NHL 2016/17 - Day 53

Seven games on today, beginning with four matinees. The first game is in...

Los Angeles, as the Kings host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Peter Budaj are set to start in goal. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Andrei Markov and Alexander Radulov. Los Angeles tied it in the second period on a Jeff Carter power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. The Kings took the lead on a Nick Shore goal, helped along by Kyle Clifford and Jordan Nolan. The Canadiens retied it on another Pacioretty goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, coming on the power play from Radulov and David Desharnais. Los Angeles retook the lead on a Doughty power play goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Carter and Kopitar. Montreal pulled even with a Radulov power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher. The Kings pulled ahead again on a Trevor Lewis goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Kopitar, who earned a sock trick, and Derek Forbort. The Canadiens tied it in the third period with an Andrew Shaw goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Desharnais and Greg Pateryn. The tie went to a shootout, where Brian Flynn, Radulov, and Paul Byron gave Montreal the 5-4 win over Carter and Kopitar. The three stars were Radulov, Pacioretty, and Kopitar, while Carter, Doughty, and Desharnais get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Cam Ward draw the starts in goal. Carolina won 1-0 in overtime with a Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, via Viktor Stalberg and Ron Hainsey. The three stars went to Ward (30 save shutout), Di Giuseppe, and Bishop (29 for 30 in saves).

Up in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Jaroslav Halak are the reliable goalies. New York led off in the first period with an Anders Lee goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas. Detroit tied it on a Mike Green goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Frans Nielsen. The Red Wings took the lead with another Green goal in the second period, his sixth of the season, assisted by Thomas Vanek. The Islanders retied it with a Johnny Boychuk goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted in the third period. Detroit regained the lead on a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Jonathan Ericsson and Tomas Tatar. New York tied it again with a Josh Bailey goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by John Tavares and Dennis Seidenberg. The Red Wings won 4-3 in overtime with a Danny DeKeyser goal, his second of the campaign, guided in by Tatar and Zetterberg. The three stars were Green, Zetterberg, and Tatar.

Down to Nashville, where the Predators host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason faces a lesser foe in Juuse Saros in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Jakub Voracek and Brayden Schenn. Nashville tied it on a Calle Jarnkrok goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, coming off of Mattias Ekholm and Austin Watson. The Flyers retook the lead on a Simmonds power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Claude Giroux and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Predators tied it again with a Colin Wilson goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Mike Fisher and Craig Smith. Philadelphia pulled ahead on a Michael Raffl goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Andrew MacDonald. The Flyers iced it at 4-2 with a Chris VandeVelde empty net goal in the third period, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Michael Del Zotto. The three stars were Simmonds, Raffl, and Mason (30 for 32 in saves).

Northwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome  the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Scott Darling are in the blue paint. Winnipeg got going in the second period on a Bryan Little power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Dustin Byfuglien and Blake Wheeler. Chicago tied it on an Artemi Panarin goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Patrick Kane in the third period. The Jets regained the lead with an Andrew Copp goal, his third of the campaign, coming off of Marko Dano and Paul Postma. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Copp, Hellebuyck (25 for 26 in saves), and Little.

Into Canada, with the Calgary Flames bringing in the Anaheim Ducks. Jonathan Bernier and Chad Johnson are the backups in goal. Calgary started in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Sam Bennett and Alex Chiasson. Anaheim tied it in the second period on a Ryan Kesler goal, his tenth of the year, via Jakob Silfverberg and Andrew Cogliano. The Flames took the lead with a Troy Brouwer power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Sean Monahan and Kris Versteeg. Calgary added on with a Chiasson goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Bennett and Gaudreau. The Flames extended the lead as Matt Stajan scored his third of the season, thanks to Dennis Wideman and Garnet Hathaway. Calgary padded the lead on a Bennett power play goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Mikael Backlund and Chiasson. The Flames continued with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Stajan and Hathaway. Calgary kept going in the third period with a Monahan goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Versteeg and Matthew Tkachuk. The Flames struck again as Mark Giordano scored his second of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Brouwer and Stajan. The Ducks got one back with a Kesler power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, guided in by Ryan Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. Anaheim got closer with an unassisted Logan Shaw. The final stood at 8-3, with the three stars being Chiasson, Stajan, and Bennett, while Kesler, Brouwer, Gaudreau, Monahan, Versteeg, and Hathaway get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Jonas Gustavsson receive the starts in goal. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Patrick Maroon goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Mark Fayne and Zack Kassian. Minnesota tied it on a Charlie Coyle goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Nino Niederreiter and Eric Staal. The Wild won 2-1 in overtime with a Mikko Koivu goal, his sixth of the campaign, passed from Coyle and Matt Dumba. The three stars were Coyle, Dubnyk (28 for 29 in saves), and Koivu.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 99

Six games on for today, beginning with...

Jokerit Helsinki hosting Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg and Ryan Zapolski are set to start in goal. Helsinki opened in the first period with an Antti Pihlstrom power play goal, powered by Ville Lajunen and Topi Jaakola. Ufa tied it on a Kirill Kaprizov goal in the second period, helped along by Linus Omark. The tie went to a shootout, where Joey Hishon and Sakari Salminen tallied goals for a 2-1 Jokerit win. The three stars went to Salminen, Zapolski (27 for 28 in saves), and Svedberg (30 for 31 in saves).

Down in Russia, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl welcomes Barys Astana. Henrik Karlsson and Alexander Sudnitsin draw the starts. Yaroslavl started in the first period with a Brandon Kozun goal, passed from Maxime Talbot and Petri Kontiola. Lokomotiv added on with a Talbot power play goal, powered by Pavel Koledov and Kozun. Yaroslavl extended the lead as Koledov scored, thanks to Artyom Ilyenko and Vladislav Kartayev. Kevin Poulin replaced Karlsson in goal. Lokomotiv padded the lead on a Kartayev goal, assisted by Ilyenko and Alexander Kadeikin. Astana got on the board with an Ivan Kuchin goal in the second period, guided in by Evgeny Rymarev. Yarosavl shot back on an unassisted Kozun goal, his second of the game. Lokomotiv continued in the third period as Kozun finished his hat trick, with the help of Mikhail Pashnin and Pavel Kraskovsky. Yaroslavl iced it at 7-1 with an Andrei Loktionov goal, courtesy of Pashnin. The three stars were Kozun, Talbot, and Kartayev, while Koledov, Pashnin, and Ilyenko get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Podolsk, where Vityaz brings in Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Alexander Sharychenkov and Igor Saprykin man the nets. Khanty-Mansiysk led off in the first period with a Pavel Varfolomeyev goal, coming off of Anton Korolyov and Denis Gorbunov. Podolsk tied it in the second period with a Roman Horak goal, made possible by Jakub Jerabek. Ugra took the lead in the third period on an unassisted Kirill Belyayev goal. Vityaz tied it again with an Alexei Kopeikin goal, passed from Miro Aaltonen. Khanty-Mansiysk took the lead with a Konstantin Panov goal, via Gorbunov. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Gorbunov, Panov, and Belyayev.

Out to Minsk, where Dinamo hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin faces a lesser foe in Kevin Lalande in goal. Magnitogorsk began in the first period with a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal, powered by Chris Lee and Danis Zaripov. Metallurg added on with an Oskar Osala shorthanded goal, set up by Lee and Evgeny Timkin. Minsk got on the board in the second period with a Rob Klinkhammer power play goal, assisted by Matt Ellison and Marc-Andre Gragnani. Magnitogorsk replied with a Lee goal, via Tomas Filippi. Dinamo shot back with an Alexander Pavlovich goal, passed from Alexander Kulakov and Sergei Drozd. Metallurg iced it at 4-2 as Zaripov scored an empty net goal in the third period, with the help of Jan Kovar and Mozyakin. The three stars belonged to Lee, Mozyakin, and Zaripov.

Back in Russia, Dynamo Moscow welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Vladimir Sokhatsky and Alexander Yeryomenko are the masked men. Moscow struck first in the first period with an Ansel Galimov goal, helped along by Alexei Tsvetkov and Juuso Hietanen. Dynamo added on with an Artyom Podshendyalov goal, via Denis Kokarev. Moscow extended the lead as Vladimir Bryukvin scored, thanks to Mat Robinson in the second period. Dynamo padded the lead on a Konstantin Gorovikov goal, assisted by Andrei Kuteikin. Igor Ustinsky relieved Sokhatsky. Yekaterinburg got on the board with a power play goal by Petr Koukal in the third period, powered by Alexei Vasilevsky. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Yeryomenko (29 for 30 in saves), Podshendyalov, and Bryukvin.

Finally, Dinamo Riga brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vasily Demchenko and Janis Kalnins are the goalies. Chelyabinsk was first to score in the first period with a Derek Roy goal, passed from Dmitry Pestunov. Traktor added on in the second period with a Paul Szczechura power play goal, powered by Pestunov. Chelyabinsk extended the lead as Alexei Kruchinin scored, thanks to Szczechura. Jakub Sedlacek replaced Kalnins in goal for the third period. Riga got on the board with a Lauris Darzins goal in the third period, helped along by Aleksandrs Jerofejevs. Traktor replied on a Maxim Yakutsenya empty net goal, set up by Alexander Chernikov and the goalie Demchenko. Dinamo got one back with a Miks Indrasis goal, courtesy of Guntis Galvins and Oskars Cibulskis. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars going to Szczechura, Pestunov, and Kruchinin.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 52

Twelve more games fill the schedule today, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Robin Lehner protect the nets. Boston led off in the first period with a David Krejci goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Brandon Carlo and David Backes. The Bruins added on with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his fourth of the year, via David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. Buffalo got on the board with an Evander Kane goal, passed from Sam Reinhart. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Rask (35 for 36 in saves), Bergeron, and Krejci.

Over in Manhattan, the New York Rangers welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Michael Leighton and Henrik Lundqvist are set to start in goal. New York opened in the first period with a Derek Stepan goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Kevin Klein and Mats Zuccarello. Carolina tied it on a Viktor Stalberg goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Brock McGinn and Derek Ryan in the second period. The Rangers retook the lead in the third period with a Michael Grabner goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Brady Skjei and Jesper Fast. The Hurricanes tied it again with a Victor Rask goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Brett Pesce and Jaccob Slavin. New York regained the lead on a Chris Kreider goal, his fifth of the season, via Stepan and Dan Girardi. The Rangers added on with another Kreider goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, helped along by Zuccarello and Stepan. The three stars of the 4-2 game were Stepan, Kreider, and Zuccarello.

Next up, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Steve Mason are in goal. Chicago began in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his ninth of the season, via Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with an Ivan Provorov goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Nick Cousins and Chris VandeVelde. The Flyers took the lead on another Provorov goal, his second of the game and third of the season, assisted by Michael Raffl. Philadelphia added on with a Brayden Schenn goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Travis Konecny. This made it 3-1, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Provorov, Mason (26 for 27 in saves), and Schenn.

Down in Nashville, the Predators host the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Pekka Rinne draw the starts. Nashville started in the first period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Matt Irwin and Mike Ribeiro. New Jersey tied it with a Taylor Hall goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone assist by Kyle Quincey. The Predators retook the lead with a P.K. Subban goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Colin Wilson. Nashville added on in the second period with a Fiala goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, passed from Craig Smith and Ribeiro. The Predators extended the lead as Roman Josi scored his third of the season, with the help of Mattias Ekholm and Calle Jarnkrok. The Devils got one back in the third period on a Michael Cammalleri goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Andy Greene and Travis Zajac. New Jersey got closer with a Greene goal, his third of the season, with helpers from Vernon Fiddler and Nick Lappin. The Devils tied it on an Adam Henrique power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Zajac and Hall. New Jersey won 5-4 in overtime with another Cammalleri goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, dished from Hall. The three stars were Cammalleri, Hall, and Fiala, while Greene, Zajac, and Ribeiro get the honorable mentions.

At the usual times, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Mike Condon are in the creases. Ottawa struck first in the first period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his fifth of the season, via Ryan Dzingel and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Senators added on with a Derick Brassard goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Chris Wideman and Mike Hoffman. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars going to Condon (24 save shutout), Karlsson, and Brassard.

Down in Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jared Coreau is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Detroit was first to score in the first period with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Anthony Mantha and Tomas Tatar. The Red Wings added on with a Frans Nielsen goal, his sixth of the year, via Riley Sheahan and Danny DeKeyser. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Phil Kessel goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Evgeni Malkin and Carl Hagelin. Detroit fired back with a Dylan Larkin goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Thomas Vanek and Mike Green. The Penguins replied with a Nick Bonino goal in the third period, his third of the season, guided in by Ian Cole and Bryan Rust. Pittsburgh tied it as Justin Schultz scored his second of the year, thanks to Cole and Malkin. The Penguins took the lead on a Kessel goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, assisted by Hagelin and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Matt Cullen, his fifth of the year, set up by Patric Hornqvist and Sidney Crosby. The three stars were Kessel, Malkin, and Cole, while Hagelin gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Carter Hutton are the backups in goal. Winnipeg started in the first period with a shorthanded Chris Thorburn goal, his second of the season, set up by Blake Wheeler. St. Louis tied it in the second period with an Alexander Steen goal, his third of the year, assisted by Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester. The Blues took the lead with a Dmitrij Jaskin goal, helped along by Carl Gunnarsson and Pietrangelo. The Jets tied it on a Patrik Laine goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Bryan Little and Nikolaj Ehlers. Winnipeg won 3-2 in overtime with a Little goal, his second of the year, made possible by Laine and Dustin Byfuglien. The three stars went to Little, Laine and Pietrangelo.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Ben Bishop tend the twines. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Jonathan Drouin. Washington tied it in the third period with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by John Carlson and Marcus Johansson on the power play. The tie went to a shootout, where Brayden Point and Brian Boyle topped Evgeny Kuznetsov to give the Lightning a 2-1 win. The three stars went to Boyle, Bishop (34 for 35 in saves), and Holtby (32 for 33 in saves).

Way northwest to Vancouver, where the Canucks bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Ryan Miller are given the starting nods in goal. Vancouver opened in the first period with a Daniel Sedin goal, his seventh of the season, via Luca Sbisa and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks added on in the second period with a Sven Baertschi goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Alexandre Burrows and Nikita Tryamkin. Toronto got on the board with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Tyler Bozak and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs tied it in the third period with an Auston Matthews goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Zach Hyman and Martin Marincin. The tie went to a shootout, where Markus Granlund and Bo Horvat topped a lone tally from Mitchell Marner as the Canucks won 3-2. The three stars were Miller (38 for 40 in saves), Baertschi, and Daniel Sedin.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Mike Smith are set to start in goal. Columbus led off in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Jack Johnson and David Savard. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Radim Vrbata goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Anthony DeAngelo on the power play. The Coyotes took the lead with a Shane Doan goal, his third of the season, coming off of Michael Stone. The Blue Jackets retied it in the third period on an Alexander Wennberg goal, his sixth of the year, via Brandon Saad and Nick Foligno. The tie went to a shootout, where Cam Atkinson and Sam Gagner won the game with their tallies for the Blue Jackets, making it a 3-2 final. The three stars went to Wennberg, Jenner, and Smith (59 for 61 in saves).

Backtracking to Denver, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Semyon Varlamov are the veteran goalies. Dallas began in the first period with a Curtis McKenzie goal, his second of the season, guided in by Devin Shore. The Stars added on in the second period with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza. Dallas extended the lead in the third period as Patrick Eaves scored an empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Seguin. The three stars of the 3-0 game were Seguin, Lehtonen (23 save shutout), and McKenzie.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Cam Talbot are the young goalies. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Drake Caggiula power play goal, powered by Patrick Maroon and Jordan Eberle. Anaheim tied it on a Ryan Kesler power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Ryan Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. The Oilers retook the lead with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Oscar Klefbom and Eberle. The Ducks tied it again in the third period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Edmonton won 3-2 in overtime with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his tenth of the year, via Andrej Sekera and Eberle. The three stars went to Eberle, Draisaitl, and Getzlaf.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 98

Seven games on, beginning early in the day in the Far East. First up...

Amur Khabarovsk hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Igor Shestyorkin and Juha Metsola guard the cages. Khabarovsk got going in the second period on a Tomas Zohorna goal, via Vitaly Atyushov and the goalie Metsola. St. Petersburg retied it on a Sergei Shirokov goal, passed from Roman Rukavishnikov and Ilya Kablukov. SKA took the lead in the third period with a Shirokov power play goal, powered by Ilya Kovalchuk and Yegor Yakovlev. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Shirokov, Shestyorkin (33 for 34 in saves), and Zohorna.

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes CSKA Moscow. Ilya Sorokin and Ivan Nalimov are in the blue paint. Vladivostok led off in the first period with a Robert Sabolic power play goal, powered by James Wisniewski and Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev. Moscow tied it in the second period with a Valery Nichushkin goal, coming off of Andrei Svetlakov. CSKA took the lead in the third period on a power play goal by Kirill Petrov, helped along by Bogdan Kiselevich and Artyom Blazhiyevsky. Admiral retied it with a James Wright goal, with a lone assist by Krasnoslobodtsev. Moscow won 3-2 with another Nichushkin goal, passed from Mikhail Naumenkov and Ivan Telegin. The three stars were Nichushkin, Krasnoslobodtsev, and Petrov.

In China, Kunlun Red Star Beijing brings in Severstal Cherepovets to Shanghai. Jakub Kovar and Tomi Karhunen are in the creases. Beijing began in the first period with an Oleg Yashin goal, assisted by Zach Yuen. Kunlun Red Star added on in the third period with a Martin Bakos goal, guided in by Tomas Marcinko and Alexei Ponikarovsky. The final held from here at 2-0, with the three stars going to Karhunen (22 save shutout), Yashin, and Bakos.

Back in Russia, Lada Togliatti hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ilya Proskuryakov and Ilya Ezhov man the nets. Nizhny Novgorod dented the scoreboard on a Dmitry Semin power play goal, powered by Kaspars Daugavins and Alexander Frolov. Togliatti tied it on a Stanislav Bocharov power play goal, with a lone assist by Georgy Belousov. The tie went to a shootout, where Daugavins' lone tally gave Torpedo the 2-1 win. The three stars went to Daugavins, Proskuryakov (16 for 17 in saves), and Ezhov (30 for 31 in saves).

Over in Nizhnekamsk, Neftekhimik brings in the Sochi Leopards. Dmitry Shikin and Ville Kolppanen draw the starts in goal. Nizhnekamsk opened in the first period with a Dmitry Ogurtsov goal, passed from Sergei Konkov. Konstantin Barulin replaced Shikin in goal. Neftekhimik added on with a Richard Gynge goal, via Dan Sexton. Nizhnekamsk extended the lead in the second period as Gilbert Brule scored a power play goal, thanks to Andrei Sergeyev and Sexton. Sochi got on the board with an Oscar Fantenberg power play goal, powered by Mikhail Mamkin and Ben Maxwell. Neftekhimik replied on a Brule power play goal in the third period, with a lone helper from Sergeyev. Nizhnekamsk iced it at 5-1 with a Gennady Stolyarov goal, helped along by Yegor Milovzorov. The three stars were given to Brule, Sexton, and Sergeyev.

In Slovakia, Slovan Bratislava welcomes Avangard Omsk. Dominik Furch and Justin Pogge are set to start in goal. Omsk started in the first period on a Mikhail Yunkov goal, assisted by Nikolai Lemtyugov and Ivan Fishchenko. Bratislava tied it on a Jeff Taffe power play goal, powered by Radek Smolenak and Andrej Meszaros. Avangard took the lead in the second period with an Anton Burdasov goal, guided in by Alexander Kucheryavenko. Slovan retied it on a Kyle Chipchura goal, fueled by Ziga Jeglic and Patrik Lusnak. Omsk regained the lead in the third period with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, via Yegor Martynov. Slovan answered on another Taffe goal, passed from Nick Plastino. Avangard countered with a power play goal by Alexander Perezhogin, made possible by Sobotka and Alexander Osipov. Omsk finished it at 5-3 with a Pyotr Khokhryakov goal, with a lone helper from Burdasov. The three stars went to Sobotka, Burdasov, and Taffe.

Finally, Ak Bars Kazan hosts Spartak Moscow. Nikita Bespalov is mismatched with Stanislav Galimov in goal. Moscow struck first in the first period with an unassisted Lukas Radil goal. Kazan tied it on a power play goal by Andrei Popov, powered by Anton Glinkin and Fyodor Malykhin. Ak Bars took the lead with a Malykhin power play goal in the second period, helped along by Glinkin and Stefan Elliott. Kazan added on with a Stepan Zakharchuk goal, fueled by Artyom Lukoyanov. Spartak got one back in the third period with a Vyacheslav Leshchenko goal, via Alexei Kirillov and Artyom Voronin. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Malykhin, Glinkin, and Zakharchuk.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 51

Just two games tonight, beginning with...

The Calgary Flames welcoming the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Chad Johnson are the goalies. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Chris Stewart goal, his third of the season, passed from Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Suter. Calgary tied it on a Kris Versteeg goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Jyrki Jokipakka and Sean Monahan. The Flames took the lead with a Mikael Backlund power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Mark Giordano. The Wild tied it in the third period on a Mikko Koivu goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Jason Zucker and Spurgeon. The tie went to a shootout, where Monahan and Versteeg topped Jason Pominville for a 3-2 Flames win. The three stars were Versteeg, Spurgeon, and Monahan.

The other game sees the San Jose Sharks bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Martin Jones tend the twines. San Jose began in the first period with a Brent Burns power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on with a Pavelski goal, his eighth of the year, via Thornton. Montreal got on the board in the third period with an Artturi Lehkonen power play goal, his third of the campaign, with assists provided by Andrew Shaw and Alex Galchenyuk. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Pavelski, Thornton, and Jones (31 for 32 in saves).

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 97

Six games on today, beginning with...

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosting Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Igor Ustinsky and Alexei Murygin man the nets. Yekaterinburg led off in the first period with an Alexander Torchenyuk power play goal, powered by Alexei Mikhnov and Alexei Vasilevsky. Yaroslavl tied it on a Yegor Korshkov goal, guided in by Mikhail Pashnin and Rushan Rafikov. Avtomobilist took the lead back with a Torchenyuk goal in the second period, passed from Andrei Alexeyev and Denis Mingaleyev. Lokomotiv tied it on a Vladislav Kartayev goal, coming off of Nikita Cherepanov and Alexander Kadeikin. Yaroslavl took the lead in the third period with a Stanislav Chistov goal, made possible by Andrei Loktionov. Yekaterinburg retied it on a Mingaleyev goal, helped along by Alexeyev. Lokomotiv took the lead with a Loktionov goal, assisted by Brandon Kozun and Maxime Talbot. Yaroslavl iced it at 5-3 with a Petri Kontiola empty net goal, set up by Talbot and Cherepanov. The three stars were Loktionov, Torchenyuk, and Mingaleyev, while Alexeyev, Talbot, and Cherepanov get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Podolsk, where Vityaz welcomes Barys Astana. Henrik Karlsson faces a lesser foe in Igor Saprykin in goal. Podolsk started in the first period with an Alexander Nikulin goal, assisted by Maxim Afinogenov. Astana tied it in the second period with a Kevin Dallman power play goal, powered by Brandon Bochenski. Vityaz retook the lead with an Afinogenov power play goal in the third period, coming off of Nikulin and Igor Golovkov. Podolsk added on with an Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi goal, helped along by Alexei Semenov and Golovkov. Vityaz extended the lead as Mario Kempe scored, thanks to Semenov and Alexei Kopeikin. Barys got one back with a Martin St. Pierre goal, with a lone assist by Bochenski. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Afinogenov, Nikulin, and Golovkov, while Semenov and Bochenski receive honorable mentions.

Over in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk brings in Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg and Ben Scrivens are in the blue paint. Ufa opened in the first period with an Evgeny Bodrov goal, helped along by Denis Parshin and Stanislav Gareyev. Minsk tied it on an Alexander Materukhin power play goal in the third period, powered by Matt Ellison and Rob Klinkhammer. Dinamo took the lead with an Evgeny Lisovets goal, assisted by Materukhin. Salavat Yulaev retied it on an Evgeny Korotkov goal, passed from Stepan Khripunov and Maxim Mayorov. In the shootout, Mayorov won it with the lone tally for Ufa for a 3-2 result. The three stars were Mayorov, Materukhin, and Korotkov.

Next up, Slovan Bratislava hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Andrei Kareyev and Barry Brust are set to start in goal. Bratislava began in the first period with an unassisted Andrej Meszaros power play goal. Novokuznetsk tied it on an Ignat Zemchenko penalty shot goal after Igor Musatov hooked him. Metallurg took the lead with a Nikita Yazkov goal, made possible by Vladislav Arbuzov and Fyodor Polishchuk. Slovan retied it on a Tomas Kundratek power play goal, powered by Radek Smolenak. Novokuznetsk regained the lead with a Polishchuk goal, assisted by Arbuzov and Denis Vikharev. Bratislava retied it with a third period goal from Kyle Chipchura, helped along by Ziga Jeglic. Metallurg pulled ahead again with a shorthanded goal by Alexei Razumov, set up by Nikita Lyamkin. Slovan tied it once more with a Michal Hlinka goal, passed from Boris Sadecky and Lukas Vopelka. Evgeny Solovyov had the only shootout tally, lifting Metallurg to the 5-4 win. The three stars were given to Polishchuk, Arbuzov, and Razumov.

Back in Russia, Dynamo Moscow welcomes Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Alexander Sharychenkov faces his former teammate and mentor, Alexander Yeryomenko, in goal. Moscow struck first in the first period with a Mat Robinson goal, fueled by Alexei Tsvetkov and Artyom Fyodorov. Dynamo added on in the second period with a Martins Karsums power play goal, powered by Daniil Tarasov and Alexei Tereshchenko. Moscow extended the lead on a Robinson power play goal, helped along by Fyodorov and Tsvetkov. Dynamo padded the lead as Juuso Hietanen scored a power play goal, with the help of Ilya Nikulin and Artyom Podshendyalov. Moscow continued with Tarasov's second goal of the game, guided in by Karsums and Tereshchenko. Dynamo iced it at 6-0 with a Fyodorov power play goal, with a lone assist by Tsvetkov. The three stars were Robinson, Fyodorov, and Tsvetkov (sock trick), while Tarasov, Karsums, Tereshchenko, and Yeryomenko (17 save shutout) receive the honorable mentions.

Finally Dinamo Riga brings in Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Janis Kalnins draw the starts in goal. Riga was first to score with an unassisted goal by Oskars Cibulskis in the first period. Magnitogorsk tied it in the second period on a Tomas Filippi goal, via Oskar Osala. Metallurg took the lead with a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal, powered by Danis Zaripov and Viktor Antipin. Dinamo tied it with a Miks Indrasis goal, courtesy of Lauris Darzins. Riga took the lead with an Indrasis power play goal, his second of the game, made possible by Maris Bicevskis and Darzins. Magnitogorsk retied it in the third period on a Zaripov goal, guided in by Mozyakin and Jan Kovar. In the shootout, Gints Meija had the only tally for Dinamo to win 4-3. The three stars were Indrasis, Zaripov, and Mozyakin, while Darzins gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 50

Twelve games on tonight, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward faces one of his former backups, Anton Khudobin, in goal. Carolina got going in the second period on a Noah Hanifin power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Jeff Skinner and Derek Ryan. Boston tied it in the third period on a Torey Krug goal, his second of the year, via David Pastrnak and David Krejci. The tie went to a shootout, where Ryan Spooner and Pastrnak lifted the Bruins to a 2-1 win over the Hurricanes' lone tally from Jaccob Slavin. The three stars went to Pastrnak, Khudobin (29 for 30 in saves), and Ward (34 for 35 in saves).

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist faces a lesser foe in Anders Nilsson goal. Buffalo started in the first period with a Johan Larsson goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Jake McCabe and Brian Gionta. New York tied it on a Ryan McDonagh power play goal, powered by Derek Stepan. The Rangers took the lead in the second period on a Rick Nash power play goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Jimmy Vesey and Adam Clendening. The Sabres retied it on a Gionta goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Marcus Foligno. New York retook the lead on a Marc Staal goal, his second of the year, coming off of Jesper Fast and Chris Kreider. Buffalo tied it on a Jack Eichel power play goal in the third period, his second of the season, via Kyle Okposo and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres went ahead on Eichel's second of the game and third of the year, helped along by Sam Reinhart and Evander Kane. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to Eichel, Gionta, and Larsson.

In Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Dallas Stars. Antti Niemi and Marc-Andre Fleury are the veterans in goal. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with an Ian Cole goal, his second of the season, coming off of Phil Kessel and Justin Schultz. Dallas tied it on a Devin Shore goal, his second of the year, via Patrick Eaves and Stephen Johns. The Penguins retook the lead on a Patric Hornqvist goal in the second period, his sixth of the season, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Kessel. The Stars tied it again on a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Jason Spezza and John Klingberg. Pittsburgh pulled ahead on a Sidney Crosby goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Conor Sheary and Hornqvist. The Penguins added on in the third period with a Sheary goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Crosby and Schultz. Pittsburgh extended the lead on an empty net goal by Eric Fehr, his third of the season, set up by Tom Kuhnhackl and Kris Letang. The Penguins iced it at 6-2 as Nick Bonino scored his second of the year, thanks to Scott Wilson and Cole. The three stars went to Sheary, Crosby, and Cole, while Hornqvist and Schultz get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Washington Capitals host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Braden Holtby protect the nets. New York dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Shane Prince goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Casey Cizikas. The Islanders added on with a Brock Nelson goal, his sixth of the year, via John Tavares and Josh Bailey. New York extended the lead as Jason Chimera scored his third of the campaign, thanks to Andrew Ladd. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars given to Halak (38 save shutout), Prince, and Nelson.

Northwest to Detroit, where the Red Wings welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Petr Mrazek are in the creases. Detroit led off in the first period with an unassisted Henrik Zetterberg goal, his fourth of the season. Florida tied it on a Jason Demers goal, his third of the year, coming off of Keith Yandle and Reilly Smith. The Panthers won 2-1 in overtime on an Aleksander Barkov goal, his third of the campaign, with a lone helper by Jonathan Marchessault. The three stars went to Luongo (20 for 21 in saves), Barkov, and Demers.

In Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Mike Condon are set to start in goal. Ottawa began in the first period with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Mark Stone and Kyle Turris. The Senators added on in the second period with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Dion Phaneuf and Turris. Philadelphia got on the board with a Claude Giroux goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist from Jakub Voracek. The Flyers tied it with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his third of the year, passed from Mark Streit and Matt Read. Philadelphia won 3-2 in overtime on a Giroux goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, assisted by Voracek and Shayne Gostisbehere. The three stars were handed to Giroux, Turris, and Voracek.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jake Allen play goal. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Colton Parayko.. The Blues added on with a Tarasenko power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, powered by Alexander Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Cedric Paquette goal, his second of the season, via Jonathan Drouin and Joel Vermin. St. Louis replied on a Shattenkirk power play goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Steen and Robby Fabbri. The Blues extended the lead in the second period as Shattenkirk scored again, his second of the game and sixth of the season, made possible by Steen, who got a sock trick, and Tarasenko. The Lightning got one back with a Tyler Johnson goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. Tampa Bay edged closer in the third period with a Kucherov power play goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Victor Hedman and Brian Boyle. St. Louis responded with a Tarasenko goal to complete his hat trick on his thirteenth of the campaign, guided in by Fabbri and Shattenkirk. The Lightning pulled back with a Paquette goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with helpers provided by Drouin and Vermin. The final stayed at 5-4, with the three stars being Tarasenko, Shattenkirk, and Steen, while Kucherov, Paquette, Fabbri, Drouin, and Vermin get the honorable mentions.

Into Canada again, with the Winnipeg Jets welcoming the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Connor Hellebuyck are the young goalies. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period with a Bryan Little goal, coming off of Blake Wheeler and Drew Stafford. Edmonton tied it on a Mark Letestu goal, his third of the season, via Leon Draisaitl and Andrej Sekera on the power play. The Jets retook the lead on a Patrik Laine power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Toby Enstrom and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Oilers tied it again in the second period on a Draisaitl goal, his eighth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Milan Lucic and Connor McDavid. Edmonton took the lead on a Letestu power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, with assists provided by Lucic and McDavid. The Oilers added on with a Patrick Maroon goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Zack Kassian and Letestu. Winnipeg countered in the third period on Laine's second of the game and fifteenth of the year, a power play goal courtesy of Dustin Byfuglien and Wheeler. Edmonton shot back on a Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, helped along by McDavid, who earned a sock trick, and Adam Larsson. The Oilers iced it at 6-3 as Benoit Pouliot scored his fourth of the year, with the help of Sekera and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The three stars went to Letestu, Draisaitl, and McDavid, while Laine, Lucic, Sekera, and Wheeler get the honorable mentions.

Stateside once more for the Chicago Blackhawks bringing in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Corey Crawford tend the twines. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Travis Zajac goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Kyle Palmieri and Damon Severson. Chicago tied it in the second period with a Marcus Kruger goal, his second of the year, passed from Dennis Rasmussen and Brent Seabrook. The Devils retook the lead on a Zajac power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, powered by Palmieri. The Blackhawks tied it again with an Artem Anisimov goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Duncan Keith and Seabrook. Chicago took the lead on an unassisted Niklas Hjalmarsson goal, his third of the year. New Jersey retied it in the third period with a Zajac goal, completing his hat trick on his eighth of the season, via Michael Cammalleri. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime on a Marian Hossa goal, his twelfth of the campaign, fueled by Patrick Kane and Keith. The three stars were Keith, Zajac, and Seabrook, while Palmieri gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Semyon Varlamov are the Russian goalies. Columbus started in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Scott Hartnell and Jack Johnson. The Blue Jackets added on with a Nick Foligno goal, his ninth of the year, via Saad and Seth Jones. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Blake Comeau power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Erik Johnson and Francois Beauchemin. The Avalanche tied it on a Samuel Henley goal, with a lone assist from Tyson Barrie. Columbus took the lead back in the third period with a Boone Jenner goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Cam Atkinson. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Saad, Jenner, and Foligno.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Mike Smith receive the starting nods in goal. Arizona began in the first period with a Martin Hanzal power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Radim Vrbata and Michael Stone. Los Angeles tied it on a Dwight King goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Hanzal power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, with assists provided by Stone and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Kings tied it on a second period goal by Jordan Nolan, fueled by Kyle Clifford and Nick Shore. Los Angeles took the lead in the third period on another Nolan goal, his second of the game, going in unassisted. Arizona retied it on a Tobias Rieder goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Alex Goligoski and Jordan Martinook. The Kings retook the lead with a Trevor Lewis goal, his third of the campaign, assisted by Marian Gaborik and Kopitar. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Nolan, Hanzal, and Kopitar, while Stone gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Ryan Miller are between the pipes. Anaheim got going in the second period on a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen. The Ducks added on with an Ondrej Kase goal, passed from Ryan Getzlaf and Nick Ritchie. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Henrik Sedin goal, his sixth of the year, via Loui Eriksson. Anaheim replied on an Andrew Cogliano goal, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Shea Theodore. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Gibson (27 for 28 in saves), Kase, and Cogliano.

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