Monday, March 28, 2016

2015/16 KHL Western Conference Final: 1) CSKA Moscow VS. 6) SKA St. Petersburg

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

Game 1: CSKA Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Mikko Koskinen for SKA and Ilya Sorokin for CSKA. Moscow began in the first period with a Roman Lyubimov goal, assisted by Ivan Telegin. CSKA added on in the second period with an unassisted Stephane Da Costa power play goal. Moscow extended the lead in the third period as Dmitry Kugryshev scored an empty net goal, set up by Telegin and Lyubimov. This made it a 3-0 final, with the three stars being Sorokin (27 save shutout), Lyubimov, and Telegin. CSKA has a 1-0 series lead now.

Game 2: CSKA Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Mikko Koskinen for SKA and Ilya Sorokin for CSKA. St. Petersburg got going in the second period with a Steve Moses goal, via Vyacheslav Voynov and Jarno Koskiranta. Moscow tied it in the third period with a Geoff Platt goal, coming off of Nikita Zaitsev and Stephane Da Costa on the power play. SKA took the lead back with a shorthanded Koskiranta goal, set up by Maxim Chudinov and Alexander Dergachyov. CSKA tied it with another Plat goal, passed from Zaitsev and Alexander Radulov. Moscow took the lead with an unassisted Radulov power play goal. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars awarded to Platt, Radulov, and Koskiranta, while Zaitsev gets an honorable mention. CSKA travels west with a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Ilya Sorokin for CSKA and Mikko Koskinen for SKA. Moscow won 1-0 in triple overtime with a Geoff Platt goal, assisted by Simon Hjalmarsson. The three stars went to Sorokin (52 save shutout), Platt, and Koskinen (50 for 51 in saves). CSKA can advance in the next game if they can complete the sweep, but they've seen SKA like this before, and it didn't end well for them.

Game 4: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Ilya Sorokin for CSKA and Mikko Koskinen for SKA. Moscow led off in the first period with an Ivan Telegin goal, assisted by Roman Lyubimov and Grigory Panin. St. Petersburg tied it in the third period on an Anton Belov goal, made possible by Steve Moses and Yegor Yakovlev on the power play. CSKA won 2-1 in overtime with a Sergei Andronov goal, passed from Nikita Zaitsev. The three stars were awarded to Andronov, Sorokin (36 for 37 in saves), and Telegin. CSKA booked their ticket to the Gagarin Cup Final against a to-be-determined opponent.

Going Forward: What the Canadian Teams Need For 2016-17

Hockey is Canada's favorite child, and that is a well-known fact. Nothing less than gold is accepted in international competitions. It's a major inconvenient truth for Canada that one of their teams has failed to win the Stanley Cup in over twenty years. With over half of the NHL being Canadian, they'll always have some tangential tie to the championship, but it hasn't spent a full year in the great white north for quite awhile. This year, Canada won't even have a horse in the race for the Stanley Cup, as all seven of their teams are mired in mediocrity and misfortune this season. With that in mind, each of these teams needs something if they hope to put the national shame to rest next year.

Montreal Canadiens: The most decorated franchise in Canada needs one simple thing for next year: health. Losing Carey Price for all but a handful of games left the crease in the hands of Mike Condon, Ben Scrivens, and others, and it hasn't worked out long-term. Condon looked like he could hold his own in his first stint as the starter, but after Price went out again, Condon's true colors showed. A recent serious injury to P.K. Subban saw Montreal hold their breath again, but it looks like the two faces of the franchise will be ready for next season. Getting both of them for the bulk of the season should be enough to correct a bad year. Just remember how good the Canadiens were before the Price injury this season.

Ottawa Senators: Canada's capital is known for the occasional playoff run, but more often than not, they come up short. Unlike many of the Canadian teams, the Senators operate on a pretty tight budget, which could hamstring them from their true need: a game-changing offensive threat. Craig Anderson is a perfectly acceptable goalie, and Andrew Hammond serves well as his backup. Erik Karlsson is an all-world talent on the blue line, and defense isn't Ottawa's biggest problem. There is clear scoring talent in youngsters Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone, and Mika Zibanejad, and a crop of veterans that don't hurt either. However, more than one superstar is generally needed for success in the NHL, and the Senators don't have anyone who can push 40 goals a season. Getting a true superstar, either through trade or the less-likely means of free agency, would boost the Senators to the next level, especially if the bounces fall their way again.

Toronto Maple Leafs: The fishbowl of the NHL is Toronto, and while there have been many reasons to be disgruntled with the Maple Leafs in recent years, the new management has done wonders. While patience would be the easy pick here, the Maple Leafs truly need goaltending more than anything else. The kids will be alright, and no one expects the Maple Leafs to make the playoffs next year, so all they need in that regard is progress. The team's true need is a goalie better than Jonathan Bernier. Garret Sparks has done alright at times this year, but he's not the goalie of the future. Pursuing a stopover goalie like Jimmy Howard or Cam Ward may allow the Maple Leafs to make small gains next season and still earn a decent draft pick in 2017 to further grease the wheels of rebuilding.

Winnipeg Jets: The thing that would help the Jets the most is not something they can have, which would be a new division to get them away from the pressures of playing the behemoths of the Central. Instead, the Jets need an identity. While they've shed some of their Atlanta Thrashers-era players, the team still plays a lot like the Thrashers did, even after coaching changes. Losing captain Andrew Ladd allows this team to dictate what their future looks like internally. Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler remain underrated, and the Jets have a lot of good pieces in place. A full season of goaltending from Connor Hellebuyck will probably help them, but they don't have a lot of room to grow on the ice next year. The core is beginning to form with the Jets, and the current iteration of that core needs to define what Jets hockey will be for the next five years or so.

Edmonton Oilers: A team that routinely drafts #1 overall recently has a plethora of talented young offense with all those picks. Cam Talbot has done better than anyone expected playing in goal for the Oilers. The single thing the Oilers need sounds almost illogical, but losing the draft lottery would be the best thing for this team. The temptation of drafting Auston Matthews would further imbalance the Oilers to favor all offense with no defense. By losing the draft lottery, the Oilers may be more apt to draft what they need over what they want. All due respect to Oscar Klefbom, but the Oilers need an all-situations defenseman similar to what the Panthers have in Aaron Ekblad. Anything less is going to put them in another year of misery.

Calgary Flames: This is the team that needs patience. The Flames got lucky to make the playoffs in 2015, but GM Brad Treliving has been smart with his work since then. He didn't mortgage the future, and he's stayed the course this season, giving young players the chance to develop and making smart trades to bring in Dougie Hamilton and ship out Jiri Hudler and Kris Russell in the last 12 months. Next on his docket would be significant second contracts for the dynamic duo of Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau, and keeping enough cap space to plan ahead for Sam Bennett and other supporting players down the line. The Flames have a strong defense, and they'll have to address goaltending this season, but effective cap management and thoughtful decision-making will be enough for them to potentially lead the Canadian teams' revolution.

Vancouver Canucks: While the Flames are on their way out of their rebuild, the Canucks need more than anything else to come to terms that their window has closed. The goaltending of Ryan Miller and Jacob Markstrom is unimpressive. The Canucks have many aged skaters that will produce at a lower rate going forward. The Sedin twins, Vancouver icons as they are, may be holding the team back at the moment. Yes, they're still productive, but the Canucks would be well served to be bad for a couple of years and start over with a large crop of young players with the chance to be competitive in the early 2020s. Keeping on these veterans for loyalty reasons now will just postpone the inevitable for a franchise very clearly set for decline.

Please note that these are the most important things I see for each Canadian team. Feel free to disagree in the comments. Also, in the essence of full disclosure, I am a Calgary Flames fan that tries very hard to write without C-shaped red glasses on.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 164

Just three games for tonight, beginning in...

Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the New Jersey Devils. Scott Wedgewood and Cam Ward are in the creases. Carolina opened in the first period with a Ron Hainsey goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Jordan Staal and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes added on with a Victor Rask power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Elias Lindholm and Justin Faulk. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Rask scored his second of the game and twentieth of the season, with a lone assist by Jeff Skinner. New Jersey got on the board with a Bobby Farnham goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Devils pulled closer with a Travis Zajac goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Blake Pietila and Kyla Palmieri. They failed to tie it, losing 3-2, with the three stars being Rask, Ward (23 for 25 in saves), and Hainsey.

Up in New York, the Rangers welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. New York started in the first period with an Eric Staal goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Kevin Hayes and Jesper Fast. Pittsburgh tied it on a Matt Cullen goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Derrick Pouliot and Trevor Daley. The Rangers retook the lead in the second period with Staal's second of the game and thirteenth of the season, made possible by Fast and Hayes. The Penguins tied it again with a Phil Kessel goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Carl Hagelin. Pittsburgh won 3-2 in overtime with a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirty-second of the campaign, dished from Kris Letang and Kessel. The three stars went to Kessel, Staal, and Fast, while Hayes gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Ryan Miller are between the pipes. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Tomas Fleischmann goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Trevor van Riemsdyk and Christian Ehrhoff. Vancouver tied it in the second period with an Alexandre Burrows goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Linden Vey and Emerson Etem. The Blackhawks retook the lead in the third period with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by van Riemsdyk and Patrick Kane. The Canucks tied it on a Sven Baertschi goal, his fifteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Etem. Chicago pulled ahead as Andrew Ladd scored his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Jonathan Toews and Niklas Hjalmarsson. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Ladd, van Riemsdyk, and Etem.

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Saturday, March 26, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 163

It's one of the busiest days of the year, with fourteen games to be played. We begin with four matinees, the first from...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Chad Johnson make the starts in goal. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. The Jets added on with an unassisted goal by Andrew Copp, his fourth of the year. Buffalo got on the board with a Hudson Fasching goal, made possible by Mark Pysyk and Casey Nelson. The Sabres tied it in the third period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his twenty-first of the season, helped along by Zemgus Girgensons. Buffalo took the lead with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Reinhart. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Reinhart, Eichel, and Fasching.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Petr Mrazek guard the cages. Detroit started in the first period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Brad Richards and Jonathan Ericsson. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period with a Chris Kunitz goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins took the lead on a Letang goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Phil Kessel and Trevor Daley. Pittsburgh added on with a Carl Hagelin goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Kessel and Nick Bonino. The Penguins extended the lead as Kessel scored his twenty-second of the season, thanks to Ian Cole and Bonino. The Red Wings got one back in the third period with a Mike Green power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Pavel Datsyuk. Pittsburgh shot back with an Eric Fehr goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Bonino, who got a sock trick. The Penguins padded the lead on a Hagelin goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, made possible by Kessel, who got a sock trick, and Bonino. Pittsburgh kept going with a Bonino power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Kessel and Fehr. This stood for a 7-2 win, with the three stars being Kessel, Bonino, and Hagelin, while Letang and Fehr get the honorable mentions.

West to Colorado, where the Avalanche bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Semyon Varlamov are the masked men. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Zach Parise goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Mikael Granlund. The Wild added on with a Jordan Schroeder goal, his second of the year, coming off of Justin Fontaine and Marco Scandella. Minnesota extended the lead with a third period power play goal by Parise, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Ryan Suter and Mikko Koivu. The Wild padded the lead as Granlund scored a shorthanded empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Erik Haula. The game ended 4-0, with the three stars handed to Parise, Dubnyk (29 save shutout), and Granlund.

Out in California, the last matinee sees the San Jose Sharks host the Dallas Stars. Antti Niemi faces his former team and Martin Jones in goal. Dallas began in the first period with a Mattias Janmark goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Jordie Benn and Ales Hemsky. The Stars added on in the second period with another Janmark goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, via Jason Spezza and Stephen Johns. Dallas extended the lead as Patrick Sharp scored a power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Spezza and John Klingberg. San Jose got on the board in the third period with a Joel Ward shorthanded goal, his twenty-first of the year, going in unassisted. The Sharks got closer with a Tomas Hertl goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns. The Stars iced it at 4-2 with a Jamie Benn empty net goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, set up by Sharp. The three stars were handed to Janmark, Sharp, and Spezza.

At the usual time, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the New York Islanders. Jean-Francois Berube and Eddie Lack are the backups in goal. New York opened in the first period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Nikolay Kulemin. The Islanders added on with a Kulemin goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Victor Rask goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Chris Terry and Brett Pesce. The Hurricanes tied it on a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by Ron Hainsey and Riley Nash. Carolina pulled ahead with a Jay McClement goal, his third of the season, coming off of Ryan Murphy. New York tied it in the third period with a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Casey Cizikas and Calvin de Haan. The Islanders won 4-3 in overtime with another Clutterbuck goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, helped along by Brock Nelson and Nick Leddy. The three stars went to Clutterbuck, Kulemin, and Okposo.

Up in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and Mike Condon draw the starts in goal. New York was first to score in the first period with a J.T. Miller goal, his twenty-first of the season, helped along by Derek Stepan and Keith Yandle. Montreal tied it with a Lars Eller goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Greg Pateryn and Nathan Beaulieu. The Rangers retook the lead in the second period with a Derick Brassard goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, courtesy of Chris Kreider and Rick Nash. New York added on with a Kreider power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Brassard and Yandle. The Rangers extended the lead as Kreider scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Canadiens got one back with a Phillip Danault goal, his third of the year, made possible by David Desharnais and Sven Andrighetto. New York shot back as Stepan scored a power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, with assists provided by Mats Zuccarello and Brassard. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars given to Kreider, Brassard, and Stepan, while Yandle gets an honorable mention.

Over in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators host the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Craig Anderson are the similarly named goalies. Ottawa cracked the scoresheet with a first period goal by Mike Hoffman, his twenty-seventh of the season, helped along by Bobby Ryan and Mika Zibanejad. The Senators added on in the second period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Zack Smith. Ottawa extended the lead as Chris Neil scored his fourth of the season, with the help of Nick Paul. Anaheim got on the board with a Ryan Getzlaf goal in the third period, his twelfth of the year, with a lone assist by Jamie McGinn. The Ducks got closer with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Cam Fowler and Shawn Horcoff. Anaheim tied it on a Hampus Lindholm goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Corey Perry and Rickard Rakell. The Ducks won 4-3 in overtime with a Rakell power play goal, his twentieth of the campaign, powered by Getzlaf and Fowler. The three stars were handed to Rakell, Getzlaf, and Fowler.

Back south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome in-state rivals in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo faces a lesser foe in Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Nikita Nesterov and Ondrej Palat. Florida tied it with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, coming off of Jussi Jokinen. The Panthers took the lead with a Jaromir Jagr power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with assists provided by Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida added on with a second period goal by Jiri Hudler, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Alex Petrovic and Nick Bjugstad. The Panthers extended the lead as Huberdeau scored his fifteenth of the season in the third period, guided in by Barkov and Jagr. The Lightning got one back with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, made possible by Brian Boyle and Nesterov. Florida iced it at 5-2 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Jokinen, his seventeenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Huberdeau, Jagr, and Barkov, while Jokinen and Nesterov get the honorable mentions.

Returning to Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Jonathan Bernier are the experienced goalies. Toronto drew first blood in the first period with a Ben Smith goal, his second of the season, assisted by Colin Greening and Brooks Laich. Boston tied it in the second period with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Matt Beleskey and Torey Krug. The Bruins took the lead on a Zdeno Chara goal, his ninth of the season, passed from David Krejci and Frank Vatrano. Boston added on in the third period with a Beleskey power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Loui Eriksson and Krejci as it went into the empty net. The three stars in the 3-1 game were Beleskey, Krejci, and Rask (25 for 26 in saves).

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen opposes Philipp Grubauer in goal. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Kyle Brodziak goal, his fifth of the season, via David Backes and Scottie Upshall. The Blues added on with a Colton Parayko goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. St. Louis extended the lead as Vladimir Tarasenko scored his thirty-fifth of the season, thanks to Jori Lehtera and Paul Stastny. The Blues padded the lead with a third period Patrik Berglund goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Alex Pietrangelo and Stastny. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Allen (32 save shutout), Stastny, and Brodziak.

Southwest to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Pekka Rinne are the Finnish goalies. Nashville led off in the first period with a James Neal goal, his thirtieth of the season, made possible by Ryan Johansen and Roman Josi. Columbus tied it with a Boone Jenner goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, via Brandon Saad. The Predators took the lead on a Mattias Ekholm goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Ryan Ellis and Mike Ribeiro. Nashville added on in the second period with a Craig Smith goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Shea Weber and Josi. The Predators extended the lead as Weber scored his eighteenth of the season on the power play, guided in by Ribeiro and Filip Forsberg. Nashville padded the lead with a Calle Jarnkrok goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Josi, who got a sock trick, and Neal. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars handed to Josi, Weber, and Neal, while Ribeiro gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Joni Ortio are the lesser-known goalies. Chicago got going in the second period with an Andrew Ladd goal, his twenty-first of the season, going in unassisted. Calgary tied it with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Freddie Hamilton and Johnny Gaudreau. The Blackhawks took the lead with an Andrew Shaw goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Michal Rozsival and Ladd. Chicago added on in the third period with an empty net goal by Ladd, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, an unassisted. The Blackhawks iced it at 4-1 with a Teuvo Teravainen empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Patrick Kane and Niklas Hjalmarsson. The three stars went to Ladd, Darling (31 for 32 in saves).

Down in Los Angeles, the Kings host the Edmonton Oilers. Laurent Brossoit is mismatched with Jonathan Quick in goal. Los Angeles began in the first period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, coming off of Brayden McNabb and Milan Lucic. Edmonton tied it with a Jordan Eberle goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Jordan Oesterle. The Oilers took the lead with a Connor McDavid goal, his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Kings tied it on a Jeff Carter goal, his nineteenth of the year, made possible by Lucic and Luke Schenn. Los Angeles took the lead in the second period with a Toffoli goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Lucic, who got a sock trick. The Kings added on with an Andy Andreoff goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Toffoli and Carter. Los Angeles extended the lead with a shorthanded Trevor Lewis goal, his eighth of the season, set up by McNabb and the goalie Quick. Edmonton got one back in the third period with a Patrick Maroon goal, his eighth of the year, a power play goal, guided in by Andrej Sekera and Eberle. The Oilers edged closer with another Maroon goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, with helpers from McDavid and Adam Clendening. The Kings iced it at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Carter, his twentieth of the year, dished from Toffoli and Jake Muzzin. The three stars went to Toffoli, Carter, and Maroon, while Lucic, McNabb, McDavid, and Eberle get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Mike Smith are the overrated goalies. Arizona dented the scoreboard with a Shane Doan power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Antoine Vermette and Alex Tanguay. The Coyotes added on with a Michael Stone goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Anthony Duclair and Martin Hanzal. Philadelphia got on the board with a Sean Couturier power play goal in the third period, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Shayne Gostisbehere and Matt Read. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Smith (34 for 35 in saves), Stone, and Doan.

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Major League Soccer 2016 - Week 4

It's a short week due to an international break that is partially observed by MLS. There are only three games, all on Saturday, with the first in...

New York, as New York City FC hosts the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth and Josh Saunders are in goal. New York City struck first in the tenth minute with a Thomas McNamara goal, In the thirty-sixth minute, Andoni Iraola of New York City took a yellow card for his foul. New England tied it on a thirty-eighth minute goal by Chris Tierney. The Revolution went down to ten men in the fifty-first minute as Gershon Koffie took a straight red card for his foul. In the fifty-fifth minute, Federico Bravo of New York City picked up a yellow card for a foul. New England's Scott Caldwell received a yellow card for a sixty-fifth minute foul. Andrea Pirlo of New York City saw a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-eighth minute. In stoppage time, McNamara took a yellow card for a foul for New York City. The final held at 1-1, with the man of the match being Shuttleworth, who went three for four in saves to preserve the tie even with the team a man down.

Along to DC, where United welcomes FC Dallas. Chris Seitz and Travis Worra man the nets. Dallas opened in the fourteenth minute with a Michael Barrios goal. Dallas added on in the twenty-eighth minute with another Barrios goal, via Mauro Diaz. Dallas' Carlos Gruezo took a yellow card for a foul in the thirtieth minute. DC saw a yellow card for a foul by Marcelo Sarvas in the thirty-seventh minute. Dallas extended the lead as Maximiliano Urruti scored in the fifty-second minute, thanks to Fabian Castillo and Diaz. Barrios of Dallas took a yellow card in the sixtieth minute for time wasting. United saw a yellow card for an argument by Chris Rolfe in the sixty-first minute. DC went down to ten men in the sixty-sixth minute as Sarvas took a straight red card for his foul in the box. Dallas won 3-0, and Barrios was the man of the match for his brace.

Finally, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC bring in the Houston Dynamo. Joe Willis and David Ousted are the gloved men. Vancouver started in the twenty-third minute with a Pedro Morales penalty kick goal. The Whitecaps saw yellow cards go to Matias Laba in the seventy-sixth minute and Pa Modou Kah in stoppage time for fouls. Vancouver won 1-0, and Ousted's five-save clean sheet made him the man of the match.

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Friday, March 25, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 162

Three games tonight, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby faces a lesser foe in Scott Wedgewood. Washington won 1-0 in overtime with a John Carlson goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Jason Chimera and Marcus Johansson. The three stars were awarded to Carlson, Holtby (22 save shutout), and Wedgewood (25 for 26 in saves).

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss is mismatched with Ben Bishop in goal. New York began in the first period with a Brock Nelson goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Ryan Strome and Josh Bailey. Tampa Bay tied it on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, courtesy of Alex Killorn and Andrej Sustr. The Lightning took the lead with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay added on with a Steven Stamkos goal in the second period, his thirty-fifth of the year, via Jason Garrison and Kucherov. The Islanders pulled back with a Shane Prince goal, his fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. New York tied it with a Johnny Boychuk goal, his eighth of the year, passed from John Tavares and Bailey. The Lightning regained the lead in the third period with a Sustr goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist from Garrison. The Islanders tied it again on a Nikolay Kulemin goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Frans Nielsen and Travis Hamonic. Tampa Bay took the lead again with a Tyler Johnson goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Ondrej Palat and Jonathan Marchessault. The Lightning extended the lead as Garrison scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Palat and Marchessault. Tampa Bay iced it at 7-4 with an empty net goal by Victor Hedman, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Matthew Carle and Palat, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars went to Garrison, Kucherov, and Sustr, while Palat, Bailey, and Marchessault get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Brian Elliott are in the blue paint. St. Louis led off in the first period with a shorthanded Kyle Brodziak goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Scottie Upshall. The Blues added on with a Robby Fabbri goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Paul Stastny and Troy Brouwer. St. Louis extended the lead in the second period as Carl Gunnarsson scored his third of the season, thanks to Stastny and Fabbri. The Blues finished it at 4-0 in the third period with a Joel Edmundson goal, assisted by Vladimir Tarasenko and Colton Parayko. The three stars were Elliott (15 save shutout), Fabbri, and Stastny.

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Thursday, March 24, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 161

Eleven games today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Boston got going in the second period with a Ryan Spooner goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Frank Vatrano and Loui Eriksson. Florida tied it on a Reilly Smith goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Vincent Trocheck and Jussi Jokinen. The Panthers took the lead with a Trocheck shorthanded goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, set up by Alex Petrovic. Florida added on with a Jokinen goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the year, with helpers from Dmitry Kulikov and Steven Kampfer. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with a Jonathan Huberdeau empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, made possible by Jaromir Jagr and Aleksander Barkov. The three stars were Trocheck, Luongo (34 for 35 in saves), and Jokinen.

To the west, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the New Jersey Devils. Scott Wedgewood is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, via Travis Zajac and Reid Boucher. The Devils added on with a Palmieri power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Damon Severson and Boucher. New Jersey extended the lead as Adam Henrique scored his twenty-seventh of the campaign in the third period, thanks to Severson and Devante Smith-Pelly. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars going to Palmieri, Wedgewood (39 save shutout), and Boucher, while Severson gets an honorable mention.

Along to Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the blue paint. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Matt Calvert goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Dalton Prout and Brandon Dubinsky. Carolina tied it in the third period with a Victor Rask goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Noah Hanifin and Jeff Skinner. The Hurricanes took the lead on a Chris Terry goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Jaccob Slavin. Carolina added on with an Elias Lindholm goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Jordan Staal. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Boone Jenner goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, helped along by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Brandon Saad. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Lindholm, Terry, and Rask.

Into Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Montreal Canadiens. Ben Scrivens and Petr Mrazek make the starts. Detroit began in the first period with a Riley Sheahan goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Brendan Smith and Mike Green. The Red Wings added on in the second period with a Luke Glendening goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Andreas Athanasiou and Darren Helm. Detroit extended the lead as Sheahan scored his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, with the help of Smith and Pavel Datsyuk. The Red Wings padded the lead with an Anthony Mantha goal, passed from Brad Richards and Green on the power play. Montreal got on the board with an unassisted Tomas Plekanec goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the season. The Canadiens got closer with a Paul Byron goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Darren Dietz and Joel Hanley. Montreal chipped closer with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, helped along by Alex Galchenyuk and Hanley. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Sheahan, Smith, and Green, while Hanley gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen faces a lesser foe in Garret Sparks in goal. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Jamie McGinn goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Brandon Pirri and Corey Perry. Toronto tied it on a Tyler Bozak goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Milan Michalek and Connor Brown. Toronto added on with a Bozak power play goal in the second period, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, helped along by Kadri and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Frank Corrado scored, thanks to Brooks Laich and Ben Smith. The Ducks shot back with a McGinn power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, with helpers provided by Pirri and Ryan Getzlaf. Anaheim chipped closer with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Shawn Horcoff and Josh Manson. The Ducks tied it in the third period with a shorthanded and unassisted Ryan Garbutt goal, his sixth of the season. Anaheim pulled ahead on a Pirri goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Horcoff and Hampus Lindholm. Toronto retied it with a Brown power play goal, fueled by Michalek and Kadri. The Maple Leads won 6-5 in overtime with a Kadri goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, dished from Zach Hyman and Rielly. The three stars were awarded to Kadri, Bozak, and Brown, while McGinn, Pirri, Horcoff, Rielly, and Michalek get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Pekka Rinne are the veteran goalies. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Bo Horvat goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Sven Baertschi. The Canucks added on with a Daniel Sedin power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Henrik Sedin and Alexandre Burrows. Nashville got on the board in the third period with a James Neal goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, passed from Colin Wilson. The Predators tied it on a Filip Forsberg goal, his thirty-first of the year, coming off of Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis. The tie went to a shootout, where tallies by Ryan Johansen and Craig Smith topped Jared McCann to give the Predators a 3-2 win. The three stars were handed to Smith, Forsberg, and Neal.

In Canada again, the Winnipeg Jets host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Ondrej Pavelec are between the pipes. Los Angeles drew first blood in the second period with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty. Winnipeg tied it on an Adam Lowry goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Matt Halischuk and Jacob Trouba. The Jets took the lead in the third period with a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. Winnipeg added on with a Paul Postma goal, his second of the year, with assists by Scheifele and Wheeler. The Jets iced it at 4-1 with an unassisted empty net goal by Drew Stafford, his twentieth of the campaign. The three stars were handed to Pavelec (33 for 34 in saves), Wheeler, and Scheifele.

Down in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Calgary Flames. Niklas Backstrom faces his old team and Devan Dubnyk in goal. Minnesota started in the first period with a Zach Parise goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Mike Reilly and Mikko Koivu. The Wild added on with another Parise goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, assisted by Charlie Coyle and Koivu. Calgary got on the board with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Sean Monahan and Mark Giordano. Minnesota shot back as Parise completed his hat trick on a power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, made possible by Ryan Suter and Koivu, with the latter getting a sock trick. The Flames answered in the second period with a Jakub Nakladal goal, his second of the season, via Matt Stajan and Tyler Wotherspoon. The Wild responded with a Jared Spurgeon power play goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Coyle and Parise. Minnesota extended the lead in the third period as Spurgeon scored his second of the game and tenth of the season on the power play, an unassisted goal. The Wild iced it at 6-2 with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Jason Pominville and Erik Haula. The three stars went to Parise, Koivu, and Spurgeon, while Coyle gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Denver, with the Colorado Avalanche bringing in the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Semyon Varlamov are the steady goalies. Colorado cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Nick Holden goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Mikhail Grigorenko and Mikkel Boedker. Philadelphia tied it on a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Shayne Gostisbehere and Andrew MacDonald. The Avalanche retook the lead in the third period with a John Mitchell goal, his tenth of the campaign, helped along by Andreas Martinsen and Francois Beauchemin. The Flyers tied it again with a Radko Gudas goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek. Philadelphia gained the lead on a Claude Giroux goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn. The Flyers iced it at 4-2 with a Ryan White empty net goal, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Bellemare and Gudas. The three stars were given to Mason (32 for 34 in saves), Gudas, and Bellemare.

Further south, the Arizona Coyotes welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Louis Domingue are called on to start in goal. Arizona led off in the first period with a Tobias Rieder goal, his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Connor Murphy and Brad Richardson. Dallas tied it on an Ales Hemsky goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Antoine Roussel. The Coyotes took the lead back in the second period with a Martin Hanzal goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Michael Stone. Arizona added on with another Hanzal goal in the third period, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, a shorthanded goal set up by Klas Dahlbeck and Max Domi. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Domingue (38 for 39 in saves), Hanzal, and Rieder.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and James Reimer protect the nets. San Jose began in the first period with a Tommy Wingels goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Roman Polak and Nick Spaling. The Sharks added on with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, powered by Joe Thornton and Logan Couture. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a Lauri Korpikoski goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Adam Clendening and Mark Letestu. The Oilers tied it with a Taylor Hall goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Edmonton took the lead with a Clendening goal, coming off of Patrick Maroon and Darnell Nurse. San Jose retied it with a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by Thornton and Brent Burns. The Oilers pulled ahead with a Maroon goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Connor McDavid and Nail Yakupov. Edmonton extended the lead as Jordan Eberle scored his twenty-fourth of the season, thanks to Maroon and Andrej Sekera. The Oilers iced it at 6-3 with a Hall empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, set up by Sekera and Leon Draisaitl. The three stars went to Maroon, Hall, and Clendening, while Sekera and Thornton get the honorable mentions.

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