Tuesday, February 16, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 124

Eight games on for tonight, beginning in...

Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Eddie Lack receive the starts in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Jordan Staal power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Riley Nash. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Nash power play goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Noah Hanifin and Lindholm. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Jacob Trouba and Tyler Myers. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Nash, Lindholm, and Lack (20 for 21 in saves).

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Cory Schneider are the reliable goalies. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Tyler Kennedy power play goal, powered by John Moore and Reid Boucher. Philadelphia tied it on a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Brayden Schenn and Claude Giroux. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with a Schenn power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Wayne Simmonds and Giroux. The Devils tied it in the third period with a Jordin Tootoo goal, his fourth of the season, via Seth Helgeson. Philadelphia regained the lead with a Simmonds power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, with helpers from Schenn and Giroux, the latter getting a sock trick. The Flyers added on with a Nick Cousins goal, his second of the season, helped along by R.J. Umberger and Ryan White. Philadelphia extended the lead as Jakub Voracek scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Umberger. New Jersey countered with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-first of the season, with a lone assist by David Schlemko. The Flyers answered with a White empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The game ended 6-3 after this final flurry, with the three stars being Schenn, Giroux, and Simmonds, while Umberger gets an honorable mention.

Over in DC, the Washington Capitals host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Philipp Grubauer draw the starts. Los Angeles started in the first period with an Anze Kopitar shorthanded goal, his seventeenth of the season, set up by Dustin Brown and Drew Doughty. Washington tied it in the second period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Dmitry Orlov and Brooks Orpik. The Capitals took the lead in the third period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Justin Williams and Burakovsky. Washington iced it at 3-1 with a Jason Chimera empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Marcus Johansson and Karl Alzner. The three stars went to Burakovsky, Grubauer (39 for 40 in saves), and Kuznetsov.

West to Columbus, with the Blue Jackets bringing in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Joonas Korpisalo are the Finnish goalies. Columbus was first to score in the first period with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his sixth of the season, coming on a penalty shot resulting in a hooking call on Zdeno Chara. Boston tied it on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a Loui Eriksson goal, his twentieth of the campaign, assisted by Torey Krug and David Krejci. The three stars were Eriksson, Rask (28 for 29 in saves), and Chara.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators host the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Craig Anderson are the solid goalies. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Matt Moulson goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Jack Eichel and Zemgus Girgensons. Ottawa tied it with a Ryan Dzingel goal, courtesy of Patrick Wiercioch and Chris Wideman. The Senators won 2-1 in the shootout, with tallies by Kyle Turris and Bobby Ryan. The three stars went to Anderson (38 for 39 in saves), Dzingel, and Lehner (25 for 26 in saves).

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Ben Bishop are the masked men. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Ryan Callahan goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Alex Killorn and Andrej Sustr. San Jose tied it in the second period with a Joel Ward goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Matt Nieto. The Sharks took the lead with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Joe Thornton and Tomas Hertl. The Lightning tied it with a Cedric Paquette goal, his third of the year, via J.T. Brown. San Jose took the lead in the third period with a Nieto goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Patrick Marleau and Ward. The Sharks added on with a Melker Karlsson goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist from Thornton. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Nieto, Ward, and Thornton.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Brian Elliott are the veterans in goal. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his second of the season, via Colton Parayko and Carl Gunnarsson. Dallas tied it with a Mattias Janmark goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Valeri Nichushkin and Alex Goligoski. The Blues won 2-1 in overtime with a Kevin Shattenkirk power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, powered by Paul Stastny and Alexander Steen. The three stars belonged to Shattenkirk, Schwartz, and Elliott (21 for 22 in saves).

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Cam Talbot play in the blue paint. Anaheim drew first blood in the first period with a David Perron power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Sami Vatanen. Edmonton tied it on a second period goal by Leon Draisaitl, his fifteenth of the year, coming on the power play from Lauri Korpikoski and Justin Schultz. The Ducks took the lead on a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Ryan Kesler. The Oilers tied it again with a Taylor Hall goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Jordan Eberle and Connor McDavid. Anaheim took the lead in the third period with a Hampus Lindholm goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Rickard Rakell. The Ducks added on with a shorthanded empty net goal by Andrew Cogliano, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Edmonton got one back with a Benoit Pouliot power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Mark Letestu and Andrej Sekera. Anaheim iced it at 5-3 with a Corey Perry empty net goal, his twenty-third of the year, set up by the goalie Andersen. The three stars went to Lindholm, Cogliano, and Silfverberg.

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2015/16 KHL Season - Day 142

This is the first of the two days with all teams in action for the grand finale of the KHL regular season. The games end on Thursday. We start in...

The Far East, as Amur Khabarovsk hosts Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Alexander Pechursky man the nets. Khabarovsk was first to score in the first period with a Nikolai Skladnichenko power play goal, powered by Evgeny Kurbatov and Nikita Cherepanov. Amur added on with a Niclas Bergfors power play goal in the second period, assisted by Kurbatov and Vyacheslav Ushenin. Khabarovsk extended the lead as Rinat Ibragimov scored, thanks to Alexei Byvaltsev. Vladivostok got on the board with a Kirill Voronin goal, guided in by Alexander Gorshkov. This only made it 3-1, with the three stars going to Pechursky (45 for 46 in saves), Kurbatov, and Bergfors.

Over in Omsk, Avangard welcomes Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Dominik Furch guard the cages. Omsk got going in the third period with an Ilya Zubov goal, coming off of Alexander Perezhogin and Martin Erat. Avangard added on with a Zubov goal, his second of the game, with a lone assist by Erat. Novosibirsk got on the board with a Maxim Ignatovich goal, fueled by Stepan Sannikov. Sibir tied it with a Calle Ridderwall goal, via Oleg Gubin and Ignatovich. In the shootout, David Ullstrom scored to win it 3-2 for Sibir. The three stars went to Zubov, Ignatovich, and Erat.

Into Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev brings in Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Ivan Starostin and Vladimir Sokhatsky draw the starts in goal. Ufa began in the first period with a Nikolai Prokhorkin power play goal, powered by Ivan Vishnevsky. Novokuznetsk tied it on an Alexander Komaristy goal, fueled by Fyodor Polishchuk and Kirill Kaprizov. Salavat Yulaev took the lead back with a Maxim Mayorov goal, passed from Denis Bodrov and Teemu Hartikainen. Ufa got closer with a Prokhorkin goal in the second period, his second of the game, assisted by Vishnevsky and Hartikainen on the power play. Metallurg answered with a Pavel Makarenko goal, courtesy of Timur Fatkullin and Kirill Semyonov. Novokuznetsk tied it with a Semyonov goal in the third period, made possible by Grigory Glebov and Dmitry Starchenko. Metallurg took the lead with a Polishchuk power play goal, with a lone helper from Komaristy. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Polishchuk, Komaristy, and Prokhorkin, while Vishnevsky, Semyonov, and Hartikainen get the honorable mentions.

Next up, Metallurg Magnitogorsk hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vasily Demchenko faces a lesser foe in Ilya Samsonov in goal. Chelyabinsk struck first in the first period with an Alexander Rybakov, helped along by Danil Gubarev. This held up for a 1-0 win, with the three stars given to Rybakov, Demchenko (31 save shutout), and Samsonov (28 for 29 in saves).

Up in Yekaterinburg, Avtomobilist welcomes Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Vladislav Fokin and Igor Ustinsky are the goalies. Yekaterinburg led off in the first period with an Artyom Gareyev goal, passed from Dmitry Megalinsky. Avtomobilist added on with an Alexei Mikhnov goal, coming off of Petr Koukal and Alexei Vasilevsky on the power play. Yekaterinburg extended the lead in the second period with as Kirill Knyazev scored an unassisted goal. This made it 3-0, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Ustinsky (23 save shutout), Gareyev, and Mikhnov.

West a bit to Togliatti, where Lada brings in Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Edgars Masalskis are in goal. Nizhnekamsk opened in the first period with an Igor Volkov goal, coming off of Evgeny Ryasensky. Neftekhimik added on with a Dan Sexton power play goal, powered by Andrei Sergeyev and Igor Polygalov. Togliatti got on the board with a Dmitry Vorobyov goal, with a lone assist by Georgy Belousov. Lada tied it on an Alexei Mastryukov goal, helped along by Evgeny Belokhvostikov and Anton Shenfeld. Nizhnekamsk retook the lead with an unassisted Sexton goal in the second period. Neftekhimik extended the lead on Yegor Milozorov goal, going in unassisted. Togliatti got one back in the third period with a Stanislav Bocharov goal, guided in by Vasily Streltsov and Belokhvostikov. Nizhnekamsk padded their lead with a pair of similar goals, both scored by Bogdan Yakimov with assists provided by Ryasensky and Volkov, the former earning a sock trick. The three stars went to Yakimov, Volkov, and Ryasensky, while Belokhvostikov gets an honorable mention.

Continuing along, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod hosts Severstal Cherepovets. Roman Smiryagin and Mikhail Biryukov occupy the creases. Cherepovets started in the first period with an unassisted goal from Ondrej Nemec. Severstal added on with a Dmitry Moiseyev, coming off of Artyom Vorobyov. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board with an Alexander Budkin goal in the second period, passed from Kaspars Daugavins and Yury Sergiyenko. Torpedo tied it on an Artyom Alyayev power play goal, powered by Daugavins and Dmitry Semin. Cherepovets retook the lead with a Pavel Chernov power play goal, assisted by Igor Skorokhodov and Ilya Khokhlov. Severstal extended the lead as Maxim Trunyov scored in the third period, with the help of Anatoly Nikontsev. Nizhny Novgorod got one back with an Igor Rudenkov goal, made possible by Sergiyenko and Denis Shurakov. Torpedo tied it again with a Nikolai Zherdev goal, helped along by Daugavins, who got a sock trick, and Alexander Frolov. Cherepovets won 5-4 in overtime on a Nemec power play goal, his second of the game, fueled by Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Skorokhodov. The three stars went to Nemec, Daugavins, and Skorokhodov, while Sergiyenko gets an honorable mention.

A little west to Yaroslavl, with Lokomotiv welcoming Medvescak. Gasper Kroselj and Vitaly Kolesnik receive the starting nods in goal. Zagreb struck first in the first period with an Alexandre Bolduc goal, made possible by Patrick Bjorkstrand. Yaroslavl tied it on a Jiri Novotny goal, passed from Staffan Kronwall and Yegor Averin. Lokomotiv took the lead with a Stanislav Chistov goal, assisted by Pavel Koledov and Andrei Loktionov. Medvescak tied it in the third period with a Mike Glumac goal, helped along by Stefano Giliati. Yaroslavl retook the lead with a Denis Mosalyov goal, guided in by Patrik Hersley and Sergei Konkov. Lokomotiv added on with an Averin empty net goal, set up by Daniil Apalkov. This produced the 4-2 final, with the three stars handed to Averin, Mosalyov, and Chistov.

Down in Kazan, Ak Bars brings in Barys Astana. Pavel Poluektov and Stanislav Galimov protect the nets. Kazan led off in the first period with a Justin Azevedo shorthanded goal, going in unassisted. Ak Bars added on with a Fyodor Malykhin goal, guided in by Mikhail Varnakov and Mikhail Sidorov. Jan Laco replaced Poluektov in goal. Kazan extended the lead as Artyom Lukoyanov scored, thanks to Mattias Sjogren and Vladimir Tkachyov. Ak Bars padded the lead in the second period with another Malykhin goal, courtesy of Dmitry Obukhov and Ryan Wilson. Astana got on the board with a Dustin Boyd power play goal, powered by Nigel Dawes and Brandon Bochenski. Barys got closer with a Roman Starchenko goal, with a lone assist by Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev. Kazan shot back with a Vasily Tokranov goal, passed from Alexander Svitov. This made it 5-2, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Malykhin, Lukoyanov, and Galimov (36 for 38 in saves).

Into Moscow, where CSKA hosts Vityaz Podolsk. Igor Saprykin and Viktor Fasth man the nets. Podolsk opened in the first period with a Nikita Vyglazov goal, passed from Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi and Ilya Davydov. Moscow tied it on a Nikita Zaitsev power play goal, powered by Alexander Radulov and Bogdan Kiselevich. Vityaz took the lead with a Roman Horak power play goal in the second period, with a lone helper by Pavel Lukin. Podolsk added on with an Anton Korolyov goal, guided in by Yegor Voronkov. CSKA got one back in the third period with an Artyom Blazhiyevsky goal, assisted by Sergei Andronov and Vladimir Zharkov. Vityaz iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Dmitry Shitikov, going in unassisted. The three stars were Korolyov, Horak, and Vyglazov.

North to Helsinki, where Jokerit welcomes SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Henrik Karlsson. Helsinki began in the first period with a Philip Larsen goal, assisted by Jesse Joensuu and Brandon Kozun. Jokerit added on with an Arturs Kulda goal, coming off of Juhamatti Aaltonen and Ville Lajunen. St. Petersburg got on the board with a Jarno Koskiranta goal, made possible by Sergei Shirokov and Yegor Yakovlev. Helsinki replied in the third period with an Aaltonen goal, helped along by Lajunen and Tim Kennedy. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars being Aaltonen, Karlsson (24 for 25 in saves), and Lajunen.

South to Sochi, with the Leopards bringing in Slovan Bratislava. Michael Garnett and Konstantin Barulin are the veteran goalies. Bratislava started in the first period with a Ladislav Nagy power play goal, powered by Cam Barker and Michal Sersen. Sochi tied it on a Denis Kazionov shorthanded goal in the second period, going in unassisted. The Leopards took the lead with an Andre Petersson goal, assisted by Ben Maxwell on the power play. Sochi added on with another Petersson goal, made possible by Maxwell and Evgeny Skachkov. The Leopards extended the lead as Skachkov scored, with the help of Maxwell and Mikhail Anisin, the former getting a sock trick on the power play goal. Sochi padded the lead in the third period as Petersson finished his hat trick, thanks to Maxwell and Clay Wilson. Slovan got one back with a Pavol Skalicky goal, fueled by Sersen and Lukas Kaspar on the power play. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars being Petersson, Maxwell, and Skachkov, while Sersen receives an honorable mention.

Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk hosts Spartak Moscow. Denis Sinyagin and Jeff Glass have the green light to play goal. Moscow was first to score in the first period with a Dmitry Korobov goal, guided in by Evgeny Bodrov. Minsk tied it on a Matt Ellison goal, coming off of Jonathan Cheechoo and Alexei Kalyuzhny. Dinamo took the lead with a Sergei Drozd goal, with a lone assist by Charles Linglet. Spartak tied it on a Lukas Radil goal, made possible by Alexander Vasilyev. Moscow retook the lead with a Casey Wellman goal, via Vyacheslav Leshchenko and Sergei Shmelyov. Spartak added on in the second period with a Gleb Klimenko goal, fueled by Bodrov and Maxim Potapov. Dmitry Milchakov replaced Glass in goal. Moscow extended the lead as Korobov scored, thanks to Igor Levitsky and Artyom Voronin. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars handed to Korobov, Bodrov, and Wellman.

Finally, Dinamo Riga hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Jakub Sedlacek are the masked men. Riga dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Miks Indrasis goal, helped along by Oskars Cibulskis and Gunars Skvorcovs. This was the only goal in the game, carrying Dinamo to a 1-0 win. The three stars belonged to Indrasis, Sedlacek (25 save shutout), and Yeryomenko (16 for 17 in saves).

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Monday, February 15, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 123

Seven games today, including two Presidents' Day matinees. We begin with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Thomas Greiss are the backups in goal. New York got going in the second period with a Brock Nelson goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Ryan Strome and Johnny Boychuk. The Islanders added on with a Josh Bailey power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Boychuk and Nelson. New York extended the lead as Marek Zidlicky scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas. Detroit got on the board with a Pavel Datsyuk goal, his twelfth of the year, via Gustav Nyquist. The Islanders iced it at 4-1 with a Strome goal, his seventh of the campaign, coming off of John Tavares and Nick Leddy. The three stars went to Nelson, Strome, and Boychuk.

Northwest to Calgary, where the Flames welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen faces former Duck Jonas Hiller in goal. Calgary led off in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Sean Monahan and Jiri Hudler. Anaheim tied it on a Hampus Lindholm power play goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Flames retook the lead with a Dougie Hamilton power play goal, his ninth of the season, via Monahan. The Ducks tied it again with a Mike Santorelli goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Cam Fowler and Kevin Bieksa. Calgary regained the lead with a Hudler goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Gaudreau and Hamilton. Anaheim tied it in the second period with a Corey Perry goal, his twenty-second of the year, with helpers from Fowler and Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks took the lead on a Sami Vatanen power play goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by David Perron and Fowler, the latter getting a sock trick. Anaheim added on with a Rickard Rakell goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Perry and Simon Despres. The Flames chipped back with Hudler's second of the game and ninth of the season, helped along by Gaudreau and Monahan, the latter getting a sock trick. The Ducks replied with a Santorelli goal in the third period, his ninth of the year and second of the game, fueled by Ryan Kesler and Josh Manson. The three stars of the 6-4 game went to Santorelli, Hudler, and Fowler, while Gaudreau, Monahan, Perry, and Hamilton get the honorable mentions.

Southeast to Florida, as the Panthers bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Al Montoya are in the creases. Florida began in the first period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Alex Petrovic and Brian Campbell. Pittsburgh tied it with a Chris Kunitz goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. In the shootout, Bjugstad matched Sidney Crosby, and Jussi Jokinen had the winner for a 2-1 Panthers victory. The three stars went to Bjugstad, Montoya (31 for 32 in saves), and Fleury (27 for 28 in saves).

Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators host the Dallas Stars. Antti Niemi and Carter Hutton are given the starting nods in goal. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis. Dallas tied it on a shorthanded goal by Cody Eakin in the second period, his eleventh of the year, set up by Jamie Benn and Johnny Oduya. The Stars took the lead with an Ales Hemsky goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Mattias Janmark and Valeri Nichushkin. The Predators tied it again with a Filip Forsberg goal, his nineteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Smith. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime with a Janmark goal in the twelfth of the campaign, with helpers provided by Tyler Seguin and John Klingberg. The three stars were Janmark, Smith, and Hemsky.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Scott Darling are the masked men. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Brandon Mashinter goal, his third of the season, an unassisted goal. The Blackhawks added on with an Andrew Shaw power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. Chicago extended the lead in the second period as Brent Seabrook scored his eleventh of the season on the power play, thanks to Shaw and Kane. The Blackhawks padded the lead in the third period with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Kane, who got a sock trick, and Keith. Chicago kept going with a Kane goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, assisted by Artem Anisimov and Panarin. The Blackhawks got another one with a Teuvo Teravainen power play goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Keith, the latter getting a sock trick. Chicago continued with a Viktor Svedberg goal, his second of the season, guided in by Jonathan Toews and Shaw. Toronto got on the board with a Mark Arcobello goal, his third of the year, fueled by P.A. Parenteau and Colin Greening. The Maple Leafs got another back with a Parenteau power play goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Brad Boyes. This made it a 7-2 final, with the three stars awarded to Kane, Keith, and Shaw, while Panarin and Parenteau get the honorable mentions.

Out to Arizona, with the Coyotes welcoming the Montreal Canadiens. Mike Condon and Louis Domingue are the young goalies. Arizona started in the first period with a Martin Hanzal goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Michael Stone and Anthony Duclair. Montreal tied it on a Dale Weise goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Jacob De La Rose and Torrey Mitchell. The Coyotes regained the lead with a Duclair power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Hanzal and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Arizona added on in the second period with a Brad Richardson goal, his sixth of the year, via Ekman-Larsson and Tobias Rieder. The Canadiens answered with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his fifteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Nathan Beaulieu. The Coyotes replied with an Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Max Domi and Hanzal. Arizona extended the lead as Kevin Connauton scored his second of the season, with the help of Kyle Chipchura and Tyler Gaudet. The Coyotes padded the lead with an Antoine Vermette goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Mikkel Boedker and Zbynek Michalek. This made it a 6-2 win, with the three stars being Ekman-Larsson, Hanzal, and Duclair.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Jacob Markstrom play goal. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Zach Parise goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Mikko Koivu. Vancouver tied it on a Christopher Tanev power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Henrik Sedin and Linden Vey. The Wild took the lead with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Erik Haula and Ryan Suter. Minnesota added on with a Justin Fontaine goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, via Haula. The Canucks got one back with a Henrik Sedin power play goal, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Daniel Sedin and Ben Hutton. The Wild replied with a Charlie Coyle power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Spurgeon and Suter. Minnesota extended the lead as Nino Niederreiter scored his tenth of the campaign, with the help of Mikael Granlund and Christian Folin. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Spurgeon, Henrik Sedin, and Haula, while Suter gets an honorable mention.

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Sunday, February 14, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 122

Five games for today's slate, beginning with three matinees. The first is...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Robin Lehner are in the blue paint. Buffalo opened with a Jack Eichel goal, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sabres added on with an Evander Kane goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Sam Reinhart and Josh Gorges. Calvin Pickard replaced Varlamov in goal. Buffalo extended the lead as Reinhart scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Ryan O'Reilly and Jake McCabe. Colorado got on the board with an Erik Johnson goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Mikhail Grigorenko and Jarome Iginla. The Sabres iced it at 4-1 with a Marcus Foligno empty net goal in the third period, his seventh of the campaign, set up by O'Reilly. The three stars went to Reinhart, Lehner (34 for 35 in saves), and O'Reilly.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jhonas Enroth and Keith Kinkaid are the backups in goal. New Jersey led off in the first period with a David Schlemko power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Travis Zajac. This held for a 1-0 win, with the three stars handed to Kinkaid (28 save shutout), Schlemko, and Enroth (17 for 18 in saves).

West to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Petr Mrazek guard the cages. Boston began in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, made possible by Brett Connolly. Detroit tied it with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his eleventh of the year, via Justin Abdelkader and Danny DeKeyser. The Bruins took the lead back on an unassisted Zach Trotman goal, his second of the season. Boston added on with a Loui Eriksson goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of David Krejci and Jimmy Hayes. The Red Wings got one back with a Pavel Datsyuk power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Abdelkader and Brad Richards. Detroit tied it on a Darren Helm goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Xavier Ouellet and Alexey Marchenko. The Red Wings gained the lead with a Datsyuk power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Richards and Zetterberg. Detroit extended the lead as Helm scored his second of the game and seventh of the year, thanks to Marchenko and Kyle Quincey. Jonas Gustavsson took over for Rask at this point. The Bruins got one back with a Dennis Seidenberg goal, passed from Ryan Spooner. Boston tied it in the third period with a Joonas Kemppainen shorthanded goal, his second of the season, set up by Marchand and Krejci. The Red Wings took the lead back with a Zetterberg goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with helpers from DeKeyser and Datsyuk. This held for a 6-5 win, with the three stars going to Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Helm, while Marchand, Abdelkader, Krejci, Richards, DeKeyser, and Marchenko get the honorable mentions.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Ben Bishop man the nets. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Robby Fabbri goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Paul Stastny. The Blues added on with a Patrik Berglund goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, assisted by Tyler Johnson and Victor Hedman. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Elliott (37 for 38 in saves), Berglund, and Fabbri.

Finally, the New York Rangers host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Henrik Lundqvist are between the pipes. New York started in the first period with a Derick Brassard goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Keith Yandle and Dan Girardi. The Rangers added on in the third period with a Derek Stepan goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Mats Zuccarello and Girardi. New York extended the lead with Stepan's second of the game and twelfth of the season, a power play goal powered by Zuccarello and Brassard. Philadelphia got on the board with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jakub Voracek and Shayne Gostisbehere. The three stars of the 3-1 game were Stepan, Brassard, and Lundqvist (21 for 22 in saves), while Girardi and Zuccarello get the honorable mentions.

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2015/16 Premier League Week 26

Full weekend of games, with next weekend being an off one for league play. We begin with Saturday's seven, the first being...

Sunderland hosting Manchester United. David de Gea and Vito Mannone are in goal. Sunderland opened in the third period with a Wahbi Khazri goal. In the thirty-eighth minute, DeAndre Yedlin of Sunderland took a yellow card for a dive. Manchester United tied it with a thirty-ninth minute Anthony Martial goal. John O'Shea of Sunderland had a yellow card for his foul in first half stoppage time. Manchester United saw yellow cards go to Wayne Rooney in the forty-sixth minute, Juan Mata in the fifty-eighth minute, and Michael Carrick in the fifty-ninth minute, all for fouls. Sunderland gained the lead with an eighty-second minute own goal from Manchester United keeper de Gea. This stood for a 2-1 Sunderland win.

Next up, Bournemouth welcomes Stoke City. Jack Butland and Artur Boruc man the nets. In the ninth minute, Stoke City began with a Giannelli Imbula goal. Stoke City saw a yellow card for Mame Biram Diouf in the twenty-first minute for a foul. Marc Pugh of Bournemouth received a yellow card for a foul in the thirty-sixth minute. Stoke City added on with an Ibrahim Afellay goal in the fifty-second minute, set up by Jonathan Walters. Stoke City extended the lead with a fifty-fifth minute Joselu goal, passed from Xherdan Shaqiri. Bournemouth got on the board in the fifty-seventh minute with a Matt Ritchie goal, assisted by Charlie Daniels. Bournemouth had yellow cards for Andrew Surman in the seventy-fourth minute, Simon Francis in the eighty-fifth minute, and Harry Arter in stoppage time, all for fouls. Later in stoppage time, Imbula of Stoke City took a yellow card for his foul. Stoke City won 3-1.

In London, Crystal Palace brings in Watford. Heurelho Gomes and Wayne Hennessey are given the starting nods in goal. Watford struck first with a Troy Deeney penalty kick goal in the sixteenth minute. Crystal Palace tied it with an Emmanuel Adebayor goal in the forty-fifth minute, coming off of Connor Wickham. Mario Suarez of Watford had a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-seventh minute. In the eighty-second minute, Watford took the lead with another Deeney goal. Crystal Palace went down to ten men in stoppage time as Pape Souare took a straight red card. Watford won 2-1.

Up to Everton hosting West Bromwich Albion. Ben Foster and Joel Robles play goal. West Bromwich Albion started in the fourteenth minute with a Salomon Rondon goal, via Jonas Olsson. In the fifty-first minute, Darren Fletcher received a yellow card for West Bromwich Albion. Gareth Barry of Everton took a yellow card for his foul in the sixty-fourth minute. In the seventy-fifth minute, West Bromwich Albion keeper Foster took a yellow card for time wasting. Chris Brunt of West Bromwich Albion took a yellow card for his eighty-third minute foul. West Bromwich Albion claimed a 1-0 win.

Back south a bit, Norwich City welcomes West Ham United. Adrian and John Ruddy are the goalies. West Ham United had yellow cards for James Collins in the twenty-third minute and Pedro Obiang in the thirty-second minute, both for fouls. Norwich City's Steven Naismith had a yellow card for a thirty-third minute foul. Norwich City got going in the fifty-fourth minute with a Robbie Brady goal. Norwich City added on with a Wes Hoolahan goal in the sixty-fifth minute. West Ham United got on the board with a Dimitri Payet goal in the seventy-fourth minute. West Ham United tied it with a Mark Noble goal at the seventy-six minute mark, set up by Payet. In stoppage time, Norwich City's Jonny Howson took a yellow card for a foul. The game ended in a 2-2 draw.

Out in Wales, Swansea City brings in Southampton. Fraser Forster and Lukasz Fabianski are in the six-yard boxes. Southampton saw a yellow card given to Oriol Romeu in the thirty-second minute for his foul. Southampton had a yellow card for a sixty-fourth minute Jordy Clasie foul. Southampton dented the scoreboard in the sixty-ninth minute with a Shane Long goal, set up by James Ward-Prowse. In stoppage time, Ward-Prowse took a yellow card for time wasting. Southampton still won 1-0.

Saturday ends with Chelsea hosting Newcastle United. Robert Elliot and Thibaut Courtois guard the woodwork. Chelsea led off in the fifth minute with a Diego Costa goal, assisted by Willian. Chelsea added on with a ninth minute Pedro goal. In the seventeenth minute, Willian scored, thanks to Costa. Steven Taylor of Newcastle United took a yellow card for his foul in the nineteenth minute. Chelsea padded the lead with a fifty-ninth minute Pedro goal, his second of the game set up by Cesc Fabregas. In the sixty-first minute, Jonjo Shelvey of Newcastle United had a yellow card for his foul. In the eighty-third minute, Chelsea got another with a Bertrand Traore goal, passed from Cesar Azpilicueta. In the ninetieth minute, Newcastle United got on the board with an Andros Townsend goal, via Jack Colback. This only made it a 5-1 win for Chelsea.

On Sunday, the first of three games is Arsenal welcoming Leicester City. Kasper Schmeichel and Petr Cech are the keepers. Arsenal had yellow cards in the first half, for fouls by Francis Coquelin in the thirty-sixth minute and Laurent Koscielny in the forty-fourth minute. Leicester City was first to score in the forty-fifth minute with a Jamie Vardy penalty kick goal. Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey had a yellow card for his foul in first half stoppage time. Leicester City had discipline issues in the second half, with yellow cards for Danny Simpson's foul in the forty-ninth minute, Christian Fuchs' fifty-second minute offense, Simpson again in the fifty-fourth minute for another foul that put Leicester City at ten men, and N'Golo Kante in the fifty-seventh minute for a foul. In the seventieth minute, Theo Walcott scored for Arsenal, with the help of Olivier Giroud to tie the game. In second half stoppage time, Marcin Wasilewski of Leicester City had a yellow card for a foul. A minute later, Danny Welbeck of Arsenal scored, thanks to Mesut Ozil, giving the hosts the lead. Welbeck received a yellow card for excessive celebration, but Arsenal took the game 2-1.

Up to Aston Villa bringing in Liverpool. Simon Mignolet and Mark Bunn are between the posts. Liverpool struck first with a Daniel Sturridge goal in the sixteenth minute, coming off of Philippe Coutinho. Liverpool added on with a James Milner goal in the twenty-fifth minute. In the forty-second minute, Leandro Bacuna of Aston Villa took a yellow card. Liverpool extended the lead in the fifty-eighth minute as Emre Can scored, thanks to Roberto Firmino. In the sixty-third minute, Divock Origi padded the lead with his goal for Liverpool, set up by Coutinho. Ashley Westwood of Aston Villa took a yellow card for his sixty-fifth minute, and later that minute, Nathaniel Clyne got another goal for Liverpool. Kolo Toure of Liverpool added a goal in the seventy-first minute, passed from Jordan Henderson. Jordan Veretout of Aston Villa received a yellow card for his foul in the seventy-seventh minute. Liverpool had a yellow card for an eighty-fourth minute foul by Kevin Stewart. Liverpool won 6-0.

Finally, Manchester City hosts Tottenham Hotspur. Hugo Lloris and Joe Hart are the experienced goalies. Tottenham Hotspur had a yellow card in first half stoppage time for an Eric Dier foul. Vincent Kompany of Manchester City took a yellow card for his forty-sixth minute foul. Tottenham Hotspur cracked the scoresheet with a Harry Kane penalty kick goal in the fifty-third minute. Kevin Wimmer of Tottenham Hotspur took a yellow card for his foul in the fifty-sixth minute. Manchester City tied it on a seventy-fourth minute goal by Kelechi Iheanacho, passed from Gael Clichy. Tottenham Hotspur's Tom Carroll took a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-sixth minute. Tottenham Hotspur took the lead back with a Christian Eriksen goal in the eighty-third minute, assisted by Erik Lamela. Tottenham Hotspur won 2-1.


2015-16 NHL Season - Day 121

Ten games on today, including a pair of matinees. We begin with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Michal Neuvirth are in goal. New Jersey began in the first period with a power play goal by Joseph Blandisi, his fourth of the season, powered by Travis Zajac and Jacob Josefson. Philadelphia tied it in the third period with a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Claude Giroux. The Devils won 2-1 in overtime with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by John Moore and Kyle Palmieri. The three stars went to Schneider (31 for 32 in saves), Henrique, and Blandisi.

The other matinee has the Minnesota Wild welcoming the Boston Bruins. Jonas Gustavsson and Darcy Kuemper are the backups in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Brad Marchand shorthanded goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, set up by David Krejci. Minnesota tied it in the second period on an unassisted Thomas Vanek goal, his fifteenth of the year. The Bruins retook the lead with a Krejci goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by David Pastrnak. Boston added on in the third period with a Loui Eriksson goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Spooner and Jimmy Hayes. The Bruins extended the lead as Zdeno Chara scored an empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, thanks to Zach Trotman. The Wild got one back with a Mike Reilly goal, passed from Mikael Granlund and Jason Zucker. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Krejci, Reilly, and Gustavsson (31 for 33 in saves).

At the usual time, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Cam Ward receive the starting nods. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Riley Nash goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Jay McClement. The Hurricanes added on with a Noah Hanifin goal in the second period, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Jordan Staal. Carolina extended the lead as Kris Versteeg scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Phillip Di Giuseppe and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes padded the lead on an Andrej Nestrasil goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Joakim Nordstrom and Staal. New York got on the board with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from Kyle Okposo. The Islanders pulled closer with a Nick Leddy power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Tavares and Frans Nielsen. Carolina shot back with a Victor Rask power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Elias Lindholm and Jeff Skinner. The Hurricanes kept going with a Rask goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, passed from Di Giuseppe. New York got one back in the third period with a Matt Martin goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Casey Cizikas and Johnny Boychuk. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars going to Rask, Tavares, and Di Giuseppe, while Staal gets an honorable mention.

Way out west, the Vancouver Canucks host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Ryan Miller make the starts. Vancouver got going in the second period with a Daniel Sedin goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Jannik Hansen and Henrik Sedin. Toronto tied it on a Mark Arcobello goal, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs took the lead with another Arcobello goal, his second of the game, fueled by Jake Gardiner and P.A. Parenteau. Toronto added on with a third period goal from Brendan Leipsic, passed from Rich Clune and Gardiner. The Canucks got one back with a Sven Baertschi goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Bo Horvat and Radim Vrbata. The Maple Leafs shot back on an empty net goal by Brad Boyes, his sixth of the season, set up by Daniel Winnik. Toronto iced it at 5-2 with a Leo Komarov goal, his eighteenth of the year, going into the empty net unassisted. The three stars went to Arcobello, Gardiner, and Leipsic.

Southeast to Florida, the Panthers welcome the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton is mismatched with Roberto Luongo in goal. Nashville opened in the first period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by James Neal and Anthony Bitetto. The Predators added on with a Miikka Salomaki goal, his third of the year, fueled by Austin Watson. Nashville extended the lead in the second period as Neal scored his twenty-first of the season, a power play goal powered by Ryan Johansen and Mike Ribeiro. The Predators padded the lead in the third period on a Shea Weber power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Roman Josi and Ribeiro. Nashville kept going with a shorthanded Jarnkrok goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, set up by Josi. This made it 5-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Jarnkrok, Neal, and Hutton (22 save shutout), while Josi and Ribeiro get the honorable mentions.

Back up in Columbus, the Blue Jackets bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Joonas Korpisalo are in the blue paint. Columbus started in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Seth Jones and Cam Atkinson. The Blue Jackets added on with an Atkinson goal, his nineteenth of the year, made possible by Brandon Dubinsky and Jones in the second period. Ottawa got on the board with a Bobby Ryan goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Erik Karlsson and Mika Zibanejad on the power play. Columbus replied with a Brandon Saad goal, his twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Scott Hartnell and Alexander Wennberg. The Senators shot back with a Cody Ceci goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Dion Phaneuf and Zibanejad. The Blue Jackets iced it at 4-2 with a Jenner empty net goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Atkinson, Jenner, and Jones, while Zibanejad gets the honorable mention.

South again to Dallas, with the Stars hosting the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Kari Lehtonen are the reliable goalies. Dallas dented the scoreboard with a second period Mattias Janmark goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Ales Hemsky. The Stars added on with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, courtesy of Patrick Eaves and Patrik Nemeth. Dallas extended the lead as Tyler Seguin scored his twenty-ninth of the season, thanks to Nemeth. The Stars padded the lead with a Seguin power play goal, his thirtieth of the year, powered by John Klingberg and Patrick Sharp. Philipp Grubauer relieved Holtby for the second period. Washington got on the board with an Alex Ovechkin third period power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, assisted by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals got another one with a Justin Williams goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Nate Schmidt and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington edged closer with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Kuznetsov and Evgeny Orlov. The comeback fell short, with the Stars winning 4-3. The three stars belonged to Seguin, Nemeth, and Kuznetsov.

North to Chicago, with the Blackhawks welcoming the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Corey Crawford man the nets. Chicago drew first blood in the second period with a Brent Seabrook power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. Frederik Andersen took over for an injured Gibson in the third period. Anaheim tied it in the third period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his seventh of the year, via Ryan Kesler and Cam Fowler. The Ducks took the lead with a David Perron goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Ryan Getzlaf and Mike Santorelli. The Blackhawks tied it with another Seabrook goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, guided in by Andrew Desjardins and Andrew Shaw. Anaheim won 3-2 in overtime with a Getzlaf power play goal, his sixth of the campaign, with assists provided by Fowler and Sami Vatanen. The three stars were Getzlaf, Seabrook, and Fowler.

Northwest to Edmonton, with the Oilers bringing in the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Laurent Brossoit receive the starting nods in goal. Winnipeg cracked the scoresheet with a Blake Wheeler goal in the second period, his fifteenth of the season, via Nikolaj Ehlers and Bryan Little. Edmonton tied it with a shorthanded Matt Hendricks goal in the third period, his third of the year, set up by Mark Fayne. The tie went to a shootout, where Wheeler and Andrew Ladd topped Jordan Eberle for a 2-1 Jets win. The three stars went to Wheeler, Pavelec (21 for 22 in saves), and Brossoit (32 for 33 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Martin Jones are the young goalies. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Matt Tennyson goal, his second of the season, via Logan Couture and Melker Karlsson. The Sharks added on with a Chris Tierney goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Brent Burns and Karlsson. Arizona got on the board with a Martin Hanzal goal in the second period, his eighth of the season, made possible by Tobias Rieder. San Jose replied with a Tomas Hertl goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Burns and Paul Martin. The Sharks iced it at 4-1 with a Joonas Donskoi power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, powered by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Joe Thornton into the empty net. The three stars went to Jones (22 for 23 in saves), Karlsson, and Burns.

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Friday, February 12, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 120

Seven games on a somewhat busy Friday. The first is in...

Buffalo, where the Sabres host the Montreal Canadiens. Ben Scrivens and Chad Johnson are the subpar goalies. Montreal opened in the first period with a Sven Andrighetto goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais. Buffalo tied it on a David Legwand goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Nicolas Deslauriers and Zach Bogosian. The Sabres took the lead with an Evander Kane goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Marcus Foligno and Ryan O'Reilly. Buffalo added on in the second period as Josh Gorges scored his second of the year, going in unassisted. The Sabres extended the lead with a Foligno goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Philip Varone. The Canadiens got one back with an Alex Galchenyuk power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Andrei Markov and Desharnais. Montreal got closer with an Andrighetto goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, an unassisted goal. Buffalo countered with a Foligno penalty shot goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year. The Canadiens pulled back on a Galchenyuk power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Markov and P.K. Subban. The Sabres iced it at 6-4 in the third period with a Kane empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by O'Reilly. The three stars went to Foligno, Andrighetto, and Galchenyuk, while Kane, O'Reilly, Desharnais, and Markov get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Cam Ward are the veterans in goal. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Phil Kessel goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Matt Cullen and Carl Hagelin. Carolina tied it on an Andrej Nestrasil goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Joakim Nordstrom and John-Michael Liles in the third period. The tie went to a shootout, where Kris Letang gave the Penguins a 2-1 win with his lone tally. The three stars belonged to Fleury (29 for 30 in saves), Ward (25 for 26 in saves), and Kessel.

Back north, the New York Rangers bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Antti Raanta are the backups in goal. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Drew Doughty and Milan Lucic. The Kings added on with a Marian Gaborik power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Alec Martinez. New York got on the board with a Viktor Stalberg goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Kevin Hayes and Oscar Lindberg. The Rangers tied it in the second period with a Derek Stepan goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. New York gained the lead with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Chris Kreider and Stepan. Los Angeles tied it again with a Kopitar goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, made possible by Lucic and Dustin Brown. The Rangers took the lead with a power play goal by Hayes in the third period, his ninth of the season, assisted by Zuccarello and Keith Yandle. The Kings tied it with a Kopitar goal, completing his hat trick on his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Doughty and Jeff Carter. Los Angeles won 5-4 with a Tanner Pearson goal in overtime, his seventh of the campaign, made possible by Martinez and Tyler Toffoli. The three stars were Kopitar, Hayes, and Zuccarello, while Stepan, Martinez, Lucic, and Doughty get the honorable mentions.

West to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Petr Mrazek guard the cages. Colorado began in the first period on a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, courtesy of Mikhail Grigorenko and Carl Soderberg. Detroit tied it on a Jonathan Ericsson goal, his second of the year, coming off of Justin Abdelkader and Alexey Marchenko in the second period. The Avalanche took the lead back in the third period with a Blake Comeau goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Tyson Barrie and John Mitchell. The Red Wings tied it again with a Pavel Datsyuk power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Abdelkader and Henrik Zetterberg. The tie went to a shootout, where Datsyuk got topped by Nathan MacKinnon and Comeau. The three stars of the 3-2 Avalanche win went to Comeau, Datsyuk, and Abdelkader.

South to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Ben Bishop are the solid goalies. Nashville started in the first period with a Mike Fisher goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Viktor Arvidsson and Mattias Ekholm. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a J.T. Brown goal, his seventh of the year, via Valtteri Filppula and Andrej Sustr. The Lightning took the lead with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Nikita Nesterov and the goalie Bishop. The Predators tied it in the third period with a James Neal goal, his twentieth of the year, made possible by Roman Josi and Barret Jackman. Nashville took the lead with a Filip Forsberg goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Mike Ribeiro and Josi. Tampa Bay tied it on a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Victor Hedman and Kucherov. The Lightning won 4-3 in overtime as Tyler Johnson scored his eighth of the campaign, thanks to Hedman and Stamkos. The three stars belonged to Stamkos, Kucherov, and Hedman, while Josi gets the honorable mention.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers welcome the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Roberto Luongo are the masked men. Florida led off in the first period with a Derek MacKenzie goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Shawn Thornton. St. Louis tied it with a David Backes goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Colton Parayko. The Blues took the lead with a Jaden Schwartz goal, assisted by Parayko and Vladimir Tarasenko. St. Louis added on with a Robby Fabbri goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Paul Stastny and Kevin Shattenkirk on the power play. The Blues extended the lead in the second period as Tarasenko scored his twenty-seventh of the year, guided in by Jay Bouwmeester and Schwartz. The Panthers got one back with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Jonathan Huberdeau and Jaromir Jagr. The Panthers pulled closer in the third period on a Huberdeau goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Brian Campbell and Jagr. St. Louis capped it at 5-3 with an Alexander Steen goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, made possible by Backes and Patrik Berglund. The three stars went to Backes, Tarasenko, and Huberdeau, while Schwartz, Parayko, and Jagr receive the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Louis Domingue are the goalies. Arizona was first to score in the first period with a Shane Doan goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Kevin Connauton and Michael Stone. The Coyotes added on with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal in the second period, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Stone and Martin Hanzal. Arizona extended the lead as Anthony Duclair scored his fifteenth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Ekman-Larsson. Calgary got on the board with a Joe Colborne goal, his eighth of the year, via T.J. Brodie and Mark Giordano. The Coyotes iced it at 4-1 with a Doan power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the campaign, helped along by Mikkel Boedker and Ekman-Larsson. The three stars were Doan, Ekman-Larsson, and Stone.

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