Sunday, November 27, 2016

NHL 2016/17 - Day 46

Just six games on today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Boston got going in the second period with a Dominic Moore goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Colin Miller and Ryan Spooner. The Bruins added on with a David Backes power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Patrice Bergeron and Torey Krug. Boston extended the lead as Jimmy Hayes scored, thanks to David Krejci and Tim Schaller. The Bruins padded the lead on a David Pastrnak goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Krug and Brad Marchand. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Victor Hedman goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Nikita Nesterov and Brayden Point. The final was 4-1, with the three stars going to Rask (30 for 31 in saves), Krug, and Backes.

Northwest to Winnipeg, where the Jets welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Drew Stafford goal, made possible by Jacob Trouba and Ben Chiarot. The Jets added on with a Mark Scheifele empty net goal, his twelfth of the season, set up by Blake Wheeler and Trouba. Winnipeg extended the lead as Adam Lowry scored his sixth of the year, going unassisted into the empty net. The three stars of the 3-0 game were Hellebuyck (42 save shutout), Trouba, and Stafford.

Over in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Cam Talbot are in the creases. Arizona led off in the first period with a Radim Vrbata goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Edmonton tied it in the third period on a Milan Lucic goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Coyotes took the lead back with a Jamie McGinn goal, his fourth of the campaign, helped along by Anthony Duclair and Christian Dvorak. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Smith (41 for 42 in saves), McGinn, and Vrbata.

Back east, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Michael Leighton are the backups in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Jaromir Jagr and Aleksander Barkov on the power play. The Panthers added on with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Barkov. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Viktor Stalberg goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Matt Tennyson and Andrej Nestrasil. The Hurricanes tied it on a Jeff Skinner goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Victor Rask and the goalie Leighton. Carolina took the lead with a Derek Ryan power play goal, powered by Skinner. This produced the eventual 3-2 final, with the three stars going to Skinner, Barkov, and Leighton (31 for 33 in saves).

Up in New York, the Rangers welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Antti Raanta are the goalies. Ottawa opened in the second period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his third of the season, coming off of Tom Pyatt and Zack Smith. The Senators added on with a Mark Stone power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Mike Hoffman. This made it 2-0, the eventual final, with the three stars belonging to Anderson (33 save shutout), Pageau, and Stone.

Finally, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Calgary Flames. Chad Johnson and Anthony Stolarz occupy the blue paint. Calgary started in the first period with a shorthanded T.J. Brodie goal, set up by Mikael Backlund and Sam Bennett. Philadelphia tied it on a Michael Raffl goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Jakub Voracek and Andrew MacDonald. The Flyers took the lead in the second period on a Voracek power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds. Philadelphia added on with a Chris VandeVelde goal, his fourth of the season, via Roman Lyubimov. The Flyers extended the lead as Simmonds scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Nick Cousins. The Flames got one back in the third period on a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Dougie Hamilton and Mark Giordano. Philadelphia shot back on a Lyubimov goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Michael Del Zotto and VandeVelde. Calgary replied with a shorthanded Alex Chiasson goal, his fourth of the campaign, made possible by Hamilton and Brodie. The final stood at 5-3, with the three stars going to Lyubimov, VandeVelde, and Simmonds, while Voracek, Brodie, and Hamilton get the honorable mentions.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 92

Just four games today, beginning with...

Barys Astana hosting Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Henrik Karlsson man the nets. Astana started in the first period with a Nigel Dawes power play goal, powered by Martin St. Pierre. Khabarovsk tied it in the third period with a Teemu Ramstedt goal, passed from Maxim Kondratyev and Kristian Kuusela. Barys won 2-1 in overtime on a Vladimir Markelov goal, assisted by Maxim Khudyakov and Alexander Lipin. The three stars were Markelov, Karlsson (30 for 31 in saves), and Dawes.

Up in Russia, Traktor Chelyabinsk welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Vasily Demchenko guard the cages. Chelyabinsk got going with an unassisted Derek Roy power play goal in the second period. Traktor added on with an Alexander Chernikov goal, guided in by Dmitry Pestunov and Konstantin Klimontov. Podolsk got on the board with a Maxim Afinogenov goal, fueled by Alexander Nikulin and Stanislav Romanov. Vityaz tied it on an Afinogenov goal, his second of the game, via Nikulin and Alexei Makeyev. Chelyabinsk retook the lead on an Alexei Kruchinin goal, with a lone assist by Pestunov. This produced the eventual 3-2 final, with the three stars being Afinogenov, Pestunov, and Nikulin.

East to Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev brings in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Andrei Gavrilov are in the creases. Yaroslavl dented the scoreboard with a Petri Kontiola goal in the second period, helped along by Maxime Talbot and Brandon Kozun. Lokomotiv added on with a Kozun goal, coming off of Kontiola and Talbot. Ufa got on the board with a Denis Parshin goal, passed from Teemu Hartikainen. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Kozun, Kontiola, and Talbot.

Finally, Severstal Cherepovets hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Igor Shestyorkin and Jakub Kovar are the masked men. St. Petersburg opened in the first period with a Yegor Yakovlev goal, assisted by Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk on the power play. SKA added on with a Jarno Koskiranta goal, courtesy of Alexander Barabanov and Sergei Shirokov. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Shirokov scored a power play goal, with the help of Datsyuk and Yakovlev. Roman Smiryagin replaced Kovar in goal. Cherepovets got on the board with a Maxim Trunyov goal, helped along by Daniil Vovchenko and Yury Trubachyov. Severstal got closer with an Evgeny Mons goal in the second period, going in unassisted. SKA replied with a Vadim Shipachyov goal in the third period, made possible by Nikita Gusev and Evgeny Dadonov. Cherepovets chipped back on a Trubachyov goal, coming off of Vovchenko and Trunyov. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Shirokov, Yakovlev, and Datsyuk, while Trubachyov, Trunyov, and Vovchenko receive the honorable mentions.

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Saturday, November 26, 2016

NHL 2016/17 - Day 45

Nine games fill the schedule tonight. We begin with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Petr Mrazek guard the cages. Detroit dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Frans Nielsen and Luke Glendening. Montreal tied it on a Brendan Gallagher goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Tomas Plekanec and Greg Pateryn. The Canadiens won 2-1 in overtime on an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his ninth of the campaign, assisted by Alexander Radulov and Shea Weber. The three stars went to Price (32 for 33 in saves), Galchenyuk, and Gallagher.

Over in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Craig Anderson are the veteran goalies. Carolina led off in the first period with a Jordan Staal goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Sebastian Aho and Jeff Skinner. Ottawa tied it on a Dion Phaneuf goal, his second of the year, via Ryan Dzingel in the second period. The Senators took the lead in the third period with a Kyle Turris goal, his tenth of the campaign, helped along by Bobby Ryan and Erik Karlsson. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars went to Anderson (32 for 33 in saves), Turris, and Phaneuf.

Down in Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Matt Murray are the alliterative goalies. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Michael Cammalleri goal, his sixth of the season, via Kyle Palmieri. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Evgeni Malkin and Trevor Daley. The Penguins took the lead on a Tom Kuhnhackl goal, passed from Malkin and Steve Oleksy. The Devils retied it on a shorthanded and unassisted Vernon Fiddler goal. New Jersey regained the lead with a Cammalleri power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, powered by Pavel Zacha and John Moore. Pittsburgh tied it in the third period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Bryan Rust and Malkin, the latter earning a sock trick. The Penguins won 4-3 in the shootout on a lone tally from Kris Letang. The three stars were Malkin, Cammalleri, and Murray (46 for 49 in saves).

Back in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Frederik Andersen are in the blue paint. Toronto started in the first period with a Matt Martin goal, his second of the season, made possible by Mitchell Marner and Tyler Bozak. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Nikita Soshnikov and Marner. Toronto extended the lead in the third period as Auston Matthews scored his ninth of the season, with the help of Matt Hunwick and Zach Hyman. Washington got on the board with an unassisted Nicklas Backstrom goal, his sixth of the year. The Maple Leafs shot back on a Nazem Kadri goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Leo Komarov and Morgan Rielly. The Capitals replied with a Marcus Johansson goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars going to Matthews, Marner, and Backstrom.

Way south to Florida, where the Panthers welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Roberto Luongo man the nets. Florida began in the first period with a Jaromir Jagr goal, his third of the season, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Shawn Thornton. Columbus tied it in the third period with a Brandon Saad goal, his sixth of the year, via Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky. The tie went to a shootout, where the Panthers won 2-1 on Barkov's lone tally. The three stars went to Barkov, Luongo (36 for 37 in saves), and Jagr.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Jake Allen tend the twines. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Mikko Koivu goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jason Zucker. St. Louis tied it on a Paul Stastny goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, courtesy of David Perron. The Wild took the lead back with an Erik Haula goal, his third of the campaign, made possible by Jason Pominville and Nino Niederreiter. The Blues retied it in the third period on a Jaden Schwartz goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Perron and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis took the lead with a Schwartz power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, powered by Colton Parayko and Pietrangelo. Minnesota tied it as Charlie Coyle scored his eighth of the campaign, thanks to Eric Staal and Koivu. The tie went to a shootout, where Perron's lone tally won it 4-3 for the Blues. The three stars went to Schwartz, Perron, and Koivu, while Pietrangelo received an honorable mention.

West to Denver, as the Colorado Avalanche host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Calvin Pickard are the backups in goal. Vancouver was first to score in the first period with a Loui Eriksson power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Markus Granlund and Ben Hutton. Colorado tied it in the second period on a Mikhail Grigorenko goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Matt Duchene and Carl Soderberg. The Canucks retook the lead with an Alexandre Burrows goal in the third period, his fourth of the season, coming off of Bo Horvat. The Avalanche retied it with a Jarome Iginla goal, his third of the year, helped along by Fedor Tyutin and Blake Comeau. Vancouver won 3-2 in the shootout with a Granlund goal. The three stars were Granlund, Burrows, and Eriksson.

Southwest to Los Angeles, as the Kings welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Peter Budaj received the starting nods in goal. Chicago opened in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Duncan Keith and Artemi Panarin. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with an Alec Martinez goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Jeff Carter and Jake Muzzin. The Kings won 2-1 in overtime with a Carter goal, his tenth of the campaign, fueled by Tyler Toffoli and Drew Doughty. The three stars were awarded to Carter, Budaj (18 for 19 in saves), and Martinez.

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks bring in Californian rivals in the Anaheim Ducks. Jonathan Bernier and Martin Jones are between the pipes. San Jose led off in the first period with a Logan Couture power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski. Anaheim tied it on a Ryan Garbutt goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The Ducks took the lead with a Rickard Rakell goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. The Sharks retied it in the second period with a Dylan DeMelo goal, via Kevin Labanc and David Schlemko. Anaheim retook the lead on a Getzlaf power play goal, his second of the year, assisted by Ryan Kesler and Perry. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Getzlaf, Perry, and Rakell.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 91

Eight games on today, beginning with...

Sibir Novosibirsk hosting Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ville Kolppanen and Alexei Krasikov are set to start in goal. Novosibirsk led off in the first period with a Maxim Shalunov goal, made possible by Sergei Shumakov. Nizhnekamsk tied it on a Sergei Konkov goal, passed from Alexander Bryntsev and Bogdan Yakimov. Neftekhimik took the lead with an unassisted Pavel Kulikov goal in the second period. Nizhnekamsk added on with a Gilbert Brule goal, helped along by Kirill Lyamin and Richard Gynge. Neftekhimik extended the lead in the third period on a power play goal by Igor Polygalov, powered by Gennady Stolyarov and Andrei Sergeyev. Nizhnekamsk padded the lead as Lyamin scored, thanks to Brule and Dan Sexton. Sibir got one back with a Stepan Sannikov power play goal, with assists provided by Shalunov and Adam Polasek. Neftekhimik iced it at 6-2 with a Stolyarov power play goal, coming off of Bryntsev and Ivan Lekomtsev. The three stars were Lyamin, Stolyarov, and Shalunov, while Brule and Bryntsev get the honorable mentions.

Nearby, Metallurg Novokuznetsk welcomes Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Andrei Kareyev are in the creases. Novokuznetsk got going in the second period on an unassisted Evgeny Solovyov goal. Metallurg added on with an Andrei Pervyshin goal, courtesy of Solovyov and Ignat Zemchenko. Togliatti got on the board with a Stanislav Bocharov goal, via Georgy Belousov and Viktor Komarov on the power play. Novokuznetsk replied as Artyom Mikheyev scored, with the help of Ivan Yemets and Denis Vikharev. Lada shot back with a Maxim Rybin power play goal in the third period, powered by Belousov. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars going to Solovyov, Mikheyev, and Belousov.

Along to Omsk, where Avangard hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Dominik Furch guard the cages. Omsk began in the first period with a David Booth goal, assisted by Pyotr Khokhryakov. Kazan tied it in the second period on a Stepan Zakharchuk goal, made possible by Dmitry Obukhov. Ak Bars took the lead on a Fyodor Malykhin power play goal, powered by Stefan Elliott and Obukhov. Avangard tied it on a Valentin Pyanov goal, guided in by Evgeny Medvedev. Kazan won 3-2 in overtime on an Albert Yarullin goal, fueled by Artyom Lukoyanov and Vladimir Tkachyov. The three stars were Obukhov, Yarullin, and Malykhin.

In Yekaterinburg, Avtomobilist brings in Kunlun Red Star Beijing. Andrei Makarov and Vladimir Sokhatsky are between the pipes. Yekaterinburg dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Artyom Gareyev power play goal, powered by Alexei Mikhnov and Alexei Vasilevsky. Avtomobilist added on with a Rok Ticar goal, courtesy of Evgeny Chesalin and Konstantin Volkov. Beijing got on the board with a Janne Jalasvaara goal in the third period, helped along by Chad Rau and Sean Collins. Yekaterinburg shot back with a Gareyev goal, passed from Mikhnov and Petr Koukal. Avtomobilist extended the lead as Gareyev completed his hat trick with an unassisted goal. Kunlun Red Star shot back on a Collins goal, going in unassisted. Beijing got closer with a Martin Bakos goal, assisted by Brett Bellemore. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to Gareyev, Collins, and Mikhnov.

In Moscow, Spartak hosts Slovan Bratislava. Justin Pogge and Nikita Bespalov are in goal. Bratislava opened in the first period with a Kyle Chipchura goal, made possible by Tomas Zigo and Tomas Starosta. Moscow tied it on a Dmitry Kalinin power play goal in the second period, powered by Lukas Radil and Matthew Gilroy. Spartak took the lead in the second period with a Viktor Bobrov goal, coming off of Sergei Shmelyov and Gilroy. Moscow added on with a Radil goal, helped along by Vyacheslav Leshchenko and Ryan Stoa. Slovan pulled back on a Radek Smolenak goal, via Ziga Jeglic and Zigo. Spartak replied with an Alexander Vasilyev goal, going in unassisted. This produced the 4-2 final, with the three stars going to Radil, Gilroy, and Zigo.

Back east, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod welcomes Dinamo Minsk. Ben Scrivens and Ilya Proskuryakov tend the twines. Minsk started in the first period with a Nikita Komarov goal, passed from Ilya Shinkevich. Dinamo added on with an Alexander Kulakov power play goal, powered by Evgeny Lisovets and Komarov. Ivan Kasutin replaced Proskuryakov in goal. Minsk extended the lead as Alexander Materukhin scored a power play goal, thanks to Rob Klinkhammer and Evgeny Kovyrshin. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board with an Artyom Alyayev goal, made possible by Kirill Rasskazov and Alexander Frolov. Dinamo shot back with a Dmitry Ambrozheichik goal, assisted by Kirill Gotovets and Kulakov. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Kulakov, Komarov, and Scrivens (28 for 29 in saves).

Down in Sochi, the Leopards host Medvescak Zagreb. Drew MacIntyre and Konstantin Barulin protect the nets. Zagreb drew first blood in the third period on a Bobby Butler goal, via Francis Pare and Alexandre Bolduc. The final stood at 1-0 for Mesvescak, with the three stars handed to MacIntyre (39 save shutout), Butler, and Barulin (23 for 24 in saves).

Finally, Dinamo Riga brings in Jokerit Helsinki. Riku Helenius and Jakub Sedlacek man the nets. Helsinki cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Peter Regin goal, guided in by Jesper Jensen. Riga tied it in the third period on an unassisted Miks Indrasis goal. Jokerit retook the lead on a Regin goal, his second of the game, coming off of Charles Genoway and Tommi Huhtala. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Regin, Helenius (19 for 20 in saves), and Indrasis.

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Friday, November 25, 2016

NHL 2016/17 - Day 44

It's eleven games for everyone to work off their turkey hangovers today. Six of them are matinees, beginning with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Steve Mason are the veteran goalies. New York led off in the first period with a Derek Stepan goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by J.T. Miller. The Rangers added on with a Matt Puempel goal, coming off of Jimmy Vesey and Josh Jooris. New York extended the lead in the second period as Jimmy Hayes scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Nick Holden. Philadelphia got on the board in the third period with a Chris VandeVelde goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Andrew MacDonald. The Flyers got closer on a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds.

Westward to San Jose, where the Sharks welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Aaron Dell are the backups in goal. New York began in the first period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Josh Bailey and Nick Leddy. San Jose tied it in the second period on a Joe Pavelski goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Chris Tierney and Matt Nieto. The Sharks took the lead on a Brent Burns goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Kevin Labanc and Paul Martin. The Islanders retied it on a Leddy goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of John Tavares and Brock Nelson in the third period. San Jose retook the lead on a Patrick Marleau goal, his sixth of the campaign, made possible by Burns and Martin. The score held at 3-2, with the three stars given to Burns, Martin, and Leddy.

Staying in the state, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and John Gibson guard the cages. Chicago started in the first period with an Artem Anisimov goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Patrick Kane and Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks added on in the second period with a Kane power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Seabrook and Artemi Panarin. Chicago extended the lead as Ryan Hartman scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Marcus Kruger. Anaheim got on the board with a Nick Ritchie goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Ondrej Kase and Sami Vatanen. The Ducks got closer in the third period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Ryan Kesler and Andrew Cogliano. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Kane, Seabrook, and Hartman.

Back east, the Minnesota Wild host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Devan Dubnyk are the goalies. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Zach Parise. The Wild added on with a Jonas Brodin power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Mikko Koivu and Matt Dumba. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Phil Kessel goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel. Minnesota replied with Coyle's second of the game and seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Wild extended the lead in the second period as Parise scored his fourth of the season on the power play, with the help of Eric Staal. Minnesota padded the lead with a Mikael Granlund goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Brodin. The Penguins got one back on a Bryan Rust goal in the third period, his third of the season, coming off of Scott Wilson and Nick Bonino. The Wild replied with a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists from Granlund and Brodin. The final held at 6-2, with the three stars going to Brodin, Coyle, and Parise, while Granlund gets an honorable mention.

Further east, the Washington Capitals welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Anders Nilsson and Philipp Grubauer are the lesser-known goalies. Washington struck first in the first period with a Daniel Winnik goal, his third of the season, via Brett Connolly and Lars Eller. The Capitals added on in the second period with a Marcus Johansson goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Justin Williams. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Kyle Okposo and Cody Franson. Washington replied with a Connolly power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Alex Ovechkin and Andre Burakovsky. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars going to Connolly, Grubauer (32 for 33 in saves), and Johansson.

Southwest to Nashville, where the Predators bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Pekka Rinne protect the nets. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period on a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his second of the season, via Nikolaj Ehlers and Drew Stafford. Nashville tied it in the second period on a Colin Wilson goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Mike Fisher. The Predators took the lead with a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Fisher. Nashville added on with a James Neal power play goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Johansen and Roman Josi. The Predators extended the lead in the third period as Wilson scored his second of the game and fourth of the season on the power play, with the help of Fisher and Josi, the former receiving a sock trick. Nashville padded the lead on a Johansen goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, helped along by Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Johansen, Wilson, and Fisher, while Josi gets an honorable mention.

Northeast to Boston, as the Bruins host the Calgary Flames. Chad Johnson and Anton Khudobin are in the blue paint. Calgary opened in the first period with a Sam Bennett goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Matt Stajan and T.J. Brodie. Boston tied it in the third period on a David Pastrnak goal, his twelfth of the year, via Tim Schaller and John-Michael Liles. The Flames retook the lead with an Alex Chiasson goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Bennett and Mark Giordano. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Bennett, Johnson (35 for 36 in saves), and Chiasson.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Cory Schneider guard the cages. New Jersey started in the first period with a John Moore goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri. Detroit tied it on a shorthanded Frans Nielsen goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Justin Abdelkader. The Red Wings took the lead on another Nielsen goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, coming off of Riley Sheahan and Abdelkader. The Devils tied it in the second period on a Michael Cammalleri goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Zajac. New Jersey pulled ahead with a Pavel Zacha power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Beau Bennett and Cammalleri. Detroit tied it again on a Dylan Larkin goal, his sixth of the campaign, fueled by Gsutav Nyquist and Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings regained the lead on an Anthony Mantha goal in the third period, his second of the season, guided in by Zetterberg. Mrazek had to come out of the game, and Jimmy Howard replaced him. The Devils tied it with an Adam Henrique goal, his fourth of the year, via Kyle Quincey and Moore. Detroit won 5-4 in overtime with a Mike Green goal, his fourth of the campaign, helped along by Nielsen and Mantha. The three stars were awarded to Nielsen, Mantha, and Camalleri, while Abdelkader, Zetterberg, and Zajac get the honorable mentions.

South to Florida, where the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Ben Bishop are the starting goalies. Columbus led off in the first period with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Brandon Saad and Jack Johnson. The Blue Jackets added on with a Nick Foligno power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Cam Atkinson and Zach Werenski. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat. Columbus fired back with a Josh Anderson goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Scott Hartnell. The Lightning answered on a Jason Garrison goal, fueled by Valtteri Filppula and Luke Witkowski. Tampa Bay tied it in the third period with a Palat goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Blue Jackets retook the lead on a Saad goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Wennberg. Columbus iced it at 5-3 with a shorthanded and unassisted Atkinson goal, his eighth of the campaign. The three stars went to Saad, Atkinson, and Wennberg, while Kucherov and Palat get the honorable mentions.

In Texas, the Dallas Stars host the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Antti Niemi play goal. Vancouver began in the first period with a Jayson Megna goal, assisted by Bo Horvat. Dallas tied it in the second period on a Radek Faksa goal, his second of the season, made possible by Esa Lindell and Brett Ritchie. The Stars took the lead on a Lindell goal, coming off of Jamie Benn and John Klingberg. This produced the 2-1 final, with the three stars given to Lindell, Niemi (30 for 31 in saves), and Faksa.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Mike Smith are between the pipes. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Jesse Puljijarvi and Milan Lucic. The Oilers added on with an Adam Larsson goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Oscar Klefbom and Jordan Eberle. Arizona got on the board with a Max Domi goal, his third of the season, passed from Radim Vrbata and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes tied it on a Shane Doan goal, his second of the year, fueled by Anthony DeAngelo and Tobias Rieder. In the shootout, Vrbata and Ekman-Larsson's goals beat Mark Letestu as the Coyotes took the win 3-2. The three stars were Ekman-Larsson, Vrbata, and Doan.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 90

Six games for today on a busy overall hockey day. We begin with...

Traktor Chelyabinsk hosting Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Vasily Demchenko are the masked men. Chelyabinsk started in the first period with a Dmitry Pestunov power play goal, powered by Paul Szczechura. Traktor added on with another Pestunov goal in the second period, helped along by Derek Roy. Traktor extended the lead with an unassisted Yury Petrov goal in the third period. Yaroslavl got on the board with a Yegor Korshkov goal, passed from Pavel Kraskovsky. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Demchenko (48 for 49 in saves), Pestunov, and Petrov.

East to Magnitogorsk, where Metallurg welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Igor Saprykin and Ilya Samsonov are the goalies. Podolsk opened in the first period on an Alexei Makeyev goal, courtesy of Maxim Afinogenov. Magnitogorsk retied it on a Chris Lee goal, via Danis Zaripov and Alexei Bereglazov. Metallurg took the lead in the second period with a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal, powered by Jan Kovar. Vityaz retied it with a Roman Horak goal, coming off of Artyom Chernov and Igor Golovkov. Podolsk pulled ahead with an Alexander Nikulin goal, passed from Makeyev. Vityaz added on with an Afinogenov power play goal, with a lone assist by Nikulin. Magnitogorsk answered with a Kovar power play goal, made possible by Zaripov. Metallurg tied it on a Zaripov goal, with a lone helper from Viktor Antipin. Magnitogorsk took the lead on a Mozyakin goal, his second of the game, guided in by Evgeny Biryukov. The three stars in the 5-4 win were Mozyakin, Zaripov, and Kovar, while Afinogenov, Makeyev, and Nikulin get the honorable mentions.

Along to Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Andrei Gavrilov are in the creases. Moscow led off in the first period with a Martins Karsums goal, fueled by Mat Robinson and Alexei Tsvetkov. Ufa tied it in the second period on a Sami Lepisto goal, guided in by Teemu Hartikainen. Salavat Yulaev took the lead with a Maxim Mayorov goal in the third period, assisted by Hartikainen and Dmitry Makarov. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Mayorov, Hartikainen, and Gavrilov (24 for 25 in saves).

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana hosts Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Henrik Karlsson are set to start in goal. Astana began in the first period with a Cam Barker goal, via Kevin Dallman and Brandon Bochenski. Vladivostok tied it on a James Wright goal, passed from Robert Sabolic. Admiral took the lead in the second period with a Maxim Kazakov goal, assisted by Pavel Makarenko. Vladivostok added on with a Wright power play goal, his second of the game, powered by Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev and Sabolic. Admiral extended the lead as Makarenko scored, thanks to Sergei Barbashev. Kevin Poulin replaced Karlsson in goal. The game closed at 4-1, with the three stars going to Wright, Makarenko, and Sabolic.

Back in Russia, Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk welcomes Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Alexander Sharychenkov are in the blue paint. Khabarovsk got going in the second period on a Tomas Zohorna goal, passed from Teemu Ramstedt. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it on a Konstantin Panov goal, guided in by Evgeny Lapenkov and Yakov Seleznyov. Amur retook the lead in the third period with an unassisted Nikita Kamalov goal. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Metsola (26 for 27 in saves), Kamalov, and Zohorna.

Finally, Severstal Cherepovets brings in CSKA Moscow. Ilya Sorokin and Jakub Kovar tend the twines. Moscow dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Vyacheslav Osnovin goal, courtesy of Artyom Sergeyev and Kirill Petrov. CSKA added on in the third period with another Osnovin goal, made possible by Maxim Mamin. The final held at 2-0, with the three stars given to Osnovin, Sorokin (18 save shutout), and Kovar (35 for 37 in saves).

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Thursday, November 24, 2016

NHL 2016/17 - Day 43

Just two games today as the United States celebrates Thanksgiving. We begin in...

Montreal, with the Canadiens hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Carey Price man the nets. Carolina started in the first period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his second of the season, passed from Victor Rask and Brett Pesce. Montreal tied it on an Andrew Shaw goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Charles Hudon and David Desharnais. The Canadiens took the lead in the third period on a Max Pacioretty goal, his fifth of the campaign, courtesy of Tomas Plekanec and Brendan Gallagher. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Price (31 for 32 in saves), Pacioretty, and Shaw.

The other game has the Ottawa Senators hosting the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Craig Anderson are the masked men. Boston opened in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Matt Beleskey and Brad Marchand. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Mark Stone goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Mike Hoffman and Dion Phaneuf. The Senators took the lead in the third period with an unassisted goal by Chris Wideman. Ottawa added on with a Kyle Turris goal, his ninth of the campaign, made possible by Bobby Ryan. The game ended at 3-1, with the three stars being Wideman, Turris, and Anderson (19 for 20 in saves).

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