As is standard procedure for the playoffs, this post will cover the entire series.
Game 1: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Niklas Svedberg for Salavat Yulaev and Vasily Koshechkin for Metallurg. Ufa got going in the second period with a Sami Lepisto goal, assisted by Andreas Engqvist and Linus Omark. Magnitogorsk tied it with a Jan Kovar power play goal, powered by Chris Lee and Sergei Mozyakin. Metallurg took the lead with an Alexei Kaigorodov goal in the third period, via Bogdan Potekhin. Salavat Yulaev tied it with an Igor Grigorenko goal, passed from Lepisto and Omark. Magnitogorsk won 3-2 in the second overtime on a Mozyakin goal, coming off of Kovar and Alexei Bereglazov. The three stars went to Mozyakin, Kovar, and Lepisto, while Omark gets an honorable mention. Metallurg has a 1-0 series lead.
Game 2: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Niklas Svedberg for Salavat Yulaev and Vasily Koshechkin for Metallurg. Magnitogorsk started in the first period with a Denis Osipov goal, made possible by Vladislav Kaletnik and Alexander Semin. Metallurg added on in the second period with a Bogdan Potekhin goal, via Chris Lee and Alexei Kaigorodov. Magnitogorsk extended the lead as Sergei Mozyakin scored, thanks to Danis Zaripov. Metallurg padded the lead with a Semin goal, coming off of Wojtek Wolski and Bereglazov on the power play. Vladimir Sokhatsky replaced Svedberg in goal. Magnitogorsk continued in the third period with a Tomas Filippi goal, with a lone assist by Semin. Metallurg kept going with a shorthanded and unassisted goal from Yaroslav Kosov. Ufa got on the board with a Sami Lepisto power play goal, powered by Enver Lisin. This made it 6-1, with the three stars awarded to Semin, Bereglazov, and Koshechkin (41 for 42 in saves). Metallurg's big win gives them a 2-0 series lead to leave home with.
Game 3: Ufa Arena, Ufa, Russia. In goal: Vasily Koshechkin for Metallurg and Niklas Svedberg for Salavat Yulaev. Ufa opened in the first period with a Sami Lepisto power play goal, powered by Sergei Soin. Magnitogorsk tied it on a Sergei Moyakin goal, via Viktor Antipin and Jan Kovar. Metallurg took the lead with a Kovar power play goal, passed from Alexander Semin and Mozyakin. Salavat Yulaev tied it in the second period on a Nikolai Prokhorkin goal, assisted by Maxim Mayorov and Teemu Hartikainen. Ufa gained the lead in the third period with another Lepisto goal, coming off of Hartikainen and Mayorov. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Lepisto, Mozyakin, and Kovar, while Hartikainen and Mayorov get the honorable mentions. The win by Salavat Yulaev makes it a 2-1 series lead for Metallurg.
Game 4: Ufa Arena, Ufa, Russia. In goal: Vasily Koshechkin for Metallurg and Niklas Svedberg for Salavat Yulaev. Magnitogorsk led off in the first period with a Viktor Antipin goal, via Jan Kovar and Sergei Mozyakin. Ufa tied it in the third period with an Igor Grigorenko goal, passed from Sergei Soin. Metallurg retook the lead with an Alexander Semin power play goal, powered by Sergei Tereshchenko and Chris Lee. Magnitogorsk iced it at 3-1 with an unassisted empty net goal by Wojtek Wolski. The three stars went to Koshechkin (31 for 32 in saves), Semin, and Antipin. Metallurg heads home with a strong 3-1 series lead.
Game 5: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Niklas Svedberg for Salavat Yulaev and Vasily Koshechkin for Metallurg. Ufa dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Maxim Goncharov power play goal, powered by Enver Lisin and Nikolai Prokhorkin. Salavat Yulaev added on with a Maxim Mayorov goal, passed from Sami Lepisto and Alexander Loginov. Magnitogorsk got on the board with a Danis Zaripov power play goal, assisted by Alexander Semin and Jan Kovar. Metallurg tied it in the third period on an Alexei Bereglazov goal, fueled by Semin and Tomas Filippi on the power play. Magnitogorsk won early in double overtime with a Yaroslav Kosov goal, via Bogdan Potekhin. The 3-2 final gave Metallurg a 4-1 series win, and the three stars of this game were Kosov, Semin, and Bereglazov. Metallurg will face CSKA Moscow in the Gagarin Cup Final, beginning on April 7th.
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Thursday, March 31, 2016
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
2015-16 NHL Season - Day 167
Three games on today, beginning with...
The Winnipeg Jets hosting the Ottawa Senators. Andrew Hammond and Michael Hutchinson are the backups in goal. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Zack Smith goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Mark Stone and Cody Ceci. Winnipeg tied it on a third period Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Blake Wheeler and Drew Stafford. The Senators took the lead with an Alex Chiasson goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Ryan Dzingel. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Chiasson, Hammond (20 for 21 in saves), and Smith.
Southeast to Philadelphia, where the Flyers welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Steve Mason protect the nets. Washington dented the scoreboard in the third period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-fourth of the season, coming off of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Justin Williams on the power play. Philadelphia tied it on a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds. In the shootout, Nick Cousins and Sam Gagner scored to give the Flyers a 2-1 win. The three stars were awarded to Mason (29 for 30 in saves), Schenn, and Holtby (33 for 34 in saves).
Finally, in Anaheim, the Ducks bring in the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller faces his former team and John Gibson in goal. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with a Corey Perry goal, his thirty-second of the season, courtesy of Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks added on with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Ryan Kesler and Andrew Cogliano. Anaheim extended the lead as Brandon Pirri scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Shawn Horcoff and Cam Fowler. Niklas Backstrom relieved Hiller at this time. The Ducks padded the lead in the second period with a Jamie McGinn goal, his twenty-second of the year, made possible by Getzlaf and Clayton Stoner. Anaheim kept going with a Shea Theodore goal, his third of the season, via Cogliano and Kesler. Frederik Andersen relieved an injured Gibson about midway through the second period. Calgary got on the board with a Hunter Shinkaruk power play goal, powered by Mark Giordano and Sean Monahan. The Ducks answered with a Nate Thompson goal, helped along by Ryan Garbutt and Mike Santorelli. The Flames shot back with a Giordano goal, his twentieth of the year, fueled by Joe Colborne and Deryk Engelland. Anaheim replied with a Kesler goal, his eighteenth of the season, a power play goal with a lone assist by Chris Stewart. Calgary answered with a T.J. Brodie goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Dougie Hamilton and Micheal Ferland. Gibson returned to the Anaheim crease at the start of the third period. Anaheim made it 8-3 with a Silfverberg goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, dished from McGinn and Kesler. The three stars went to Kesler, Silfverberg, and McGinn, while Giordano, Cogliano, and Getzlaf get the honorable mentions.
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The Winnipeg Jets hosting the Ottawa Senators. Andrew Hammond and Michael Hutchinson are the backups in goal. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Zack Smith goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Mark Stone and Cody Ceci. Winnipeg tied it on a third period Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Blake Wheeler and Drew Stafford. The Senators took the lead with an Alex Chiasson goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Ryan Dzingel. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Chiasson, Hammond (20 for 21 in saves), and Smith.
Southeast to Philadelphia, where the Flyers welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Steve Mason protect the nets. Washington dented the scoreboard in the third period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-fourth of the season, coming off of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Justin Williams on the power play. Philadelphia tied it on a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds. In the shootout, Nick Cousins and Sam Gagner scored to give the Flyers a 2-1 win. The three stars were awarded to Mason (29 for 30 in saves), Schenn, and Holtby (33 for 34 in saves).
Finally, in Anaheim, the Ducks bring in the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller faces his former team and John Gibson in goal. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with a Corey Perry goal, his thirty-second of the season, courtesy of Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks added on with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Ryan Kesler and Andrew Cogliano. Anaheim extended the lead as Brandon Pirri scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Shawn Horcoff and Cam Fowler. Niklas Backstrom relieved Hiller at this time. The Ducks padded the lead in the second period with a Jamie McGinn goal, his twenty-second of the year, made possible by Getzlaf and Clayton Stoner. Anaheim kept going with a Shea Theodore goal, his third of the season, via Cogliano and Kesler. Frederik Andersen relieved an injured Gibson about midway through the second period. Calgary got on the board with a Hunter Shinkaruk power play goal, powered by Mark Giordano and Sean Monahan. The Ducks answered with a Nate Thompson goal, helped along by Ryan Garbutt and Mike Santorelli. The Flames shot back with a Giordano goal, his twentieth of the year, fueled by Joe Colborne and Deryk Engelland. Anaheim replied with a Kesler goal, his eighteenth of the season, a power play goal with a lone assist by Chris Stewart. Calgary answered with a T.J. Brodie goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Dougie Hamilton and Micheal Ferland. Gibson returned to the Anaheim crease at the start of the third period. Anaheim made it 8-3 with a Silfverberg goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, dished from McGinn and Kesler. The three stars went to Kesler, Silfverberg, and McGinn, while Giordano, Cogliano, and Getzlaf get the honorable mentions.
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Tuesday, March 29, 2016
2015-16 NHL Season - Day 166
Nine games on today, beginning in...
New Jersey, as the Devils host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces a lesser foe in Keith Kinkaid in goal. New Jersey opened with a Travis Zajac power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Reid Boucher and David Warsofsky. Boston tied it in the second period with a Brad Marchand goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, passed from Zdeno Chara. The Devils took the lead with a third period goal from Boucher, his eighth of the season, coming on the power play from Zajac and Kyle Palmieri. The game ended 2-1 for the Devils, with the three stars being Boucher, Zajac, and Kinkaid (39 for 40 in saves).
Over in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Thomas Greiss man the nets. Carolina got going in the second period with a Derek Ryan goal, his second of the season, made possible by Nathan Gerbe. New York tied it in the third period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by John Tavares and Nick Leddy. The Islanders won 2-1 in the shootout with a Kyle Okposo tally. The three stars went to Greiss (26 for 27 in saves), Lee, and Ward (30 for 31 in saves).
West to Pittsburgh, with the Penguins bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson and Matt Murray are the backups in goal. Buffalo started in the first period with a Matt Moulson power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Johan Larsson and Casey Nelson. The Sabres added on with a shorthanded Ryan O'Reilly goal, his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Buffalo extended the lead as Jake McCabe scored his fourth of the season, with the help of O'Reilly and Zach Bogosian. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with a Ben Lovejoy goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Bryan Rust and Tom Kuhnhackl. The Penguins pulled closer with a Conor Sheary goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh tied it with a shorthanded Kuhnhackl goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Matt Cullen and Kris Letang. The Penguins pulled ahead with a shorthanded Nick Bonino goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Carl Hagelin. The Sabres retied it in the third period with a Bogosian power play goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Larsson and Nelson. Pittsburgh won 5-4 in the shootout with tallies from Letang and Phil Kessel. The three stars were Letang, Kuhnhackl, and Bogosian, while Larsson and Nelson get the honorable mentions.
In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Mike Condon are in the blue paint. Montreal led off in the first period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, helped along by Joel Hanley and Sven Andrighetto. The Canadiens added on with a Paul Byron goal, his eleventh of the year, via Alexei Emelin and Alex Galchenyuk. Detroit got on the board with a Gustav Nyquist power play goal in the second period, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings tied it with a power play goal from Anthony Mantha, his second of the year, courtesy of Pavel Datsyuk. Detroit took the lead with a Mike Green power play goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Datsyuk and Tomas Tatar. Montreal retied it in the third period with an Andrighetto power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Markov. The Canadiens took the lead on Pacioretty's second of the game and twenty-seventh of the campaign, passed from Galchenyuk and Byron. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to Pacioretty, Byron, and Andrighetto, while Galchenyuk and Datsyuk get the honorable mentions.
Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Roberto Luongo are the masked men. Toronto began in the first period with a shorthanded goal by Michael Grabner, his eighth of the season, set up by Connor Brown and Jake Gardiner. Florida tied it on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal in the second period, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Jaromir Jagr. The Maple Leafs retook the lead on a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Milan Michalek and Brown. Toronto added on with another Kadri power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, made possible by Brown, who got a sock trick, and Tyler Bozak. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as P.A. Parenteau scored his nineteenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Gardiner. The Panthers got one back with a Greg McKegg goal, helped along by Teddy Purcell and Alex Petrovic. Toronto iced it at 5-2 with a Kadri empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year completing his hat trick with a lone helper from Grabner. The three stars belonged to Kadri, Grabner, and Brown, while Gardiner gets an honorable mention.
Back north, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling is mismatched with Devan Dubnyk in goal. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Jarret Stoll goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Mike Reilly and Jordan Schroeder. Chicago tied it with a shorthanded goal by Marian Hossa, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Jonathan Toews and Michal Rozsival. The Wild retook the lead in the third period with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Mikko Koivu and Jason Pominville. Minnesota added on with an Erik Haula goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Nino Niederreiter and Matt Dumba. The Wild extended the lead as Niederreiter scored his twentieth of the campaign into an empty net, with the help of Mikael Granlund and Haula. The three stars of the 4-1 game were Dubnyk (18 for 19 in saves), Haula, and Niederreiter.
South again to Dallas, as the Stars host the Nashville Predators. Kari Lehtonen and Pekka Rinne are the Finnish goalies. Nashville drew first blood in the first period with a Ryan Ellis shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Dallas tied it with a Jamie Benn goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, with a lone helper from Alex Goligoski. The Stars took the lead in the second period with a Radek Faksa goal, his third of the season, via Antoine Roussel and Ales Hemsky. Dallas added on with a Jason Spezza goal, his thirtieth of the year, passed from Goligoski. The Predators got one back with a Viktor Arvidsson power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Ryan Johansen and James Neal. The Stars countered with an unassisted Patrick Sharp empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year. Dallas iced it at 5-2 with Benn's second of the game and thirty-ninth of the campaign, going unassisted into the empty net. The three stars were Benn, Goligoski, and Lehtonen (28 for 30 in saves).
Backtracking to St. Louis, where the Blues welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Brian Elliott guard the cages. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with a David Backes power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Alexander Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. Colorado tied it with a Mikhail Grigorenko goal, his sixth of the year, via Tyson Barrie and Mikkel Boedker. The Blues regained the lead with a Troy Brouwer power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Paul Stastny and Steen. St. Louis added on with an unassisted Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his thirty-sixth of the year. They held on for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Steen, Elliott (20 for 21 in saves), and Brouwer.
Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Jacob Markstrom are between the pipes. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, passed from Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. Vancouver tied it on a Chris Higgins shorthanded goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Sharks retook the lead with a Logan Couture goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Nick Spaling. San Jose added on in the third period with a Couture power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, powered by Pavelski and Patrick Marleau. The Sharks iced it with a Couture empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his thirteenth of the campaign, set up by Burns and Dainius Zubrus. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Couture, Pavelski, and Burns.
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New Jersey, as the Devils host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces a lesser foe in Keith Kinkaid in goal. New Jersey opened with a Travis Zajac power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Reid Boucher and David Warsofsky. Boston tied it in the second period with a Brad Marchand goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, passed from Zdeno Chara. The Devils took the lead with a third period goal from Boucher, his eighth of the season, coming on the power play from Zajac and Kyle Palmieri. The game ended 2-1 for the Devils, with the three stars being Boucher, Zajac, and Kinkaid (39 for 40 in saves).
Over in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Thomas Greiss man the nets. Carolina got going in the second period with a Derek Ryan goal, his second of the season, made possible by Nathan Gerbe. New York tied it in the third period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by John Tavares and Nick Leddy. The Islanders won 2-1 in the shootout with a Kyle Okposo tally. The three stars went to Greiss (26 for 27 in saves), Lee, and Ward (30 for 31 in saves).
West to Pittsburgh, with the Penguins bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson and Matt Murray are the backups in goal. Buffalo started in the first period with a Matt Moulson power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Johan Larsson and Casey Nelson. The Sabres added on with a shorthanded Ryan O'Reilly goal, his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Buffalo extended the lead as Jake McCabe scored his fourth of the season, with the help of O'Reilly and Zach Bogosian. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with a Ben Lovejoy goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Bryan Rust and Tom Kuhnhackl. The Penguins pulled closer with a Conor Sheary goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh tied it with a shorthanded Kuhnhackl goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Matt Cullen and Kris Letang. The Penguins pulled ahead with a shorthanded Nick Bonino goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Carl Hagelin. The Sabres retied it in the third period with a Bogosian power play goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Larsson and Nelson. Pittsburgh won 5-4 in the shootout with tallies from Letang and Phil Kessel. The three stars were Letang, Kuhnhackl, and Bogosian, while Larsson and Nelson get the honorable mentions.
In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Mike Condon are in the blue paint. Montreal led off in the first period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, helped along by Joel Hanley and Sven Andrighetto. The Canadiens added on with a Paul Byron goal, his eleventh of the year, via Alexei Emelin and Alex Galchenyuk. Detroit got on the board with a Gustav Nyquist power play goal in the second period, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings tied it with a power play goal from Anthony Mantha, his second of the year, courtesy of Pavel Datsyuk. Detroit took the lead with a Mike Green power play goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Datsyuk and Tomas Tatar. Montreal retied it in the third period with an Andrighetto power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Markov. The Canadiens took the lead on Pacioretty's second of the game and twenty-seventh of the campaign, passed from Galchenyuk and Byron. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to Pacioretty, Byron, and Andrighetto, while Galchenyuk and Datsyuk get the honorable mentions.
Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Roberto Luongo are the masked men. Toronto began in the first period with a shorthanded goal by Michael Grabner, his eighth of the season, set up by Connor Brown and Jake Gardiner. Florida tied it on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal in the second period, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Jaromir Jagr. The Maple Leafs retook the lead on a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Milan Michalek and Brown. Toronto added on with another Kadri power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, made possible by Brown, who got a sock trick, and Tyler Bozak. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as P.A. Parenteau scored his nineteenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Gardiner. The Panthers got one back with a Greg McKegg goal, helped along by Teddy Purcell and Alex Petrovic. Toronto iced it at 5-2 with a Kadri empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year completing his hat trick with a lone helper from Grabner. The three stars belonged to Kadri, Grabner, and Brown, while Gardiner gets an honorable mention.
Back north, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling is mismatched with Devan Dubnyk in goal. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Jarret Stoll goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Mike Reilly and Jordan Schroeder. Chicago tied it with a shorthanded goal by Marian Hossa, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Jonathan Toews and Michal Rozsival. The Wild retook the lead in the third period with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Mikko Koivu and Jason Pominville. Minnesota added on with an Erik Haula goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Nino Niederreiter and Matt Dumba. The Wild extended the lead as Niederreiter scored his twentieth of the campaign into an empty net, with the help of Mikael Granlund and Haula. The three stars of the 4-1 game were Dubnyk (18 for 19 in saves), Haula, and Niederreiter.
South again to Dallas, as the Stars host the Nashville Predators. Kari Lehtonen and Pekka Rinne are the Finnish goalies. Nashville drew first blood in the first period with a Ryan Ellis shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Dallas tied it with a Jamie Benn goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, with a lone helper from Alex Goligoski. The Stars took the lead in the second period with a Radek Faksa goal, his third of the season, via Antoine Roussel and Ales Hemsky. Dallas added on with a Jason Spezza goal, his thirtieth of the year, passed from Goligoski. The Predators got one back with a Viktor Arvidsson power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Ryan Johansen and James Neal. The Stars countered with an unassisted Patrick Sharp empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year. Dallas iced it at 5-2 with Benn's second of the game and thirty-ninth of the campaign, going unassisted into the empty net. The three stars were Benn, Goligoski, and Lehtonen (28 for 30 in saves).
Backtracking to St. Louis, where the Blues welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Brian Elliott guard the cages. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with a David Backes power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Alexander Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. Colorado tied it with a Mikhail Grigorenko goal, his sixth of the year, via Tyson Barrie and Mikkel Boedker. The Blues regained the lead with a Troy Brouwer power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Paul Stastny and Steen. St. Louis added on with an unassisted Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his thirty-sixth of the year. They held on for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Steen, Elliott (20 for 21 in saves), and Brouwer.
Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Jacob Markstrom are between the pipes. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, passed from Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. Vancouver tied it on a Chris Higgins shorthanded goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Sharks retook the lead with a Logan Couture goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Nick Spaling. San Jose added on in the third period with a Couture power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, powered by Pavelski and Patrick Marleau. The Sharks iced it with a Couture empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his thirteenth of the campaign, set up by Burns and Dainius Zubrus. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Couture, Pavelski, and Burns.
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Monday, March 28, 2016
2015-16 NHL Season - Day 165
Eight games on an unusually busy Monday, beginning with...
Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Steve Mason are the goalies. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Mark Streit goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Sean Couturier and Michael Raffl. The Flyers added on with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, courtesy of Brayden Schenn and Claude Giroux. Winnipeg got on the board with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Jets tied it in the third period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Scheifele. Philadelphia won 3-2 in overtime with a Giroux goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, with a lone helper by Shayne Gostisbehere. The three stars went to Giroux, Scheifele, and Mason (26 for 28 in saves).
Along to DC, where the Washington Capitals welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Braden Holtby protect the nets. Washington opened in the first period with a Justin Williams goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of John Carlson and Nate Schmidt. Columbus tied it with a Cam Atkinson goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, passed from Gregory Campbell and Rene Bourque. The Capitals gained the lead in the third period with a Tom Wilson goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Mike Richards and Daniel Winnik. Washington added on with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Matt Niskanen and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals iced it at 4-1 with a Backstrom empty net goal, his twentieth of the campaign, set up by Niskanen and Jason Chimera. The three stars were Backstrom, Niskanen, and Holtby (21 for 22 in saves).
Northwest to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson and Jimmy Howard are given the starting nods. Detroit struck first in the first period with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings added on with a second period with a Riley Sheahan goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. Detroit extended the lead with a Luke Glendening empty net goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Henrik Zetterberg. Buffalo got on the board with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Brian Gionta and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres pulled closer with a Sam Reinhart goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, with helpers by Casey Nelson and Ryan O'Reilly. This only made it 3-2, with the three stars going to Glendening, Sheahan, and Larkin.
South to Tampa Bay, with the Lightning bringing in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Garret Sparks and Ben Bishop are in the blue paint. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Mike Blunden goal, his third of the season, via Erik Condra and Victor Hedman. The Lightning added on with an Ondrej Palat goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Steven Stamkos and Jason Garrison. The Lightning extended the lead in the second period as Hedman scored his eighth of the season, with the help of Stamkos and Condra. The final stood at 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Bishop (34 save shutout), Hedman, and Condra, while Stamkos gets an honorable mention.
Backtracking to Nashville, with the Predators hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Pekka Rinne are the reliable goalies. Colorado led off in the first period with a Blake Comeau goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche added on with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Carl Soderberg and Comeau. Colorado extended the lead as Jack Skille scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Cody McLeod and Andrew Agozzino. Carter Hutton replaced Rinne in goal. Nashville got on the board with a Craig Smith goal, his twentieth of the year, with a lone assist by Filip Forsberg. The Avalanche shot back with a Shawn Matthias goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Mikkel Boedker. The Predators answered with a Colton Sissons goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Miikka Salomaki and Calle Jarnkrok. Nashville got closer with a Roman Josi goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, with a lone helper by Forsberg. This only made it 4-3, with the three stars being Comeau, Matthias, and Forsberg.
To the northwest, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Cam Talbot are the young goalies. Anaheim began in the first period with a Corey Perry goal, his thirty-first of the season, made possible by Jamie McGinn and Rickard Rakell. The Ducks added on with a Brandon Pirri goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted in the second period. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with a Nail Yakupov goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Taylor Hall and Leon Draisaitl. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Pirri, Gibson (27 for 28 in saves), and Perry.
In California, the San Jose Sharks host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick faces former backup Martin Jones in goal. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Vincent Lecavalier power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Alec Martinez and Brayden McNabb. San Jose tied it on a Justin Braun goal, his third of the year, via Melker Karlsson and Tommy Wingels. The Sharks took the lead in the second period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, guided in by Tomas Hertl and Brent Burns. The Kings tied it with a Lecavalier goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, passed from Milan Lucic and Tyler Toffoli. San Jose took the lead back in the third period with a Joe Thornton power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Pavelski and Burns. The Sharks added on with a Karlsson goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Wingels and Roman Polak. San Jose iced it at 5-2 with a Braun empty net goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, set up by Dainius Zubrus. The three stars went to Braun, Lecavalier, and Pavelski, while Karlsson, Burns, and Wingels get the honorable mentions.
Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Calgary Flames. Joni Ortio and Louis Domingue are the weak goalies. Calgary drew first blood in the first period with a Sam Bennett goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Micheal Ferland and Jakub Nakladal. Arizona tied it with an Anthony Duclair power play goal in the second period, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Martin Hanzal and Max Domi. The Coyotes took the lead with Duclair's second of the game and nineteenth of the season, with helpers from Hanzal and Alex Tanguay. The Flames tied it again with a Bennett goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, fueled by Joe Colborne and Ferland. Calgary took the lead with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, helped along by Dougie Hamilton and Mark Giordano. The Flames added on in the third period with a T.J. Brodie power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Monahan and Hunter Shinkaruk. Calgary iced it at 5-2 with a Colborne empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Monahan and Derek Grant. The three stars went to Monahan, Bennett, and Duclair, while Ferland, Colborne, and Hanzal get the honorable mentions.
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Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Steve Mason are the goalies. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Mark Streit goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Sean Couturier and Michael Raffl. The Flyers added on with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, courtesy of Brayden Schenn and Claude Giroux. Winnipeg got on the board with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Jets tied it in the third period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Scheifele. Philadelphia won 3-2 in overtime with a Giroux goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, with a lone helper by Shayne Gostisbehere. The three stars went to Giroux, Scheifele, and Mason (26 for 28 in saves).
Along to DC, where the Washington Capitals welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Braden Holtby protect the nets. Washington opened in the first period with a Justin Williams goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of John Carlson and Nate Schmidt. Columbus tied it with a Cam Atkinson goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, passed from Gregory Campbell and Rene Bourque. The Capitals gained the lead in the third period with a Tom Wilson goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Mike Richards and Daniel Winnik. Washington added on with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Matt Niskanen and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals iced it at 4-1 with a Backstrom empty net goal, his twentieth of the campaign, set up by Niskanen and Jason Chimera. The three stars were Backstrom, Niskanen, and Holtby (21 for 22 in saves).
Northwest to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson and Jimmy Howard are given the starting nods. Detroit struck first in the first period with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings added on with a second period with a Riley Sheahan goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. Detroit extended the lead with a Luke Glendening empty net goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Henrik Zetterberg. Buffalo got on the board with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Brian Gionta and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres pulled closer with a Sam Reinhart goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, with helpers by Casey Nelson and Ryan O'Reilly. This only made it 3-2, with the three stars going to Glendening, Sheahan, and Larkin.
South to Tampa Bay, with the Lightning bringing in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Garret Sparks and Ben Bishop are in the blue paint. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Mike Blunden goal, his third of the season, via Erik Condra and Victor Hedman. The Lightning added on with an Ondrej Palat goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Steven Stamkos and Jason Garrison. The Lightning extended the lead in the second period as Hedman scored his eighth of the season, with the help of Stamkos and Condra. The final stood at 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Bishop (34 save shutout), Hedman, and Condra, while Stamkos gets an honorable mention.
Backtracking to Nashville, with the Predators hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Pekka Rinne are the reliable goalies. Colorado led off in the first period with a Blake Comeau goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche added on with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Carl Soderberg and Comeau. Colorado extended the lead as Jack Skille scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Cody McLeod and Andrew Agozzino. Carter Hutton replaced Rinne in goal. Nashville got on the board with a Craig Smith goal, his twentieth of the year, with a lone assist by Filip Forsberg. The Avalanche shot back with a Shawn Matthias goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Mikkel Boedker. The Predators answered with a Colton Sissons goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Miikka Salomaki and Calle Jarnkrok. Nashville got closer with a Roman Josi goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, with a lone helper by Forsberg. This only made it 4-3, with the three stars being Comeau, Matthias, and Forsberg.
To the northwest, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Cam Talbot are the young goalies. Anaheim began in the first period with a Corey Perry goal, his thirty-first of the season, made possible by Jamie McGinn and Rickard Rakell. The Ducks added on with a Brandon Pirri goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted in the second period. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with a Nail Yakupov goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Taylor Hall and Leon Draisaitl. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Pirri, Gibson (27 for 28 in saves), and Perry.
In California, the San Jose Sharks host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick faces former backup Martin Jones in goal. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Vincent Lecavalier power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Alec Martinez and Brayden McNabb. San Jose tied it on a Justin Braun goal, his third of the year, via Melker Karlsson and Tommy Wingels. The Sharks took the lead in the second period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, guided in by Tomas Hertl and Brent Burns. The Kings tied it with a Lecavalier goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, passed from Milan Lucic and Tyler Toffoli. San Jose took the lead back in the third period with a Joe Thornton power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Pavelski and Burns. The Sharks added on with a Karlsson goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Wingels and Roman Polak. San Jose iced it at 5-2 with a Braun empty net goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, set up by Dainius Zubrus. The three stars went to Braun, Lecavalier, and Pavelski, while Karlsson, Burns, and Wingels get the honorable mentions.
Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Calgary Flames. Joni Ortio and Louis Domingue are the weak goalies. Calgary drew first blood in the first period with a Sam Bennett goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Micheal Ferland and Jakub Nakladal. Arizona tied it with an Anthony Duclair power play goal in the second period, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Martin Hanzal and Max Domi. The Coyotes took the lead with Duclair's second of the game and nineteenth of the season, with helpers from Hanzal and Alex Tanguay. The Flames tied it again with a Bennett goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, fueled by Joe Colborne and Ferland. Calgary took the lead with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, helped along by Dougie Hamilton and Mark Giordano. The Flames added on in the third period with a T.J. Brodie power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Monahan and Hunter Shinkaruk. Calgary iced it at 5-2 with a Colborne empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Monahan and Derek Grant. The three stars went to Monahan, Bennett, and Duclair, while Ferland, Colborne, and Hanzal get the honorable mentions.
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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.
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.
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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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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