Sunday, March 20, 2016

2015/16 Premier League Week 31

Full slate of games this time around, beginning with sixth on Saturday. The first is...

Everton hosting Arsenal. David Ospina and Joel Robles are in goal. Arsenal started in the seventh minute with a Danny Welbeck goal, passed from Alexis Sanchez. In the forty-second minute, Alex Iwobi of Arsenal added on with his goal, via Hector Bellerin. This stood for a 2-0 Arsenal win.

Down in London, Chelsea welcomes West Ham United. Adrian and Thibaut Courtois are the goalies. In the sixteenth minute, Branislav Ivanovic of Chelsea had a yellow card for a foul. West Ham United began with a Manuel Lanzini goal in the seventeenth minute. In first half stoppage time, Winston Reid of West Ham United received a yellow card for his foul. Chelsea tied it on a Cesc Fabregas goal a minute later. West Ham United retook the lead in the sixty-first minute with an Andy Carroll goal, passed from Dimitri Payet. Cheikhou Kouyate had a yellow card for his foul in the sixty-fourth minute for West Ham United. In the eighty-eighth minute, Michail Antonio of West Ham United took a yellow card for a foul. In the eighty-ninth minute, Fabregas scored a penalty kick goal for Chelsea to tie it again. Adrian received a yellow card for dissent at the same time. Fabregas and Willian each received yellow cards for time wasting in stoppage time for Chelsea. The game ended in a 2-2 draw.

Staying in London, Crystal Palace brings in Leicester City. Kasper Schmeichel and Wayne Hennessey man the nets. Leicester City had a yellow card for a foul by Schmeichel in the thirtieth minute. In the thirty-fourth minute, Leicester City opened with a Riyad Mahrez goal, assisted by Jamie Vardy. In the forty-second minute, Papa Souare of Crystal Palace had a yellow card for a foul. The second half lacked much action, and Leicester City took the game 1-0.

Along to Watford hosting Stoke City. Jack Butland and Heurelho Gomes are the gloved men. Stoke City led off in the eighteenth minute with a Jonathan Walters goal, passed from Phil Bardsley. Watford had yellow cards for fouls by Etienne Capoue in the forty-first minute and Nyom in the forty-fifth minute. In the fifty-first minute, Joselu added on with a goal for Stoke City, made possible by Walters. Walters of Stoke City had a yellow card for a seventy-sixth minute foul. Adlene Guedioura of Watford took a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-third minute. Watford got on the board with an eighty-sixth minute Troy Deeney goal, via Ikechi Anya. This only made it 2-1, which was the final favoring Stoke City.

Next up, West Bromwich Albion welcomes Norwich City. John Ruddy and Ben Foster are the keepers. Norwich City got going in the fiftieth minute with a fiftieth minute Robbie Brady goal, assisted by Matthew Jarvis. Norwich City's Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe took a yellow card for time wasting in the eighty-first minute. Gareth McAuley of West Bromwich Albion received a yellow card for a ninetieth minute foul. Jonny Howson of Norwich City took a yellow card in stoppage time for his foul. Norwich City held on for a 1-0 win.

Out in Wales, Saturday ends with Swansea City bringing in Aston Villa. Brad Guzan and Lukasz Fabianski are in the six-yard boxes. Aly Cissokho of Aston Villa took a yellow card for a foul in the twenty-seventh minute. At the fifty-three minute mark, Swansea City dented the scoreboard with a Federico Fernandez goal. Swansea City saw yellow cards for Gylfi Sigurdsson in the fifty-ninth minute, Wayne Routledge in the eighty-seventh minute, and Leon Britton in stoppage time, while Joleon Lescott of Aston Villa had one in the ninetieth minute, all for fouls. Swansea City took the game 1-0.

On Sunday, the first of four games has Southampton hosting Liverpool. Simon Mignolet and Fraser Forster are the keepers. Liverpool started in the seventeenth minute with a Philippe Coutinho goal, via Adam Lallana. Liverpool added on in the twenty-second minute with a Daniel Sturridge goal, set up by Divock Okoth Origi. In the twenty-fifth minure, Dejan Lovren of Liverpool took a yellow card for his foul. Liverpool saw two more yellow cards given to Emre Can in the forty-eighth minute and Martin Skrtel in the forty-ninth minute, both for fouls. In the sixty-fifth minute, Southampton's Sadio Mane scored, thanks to Graziano Pelle. Southampton tied it on an eighty-third minute Pelle goal, passed from Shane Long. Southampton took the lead in the eighty-sixth minute as Mane scored his second of the game, with the help of Pelle. Mane earned a yellow card for excessive celebration, but those were well warranted in the 3-2 Southampton win.

Next up, Newcastle United welcomes Sunderland. Vito Mannone and Robert Elliot are between the posts. Newcastle United saw yellow cards for fouls by Jack Colback in the eighteenth minute and Daryl Janmaat in the thirty-sixth minute. Sunderland was first to score in the forty-fourth minute on a Jermain Defoe goal. Newcastle United's Jonjo Shelvey took a yellow card for a fifty-second minute foul. Newcastle United tied the game in the eighty-third minute with an Aleksandar Mitrovic goal, set up by Georginio Wijnaldum. Mitrovic took a yellow card for excessive celebration. In the ninetieth minute, Sunderland keeper Mannone took a yellow card for time wasting. It worked, preserving a 1-1 draw.

In London again, Tottenham Hotspur brings in Bournemouth. Artur Boruc and Hugo Lloris guard the woodwork. Tottenham Hotspur struck first in the first minute with a Harry Kane goal, guided in by Kyle Walker. Tottenham Hotspur added on with another Kane goal in the sixteenth minute, via Dele Alli. In the fifty-second minute, Tottenham Hotspur extended the lead with a Christian Eriksen goal. Bournemouth saw a yellow card given to Simon Francis for a fifty-ninth minute foul. The final held from here at 3-0 for Tottenham Hotspur.

Finally, the Manchester Derby, as City host United. In the tenth minute, Manchester United's Chris Smalling took a yellow card for a foul. Manchester United drew first blood in the sixteenth minute on a Marcus Rashford goal, passed from Juan Mata. In the fiftieth minute, disaster struck for City, as Hart was replaced by Willy Caballero after suffering an injury. Manchester City had a yellow card for a seventy-sixth minute foul by Eliaquim Mangala. The game ended 1-0 in favor of United.

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2015/16 KHL Eastern Conference Semifinals: 1) Avangard Omsk VS. 4) Salavat Yulaev Ufa.

As is standard procedure for the playoffs, this post will cover the entire series.

Game 1: Omsk Arena, Omsk, Russia. In goal: Niklas Svedberg for Ufa and Dominik Furch for Omsk. Omsk led off in the first period with a Nikolai Lemtyugov goal, passed from Alexei Glukhov. Ufa tied it with a Maxim Mayorov goal, helped along by Nikolai Prokhorkin. Avangard retook the lead in the third period with a Denis Parshin goal, coming off of Michal Kempny and Ilya Zubov. Salavat Yulaev tied it again as Linus Omark scored, with the help of Ivan Vishnevsky and Dmitry Makarov. Ufa won 3-2 in overtime on an unassisted Sergei Soin goal. The three stars were Soin, Svedberg (34 for 36 in saves), and Omark. Salavat Yulaev holds a surprising 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Omsk Arena, Omsk, Russia. In goal: Niklas Svedberg for Ufa and Dominik Furch for Omsk. Omsk began in the first period with an Anton Burdasov goal, passed from Pyotr Khokhryakov. Ufa tied it on a Teemu Hartikainen power play goal, powered by Ivan Vishnevsky and Enver Lisin. Avangard took the lead back in the second period with an Alexander Perezhogin goal, assisted by Jonas Ahnelov and Martin Erat. Salavat Yulaev tied it again on a Vishnevsky goal, made possible by Linus Omark and Igor Grigorenko. Omsk took the lead again with an Ilya Zubov goal, coming off of Alexander Popov and Denis Parshin. Avangard added on with an Artur Lauta goal, guided in by Burdasov. Ufa pulled back with a Grigorenko goal, with helpers from Sami Lepisto and Makarov. Omsk shot back with a Perezhogin goal, his second of the game, fueled by Erat and Valentin Pyanov. Salavat Yulaev chipped back on a Hartikainen goal, his second of the game, helped along by Maxim Mayorov and Nikolai Prokhorkin. This craziness ended with the period, and the final held at 5-4 for Avangard. The three stars were Perezhogin, Hartikainen, and Burdasov, while Vishnevsky, Grigorenko, and Erat get the honorable mention. The series is now tied at 1 as the action shifts to Ufa.

Game 3: Ufa Arena, Ufa, Russia. In goal: Dominik Furch for Omsk and Niklas Svedberg for Ufa. Ufa started in the first period with an Ivan Vishnevsky goal, passed from Linus Omark. Salavat Yulaev added on in the second period with an unassisted Teemu Hartikainen goal. Omsk got on the board in the third period with a Nikolai Lemtyugov goal, assisted by Yury Alexandrov. Ufa iced it at 3-1 on a Sami Lepisto empty net goal, going in unassisted on the power play. The three stars went to Svedberg (29 for 30 in saves), Hartikainen, and Vishnevsky. The win gives Salavat Yulaev at 2-1 series lead.

Game 4: Ufa Arena, Ufa, Russia. In goal: Dominik Furch for Omsk and Niklas Svedberg for Ufa. Omsk opened in the first period with a Pyotr Khokhryakov goal, passed from Anton Burdasov. Ufa tied it in the second period with a Sami Lepisto goal, assisted by Denis Khlystov and Dmitry Makarov. Salavat Yulaev took the lead in the third period on a Linus Omark goal, via Igor Grigorenko and Andreas Engqvist. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Svedberg (18 for 19 in saves), Omark, and Lepisto. Salavat Yulaev leaves home with a chance to advance as they hold a 3-1 lead in the series.

Game 5: Omsk Arena, Omsk, Russia. In goal: Niklas Svedberg for Ufa and Dominik Furch for Omsk. Omsk struck first in the first period with a Ivan Lekomtsev power play goal, powered by Michal Kempny and Ilya Zubov. Avangard added on in the second period with a Zubov goal, assisted by Nikolai Lemtyugov and Alexander Chernikov. Omsk extended the lead in the third period as Lemtyugov scored a power play goal, via Artur Lauta and Martin Erat. Ufa got on the board with a power play goal by Ivan Vishnevsky, with assists provided by Nikolai Prokhorkin and Zakhar Arzamastsev. Salavat Yulaev got closer with an Igor Grigorenko goal, guided in by Linus Omark and Maxim Goncharov. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Lemtyugov, Zubov, and Lekomtsev. Salavat Yulaev will head home leading by a 3-2 margin now.

Game 6: Ufa Arena, Ufa, Russia. In goal: Dominik Furch for Omsk and Niklas Svedberg for Ufa. Omsk got going in the second period with an Alexander Popov goal, assisted by Martin Erat. Avangard added on with a Michal Kempny goal, passed from Alexander Perezhogin and Erat. Omsk extended the lead as Kempny scored again, thanks to Popov and Ilya Zubov on the power play. Ufa got on the board in the third period with an Andreas Engqvist goal, via Igor Grigorenko and Linus Omark. This only made it 3-1, the final, and the three stars were Kempny, Popov, and Furch (31 for 32 in saves), while Erat gets an honorable mention. The series is now tied at 3, with a decisive game 7 on Sunday in Omsk. 

Game 7: Omsk Arena, Omsk, Russia. In goal: Niklas Svedberg for Ufa and Dominik Furch for Omsk. Omsk was first to score in the first period with an Alexander Perezhogin goal, assisted by Ilya Zubov and Alexander Popov. Ufa tied it on a Sergei Soin goal in the second period, going in unassisted. Salavat Yulaev took the lead on a Maxim Mayorov goal, via the goalie Svedberg. They held on to win 2-1, with the three stars being Svedberg (18 for 19 in saves), Mayorov, and Soin. Salavat Yulaev won the series 4-3, and will face Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the Eastern Conference Final.

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Saturday, March 19, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 156

Eleven games on a big day for hockey. We begin with the first of three matinees in...

Pennsylvania, as the Philadelphia Flyers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Steve Mason man the nets. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Radko Gudas goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh tied it on a Trevor Daley goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Nick Bonino and Eric Fehr. The Penguins took the lead with a Carl Hagelin goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Bonino. Pittsburgh added on with a Chris Kunitz goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins iced it at 4-1 with a Kris Letang empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Kunitz and Crosby in the third period. The three stars went to Bonino, Kunitz, and Crosby.

Over in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Devan Dubnyk are the goalies. Minnesota dented the scoreboard with a David Jones goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Erik Haula and Nino Niederreiter. Carolina tied it on a Chris Terry goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Noah Hanifin and Brett Pesce. The Wild regained the lead in the third period with a Jason Zucker goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Mikko Koivu and Charlie Coyle. The Hurricanes tied it on a Jordan Staal goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Elias Lindholm and Joakim Nordstrom. In the shootout, Coyle and Zach Parise lifted Minnesota 3-2 over Riley nash of Carolina. The three stars went to Coyle, Zucker, and Jones.

West to San Jose, where the Sharks bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Jones are in the creases. San Jose drew first blood in the second period with a Joel Ward power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Joonas Donskoi and Tomas Hertl. New York tied it on a Dan Boyle goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Derick Brassard and Marc Staal. The Sharks retook the lead on a Joe Thornton goal in the third period, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Hertl and Joe Pavelski. San Jose added on with a Ward goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, via Patrick Marleau and Paul Martin. The Sharks iced it at 4-1 with a Pavelski goal, his thirty-third of the campaign, with a lone assist by Hertl, who got a sock trick. The three stars went to Ward, Hertl, and Pavelski.

At the usual times, the Ottawa Senators host the Montreal Canadiens. Ben Scrivens and Andrew Hammond are the backups in goal. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a shorthanded Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his seventeenth of the season, set up by Mark Stone. The Senators added on with a Curtis Lazar shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Dion Phaneuf and Zack Smith. Ottawa extended the lead as Marc Methot scored his fifth of the season in the third period, thanks to Mike Hoffman and Cody Ceci. The Senators padded the lead on a shorthanded and unassisted Alex Chiasson goal, his seventh of the year. Ottawa capped it at 5-0 with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, helped along by Hoffman. The three stars belonged to Hammond (30 save shutout), Hoffman, and Pageau.

Staying in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson and Garret Sparks are in the blue paint. Buffalo was first to score in the first period with a Brian Gionta goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone assist by Marcus Foligno. Toronto tied it on a William Nylander goal in the second period, his third of the year, assisted by P.A. Parenteau and Milan Michalek. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with a Connor Carrick goal, his second of the season, passed from Jake Gardiner and Nylander. Toronto added on with a Martin Marincin goal, coming off of Parenteau and Nikita Soshnikov. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-1 with a Michalek goal, his seventh of the year, via Colin Greening and Morgan Rielly. The three stars were handed to Nylander, Michalek, and Parenteau.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Roberto Luongo protect the nets. Florida led off in the first period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Jiri Hudler. Detroit tied it on a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Brad Richards and Mike Green. The Panthers retook the lead with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Jussi Jokinen and Reilly Smith. Florida added on with a Teddy Purcell goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Bjugstad. The Red Wings pulled back on a Pavel Datsyuk power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Justin Abdelkader and Gustav Nyquist. Detroit tied it with a Dylan Larkin goal, his twenty-first of the year, fueled by Jonathan Ericsson and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings pulled ahead as Luke Glendening scored his sixth of the season, with the help of Larkin and Kronwall. Detroit finished it at 5-3 with a Datsyuk empty net goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, set up by Abdelkader. The three stars were awarded to Datsyuk, Larkin, and Bjugstad, while Kronwall and Abdelkader get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Alexander Wennberg and Boone Jenner. The Blue Jackets added on with a Seth Jones goal, his third of the year, via Brandon Dubinsky and Scott Hartnell. Columbus extended the lead in the second period as Jenner scored his twenty-fifth of the season, thanks to Dalton Prout. Yann Danis replaced Kinkaid in goal. New Jersey got on the board with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with helpers from Damon Severson and Travis Zajac. The Devils got closer with an Adam Henrique goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, helped along by Palmieri on the power play. New Jersey tied it in the third period with another Palmieri goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, guided in by Zajac. The Blue Jackets retook the lead with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, fueled by Wennberg and Matt Calvert. Columbus padded the lead with a William Karlsson goal, his ninth of the campaign, passed from Gregory Campbell and Michael Chaput. The Blue Jackets wrapped it up at 6-3 with a Bjorkstrand goal, his second of the game, with a lone helper from Calvert. The three stars belonged to Bjorkstrand, Palmieri, and Jenner, while Wennberg, Calvert, and Zajac get the honorable mentions.

South again to Dallas, with the Stars welcoming the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Kari Lehtonen are between the pipes. Dallas got going in the second period with a Cody Eakin goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Patrick Sharp and Patrik Nemeth. The Stars added on with a Patrick Eaves goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted in the third period. Dallas extended the lead as Ales Hemsky scored an empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Antoine Roussel and Johnny Oduya. The three stars were given to Lehtonen (27 save shutout), Eakin, and Eaves in the 3-0 win.

Northwest to Vancouver, with the Canucks bringing in the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Ryan Miller occupy the creases. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Troy Brouwer power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Robby Fabbri and Paul Stastny. The Blues added on with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal in the third period, his thirty-fourth of the year, guided in by Jaden Schwartz and Jori Lehtera. St. Louis iced it at 3-0 with an empty net goal by Schwartz, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Stastny and Kevin Shattenkirk. The three stars went to Elliott (19 save shutout), Miller (47 for 49 in saves), and Schwartz, while Stastny gets an honorable mention.

Heading south, the Arizona Coyotes host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Louis Domingue are given the starting nods in goal. Tampa Bay started in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Victor Hedman and Alex Killorn. The Lightning won it 2-0 with a third period empty net goal by Nikita Kucherov, his twenty-seventh of the year, set up by Steven Stamkos. The three stars were handed to Bishop (31 save shutout), Palat, and Domingue (32 for 33 in saves).

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Jonathan Quick guard the cages. Los Angeles began in the first period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Luke Schenn and Vincent Lecavalier. The Kings added on in the second period with an Alec Martinez goal, his ninth of the year, via Jake Muzzin and Anze Kopitar. Boston got on the board with a Tyler Randell goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. This only made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Martinez, Pearson, and Quick (27 for 28 in saves).

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2015-16 NHL Season - Day 155



Six games on the schedule today, beginning in…

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Chad Johnson are the goalies. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Zemgus Girgensons and Rasmus Ristolainen. Ottawa tied it on an Alex Chiasson goal, his sixth of the year, via Mike Hoffman and Mika Zibanejad. The Sabres retook the lead with the sixth of the season by Nicolas Deslauriers, assisted by Ryan O’Reilly and Evander Kane. Buffalo added on in the second period with a Zach Bogosian goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Reinhart and Jack Eichel. This would eventually produce a 3-1 final, with the three stars being Reinhart, Johnson (24 for 25 in saves), and Deslauriers.

Over in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton is mismatched with Braden Holtby in goal. Nashville got going in the second period with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Roman Josi and Shea Weber. Washington tied it on a Daniel Winnik goal, his fifth of the year, via Evgeny Kuznetsov and the goalie Holtby. The Capitals took the lead on a T.J. Oshie goal, his twenty-second of the season, with a lone assist by Kuznetsov. Washington added on with a Winnik goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, made possible by Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals extended the lead in the third period as Andre Burakovsky scored his fifteenth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Kuznetsov, giving him a sock trick. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kuznetsov, Winnik, and Holtby (20 for 21 in saves).

Northwest to Winnipeg, where the Jets bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Ondrej Pavelec are the mediocre goalies. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Patrick Kane goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, assisted by Michal Rozsival. The Blackhawks added on with a Marian Hossa goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Artem Anisimov. Chicago extended the lead in the third period as Andrew Ladd scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Jonathan Toews and Kane. The Blackhawks padded the lead with a Tomas Fleischmann goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Teuvo Teravainen. This made it a 4-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Kane, Darling (28 save shutout), and Ladd.

Into Alberta, where the Calgary Flames host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Joni Ortio are the goalies. Calgary began in the first period with a Matt Stajan goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Jyrki Jokipakka and T.J. Brodie. Colorado tied it on an Erik Johnson goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Mikkel Boedker and Nathan MacKinnon. The Flames took the lead back in the second period with a Mark Giordano shorthanded goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Josh Jooris and Lance Bouma. Calgary added on with a shorthanded Freddie Hamilton goal, with a lone assist by Bouma. The Avalanche got one back with a Tyson Barrie goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Mikhail Grigorenko and Jarome Iginla. Colorado tied it in the third period with a Carl Soderberg goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Shawn Matthias and Chris Bigras. The tie went to a shootout, where Boedker scored the only tally for a 4-3 Avalanche win. The three stars were handed to Boedker, Bouma, and Hamilton.

Staying in the province, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Cam Talbot play goal. Edmonton drew first blood in the second period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on in the third period with a Matt Hendricks goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Jordan Oesterle and Iiro Pakarinen. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars going to Talbot (40 save shutout), Eberle, and Hendricks.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Boston Bruins. Jonas Gustavsson and Frederik Andersen are in the blue paint. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Jamie McGinn goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks added on with a Ryan Kesler goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg. Anaheim extended the lead in the third period as Hampus Lindholm scored his ninth of the season, with the help of Getzlaf. The Ducks iced it at 4-0 with a Rickard Rakell goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of David Perron and Lindholm. The three stars were Andersen (38 save shutout), Lindholm, and Getzlaf.

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Thursday, March 17, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 154

Eight games for tonight, with the first in...

New Jersey, where the Devils host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Keith Kinkaid are the alliterative goalies. New Jersey quickly opened in the first period with a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Tyler Kennedy and Travis Zajac. The Devils added on with a Mike Sislo goal, going in unassisted. Minnesota got on the board with a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Mikael Granlund and Jared Spurgeon. New Jersey answered with a Reid Boucher goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Kyle Palmieri and Jon Merrill. The Devils extended the lead in the second period as Smith-Pelly scored his second of the game and twelfth of the year, thanks to Kennedy. The Wild pulled back on a Spurgeon power play goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Mikko Koivu and Ryan Suter. New Jersey responded with an Adam Henrique goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Joseph Blandisi. The Devils padded the lead with Sislo's second of the game, with helpers from Blandisi and Damon Severson. Minnesota answered with a Justin Fontaine goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by David Jones and Erik Haula. New Jersey shot back on a Henrique goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Smith-Pelly and Kennedy, the latter getting a sock trick. The Wild roared back on a Koivu goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Charlie Coyle and Zach Parise. The final stood from here at 7-4, with the three stars going to Sislo, Smith-Pelly, and Henrique, while Koivu, Spurgeon, Blandisi, and Kennedy get the honorable mentions.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack and Matt Murray are the backups in goal. Carolina started with a first period Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes added on with a Riley Nash goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Jeff Skinner and Chris Terry. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirtieth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Penguins tied it in the second period with a Phil Kessel goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Carl Hagelin and Ian Cole. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Crosby goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, assisted by Cole and Hagelin. The Penguins iced it at 4-2 with a third period goal by Nick Bonino, his fifth of the year, passed from Kessel and Hagelin, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were Crosby, Hagelin, and Kessel, while Cole gets an honorable mention.

A bit more west, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Sergei Bobrovsky protect the nets. Detroit began in the first period with a Luke Glendening goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Riley Sheahan and Andreas Anthansiou. The Red Wings added on in the third period with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Justin Abdelkader and Dylan Larkin. Detroit extended the lead as Darren Helm scored his eleventh of the season, an unassisted goal. Columbus got on the board with an Alexander Wennberg power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Cam Atkinson and Boone Jenner. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Zetterberg, Howard (27 for 28 in saves), and Helm.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Jonathan Bernier are in the blue paint. Florida got going in the second period with an unassisted Jussi Jokinen power play goal, his fourteenth of the season. The Panthers added on with another Jokinen goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Toronto got on the board with a Morgan Rielly goal, his eighth of the season, via Michael Grabner and Nikita Soshnikov. Florida answered in the third period with a Jaromir Jagr empty net goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Brian Campbell. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with a Teddy Purcell empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, with helpers from Nick Bjgustad and Jiri Hudler. The three stars belonged to Jokinen, Luongo (32 for 33 in saves), and Jagr.

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Pekka Rinne are called on to start in goal. Nashville led off in the first period with a James Neal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Calle Jarnkrok. New York tied it in the second period with a Ryan Pulock goal, via John Tavares. The Predators retook the lead with a Ryan Ellis goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Ryan Johansen and Mattias Ekholm on the power play. Nashville added on with a Johansen goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Neal and Anthony Bitetto. The Islanders got one back in the third period with a Brock Nelson goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Thomas Hickey. The Predators iced it at 4-2 with an Austin Watson goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Mike Fisher and Roman Josi. The three stars went to Neal, Johansen, and Ellis.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Kari Lehtonen are between the pipes. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Alex Killorn and Andrej Sustr. Dallas tied it with a Jason Spezza goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, coming off of Valeri Nichushkin. The Lightning retook the lead in the second period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his thirty-second of the season, a power play goal powered by Kucherov and Anton Stralman. The Stars pulled back with a Jamie Benn goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, via Cody Eakin. Tampa Bay shot back with a Stamkos goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the season, helped along by Killorn and Victor Hedman. Dallas tied it in the third period with a Stephen Johns goal, courtesy of Eakin and Benn. The Stars gained the lead with a Benn goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, with helpers from Eakin, who got a sock trick, and Tyler Seguin. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Benn, Stamkos, and Eakin, while Kucherov and Killorn get the honorable mentions.

West to Arizona, with the Coyotes hosting the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Mike Smith occupy the creases. Arizona was first to score in the first period with a Michael Stone goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Alex Tanguay. San Jose tied it in the second period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Paul Martin and Joe Thornton. The Coyotes took the lead in the third period with a Shane Doan goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, courtesy of Klas Dahlbeck and Max Domi. Arizona iced it at 3-1 with an Antoine Vermette empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Stone and Kevin Connauton. The three stars went to Stone, Smith (27 for 28 in saves), and Doan.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. New York drew first blood with an unassisted J.T. Miller goal, his nineteenth of the season. Los Angeles tied it on a Dustin Brown goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Jeff Carter and Luke Schenn. The Rangers took the lead with a Dan Boyle goal in the second period, his seventh of the season, assisted by Viktor Stalberg. New York added on with a third period goal by Kevin Hayes, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Kevin Klein and Miller. The Kings shot back with a Kyle Clifford goal, his second of the season, made possible by Carter and Brown. Los Angeles tied it with an Anze Kopitar goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Milan Lucic and Drew Doughty. The Kings won 4-3 in overtime with a Koptiar goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the campaign, with helpers from Jake Muzzin and Carter, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were awarded to Kopitar, Carter, and Brown, while Miller gets an honorable mention.

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2015/16 KHL Western Conference Semifinals: 5) Dynamo Moscow VS. 6) SKA St. Petersburg

As is standard procedure for the playoffs, this post will cover the entire series.

Game 1: VTB Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Mikko Koskinen for St. Petersburg and Alexander Yeryomenko for Moscow. St. Petersburg led off in the first period with an Evgeny Dadonov goal, fueled by Nikita Gusev and Andrei Kuteikin on the power play. Moscow tied it on an Andrei Mironov goal, passed from Maxim Karpov. SKA took the lead back with another Dadonov power play goal, powered by Vadim Shipachyov and Maxim Chudinov. Dynamo tied it again as Daniil Tarasov scored a power play goal, with the help of Alexander Osipov and Denis Kokarev. St. Petersburg gained the lead in the third period with a Gusev goal, helped along by Shipachyov and Dadonov. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Dadonov, Gusev, and Shipachyov. SKA owns a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: VTB Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Mikko Koskinen for St. Petersburg and Alexander Yeryomenko for Moscow. Moscow struck first in the first period with a Maxim Karpov goal, with a lone assist by Mat Robinson. Dynamo added on with an Ilya Shipov power play goal, powered by Dmitry Vishnevsky and Ivan Igumnov. St. Petersburg got on the board in the second period with a Nikita Gusev goal, passed from Vadim Shipachyov. Moscow replied with a Vladimir Bryukvin goal, assisted by Maxim Pestushko and Alexei Tereshchenko. SKA got one back with an unassisted goal by Ilya Kablukov. St. Petersburg tied it as Shipachyov scored a power play goal, thanks to Gusev and Maxim Chudinov. Deep in the first overtime, Alexander Osipov scored a power play goal with assists from Denis Kokarev and Konstantin Gorovikov. The three stars of the 4-3 game were Osipov, Shipachyov, and Gusev. The series heads west to St. Petersburg tied at 1.

Game 3: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko for Moscow and Mikko Koskinen for St. Petersburg. Moscow began in the first period with an Ivan Igumnov shorthanded goal, going in unassisted. Dynamo added on with a Maxim Pestushko goal, assisted by Vladimir Bryukvin and Alexei Tereshchenko in the second period. Moscow extended the lead as Konstantin Gorovikov scored a power play goal, thanks to Alexander Osipov. Dynamo padded the lead in the third period on a Daniil Tarasov goal, an unassisted goal. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Yeryomenko (34 save shutout), Igumnov, and Pestushko. Dynamo takes a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko for Moscow and Mikko Koskinen for St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg was first to score in the first period with a Vadim Shipachyov goal, assisted by Maxim Chudinov and Nikita Gusev. SKA added on with an Evgeny Dadonov goal in the second period, coming off of Gusev and Shipachyov on the power play. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Shipachyov scored his second of the game, with the help of Gusev, who got a sock trick. SKA padded the lead with a Shipachyov power play goal in the third period, powered by Chudinov and Gusev. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars going to Shipachyov, Gusev, and Chudinov, while Koskinen (25 save shutout) gets an honorable mention. The series is tied at 2 when it returns to Moscow.

Game 5: VTB Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Mikko Koskinen for St. Petersburg and Alexander Yeryomenko for Moscow. St. Petersburg got going in the second period with a Dinar Khafizullin power play goal, powered by Evgeny Dadonov and Vadim Shipachyov. Moscow tied it on an unassisted goal by Konstantin Gorovikov. SKA took the lead back with a Steve Moses goal, assisted by Nikita Gusev and Shipachyov. St. Petersburg added on with a Gusev goal in the third period, helped along by Shipachyov, who got a sock trick, and Khafizullin on the power play. SKA extended the lead as Jarno Koskiranta power play goal, with a lone helper by Moses. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Moses, Khafizullin, and Gusev, while Shipachyov gets an honorable mention. SKA heads home with a 3-2 series lead now. 

Game 6: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko for Moscow and Mikko Koskinen for St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg dented the scoreboard with a Nikita Gusev power play goal in the second period, powered by Vadim Shipachyov. SKA added on with an Anton Belov goal, assisted by Steve Moses and Joakim Lindstrom. This stood for a 2-0 final, with the three stars going to Koskinen (31 save shutout), Gusev, and Belov. SKA will face CSKA Moscow in the Western Conference Final after their 4-2 series win. 

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 153

Six games to be played today, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Ben Scrivens and Robin Lehner are the masked men. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Zach Bogosian power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Rasmus Ristolainen. Montreal tied it with a second period goal by Greg Pateryn, assisted by Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens took the lead with an Andrei Markov power play goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Tomas Plekanec and Max Pacioretty. The Sabres retied it on a Marcus Foligno shorthanded goal, his tenth of the season, set up by David Legwand and Mark Pysyk in the third period. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with a Paul Byron goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Byron, Markov, and Scrivens (41 for 43 in saves).

West to Chicago, where the Blackhawks welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Scott Darling are the backups in goal. Chicago began in the first period with a shorthanded goal by Marian Hossa, his eleventh of the season, set up by Artem Anisimov and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Philadelphia tied it with a Ryan White power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Andrew MacDonald and Sean Couturier. The Blackhawks took the lead back with a Jonathan Toews goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Patrick Kane in the second period. The Flyers retied it as Brayden Schenn scored his twenty-fourth of the year, thanks to Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds. Philadelphia took the lead in the third period with a Radko Gudas goal, his third of the campaign, helped along by Couturier and Michael Raffl. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Gudas, Couturier, and Schenn.

Northwest to Edmonton, where the Oilers bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Cam Talbot are the goalies. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his ninth of the season, coming on the power play from Patrick Maroon and Nail Yakupov. The Oilers added on with a Taylor Hall goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Iiro Pakarinen and Jordan Oesterle. St. Louis got on the board with a David Backes goal, his eighteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Colton Parayko. The Blues tied it in the second period with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Joel Edmundson and Jori Lehtera. Edmonton took the lead back with a power play goal by Mark Letestu, his eighth of the season, powered by Andrej Sekera and Connor McDavid. The Oilers extended the lead as Leon Draisaitl scored his eighteenth of the year on the power play, with assists provided by McDavid and Letestu. Edmonton padded the lead with a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, fueled by Maroon and Yakupov. St. Louis pulled back with a Patrik Berglund power play goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, guided in by Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues got closer on Backes' second of the game and nineteenth of the season, with helpers from Alex Pietrangelo and Dmitrij Jaskin. The Oilers iced it at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Letestu, his second of the game and ninth of the year, set up by Matt Hendricks and Oesterle. The three stars went to Nugent-Hopkins, Letestu, and Backes, while Maroon, Yakupov, Oesterle, Schwartz, and McDavid get the honorable mentions.

Staying in Alberta, the Calgary Flames host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Joni Ortio are the poor goalies. Calgary struck first in the first period with a Joe Colborne goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Michael Frolik and Mikael Backlund. The Flames added on with a Frolik goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Backlund and Colborne. Calgary extended the lead as Sean Monahan scored his twenty-fourth of the season, with the help of Mark Giordano and Johnny Gaudreau. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a Drew Stafford goal, his nineteenth of the year, made possible by Blake Wheeler. The Flames iced it at 4-1 with Giordano power play goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, powered by Frolik. The three stars went to Frolik, Colborne, and Giordano, while Backlund gets an honorable mention.

Into British Columbia, where the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Ryan Miller are the overrated goalies. Vancouver started in the first period with a Henrik Sedin goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Daniel Sedin and Nikita Tryamkin. Colorado tied it on a Mikkel Boedker goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Jarome Iginla and Matt Duchene. The Avalanche took the lead in the third period with a Boedker goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, made possible by Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado added on with an Andreas Martinsen goal, his fourth of the year, via Shawn Matthias. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Boedker, Varlamov (28 for 29 in saves), and Martinsen.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and John Gibson draw the starts in goal. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with a Jamie McGinn goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Corey Perry. New York tied it with a second period goal by Kevin Klein, his seventh of the year, via Tanner Glass and Dominic Moore. The Rangers took the lead with Klein's second of the game and eighth of the campaign in the third period, coming off of J.T. Miller and Eric Staal. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Klein, Raanta (22 for 23 in saves), and McGinn.

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