Friday, December 16, 2016

NHL 2016/17 - Day 65

Seven games on tonight, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the New York Islanders. Jean-Francois Berube and Robin Lehner are in the creases. New York opened in the first period with a Ryan Strome goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Cal Clutterbuck and Nikolay Kulemin. Buffalo tied it in the second period on a Johan Larsson goal, his fifth of the year, via Rasmus Ristolainen and Jake McCabe. The Islanders took the lead back with an Alan Quine power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Shane Prince. The Sabres tied it with a Matt Moulson power play goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Evander Kane and Brian Gionta. Buffalo won 3-2 with a Ristolainen goal in overtime, his second of the campaign, helped along by Kyle Okposo. The three stars went to Ristolainen, Moulson, and Lehner (33 for 35 in saves).

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Matt Murray are the goalies. Los Angeles won 1-0 in overtime on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Alec Martinez and Tanner Pearson. The three stars were given to Budaj (39 save shutout), Toffoli, and Murray (27 for 28 in saves).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Cam Ward are given the starting nods in goal. Carolina started in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Derek Ryan and Victor Rask. Washington tied it in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson. The Capitals took the lead with a Justin Williams goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Matt Niskanen. The Hurricanes tied it on a Justin Faulk goal, his fifth of the year, via Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. Carolina took the lead in the third period with a Teravainen power play goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Aho and Jaccob Slavin. Washington retied it on a T.J. Oshie goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone helper from Dmitry Orlov and Niskanen. The tie went to a shootout, where Oshie and Kuznetsov tallied for a 4-3 Capitals win. The three stars were Oshie, Kuznetsov, and Niskanen, while Aho and Teravainen get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Carey Price tend the twines. San Jose led off in the first period with a David Schlemko power play goal, powered by Mikkel Boedker and Joonas Donskoi. The Sharks added on with a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Joe Thornton and Brent Burns. San Jose extended the lead as Timo Meier scored, thanks to Schlemko and Donskoi. The Sharks padded the lead in the second period on a Melker Karlsson goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Micheal Haley. Al Montoya replaced Price in goal. Montreal got on the board in the third period with a Brian Flynn goal, his third of the season, via Tomas Plekanec and Zach Redmond. The Canadiens got closer with a Jeff Petry goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Michael McCarron and Daniel Carr. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Schlemko, Donskoi, and Meier.

Westward to Calgary, where the Flames bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Chad Johnson play goal. Columbus began in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his fifth of the season, via William Karlsson and David Savard. The Blue Jackets added on with a Brandon Saad goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Alexander Wennberg and Zach Werenski. Calgary got one back with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Kris Versteeg and Johnny Gaudreau. Columbus replied in the second period with a Werenski power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Cam Atkinson and Wennberg. The Blue Jackets extended the lead on a shorthanded goal by Matt Calvert, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The final held from here at 4-1, with the three stars awarded to Werenski, Wennberg, and Bobrovsky (22 for 23 in saves).

South to Denver, where the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Calvin Pickard are the backups in goal. Colorado got going in the second period with a Fedor Tyutin goal, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Duchene. Florida tied it on a Jason Demers goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Seth Griffith and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers took the lead in the third period with a shorthanded Reilly Smith goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Derek MacKenzie and Demers. Florida added on with a Michael Matheson goal, his third of the season, passed from Colton Sceviour and Mark Pysyk. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars given to Demers, Smith, and Reimer (30 for 31 in saves).

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Ryan Miller receive the starting nods. Tampa Bay was first to score in the first period with a Victor Hedman goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Valtteri Filppula and Brian Boyle. Vancouver tied it in the second period with a Brandon Sutter goal, his eighth of the year, via Markus Granlund and Loui Eriksson. The Canucks took the lead with a Luca Sbisa goal, guided in by Alexandre Burrows and Sven Baertschi. The Lightning retied it in the third period with a Cory Conacher power play goal, powered by Jonathan Drouin. Vancouver shot back with a Bo Horvat goal, his ninth of the season, a power play goal assisted by Eriksson and Granlund. The Canucks iced it at 4-2 with a Burrows empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Horvat. The three stars went to Horvat, Burrows, and Granlund, while Eriksson gets an honorable mention.

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Thursday, December 15, 2016

NHL 2016/17 - Day 64

Eight games on today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Jonathan Bernier and Anton Khudobin are set to start in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Zdeno Chara goal, his second of the season, passed from David Backes and Brad Marchand. The Bruins added on with an Austin Czarnik goal, his fourth of the year, via Ryan Spooner and Riley Nash. Anaheim got on the board with an unassisted Andrew Cogliano goal, his eighth of the season. The Ducks tied it on a Kevin Bieksa goal, his second of the year, helped along by Ryan Getzlaf. Anaheim took the lead with a Josh Manson goal in the second period, coming off of Jakob Silfverberg and Rickard Rakell. Boston tied it again with a David Krejci power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Backes and Torey Krug. The Ducks regained the lead on a Rakell goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Sami Vatanen and Cam Fowler. The final remained at 4-3, with the three stars being Rakell, Backes, and Bieksa.

Over to Brooklyn, where the New York Islanders welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Thomas Greiss are the backups in goal. New York opened in the first period with an Andrew Ladd goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Alan Quine and Jason Chimera. The Islanders added on with a Casey Cizikas goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Nikolay Kulemin. Chicago got on the board with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his twelfth of the season, via Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks tied it on an Artem Anisimov power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Patrick Kane and Panarin. Chicago took the lead with a Marian Hossa goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Ryan Hartman and Jonathan Toews. New York tied it on a Ryan Strome goal, his third of the year, coming off of Brock Nelson and Johnny Boychuk. The Islanders retook the lead in the second period with an Anders Lee goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Travis Hamonic and John Tavares. The Blackhawks pulled even with another Panarin power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, powered by Seabrook and Keith. Chicago took the lead with a Richard Panik goal, his eighth of the campaign, courtesy of Dennis Rasmussen and Marcus Kruger in the third period. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars going to Panarin, Seabrook, and Keith.

Next up, the Detroit Red Wings host the Los Angeles Kings. Jeff Zatkoff and Jimmy Howard are in the blue paint. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Derek Forbort goal, his second of the season, coming off of Dwight King and Tyler Toffoli. Detroit tied it on a Mike Green goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Luke Glendening. The Kings retook the lead in the second period on a Nic Dowd goal, his third of the season, passed from Dustin Brown and Drew Doughty. Los Angeles added on in the third period with a Toffoli goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Tom Gilbert. The Kings iced it at 4-1 with another Toffoli goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, an empty net goal set up by Brown and Alec Martinez. The three stars went to Toffoli, Brown, and Zatkoff (17 for 18 in saves).

In Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Frederik Andersen are the overrated goalies. Toronto began in the first period with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by William Nylander and Jake Gardiner. Arizona tied it on a Jordan Martinook goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, via Radim Vrbata and Brendan Perlini. The Coyotes took the lead with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Tobias Rieder and Anthony DeAngelo. The Maple Leafs tied it again with a Mitchell Marner goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Roman Polak and Matt Hunwick. The tie went to a shootout, where Peter Holland won it 3-2 for the Coyotes. The three stars were Smith (44 for 46 in saves), Ekman-Larsson, and Holland.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Jake Allen guard the cages. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a shorthanded Adam Henrique goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Travis Zajac. The Devils added on with a Miles Wood goal, his second of the year, helped along by Henrique and Kyle Palmieri. St. Louis got on the board with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Jaden Schwartz and Brad Hunt. The Blues tied it in the second period on a Jori Lehtera goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Robby Fabbri and Tarasenko. St. Louis took the lead with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Tarasenko and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues extended the lead in the third period as Nail Yakupov scored his third of the year, thanks to Paul Stastny. St. Louis iced it at 5-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Patrik Berglund, his second of the campaign. The three stars went to Tarasenko, Pietrangelo, and Henrique.

Down to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Jonas Brodin power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu. Nashville tied it on a Ryan Ellis goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Colin Wilson and Viktor Arvidsson. The Wild took the lead back with a Charlie Coyle goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Nino Niederreiter and Erik Haula. Minnesota added on with an Eric Staal goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Niederreiter. The Predators countered with a Mike Fisher power play goal in the second period, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by James Neal and Ryan Johansen. The Wild shot back with a Staal empty net goal in the third period, his second of the game and ninth of the year, set up by Coyle. Minnesota iced it at 5-2 with a Granlund empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, with a lone helper by Zach Parise. The three stars were Coyle, Staal, and Niederreiter, while Granlund gets an honorable mention.

In Canada again, the Winnipeg Jets host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Winnipeg got going in the first period with a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Patrik Laine and Mathieu Perreault. Florida tied it in the second period on an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Nick Bjugstad and Jaromir Jagr. The Panthers took the lead on a Reilly Smith power play goal, his fifth of the campaign, helped along by Seth Griffith and Keith Yandle. The Jets retied it on an Adam Lowry goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Paul Postma and Brandon Tanev. Florida regained the lead with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his eighth of the year, via Aaron Ekblad and Smith on the power play. Winnipeg retied it again in the third period on a Bryan Little goal, his fourth of the campaign, made possible by Blake Wheeler and Byfuglien. The tie went to a shootout, where Trocheck was cancelled out by Little and topped by Perreault for a 4-3 Jets win. The three stars were Little, Byfuglien, and Perreault, while Trocheck and Smith get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Dallas Stars bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Antti Niemi are given the starting nods in goal. New York dented the scoreboard in the third period with a shorthanded and unassisted Rick Nash goal, his twelfth of the season. The Rangers iced it at 2-0 with a Mats Zuccarello empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Michael Grabner and Kevin Hayes. The three stars were Lundqvist (27 save shutout), Nash, and Niemi (28 for 29 in saves).

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Wednesday, December 14, 2016

NHL 2016/17 - Day 63

Just four games for today, beginning with...

The Ottawa Senators hosting the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Mike Condon make the starts in goal. San Jose started in the first period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Logan Couture and Joe Thornton. Ottawa tied it on a Bobby Ryan goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Ryan Dzingel and Dion Phaneuf. The Sharks took the lead with a Brent Burns goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Brenden Dillon in the second period. The Senators tied it again on a Kyle Turris goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman. Ottawa took the lead in the third period on a Phaneuf power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Erik Karlsson and Stone. San Jose tied it on a Chris Tierney goal, his third of the year, passed from Burns and David Schlemko. The Sharks won 4-3 in the shootout with a Kevin Labanc tally. The three stars went to Burns, Phaneuf, and Stone.

Down in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Matt Murray are in the creases. Boston opened in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by David Backes and Patrice Bergeron. Pittsburgh tied it on a Justin Schultz goal, his fifth of the year, via Sidney Crosby and Conor Sheary. The Bruins retook the lead in the second period on a David Krejci goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Tim Schaller and David Pastrnak. The Penguins retied it on a Nick Bonino power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Trevor Daley and goalie Murray. Pittsburgh took the lead in the third period on a Sheary goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Brian Dumoulin and Schultz on the power play. Boston tied it on a Pastrnak goal, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Penguins won 4-3 in overtime with a Bryan Rust goal, his eighth of the campaign, passed from Evgeni Malkin and Schultz. The three stars were Schultz, Sheary, and Pastrnak.

In Alberta, the Calgary Flames bring Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Chad Johnson are in the blue paint. Calgary led off in the first period with a Troy Brouwer power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Sean Monahan and T.J. Brodie. Tampa Bay tied it on a Brian Boyle power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Victor Hedman and Tyler Johnson. The Lightning took the lead with a Boyle goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, courtesy of Valtteri Filppula and Hedman. Tampa Bay added on in the second period with a Braydon Coburn goal, passed from Alex Killorn and Vladislav Namestnikov. The Lightning extended the lead as Andrej Sustr scored, thanks to Filppula and Hedman, who got a sock trick. Brian Elliott replaced Johnson in goal. Tampa Bay padded the lead with a Killorn shorthanded goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Flames got one back with a Brodie power play goal, his second of the season, via Johnny Gaudreau and Brouwer. Calgary got closer with a Micheal Ferland goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Matt Stajan and Lance Bouma. The Lightning iced it at 6-3 with a Killorn empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, set up by Filppula, who got a sock trick. The three stars were Killorn, Hedman, and Filppula, while Boyle, Brouwer, and Brodie.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Calvin Pickard are between the pipes. Philadelphia began in the second period with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. Colorado tied it on a Rene Bourque goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Carl Soderberg. The Avalanche took the lead with a Matt Duchene goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Nikita Zadorov and Gabriel Landeskog. The Flyers retied it on a Wayne Simmonds goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Radko Gudas and Travis Konecny. Philadelphia took the lead in the third period with a Roman Lyubimov goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Flyers added on with a Brayden Schenn goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Andrew MacDonald and Taylor Leier. Colorado got one back with a Duchene goal, his twelfth of the campaign, with assists provided by Mikko Rantanen and Mikhail Grigorenko. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars given to Duchene, Schenn, and Lyubimov.

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Tuesday, December 13, 2016

NHL 2016/17 - Day 62

Ten games on tonight, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Robin Lehner man the nets. Los Angeles opened in the first period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his third of the season, coming off of Trevor Lewis and Jake Muzzin. The Kings added on in the second period with a Jeff Carter goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Tyler Toffoli and Derek Forbort. Buffalo got on the board with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his seventh of the campaign, guided in by Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres tied it on a Jack Eichel goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Kyle Okposo and Matt Moulson. Buffalo took the lead with a Brian Gionta goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Justin Falk and Johan Larsson. The Sabres extended the lead as Eichel scored his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, with the help of Okposo and Moulson. Los Angeles got one back in the third period with a Carter goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Budaj was pulled for Jeff Zatkoff after this. Buffalo countered with an Evander Kane goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Eichel and Okposo, the latter earning a sock trick. The Sabres closed it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Sam Reinhart, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Ristolainen. The three stars were Eichel, Okposo, and Carter, while Moulson and Ristolainen get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Cam Ward are the overrated goalies. Carolina started in the first period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Brett Pesce and Lee Stempniak. Vancouver tied it on a Sven Baertschi goal, his fifth of the year, via Bo Horvat and Alexandre Burrows. The Hurricanes retook the lead with a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Noah Hanifin and Derek Ryan. The Canucks tied it again in the second period with a Burrows goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Baertschi and Nikita Tryamkin. Vancouver took the lead on a Markus Granlund goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Loui Eriksson. Ward was pulled for Michael Leighton at this time. The Canucks added on with a Ben Hutton goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Brandon Sutter. Vancouver extended the lead as Baertschi scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. Carolina pulled back with a Skinner power play goal in the third period, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, with helpers provided by Ryan and Victor Rask. The Hurricanes got closer with a Ron Hainsey goal, his second of the season, helped along by Justin Faulk and Rask. Carolina tied it as Rask scored his tenth of the year, with the help of Ryan, who got a sock trick, and Skinner. The Hurricanes pulled ahead on a Faulk goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Elias Lindholm and Jordan Staal. Jacob Markstrom relieved Miller at this time. Carolina padded their lead with a Staal goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Lindholm and Joakim Nordstrom. The Canucks answered with a Sutter goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone helper from Erik Gudbranson. The Hurricanes iced it at 8-6 with an empty net goal by Stempniak, his sixth of the year, set up by Faulk. The three stars were Skinner, Rask, and Ryan, while Baertschi, Faulk, Staal, Stempniak, Lindholm, Sutter, and Burrows get the honorable mentions.

In Brooklyn, the New York Islanders bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jaroslav Halak are in the creases. New York led off in the first period with a Brock Nelson goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Cal Clutterbuck and Dennis Seidenberg. Washington tied it in the second period on a Brett Connolly goal, his third of the year, via Lars Eller and Jakub Vrana. The Capitals took the lead with a Justin Williams power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Vrana and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Islanders retied it on a Nikolay Kulemin goal, his third of the year, passed from Nick Leddy and Casey Cizikas. Washington regained the lead in the third period on a Matt Niskanen goal, guided in by Dmitry Orlov and Marcus Johansson. The Capitals iced it at 4-2 with a Niskanen power play goal, his second of the game, fueled by Kuznetsov and John Carlson. The three stars were Niskanen, Vrana, and Kuznetsov.

Across town, the New York Rangers host the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Antti Raanta are the backups in goal. Chicago got going with a Trevor van Riemsdyk goal, passed from Artemi Panarin and Artem Anisimov. New York tied it on a Jesper Fast goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Oscar Lindberg. The Blackhawks retook the lead with an Anisimov goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Brian Campbell and Panarin. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars belonging to Darling (33 for 34 in saves), Anisimov, and Panarin.

Next up, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Jimmy Howard are the veterans in goal. Arizona began in the first period with a power play goal by Anthony DeAngelo, his third of the season, powered by Tobias Rieder and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Detroit tied it on an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Gustav Nyquist and Thomas Vanek. The Coyotes retook the lead on a Lawson Crouse goal, his second of the season, via Radim Vrbata. Arizona added on in the second period with a Jamie McGinn goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Peter Holland and Jakob Chychrun. The Coyotes extended the lead in the second period as McGinn scored his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, with the help of Anthony Duclair and Holland. The final remained at 4-1, with the three stars being McGinn, Holland, and Smith (37 for 38 in saves).

Into Ontario, where the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Frederik Andersen draw the starts in goal. Toronto struck first in the first period with a Zach Hyman goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Auston Matthews and William Nylander. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Matthews power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Nylander and Jake Gardiner. San Jose got on the board in the third period with a Justin Braun goal, via Chris Tierney and Melker Karlsson. The Sharks tied it with a Joe Pavelski goal, his ninth of the campaign, helped along by Brent Burns and Patrick Marleau on the power play. The tie went to a shootout, where Logan Couture's lone tally gave the Sharks a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Andersen (40 for 42 in saves), Matthews, and Nylander.

Down in Nashville, the Predators host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Pekka Rinne guard the cages. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his seventh of the season, via Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues added on with a Ryan Reaves goal, his second of the year, coming off of Kyle Brodziak and Joel Edmundson. St. Louis extended the lead as Brad Hunt scored a power play goal in the second period, powered by Tarasenko and Shattenkirk. Nashville got on the board with a James Neal goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Ryan Johansen. The Predators got closer with a Filip Forsberg goal, his third of the year, fueled by Viktor Arvidsson and Mattias Ekholm. Nashville tied it with a Johansen goal in the third period, his sixth of the season, passed from Colin Wilson. The Predators took the lead on a Mike Fisher goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Wilson and Arvidsson. Nashville padded the lead with a Mike Ribeiro goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Craig Smith and Kevin Fiala. Carter Hutton replaced Allen in goal. The Predators capped it at 6-3 with a Fisher empty net goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, set up by Austin Watson. The three stars went to Johansen, Fisher, and Shattenkirk, while Tarasenko, Arvidsson, and Wilson receive the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Devan Dubnyk protect the nets. Minnesota started in the first period with a Zach Parise goal, his fifth of the season, via Jason Pominville and Jonas Brodin. The Wild added on in the second period with an Erik Haula goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle. Minnesota extended the lead as Eric Staal scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Pominville and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild padded the lead with a Mikko Koivu goal in the third period, his seventh of the year, helped along by Jason Zucker and Mikael Granlund. Minnesota kept going with a Zucker goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Matt Dumba and Brodin. James Reimer replaced Luongo in goal. Florida got on the board with a Dylan McIlrath goal, made possible by Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Zucker, Pominville, and Brodin.

South to Texas, where the Dallas Stars bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Antti Niemi are in the blue paint. Dallas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Stephen Johns goal, his third of the season, assisted by Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. Anaheim tied it with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his third of the year, fueled by Rickard Rakell. The Ducks took the lead in the third period on a Corey Perry goal, his seventh of the season, a power play goal powered by Getzlaf. The Stars retied it on a Dan Hamhuis power play goal, coming off of Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza. Dallas took the lead with an Adam Cracknell goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist from Johnny Oduya. The Stars added on with a Patrick Eaves goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Jiri Hudler. Dallas extended the lead as Jamie Benn scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Jordie Benn and Seguin. Jonathan Bernier replaced Gibson in goal. The Stars iced it at 6-2 with an empty net goal by Radek Faksa, his third of the campaign, set up by Jordie Benn. The three stars went to Jamie Benn, Seguin, and Getzlaf, while Jordie Benn gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Cam Talbot are the masked men. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Mark Letestu and Zack Kassian. Columbus tied it on a Sam Gagner power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Alexander Wennberg and Zach Werenski in the second period. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a third period Cam Atkinson power play goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Gagner and Wennberg. Columbus added on with a Matt Calvert goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Josh Anderson. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars being Bobrovsky (33 for 34 in saves), Gagner, and Wennberg.

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Monday, December 12, 2016

2016/17 Hockey - KHL Day 107/NHL Day 61

It's another lazy Monday for hockey around the world. We begin with a single KHL game before two NHL games tonight. Let's start in...

China, where Kunlun Red Star Beijing returns to their primary home to host Barys Astana. Henrik Karlsson and Tomi Karhunen are in the creases. Beijing struck first in the first period with a Joonas Jarvinen goal, assisted by Tommi Taimi and Oleg Yashin. Kunlun Red Star added on in the second period with a Tomas Marcinko goal, going in unassisted. Beijing extended the lead as Sean Collins scored, thanks to Linus Videll and Taimi. Kunlun Red Star padded the lead with a shorthanded goal from Marcinko, set up by Alexei Ponikarovsky and Brett Bellemore. Astana got on the board with a Nigel Dawes power play goal, powered by Brandon Bochenski and Kevin Dallman. Beijing iced it at 5-1 with an unassisted Videll empty net goal. The three stars went to Marcinko, Videll, and Taimi.

In the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Matt Murray make the starts in goal. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Scott Wilson goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist from Matt Cullen. The Penguins added on with a Nick Bonino goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Trevor Daley scored an unassisted goal, his third of the season. The Penguins padded the lead with a Bryan Rust goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Olli Maatta. Louis Domingue relieved Smith at this time. Pittsburgh kept going with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. The Penguins continued in the third period on a Phil Kessel goal, his tenth of the year, via Malkin and Carl Hagelin. Pittsburgh struck again with a Justin Schultz goal, his fourth of the campaign, coming on the power play from Bonino and Conor Sheary. This made it 7-0, the final, with the three stars going to Bonino, Malkin, and Murray (32 save shutout).

Finally, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Carey Price tend the twines. Boston got going in the second period with an Austin Czarnik goal, his third of the season, made possible by Adam McQuaid and Ryan Spooner. Montreal tied it in the third period on a Paul Byron goal, his tenth of the year, via Torrey Mitchell and Andrei Markov. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a Spooner goal, his fourth of the campaign, assisted by Torey Krug and Czarnik. The three stars went to Spooner, Czarnik, and Rask (30 for 31 in saves).

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Sunday, December 11, 2016

NHL 2016/17 - Day 60

The season's about two months old now, and today's eight games begin in...

Anaheim, with the Ducks hosting the Ottawa Senators in the first of four matinees. Mike Condon is mismatched with John Gibson in goal. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Joseph Cramarossa goal, his second of the season, coming off of Josh Manson and Shea Theodore. Ottawa tied it on a Ryan Dzingel power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Bobby Ryan and Derick Brassard. The Ducks took the lead with a Corey Perry power play goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Cam Fowler and Ryan Getzlaf. Anaheim added on with an Antoine Vermette power play goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg. Andrew Hammond replaced Condon at the start of the second period. The Ducks extended the lead as Nick Ritchie scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Vermette and Ondrej Kase. Anaheim padded the lead in the third period on a Sami Vatanen power play goal, his second of the year, helped along by Ryan Kesler and Perry. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Vermette, Perry, and Gibson (21 for 22 in saves).

Back east, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Anthony Stolarz and Jimmy Howard are set to start in goal. Philadelphia won 1-0 in overtime on a Brayden Schenn goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Ivan Provorov and Wayne Simmonds. The three stars were given to Stolarz (28 save shutout), Schenn, and Howard (35 for 36 in saves).

In DC, the Washington Capitals host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Braden Holtby draw the starts in goal. Washington began in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom on the power play. The Capitals added on in the second period with a Justin Williams goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Ovechkin. Washington iced it at 3-0 with an empty net goal by Tom Wilson, his second of the campaign, set up by Daniel Winnik and Matt Niskanen. The three stars went to Ovechkin, Holtby (20 save shutout), and Williams.

Northwest to Minnesota, where the Wild bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Devan Dubnyk are in the blue paint. Minnesota got going in the second period on a Matt Dumba goal, his fourth of the season, via Zach Parise. The Wild added on with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Suter and Erik Haula. St. Louis got on the board with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Robby Fabbri and Brad Hunt. Minnesota capped it at 3-1 with a Mikael Granlund goal, his sixth of the year, an empty net goal set up by Nate Prosser and Eric Staal. The three stars were handed to Niederreiter, Dubnyk (22 for 23 in saves), and Dumba.

In Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Scott Darling are between the pipes. Dallas dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Devin Shore goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of John Klingberg and Curtis McKenzie. Chicago tied it with a Marian Hossa goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Ryan Hartman and Vinnie Hinostroza. The Blackhawks took the lead with an unassisted Artem Anisimov goal, his twelfth of the season. Chicago added on in the third period with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars given to Anisimov, Panarin, and Darling (23 for 24 in saves).

Back east, the New York Rangers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Antti Raanta are given the starting nods in goal. New York struck first in the first period with a Chris Kreider goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Klein. The Rangers added on in the second period with a J.T. Miller shorthanded goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Kevin Hayes. New York extended the lead as Brady Skjei scored, thanks to Derek Stepan and Oscar Lindberg. The Rangers padded the lead in the third period on a Brandon Pirri power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Kreider and Ryan McDonagh. New York finished at 5-0 with a Jimmy Vesey power play goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Pirri and Nick Holden. The three stars were awarded to Kreider, Pirri, and Raanta (19 save shutout).

In Toronto, the Maple Leafs host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Antoine Bibeau are set to start in goal. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Matt Duchene and Jarome Iginla. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Tyson Barrie and Varlamov. Toronto got on the board with a Jake Gardiner power play goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Nikita Zaitsev and Mitchell Marner. Colorado iced it at 3-1 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Blake Comeau, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Varlamov (51 for 52 in saves), Mackinnon, and Rantanen.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Cam Talbot protect the nets. Winnipeg drew first blood in the first period with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his second of the season, via Bryan Little and Jacob Trouba. Edmonton tied it in the second period with an Oscar Klefbom goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Tyler Pitlick and Patrick Maroon. The Jets took the lead on a Chris Thorburn goal, his third of the season, made possible by Marko Dano. The Oilers retied it on a Mark Letestu power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Connor McDavid and Milan Lucic in the third period. Edmonton took the lead on another Letestu goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars given to Letestu, Klefbom, and Talbot (29 for 31 in saves).

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 106

Just two games on for the KHL today, beginning with...

Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk welcoming Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Vladimir Sokhatsky and Alexander Sharychenkov are in the blue paint. Yekaterinburg started in the first period with a power play goal by Alexei Vasilevsky, powered by Alexander Romanov and Anatoly Golyshev. The game ended at 1-0, with the three stars going to Sokhatsky (22 save shutout), Vasilevsky, and Sharychenkov (24 for 25 in saves).

The other game features Dinamo Minsk bringing in Medvescak Zagreb. Drew MacIntyre and Kevin Lalande draw the starts in goal. Zagreb opened in the first period with a Jakub Krejcik power play goal, powered by Terry Galiardi. Minsk tied it on a Nikita Komarov power play goal, helped along by Andrei Stepanov and Marc-Andre Gragnani. Dinamo took the lead in the second period with an Alexander Materukhin power play goal, assisted by Matt Ellison. Medvescak retied it on an unassisted Galiardi goal. Minsk regained the lead with a Stepanov goal, via Evgeny Lisovets and Gragnani. Dinamo added on with a Dmitry Ambrozheichik goal, coming off of Ellison and Nick Bailen. Michael Garnett replaced MacIntyre in goal. Minsk extended the lead as Ambrozheichik scored again, with the help of Ellison, who got a sock trick, and Rob Klinkhammer. Dinamo padded the lead with a Materukhin power play goal, his second of the game, guided in by Evgeny Kovyrshin and Gragnani, the latter earning a sock trick. The final held at 6-2, with the three stars given to Ambrozheichik, Materukhin, and Stepanov, while Ellison, Gragnani, and Galiardi get the honorable mentions.

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