Mironov goal, courtesy of Konstantin Volkov. Riga tied it with an Andris Dzerins power play goal in the third period, powered by Lauris Darzins and Filipp Toluzakov. Dynamo took the lead back on a power play goal by Ilya Nikulin with a lone assist provided by Alexei Tsvetkov. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Nikulin, Lazushin (18 for 19 in saves), and Mironov.

Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk welcomes the Sochi Leopards. Konstantin Barulin and Kevin Lalande are the veterans in goal. Sochi dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Ziyat Paigin goal, guided in by Ben Maxwell. The Leopards added on with a Vadim Shchegolkov goal, with a lone helper by Denis Kazionov. Minsk got on the board with a Konstantin Volkov power play goal, powered by Ryan Gunderson. Dinamo tied it on a Koltsov goal, passed from Ryan Vesce and Jonathan Cheechoo on the power play. In the shootout, Vesce and Maxwell exchanged goals before a Yegor Morozov goal won it 3-2 for Sochi. The three stars went to Koltsov, Vesce, and Maxwell.

Finally, we end back in Russia with Vityaz Podolsk hosting Jokerit Helsinki. Riku Helenius and Oleg Saprykin man the nets. Helsinki drew first blood in the first period on a Topi Jaakola goal, courtesy of Juhamatti Aaltonen and Pekka Jormakka. Podolsk tied it on a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal in the second period, via Denis Abdullin and Pavel Lukin. Jokerit took the lead with a Jormakka goal, helped along by Atte Ohtamaa and Daine Todd. Helsinki added on in the third period on a Brandon Kozun goal, with a lone assist by Pascal Pelletier. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Jormakka, Helenius (21 for 22 in saves), and Kozun.

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Saturday, January 9, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 91

Ten games on today, beginning with a pair of matinees. The first is...

The New York Rangers hosting the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. Washington struck first in the first period on an unassisted Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-third of the season. The Capitals added on in the second period with a Justin Williams goal, his twelfth of the year, via Nate Schmidt. New York got on the board with an Oscar Lindberg goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Dominic Moore and Ryan McDonagh in the third period. The Rangers tied it as Kevin Hayes scored his seventh of the year, thanks to McDonagh and Derick Brassard. New York took the lead with a Viktor Stalberg goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Keith Yandle and Hayes. Washington tied it with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Williams and Matt Niskanen. The Capitals won 4-3 in overtime on an Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the campaign, set up by Schmidt. The three stars belonged to Ovechkin, Williams, and Hayes, while Schmidt and McDonagh get the honorable mentions.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Steve Mason man the nets. Philadelphia got going in the second period on a Michael Raffl goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Sean Couturier and Matt Read. The Flyers added on with an Evgeny Medvedev goal, his third of the year, passed from Read and Michael Del Zotto. Philadelphia extended the lead in the third period as Read scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Mark Streit and Scott Laughton. The Flyers padded the lead with a Couturier goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Radko Gudas and Raffl. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars handed to Read, Mason (20 save shutout), and Raffl, while Couturier gets an honorable mention.

At the usual time, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Mike Condon are in goal. Pittsburgh dented the scoreboard with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin. Montreal tied it on a P.K. Subban goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Andrei Markov and Tomas Plekanec. The Penguins took the lead back with a Bryan Rust goal, via Nick Bonino and Brian Dumoulin. Pittsburgh iced it at 3-1 in the third period with a shorthanded empty net goal by Eric Fehr, his fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Fleury (33 for 34 in saves), Rust, and Hornqvist.

Along to Ontario, where the Ottawa Senators host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Craig Anderson are the veteran goalies. Ottawa was first to score in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Erik Karlsson and Milan Michalek. Boston tied it on a David Pastrnak goal in the second period, his third of the year, coming off of Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron. The Senators won 2-1 with a Mark Stone goal in overtime, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Karlsson and Kyle Turris. The three stars were handed to Karlsson, Anderson (33 for 34 in saves), and Rask (38 for 40 in saves).

Out west, the San Jose Sharks welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Martin Jones are in the creases. San Jose drew first blood in the second period on a Brent Burns goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Paul Martin and Joe Pavelski. The Sharks added on with a Matt Nieto shorthanded goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Tommy Wingels and Burns. San Jose extended the lead as Pavelski scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Tomas Hertl and Joe Thornton. The Sharks padded the lead with a Hertl goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Justin Braun and Thornton. San Jose continued in the third period on a Melker Karlsson goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Chris Tierney and Braun. The Sharks kept going with a Joonas Donskoi goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Wingels and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. San Jose piled on with a Hertl goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, helped along by Braun, who got a sock trick, and Vlasic. The final was 7-0, with the three stars awarded to Hertl, Pavelski, and Braun, while Burns, Thornton, Vlasic, Wingels, and Jones (28 save shutout) get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Joonas Korpisalo receive the starting nods in goal. Carolina led off in the first period with an Andrej Nestrasil power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Kris Versteeg goal, his sixth of the year, via Eric Staal and Justin Faulk. Carolina extended the lead as John-Michael Liles scored his third of the campaign, thanks to Joakim Nordstrom and Jordan Staal. Columbus got on the board with a Cam Atkinson shorthanded goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets got closer in the third period with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Brandon Saad and David Savard. Columbus tied it with a Josh Anderson goal, assisted by Kerby Rychel and Brandon Dubinsky. The Hurricanes won 4-3 in overtime with a Jordan Staal goal, his tenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Jaccob Slavin. The three stars went to Jordan Staal, Liles, and Anderson.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Antti Niemi are the masked men. Minnesota got started in the second period with a Ryan Carter goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Erik Haula and Jarret Stoll. The Wild added on with a Thomas Vanek goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Charlie Coyle. Dallas got on the board in the third period with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, powered by Patrick Sharp and Jason Spezza. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Dubnyk (34 for 35 in saves), Vanek, and Carter.

West to Arizona, with the Coyotes welcoming the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton and Louis Domingue are the unknown goalies. Arizona started in the second period with an Antoine Vermette goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Shane Doan and Tobias Rieder on the power play. The Coyotes added on with a Rieder goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, via Martin Hanzal. Arizona extended the lead on an empty net goal by Rieder, his second of the game and tenth of the season, set up by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Vermette. The Coyotes padded the lead with an unassisted Anthony Duclair goal, his twelfth of the year. The final was 4-0, and the three stars belonged to Rieder, Vermette, and Domingue (26 save shutout).

Up in Vancouver, the Canucks bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jacob Markstrom are the unproven goalies. Tampa Bay opened in the first period on an Alex Killorn goal, his seventh of the season, via Nikita Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov. Vancouver tied it on a Sven Baertschi goal, his seventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Bo Horvat and Yannick Weber. The Lightning took the lead on a third period goal by Valtteri Filppula, his fifth of the season, made possible by Anton Stralman and Ryan Callahan. The Canucks retied it on a Horvat goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Ben Hutton and Alex Biega. Tampa Bay won 3-2 in overtime on a Kucherov goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, coming off of Namestnikov and Stralman. The three stars were awarded to Kucherov, Horvat, and Namestnikov, while Stralman gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Jonathan Quick are the veterans in goal. Los Angeles began in the second period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Milan Lucic. Vancouver tied it on an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his third of the year, guided in by Vladimir Tarasenko and Jori Lehtera. In the shootout, Alexander Steen and Troy Brouwer scored for the Blues, topping Marian Gaborik's tally for the Kings for a 2-1 win. The three stars were Elliott (26 for 27 in saves), Brouwer, and Quick (15 for 16 in saves).

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2015/16 KHL Season - Day 117

Two games on today, with the first being...

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg welcoming Severstal Cherepovets. Roman Smiryagin is mismatched with Jakub Kovar in goal. Cherepovets began in the first period with an Anton Sizov goal, guided in by Artyom Kryukov. Severstal made it 2-0 in the third period on an Ondrej Nemec power play goal, powered by Yury Trubachyov and Andrei Shefer. This was the final score, with the three stars being Smiryagin (29 save shutout), Sizov, and Nemec.

The other game sees Lada Togliatti bring in Avangard Omsk. Denis Kostin and Edgars Masalskis draw the starts in goal. Omsk got going in the second period on a Martin Erat power play goal, powered by Vladimir Sobotka. Avangard iced it at 2-0 with an empty net goal by Ilya Mikheyev, set up by Sobotka. The three stars belonged to Kostin (17 save shutout), Sobotka, and Erat.

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Friday, January 8, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 90

Six games on for tonight, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Anton Forsberg is mismatched with Cam Ward in goal. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Jordan Staal power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Jaccob Slavin and Kris Versteeg. Columbus tied it on a Brandon Dubinsky power play goal in the second period, his seventh of the campaign, helped along by Nick Foligno and Jack Johnson. The Hurricanes retook the lead on an Elias Lindholm goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Noah Hanifin and Versteeg. Carolina added on in the third period as Chris Terry scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Jeff Skinner and Riley Nash. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-1 with a Lindholm empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, set up by Eric Staal. The three stars went to Lindholm, Versteeg, and Ward (35 for 36 in saves).

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Boston Bruins. Jonas Gustavsson and Cory Schneider get the starting nods goal. Boston struck first in the first period on a Frank Vatrano goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jimmy Hayes and Colin Miller. The Bruins added on with a Ryan Spooner goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, helped along by Dennis Seidenberg. New Jersey got on the board with a Bobby Farnham goal, his sixth of the campaign, coming off of Stephen Gionta and Adam Larsson. Boston replied with a Hayes power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Zdeno Chara and Matt Beleskey. The Bruins finished it at 4-1 with a Miller goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Seidenberg and Spooner in the third period. The three stars went to Spooner, Hayes, and Miller, while Seidenberg gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson and Corey Crawford are in the creases. Chicago led off in the first period with a Niklas Hjalmarsson goal, his second of the season, fueled by Erik Gustafsson and Jonathan Toews. Buffalo tied it in the third period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Jamie McGinn. The Blackhawks took the lead back on a Phillip Danault goal, assisted by Duncan Keith and Hjalmarsson. Chicago iced it at 3-1 with a Toews empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Keith. The three stars went to Hjalmarsson, Toews, and Keith.

Northwest to Edmonton, with the Oilers hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Cam Talbot are set to start in goal. Edmonton began in the first period on a Justin Schultz goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist from Jordan Eberle. The Oilers added on with a Benoit Pouliot power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Andrej Sekera. Tampa Bay tied it on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Victor Hedman and Tyler Johnson. The Lightning tied it as Hedman scored his third of the year, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay gained the lead as Steven Stamkos scored his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Hedman and Vladislav Namestnikov. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Hedman, Stamkos, and Kucherov.

South to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Semyon Varlamov guard the cages. Nashville opened in the first period on a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Mattias Ekholm and Mike Ribeiro. Colorado tied it on a Jarome Iginla power play goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Carl Soderberg and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche took the lead as Cody McLeod scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Jack Skille. The Predators tied it in the second period on a Ryan Ellis goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Ekholm and Colin Wilson. Colorado regained the lead with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Soderberg and Blake Comeau. Nashville tied it again as Filip Forsberg scored his eleventh of the year, with the help of Roman Josi and Johansen. The Avalanche regained the lead again in the third period on a Tyson Barrie power play goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Nick Holden and Comeau. Colorado iced it at 5-3 on a Skille empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Holden. The three stars belonged to Skille, Johansen, and Comeau, while Soderberg, Holden, and Ekholm get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and John Gibson are the young goalies. Anaheim started in the first period with a Ryan Kesler goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Jakob Silfverberg and Carl Hagelin. St. Louis tied it on a Ryan Reaves goal in the second period, his second of the year, made possible by Patrik Berglund and Carl Gunnarsson. The Blues took the lead on a Troy Brouwer goal, his eighth of the season, via Joel Edmundson. An injured Allen was replaced by Brian Elliott at this time. St. Louis added on with a Robby Fabbri goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Alex Pietrangelo. The Ducks pulled back on a Corey Perry goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Ryan Getzlaf and Josh Manson. Anaheim tied it in the third period with a Kesler power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, powered by Silfverberg and Hampus Lindholm. In the shootout, Silfverberg and Getzlaf scored, topping Alexander Steen as the Ducks won 4-3. The three stars were Kesler, Silfverberg, and Getzlaf.

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2015/16 KHL Season - Day 116

Another ten-game day for the KHL, beginning in...

Vladivostok, as Admiral hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Igor Bobkov are in goal. Vladivostok got going in the second period with a David Booth goal, coming off of Jonathon Blum. Admiral added on with a Mikhail Fisenko power play goal, powered by Alexander Gorshkov. Nizhnekamsk got on the board with a Denis Kuzmin goal, guided in by Bogdan Yakimov and Nikita Shchitov. Vladivostok wrapped it up at 3-1 with an Artyom Podshendyalov power play goal in the third period, with a lone assist by Konstantin Makarov. The three stars went to Bobkov (32 for 33 in saves), Fisenko, and Podshendyalov.

North to Khabarovsk, where Amur welcomes Traktor Chelyabinsk. Pavel Francouz and Alexander Pechursky man the nets. Khabarovsk struck first in the first period on a Tomas Zohorna goal, via Akim Aliu and Niclas Bergfors. Amur added on with a Dmitry Tarasov goal, with a lone helper from Zohorna. Khabarovsk extended the lead as Rinat Ibragimov scored, thanks to Vladimir Pervushin and Vitaly Atyushov. Vasily Demchenko replaced Francouz in goal. Amur padded the lead on a Zohorna goal, his second of the game, going in unassisted. Khabarovsk continued in the second period with an Alexei Byvaltsev goal, passed from Atyushov and Vyacheslav Ushenin. Chelyabinsk got on the board with a Maxim Yakutsenya goal, assisted by Artyom Borodkin. Traktor got closer with a Martin Ruzicka goal, fueled by Vyacheslav Osnovin and Yegor Martynov. Chelyabinsk chipped away in the third period on a Borodkin goal, set up by Osnovin. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Zohorna, Borodkin, and Atyushov, while Osnovin gets an honorable mention.

West to Novokuznetsk, as Metallurg brings in Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Vladislav Podyapolsky occupy the creases. Magnitogorsk began in the first period with a Tomas Filippi goal, made possible by Sergei Mozyakin. Magnitogorsk added on with an Alexander Semin second period goal, guided in by Denis Platonov and Vladislav Kaletnik. Magnitogorsk extended the lead as Artyom Zhelezkov scored, with the help of Sergei Tereshchenko and the goalie Koshechkin. Magnitogorsk padded the lead in the third period with a Rafael Batyrshin goal, coming off of Semin and Oskar Osala. Andrei Kareyev replaced Podyapolsky. Magnitogorsk continued on a Filippi goal, his second of the game, courtesy of Danis Zaripov and Batyrshin. Magnitogorsk kept going on an Alexei Bereglazov goal, with a lone helper from Wojtek Wolski. Novokuznetsk got on the board with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, fueled by Robert Kousal and Cade Fairchild. Novokuznetsk chipped closer on an Ilya Musin goal, helped along by Kirill Semyonov. Novokuznetsk cut the deficit as Ignat Zemchenko scored, thanks to Kirill Lebedev and Mikhail Plotnikov. Magnitogorsk finished it at 7-3 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Evgeny Timkin. The three stars went to Filippi, Batyrshin, and Semin.

Over in Novosibirsk, Sibir hosts Salavat Yulaev. Niklas Svedberg and Alexander Salak protect the nets. Ufa led off in the first period with an Alexander Loginov goal, guided in by Enver Lisin and Dmitry Makarov. Salavat Yulaev added on with a Nikolai Prokhorkin goal, passed from Maxim Mayorov and Teemu Hartikainen. Novosibirsk got on the board with a Maxim Shalunov goal, coming off of Sergei Shumakov. Sibir tied it with a Vladimir Butuzov goal, assisted by Pavel Kopytin and Oleg Gubin. Ufa regained the lead on a third period Linus Omark goal, courtesy of Igor Grigorenko. Novosibirsk tied it with a Viktor Bobrov goal, helped along by Alexei Kopeikin. Sibir took the lead on a Vitaly Menshikov goal, with assists provided by Shumakov and Georgy Misharin. Salavat Yulaev tied it with a Grigorenko power play goal, powered by Loginov and Omark. Sibir won in the shootout with two Shumakov tallies, topping Hartikainen for the 5-4 win. The three stars went to Shumakov, Grigorenko, and Loginov, while Omark and Hartikainen get the honorable mentions.

Way west to Moscow, with CSKA welcoming SKA St. Petersburg. Igor Shestyorkin and Viktor Fasth draw the starts in goal. St. Petersburg was first to score in the first period on an Alexander Kadeikin goal, helped along by Andrei Kuteikin and Yegor Yakovlev. SKA added on with a Nikita Gusev power play goal, powered by Evgeny Dadonov and Kuteikin. Moscow got on the board with a second period goal by Alexander Radulov, coming off of Jan Mursak and Andrei Svetlakov. CSKA tied it on an Igor Makarov goal, with a lone assist by Mikhail Naumenkov. Moscow gained the lead in the third period on a Bogdan Kiselevich goal, passed from Evgeny Korotkov. CSKA iced it at 4-2 with a Dmitry Kugryshev goal, assisted by Kirill Petrov and Artyom Sergeyev. The three stars went to Kuteikin, Kiselevich, and Kugryshev.

Backtracking to Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo beings in the Sochi Leopards. Konstantin Barulin and Ilya Proskuryakov are the masked men. Nizhny Novgorod started in the first period on a Carl Klingberg goal, via Yury Sergiyenko. Torpedo added on with an Artyom Alyayev goal, passed from Kaspars Daugavins and Alexander Frolov. Sochi got on the board with a Clay Wilson goal, made possible by Ziyat Paigin. Nizhny Novgorod answered with a Carter Ashton goal, set up by Vyacheslav Kulyomin. Torpedo extended the lead in the second period as Daugavins scored, thanks to Ashton and Maxim Kondratyev. Nizhny Novgorod padded the lead with a Frolov goal, courtesy of Daugavins and Dmitry Semin in the third period. This made it 5-1, with the three stars handed to Daugavins, Frolov, and Ashton.

Back west to Podolsk, with Vityaz hosting Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Igor Saprykin are given the starting nods. Riga opened in the first period on a Miks Indrasis goal, assisted by Gunars Skvorcovs. Podolsk tied it with a Nikita Vyglazov goal, via Roman Horak. Dinamo retook the lead in the third period with an unassisted Andris Dzerins goal. Riga iced it at 3-1 with a Skvorcovs goal, made possible by Indrasis. The three stars went to Sedlacek (30 for 31 in saves), Skvorcovs, and Indrasis.

Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Vitaly Kolesnik and Kevin Lalande are between the pipes. Minsk dented the scoreboard in the third period on an Alexander Pavlovich goal, via Konstantin Koltsov. This produced the 1-0 final, with the three stars awarded to Lalande (31 save shutout), Pavlovich, and Kolesnik (19 for 20 in saves).

Up in Finland, Jokerit Helsinki brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Lazushin and Henrik Karlsson play in the blue paint. Helsinki got started in the first period on a Jesse Joensuu power play goal, powered by Peter Regin and Philip Larsen. Moscow tied it on a Juuso Hietanen goal, passed from Andrei Mironov and Alexei Tsvetkov on the power play in the second period. Jokerit regained the lead with a Tim Kennedy goal, courtesy of Pascal Pelletier and Pekka Jormakka. Dynamo tied it on an Ilya Nikulin goal in the third period, helped along by Dmitry Vishnevsky and Konstantin Gorovikov. In the shootout, Hietanen scored the only goal for a 3-2 Dynamo win. The three stars belonged to Hietanen, Nikulin, and Lazushin (27 for 29 in saves).

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb hosts Spartak Moscow. Evgeny Ivannikov and Danny Taylor are the goalies. Zagreb drew first blood in the first period on a Thomas Larkin goal, helped along by Edwin Hedberg. Moscow tied it on a Matthew Gilroy power play goal, powered by Konstantin Glazachev. Spartak took the lead in the second period with a Lukas Radil power play goal, assisted by Glazachev and Gilroy. The game ended 2-1, with the three stars given to Gilroy, Glazachev, and Ivannikov (23 for 24 in saves).

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