Tuesday, November 8, 2016

NHL 2016/17 - Day 27

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

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Corey Schneider make the starts in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Travis Zajac and Taylor Hall. Carolina tied it in the second period with a Jordan Staal power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce. The Hurricanes took the lead with an unassisted Klas Dahlbeck goal. The Devils retied it in the third period with a Nick Lappin goal, via Sergey Kalinin and Vernon Fiddler. The tie went to a shootout, where Parenteau and Hall lifted the Devils to a 3-2 win. The three stars belonged to Parenteau, Hall, and Lappin.

Over in Manhattan, the New York Rangers welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Antti Raanta are the backups in goal. New York got going in the second period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Jesper Fast and Brady Skjei. Vancouver tied it on a Loui Eriksson goal, helped along by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks took the lead in the third period on a Henrik Sedin goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Erik Gudbranson and Derek Dorsett. The Rangers retied it on a Rick Nash power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Buchnevich and Kevin Hayes. Vancouver pulled ahead with an Alexandre Burrows goal, courtesy of Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi. The Canucks added on with a Baertschi goal, passed from Jack Skille and Michael Chaput. Vancouver extended the lead with an empty net goal by Burrows, his second of the game, set up by Horvat and Brendan Gaunce. New York got one back with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his third of the year, with a lone helper from Buchnevich. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Burrows, Baertschi, and Buchnevich, while Henrik Sedin and Horvat get the honorable mentions.

West to Philadelphia, where the Flyers bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Steve Mason are the average goalies. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Claude Giroux power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Jakub Voracek and Brayden Schenn. Detroit tied it with a Tomas Tatar goal, his second of the year, guided in by Henrik Zetterberg. The Flyers took the lead back on a Sean Couturier goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Voracek and Mark Streit in the third period. The Red Wings tied it again with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Danny DeKeyser and Mike Green. The tie went to a shootout, where Athanasiou had the lone tally for a 3-2 Red Wings win. The three stars belonged to Athanasiou, Voracek, and Tatar.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Matt Murray are the young goalies. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Conor Sheary goal, his second of the season, fueled by Bryan Rust. Edmonton tied it on a Jordan Eberle goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Connor McDavid and Patrick Maroon. The Oilers took the lead with a Maroon goal, his fifth of the season, via McDavid and Eberle. Edmonton added on in the second period with another Eberle goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, courtesy of McDavid, who had a sock trick. The Penguins got one back on a Carl Hagelin goal, his second of the season, passed from Patric Hornqvist and Trevor Daley. Pittsburgh tied it in the third period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Phil Kessel and Chris Kunitz. The Penguins took the lead on Sheary's second of the game and third of the campaign, going in unassisted. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Sheary, Eberle, and McDavid, while Maroon gets an honorable mention.

Down to DC, where the Washington Capitals welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Braden Holtby guard the cages. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his second of the season, assisted by Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on with a Brent Burns goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Logan Couture and Paul Martin. San Jose iced it at 3-0 in the third period with a Thornton empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Joel Ward. The three stars were given to Thornton, Jones (24 save shutout), and Vlasic.

Up in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Boston Bruins. Zane McIntyre is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Montreal drew first blood in the second period on a Shea Weber power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Andrei Markov and Tomas Plekanec. Boston tied it with an unassisted Colin Miller goal. The Canadiens retook the lead on an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Alexander Radulov and Paul Byron. The Bruins tied it again in the third period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by John-Michael Liles and Brad Marchand. Montreal regained the lead with a Byron goal, his third of the year, guided in by Galchenyuk and Radulov. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars awarded to Byron, Galchenyuk, and Radulov.

Over in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Frederik Andersen are the goalies. Los Angeles began in the first period with a Dustin Brown goal, his second of the season, via Nic Dowd. The Kings added on in the second period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Anze Kopitar and Kevin Gravel. Los Angeles extended the lead as Tyler Toffoli scored his third of the season, with the help of Drew Doughty and Derek Forbort. The Kings padded the lead with a Jeff Carter goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Dwight King and Matt Greene. Andersen was replaced by Jhonas Enroth in goal. Los Angeles continued with another Carter goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, made possible by Toffoli and Forbort. The Kings kept going in the third period with a Kyle Clifford goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Forbort, who earned a sock trick. Los Angeles iced it at 7-0 with a King goal, guided in by Trevor Lewis and Jake Muzzin. The three stars were Carter, Forbort, and Toffoli, while King gets an honorable mention.

Down in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Pekka Rinne are the veteran goalies. Nashville cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a James Neal goal, his third of the season, passed from Roman Josi and P.K. Subban. The Predators added on with a Subban goal, his third of the year, via Neal and Viktor Arvidsson. Nashville extended the lead in the third period as Ryan Ellis scored, thanks to Filip Forsberg. Ottawa got on the board with a Kyle Turris goal, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Ryan Dzingel and Dion Phaneuf. The game ended at 3-1, with the three stars being Subban, Neal, and Rinne (33 for 34 in saves).

Returning to Canada, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Connor Hellebuyck draw the starts in goal. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his eighth of the season, via Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets added on with a Patrik Laine goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Ben Chiarot and Paul Postma. Dallas got on the board in the second period with a Patrick Eaves power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Devin Shore and John Klingberg. Winnipeg answered with a Laine power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, helped along by Blake Wheeler and Scheifele. The Jets extended the lead as Laine scored his eleventh of the season to complete his hat trick, thanks to Scheifele and Ehlers. Antti Niemi replaced Lehtonen in goal. Winnipeg padded the lead with a Marko Dano power play goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Kyle Connor and Nic Petan. The Jets kept going with a Scheifele power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, fueled by Petan and Laine. The Stars got one back in the third period with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Antoine Roussel and Eaves. Winnipeg countered with a shorthanded Andrew Copp goal, set up by Alex Burmistrov and Tyler Myers. The Jets iced it at 8-2 with an Adam Lowry goal, his third of the campaign, dished from Copp and Myers. The three stars were Laine, Scheifele, and Ehlers, while Copp, Myers, Petan, and Eaves get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Calvin Pickard are the unknown goalies. Arizona was first to score in the first period with a Jordan Martinook goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Radim Vrbata and Jamie McGinn. Colorado tied it in the second period with a Rene Bourque power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Erik Johnson and Mikhail Grigorenko. The Avalanche took the lead with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Matt Duchene. The Coyotes retied it on an Anthony DeAngelo goal, helped along by Max Domi and Anthony Duclair. Arizona took the lead with a Domi goal, via Connor Murphy. The Coyotes added on with a Martinook power play goal in the third period, his second of the game and fifth of the year, courtesy of Vrbata and Domi. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Martinook, Domi, and Vrbata.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 73

The league is back in full force after a week off, with ten games today. We begin with...

Sibir Novosibirsk hosting Spartak Moscow. Nikita Bespalov and Alexei Krasikov are the goalies. Moscow led off in the first period with a Matthew Gilroy power play goal, powered by Konstantin Glazachev and Lukas Radil. Spartak added on with an Igor Mirnov power play goal in the third period, coming off of Yaroslav Dyblenko. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars going to Bespalov (29 save shutout), Gilroy, and Mirnov.

Over in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg welcomes the Sochi Leopards. Konstantin Barulin and Andrei Kareyev draw the starts, and they played well, each of them perfect into the shootout. Here, only Kirill Semyonov of Metallurg scored for a 1-0 win. The three stars went to Kareyev (42 save shutout), Semyonov, and Barulin (26 save "shutout").

Along to Omsk, where Avangard brings in Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ilya Proskuryakov faces a lesser foe in Oleg Shilin in goal. Omsk began in the first period with an Anton Burdasov goal, passed from Evgeny Medvedev. Avangard added on with another Burdasov goal in the third period, helped along by Pyotr Khokhryakov on the power play. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board with an Evgeny Grachyov goal, guided in by Dmitry Shulenin. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Shilin (17 for 18 in saves), Burdasov, and Grachyov.

Down in Magnitogorsk, Metallurg hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ivan Lisutin and Vasily Koshechkin play in the blue paint. Magnitogorsk opened in the first period on a Sergei Mozyakin goal, assisted by Danis Zaripov and Jan Kovar. Nizhnekamsk tied it in the second period on a Dan Sexton goal, fueled by Maxim Berezin and Gilbert Brule. The tie went to a frenetic shootout, where Zaripov, Kovar, and Mozyakin all had important tallies to take Metallurg to a 2-1 win over Neftekhimik's Sergei Konkov and Dmitry Makarov. The three stars belonged to Mozyakin, Kovar, and Zaripov, while Koshechkin (39 for 40 in saves) and Lisutin (30 for 31 in saves) receive the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev welcomes Lada Togliatti. Edgars Masalskis and Andrei Gavrilov are between the pipes. Ufa got going in the second period with an Enver Lisin goal, coming off of Igor Makarov and Evgeny Bodrov. Salavat Yulaev added on with a Stepan Khripunov goal, assisted by Teemu Hartikainen and Linus Omark. Togliatti got on the board with an Anton Shenfeld goal, passed from Yefim Gurkin and Georgy Belousov. Lada tied it with a Stanislav Bocharov goal, made possible by Alexander Streltsov. Ufa regained the lead in the third period on another Lisin goal, courtesy of Makarov and Zakhar Arzamastsev. Salavat Yulaev extended the lead as Kirill Kaprizov scored, thanks to Khripunov. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars awarded to Lisin, Khripunov, and Makarov.

Next up, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg brings in Slovan Bratislava. Justin Pogge and Igor Ustinsky man the nets. Bratislava struck first in the first period with a Jonathan Cheechoo goal, assisted by Jeff Taffe and Radek Smolenak. Yekaterinburg tied it with a Petr Koukal power play goal, powered by Alexei Mikhnov. Slovan took the lead back with a Ziga Jeglic goal in the second period, passed from Ivan Svarny and Nick Plastino. Bratislava added on with a Jeglic power play goal, with assists provided by Vaclav Nedorost. Slovan iced it at 4-1 as Jeglic scored an empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Jeglic, Cheechoo, and Pogge (25 for 26 in saves).

West to Chelyabinsk, where Traktor hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Stanislav Galimov and Pavel Francouz are in the creases. Chelyabinsk dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Maxim Yakutsenya power play goal, powered by Kirill Koltsov. Kazan tied it on an Andrei Popov goal, coming off of Michal Jordan and Stefan Elliott on the power play. Ak Bars took the lead with an Elliott goal, helped along by Alexander Svitov and Jiri Sekac. Traktor retied it in the third period with an Alexei Kruchinin goal, fueled by Yakutsenya and Konstantin Klimontov. The tie went to a shootout, where Anton Glinkin lifted Ak Bars to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Elliott, Yakutsenya, and Glinkin.

Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk welcomes Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Ben Scrivens are the masked men. Vladivostok began in the first period with a Robert Sabolic power play goal, powered by James Wisniewski. Admiral added on in the third period with an Alexander Gorshkov goal, made possible by Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev and James Wright. Vladivostok iced it at 3-0 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Krasnoslobodtsev, set up by Wright. The three stars were handed to Bobkov (43 save shutout), Krasnoslobodtsev, and Wright.

North to Finland, where Jokerit Helsinki brings in Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Ryan Zapolski are set to start in goal. Khabarovsk was first to score in the first period with a Tomas Zohorna goal, passed from Kristian Kuusela. Helsinki tied it on a Peter Regin goal, assisted by Brian O'Neill. Jokerit took the lead with an O'Neill goal, guided in by Arturs Kulda and Jesse Joensuu. Amur retied it in the third period with a Vladislav Ushenin goal, fueled by Vyacheslav Ushenin and Vladimir Malevich. The tie went to a shootout, where O'Neill and Pekka Jormakka lifted Jokerit to the 3-2 win over a lone tally by Amur's Vyacheslav Ushenin. The three stars went to O'Neill, Vyacheslav Ushenin, and Regin.

Finally, Dinamo Riga hosts Kunlun Red Star Beijing. Andrei Makarov and Jakub Sedlacek have the green light to play goal. Riga drew first blood in the first period with a Pyotr Schastlivy goal, coming off of Sedlacek and Gunars Skvorcovs. Beijing tied it on a Linus Videll goal, helped along by Janne Jalasvaara in the second period on the power play. Kunlun Red Star took the lead with a Chad Rau goal, via Sean Collins and Videll. Beijing added on with a power play goal by Martin Bakos, powered by Tomas Marcinko. Kunlun Red Star extended the lead with a shorthanded goal by Oleg Yashin in the third period, set up by Vadim Pereskokov and Brett Bellemore. Beijing padded the lead as Rau scored a shorthanded empty net goal, with the help of Collins. Dinamo got one back with a Patrick Mullen power play goal, with a lone assist by Georgijs Pujacs. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Rau, Videll, and Collins.

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Monday, November 7, 2016

2016/17 Hockey - KHL Day 72/NHL Day 26

Four games are on today, spread across the top two leagues in the world. We begin with...

The lone KHL game, as Barys Astana hosts Medvescak Zagreb. Drew MacIntyre and Henrik Karlsson man the nets. Astana got going in the second period with a Roman Savchenko power play goal, powered by Evgeny Rymarev and Roman Starchenko. Barys iced it at 2-0 with a Martin St. Pierre empty net goal in the third period on the power play, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Karlsson (30 save shutout), Savchenko, and St. Pierre.

In the NHL, the Boston Bruins welcome the Buffalo Sabres in the first of three games. Robin Lehner and Tuukka Rask play goal. Boston dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by David Pastrnak and Matt Beleskey. The Bruins added on with a David Krejci power play goal, coming off of Torey Krug and Ryan Spooner. Boston extended the lead on an unassisted Riley Nash goal. The Bruins padded the lead as Pastrnak scored his eighth of the year on the power play, thanks to Austin Czarnik and John-Michael Liles in the third period. The final was 4-0, with the three stars going to Pastrnak, Rask (32 save shutout), and Krejci.

Down in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Jaroslav Halak are the veterans in goal. Vancouver started in the first period with a Daniel Sedin goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. New York tied it with a Jason Chimera goal, passed from Anders Lee and Brock Nelson. The Islanders took the lead in the second period on a Nikolay Kulemin goal, via John Tavares and Thomas Hickey. The Canucks retied it with a power play goal by Markus Granlund, his third of the year, powered by Bo Horvat and Ben Hutton. New York pulled ahead in the third period on a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his second of the season, made possible by Johnny Boychuk and Alan Quine. The Islanders added on with an Andrew Ladd goal, courtesy of Nick Leddy and Adam Pelech. The game ended at 4-2, with the three stars going to Clutterbuck, Ladd, and Kulemin.

Finally, the Battle of Florida ends the day with the Panthers hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Roberto Luongo tend the twines. Florida opened in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Keith Yandle and Aleksander Barkov on the power play. Tampa Bay tied it on an Ondrej Palat goal in the third period, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The Panthers took the lead back on an unassisted Reilly Smith goal, his third of the season. Florida iced it at 3-1 with a Derek MacKenzie empty net goal, set up by Yandle. The three stars were Luongo (34 for 35 in saves), Yandle, and Smith.

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Sunday, November 6, 2016

NHL 2016/17 - Day 25

It's time for Sunday hockey, with six games on the slate. We begin with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Jonas Gustavsson and Jimmy Howard are the backups in goal. Detroit started in the first period with a Justin Abdelkader power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Brendan Smith and Frans Nielsen. Edmonton tied it on a Tyler Pitlick goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Milan Lucic and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers gained the lead in the second period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by Connor McDavid and Oscar Klefbom. This stood for the eventual 2-1 win, with the three stars being Nugent-Hopkins, Pitlick, and Gustavsson (22 for 23 in saves).

Down in St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Jake Allen are the masked men. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Robby Fabbri goal, passed from Dmitrij Jaskin and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues added on with a Jori Lehtera goal, courtesy of Carl Gunnarsson and Vladimir Tarasenko. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Matt Duchene goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Francois Beauchemin and Fedor Tyutin. St. Louis replied with a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Alexander Steen and Shattenkirk. The Blues extended the lead as Scottie Upshall scored, his second of the season, thanks to Ryan Reaves and Kyle Brodziak. St. Louis padded the lead with a David Perron goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Colton Parayko and Shattenkirk, the latter earning a sock trick. Varlamov was replaced by Calvin Pickard at the start of the third period. The game ended at 5-1, with the three stars given to Shattenkirk, Allen (22 for 23 in saves), and Lehtera.

East to Raleigh, where the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Eddie Lack are in the creases. New Jersey got going in the second period with a Michael Cammalleri goal, assisted by Travis Zajac and Beau Bennett. The Devils added on with another Cammalleri goal, via Jacob Josefson. New Jersey extended the lead in the third period as Cammalleri finished his natural hat trick, with the help of Bennett and John Moore. Carolina got on the board with an Andrej Nestrasil goal, helped along by Noah Hanifin and Jordan Staal. New Jersey iced it at 4-1 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Andy Greene, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Cammalleri, Bennett, and Kinkaid (33 for 34 in saves).

Back west, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Scott Darling draw the starts in goal. Dallas began in the first period with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Antoine Roussel and Patrick Eaves. The Stars added on in the second period with a shorthanded Gemel Smith goal, set up by Dan Hamhuis. Chicago got on the board with a Patrick Kane goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks tied it in the third period on a Toews goal, his third of the season, via Marian Hossa and Duncan Keith. Chicago took the lead with an Artem Anisimov goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Toews and Keith. Dallas tied it again with a Smith goal, his second of the game, courtesy of John Klingberg and Jamie Benn. The Blackhawks won 4-3 with an overtime goal by Hossa, his sixth of the campaign, guided in by Seabrook and Anisimov. The three stars went to Hossa, Anisimov, and Seabrook, while Toews, Smith, and Keith get the honorable mentions.

In New York, the Rangers welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Henrik Lundqvist protect the nets. New York led off in the first period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Kevin Klein and Brady Skjei. Winnipeg tied it on a Patrik Laine goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Ben Chiarot and Mark Scheifele. The Rangers took the lead with a second period Mats Zuccarello goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Chris Kreider. The Jets tied it again with a Scheifele goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Paul Postma and Nikolaj Ehlers. New York pulled ahead again on a J.T. Miller goal, his fifth of the season, via Nick Holden. The Rangers added on with a Jesper Fast goal, his second of the year, coming off of Klein and Brandon Pirri. New York extended the lead as Pavel Buchnevich scored his second of the season, thanks to Pirri and Adam Clendening. The game ended at 5-2, with the three stars given to Scheifele, Pirri, and Klein.

Finally, in Anaheim, the Ducks bring in the Calgary Flames. Chad Johnson and Jonathan Bernier man the nets. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Clayton Stoner goal, passed from Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. Calgary tied it on an Alex Chiasson goal, his second of the season, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. The Ducks took the lead back in the second period with a Ryan Kesler power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Perry and Getzlaf. Anaheim added on with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Jakob Silfverberg and Josh Manson. The Ducks extended the lead in the third period as Kesler scored his second of the game and fourth of the year, with assists provided by Perry and Getzlaf, both of whom received sock tricks. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars given to Kesler, Perry, and Getzlaf.

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MLS Conference Semifinals - Leg 2

After last weekend saw a good run for the lower-ranked teams, the higher seeds get to host their games and try to salvage their playoff runs. We begin in the west, with...

The Colorado Rapids hosting the Los Angeles Galaxy. Brian Rowe and Tim Howard are the goalies, and the Galaxy have a 1-0 advantage in the series. Colorado's Shkelzen Gashi took a yellow card for a thirtieth minute foul. The Rapids opened the scoring and tied the series in the thirty-sixth minute on a Gashi goal, via Sam Cronin. In the fifty-seventh minute, Cronin received a yellow card for a foul. The series remained tied, forcing a penalty kick shootout. Steven Gerrard had the only goal for the Galaxy, and the Rapids went through 3-1 in the shootout and 2-1 overall with goals by Kevin Doyle, Sebastien Le Toux, and Marco Pappa. The man of the match was Gashi for his series-equalizing goal. The Rapids face the winner of the Seattle Sounders v. FC Dallas series in the Western Conference Final.

Next up, we go back-to-back in the east, starting with the New York Red Bulls welcoming the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Luis Robles are gloved men. The Impact have a 1-0 aggregate lead. New York's Felipe took a yellow card for a nineteenth minute foul. Montreal got going with a fifty-first minute Ignacio Piatti goal, via Dominic Oduro. The Impact's keeper Bush took a yellow card for time wasting in the fifty-sixth minute. Laurent Ciman of Montreal had a yellow card for a sixty-third minute foul. Dax McCarty of the Red Bulls received a yellow card for his seventy-fourth minute foul. New York got on the board with a seventy-seventh minute goal by Bradley Wright-Phillips, assisted by Daniel Royer and Damien Perrinelle. The Impact shot back with another Piatti goal in the eighty-fifth minute, made possible by Didier Drogba and Oduro. Sacha Kljestan of the Red Bulls received a yellow card for an eighty-ninth minute foul. Montreal saw a stoppage time yellow card for Johan Venegas. The game ended 2-1, and the Impact won the series on a 3-1 aggregate score. Piatti was the man of the match this time for his brace. The Impact will face the winner of the next series for the Eastern Conference Final.

Staying in the New York Metro area, New York City FC brings in Toronto FC. Clint Irwin and Eirik Johansen are the goalies, with Toronto already holding a 2-0 lead. Toronto struck first and added on with a sixth minute Sebastian Giovinco goal, assisted by Jozy Altidore. Toronto extended the lead as Giovinco made a penalty kick goal in the twentieth minute. Toronto padded their lead with an Altidore goal in the thirtieth minute, made possible by Eriq Zavaleta. Toronto kept going in the fiftieth minute with a Jonathan Osorio goal, passed from Will Johnson and Giovinco. Toronto iced the game at 5-0 and the series at 7-0 with a Giovinco goal in stoppage time to complete his hat trick, with the help of Nick Hagglund. Giovinco was the man of the match as Toronto FC heads on to face the Montreal Impact in the Eastern Conference Final, meaning Canada will be represented in MLS Cup. Also, for fans of the CONCACAF Champions League, the winner of the Western Conference Final will earn a bid to the 2017-18 edition of that competition.

Finally, FC Dallas hosts the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Chris Seitz are the goalies, as the Sounders look to make a 3-0 aggregate lead hold up. Dallas was first to score in the twenty-fifth minute on a Tesho Akindele goal, helped along by Atiba Harris and Michael Barrios. In the twenty-seventh minute, Harris of Dallas and Cristian Roldan of Seattle each had yellow cards for foul. The Sounders tied the game in the fifty-fourth minute on a Nicolas Lodeiro goal, assisted by Tyrone Mears. Dallas retook the lead in the game on a Maximiliano Urruti goal in the fifty-sixth minute, coming off of Mauro Rosales and Harris. Seattle keeper Frei took a yellow card for time wasting in the sixty-seventh minute. The game ended 2-1 in favor of Dallas, but the Sounders won the series 4-2. Harris was the man of the match, a small consolation as it will be the Sounders and Rapids for the Western Conference Final.

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Saturday, November 5, 2016

NHL 2016/17 - Day 24

Thirteen games on a very busy NHL day, with only one matinee. That game sees...

The Colorado Avalanche host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk faces a lesser foe in Calvin Pickard in goal. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Matt Duchene and Mikko Rantanen. The game stood from here at 1-0 for the Avalanche. The three stars went to Pickard (32 save shutout), Landeskog, and Dubnyk (31 for 32 in saves).

East to Boston, with the Bruins welcoming the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and Tuukka Rask are set to start in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his second of the season, via Brad Marchand. New York tied it on a Nick Holden goal, coming off of Jimmy Vesey and Derek Stepan. The Rangers took the lead with a Stepan shorthanded goal, set up by Michael Grabner. New York added on in the second period with a shorthanded Kevin Hayes goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Marc Staal and Kevin Klein. The Rangers extended the lead as Pavel Buchnevich scored a power play goal, powered by Stepan and Brady Skjei in the third period. The Bruins got one back with a David Pastrnak goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Riley Nash and Brandon Carlo. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Grabner goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Stepan, Grabner, and Raanta (35 for 37 in saves).

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with an Andrei Markov goal, going in unassisted. Philadelphia tied it on a Chris VandeVelde goal, his second of the season, an unassisted goal. The Flyers took the lead with a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his third of the year, passed from Jakub Voracek and Michael Del Zotto. The Canadiens tied it again with a Greg Pateryn goal, courtesy of Andrew Shaw and Paul Byron. Montreal took the lead in the second period with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Alexander Radulov and Markov. The Canadiens added on in the third period with a Phillip Danault goal, his third of the year, guided in by Torrey Mitchell. Philadelphia got one back with a Claude Giroux power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Voracek and Gostisbehere. Montreal countered with a shorthanded goal by Tomas Plekanec set up by Max Pacioretty. The Flyers replied with a Travis Konecny power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Ivan Provorov and Sean Couturier. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars given to Markov, Gostisbehere, and Voracek.

Back south to Brooklyn, where the New York Islanders host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Jaroslav Halak are in the nets. New York began in the first period with a Nick Leddy goal, his second of the season, made possible by Cal Clutterbuck and John Tavares. The Islanders added on a Shane Prince goal, his third of the year, via Dennis Seidenberg. Edmonton got on the board with a Patrick Maroon goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Matthew Benning. The Oilers tied it with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Maroon and Benning. New York retook the lead with a Casey Cizikas goal in the second period, his second of the season, fueled by Prince and Seidenberg. Edmonton tied it again with a Milan Lucic power play goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone helper from Jordan Eberle. The Oilers won with a Mark Letestu shootout goal for a 4-3 victory. The three stars were Maroon, Benning, and Prince, while Seidenberg gets an honorable mention.

Returning to Canada, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Craig Anderson receive the starting nods. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Mike Hoffman goal, his third of the season, coming on the power play from Bobby Ryan and Erik Karlsson. Buffalo tied it in the third period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his fifth of the year, via Jake McCabe and Johan Larsson. The Sabres took the lead on a Sam Reinhart goal, his second of the campaign, assisted by Zemgus Girgensons and Rasmus Ristolainen. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Lehner (32 for 33 in saves), Reinhart, and Okposo.

Southwest to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Carter Hutton are the backups in goal. Columbus cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Josh Anderson goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. St. Louis tied it in the third period with a Jay Bouwmeester goal, helped along by Scottie Upshall. The Blues won 2-1 in overtime with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his fifth of the year, via Alexander Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. The three stars belonged to Tarasenko, Hutton (20 for 21 in saves), and Bouwmeester.

Southeast to Tampa Bay, with the Lightning hosting the New Jersey Devils. Corey Schneider and Ben Bishop guard the cages. New Jersey started in the first period with a Damon Severson goal, his second of the season, fueled by Taylor Hall and Travis Zajac. Tampa Bay tied it on a Brian Boyle goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Victor Hedman and J.T. Brown. The Lightning took the lead with an unassisted Hedman goal, his third of the season. Tampa Bay added on with a power play goal by Brayden Point in the third period, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Valtteri Filppula. The Lightning extended the lead as Kucherov scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Steven Stamkos and Anton Stralman. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Hedman, Bishop (37 for 38 in saves), and Kucherov.

In Ontario again, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Frederik Andersen are in the creases. Toronto struck first in the first period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Nikita Zaitsev and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on with a Tyler Bozak goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of James van Riemsdyk and Leo Komarov. Vancouver got on the board with a Derek Dorsett goal, assisted by Jannik Hansen and Brandon Sutter. Toronto shot back with a Bozak power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season in the second period, powered by Mitchell Marner and van Riemsdyk. The Canucks countered with a Henrik Sedin goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Philip Larsen. The Maple Leafs fired back in the third period with a Marner goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Bozak and van Riemsdyk, the latter earning a sock trick. Toronto extended the lead as Nikita Soshnikov scored, thanks to Ben Smith. Vancouver replied with a Daniel Sedin goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Hansen and Troy Stecher. The Maple Leafs shot back with a Jake Gardiner goal, his second of the season, passed from Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Both goalies, Miller and Andersen, were tossed from the game for leaving their creases, forcing Jacob Markstrom and Jhonas Enroth to finish the game in net. The game ended at 6-3, with the three stars being Bozak, Marner, and van Riemsdyk, while Hansen gets an honorable mention.

Stateside once more, the Washington Capitals bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Braden Holtby protect the nets. Florida was first to score in the first period with a Jared McCann goal, made possible by Alex Petrovic and Denis Malgin. Washington tied it in the second period on a T.J. Oshie goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Alex Ovechkin. The Panthers retook the lead in the third period on a Reilly Smith goal, his second of the year, coming on the power play from Vincent Trocheck and Jason Demers. The Capitals tied it again with an Ovechkin goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Brooks Orpik and Nate Schmidt. Washington took the lead with an Oshie goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, passed from Nicklas Backstrom and Schmidt. The Capitals added on with a Lars Eller goal, his second of the campaign, fueled by John Carlson and Andre Burakovsky. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Oshie, Ovechkin, and Schmidt.

In Texas, the Dallas Stars host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Antti Niemi are the goalies. Chicago led off in the first period with a Richard Panik goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Dallas tied it on a Brett Ritchie goal, his third of the year, made possible by Antoine Roussel. The Stars took the lead with a Curtis McKenzie goal, coming off of Gemel Smith and Stephen Johns. The Blackhawks retied it in the second period on a Ryan Hartman goal, his second of the season, assisted by Tyler Motte and Marcus Kruger. Chicago took the lead back with a Kane power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Artem Anisimov and Artemi Panarin. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Kane, Hartman, and Crawford (31 for 33 in saves).

Over to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Pekka Rinne are the overrated goalies. Nashville began in the first period with a James Neal goal, his second of the season, passed from Colin Wilson and Matt Irwin. Carolina tied it on a Jeff Skinner goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted in the second period. The Predators regained the lead with an Irwin goal, his third of the season, helped along by Colton Sissons and Calle Jarnkrok. The Hurricanes tied it again on a Ron Hainsey shorthanded goal in the third period, set up by Elias Lindholm. The tie went to a shootout, where Jaccob Slavin won it 3-2 for Carolina. The three stars went to Hainsey, Skinner, and Slavin.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott and Peter Budaj occupy the creases. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Jeff Carter goal, his third of the season, coming off of Dwight King. The Kings added on with a Devin Setoguchi goal, made possible by Nic Dowd and Dustin Brown. Los Angeles extended the lead in the second period as Kyle Clifford scored, thanks to Nick Shore. The Kings padded the lead with Setoguchi's second goal of the night, via Brown. Los Angeles continued in the third period with a Trevor Lewis goal, his second of the year, passed from Drew Doughty. This stood for a 5-0 win, with the three stars given to Setoguchi, Brown, and Budaj (24 save shutout).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Martin Jones are the talented goalies. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Chris Kunitz goal, assisted by Evgeni Malkin and Ian Cole. The Penguins added on with a Sidney Crosby goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Carl Hagelin and Conor Sheary. Pittsburgh chased Jones with Crosby's second goal of the game in the second period, also his eighth of the year, passed from Hagelin and Brian Dumoulin. Aaron Dell took over in net. The Penguins extended the lead as Eric Fehr scored his second of the campaign, thanks to Matt Cullen and Sheary. Pittsburgh padded the lead with a shorthanded Nick Bonino goal, set up by Trevor Daley and Hagelin, the latter earning a sock trick. This made it 5-0, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Crosby, Hagelin, and Murray (32 save shutout), while Sheary gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 23

Three games on for tonight, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Al Montoya and Sergei Bobrovsky make the starts in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Nick Foligno and Alexander Wennberg. The Blue Jackets added on with a Seth Jones goal, his third of the year, via Josh Anderson. Columbus extended the lead as David Savard scored, thanks to Markus Nutivaara. The Blue Jackets padded the lead in the second period on another Atkinson goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, coming off of Sam Gagner and Wennberg. Columbus kept going with a Foligno power play goal, his third of the year, assisted by Zach Werenski and Wennberg, who earned a sock trick. The Blue Jackets continued with a Scott Hartnell power play goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Boone Jenner and Brandon Dubinsky. Columbus struck again with a Foligno goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, with helpers from Brandon Saad and Wennberg. The Blue Jackets got another one with an Anderson goal, his third of the season, helped along by William Karlsson and Jack Johnson. Columbus followed up with a third period Hartnell goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, made possible by Jones and Werenski. The Blue Jackets entered double digits with Anderson's second of the game and fourth of the season, with helpers from Matt Calvert and Karlsson. The game ended at 10-0 with the three stars awarded to Foligno, Anderson, and Wennberg, while Atkinson, Hartnell, Jones, Werenski, and Karlsson get the honorable mentions. 

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Petr Mrazek are the talented goalies. Detroit started in the first period with a Luke Glendening goal, passed from Danny DeKeyser and Mike Green. Winnipeg tied it on a Patrik Laine goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Scheifele. The Red Wings took the lead in the second period with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Tomas Tatar. The Jets retied it on a Scheifele goal in the third period, his sixth of the season, coming off of Laine and Ehlers. Detroit pulled ahead with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his second of the year, fueled by Tatar and Zetterberg. Winnipeg tied it again with a Brandon Tanev goal, guided in by Ehlers, who earned a sock trick, and Scheifele. The Jets took the lead on a Tanev goal, helped along by Dustin Byfuglien and Marko Dano. Winnipeg iced it at 5-3 with an Ehlers empty net goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Blake Wheeler. The three stars went to Ehlers, Tanev, and Scheifele, while Laine, Zetterberg, and Tatar get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and John Gibson man the nets. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Kevin Bieksa power play goal, powered by Corey Perry and Rickard Rakell. The Ducks added on with a Rakell goal, his second of the season, via Perry and Michael Sgarbossa. Anaheim extended the lead as Jakob Silfverberg scored his third of the year, thanks to Antoine Vermette and Andrew Cogliano. Justin Peters replaced Domingue in goal. The Ducks padded the lead with a second period Vermette goal, his second of the season, coming off of Ondrej Kase and Josh Manson. Arizona got on the board with a Jamie McGinn goal, his third of the year, helped along by Radim Vrbata and Christian Dvorak. Anaheim iced it at 5-1 with Rakell's second of the game and third of the campaign in the third period, with a lone assist by Ryan Kesler. The three stars went to Rakell, Vermette, and Perry.

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