Wednesday, December 21, 2016

KHL 2016/17 - Day 113

Seven games on for the Russian league today, beginning in the east with...

Amur Khabarovsk hosting Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Alexander Sharychenkov faces a lesser foe in Ilya Andryukhov in goal. Khanty-Mansiysk opened in the first period with an Artyom Bulyansky goal, passed from Oleg Pogorishny. Ugra added on with an Evgeny Lapenkov goal in the second period, guided in by Anton Kuryanov and Pavel Varfolomeyev. Khabarovsk got on the board with a Denis Orlovich-Grudkov goal, coming off of Anton Krysanov and Dmitry Kirillov. Khanty-Mansiysk shot back with a Bulyansky goal, made possible by Sergei Kuptsov. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Bulyansky, Sharychenkov (36 for 37 in saves), and Lapenkov.

Down to Vladivostok, where Admiral welcomes Barys Astana. Kevin Poulin and Igor Bobkov receive the starts in goal. Astana led off in the first period with a Konstantin Pushkaryov power play goal, powered by Kirill Panyukov and Yegor Shalapov. Barys added on with a Roman Starchenko goal in the second period, assisted by Cam Barker and Martin St. Pierre. Vladivostok got on the board with a Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev goal in the third period, via Robert Sabolic and Mikhail Grigoryev on the power play. Astana shot back with a Dustin Boyd goal, fueled by Brandon Bochenski and Maxim Semyonov. Barys extended the lead as Boyd scored again, thanks to Nikita Ivanov and Corey Trivino. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars going to Boyd, Poulin (30 for 31 in saves), and Starchenko.

West to Novosibirsk, where Sibir brings in Dinamo Minsk. Ben Scrivens and Alexei Krasikov man the nets. Novosibirsk started in the first period with a Maxim Shalunov goal, coming off of Zach Boychuk. Minsk tied it in the second period on an Alexander Pavlovich goal, helped along by Marc-Andre Gragnani and Matt Ellison. Dinamo took the lead with an Andrei Stepanov goal, passed from Roman Graborenko and Kirill Gotovets. Minsk added on with a Dmitry Korobov goal, assisted by Stepanov and Danila Karaban. Danny Taylor replaced Krasikov in goal. The scoring stopped here at 3-1, with the three stars handed to Stepanov, Scrivens (41 for 42 in saves), and Korobov.

Nearby in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg hosts Jokerit Helsinki. Riku Helenius and Andrei Kareyev are the mediocre goalies. Novokuznetsk began in the first period with an Evgeny Solovyov power play goal, powered by Artyom Mikheyev and Alexander Komaristy. Metallurg added on with an Alexander Titov goal, made possible by Konstantin Parkhomenko and Dmitry Akishin. Novokuznetsk extended the lead as Alexei Vasilchenko scored a power play goal, with the help of Fyodor Polishchuk and Alexei Razumov. Helsinki got on the board in the third period with an unassisted goal by Tommi Huhtala. Jokerit got closer with a Jesse Joensuu goal, assisted by Joey Hishon and Sakari Salminen. Helsinki tied it with a Ville Lajunen power play goal, with a lone assist by Peter Regin. Jokerit won 4-3 with a Brian O'Neill power play goal, guided in by Regin and Joensuu. The three stars went to Regin, Joensuu, and O'Neill.

Out in Omsk, Avangard brings in Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Dominik Furch are the masked men. Omsk struck first in the first period with an Anton Burdasov goal, assisted by Nikolai Lemtyugov and Nikita Nikitin. Avangard added on with a Yegor Martynov goal, passed from Vladimir Sobotka. Omsk extended the lead as Ilya Mikheyev scored, with the help of Martynov. Sedlacek was pulled for Janis Kalnins. Riga got on the board with a Maris Bicevskis goal, coming off of Lauris Darzins. Dinamo got closer with a Gints Meija goal, fueled by Uvis Balinskis. Avangard replied in the second period with a Burdasov goal, his second of the game, via Lemtyugov. Omsk padded the lead on a Valentin Pyanov goal, guided in by Erik Gustafsson and Niktia Lisov. Avangard kept going with an unassisted Ivan Fishchenko goal. Omsk continued in the third period with a Lemtyugov goal, helped along by Alexander Kucheryavenko and Gustafsson. Oleg Shilin replaced an injured Furch. Avangard struck again as Lemtyugov scored his second of the game, thanks to Martynov and Kucheryavenko. Omsk got another on a Kucheryavenko goal, made possible by Burdasov and Lemtyugov, the latter earning a sock trick. Riga pulled one back with a Pyotr Schastlivy goal, with a lone assist provided by Mikelis Redlihs. The game ended at 9-3, with the three stars awarded to Lemtyugov, Burdasov, and Kucheryavenko, while Martynov and Gustafsson get the honorable mentions.

Out in Slovakia, Slovan Bratislava welcomes Traktor Chelyabinsk. Pavel Francouz and Barry Brust are set to start in goal. Bratislava got going in the second period with a Michal Hlinka goal, via Lukas Vopelka. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Brust (31 save shutout), Hlinka, and Francouz (26 for 27 in saves).

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Drew MacIntyre are in the creases. Zagreb was first to score with a Francis Pare goal, courtesy of Samson Mahbod. Medvescak added on with a Bobby Butler power play goal, powered by Pare. Zagreb extended the lead in the second period as Alexandre Bolduc scored, with the help of Mike Glumac. Koshechkin was pulled for Artyom Zagidulin. Magnitogorsk got on the board with a Denis Platonov goal, guided in by Dmitry Kazionov. Metallurg got closer with another Platnov goal, helped along by Kazionov and Evgeny Biryukov. Medvescak replied with a Terry Galiardi goal in the third period, assisted by Butler and Mark Katic. Zagreb padded the lead with a power play goal by Lukas Lessio, with a lone assist from Alexandre Giroux. Magnitogorsk pulled back with a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal, with assists provided by Alexander Semin and Jan Kovar. Medvescak iced it at 6-3 with a shorthanded and unassisted Glumac empty net goal. The three stars were Pare, Butler, and Platonov, while Glumac and Kazionov get the honorable mentions.

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Tuesday, December 20, 2016

NHL 2016/17 - Day 69

Twelve games are on the slate for today, beginning in...

Boston, where the Bruins host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Tuukka Rask draw the starts in goal. New York led off in the first period with an Anders Lee goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Islanders added on with a Thomas Hickey goal, his third of the year, via Josh Bailey and Lee. New York extended the lead in the second period as Nikolay Kulemin scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Johnny Boychuk. Anton Khudobin replaced Rask in goal. Boston got on the board in the third period with an Anton Blidh goal, passed from Brandon Carlo and the goalie Khudobin. The Bruins got one back with a Dominic Moore goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Zdeno Chara and Jimmy Hayes. The Islanders iced it at 4-2 with a Lee power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, powered by Bailey and Nick Leddy. The three stars were awarded to Lee, Greiss (48 for 50 in saves), and Bailey.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros is mismatched with Cory Schneider in goal. Nashville began in the first period with a James Neal goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Viktor Arvidsson and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators added on with another Neal goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, assisted by Roman Josi and Arvidsson. Nashville extended the lead as Ekholm scored in the second period, with the help of Craig Smith. The Predators padded the lead in the third period on a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Josi and Ryan Johansen. Nashville kept going with a shorthanded Johansen goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Arvidsson, who got a sock trick, and Ryan Ellis. New Jersey got on the board with a Sergey Kalinin goal, guided in by Andy Greene and Damon Severson. The game ended at 5-1, with the three stars going to Neal, Arvidsson, and Johansen, while Ekholm and Josi get the honorable mentions.

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins bring in the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and Matt Murray are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Ian Cole and Justin Schultz. New York tied it on a Matt Puempel goal, his second of the year, coming off of Marek Hrivik and Nick Holden.The Penguins retook the lead in the second period on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Chris Kunitz and Phil Kessel. Pittsburgh added on with a Kessel power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Malkin and Brian Dumoulin. The Rangers got one back on a Michael Grabner goal, his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello. The Penguins shot back with a Schultz goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Malkin. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Bryan Rust scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Crosby. The Penguins padded the lead on a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Nick Bonino and Kunitz. Pittsburgh iced it at 7-2 with a Bonino goal, his sixth of the campaign, with helpers from Rust and Cole. The three stars went to Malkin, Schultz, and Kessel, while Bonino, Crosby, Rust, Kunitz, and Cole receive the honorable mentions.

In Ohio, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Curtis McElhinney are called on to start in goal. Columbus got going in the second period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Brandon Dubinsky and Boone Jenner. Los Angeles tied it on a Jeff Carter power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Alec Martinez and Drew Doughty. The Blue Jackets retook the lead in the third period on an Atkinson goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, via Dubinsky and David Savard. The Kings tied it on an unassisted Carter goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year. The tie went to a shootout, where Atkinson and Sam Gagner beat Carter for a 3-2 Blue Jackets win. The three stars were awarded to Atkinson, Carter, and Dubinsky.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Jonathan Bernier and Carey Price guard the cages. Anaheim opened in the first period with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Montreal tied it with a Paul Byron goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Jeff Petry and Torrey Mitchell. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his third of the season, coming on the power play from Byron and Artturi Lehkonen. Montreal added on in the third period with a Petry goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens extended the lead as Max Pacioretty scored a power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Petry. Montreal finished it at 5-1 with a Chris Terry goal, via Michael McCarron and Nathan Beaulieu. The three stars were given to Petry, Byron, and Price (12 for 13 in saves).

South to Florida, where the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Ben Bishop are between the pipes. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Brian Boyle goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Anton Stralman and Jonathan Drouin. Andrei Vasilevskiy had to replaced an injured Bishop in the first period. Howard came out injured in the second period, replaced by Petr Mrazek. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Drouin power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Alex Killorn and Tyler Johnson. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Brayden Point scored his third of the season on the power play, thanks to Johnson and Hedman. The Lightning padded the lead with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Killorn and Point. Detroit got on the board in the third period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his fifth of the campaign, helped along by Nick Jensen and Henrik Zetterberg. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars going to Drouin, Point, and Johnson, while Killorn gets an honorable mention.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers host the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Roberto Luongo are set to start in goal. Florida was first to score in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Jaromir Jagr and Jason Demers. The Panthers added on with a Keith Yandle power play goal in the second period, his second of the year, powered by Barkov and Jagr. Buffalo got on the board with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Rasmus Ristolainen and Ryan O'Reilly. The Sabres tied it with an Evander Kane goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Brian Gionta and Cody Franson. Buffalo took the lead in the third period with a Ristolainen goal, his third of the season, via Reinhart. Florida tied it again with a Nick Bjugstad goal, guided in by Barkov and Jagr, the latter earning a sock trick. The tie went to a shootout, where Vincent Trocheck and Barkov tallied goals for a 4-3 Panthers win. The three stars were Jagr, Barkov, and Ristolainen, while Reinhart gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Devan Dubnyk are in the creases. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Charlie Coyle power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Eric Staal and Matt Dumba. The Wild added on with a Mikko Koivu goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, coming off of Dumba and Mikael Granlund. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars going to Dubnyk (18 save shutout), Dumba, and Coyle.

Backtracking to Chicago, where the Blackhawks bring in the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Scott Darling are the goalies in place of inactive regulars. Ottawa began in the first period with a Bobby Ryan goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Kyle Turris. Chicago tied it on an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane. The Senators took the lead back with a Derick Brassard goal, his seventh of the season, via Chris Wideman and Ryan. Ottawa added on with a Tom Pyatt goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Zack Smith. The Blackhawks shot back with a Tyler Motte goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Vinnie Hinostroza and Ryan Hartman. The Senators shot back with a Dion Phaneuf power play goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Turris and Erik Karlsson. Chicago answered in the third period with a Richard Panik goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Kane and Duncan Keith. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars belonging to Ryan, Turris, and Kane.

In Texas, the Dallas Stars host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Antti Niemi are the masked men. Dallas opened in the first period with a Patrick Eaves power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Jason Spezza and John Klingberg. St. Louis tied it with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Paul Stastny and Dmitrij Jaskin. The Stars took the lead back in the second period on a Spezza goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Jiri Hudler and Esa Lindell. The Blues tied it on a Patrik Berglund goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Jay Bouwmeester and Robby Fabbri. St. Louis won 3-2 in overtime on a David Perron goal, his eighth of the campaign, with a lone assist from Schwartz. The three stars were Schwartz, Spezza, and Perron.

In Canada again, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jacob Markstrom are the young goalies. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Blake Wheeler power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Dustin Byfuglien. Vancouver tied it in the second period with a Jannik Hansen goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Henrik Sedin and Alex Biega. The Canucks took the lead in the third period with another Hansen goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, assisted by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. Vancouver added on with a Sven Baertschi goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Canucks finished it at 4-1 with a Bo Horvat empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Luca Sbisa. The three stars belonged to Hansen, Markstrom (31 for 32 in saves), and Henrik Sedin.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Calgary Flames. Chad Johnson and Martin Jones protect the nets. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Patrick Marleau goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on with a Paul Martin goal, his second of the year, via Thornton and Joe Pavelski. San Jose extended the lead as Jonoas Donskoi scored his third of the season, thanks to Tommy Wingels and Pavelski. The Sharks padded the lead on another Donskoi goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Calgary got on the board with a Sam Bennett goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Matthew Tkachuk and Dennis Wideman. The game ended at 4-1, with the three stars given to Donskoi, Thornton, and Pavelski.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 112

Five games on today, all played in the west. We begin with...

Lada Togliatti hosting CSKA Moscow. Ilya Sorokin and Edgars Masalskis are in goal. Togliatti opened in the first period with a Viktor Komarov power play goal, powered by Dmitry Kostromitin. Moscow tied it on a Greg Scott goal, passed from Valery Nichushkin and Alexander Kutuzov. Lada took the lead back with a Kristaps Sotnieks power play goal, guided in by Anton Shenfeld and Nikita Filatov. CSKA tied it in the second period with a Maxim Mamin goal, assisted by Semyon Koshelev. Moscow took the lead on a Kirill Petrov goal in the third period, via Andrei Kuzmenko and Alexander Popov. CSKA added on with a Geoff Platt goal, with a lone assist by Scott. Togliatti pulled back on an Andrei Ivanov power play goal, helped along by Shenfeld and Filatov. Lada tied it as Sotnieks scored his second of the game, with the help of Filatov and Shenfeld, both of whom earned sock tricks. Moscow regained the lead with a Denis Denisov goal, made possible by Dmitry Kugryshev. The game ended at 5-4, with the three stars going to Scott, Filatov, and Shenfeld, while Sotnieks gets an honorable mention.

Over in Cherepovets, Severstal welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Jakub Kovar guard the cages. Cherepovets started in the first period with a Daniil Vovchenko goal, assisted by Yury Trubachyov and Maxim Trunyov. Podolsk tied it on an Alexander Nikulin power play goal, powered by Maxim Afinogenov and Alexei Semenov. Severstal retook the lead in the second period with an unassisted Igor Magogin goal. Cherepovets added on in the third period with an Adam Masuhr goal, via Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Vityaz got one back on a Pavel Lukin goal, passed from Afinogenov and Nikulin. Severstal iced it at 4-2 with a Vojtech Polak goal, with a lone assist by Kagarlitsky. The three stars went to Nikulin, Kagarlitsky, and Afinogenov.

Next up, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosts the Sochi Leopards. Konstantin Barulin and Alexander Sudnitsin man the nets. Yaroslavl began in the first period with an unassisted Emil Galimov goal. Lokomotiv added on with a Denis Mosalyov goal, coming off of Galimov. Dmitry Shikin replaced Barulin in goal. Sochi got on the board in the third period on an Andre Petersson goal, assisted by Mikhail Mamkin and Alexei Pepelyayev. Yaroslavl iced it at 3-1 with a Brandon Kozun empty net goal, set up by Vladislav Gavrikov and Petri Kontiola. The three stars were Galimov, Mosalyov, and Sudnitsin (27 for 28 in saves).

Out in Slovakia, Slovan Bratislava brings in Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg and Barry Brust are between the pipes. Bratislava led off in the first period with a Jonathan Cheechoo goal, helped along by Jeff Taffe and Michal Sersen. Slovan added on in the second period with a Kyle Chipchura goal, assisted by Ziga Jeglic and Ivan Svarny. Bratislava extended the lead in the third period as Cheechoo scored again, thanks to Taffe and Nick Plastino. Ufa got on the board with a Teemu Hartikainen goal, guided in by Linus Omark. Slovan shot back with an Igor Musatov goal, coming off of Marko Halama. The game ended 4-1, with the three stars being Cheechoo, Taffe, and Brust (24 for 25 in saves).

Finally, Dynamo Moscow hosts Spartak Moscow in a cross-town battle. Markus Svensson and Alexander Yeryomenko draw the starts in goal. Dynamo got going in the second period with a Denis Kokarev power play goal, powered by Dmitry Vishnevsky and Konstantin Gorovikov. Dynamo added on in the third period with an Ilya Nikulin goal, via Martins Karsums and Alexei Tereshchenko. Moscow extended the lead as Vishnevsky scored, thanks to Artyom Fyodorov and Alexei Tsvetkov. The game ended 3-0, with the three stars going to Vishnevsky, Yeryomenko (19 save shutout), and Kokarev.

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Monday, December 19, 2016

NHL 2016/17 - Day 68

Just four games on tonight due to a postponement for the Carolina Hurricanes game against the Detroit Red Wings. The ice was unplayable, forcing the game to be rescheduled. We commence with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Steve Mason are the veteran goalies. Philadelphia led off in the first period with an Andrew MacDonald goal, his second of the season, passed from Jakub Voracek and Ivan Provorov. Nashville tied it in the third period on a Filip Forsberg goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Matt Irwin and Mattias Ekholm. The tie went to a shootout, where Ryan Ellis had the only goal for the Predators to win the game 2-1. The three stars were Rinne (31 for 32 in saves), Forsberg, and Mason (30 for 31 in saves).

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson faces former teammate Frederik Andersen in goal. Toronto got going in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Nikita Zaitsev and Zach Hyman. Anaheim tied it with a Ryan Getzlaf power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Sami Vatanen and Cam Fowler. The Ducks took the lead in the third period on a Nick Ritchie goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Ondrej Kase. The Maple Leafs tied it with a Nazem Kadri goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Matt Hunwick. Anaheim regained the lead on a Fowler goal, his ninth of the season, coming on the power play from Ryan Kesler. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Fowler, Ritchie, and Getzlaf.

Down in St. Louis, the Blues bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Carter Hutton draw the starts in goal. St. Louis began in the first period with a Kyle Brodziak goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Kevin Shattenkrik. Edmonton tied it on a Tyler Pitlick goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Leon Draisaitl. The Blues retook the lead with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Robby Fabbri and Colton Parayko. The Oilers tied it again in the third period with a Patrick Maroon goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Brandon Davidson and Draisaitl. Edmonton won 3-2 in overtime with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his sixth of the campaign, passed from Connor McDavid and Andrej Sekera. The three stars were Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, and Maroon.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott and Mike Smith are the masked men. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Christian Dvorak goal, his third of the season, via Josh Jooris. Calgary tied it on a Mikael Backlund power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Matthew Tkachuk in the second period. The Flames took the lead with a Troy Brouwer goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Johnny Gaudreau and Kris Versteeg. The Coyotes tied it with a Ryan White goal, his second of the year, coming off of Dvorak. Calgary regained the lead with a Versteeg power play goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Sean Monahan and Brouwer. The Flames iced it at 4-2 with a T.J. Brodie empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Tkachuk. The three stars were Versteeg, Brouwer, and Dvorak, while Tkachuk gets an honorable mention.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 111

Seven games on for today as the league returns to full strength after a slow week. We begin in...

Khabarovsk, where Amur hosts Barys Astana. Henrik Karlsson and Juha Metsola are the masked men. Khabarovsk got going in the second period with a Tomas Zohorna goal, assisted by Jan Kolar. Astana tied it with a Nigel Dawes power play goal, powered by Brandon Bochenski and Dustin Boyd in the third period. Barys took the lead with an unassisted Roman Starchenko goal. This made it a 2-1 result for Barys, with the three stars going to Starchenko, Karlsson (25 for 26 in saves), and Dawes.

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Ivan Lisutin and Ivan Nalimov draw the starts in goal. Vladivostok dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Vladimir Tkachyov goal, passed from Robert Sabolic and Artyom Zemchyonok. Yekaterinburg tied it on a Rok Ticar goal, via Pavel Turbin and Nikolai Timashov. Avtomobilit took the lead in the third period on another Ticar goal, guided in by Alexei Vasilevsky and Anatoly Golyshev. Yekaterinburg iced it at 3-1 with a shorthanded empty net goal from Petr Koukal, set up by Artyom Gareyev. The three stars went to Ticar, Lisutin (33 for 34 in saves), and Koukal.

In China, Kunlun Red Star Beijing brings in Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Vladislav Fokin and Tomi Karhunen play goal. Beijing opened in the first period with a Tuukka Mantyla goal, assisted by Linus Videll and Janne Jalasvaara. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it on a Konstantin Panov goal, fueled by Anton Korolyov. Ugra took the lead with an Alexander Akmaldinov power play goal, powered by Nikita Dvurechensky. Kunlun Red Star tied it in the third period on a shorthanded Tomi Sallinen goal, set up by Jalasvaara and Mantyla. Beijing won 3-2 in the shootout with a Damien Fleury tally. The three stars went to Mantyla, Sallinen, and Jalasvaara.

Back in Russia, Sibir Novosibirsk hosts Dinamo Riga. Janis Kalnins and Danny Taylor man the nets. Novosibirsk started in the first period with an unassisted goal by Sergei Shumakov. Sibir added on with a Stepan Sannikov power play, powered by Adam Polasek and Joonas Kemppainen in the second period. Riga got on the board with a Roberts Lipsbergs goal in the third period, going in unassisted. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars given to Taylor (22 for 23 in saves), Sannikov, and Shumakov.

Nearby in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg welcomes Dinamo Minsk. Ben Scrivens and Vladislav Podyapolsky are in the creases. Minsk led off in the first period with a Rob Klinkhammer power play goal, powered by Matt Ellison. Dinamo added on in the third period with a shorthanded Evgeny Kovyrshin goal, set up by Klinkhammer. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars being Klinkhammer, Scrivens (19 save shutout), and Kovyrshin.

West to Omsk, where Avangard brings in Jokerit Helsinki. Ryan Zapolski and Dominik Furch protect the nets. Omsk drew first blood in the third period with a Valentin Pyanov goal, fueled by Ilya Mikheyev. Helsinki tied it on a Ville Lajunen goal, courtesy of Peter Regin and Brian O'Neill. Avangard won 2-1 in overtime with a Mikhail Yunkov goal, via David Booth and Yegor Martynov. The three stars belonged to Furch (21 for 22 in saves), Yunkov, and Pyanov.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vasily Demchenko and Drew MacIntyre receive the starting nods in goal. Zagreb began in the first period with a Tomas Mertl goal, made possible by Mark Katic. Chelyabinsk tied it in the third period with a Derek Roy goal, fueled by Jiri Novotny and Maxim Yakutsenya. Traktor took the lead with an Alexei Petrov goal, via Yakutsenya and Alexei Kruchinin. Chelyabinsk added on with an Alexander Sharov shorthanded goal, set up by Roy. Medvescak got one back with a Francis Pare power play goal, powered by Bobby Butler. The game ended at 3-2, with the three stars going to Roy, Yakutsenya, and Sharov.

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Sunday, December 18, 2016

NHL 2016/17 - Day 67

Six games on today, with three of them being matinees. The first is in...

Boston, where the Bruins host the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Tuukka Rask are the goalies. Boston led off in the first period with a Jimmy Hayes goal, his second of the season, assisted by Colin Miller and Dominic Moore. This held up throughout the game for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Rask (18 save shutout), Hayes, and Budaj (29 for 30 in saves).

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg got going in the second period on a Patrik Laine goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Mark Scheifele and Paul Postma. The Jets added on in the third period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his ninth of the year, via Mathieu Perreault and Bryan Little. Winnipeg extended the lead as Nikolaj Ehlers scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Scheifele and Laine. Colorado got on the board with a Jarome Iginla power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Matt Duchene. The Jets iced it at 4-1 with an Ehlers empty net goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, set up by Laine and Jacob Trouba. The three stars went to Laine, Ehlers, and Scheifele, while Hellebuyck (27 for 28 in saves) gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Vancouver, where the Canucks bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Ryan Miller draw the starts. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Zach Werenski and Alexander Wennberg. The Blue Jackets added on with a Brandon Saad power play goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Scott Hartnell and Brandon Dubinsky. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Brandon Sutter power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Sven Baertschi and Troy Stecher. The Canucks tied it on a Daniel Sedin goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Henrik Sedin. Columbus retook the lead with another Saad goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, made possible by Wennberg and Nick Foligno. Vancouver tied it on a Jannik Hansen goal, his third of the year, via Bo Horvat. The Blue Jackets won 4-3 in overtime on a Seth Jones goal, his fifth of the campaign, courtesy of Atkinson. The three stars went to Saad, Atkinson, and Wennberg.

In Chicago, the Blackhawks host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Scott Darling man the nets. San Jose began in the second period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off Brent Burns and Paul Martin. Chicago tied it on a Duncan Keith goal, made possible by Artemi Panarin. The Blackhawks took the lead in the third period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his sixth of the year, via Vinnie Hinostroza. Chicago added on with a Hinostroza goal, his third of the season, via Trevor van Riemsdyk and Hartman. The Blackhawks iced it at 4-1 with a Patrick Kane goal, his tenth of the year, an empty net goal set up by Panarin and Jonathan Toews. The three stars went to Hartman, Hinostroza, and Panarin.

East to Brooklyn, where the New York Islanders welcome the Ottawa Senators. Andrew Hammond and Jean-Francois Berube are the little-known goalies. Ottawa started in the first period with a Bobby Ryan goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Kyle Turris and Ryan Dzingel. The Senators added on with a Zack Smith goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Mark Stone and Erik Karlsson. New York got on the board in the second period with an Anders Lee goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Josh Bailey. The Islanders tied it on an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his third of the year, helped along by Travis Hamonic. Ottawa retook the lead with a Stone power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Karlsson and Dion Phaneuf. The Senators extended the lead as Derick Brassard scored in the third period, his sixth of the season, thanks to Stone and Smith. Ottawa padded the lead on a shorthanded and unassisted Smith empty net goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season. The Senators iced it at 6-2 with a Tom Pyatt empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Chris Kelly. The three stars were given to Stone, Smith, and Karlsson.

Finally, the New York Rangers bring in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Henrik Lundqvist guard the cages. New Jersey opened in the second period with a P.A. Parenteau power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Kyle Palmieri and Damon Severson. New York tied it in the third period with a Chris Kreider goal, his ninth of the year, via Mats Zuccarello and Brady Skjei. The Devils took the lead back with a Miles Wood goal, his third of the season, guided in by Adam Henrique and Palmieri. The Rangers tied it again with a Derek Stepan goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Ryan McDonagh and Kevin Klein. The tie went to a shootout where Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes topped Michael Cammalleri for a 3-2 Rangers lead. The three stars went to Zuccarello, Palmieri, and Hayes.

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Saturday, December 17, 2016

NHL 2016/17 - Day 66

Ten games on throughout the day today, beginning with a pair of matinees. The first is in...

Dallas, where the Stars host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Antti Niemi are in goal. Philadelphia began with a Taylor Leier goal in the first period, passed from Nick Cousins. Dallas tied it in the second period on a Radek Faksa goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Antoine Roussel and Brett Ritchie. The Stars took the lead in the third period with an Adam Cracknell goal, his fourth of the year, via John Klingberg and Tyler Seguin. Dallas iced it at 3-1 with a Jordie Benn empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Jamie Benn and Faksa. The three stars were Faksa, Niemi (31 for 32 in saves), and Cracknell.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Darcy Kuemper man the nets. Minnesota opened in the first period on a Ryan Suter power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Eric Staal and Zach Parise. The Wild added on with a Tyler Graovac goal in the second period, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Minnesota extended the lead in the third period as Chris Stewart scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Jared Spurgeon. Arizona got on the board with a Brendan Perlini goal, his second of the year, via Christian Dvorak and Connor Murphy. The Wild capped their win at 4-1 with a Staal empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Charlie Coyle and Mikko Koivu. The three stars went to Staal, Kuemper (27 for 28 in saves), and Graovac.

At the regular time, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Jonathan Bernier and Petr Mrazek are called on to start in goal. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Rickard Rakell power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm. The Ducks added on with a Shea Theodore power play goal, coming off of Ryan Kesler and Ryan Getzlaf. Detroit got on the board with a Tomas Tatar goal, his fifth of the year, via Mike Green and Anthony Mantha. Anaheim shot back in the second period on a Cam Fowler goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Andrew Cogliano and Kesler. The Red Wings answered with a Tatar goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, helped along by Xavier Ouellet and Jonathan Ericsson. Detroit tied it with a Dylan Larkin goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Luke Glendening and Riley Sheahan. The Red Wings gained the lead with an Ouellet goal, fueled by Thomas Vanek and Gustav Nyquist. Detroit extended the lead in the third period against replacement goalie John Gibson as Tatar finished his hat trick on his seventh of the year, thanks to Henrik Zetterberg and Mantha. The Ducks shot back with another Rakell goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Red Wings iced it at 6-4 with a Frans Nielsen goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Ryan Sproul and Vanek. The three stars were Tatar, Ouellet, and Rakell, while Vanek, Kesler, and Mantha receive the honorable mentions.

Southeast to Raleigh, where the Carolina Hurricanes host the Buffalo Sabres. Anders Nilsson and Cam Ward are set to start in goal. Carolina started in the first period with a Joakim Nordstrom goal, his third of the season, passed from Jay McClement and Brett Pesce. Buffalo tied it in the third period on an Evander Kane goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Jake McCabe and Marcus Foligno. The tie went to a shootout, where Lee Stempniak and Sebastian Aho tallied to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 win. The three stars went to Nordstrom, Ward (23 for 24 in saves), and Nilsson (21 for 22 in saves).

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Mike Condon are the backups in goal. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Bobby Ryan goal, his fifth of the season, via Chris Kelly and Ryan Dzingel. New Jersey tied it with a John Moore goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Michael Cammalleri and Travis Zajac. The Senators took the lead back in the second period on a Derick Brassard goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Zack Smith and Mark Stone. Ottawa added on in the third period with a Smith empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Kelly. The three stars went to Smith, Kelly, and Condon (29 for 30 in saves).

Staying in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Frederik Andersen make the starts in goal. Fleury had an injury scare when a skate caught him in the face, but he was able to return, with Matt Murray spelling him. Pittsburgh was first to score in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Justin Schultz and Sidney Crosby. Toronto tied it on a Nikita Zaitsev goal, passed from Mitchell Marner and James van Riemsdyk. The Maple Leafs won 2-1 in overtime with a Jake Gardiner goal, his sixth of the year, via Marner. The three stars went to Marner, Andersen (33 for 34 in saves), and Fleury (41 for 43 in saves).

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Montreal led off in the first period with an unassisted Artturi Lehkonen goal, his sixth of the season. Washington tied it on a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, powered by Justin Williams and Alex Ovechkin. The Canadiens retook the lead with a Jeff Petry goal, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Max Pacioretty and Phillip Danault. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Price (20 for 21 in saves), Petry, and Lehkonen.

To the Midwest, where the St. Louis Blues welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Jake Allen are in the blue paint. St. Louis began in the first period with a Patrik Berglund goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Joel Edmundson. Chicago tied it on a Dennis Rasmussen goal, his third of the year, via Richard Panik and Marcus Kruger. The Blues took the lead back in the second period with a Kyle Brodziak goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Ryan Reaves and Edmundson. The Blackhawks retied it on a Patrick Kane goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Trevor van Riemsdyk. St. Louis took the lead back on another Berglund goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, assisted by Alexander Steen and David Perron. Chicago tied it again as Brian Campbell scored his third of the year, thanks to Artemi Panarin and Kane. The Blues regained the lead with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Edmundson, who got a sock trick, and Jori Lehtera. The Blackhawks tied it once more in the third period with a Niklas Hjalmarsson goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Panarin and Kruger. Chicago took the lead on a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his second of the season, fueled by Brent Seabrook and Marian Hossa. The Blackhawks finished it at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Panarin, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Duncan Keith. The three stars went to Panarin, Kane, and Berglund, while Edmundson and Kruger get the honorable mentions.

In Nashville, the Predators bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist faces a lesser foe in Juuse Saros in goal. New York started in the first period with a Rick Nash goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Kevin Hayes and Nick Holden. Nashville tied it on an unassisted Mike Fisher goal in the second period, his ninth of the year. The tie went to a shootout, where Jimmy Vesey and Mats Zuccarello tallied for a 2-1 Rangers win. The three stars went to Lundqvist (31 for 32 in saves), Saros (26 for 27 in saves), and Nash.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Edmonton got going in the second period with a Milan Lucic power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Andrej Sekera. Tampa Bay tied it on a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his seventh of the year, via Victor Hedman and Brayden Point. The Lightning took the lead with a Tyler Johnson goal in the third period, his ninth of the season, assisted by Cory Conacher and Nikita Nesterov. The Oilers retied it on a Draisaitl power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Mark Letestu and Sekera. The tie went to a shootout, where Letestu and Connor McDavid topped Drouin for a 3-2 Oilers win. The three stars went to Draisaitl, Letestu, and Sekera, while Drouin gets the honorable mention.

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