KHL 2016/17 - Day 89

Seven games on today, beginning with...

Sibir Novosibirsk hosting Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Alexei Krasikov man the nets. Novosibirsk started with a first period goal by Sergei Shumakov, guided in by Stepan Sannikov. Sibir added on with a Maxim Shalunov power play goal, powered by Shumakov and Adam Polasek. Togliatti got on the board with a Vasily Streltsov goal, assisted by Georgy Belousov and Dmitry Sinitsyn in the third period. Novosibirsk replied on an Evgeny Artyukhin goal, helped along by Joonas Kemppainen. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Shumakov, Krasikov (19 for 20 in saves), and Shalunov.

Nearby, Metallurg Novokuznetsk welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Stanislav Galimov and Vladislav Podyapolsky are set to start in goal. Kazan got going with a second period goal from Fyodor Malykhin, passed from Mikhail Varnakov. Ak Bars added on with a Varnakov goal, assisted by Stepan Zakharchuk and Mikhail Sidorov. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars given to Varnakov, Malykhin, and Galimov (16 save shutout).

Over in Omsk, Avangard brings in Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ivan Lisutin faces a lesser foe in Oleg Shilin in goal. Nizhnekamsk opened in the first period with a Richard Gynge goal, coming off of Gilbert Brule and Dan Sexton. Neftekhimik added on with a Konstantin Makarov goal, made possible by Igor Polygalov and Gennady Stolyarov. Nizhnekamsk extended the lead as Stolyarov scored an unassisted goal. Dominik Furch replaced Shilin in goal. Omsk got on the board in the third period with a Nikita Lisov goal, via Valentin Pyanov and Ilya Mikheyev. The score held at 3-1, with the three stars handed to Stolyarov, Lisutin (25 for 26 in saves), and Makarov.

Northwest to Finland, where Jokerit Helsinki hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Igor Shestyorkin and Ryan Zapolski are the goalies. St. Petersburg led off in the first period with a Sergei Plotnikov goal, fueled by Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk. Helsinki tied it in the third period on a Tommi Huhtala goal, passed from Pekka Jormakka and Tomi Maki. SKA took the lead back with a Kovalchuk goal, guided in by Yegor Yakovlev and Plotnikov. Jokerit tied it again with a Jormakka goal, with a lone assist by Topi Jaakola. SKA won 3-2 with a goal by Datsyuk in the shootout. The three stars went to Datsyuk, Plotnikov, and Kovalchuk, while Jormakka gets an honorable mention.

Down in Moscow, Spartak brings in Medvescak Zagreb. Drew MacIntyre and Nikita Bespalov are in the creases. Zagreb dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Mike Glumac goal, helped along by Alexandre Bolduc and Mark Katic. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to MacIntyre (29 save shutout), Glumac, and Bespalov (35 for 36 in saves).

Over in Nizhny Novgorod, Torpedo welcomes Slovan Bratislava. Justin Pogge and Ilya Proskuryakov are the masked men. Bratislava drew first blood in the second period on a Ziga Jeglic power play goal, powered by Filip Novak and Jeff Taffe. Nizhny Novgorod tied it on a Kirill Vorobyov goal in the third period, passed from Alexander Frolov and Dmitry Semin. Slovan took the lead with an unassisted Igor Musatov goal. Bratislava added on with a Nick Plastino goal, with a lone assist by Kyle Chipchura. Slovan iced it at 4-1 with a Radek Smolenak empty net goal, set up by Musatov and Tomas Kopetsky. The three stars went to Musatov, Pogge (35 for 36 in saves), and Plastino.

Finally, Dinamo Riga hosts Dinamo Minsk. Ben Scrivens and Janis Kalnins play goal. Minsk began in the first period with an Alexander Materukhin power play goal, powered by Matt Ellison. Minsk added on with an Alexander Pavlovich goal, courtesy of Ellison and Marc-Andre Gragnani. Minsk extended the lead as Nikita Komarov scored, with the help of Dmitry Korobov and Gragnani. Jakub Sedlacek replaced Kalnins in goal. Minsk padded the lead in the second period on an Evgeny Lisovets power play goal, going in unassisted. Riga got on the board with a Maris Bicevskis power play goal, with helpers from Krisjanis Redlihs and Miks Indrasis. The three stars of the 4-1 game were Scrivens (27 for 28 in saves), Ellison, and Gragnani.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 42

We've got a big twelve games on tonight before a holiday. We begin in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Robin Lehner are in the creases. Detroit got going in the second period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Thomas Vanek and Ryan Sproul. Buffalo tied it in the third period with a Brian Gionta goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The tie went to a shootout, where Nyquist and Vanek topped Sam Reinhart to lead the Red Wings to a 2-1 win. The three stars were Nyquist, Vanek, and Howard (32 for 33 in saves).

Out in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jhonas Enroth is mismatched with Cory Schneider in goal. Toronto led off in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Zach Hyman. The Maple Leafs added on with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Matthews and William Nylander. Toronto extended the lead in the third period as Matthews scored his second of the game and eighth of the season, with the help of Hyman and Connor Brown. New Jersey got on the board in the second period on a Travis Zajac goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Michael Cammalleri and Kyle Quincey. The Devils got closer with a Beau Bennett power play goal, with assists provided by Devante Smith-Pelly and Cammalleri. New Jersey tied it as Cammalleri scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Zajac and Andy Greene. The Maple Leafs regained the lead on a Matt Martin goal, via Nikita Soshnikov and Nikita Zaitsev. The Devils tied it again on a third period Yohann Avitu goal, his second of the year, helped along by Zajac and Cammalleri, the latter earning a sock trick. Jacob Josefson of New Jersey had the only shootout goal for a 5-4 Devils win. The three stars were Cammalleri, Matthews, and Zajac, while Hyman gets an honorable mention.

Staying close by, the New York Rangers bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Henrik Lundqvist are between the pipes. New York started in the first period with a Rick Nash power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period on a Scott Wilson goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Phil Kessel and Nick Bonino. The Penguins took the lead with a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Ian Cole. Pittsburgh added on with a Kessel goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Bonino. The Penguins extended the lead as Crosby scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Kris Letang. Antti Raanta replaced Lundqvist at this time. Pittsburgh padded the lead with a Conor Sheary goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Crosby and Carl Hagelin. The Penguins iced it at 6-1 in the third period with a Matt Cullen goal, his fourth of the campaign, guided in by Justin Schultz and Eric Fehr. The three stars went to Crosby, Kessel, and Bonino.

To DC, where the Washington Capitals host the St. Louis Blues. Carter Hutton and Braden Holtby receive the starting nods in goal. Washington began in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom on the power play. The Capitals added on with another Ovechkin goal in the second period, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, via John Carlson and Andre Burakovsky. St. Louis got on the board with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Dmitrij Jaskin. Washington replied with a Kuznetsov goal in the third period, his third of the year, helped along by Dmitry Orlov and Burakovsky. The Capitals extended the lead as Ovechkin finished his hat trick on his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blues got one back with an Alex Pietrangelo power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Paul Stastny and Colton Parayko. St. Louis got closer with Tarasenko's second of the game and ninth of the campaign, assisted by David Perron and Jaden Schwartz. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, and Tarasenko, while Burakovsky gets an honorable mention.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets welcome the Calgary Flames. Chad Johnson and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the blue paint. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Troy Brouwer goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Kris Versteeg. The Flames added on in the third period with a Micheal Ferland power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Dennis Wideman. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Johnson (34 save shutout), Brouwer, and Ferland.

Northwest to Minnesota, where the Wild bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Devan Dubnyk protect the nets. Minnesota cracked the scoresheet in the second period on a Mikko Koivu goal, his third of the season, helped along by Jason Zucker and Mikael Granlund. The Wild added on with a third period Jonas Brodin power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Granlund and Matt Dumba. Winnipeg got on the board with a Blake Wheeler power play goal, his seventh of the season, via Dustin Byfuglien and Nic Petan. Minnesota iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Zach Prise, his third of the year, set up by Eric Staal and Charlie Coyle. The three stars were given to Granlund, Dubnyk (15 for 16 in saves), and Brodin.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Andrei Vasilevskiy man the nets. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Victor Hedman power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point. Philadelphia tied it on a Dale Weise goal in the second period, his second of the year, coming off of Chris VandeVelde and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers took the lead with a Provorov goal, guided in by Matt Read and Mark Streit. The Lightning tied it again in the third period with an Alex Killorn goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Slater Koekkoek and Vladislav Namestnikov. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Ryan Callahan goal, his second of the year, fueled by Point and Tyler Johnson. The Lightning added on with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Valtteri Filppula and Palat. The three stars of the 4-2 game were Provorov, Palat, and Point.

Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Pekka Rinne are the Finnish goalies. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his second of the season, via P.K. Subban. The Predators added on in the second period with a Mike Fisher goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Dallas got on the board in the third period with a shorthanded Patrick Sharp goal, set up by Lauri Korpikoski and Jamie Oleksiak. Nashville responded with a power play goal by Ryan Johansen goal, his second of the season, powered by James Neal and Viktor Arvidsson. The Predators extended the lead as Craig Smith scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro. The Stars got one back with a Brett Ritchie goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Antoine Roussel and Radek Faksa. Nashville iced it at 5-2 with a Neal empty net goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Johansen and Roman Josi. The three stars belonged to Forsberg, Johansen, and Neal.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Semyon Varlamov draw the starts. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Mikko Rantanen and Patrick Wiercioch. Edmonton tied it on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Avalanche retook the lead with a Rene Bourque goal, his sixth of the season, passed from MacKinnon and Fedor Tyutin. The Oilers retied it on a Jordan Eberle power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Milan Lucic. Colorado pulled ahead in the third period with a Bourque goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, helped along by Tyson Barrie and Rantanen. Edmonton tied it in the third period on a Lucic goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Connor McDavid and Adam Larsson. The Oilers took the lead with a McDavid goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist from Lucic. Edmonton added on with a Draisaitl power play goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Lucic, who got a sock trick, and McDavid. The Oilers iced it at 6-3 with an Eberle empty net goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, set up by Patrick Maroon. The three stars were Lucic, McDavid, and Bourque, while Draisaitl, Eberle, Rantanen, and MacKinnon get the honorable mentions.

In California, the San Jose Sharks host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Martin Jones tend the twines. San Jose led off in the first period with a Logan Couture power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns. The Sharks added on with a shorthanded Joel Ward goal, his second of the year, set up by Chris Tierney. Chicago got on the board in the second period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Artem Anisimov and Niklas Hjalmarsson. This only made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Jones (33 for 34 in saves), Ward, and Couture.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Mike Smith are the overrated goalies. Vancouver began in the first period with a Sven Baertschi goal, his second of the season, guided in by Bo Horvat. Arizona tied it in the second period on a Christian Dvorak goal, his second of the year, via Anthony DeAngelo and Alex Goligoski. The Canucks took the lead back with a Loui Eriksson goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Markus Granlund and Luca Sbisa. Vancouver added on with a Horvat goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Alexandre Burrows and Baertschi. The Canucks extended the lead as Burrows scored his third of the season, thanks to Baertschi and Horvat. Louis Domingue replaced Smith in goal. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars given to Baertschi, Horvat, and Burrows.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak faces a lesser foe in Peter Budaj in goal. Los Angeles drew first blood in the first period with an Alec Martinez goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Jake Muzzin. New York tied it in the third period on an Anders Lee goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Travis Hamonic and Alan Quine. The Kings took the lead back with a Dwight King goal, his third of the season, passed from Nick Shore and Derek Forbort. Los Angeles added on with a King goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, assisted by Trevor Lewis and Drew Doughty. The Kings extended the lead as Muzzin scored his third of the season unassisted into an empty net. The Islanders got one back with Lee's second of the game and third of the year, set up by Jason Chimera and Adam Pelech. This held for a 4-2 final, with the three stars going to King, Lee, and Muzzin.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 88

It's another day with six games for the Russian league, beginning with...

Traktor Chelyabinsk hosting Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Pavel Francouz man the nets. Moscow got going in the second period with an Ilya Nikulin goal, via Denis Kokarev. Chelyabinsk tied it on a Maxim Yakutsenya goal, passed from Kirill Koltsov. Dynamo won 2-1 in overtime with a Yegor Dugin goal, made possible by Maxim Karpov. The three stars were Yeryomenko (21 for 22 in saves), Dugin, and Nikulin.

East to Magnitogorsk, where Metallurg welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Ilya Samsonov are set to start in goal. Yaroslavl started in the first period with a Pavel Kraskovsky goal, assisted by Yegor Korshkov and Alexander Polunin. Magnitogorsk tied it in the second period on a Chris Lee power play goal, powered by Viktor Antipin and Jan Kovar. Metallurg took the lead on an Antipin goal, coming off of Lee and Sergei Mozyakin. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Antipin, Lee, and Samsonov (38 for 39 in saves).

Next up, Salavat Yulaev Ufa brings in Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Niklas Svedberg protect the nets. Ufa opened in the first period with an Alexander Loginov goal, via Anton Lazarev. Podolsk tied it in the third period with a Miro Aaltonen power play goal, powered by Mario Kempe and Roman Horak. Vityaz took the lead with a Horak power play goal, fueled by Kempe and Alexei Kopeikin. The final stayed at 2-1, with the three stars awarded to Horak, Sateri (44 for 45 in saves), and Kempe.

Continuing along, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Igor Ustinsky are between the pipes. Khabarovsk dented the scoreboard with a Maxim Kondratyev goal in the third period, helped along by Jan Kolar and Tomas Zohorna. Yekaterinburg tied it on a Dmitry Monya goal, assisted by Alexaner Torchenyuk and Nikita Shchitov. In the shootout, Amur saw tallies from Alexei Byvaltsev and Zohorna to win the game 2-1. The three stars went to Zohorna, Metsola (25 for 26 in saves), and Ustinsky (32 for 33 in saves).

South to Kazakhstan, where Barys Astana welcomes Kunlun Red Star Beijing. Andrei Makarov and Henrik Karlsson play goal. Astana led off in the first period with a Nikita Ivanov goal, passed from Yegor Shalapov and Dmitry Grents. Barys added on with a Cam Barker power play goal, powered by Nigel Dawes and Martin St. Pierre. Beijing got on the board with a Damien Fleury goal, courtesy of Yaroslav Alshevsky and Brett Bellemore in the second period. Astana replied with a Dawes goal in the third period, made possible by St. Pierre and Roman Savchenko. Barys extended the lead as Roman Starchenko scored, thanks to Ivan Kuchin. This produced the 4-1 final, with the three stars given to Dawes, Karlsson (42 for 43 in saves), and St. Pierre.

Finally, Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk brings in Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Alexander Sharychenkov receive the starting nods in goal. Vladivostok drew first blood in the third period on a Viktor Alexandrov goal, with a lone assist from Dmitry Lugin. This stood for a 1-0 Admiral win, with the three stars handed to Bobkov (25 save shutout), Alexandrov, and Sharychenkov (27 for 28 in saves).

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MLS Conference Finals - Leg 1

The penultimate round of the MLS playoffs commences with these two games, as the lower-ranked teams host first in their two-leg series. We begin in the east with...

The Montreal Impact hosting Toronto FC. Clint Irwin and Evan Bush are the gloved men. Montreal started in the tenth minute with a Dominic Oduro goal, via Patrice Bernier. The Impact added on with a Matteo Mancosu goal in the twelfth minute, courtesy of Ignacio Piatti and Oduro. Montreal extended the lead in the fifty-third minute with an Ambroise Oyongo goal, passed from Bernier. Toronto got on the board in the sixty-eighth minute on a Jozy Altidore goal, assisted by Sebastian Giovinco and Steven Beitashour. Toronto pulled closer with a Michael Bradley goal in the seventy-third minute, made possible by Tosaint Ricketts and Altidore. This made it 3-2, the final, with Bernier's two assists making him the man of the match.

In the West, the Seattle Sounders FC host the Colorado Rapids. Zac MacMath and Stefan Frei protect the nets. Colorado opened in the thirteenth minute with a Kevin Doyle goal, via Jermaine Jones. Seattle tied it in the nineteenth minute on a Jordan Morris goal. Marc Burch of the Rapids had a yellow card for a thirty-fourth minute foul. Colorado saw a yellow card go to Doyle for a foul in the fifty-eighth minute. The Sounders took the lead with a sixty-first minute penalty kick goal by Nicolas Lodeiro. The Rapids' Sam Cronin received a yellow card for his sixty-seventh minute foul. The final held at 2-1, with the man of the match being Lodeiro for his winner.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 41

Five games on tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Tuukka Rask man the nets. Boston started in the first period with a David Backes power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Torey Krug and David Krejci. St. Louis tied it with a Jori Lehtera goal in the second period, his second of the year, via Colton Parayko and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Bruins retook the lead with a shorthanded Dominic Moore goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Riley Nash. The Blues tied it on a Robert Bortuzzo goal, helped along by Patrik Berglund and Parayko. St. Louis pulled ahead with a Paul Stastny goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Jaden Schwartz and Nail Yakupov. The Blues iced it at 4-2 in the third period with a Lehtera empty net goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, assisted by David Perron and Berglund. The three stars went to Lehtera, Parayko, and Berglund.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Frederik Andersen are in the blue paint. Toronto led off in the first period with a Jake Gardiner goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Connor Carrick and Nazem Kadri. Carolina tied it on a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Derek Ryan and Lee Stempniak. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period on a Viktor Stalberg shorthanded goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Elias Lindholm. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Stalberg, Ward (25 for 26 in saves), and Skinner.

Along to Quebec, where the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Carey Price guard the cages. Montreal got going in the second period on a Shea Weber power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Andrei Markov. Ottawa tied it on a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Mark Stone and Erik Karlsson. The Canadiens retook the lead with an Alexander Radulov goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Alex Galchenyuk and Markov. The Senators retied it with a Derick Brassard goal, his third of the year, helped along by Hoffman and Stone. Montreal gained the lead again in the third period on a Galchenyuk power play goal, his eighth of the season, with helpers from Markov, who got a sock trick, and Weber. Ottawa again tied it on a Stone goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Hoffman and Brassard. The Senators took the lead with a Karlsson goal, his fourth of the campaign, with a lone assist from Zack Smith. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars belonging to Hoffman, Stone, and Markov, while Weber, Galchenyuk, Brassard, and Karlsson get the honorable mentions.

South to Florida, where the Panthers host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Roberto Luongo are the masked men. Philadelphia opened with an unassisted Wayne Simmonds goal, his tenth of the season. The Flyers added on with a Dale Weise power play goal in the second period, powered by Travis Konecny and Brayden Schenn. Philadelphia extended the lead in the third period as Nick Cousins scored his third of the year on the power play, with the help of Simmonds and Schenn. Florida got on the board with a Reilly Smith goal, his fourth of the campaign, helped along by Jonathan Marchessault and Keith Yandle. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Mason (38 for 39 in saves), Simmonds, and Schenn.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Jonathan Bernier are the backups in goal. Anaheim began in the first period with a Cam Fowler power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Ryan Getzlaf. New York tied it on an Adam Pelech goal, via Calvin de Haan and Josh Bailey. The Islanders took the lead with a Bailey power play goal, his third of the year, coming off of John Tavares and Nick Leddy. The Ducks tied it in the third period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his seventh of the campaign, guided in by Corey Perry and Fowler. The tie went to a shootout, where Rakell, Fowler, Ondrej Kase, and Shea Theodore got topped by Tavares, Ryan Strome, Nikolay Kulemin, Thomas Hickey, and Leddy for a 3-2 Islanders win. The three stars were Leddy, Bailey, and Fowler, while Tavares and Rakell earn honorable mentions.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 87

Six games on for today, beginning with...

Sibir Novosibirsk hosting Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Danny Taylor are the goalies. Kazan got going in the second period with a Jiri Sekac power play goal, powered by Justin Azevedo. Ak Bars added on with an Andrei Chibisov goal, passed from Ziyat Paigin. Alexei Krasikov replaced Taylor in goal for the third period. Novosibirsk got on the board in the third period with a Stepan Sannikov power play goal, assisted by Adam Polasek and Maxim Shalunov. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Garipov (27 for 28 in saves), Chibisov, and Sekac.

Over in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg welcomes Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ville Kolppanen and Andrei Kareyev play in goal. Nizhnekamsk started in the first period with a Gilbert Brule goal, assisted by Kirill Lyamin and Dan Sexton. Novokuznetsk tied it on an Evgeny Solovyov goal, guided in by Mark Skutar and Alexander Titov. Metallurg took the lead on an Evgeny Viksna power play goal, powered by Ivan Yemets and Kirill Semyonov. Ivan Lisutin replaced Kolppanen in goal. Neftekhimik tied it on a Pavel Poryadin power play goal, fueled by Pavel Kulikov and Gennady Stolyarov. Nizhnekamsk took the lead with a Sexton goal in the second period, via Richard Gynge. Neftekhimik added on with a Stolyarov goal, passed from Lyamin and Poryadin. Nizhnekamsk extended the lead in the third period as Nikita Kvartalnov scored, thanks to Alexander Bryntsev and Konstantin Makarov. Vladislav Podyapolsky replaced Kareyev in goal. Novokuznetsk got one back with an Ignat Zemchenko goal, helped along by Solovyov and Nikita Lyamkin. Metallurg pulled closer with an Andrei Pervyshin power play goal, with assists provided by Alexander Komaristy and Zemchenko. The game ended at 5-4, with the three stars going to Sexton, Stolyarov, and Poryadin, while Lyamin, Solovyov, and Zemchenko get the honorable mentions.

West to Omsk, where Avangard brings in Lada Togliatti. Edgars Masalskis and Dominik Furch are in the creases. Togliatti led off in the first period with a Denis Zernov goal, helped along by Dmitry Sinitsyn and Georgy Belousov. Omsk tied it on a Nikolai Lemtyugov goal, assisted by Evgeny Medvedev and Mikhail Yunkov. Avangard took the lead with an Alexander Perezhogin goal, via Maxim Pestushko. Omsk added on with an Anton Burdasov goal, passed from Alexander Kucheryavenko. Avangard extended the lead on an unassisted Ilya Mikheyev goal. Omsk padded the lead as Lemtyugov scored a power play goal, thanks to Pestushko and Medvedev in the second period. Lada got one back with a Nikita Filatov goal, courtesy of Taylor Aronson. Togliatti got closer in the third period with a Kristaps Sotnieks goal, coming off of Anton Krysanov. Avangard responded with a Perezhogin goal, with a lone assist by Vladimir Sobotka. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars given to Lemtyugov, Perezhogin, and Pestushko, while Medvedev gets an honorable mention.

Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk hosts Jokerit Helsinki. Ryan Zapolski and Ben Scrivens are the North Americans in goal. Helsinki opened with a Peter Regin goal in the first period, coming off of Brian O'Neill and Pekka Jormakka on the power play. Minsk tied it on an Alexander Materukhin power play goal, powered by Evgeny Kovyrshin and Matt Ellison. Jokerit retook the lead on a Charles Genoway goal, made possible by Arturs Kulda. Dinamo tied it in the third period on an Ellison power play goal with a lone assist from Kovyrshin. The tie went to a shootout, where O'Neill was overwhelmed by Andrei Stepanov and Materukhin as Dinamo won 3-2. The three stars were Ellison, Materukhin, and Kovyrshin.

Back in Russia, the Sochi Leopards welcome Slovan Bratislava. Barry Brust and Konstantin Barulin protect the nets. Sochi began in the first period with a Yegor Morozov power play goal, powered by Mikhail Mamkin and Evgeny Skachkov. The Leopards added on with an Ivan Zakharchuk goal, with a lone assist by Svyatoslav Grebenshchikov. Sochi extended the lead in the third period as Mamkin scored, thanks to Zakharchuk. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars being Barulin (24 save shutout), Zakharchuk, and Mamkin.

Finally, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod brings in Medvescak Zagreb. Michael Garnett and Ilya Proskuryakov man the nets. Nizhny Novgorod struck first in the first period with a Vladimir Galuzin goal, via Evgeny Grachyov. Torpedo added on with a Carter Ashton goal, courtesy of John Norman and Maxim Osipov in the second period. Nizhny Novgorod extended the lead as Norman scored in the third period, thanks to Kirill Rasskazov and Artyom Alyayev. Torpedo padded the lead with a Dmitry Semin goal, assisted by Kaspars Daugavins and Alexander Frolov. Nizhny Novgorod struck again with a Frolov power play goal, powered by Daugavins and Semin. The three stars of the 5-0 game were Norman, Semin, and Frolov, while Daugavins and Proskuryakov (27 save shutout) get the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 40

Seven games on for this strange week, which will defy the usual scheduling pattern. We begin with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott and Robin Lehner are in goal. Calgary led off in the first period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his third of the season, helped along by Michael Frolik and Matthew Tkachuk. Buffalo tied it on a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen in the second period. The Sabres took the lead with a Johan Larsson goal, his third of the campaign, via Evander Kane and Taylor Fedun on the power play. Buffalo added on with a Matt Moulson power play goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Okposo and Fedun. The Flames got one back with a Tkachuk goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, coming off of Dougie Hamilton and Mark Giordano. The Sabres replied with a Marcus Foligno goal, his fourth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Reinhart. The three stars of the 4-2 game were Okposo, Fedun, and Tkachuk, while Reinhart gets an honorable mention.

Down in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and Marc-Andre Fleury are in the creases. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Jake Guentzel goal, via Phil Kessel and Trevor Daley. The Penguins added on with a Guentzel goal, his second of the game, coming off of Evgeni Malkin. New York got on the board in the second period with an unassisted Rick Nash goal, his eighth of the season. The Rangers tied it with a Michael Grabner goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Ryan McDonagh. New York took the lead on a shorthanded goal by J.T. Miller, his eighth of the season, set up by Kevin Hayes. The Rangers extended the lead in the third period as Hayes scored his ninth of the year, thanks to McDonagh. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Derek Stepan empty net goal, his third of the campaign, with helpers from Nash and Grabner. The three stars went to Hayes, Grabner, and Nash, while Guentzel and McDonagh get the honorable mentions.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov faces a lesser foe in Curtis McElhinney in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Brandon Dubinsky and Brandon Saad. Colorado tied it in the second period on a Tyson Barrie goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Mikko Rantanen and Carl Soderberg. The Avalanche took the lead on an Erik Johnson goal, via Nathan MacKinnon and Fedor Tyutin. The Blue Jackets retied it in the third period on another Atkinson goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, made possible by Sam Gagner and Zach Werenski. Colorado won 3-2 in overtime with a Matt Duchene goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Johnson. The three stars were Johnson, Duchene, and Atkinson.

South to Nashville, where the Predators host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Nashville started in the first period with a Viktor Ardvidsson goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis. The Predators added on with a P.K. Subban power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Ellis and Mike Ribeiro in the second period. Nashville extended the lead as Subban scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, thanks to Filip Forsberg and Ellis, the latter earning a sock trick. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Tyler Johnson goal in the third period, his seventh of the year, helped along by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The game ended at 3-1, with the three stars awarded to Subban, Ellis, and Rinne (23 for 24 in saves).

In Texas, the Dallas Stars bring in the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Antti Niemi are masked men. Dallas got going in the second period with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, via Patrick Eaves and Jason Spezza. Minnesota tied it on a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu. The Stars took the lead back in the third period on a Brett Ritchie goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Julius Honka and Radek Faksa. The Wild retied it with an Erik Haula goal, his second of the season, guided in by Niederreiter and Jason Pominville. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime on a Jamie Benn goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Tyler Seguin and Jordie Benn. The three stars were Jamie Benn, Niederreiter, and Niemi (27 for 29 in saves).

In Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Cam Talbot man the nets. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with an Oscar Klefbom goal, his third of the season, made possible by Connor McDavid and Matthew Benning. The Oilers added on with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Klefbom and McDavid. Edmonton extended the lead in the second period as Andrej Sekera scored his second of the season, with the help of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Drake Caggiula. The Oilers padded the lead in the third period on an Anton Slepyshev goal, his second of the year, passed from Jesse Puljujarvi. Edmonton iced it at 5-0 with a Draisaitl power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, assisted by Milan Lucic and Jordan Eberle. The three stars went to Draisaitl, Klefbom, and McDavid, while Talbot (31 save shutout) gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Martin Jones play goal. San Jose struck first in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Chris Tierney goal. The Sharks added on with a Patrick Marleau goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Joe Pavelski and Paul Martin. San Jose extended the lead in the second period as Logan Couture scored his fifth of the year on the power play, with the help of Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. The Sharks padded the lead with a Burns goal in the third period, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The final stood at 4-0, with Burns, Jones (26 save shutout), and Tierney getting the three stars.

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