Sunday, April 24, 2016

Major League Soccer 2016 - Week 8

Nine games to play this weekend, beginning with Saturday's seven. The first is in...

Montreal, as the Impact host Toronto FC. Clint Irwin and Evan Bush make the starts in goal. Toronto saw a yellow card given to Justin Morrow in the twenty-seventh minute for a foul. Toronto led off in the fortieth minute with a Sebastian Giovinco penalty kick goal. Toronto added on in the eighty-first minute as Giovinco scored, with the help of Will Johnson. This made it 2-0, and Giovinco was the man of the match for his brace.

Stateside, the Philadelphia Union welcome New York City FC. Josh Saunders and Andre Blake are in goal. New York City had a yellow card given to Mikey Lopez in the sixteenth minute for a foul. Philadelphia opened in the twenty-sixth minute on a Chris Pontius goal, passed from Tranquillo Barnetta. In the thirty-sixth minute, the Union saw a yellow card given to Fabinho for a foul. Philadelphia added on in the forty-first minute with a C.J. Sapong goal, coming off of Sebastien Le Toux. New York City saw yellow cards go to David Villa in the sixty-ninth minute and Federico Bravo in the eighty-ninth minute, both for fouls. The Union's Warren Creavalle took a yellow card for a stoppage time foul. The final stood at 2-0, with the man of the match being Pontius for his winner.

Over to DC, with United bringing in the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth and Travis Worra man the nets. DC had a yellow card given to Marcelo Sarvas for dissent in the twenty-first minute. United started in the thirty-third minute with a Lamar Neagle penalty kick goal. New England had a yellow card given to Scott Caldwell in first half stoppage time for his foul. DC had a yellow card for a sixty-second minute Sean Franklin foul. The Revolution took a yellow card for a Jose Goncalves foul in the sixty-eighth minute. United added on with a Luciano Acosta goal in the eighty-sixth minute, via Alvaro Saborio. DC extended the lead on a ninetieth minute Saborio goal. The final held at 3-0, with the man of the match being Neagle for the winner.

West to Columbus, as the Crew SC host the Houston Dynamo. Tyler Deric and Steve Clark are in the six-yard boxes. In the eighteenth minute, Houston went down to ten men when Deric took a red card for denying Federico Higuain of a chance to score. Joe Willis was subbed on to play goal. Columbus began in the twenty-first minute when Kei Kamara buried the penalty kick. The Crew saw a twenty-fourth minute yellow card for Justin Meram's dive. In the twenty-seventh minute, Columbus had a yellow card for Tyson Wahl's handball. This held up for a 1-0 win, with the man of the match being Clark for his two-save clean sheet.

Further west, the Colorado Rapids welcome the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Zac MacMath make the starts in goal. Colorado had yellow cards for Dominique Badji in the first minute and Mekeil Williams in the fourteenth minute, both for fouls. The Rapids struck first in the twentieth minute with a Jermaine Jones goal, set up by Shkelzen Gashi. Jones also received a yellow card for delaying play. Eric Miller of Colorado had a yellow card for a forty-seventh minute foul. The Rapids added on in the fifty-first minute with a Luis Solignac goal, fueled by Badji and Williams. Seattle got on the board with a sixty-third minute Jordan Morris goal, assisted by Cristian Roldan. Colorado responded with a Kevin Doyle goal in the eighty-sixth minute, coming off of Dennis Castillo and Sam Cronin. The Sounders went down to ten men in the same minute, as Brad Evans earned two yellow cards for dissenting with the referee over the questionable legality of the goal, which was visibly offside. Still, the Rapids won 2-1, with Solignac the man of the match for coming up with the winner.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Galaxy bring in Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Brian Rowe protect the nets. Salt Lake's Kyle Beckerman took a yellow card for his thirteenth minute dissent. Real was first to score with a sixteenth minute goal by Juan Manuel Martinez, set up by Luke Mulholland. Los Angeles tied it in the nineteenth minute with a Gyasi Zardes goal, via Baggio Husidic. The Galaxy took the lead with a twenty-sixth minute Mike Magee goal, assisted by Emmanuel Boateng. In the thirty-eighth minute, Zardes got a yellow card for his foul. Los Angeles added on with a Boateng goal in the forty-first minute, passed from Zardes and Giovani dos Santos. The Galaxy extended the lead as dos Santos scored, thanks to Boateng and Magee. Salt Lake saw yellow cards given to Tony Beltran in the fifty-seventh minute and Jamison Olave in the sixtieth minute, both for fouls. Los Angeles had a yellow card for a Jelle Van Damme foul in the sixty-seventh minute. Real pulled back on a penalty kick goal by Javier Morales in the seventieth minute. The Galaxy iced it at 5-2 with a stoppage time goal by Steven Gerrard. The man of the match was Boateng for his goal and two assists.

Ending Saturday, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC host FC Dallas. Chris Seitz is mismatched with David Ousted in goal. Dallas had a yellow card for a Maximiliano Urruti foul in the twentieth minute. Vancouver got going with a Maynor Figueroa own goal in the thirty-fifth minute. In the thirty-seventh minute, Walker Zimmerman of Dallas took a yellow card for his foul. The Whitecaps added on in the sixty-third minute with a Jordan Harvey goal. Vancouver's Octavio Rivero received a yellow card for a seventy-second minute foul. The Whitecaps extended the lead as Kekuta Manneh scored in the seventy-seventh minute, with the help of Blas Perez and Cristian Techera. In the eightieth minute, Vancouver had a yellow card given to Perez for his foul. The final held at 3-0, with the man of the match being Ousted for a four-save clean sheet.

On Sunday, the San Jose Earthquakes welcome Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and David Bingham play goal. San Jose had a yellow card given to Anibal Godoy in the first minute for a foul. Kansas City had a yellow card given to Matt Besler for a foul. Sporting took a yellow card for dissent by Benny Feilhaber in the fifty-ninth minute. The Earthquakes dented the scoreboard on a Chris Wondolowski penalty kick goal in the same minute. Kansas City's Amadou Dia received a yellow card for his eighty-first minute foul. The final stayed at 1-0, with the man of the match being Bingham for a five-save clean sheet.

Finally, the New York Red Bulls bring in Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and Luis Robles are in goal. Orlando City got going in the third minute with a Cyle Larin goal, via Rafael Raos and Julio Baptista. In the fiftieth minute, New York's Dax McCarty took a yellow card for his foul. The Red Bulls tied it in the sixty-fifth minute with a Mike Grella goal, assisted by Sacha Kljestan and Lloyd Sam. New York took the lead in the sixty-ninth minute with a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, courtesy of Grella and McCarty. The Red Bulls added on in the seventy-fifth minute with another Wright-Phillips goal, passed from Sam and Kljestan. Orlando City saw a yellow card go to Carlos Rivas in the eighty-second minute for a foul. Orlando City pulled back with a Karl Ouimette own goal in the eighty-fourth minute. Orlando City saw more yellow cards in stoppage time, going for fouls by Seb Hines and Cristian Higuita. The score held at 3-2, with Wright-Phillips named man of the match for his brace. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0. 

Central Division Playoffs: 1) Dallas Stars VS. 4) Minnesota Wild

As usual, this post covers the entire series in the first round of this year's NHL playoffs.

Game 1: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas. In goal: Devan Dubnyk for Minnesota and Kari Lehtonen for Dallas. Dallas got going in the second period with a Radek Faksa goal, coming off of Ales Hemsky. The Stars added on with a Jason Spezza goal, helped along by Patrick Eaves and Jamie Benn. Dallas extended the lead in the third period as Eaves scored a power play goal, powered by Spezza and Benn. The Stars iced it at 4-0 with a Benn empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Spezza, Eaves, and Lehtonen (22 save shutout), while Benn gets an honorable mention. The Stars take a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas. In goal: Devan Dubnyk for Minnesota and Kari Lehtonen for Dallas. Dallas dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Antoine Roussel goal, via Ales Hemsky. The Stars added on with a Jamie Benn goal in the third period, his second of the postseason, coming off of Cody Eakin. Minnesota got on the board with a Marco Scandella power play goal, powered by Matt Dumba and Jason Zucker. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Benn, Roussel, and Lehtonen (24 for 25 in saves). The Stars will head back to where they came from with a 2-0 series lead in hand.

Game 3: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota. In goal: Kari Lehtonen for Dallas and Devan Dubnyk for Minnesota. Dallas led off in the first period with a Patrick Sharp goal, assisted by Alex Goligoski. The Stars added on with a Sharp goal, his second of the game, via Cody Eakin and Jamie Benn. Minnesota got on the board with a Chris Porter goal, helped along by Erik Haula and Jonas Brodin. The Wild tied it in the second period with a Haula goal, fueled by Jason Pominville and Nino Niederreiter. Minnesota took the lead with a Pominville goal, coming off of Niederreiter and Matt Dumba. The Wild extended the lead as Mikko Koivu scored a power play goal, powered by Jared Spurgeon and Charlie Coyle. Dallas pulled back with a Colton Sceviour goal, guided in by Jason Demers and Vernon Fiddler. Minnesota iced it at 5-3 with a Pominville empty net goal, his second of the game, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Pominville, Sharp, and Haula, while Niederreiter gets an honorable mention. The series is now 2-1 for the Stars.

Game 4: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota. In goal: Antti Niemi for Dallas and Devan Dubnyk for Minnesota. Minnesota drew first blood in the second period with a Jason Pominville goal, his third of the postseason, via Nino Niederreiter and Erik Haula. Dallas tied it on an Ales Hemsky power play goal, powered by Jason Demers and Kris Russell. The Wild took the lead back with a Charlie Coyle goal, fueled by Jason Zucker. The Stars tied it again with a Patrick Eaves power play goal, his second of the playoffs, made possible by Russell and Jason Spezza. Dallas took the lead on a Spezza goal, his second of the postseason, helped along by Demers and Jamie Benn. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Spezza, Demers, and Russell. The Stars head home carrying a 3-1 lead, giving them a chance to advance.

Game 5: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas. In goal: Devan Dubnyk for Minnesota and Antti Niemi for Dallas. Minnesota began in the first period with a Mikael Granlund goal, passed from David Jones. The Wild added on with a Jordan Schroeder goal, via Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon. Dallas got on the board with a Johnny Oduya goal, made possible by Radek Faksa and John Klingberg. The Stars tied it in the third period with a Jamie Benn goal, his third of the postseason, assisted by Klingberg. Minnesota retook the lead as Nino Niederreiter scored, thanks to Spurgeon and Jason Pominville. Dallas tied it again on a Jason Spezza goal, his third of the playoffs, guided in by Mattias Janmark and Patrick Eaves. The Stars pulled ahead with an Alex Goligoski goal, fueled by Cody Eakin. The Wild tied it on a Mikko Koivu goal, his second of the postseason, with assists provided by Granlund and Pominville. Minnesota won 5-4 with a Koivu goal in overtime, his second of the game and third of the playoffs, helped along by Suter and Nate Prosser. The three stars went to Koivu, Granlund, and Suter, while Pominville, Spurgeon, and Klingberg get the honorable mentions. The action shifts north again with the Stars still holding a 3-2 series lead. 

Game 6: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota. In goal: Kari Lehtonen for Dallas and Devan Dubnyk for Minnesota. Dallas struck first in the first period with a John Klingberg power play goal, powered by Jason Spezza and Jamie Benn. The Stars added on with a Spezza goal, his fourth of the postseason, courtesy of Mattias Janmark and Patrick Eaves. Dallas extended the lead as Patrick Sharp scored his third of the playoffs, thanks to Cody Eakin and Benn. The Stars padded the lead with a Benn goal, his fourth of the postseason, with assists provided by Sharp and Spezza in the second period. Minnesota got on the board in the third period with a Jared Spurgeon power play goal, powered by Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu. The Wild got closer with a Jonas Brodin goal, passed from Erik Haula and Nino Niederreiter. Minnesota edged closer as Spurgeon scored again, his second goal of the game, with the help of Koivu and Ryan Suter on the power play. Dallas shot back on an Alex Goligoski goal, his second of the playoffs, helped along by Janmark and Spezza, the latter getting a sock trick. The Wild pulled back with a Jason Pominville goal, his fourth of the postseason, with helpers from Brodin and Niederreiter. They couldn't tie it, dropping the 5-4 result. The three stars went to Spezza, Benn, and Sharp, while Spurgeon, Janmark, Brodin, Koivu, and Niederreiter get the honorable mentions. The Stars win the series 4-2, and will face either the Blackhawks or the Blues. 

Metropolitan Division Playoffs: 1) Washington Capitals VS. 4) Philadelphia Flyers

As usual, this post covers the entire series in the first round of this year's NHL playoffs.

Game 1: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia. In goal: Steve Mason for Philadelphia and Braden Holtby for Washington. Washington got going in the second period with a John Carlson power play goal, powered by Marcus Johansson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on with a Jay Beagle goal, via Johansson. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars given to Holtby (19 save shutout), Johansson, and Carlson. The Capitals begin with a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia. In goal: Steve Mason for Philadelphia and Braden Holtby for Washington. Washington led off in the first period with a John Carlson power play goal, his second of the postseason, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson. The Capitals added on with a Jason Chimera goal in the second period, assisted by Karl Alzner and Matt Niskanen. Philadelphia got on the board with a Jakub Voracek goal, helped along by Brayden Schenn and Shayne Gostisbehere. Washington replied with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, fueled by Backstrom and Johansson. The Capitals extended the lead in the third period as Backstrom scored with the help of T.J. Oshie and Carlson. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Holtby (41 for 42 in saves), Backstrom, and Carlson, while Johansson gets an honorable mention. The Capitals leave home with a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In goal: Braden Holtby for Washington and Steve Mason for Philadelphia. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Michael Raffl goal, guided in by Brandon Manning and Sam Gagner. Washington tied it on a Marcus Johansson power play goal, powered by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals took the lead in the second period with Alex Ovechkin's second goal of the postseason, via Backstrom and T.J. Oshie. Washington added on in the third period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, assisted by Justin Williams and the goalie Holtby. The Capitals extended the lead as Carlson scored his third of the playoffs on the power play, helped along by Ovechkin and Williams. Washington padded the lead with Ovechkin's second of the game and third of the postseason, a power play goal made possible by Carlson and Oshie. The Capitals kept going with a Jay Beagle power play goal, his second of the playoffs, with helpers from Nate Schmidt and Dmitry Orlov. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Ovechkin, Carlson, and Holtby (31 for 32 in saves), while Backstrom, Oshie, and Williams get the honorable mentions. The Capitals are on the verge of advancing, standing at 3-0 in the series.

Game 4: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In goal: Braden Holtby for Washington and Michal Neuvirth for Philadelphia. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, powered by Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds. The Flyers added on in the second period with an Andrew MacDonald goal, via Simmonds and Brayden Schenn. Washington got on the board in the third period with a T.J. Oshie goal, coming off of Matt Niskanen and Karl Alzner. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being MacDonald, Gostisbehere, and Neuvirth (31 for 32 in saves). The Capitals missed the chance to sweep, but head home with a 3-1 series lead.

Game 5: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia. In goal: Michal Neuvirth for Philadelphia and Braden Holtby for Washington. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Ryan White goal, passed from Sam Gagner and Mark Streit. The Flyers iced it at 2-0 with a Chris VandeVelde empty net goal in the third period, set up by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The three stars were Neuvirth (44 save shutout), White, and VandeVelde. The series still favors the Capitals 3-2. 

Game 6: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In goal: Braden Holtby for Washington and Michal Neuvirth for Philadelphia. Washington opened in the second period with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his second of the playoffs, made possible by Marcus Johansson and Alex Ovechkin. This held up for a 1-0 win, with the three stars being Holtby (26 save shutout), Backstrom, and Neuvirth (28 for 29 in saves). The Capitals take the series 4-2, and will face the Penguins in the fight for the Metropolitan Division. 

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Metropolitan Division Playoffs: 2) Pittsburgh Penguins VS. 3) New York Rangers

As usual, this post covers the entire series in the first round of this year's NHL playoffs.

Game 1: CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In goal: Henrik Lundqvist for New York and Jeff Zatkoff for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, coming off of Conor Sheary and Kris Letang. Lundqvist was hurt on the play, and Antti Raanta took over for the second period. The Penguins added on in the second period with a Sidney Crosby goal, via Hornqvist. New York got on the board with a Derek Stepan power play goal, powered by Rick Nash and Derick Brassard. Pittsburgh answered with a Tom Kuhnhackl shorthanded goal, set up by Nick Bonino and Letang. The Penguins extended the lead as Hornqvist scored his second of the game on the power play, thanks to Phil Kessel and Crosby. The Rangers shot back with Stepan's second of the game, made possible by Dan Boyle and Mats Zuccarello. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-2 with a Hornqvist empty net goal to complete his hat trick, with helpers from Crosby and Trevor Daley. The three stars belonged to Hornqvist, Crosby, and Stepan, while Letang gets an honorable mention. The Penguins hold a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In goal: Henrik Lundqvist for New York and Jeff Zatkoff for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Phil Kessel goal, guided in by Trevor Daley and Nick Bonino on the power play. New York got on the board with a Keith Yandle goal, via J.T. Miller and Derick Brassard. The Rangers took the lead with a Brassard goal, made possible by Miller and Brady Skjei. New York added on with a Mats Zuccarello goal, coming off of Miller, who got a natural sock trick. The Rangers extended the lead as Chris Kreider scored, thanks to Brassard. The Penguins got one back with a Kessel power play goal, his second of the game, with assists provided by Bonino and Evgeni Malkin. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Brassard, Kessel, and Miller, while Bonino gets an honorable mention. The series heads to the Big Apple tied at 1.

Game 3: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, New York. In goal: Matt Murray for Pittsburgh and Henrik Lundqvist for New York. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a shorthanded Rick Nash goal, set up by Kevin Klein and Marc Staal. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his second of the postseason, powered by Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins took the lead in the third period with a Matt Cullen goal, made possible by Tom Kuhnhackl and Ian Cole. Pittsburgh iced it at 3-1 with a Kris Letang empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Murray (16 for 17 in saves), Cullen, and Crosby. The Penguins hold a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, New York. In goal: Matt Murray for Pittsburgh and Henrik Lundqvist for New York. Pittsburgh started in the first period with an Eric Fehr goal, passed from Ben Lovejoy and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins added on with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his fourth of the postseason, powered by Sidney Crosby and Malkin. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Conor Sheary scored an unassisted goal. The Penguins padded the lead with a Malkin power play goal, assisted by Crosby and Hornqvist. Antti Raanta replaced Lundqvist in goal. Pittsburgh kept going with another Malkin power play goal in the third period, with assists provided by Brian Dumoulin and Nick Bonino. This stood for a 5-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Malkin, Murray (31 save shutout), and Hornqvist, while Crosby gets an honorable mentions. The Penguins own a 3-1 series lead, and will have a chance to advance at home.

Game 5: CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In goal: Henrik Lundqvist for New York and Matt Murray for Pittsburgh. New York struck first in the first period with a Rick Nash goal, his second of the postseason, courtesy of Dan Girardi and Brady Skjei. Pittsburgh tied it on a Carl Hagelin goal, via Phil Kessel and Nick Bonino. The Rangers took the lead back with a Dominic Moore goal, coming off of Jesper Fast and Marc Staal. The Penguins tied it again with a Kessel power play goal, his third of the playoffs, powered by Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Bryan Rust goal, made possible by Trevor Daley and Matt Cullen. The Penguins added on with a Cullen goal, his second of the postseason, assisted by Rust and Tom Kuhnhackl. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Conor Sheary scored his second of the playoffs, thanks to Crosby. The Penguins padded the lead with a Rust goal, his second of the game, with a lone helper by Evgeni Malkin. Antti Raanta replaced Lundqvist in goal. New York got one back with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his second of the postseason, with helpers from Raphael Diaz and Derick Brassard. This only made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars given to Rust, Cullen, and Kessel, while Crosby gets an honorable mention. The Penguins win the series 4-1, and will face either the Capitals or Flyers in the next round. 

Friday, April 22, 2016

Pacific Division Playoffs: 2) Los Angeles Kings VS. 3) San Jose Sharks

As usual, this post covers the entire series in the first round of this year's NHL playoffs.

Game 1: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. In goal: Martin Jones for San Jose and Jonathan Quick for Los Angeles. Los Angeles opened with a Jake Muzzin goal in the first period, courtesy of Milan Lucic and Tanner Pearson. San Jose tied it on a Joe Pavelski power play goal, powered by Brent Burns and Logan Couture. The Sharks took the lead with a Burns goal in the second period, with a lone assist from Joel Ward. The Kings tied it on a Jeff Carter power play goal, assisted by Lucic and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles gained the lead with a Trevor Lewis shorthanded goal, going in unassisted. San Jose tied it again with a Tomas Hertl goal, made possible by Ward and Joonas Donskoi. The Sharks took the lead on Pavelski's second of the game in the third period, helped along by Justin Braun. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Pavelski, Burns, and Ward, while Lucic gets an honorable mention. The Sharks own a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. In goal: Martin Jones for San Jose and Jonathan Quick for Los Angeles. San Jose started in the first period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his third of the postseason, assisted by Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Logan Couture power play goal, powered by Pavelski and Patrick Marleau. Los Angeles got on the board with a Vincent Lecavalier power play goal in the third period, helped along by Jake Muzzin and Tanner Pearson. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Pavelski, Couture, and Jones (26 for 27 in saves). The Sharks head home with a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3: SAP Center, San Jose, California. In goal: Jonathan Quick for Los Angeles and Martin Jones for San Jose. San Jose led off in the first period with a Joe Thornton goal, assisted by Tomas Hertl. Los Angeles tied it on an Anze Kopitar power play goal, powered by Milan Lucic and Jake Muzzin. The Kings won 2-1 in overtime with a Tanner Pearson goal, helped along by Dustin Brown and Vincent Lecavalier. The three stars were Pearson, Quick (29 for 30 in saves), and Kopitar. The series is now 2-1, still favoring the Sharks.

Game 4: SAP Center, San Jose, California. In goal: Jonathan Quick for Los Angeles and Martin Jones for San Jose. San Jose got going in the second period with a Brent Burns goal, his second of the postseason, coming on the power play from Joel Ward and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks added on with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his fourth of the playoffs, powered by Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. San Jose extended the lead in the third period as Marleau scored a power play goal, with the help of Logan Couture and Burns. Los Angeles got on the board with a Trevor Lewis goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Luke Schenn and Kris Versteeg. The Kings pulled closer on Schenn's goal, fueled by Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik. San Jose held on for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Marleau, Burns, and Schenn. The Sharks leave home with a 3-1 series lead, and they could topple the Kings in the next game. 

Game 5: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. In goal: Martin Jones for San Jose and Jonathan Quick for Los Angeles. San Jose began in the first period with a Joonas Donskoi goal, with a lone assist by Logan Couture. The Sharks added on with a Chris Tierney goal, made possible by Brent Burns. San Jose extended the lead in the second period as Matt Nieto scored, thanks to Joel Ward and Couture. Los Angeles got on the board with an Anze Kopitar goal, his second of the postseason, coming off of Dwight King and Drew Doughty. The Kings got closer with a Jeff Carter goal, his second of the playoffs, courtesy of Jake Muzzin and Tyler Toffoli. Los Angeles tied it on a Kris Versteeg goal, assisted by Kyle Clifford and Muzzin. The Sharks took the lead back in the third period on a Donskoi goal, his second of the game, guided in by Burns and Couture, the latter getting a sock trick. San Jose padded the lead with a Joe Pavelski goal, his fifth of the postseason, helped along by Burns, who got a sock trick, and Paul Martin. The Sharks iced it at 6-3 with a Melker Karlsson empty net goal, set up by Patrick Marleau. The three stars went to Donskoi, Couture, and Burns, while Muzzin gets an honorable mention. The Sharks take the series 4-1, and they await the Ducks or the Predators. 

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Atlantic Division Playoffs: 2) Tampa Bay Lightning VS. 3) Detroit Red Wings

As usual, this post covers the entire series in the first round of this year's NHL playoffs.

Game 1: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida. In goal: Jimmy Howard for Detroit and Ben Bishop for Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, assisted by Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn. Detroit tied it in the second period with a Mike Green goal, via Danny DeKeyser and Tomas Tatar. The Red Wings took the lead with a Justin Abdelkader goal, coming off of Kyle Quincey. The Lightning retied it on a Kucherov goal, helped along by Braydon Coburn and Nikita Nesterov. Tampa Bay gained the lead in the third period on a Killorn goal, made possible by Johnson and Kucherov. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Kucherov, Killorn, and Johnson. The Lightning lead the series 1-0.

Game 2: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida. In goal: Jimmy Howard for Detroit and Ben Bishop for Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his third of the postseason, powered by Victor Hedman and Tyler Johnson. Detroit tied it on a second period goal by Dylan Larkin, via Jonathan Ericsson and Niklas Kronwall. The Lightning took the lead back with a Brian Boyle goal, guided in by Jonathan Drouin and Braydon Coburn. The Red Wings tied it in the third period with a Brad Richards goal, made possible by Mike Green and Tomas Tatar on the power play. Tampa Bay regained the lead with a Johnson goal, courtesy of Alex Killorn. The Lightning added on with a Johnson goal, helped along by Kucherov and Jason Garrison for his second of the game. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-2 with a Killorn empty net goal, his second of the playoffs, set up by Matthew Carle and Johnson. The three stars were awarded to Johnson, Kucherov, and Killorn. The Lightning leave home with a 2-0 series lead in their suitcases.

Game 3: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan. In goal: Ben Bishop for Tampa Bay and Petr Mrazek for Detroit. Detroit got going in the second period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, assisted by Tomas Tatar and Joakim Andersson. The Red Wings added on with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, going in unassisted. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars being Mrazek (16 save shutout), Athanasiou, and Zetterberg. The series still favors the Lightning 2-1.

Game 4: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan. In goal: Ben Bishop for Tampa Bay and Petr Mrazek for Detroit. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his fourth of the postseason, powered by Tyler Johnson and Jonathan Drouin. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Kucherov power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the playoffs, with assists provided by Drouin and Jason Garrison. Detroit got on the board with a Darren Helm goal, via Luke Glendening and Brendan Smith. The Red Wings tied it with a Gustav Nyquist goal, with a lone helper by Riley Sheahan. Tampa Bay took the lead in the third period with an Ondrej Palat power play goal, coming off of Drouin, who got a sock trick, and Kucherov. The three stars belonged to Kucherov, Drouin, and Palat in the 3-2 game. The Lightning lead the series 3-1, and they'll have a chance to advance at home. 

Game 5: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida. In goal: Petr Mrazek for Detroit and Ben Bishop for Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the third period with an Alex Killorn goal, his third of the postseason, coming off of Ryan Callahan. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars being Killorn, Bishop (34 save shutout), and Mrazek (23 for 24 in saves). The Lightning take the series 4-1, and they await either the Panthers or the Islanders. 

Premier League Make-up Games, April 19-21, 2016

Five games fill the midweek session as teams get caught up from missing games due to other competitions. We begin with a Tuesday game...

Newcastle United hosting Manchester City. Joe Hart and Karl Darlow man the nets. Manchester City opened in the thirteenth minute with a Sergio Aguero goal, via Aleksandar Kolarov. Newcastle United tied it on a Vurnon Anita goal in the thirty-first minute, guided in by Moussa Sissoko. At the forty-three minute mark, Anita took a yellow card for a foul for Newcastle United. Newcastle United had a yellow card given to Ayoze Perez in the fifty-sixth minute for his foul. In the sixty-seventh minute, Vincent Kompany of Manchester City took a yellow card for his foul, and teammate Eliaquim Mangala had a yellow card of his own for an eighty-ninth minute foul. In stoppage time, Sissoko of Newcastle United had a yellow card for his foul. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

On Wednesday, the first of three games is West Ham United welcoming Watford. Heurelho Gomes and Adrian are the keepers. West Ham United started in the eleventh minute with an Andy Carroll goal, set up by Dimitri Payet. In the twenty-second minute, Watford's Sebastian Prodl took a yellow card for his foul. West Ham United added on with a Mark Noble penalty kick goal in the forty-fifth minute. West Ham United extended the lead in the fifty-third minute as Noble made another penalty kick. In the sixty-fourth minute, Watford got on the board with a Prodl goal, coming off of Steven Berghuis. Watford had yellow cards given to Mario Suarez in the seventy-first minute and Nordin Amrabat in the seventy-sixth minute, both for fouls. In stoppage time, Watford went down to ten men when Amrabat took a second yellow card for a foul. West Ham United won 3-1.

Next up, Liverpool hosts cross-town rivals Everton. Joel Robles and Simon Mignolet tend the nets. In the eighth minute, James Milner of Liverpool took a yellow card for a foul. In the forty-second minute, Aaron Lennon of Everton received a yellow card for his foul. Liverpool struck first in the forty-third minute on a Divock Origi goal, made possible by Milner. Liverpool added on in first half stoppage time with a Mamadou Sakho goal, set up by Milner. In the fiftieth minute, Ramiro Funes Mori took a straight red card for his foul, putting Everton at ten men. Liverpool extended the lead with a Daniel Sturridge goal, assisted by Lucas Leiva in the sixty-first minute. Liverpool padded the lead on a Philippe Coutinho goal in the seventy-sixth minute, passed from Joe Allen. The final stood from here at 4-0.

Ending the day, Manchester United brings in Crystal Palace. Julian Speroni and David de Gea make the starts in goal. In the fourth minute, Manchester United led off with a gift from Damien Delaney of Crystal Palace, who had an own goal. Crystal Palace saw yellow cards given to Martin Kelly in the sixth minute and Pape Souare in the forty-third minute, both for fouls. Manchester United added on in the fifty-fifth minute with a Matteo Darmian goal. In the sixty-second minute, Darmian took a yellow card for his foul. The final stayed at 2-0 for Manchester United. 

Finally, Arsenal hosts West Bromwich Albion on Thursday. Ben Foster and Petr Cech are the keepers. Arsenal began in the sixth minute with an Alexis Sanchez goal, made possible by Aaron Ramsey. In the thirty-eighth minute, Arsenal added on with another Sanchez goal. West Bromwich Albion saw a yellow card go to Gareth McAuley in the forty-first minute for his foul. The game ended at 2-0 for Arsenal.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.