Sunday, October 23, 2016

KHL 2016/17 - Day 62

Four games grace the league today as travel takes over in the coming days. We begin in...

Vladivostok, where Admiral hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Pavel Francouz and Maxim Tretyak are the backups in goal. Chelyabinsk started in the first period with an Alexander Pankov goal, courtesy of Kirill Koltsov and Alexander Chernikov. The game ended at 1-0, with the three stars going to Francouz (29 save shutout), Pankov, and Tretyak (22 for 23 in saves).

Down in China, Kunlun Red Star Beijing welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk to Shanghai. Vasily Koshechkin and Andrei Makarov protect the nets. Magnitogorsk opened in the first period on a Sergei Mozyakin goal, coming off of Danis Zaripov. Metallurg added on with a Jan Kovar power play goal, powered by Mozyakin and Chris Lee. Beijing got on the board with a Martin Bakos goal, passed from Sean Collins. Magnitogorsk replied in the second period with a Vladislav Kaletnik goal, assisted by Alexei Bereglazov and Oskar Osala. Metallurg extended the lead as Mozyakin scored a power play goal, thanks to Zaripov and Viktor Antipin. Magnitogorsk padded the lead with a Kovar power play goal in the third period, with a lone assist by Mozyakin. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars awarded to Mozyakin, Kovar, and Zaripov.

Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk brings in the Sochi Leopards. Konstantin Barulin and Ben Scrivens are the masked men. Minsk led off in the first period with a Matt Ellison goal, via Artur Gavrus and Nikita Ustinenko. Dinamo added on with a Rob Klinkhammer power play goal, powered by Evgeny Lisovets and Sergei Kostitsyn. Minsk extended the lead in the second period as Gavrus scored, thanks to Andrei Stas and Alexander Pavlovich. Dinamo padded the lead with a shorthanded and unassisted Klinkhammer goal. Dmitry Shikin replaced Barulin in goal. Sochi got on the board with a Yegor Morozov power play goal in the third period, powered by Denis Tolpeko. Minsk shot back with Klinkhammer completing his hat trick on a power play goal, made possible by Ellison and Andrei Stepanov. The Leopards chipped back with an Ivan Zakharchuk goal, courtesy of Renat Mamashev. The game ended at 5-2, with the three stars handed to Klinkhammer, Gavrus, and Ellison.

Finally, in Croatia, Medvescak Zagreb hosts Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Drew MacIntyre are in the blue paint. Zagreb got going in the second period with a Tomas Mertl shorthanded goal, set up by Brandon McMillan. Medvescak added on with an Alexandre Giroux power play goal, powered by Colby Genoway and Mark Katic. Togliatti got on the board in the third period with a Vasily Streltsov goal, passed from Nikita Filatov and Stanislav Bocharov. Lada tied it on a shorthanded goal from Bocharov, with a lone helper by Streltsov. Zagreb retook the lead with a McMillan goal, helped along by Francis Pare and Blake Parlett. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being McMillan, Bocharov, and Streltsov.

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Saturday, October 22, 2016

NHL 2016/17 - Day 11

Twelve games fill the schedule on the second Saturday of the season. We begin with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price faces a lesser foe in Anton Khudobin in goal. Montreal got going in the second period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his third of the season, assisted by Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens added on with a Phillip Danault goal, guided in by Alexander Radulov and Greg Pateryn. Boston got on the board with a Dominic Moore goal in the third period, his second of the year, via Tim Schaller and Noel Acciari. Montreal shot back on a Paul Byron shorthanded goal, set up by Shea Weber and Andrei Markov. The Bruins replied with a Ryan Spooner power play goal, powered by David Backes and David Krejci. The Canadiens iced it at 4-2 with a Torrey Mitchell goal, his third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Byron, Mitchell, and Danault.

Over in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Scott Darling draw the starts in goal. Chicago led off in the first period with an Artem Anisimov goal, his third of the season, made possible by Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane. Toronto tied it on a Tyler Bozak goal, passed from Jake Gardiner and Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a William Nylander power play goal in the second period, his second of the year, powered by Auston Matthews and Nikita Zaitsev. The Blackhawks retied it on a Tyler Motte goal, his second of the season, coming off of Brian Campbell and Duncan Keith. Toronto pulled ahead on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs added on with a Nylander goal in the third period, his second of the game and third of the season, helped along by Matthews. Chicago got one back on an Anisimov goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, courtesy of Campbell and Panarin. The Blackhawks tied it with a Richard Panik goal, his sixth of the campaign, fueled by Keith and Campbell, the latter getting a sock trick. The tie went to a shootout, where Jonathan Toews and Panarin topped Matthews for a 5-4 win by the Blackhawks. The three stars went to Anisimov, Panarin, and Nylander, while Matthews, Campbell, and Keith get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Detroit, we have the Red Wings bringing in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. Detroit dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jonathan Ericsson. The Red Wings added on with another Nyquist goal, his second of the game and third of the year, assisted by Ryan Sproul. Detroit extended the lead in the third period as Andreas Athanasiou scored, thanks to Thomas Vanek. The game ended at 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Howard (30 save shutout), Nyquist, and Athanasiou.

Back east to New Jersey, where the Devils host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Cory Schneider are set to start in goal. Minnesota cracked the scoresheet in the second period on a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, made possible by Jason Zucker. New Jersey tied it in the third period with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his second of the season, helped along by Michael Cammalleri and Travis Zajac. The Devils won 2-1 in overtime on a Taylor Hall goal, his third of the year, via Adam Henrique. The three stars were Schneider (28 for 29 in saves), Hall, and Parenteau.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Craig Anderson play goal. Tampa Day drew first blood in the second period with a Vladislav Namestnikov power play goal, powered by Ondrej Palat and Anton Stralman. The Lightning added on with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his third of the season, with helpers from Namestnikov and Nikita Kucherov. Ottawa got on the board with an unassisted Chris Neil goal. Tampa Bay shot back with an Alex Killorn goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Valtteri Filppula and Jason Garrison in the third period. The Lightning extended the lead as Filppula scored his third of the campaign, thanks to Brayden Point. The game ended 4-1, with the three stars given to Filppula, Namestnikov, and Vasilevskiy (27 for 28 in saves).

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack and Steve Mason are in the creases. Carolina struck first in the second period with a Justin Faulk power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. The Hurricanes added on with a Jordan Staal goal, his second of the year, made possible by Joakim Nordstrom and Aho. Philadelphia got on the board with a Brandon Manning goal, fueled by Jakub Voracek. The Flyers tied it on a Voracek goal, assisted by Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny. Philadelphia took the lead with a Matt Read goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Provorov and Sean Couturier. The Flyers extended the lead as Shayne Gostisbehere scored, with the help of Andrew MacDonald and Wayne Simmonds. Carolina got one back with a Lee Stempniak goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Victor Rask and Jeff Skinner. Philadelphia answered in the third period with a Simmonds power play goal, his fourth of the season, via Gostisbehere and Claude Giroux. The Flyers padded the lead with a Voracek goal, his second of the game, coming off of Gostisbehere and Chris VandeVelde. The game ended at 6-3, with the three stars handed to Gostisbehere, Voracek, and Simmonds, while Provorov and Aho get the honorable mentions.

Along to DC, with the Washington Capitals hosting the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington began in the first period with a Lars Eller goal, made possible by Brooks Orpik. The Capitals added on with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his third of the season, helped along by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov. New York got on the board in the second period with a Brandon Pirri goal, his second of the year, courtesy of J.T. Miller and Adam Clendening. The Rangers tied it with a Jimmy Vesey power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Rick Nash and Derek Stepan. New York took the lead with a Vesey goal, his second of the game and third of the year, coming off of Mats Zuccarello and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers iced it at 4-2 with a third period empty net goal by Nash, his second of the campaign, set up by Ryan McDonagh. The three stars went to Vesey, Nash, and Pirri.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Roberto Luongo guard the cages. Colorado started in the first period with a Blake Comeau power play goal, powered by Tyson Barrie and Matt Duchene. Florida tied it in the second period with an Aaron Ekblad power play goal, guided in by Jaromir Jagr and Jonathan Marchessault. The Panthers took the lead on a Shane Harper goal, passed from Greg McKegg and Derek MacKenzie. Florida added on in the third period an unassisted Marchessault goal, his third of the season. The Panthers extended the lead as Harper scored his second of the game, thanks to Alex Petrovic. The Avalanche got one back with a Duchene goal, his third of the year, helped along by Patrick Wiercioch and Carl Soderberg. Florida countered on a Vincent Trocheck goal, his third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars going to Harper, Marchessault, and Duchene.

Across to Dallas, where the Stars bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Kari Lehtonen are the maligned goalies. Columbus was first to score in the second period on a Josh Anderson goal, his second of the season, assisted by Boone Jenner and Seth Jones. The Blue Jackets added on in the third period with a Scott Hartnell goal, via William Karlsson and Zach Werenski. Columbus iced it at 3-0 with an empty net goal by Matt Calvert, set up by Brandon Dubinsky. The three stars were Bobrovsky (32 save shutout), Anderson, and Hartnell.

Up in Nashville, the Predators host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury faces a lesser foe in Juuse Saros in goal. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Scott Wilson goal, his second of the season, coming off of Patric Hornqvist and Matt Cullen. Nashville tied it on a Viktor Arvidsson power play goal, his second of the year, powered by P.K. Subban and Ryan Ellis. The Predators took the lead in the second period with a Kevin Fiala goal, passed from Matt Carle. Nashville added on with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, guided in by Yannick Weber and the goalie Saros. The Predators extended the lead as Fiala scored his second of the game, thanks to Filip Forsberg and Subban. Nashville padded the lead with an Arvidsson goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, made possible by Mike Ribeiro and Forsberg. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars going to Fiala, Arvidsson, and Subban, while Forsberg gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Calgary, where the Flames welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Chad Johnson are the goalies. St. Louis led off in the first period with a David Perron power play goal, powered by Robby Fabbri and Alex Pietrangelo. Calgary tied it in the second period on a Kris Versteeg goal, via Troy Brouwer and Sam Bennett. The Flames took the lead with a Micheal Ferland goal, his second of the season, guided in by Matt Stajan and Jyrki Jokipakka. The Blues retied it on a Perron goal, his second of the game, helped along by Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester. St. Louis took the lead with a Paul Stastny power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Alexander Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues added on with a Patrik Berglund goal, made possible by Nail Yakupov and Scottie Upshall. St. Louis extended the lead in the third period as Perron finished his hat trick with a lone assist from Vladimir Tarasenko. Calgary got one back on a Mark Giordano goal, fueled by Michael Frolik and Dennis Wideman. The Flames got closer with a Versteeg goal, his second of the game, passed from Wideman and Bennett. The Blues iced it at 6-4 with a Steen empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Perron and Jaden Schwartz. The three stars went to Perron, Versteeg, and Pietrangelo, while Steen, Bennett, and Wideman get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Peter Budaj receive the starting nods. Los Angeles began in the first period with a Brayden McNabb goal, his second of the season, assisted by Dustin Brown and Nic Dowd. The Kings added on with a Tanner Pearson power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Brown and Alec Martinez. Los Angeles extended the lead on a shorthanded Brown goal in the second period, set up by Anze Kopitar. Vancouver got on the board with a Markus Granlund goal, his second of the season, made possible by Jannik Hansen and Brandon Sutter. The Canucks got closer with a Henrik Sedin power play goal, his second of the year, helped along by Philip Larsen and Daniel Sedin. Vancouver tied it in the third period as Alexander Edler scored a power play goal, with the help of Larsen and Henrik Sedin. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Pearson had the lone tally for a 4-3 Kings win. The three stars belonged to Pearson, Brown, and Henrik Sedin, while Larsen gets an honorable mention.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 61

Seven games today, beginning with...

Sibir Novosibirsk hosting Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Danny Taylor are in goal. Novosibirsk opened in the first period with a Sergei Shumakov power play goal, powered by Ivan Vereshchagin. Cherepovets tied it on a Pavel Chernov goal, via Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Sibir took the lead with a second period Konstantin Okulov power play goal, with assists provided by Stepan Sannikov. Severstal tied it on a Daniil Vovchenko power play goal, assisted by Maxim Trunyov and Yury Trubachyov. Cherepovets took the lead with a Trunyov goal, with a lone assist by Trubachyov. Severstal iced it at 4-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Chernov, his second of the game. The three stars went to Trunyov, Chernov, and Trubachyov.

Nearby in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg welcomes CSKA Moscow. Viktor Fasth and Andrei Kareyev are the goalies. Novokuznetsk started in the first period with an Ignat Zemchenko goal, courtesy of Kirill Dyakov. Metallurg took the lead in the second period on an Andrei Pervyshin power play goal, powered by Alexander Komaristy and Nikita Lyamkin. Ilya Sorokin replaced Fasth in goal. Moscow got on the board with a Valery Nichushkin goal, via Jan Mursak. CSKA tied it on a Nikita Kvartnalov goal, assisted by Sergei Andronov. Moscow took the lead on an Alexander Kutuzov goal, guided in by Andronov and Dmitry Kugryshev. CSKA extended the lead in the third period as Andrei Svetlakov scored, with the help of Ivan Telegin and Jonas Enlund. The game ended at 4-2, with the three stars being Andronov, Kutuzov, and Sorokin (perfect in relief).

Westward to Omsk, where Avangard brings in SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Dominik Furch tend the twines. St. Petersburg led off in the first period with an Evgeny Ketov goal, fueled by Patrik Hersley and Nikolai Prokhorkin. SKA added on in the second period with an Ilya Kovalchuk power play goal, powered by Sergei Plotnikov and Pavel Datsyuk. Omsk got on the board with a Valentin Pyanov power play goal in the third period, assisted by Maxim Pestushko and Yegor Martynov. Avangard tied it with a Nikita Nikitin goal, with a lone helper by Evgeny Medvedev. In the shootout, Nikita Gusev and Datsyuk lifted SKA 3-2 over Ilya Zubov of Avangard. The three stars were Datsyuk, Kovalchuk, and Ketov.

Up to Yekaterinburg, where Avtomobilist hosts Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Igor Ustinsky man the nets. Yekaterinburg struck first in the first period with an unassisted Artyom Gareyev goal. Podolsk tied it in the third period on an Alexei Makeyev goal, passed from Jakub Jerabek and Maxim Afinogenov. Avtomobilist retook the lead on a Nikolai Timashov power play goal, powered by Alexander Torchenyuk. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Timashov, Ustinsky (19 for 20 in saves), and Gareyev.

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexander Sudnitsin and Henrik Karlsson draw the starts. Astana began in the first period with a Martin St. Pierre goal, via Nigel Dawes and Brandon Bochenski. Yaroslavl tied it on a Daniil Apalkov goal, assisted by Maxime Talbot and Brandon Kozun. Lokomotiv took the lead with a Kozun power play goal, powered by Pavel Koledov and Petri Kontiola. Yaroslavl added on in the third period with another Kozun goal, coming off of Kontiola and Talbot. Lokomotiv extended the lead as Stanislav Chistov scored, thanks to Yegor Averin. Vitaly Kolesnik replaced Karlsson in goal. Yaroslavl padded the lead with a Talbot goal in the third period, helped along by Staffan Kronwall and Kontiola, the latter earning a sock trick. Lokomotiv kept going with an Alexander Polunin goal, guided in by Rushan Rafikov and Yegor Korshkov. Yaroslavl continued with a Pavel Kraskovsky power play goal, with assists provided by Rafikov and Polunin. Lokomotiv iced it at 8-1 with a Denis Mosalyov goal, fueled by Emil Galimov and Apalkov. The three stars were awarded to Kozun, Talbot, and Kontiola, while Apalkov, Polunin, and Rafikov get the honorable mentions.

Back in Russia, Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Vladislav Fokin are in the blue paint. Moscow was first to score in the first period with a Maxim Karpov goal, assisted by Mat Robinson and Ilya Shipov. This held up for a 1-0 win, with the three stars handed to Yeryomenko (21 save shutout), Karpov, and Fokin (23 for 24 in saves).

Finally, Ak Bars Kazan hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ville Kolppanen and Stanislav Galimov are between the pipes. Kazan drew first blood in the first period with an Andrei Popov goal, guided in by Anton Glinkin and Mikhail Gluhkov. Ak Bars added on in the second period with a Vladimir Tkachyov goal, going in unassisted. Nizhnekamsk got on the board with a Dan Sexton goal, helped along by Geoffrey Kinrade. Kazan shot back with another Tkachyov goal, made possible by Mikhail Zhukov and Andrei Chibisov. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Tkachyov, Galimov (13 for 14 in saves), and Popov.

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Friday, October 21, 2016

NHL 2016/17 - Day 10

Only three games on tonight, all in the east. We begin with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue is mismatched with Jaroslav Halak in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Dennis Seidenberg goal, assisted by Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck. The Islanders added on with a Ryan Strome goal, his second of the season, via Johnny Boychuk and Anthony Beauvillier. Arizona got on the board with a Brad Richardson goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Laurent Dauphin and Shane Doan. The Coyotes tied it on a Radim Vrbata goal, passed from Jakob Chychrun and Tobias Rieder. New York took the lead in the third period with a shorthanded Boychuk goal, set up by Brock Nelson. The final stood from here at 3-2, with the three stars being Boychuk, Strome, and Seidenberg.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Sergei Bobrovsky protect the nets. Columbus began in the first period with a Zach Werenski power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Alexander Wennberg and Nick Foligno. Chicago tied it in the second period with a Tyler Motte goal, via Jonathan Toews and Richard Panik. The Blue Jackets retook the lead with a Foligno power play goal, assisted by Werenski and Cam Atkinson. Columbus added on with a William Karlsson goal, guided in by David Savard and Scott Hartnell. The Blackhawks got one back in the third period with a Panik goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Gustav Forsling and Artem Anisimov. The game ended 3-2, with the three stars going to Foligno, Werenski, and Karlsson.

Finally, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Petr Mrazek are the masked men. Detroit got going in the second period on a Justin Abdelkader power play goal, powered by Ryan Sproul and Gustav Nyquist. Nashville tied it on a P.K. Subban power play goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist from Roman Josi. The Predators took the lead with a Mike Ribeiro power play goal, coming off of Viktor Arvidsson and Ryan Ellis. The Red Wings retied it on a Drew Miller goal, his second of the year, helped along by Mike Green. Detroit took the lead with a Tomas Tatar goal, courtesy of Alexey Marchenko and Jonathan Ericsson. The Red Wings added on with a Nyquist goal, going in unassisted. Nashville got one back with a Mike Fisher power play goal, his third of the season, with helpers from Josi and Filip Forsberg. Detroit iced it at 5-3 with a Darren Helm empty net goal on the power play, his fourth of the year, set up by Luke Glendening and Henrik Zetterberg. The three stars were Nyquist, Josi, and Tatar.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 60

Seven games on as the schedule stays fairly balanced currently. We begin in the Far East with...

Amur Khabarovsk hosting Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Juha Metsola protect the nets. Khabarovsk opened in the first period with a Dmitry Kosmachyov goal, assisted by Vladislav Ushenin and Oleg Li. Magnitogorsk tied it on an Oskar Osala goal, via Tomas Filippi. Metallurg took the lead on a Danis Zaripov power play goal in the second period, powered by Sergei Mozyakin and Jan Kovar. Magnitogorsk added on with a Kovar power play goal, coming off of Chris Lee and Mozyakin. Metallurg extended the lead as Alexander Semin scored, thanks to Osala. Magnitogorsk padded the lead in the third period on a Denis Kazionov goal, with a lone assist by Sergei Tereshchenko. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kovar, Osala, and Mozyakin.

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Andrei Gavrilov and Igor Bobkov are the goalies. Ufa led off in the first period with an Igor Makarov goal, made possible by Evgeny Bodrov and Enver Lisin. Salavat Yulaev added on with a shorthanded and unassisted Denis Bodrov goal in the second period. Vladivostok got on the board with a Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev goal, guided in by Anton Volchenkov. Admiral tied it with a Mikhail Fisenko shorthanded goal in the third period, going in unassisted. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Maxim Mayorov scored twice for Salavat Yulaev to top Jonathon Blum's one tally for Admiral. The 3-2 final saw the three stars go to Mayorov, Denis Bodrov, and Fisenko.

In China, Kunlun Red Star Beijing brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk to Shanghai. Pavel Francouz is mismatched with Andrei Makarov in goal. Chelyabinsk started in the first period with a Kirill Koltsov goal, going in unassisted. Beijing tied it on a Linus Videll goal, via Brett Bellemore. Traktor retook the lead on a Nikolai Belov goal in the second period, fueled by Ilya Zinovyev. Chelyabinsk added on with another Belov goal in the third period, going in unassisted. Kunlun Red Star got one back on a Max Warn goal, helped along by Miika Lahti and Tuukka Mantyla. The game ended at 3-2, with the three stars handed to Belov, Koltsov, and Videll.

Way out west, Dinamo Minsk hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ilya Proskuryakov and Ben Scrivens are in the blue paint. Minsk got going in the second period on an Alexander Materukhin goal, assisted by Nikita Ustinenko and Andrei Stas. Dinamo added on with a Matt Ellison goal in the third period, with a lone assist by Ilya Shinkevich. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board with an Alexei Potapov goal, helped along by Denis Shurakov. Torpedo tied it with a Shurakov power play goal, powered by Fredrik Pettersson and Nikolai Zherdev. In the shootout, Andrei Stepanov and Ellison lifted Dinamo to a 3-2 win. The three stars were given to Ellison, Shurakov, and Materukhin.

In Bratislava, Slovan welcomes Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Barry Brust man the nets. Togliatti began in the first period with a Maxim Rybin goal, assisted by Denis Zernov and Rafael Akhmetov. Lada added on with a Vasily Streltsov goal, passed from Alexander Streltsov and Stanislav Bocharov. Bratislava got on the board with a Nick Plastino power play goal in the second period, powered by Vaclav Nedorost. Slovan tied it on another Plastino power play goal, with helpers from Ziga Jeglic and Marek Daloga. Bratislava pulled ahead on a Kyle Chipchura power play goal in the third period, guided in by Jeff Taffe and Jonathan Cheechoo. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Plastino, Chipchura, and Brust (25 for 27 in saves).

Up in Finland, Jokerit Helsinki brings in Spartak Moscow. Nikita Bespalov and Ryan Zapolski are set to start in goal. Helsinki struck first in the first period with a Charles Genoway goal, assisted by Pekka Jormakka. Jokerit added on with a Marko Anttila goal in the second period, helped along by Petteri Wirtanen. Moscow got on the board with a third period Alexei Bondarev goal, passed from Mikhail Plotnikov. Helsinki replied with another Genoway goal, his second of the game going in unassisted on the power play. Spartak got one back with a Ryan Stoa power play goal, with a lone assist by Vyacheslav Leshchenko. This only made it 3-2, with the three stars going to Genoway, Anttila, and Zapolski (25 for 27 in saves).

Finally, Dinamo Riga hosts the Sochi Leopards. Konstantin Barulin and Jakub Sedlacek are the masked men. Sochi was first to score on a Yegor Morozov goal, fueled by Oscar Fantenberg in the first period. Riga tied it with a Kaspars Saulietis goal, via Gunars Skvorcovs. Dinamo took the lead in the second period on a Tim Sestito goal, coming off of Gints Meija. The Leopards tied it with a third period Mikhail Mamkin power play goal, powered by Ivan Zakharchuk. In the shootout, Morozov scored the only tally for a 3-2 Sochi win. The three stars were Morozov, Makin, and Barulin (28 for 30 in saves).

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Thursday, October 20, 2016

NHL 2016/17 - Day 9

Eleven games fill today's schedule, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Tuukka Rask draw the starts in goal. New Jersey dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Damon Severson and Jacob Josefson. Boston tied it on a Brad Marchand goal, his third of the year, courtesy of John-Michael Liles and Colin Miller. The Bruins took the lead on a Patrice Bergeron goal, via Marchand and David Pastrnak. The game ended at 2-1, with the three stars going to Marchand, Bergeron, and Rask (28 for 29 in saves).

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Steve Mason are the goalies. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Chris Wagner goal, coming off of Jared Boll and Sami Vatanen. Philadelphia tied it on a Wayne Simmonds power play goal in the second period, his third of the season, powered by Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. The Flyers took the lead on a Matt Read goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and the goalie Mason. The Ducks tied it on a Corey Perry goal, his second of the campaign, assisted by Ryan Getzlaf and Antoine Vermette. Anaheim took the lead in the third period with a Ryan Garbutt goal, fueled by Korbinian Holzer and Nick Sorensen. The game ended at 3-2, with the three stars going to Garbutt, Perry, and Wagner.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. San Jose got going in the second period on a Tomas Hertl goal, his second of the season, via Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns. The Sharks added on with a Patrick Marleau goal, his second of the year, made possible by Logan Couture. Pittsburgh got on the board in the third period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Penguins tied it with a Scott Wilson goal, coming off of Matt Cullen and Patric Hornqvist. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Hornqvist power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Phil Kessel and Malkin. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Hornqvist, Malkin, and Wilson.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens host the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with an Alexei Emelin goal, guided in by Paul Byron and David Desharnais. The Canadiens added on with a second period goal by Torrey Mitchell, his second of the season, helped along by Nathan Beaulieu and Byron. Montreal extended the lead on a Shea Weber power play goal, powered by Andrei Markov and Tomas Plekanec. The Canadiens padded the lead as Alex Galchenyuk scored, thanks to Brendan Gallagher and Max Pacioretty. Arizona got on the board with a Jakub Chychrun goal, coming off of Jordan Martinook and Radim Vrbata. The Coyotes got closer with a Laurent Dauphin shorthanded goal, set up by Brad Richardson. Montreal shot back with an Artturi Lehkonen goal in the third period, his second of the year, made possible by Plekanec and Weber. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Weber, Plekanec, and Byron.

South to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Ben Bishop are the masked men. Colorado started in the first period with a Matt Duchene goal, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Fedor Tyutin. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Duchene goal, his second of the game, passed from Patrick Wiercioch and Mikhail Grigorenko. Colorado extended the lead in the third period as Andreas Martinsen scored, thanks to Joe Colborne and Wiercioch. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Carl Soderberg goal, his second of the season, via Duchene and Nikita Zadorov. This sealed a 4-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Duchene, Varlamov (27 save shutout), and Wiercioch.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Roberto Luongo tend the twines. Washington began in the first period with a Justin Williams goal, helped along by Nate Schmidt. The Capitals added on with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, made possible by Matt Niskanen. Florida got on the board with a Michael Matheson goal, his second of the season, coming off of Keith Yandle and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers tied it on a Jaromir Jagr power play goal in the second period, powered by Barkov and Jonathan Marchessault. Washington retook the lead in the third period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his second of the year, assisted by Niskanen and Karl Alzner. The Capitals extended the lead on an unassisted Marcus Johansson goal. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Niskanen, Ovechkin, and Holtby (26 for 28 in saves).

Northwest to Minnesota, with the Wild hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jhonas Enroth and Devan Dubnyk are between the pipes. Toronto cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Roman Polak goal, via Jake Gardiner and Leo Komarov. Minnesota tied it on an Eric Staal goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Charlie Coyle and Matt Dumba. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by William Nylander and Nazem Kadri. The Wild retied it in the third period on a Zac Dalpe goal, coming off of Nino Niederreiter and Jonas Brodin. Minnesota took the lead with Staal's second of the game and third of the campaign, with helpers from Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. This gave them a 3-2 win, with the three stars handed to Staal, Dalpe, and Dubnyk (31 for 33 in saves).

South again to Dallas, with the Stars welcoming the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Kari Lehtonen receive the starting nods in goal. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Nic Dowd power play goal, powered by Tom Gilbert and Dustin Brown. Dallas tied it on a Radek Faksa goal, helped along by Jason Spezza. The Kings retook the lead with a Jeff Carter goal, guided in by Tanner Pearson and Alec Martinez in the second period. The Stars tied it again with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by John Klingberg and Tyler Seguin. Los Angeles regained the lead on a Pearson goal, his third of the year, fueled by Devin Setoguchi and Carter. Dallas tied it again in the third period with a Spezza goal, his second of the season, coming off of Seguin and Devin Shore. The Kings won 4-3 in overtime with a Martinez goal, assisted by Tyler Toffoli. The three stars went to Martinez, Pearson, and Carter, while Spezza and Seguin get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Calgary Flames bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack and Brian Elliott are in the blue paint. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his second of the season, helped along by Noah Hanifin and Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes added on with a Victor Rask power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Jeff Skinner and Hanifin. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Viktor Stalberg scored, with the help of Klas Dahlbeck and Jaccob Slavin. Calgary got on the board with an unassisted Troy Brouwer goal, his third of the season. The Flames got closer in the third period on a Johnny Gaudreau goal, assisted by Dougie Hamilton and Jyrki Jokipakka. The Hurricanes shot back with a Skinner power play goal, his second of the year, made possible by Elias Lindholm and Hanifin, the latter earning a sock trick. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars being Hanifin, Skinner, and Stalberg.

Also in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Cam Talbot occupy the creases. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Nail Yakupov goal, his second of the season, via Joel Edmundson and Dmitrij Jaskin. Edmonton tied it on a Tyler Pitlick goal, his third of the year, helped along by Andrej Sekera and Mark Letestu. The Oilers took the lead in the third period with a Milan Lucic goal, his second of the season, coming off of Connor McDavid and Jordan Eberle. Edmonton iced it at 3-1 with a McDavid empty net goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were given to Talbot (34 for 35 in saves), McDavid, and Lucic.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Jakob Markstrom are the goalies. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jannik Hansen goal, assisted by Brandon Sutter and Luca Sbisa. The Canucks added on in the third period with a Daniel Sedin power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Loui Eriksson and Sutter. Buffalo got on the board with a Nicholas Baptiste goal, going in unassisted. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Sutter, Markstrom (26 for 27 in saves), and Sedin.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 59

Six games are on across the Russian league today, beginning with...

Sibir Novosibirsk hosting CSKA Moscow. Ilya Sorokin faces a lesser foe in Alexei Krasikov in goal. Novosibirsk got going in the second period on a Konstantin Okulov power play goal, powered by Sergei Shumakov and Vladislav Naumov. Moscow tied it on a Valery Nichushkin power play goal, coming off of Jan Mursak. Sibir replied with a Shumakov power play goal, with assists provided by Stepan Sannikov and Okulov. CSKA tied it again on a Kirill Petrov goal, via Dmitry Kugryshev and Bogdan Kiselevich in the third period. The tie went to a shootout, where Okulov's lone tally gave Sibir the 3-2 win. The three stars went to Okulov, Shumakov, and Krasikov (46 for 48 in saves).

Over in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg welcomes SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Vladislav Podyapolsky draw the starts in goal. St. Petersburg dented the scoreboard in the second period on an Vadim Shipachyov power play goal, powered by Ilya Kovalchuk and Vyacheslav Voynov. SKA added on with an Ilya Kablukov goal, passed from Yegor Rykov and Anton Belov. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Steve Moses scored, thanks to Jarno Koskiranta and Maxim Chudinov. Andrei Kareyev replaced Podyapolsky in goal. SKA padded the lead on a Voynov goal, with a lone assist by Nikita Gusev. St. Petersburg kept going on an Evgeny Dadonov goal, assisted by Kovalchuk and Shipachyov. SKA continued in the third period with a Kovalchuk power play goal, with a lone assist by Shipachyov. The game ended 6-0, with Shipachyov, Kovalchuk, and Voynov earning the three stars.

West to Omsk, where Avangard brings in Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Dominik Furch are the reliable goalies. Omsk led off in the first period with an Alexander Perezhogin goal, fueled by Nikita Nikitin and Derek Roy. Avangard added on with a Denis Parshin goal, courtesy of Nikolai Lemtyugov and Ilya Zubov. Avangard extended the lead in the second period as Maxim Pestushko scored, with the help of Zubov. Cherepovets got on the board with a Maxim Trunyov power play goal, powered by Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Yury Trubachyov. Avangard answered in the third period on a Vladimir Sobotka goal, helped along by Evgeny Medvedev and Pestushko. Severstal shot back on an Igor Magogin goal, via Anton Sizov. Omsk iced it at 5-2 with a Sobotka empty net goal, set up by Medvedev and Roy. The three stars went to Pestushko, Zubov, and Sobotka, while Medvedev and Roy get the honorable mentions.

Up in Yekaterinburg, Avtomobilist hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Lazushin and Igor Ustinsky man the nets. Moscow began in the first period with an unassisted Yakov Rylov power play goal. Yekaterinburg tied it on an Alexei Simakov power play goal, powered by Nikolai Timashov and Rok Ticar. Avtomobilist took the lead in the second period with an Alexei Mikhnov goal, passed from Artyom Gareyev. Dynamo retied it in the third period on an Artyom Podshendyalov goal, assisted by Artyom Fyodorov. In the shootout, Avtomobilist won 3-2 on a lone tally by Petr Koukal. The three stars went to Mikhnov, Simakov, and Koukal.

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Henrik Karlsson draw the starts. Astana struck first in the first period with a Roman Savchenko power play goal, powered by Evgeny Rymarev and Roman Starchenko. Barys added on with a Corey Trivino goal, courtesy of Nikita Ivanov. Astana extended the lead as Nigel Dawes scored a power play goal, thanks to Brandon Bochenski and Cam Barker. Barys padded the lead with a Starchenko goal, assisted by Rymarev and Alexander Lipin. Igor Saprykin took over for Sateri in goal. Astana kept going with a Kevin Dallman goal, via Bochenski and Dawes. This made it 5-0, the eventual final, with the three stars awarded to Starchenko, Dawes, and Karlsson (27 save shutout), while Rymarev and Bochenski get the honorable mentions.

Finally, Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk brings in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexander Sudnitsin and Vladislav Fokin are the backups in goal. Yaroslavl was first to score in the first period with a Pavel Koledov goal, assisted by Brandon Kozun on the power play. This stood for the game's only goal in a 1-0 Lokomotiv win. The three stars belonged to Sudnitsin (28 save shutout), Koledov, and Fokin (20 for 21 in saves).

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