Tuesday, March 22, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 159

Ten games to fill the schedule tonight, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson and Cam Ward are in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a Carlo Colaiacovo goal, passed from Mark Pysyk and Marcus Foligno. Carolina tied it in the second period with a Chris Terry goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Noah Hanifin and Riley Nash. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period with a Joakim Nordstrom goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Jordan Staal. The Sabres retied it as Evander Kane scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Ryan O'Reilly and Sam Reinhart. Buffalo took the lead with a Johan Larsson goal, his seventh of the year, via Brian Gionta. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Larsson, Kane, and Colaiacovo.

Along to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Sergei Bobrovsky face their former teams in goal. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Brayden Schenn and Nick Schultz. The Flyers added on with a Ryan White power play goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, powered by Schenn and Sean Couturier. Columbus got on the board with a shorthanded Boone Jenner goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, set up by Seth Jones and Brandon Saad. The Blue Jackets tied it with a Cam Atkinson goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, made possible by Scott Hartnell and Brandon Dubinsky. The tie went to a shootout, where Jenner scored to give Columbus a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Jenner, Atkinson, and Schenn.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Mike Condon are in the blue paint. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Torrey Mitchell goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Tomas Plekanec and Joel Hanley. Anaheim tied it with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Ryan Kesler and Andrew Cogliano. The Ducks took the lead in the second period with a Corey Perry goal, his thirtieth of the season, passed from Cam Fowler and Ryan Getzlaf. The Canadiens retied it with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, assisted by Max Pacioretty and Greg Pateryn. Montreal took the lead with a Mike Brown goal, his second of the season, via Hanley. Anaheim tied it again on a Silfverberg goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens pulled ahead with a Lucas Lessio goal, with helpers from Brown and Darren Dietz. This held up for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Brown, Silfverberg, and Hanley. 

Over in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Craig Anderson man the nets. Washington opened in the first period with a Mike Richards goal, his second of the season, via Tom Wilson. The Capitals added on with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his forty-third of the year, powered by Marcus Johansson and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington extended the lead as Backstrom scored his nineteenth of the campaign, with the help of Jay Beagle and Jason Chimera. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a Chris Wideman goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Mike Hoffman and Michael Kostka. The Senators got closer in the third period on a Mika Zibanejad goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Erik Karlsson and Hoffman. The Capitals iced it at 4-2 with a T.J. Oshie empty net goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, set up by Karl Alzner and Daniel Winnik. The three stars went to Backstrom, Hoffman, and Holtby (28 for 30 in saves).

South to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard is mismatched with Ben Bishop in goal. Tampa Bay started in the first period with an Erik Condra goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Ondrej Palat and Brian Boyle. The Lightning added on with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by J.T. Brown. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the second period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, made possible by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. Petr Mrazek replaced Howard in goal. Detroit got on the board with a Justin Abdelkader power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings got closer with a Darren Helm goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Pavel Datsyuk and Anthony Mantha. The Lightning replied with a Kucherov power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, with helpers from Tyler Johnson and Stamkos. Tampa Bay padded the lead in the third period as Palat scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Johnson and Hedman. The Lightning capped it at 6-2 with a Condra goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, fueled by Boyle. The three stars went to Condra, Kucherov, and Stamkos, while Palat, Johnson, Hedman, and Boyle get the honorable mentions.

Into Canada again, where the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Ondrej Pavelec are the mediocre goalies. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the third period with an Adam Lowry goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Matt Halischuk and Chris Thorburn. The Jets iced it at 2-0 with an empty net goal by Mark Scheifele, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Blake Wheeler. The three stars went to Pavelec (28 save shutout), Markstrom (47 for 48 in saves), and Lowry.

Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Scott Darling are in the creases. Dallas was first to score in the first period with a Colton Sceviour goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Stars added on with a Vernon Fiddler goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Sceviour and Brett Ritchie. Dallas extended the lead with a Patrick Eaves power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza. The Stars padded the lead on another Fiddler goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Michael Leighton replaced Darling for the second period. Chicago got on the board with an Andrew Shaw goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Andrew Desjardins and Marian Hossa. Dallas replied with a Radek Faksa goal, his second of the year, assisted by Ales Hemsky and Stephen Johns. The Blackhawks shot back in the third period with a Richard Panik goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Teuvo Teravainen and Artemi Panarin. The Stars iced it at 6-2 with an empty net goal by Cody Eakin, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Benn. The three stars belonged to Fiddler, Sceviour, and Benn.

North to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Devan Dubnyk guard the cages. Minnesota drew first blood in the first period with an Erik Haula goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Charlie Coyle and Marco Scandella. The Wild added on in the second period with a Mikko Koivu power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Ryan Suter and Zach Parise. Los Angeles got on the board with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, coming off of Dwight King and Drew Doughty. This only made it 2-1, which stood as the eventual final, with the three stars awarded to Dubnyk (38 for 39 in saves), Koivu, and Haula.

Southwest to Arizona, where the Coyotes bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Mike Smith are the overrated goalies. Arizona cracked the scoresheet with an Alex Tanguay goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Anthony Duclair in the first period. Edmonton tied it on a Jordan Eberle power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Lauri Korpikoski and Connor McDavid. The Coyotes retook the lead in the second period with a Martin Hanzal goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Michael Stone on the power play. Arizona added on with a Tobias Rieder goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Brad Richardson. The Oilers got one back with a Mark Letestu power play goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Andrej Sekera and McDavid. The Coyotes iced it at 4-2 with a Max Domi empty net goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the year, set up by Hanzal and Jiri Sekac. The three stars were handed to Hanzal, McDavid, and Smith (27 for 29 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Martin Jones protect the nets. St. Louis got going in the third period with a Robby Fabbri goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Troy Brouwer and Jay Bouwmeester. This stood for a 1-0 final, with the three stars handed to Elliott (37 save shutout), Fabbri, and Jones (23 for 24 in saves).

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Monday, March 21, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 158

Four games tonight, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Florida Panthers. Al Montoya is mismatched with Henrik Lundqvist in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Viktor Stalberg goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Dominic Moore. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Derick Brassard and Derek Stepan. Florida got on the board in the third period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Jussi Jokinen and Reilly Smith. New York shot back with a Rick Nash goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Kevin Klein. The Panthers pulled back with a Jiri Hudler power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Teddy Purcell and Dmitry Kulikov. The Rangers iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Tanner Glass, his fourth of the year, set up by Klein. The three stars were given to Nash, Zuccarello, and Klein.

Over in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Thomas Greiss are the goalies. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Nick Cousins goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Jakub Voracek. New York tied it with a Kyle Okposo goal, his twentieth of the year, via Nikolay Kulemin and Calvin de Haan. The Flyers took the lead again with a Brandon Manning goal, assisted by Andrew MacDonald and Mark Streit. Philadelphia added on in the third period with a Sam Gagner goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Sean Couturier and Michael Raffl. The Flyers iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Claude Giroux, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn. The three stars went to Mason (23 for 24 in saves), Manning, and Gagner.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Jonathan Bernier are the veteran goalies. Toronto began in the first period with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by William Nylander. Calgary tied it with a shorthanded Matt Stajan goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Garnet Hathaway. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with a Zach Hyman goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Nylander and Jake Gardiner. The Flames tied it on a Joe Colborne goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Mark Giordano and Dougie Hamilton. Toronto took the lead back in the third period with a Nylander goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Gardiner and Hyman. The Maple Leafs added on with a Colin Greening empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Ben Smith and Brooks Laich. Toronto extended the lead as Josh Leivo scored his fifth of the campaign into an empty net, with the help of Connor Brown. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars being Nylander, Hyman, and Gardiner.

Finally, the Nashville Predators host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period with a James Neal goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, coming off of Ryan Johansen. The Predators added on with a Mike Fisher power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Neal and Johansen. Nashville extended the lead as Filip Forsberg scored his thirtieth of the season, thanks to Craig Smith and Roman Josi. Jhonas Enroth relieved Quick for the third period. Los Angeles got on the board with a Tanner Pearson goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the year, via Drew Doughty and Rob Scuderi. The Kings got on the board with an Alec Martinez goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Pearson and Anze Kopitar. The Predators answered with a Johansen goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Shea Weber and Calle Jarnkrok. Nashville capped it at 5-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Josi, his twelfth of the campaign. The three stars went to Johansen, Neal, and Pearson, while Josi gets an honorable mention.

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Sunday, March 20, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 157

Seven games to stretch all through the day. We begin with two matinees, the first being...

The Winnipeg Jets hosting the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Michael Hutchinson man the nets. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Paul Postma goal, via Andrew Copp and Scott Kosmachuk. Anaheim tied it on a Jamie McGinn power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Kevin Bieksa and Hampus Lindholm. The Ducks took the lead with a Ryan Kesler goal in the second period, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Andrew Cogliano. The Jets retied it on a Blake Wheeler goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Ben Chiarot and Mathieu Perreault. Anaheim won 3-2 in overtime with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Kesler. The three stars were Kesler, Silfverberg, and McGinn.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Scott Wedgewood are the unknown goalies. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Reid Boucher goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Kyle Palmieri and Andy Greene. Columbus tied it with a second period goal by Jared Boll, assisted by Dalton Prout and Gregory Campbell. The Devils took the lead with a Devante Smith-Pelly goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Adam Larsson. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Wedgewood (27 for 28 in saves), Smith-Pelly, and Boucher.

Back west, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Bryan Rust goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Tom Kuhnhackl and Ian Cole. The Penguins added on with a Trevor Daley goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist. Washington got on the board in the second period with a Jason Chimera goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Justin Williams and Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals tied it with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Jay Beagle. Pittsburgh retook the lead on a Kuhnhackl goal, his third of the season, made possible by Matt Cullen and Daley. The Penguins extended the lead in the third period as Cullen scored his twelfth of the year, thanks to Kuhnhackl and Olli Maatta. Pittsburgh padded the lead with a Chris Kunitz goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Crosby and Kris Letang. The Penguins capped it at 6-2 with a Justin Schultz power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Daley and Rust. The three stars were handed to Daley, Kuhnhackl, and Cullen, while Rust and Crosby get the honorable mentions.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens host the Calgary Flames. Niklas Backstrom and Mike Condon are in the blue paint. Calgary got going in the second period with a Joe Colborne goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by T.J. Brodie and Sam Bennett. The Flames added on with a Sean Monahan goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Dougie Hamilton and Josh Jooris. Calgary extended the lead in the third period as Johnny Gaudreau scored his twenty-seventh of the season, with the help of Monahan and Hamilton. The Flames padded the lead with a Monahan power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Hamilton, who got a sock trick. Montreal got on the board with a Michael McCarron goal, passed from Nathan Beaulieu and Phillip Danault. This only made it 4-1, with the three stars going to Monahan, Hamilton, and Backstrom (21 for 22 in saves).

Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk faces a lesser foe in Scott Darling in goal. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Erik Haula goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Nino Niederreiter and Justin Fontaine. The Wild added on with a Niederreiter goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Jordan Schroeder and Mikael Granlund. Chicago got on the board with an Andrew Shaw goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Artemi Panarin. The Blackhawks tied it with a Richard Panik goal, his fourth of the year, via Andrew Desjardins and Duncan Keith. The tie went to a shootout, where Charlie Coyle gave the Wild a 3-2 win with his lone tally. The three stars were Niederreiter, Haula, and Dubnyk (29 for 31 in saves).

Up in Edmonton, the Oilers welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Laurent Brossoit are the backups in goal. Colorado drew first blood in the second period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Carl Soderberg and Shawn Matthias. The Avalanche added on with a Tyson Barrie goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Mikkel Boedker and Landeskog. Edmonton got on the board with a third period goal by Matt Hendricks, his fifth of the season, passed from Mark Letestu and Zack Kassian. Colorado replied with a Blake Comeau power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Erik Johnson and Francois Beauchemin. The Oilers answered with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Connor McDavid. The final stood at 3-2 for the Avalanche, with the three stars given to Landeskog, Comeau, and Barrie.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and James Reimer have the green light to play in goal. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Joel Ward goal, his twentieth of the season, guided in by Brenden Dillon and Joonas Donskoi. The Sharks added on with a Tomas Hertl power play goal in the second period, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Donskoi and Paul Martin. San Jose iced it at 3-0 with a power play empty net goal by Joe Pavelski, his thirty-fourth of the campaign, set up by Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. The three stars went to Donskoi, Reimer (25 save shutout), and Ward.

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Major League Soccer 2016 - Week 3

We have another ten games of American soccer this weekend, beginning with…

New York City FC hosting Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and Josh Saunders man the nets. Orlando City began in the seventh minute with a Cyle Larin goal, assisted by Rafael Ramos. In the thirty-ninth minute, New York City saw a yellow card for a foul by Tony Taylor. Orlando City saw yellow cards assessed to Cristian Higuita in the ninetieth minute and Seb Hines in stoppage time for fouls. Orlando City held on for a 1-0 win, with the man of the match being the goalscorer Larin.

On Saturday, the first of six games has the Chicago Fire welcoming the Columbus Crew SC. Steve Clark and Matt Lampson draw the starts in goal. Columbus had a yellow card for a foul by Justin Meram in the thirty-eighth minute. This was the only written action of the game, with the final holding at 0-0, and the man of the match was Lampson for a four-save clean sheet.

Over to the New York Red Bulls bringing in the Houston Dynamo. Joe Willis and Luis Robles are the gloved men. In the twenty-second minute, New York led off with a Sacha Kljestan goal. Houston tied it on a Will Bruin goal in the thirty-fifth minute, via Boniek Garcia. The Dynamo took the lead in the forty-first minute on Bruin's second of the game. In the fiftieth minute, David Horst of Houston had a yellow card for his foul. In the sixty-second minute, Felipe of the Red Bulls received a yellow card for dissent. The Red Bulls tied the game in the sixty-third minute with a Mike Grella goal. The Dynamo regained the lead with a sixty-fifth minute Alex goal, passed from Garcia. New York tied it again in the seventy-seventh minute with a Felipe goal, coming off of Kljestan. The Red Bulls took the lead as Felipe scored in the eighty-third minute. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the man of the match being Felipe for a brace consisting of the tying and winning goals.

Down in Texas, FC Dallas hosts the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Jesse Gonzalez are between the posts. Walker Zimmerman of Dallas had a yellow card for his thirty-fourth minute foul. Montreal saw a yellow card given to Donny Toia for a forty-third minute argument. Dallas received a yellow card for a seventy-second minute Maynor Figueroa foul. Dallas struck first in the seventy-ninth minute on a Mauro Diaz goal. Dallas added on in the eighty-seventh minute as Maximiliano Urruti scored, thanks to Tesho Akindele. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the man of the match being Diaz.

Northwest to Seattle, where the Sounders FC welcomes the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in a Cascadia Cup match. David Ousted and Stefan Frei are the keepers. Vancouver started in the tenth minute with a Pedro Morales penalty kick goal. In the thirty-fifth minute, Octavio Rivero of the Whitecaps took a yellow card for his foul. Seattle's Andreas Ivanschitz received a yellow card for dissent in the forty-fourth minute. Vancouver saw a yellow card given to Morales for a foul in the fifty-first minute. The Sounders tied the game on an Ivanschitz goal in the fifty-second minute. Seattle had yellow cards for fouls by Tyrone Mears in the seventy-first minute and Chad Marshall in the seventy-third minute. The Whitecaps regained the lead on a seventy-fourth minute Morales penalty kick goal. In the eighty-second minute, Blas Perez of Vancouver took a yellow card for dissent. The final held at 2-1, with Morales' brace earning him man of the match honors.

Down in Los Angeles, the Galaxy bring in the San Jose Earthquakes for a Cali Clasico. David Bingham and Brian Rowe are the goalies. Los Angeles had the first three yellow cards, for persistent infringement by Mike Magee in the eleventh minute and fouls from Jelle Van Damme and Nigel de Jong in the twenty-first and twenty-second minutes, respectively. San Jose saw the next batch of discipline, taking a forty-first minute yellow card for a foul by Andres Imperiale and then going down a man in first half stoppage time when Simon Dawkins had a straight red card for his foul. The Earthquakes saw more yellow cards for Fatai Alashe's fifty-second minute dissent and a fifty-sixth minute Marvell Wynne foul. The Galaxy got going with a Gyasi Zardes goal in the fifty-sixth minute, passed from Van Damme and Magee. Los Angeles added on with a Zardes goal in the sixty-second minute. San Jose got on the board with a Chris Wondolowski goal in the eighty-ninth minute, coming off of Wynne. The Galaxy shot back with a Robbie Keane penalty kick goal in the first minute of second half stoppage time. Los Angeles saw a yellow card for a foul by Alan Gordon two minutes later, but they took a 3-1 win. Zardes was the man of the match with his brace.

Ending a crazy Saturday, the Portland Timbers host Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Adam Larsen Kwarasey guard the woodwork. Salt Lake opened in the sixteenth minute with a Joao Plata goal. Real went down to ten men as Kyle Beckerman received a straight red card for a thirty-first minute foul. Salt Lake added to their lead with a shorthanded goal by Yura Movsisyan. Portland had yellow cards given to Fanendo Adi in the sixty-eighth minute and Alvas Powell in the seventy-sixth minute. The Timbers got on the board with an Adi goal in the seventy-ninth minute. Real went down to nine men when Jamison Olave had a straight red card for violent conduct. Portland tied it on an eighty-fourth minute Adi penalty kick goal. Salt Lake saw two more yellow cards, for time wasting by Sunny in the eighty-seventh minute and Juan Manuel Martinez's foul in stoppage time. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, with Adi named man of the match for a brace. 

On Sunday, the first of three games sees the Philadelphia Union welcome the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth and Andre Blake get the starts in goal. In the eighteenth minute, Philadelphia was first to score with a C.J. Sapong goal, via Fabinho. In the twenty-fifth minute, Philadelphia's Fabinho took a yellow card for his foul. The Union added on with a thirty-third minute Sapong goal, coming off of Warren Creavalle. New England went down to ten men in the thirty-sixth minute when Je-Vaughn Watson took a straight red card for a foul. The Revolution saw yellow cards given to Chris Tierney in the fifty-seventh minute and Diego Fagundez in the fifty-eighth minute, both for fouls. The Union iced it at 3-0 with a stoppage time goal by Sebastien Le Toux, fueled by Leo Fernandes and Chris Pontius. Sapong was the man of the match for his brace.

Along to DC, where United brings in the Colorado Rapids. Zac MacMath and Travis Worra are the goalies. Colorado took yellow cards for fouls by Jared Watts in the nineteenth minute and Dillon Powers in first half stoppage time. The Rapids had a yellow card for a foul by Axel Sjoberg in the forty-ninth minute. Colorado dented the scoreboard with a sixty-ninth minute Powers goal, via Marco Pappa. In the seventy-third minute, Micheal Azira of the Rapids received a yellow card for a foul. DC got on the board with an eightieth minute goal by Fabian Espindola. United took a yellow card for an eighty-sixth minute foul by Marcelo Sarvas. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Finally, Sporting Kansas City hosts Toronto FC. Clint Irwin and Tim Melia are the gloved men. Toronto had a yellow card for a Benoit Cheyrou foul in the sixtieth minute. Kansas City drew first blood in the seventieth minute on a Brad Davis goal, set up by Dominic Dwyer. Toronto's Justin Morrow had a yellow card for dissent in the seventy-first minute. Sporting went down to ten men in the eighty-fourth minute for a foul by Roger Espinoza. In the eighty-seventh minute, the keeper Melia of Kansas City had a yellow card for time wasting. The 1-0 score held up as a final, and Melia was the man of the match for a four-save clean sheet to win shorthanded.

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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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