NHL 2016/17 - Day 76

Just four games on for New Year's Eve Eve, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Cam Ward man the nets. Chicago led off in the first period with a Michal Kempny goal, via Jonathan Toews and Ryan Hartman. Carolina tied it with an Elias Lindholm goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Jordan Staal and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Lee Stempniak goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. Carolina added on in the third period with an unassisted Jay McClement goal, his second of the season. The Blackhawks got one back with a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Toews and Kempny. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars being Kempny, Toews, and McClement.

West to St. Louis, where the Blues welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros is mismatched with Jake Allen in goal. Nashville got going in the second period with a Yannick Weber goal, fueled by Craig Smith and Mike Ribeiro. The Predators added on with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Ribeiro and Ryan Johansen. Nashville extended the lead as Viktor Arvidsson scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Matt Irwin and Mike Fisher. The Predators padded the lead in the third period on a Colin Wilson power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Forsberg and Ryan Ellis. The game ended at 4-0, with the three stars going to Saros (25 save shutout), Forsberg, and Ribeiro.

Out in California, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Aaron Dell are the goalies. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Kevin Labanc and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Anthony Stolarz replaced Mason in goal for the start of the second period. The Sharks added on in the third period with a Justin Braun goal, his second of the year, helped along by Joe Pavelski and Marleau. The final held at 2-0, with the three stars awarded to Dell (21 save shutout), Marleau, and Braun.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Ryan Miller draw the starts in goal. Anaheim began in the first period with a Ryan Getzlaf shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Joseph Cramarossa and Josh Manson. The Ducks added on with a Hampus Lindholm goal, his second of the year, assisted by Corey Perry and Cam Fowler. Vancouver got on the board with a power play goal by Ben Hutton, his fifth of the season, powered by Bo Horvat and Markus Granlund. The Canucks tied it in the third period on a Jack Skille goal, his fourth of the year, via Sven Baertschi and Alexander Edler. Vancouver won 3-2 in overtime with a Henrik Sedin goal, his ninth of the campaign, made possible by Loui Eriksson. The three stars went to Sedin, Skille, and Hutton.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 75

Twelve games on for today, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Robin Lehner are the masked men. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Jack Eichel and Matt Moulson. The Sabres added on with a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Moulson and Sam Reinhart. Boston got on the board in the second period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Brad Marchand and Torey Krug. The Bruins tied it with a David Krejci power play goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Frank Vatrano. Boston took the lead in the third period with a Ryan Spooner goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Krejci and Vatrano. The Bruins iced it at 4-2 with a Spooner empty net goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Krejci, Spooner, and Vatrano, while Moulson gets an honorable mention.

In DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid is mismatched with Braden Holtby in goal. New Jersey got going in the second period with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. Washington tied it in the third period with a shorthanded Daniel Winnik goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Jay Beagle and John Carlson. In the shootout, the Devils saw Michael Cammalleri and Jacob Josefson score to take the win 2-1. The three stars went to Kinkaid (43 for 44 in saves), Cammalleri, and Holtby (26 for 27 in saves).

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Antoine Bibeau and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in the blue paint. Toronto began in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Zach Hyman. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Tyler Bozak goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of James van Riemsdyk and Nikita Zaitsev. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Brian Boyle goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jonathan Drouin and Andrej Sustr. The Lightning tied it on an Ondrej Palat goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Nikita Kucherov. Toronto won 3-2 in overtime with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, with helpers from William Nylander and Matthews. The three stars were Matthews, Kadri, and Bozak.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers host the Montreal Canadiens. Backups Al Montoya and James Reimer play goal. Florida opened in the first period with a Jason Demers goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Jussi Jokinen and Jonathan Marchessault. Montreal tied it in the second period with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Alexander Radulov and Nathan Beaulieu. The Panthers retook the lead on a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his tenth of the season, via Keith Yandle. The Canadiens tied it in the third period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Phillip Danault. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with a Danault goal, his seventh of the campaign, helped along by Pacioretty. The three stars went to Danault, Pacioretty, and Gallagher.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Detroit Red Wings on Daniel Alfredsson night. Jared Coreau and Mike Condon are the little-known goalies. Detroit started in the first period with a Thomas Vanek goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Brendan Smith and Frans Nielsen. Ottawa tied it on a Derick Brassard goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Mike Hoffman. The Senators took the lead in the second period with a Mark Stone goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Brassard. The Red Wings tied it on a Tomas Tatar goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Henrik Zetterberg and Nick Jensen. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime on an Anthony Mantha goal, his seventh of the campaign, coming off of Niklas Kronwall. The three stars were Brassard, Mantha, and Tatar. 

Down in Nashville, the Predators bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Pekka Rinne guard the cages. Chicago struck first in the first period with an Artem Anisimov power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Duncan Keith and Artemi Panarin. Nashville tied it on a Filip Forsberg goal, his seventh of the year, via Ryan Johansen. The Predators took the lead in the third period with a Mike Fisher power play goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Mattias Ekholm and Johansen. The Blackhawks retied it on a Jonathan Toews power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane. Chicago took the lead with a Kane goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Kane, Toews, and Johansen. 

Back in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Michael Hutchinson are in the creases. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period with a Shawn Matthias goal, his third of the season, via Jacob Trouba and Adam Lowry. Columbus tied it on a Brandon Saad goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Nick Foligno. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Foligno goal, his twelfth of the season, a power play goal powered by Zach Werenski and Sam Gagner. Columbus added on in the second period with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Foligno. The Blue Jackets extended the lead in the third period as Wennberg scored a power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, with the help of Werenski and Seth Jones. The Jets got one back with a Bryan Little power play goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Drew Stafford and Blake Wheeler. Columbus replied with a Lukas Sedlak goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Jack Johnson. Winnipeg countered with a Mathieu Perreault power play goal, his third of the year, made possible by Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. The final held from here at 5-3, with the three stars given to Foligno, Wennberg, and Werenski, while Wheeler gets an honorable mention.

Across the border, the Minnesota Wild welcome the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Devan Dubnyk protect the nets. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Marco Scandella goal, his second of the season, coming off of Mikael Granlund and Christian Folin. New York tied it on Jason Chimera goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Andrew Ladd and Thomas Hickey. The Islanders took the lead with a second period Nick Leddy power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by John Tavares and Josh Bailey. The Wild tied it on a Chris Stewart goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Jason Pominville and Ryan Suter. Minnesota took the lead with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Mikko Koivu and Suter. The Wild added on with a Jordan Schroeder goal, his second of the year, fueled by Jonas Brodin and Zach Parise. New York got one back in the third period with a Brock Nelson goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Shane Prince and Johnny Boychuk. The Islanders tied it on another Nelson goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, made possible by Calvin de Haan and Dennis Seidenberg. Minnesota took the lead back with an Erik Haula goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle. The Wild iced it at 6-4 with a Granlund empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Eric Staal and Koivu. The three stars were given to Granlund, Nelson, and Suter, while Koivu gets an honorable mention.

South to Texas, where the Dallas Stars bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Kari Lehtonen play goal. Dallas began in the first period with a Devin Shore goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Lauri Korpikoski and Patrick Eaves. The Stars added on with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza. Colorado got on the board with a Matt Duchene goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Mikko Rantanen and Tyson Barrie. Dallas replied in the second period with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his fourth of the year, via Seguin and Benn. The Avalanche got one back in the third period with a Mikhail Grigorenko goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Barrie and Duchene. The Stars iced it at 4-2 with a Seguin empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Spezza. The three stars were Seguin, Benn, and Spezza, while Duchene and Barrie get the honorable mentions.

In Alberta, the Calgary Flames host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Chad Johnson receive the starting nods in goal. Calgary opened in the first period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Matthew Tkachuk and Deryk Engelland. Anaheim tied it in the second period with an Antoine Vermette power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Corey Perry and Kevin Bieksa. The Ducks took the lead in the third period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Ryan Kesler and Korbinian Holzer. Anaheim added on with a power play goal by Rickard Rakell, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Vermette and Kesler. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars handed to Vermette, Kesler and Gibson (31 for 32 in saves).

Also in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Cam Talbot are between the pipes. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Patrick Maroon power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Jordan Eberle and Matthew Benning. Los Angeles tied it in the third period with a Nick Shore goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Oilers took the lead back with an Eric Gryba goal, passed from Eberle and Milan Lucic. Edmonton won 3-1 with an empty net goal by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Leon Draisaitl. The three stars were Eberle, Gryba, and Talbot (28 for 29 in saves).

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and Mike Smith are all padded up in goal. New York started in the first period with a Matt Puempel power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Jimmy Vesey. The Rangers added on with a Nick Holden power play goal, his seventh of the year, via J.T. Miller and Jimmy Hayes. Arizona got on the board with a Christian Dvorak goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Connor Murphy and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. New York replied in the second period with a Chris Kreider goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Holden and Mats Zuccarello. The Coyotes pulled back with an Anthony Duclair goal, his third of the season, passed from Lawson Crouse and Jakob Chychrun. Arizona tied it on a Tobias Rieder power play goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, coming off of Radim Vrbata and Martin Hanzal. The Rangers retook the lead on another Puempel power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, with helpers from Ryan McDonagh and Hayes. New York extended the lead with a Miller empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Hayes, who got a sock trick, and Jesper Fast. The Rangers finished it at 6-3 with a Puempel power play goal, completing his hat trick on his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Brandon Pirri and Marek Hrivik. The three stars were awarded to Puempel, Hayes, and Miller.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 121

Five games on for the last KHL game day of the calendar year. We begin in...

China, with Kunlun Red Star Beijing hosting Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Tomi Karhunen are the goalies. Beijing started in the first period with a Sean Collins power play goal, powered by Chad Rau. Vladivostok tied it on a Yegor Yakovlev goal, passed from Mikhail Plotnikov and Alexander Gorshkov. Admiral took the lead with a Maxim Kazakov goal, assisted by Damir Zhafyarov and Pavel Makarenko. Vladivostok added on in the third period with a James Wright goal, made possible by Vladimir Tkachyov and Robert Sabolic. Admiral extended the lead as Sabolic scored, thanks to Tkachyov. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Sabolic, Bobkov (37 for 38 in saves), and Tkachyov.

In Russia, Salavat Yulaev Ufa welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Andrei Gavrilov receive the starting nods in goal. Magnitogorsk opened in the first period with an Oskar Osala power play goal, powered by Tommi Santala and Tomas Filippi. Metallurg added on with an Osala power play goal, coming off of Alexei Bereglazov and Santala. Magnitogorsk extended the lead in the second period on a Jan Kovar goal, going in unassisted. Ufa got on the board with a Linus Omark power play goal, helped along by Tomas Mertl. Salavat Yulaev got closer with an unassisted Denis Kulyash goal. Ufa tied it in the third period on a Teemu Hartikainen power play goal, via Sami Lepisto. Metallurg answered with a Santala goal, passed from Evgeny Biryukov and Alexander Semin. Magnitogorsk iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Evgeny Timkin, set up by Filippi. The three stars were Osala, Santala, and Filippi.

West to St. Petersburg, where SKA hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Igor Shestyorkin tend the twines. Yaroslavl led off in the first period with a Petri Kontiola goal, with a lone assist by Staffan Kronwall. Lokomotiv added on in the second period with a Brandon Kozun goal, via Maxime Talbot. St. Petersburg got on the board with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal in the third period, coming off of Alexander Barabanov and Vyacheslav Voynov. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Murygin (46 for 47 in saves), Kozun, and Kontiola.

Backtracking to Kazan, where Ak Bars brings in Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Stanislav Galimov are in the creases. Cherepovets began in the first period with an Arseny Khatsei goal, going in unassisted. Severstal added on with an Anton Sizov goal, guided in by Adam Masuhr and Vladislav Kodola. Kazan tied it in the second period on a Vasily Tokranov power play goal, powered by Justin Azevedo and Jiri Sekac. Ak Bars tied it on a Sekac goal, made possible by Alexander Svitov and Tokranov. Kazan took the lead with a Stefan Elliott goal, assisted by Tokranov and Azevedo. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Sekac, Tokranov, and Azevedo.

Finally, Vityaz Podolsk hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Andrei Kareyev and Igor Saprykin are between the pipes. Podolsk got going in the second period with a Maxim Afinogenov power play goal, powered by Igor Golovkov and Alexander Nikulin. Nizhnekamsk tied it on a Richard Gynge goal, via Nikita Kvartalnov and Gilbert Brule. Neftekhimik took the lead on an Igor Polygalov goal, fueled by Igor Bortnikov and Gennady Stolyarov. Nizhnekamsk added on in the third period with a Brule power play goal, guided in by Kirill Lyamin and Gynge. Neftekhimik extended the lead as Polygalov scored again, thanks to Bortnikov. Vityaz got one back with an Alexei Makeyev goal, passed from Afinogenov and Alexei Semenov. Nizhnekamsk finished it at 5-2 with a Bortnikov goal, with a lone assist by Stolyarov. The the three stars were Polygalov, Gynge, and Brule, while Bortnikov, Stolyarov, and Afinogenov earned honorable mentions.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 74

Just five games on for today, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Matt Murray draw the starts in goal. Carolina led off in the first period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his third of the season, assisted by Noah Hanifin and Ryan Murphy. The Penguins tied it on a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, courtesy of Justin Schultz and Conor Sheary in the second period. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Lee Stempniak goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho. Marc-Andre Fleury replaced Murray at the start of the third period. The Penguins tied it in the third period on a Chris Kunitz goal, his third of the year, helped along by Phil Kessel and Nick Bonino. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Carl Hagelin goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Patric Hornqvist and Trevor Daley. The game ended 3-2, with the three stars being Hagelin, Kunitz, and Crosby.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Roberto Luongo man the nets. Toronto began in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Connor Brown and Zach Hyman. The Maple Leafs added on with a William Nylander power play goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, powered by Matthews and Jake Gardiner. Florida got on the board in the third period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Keith Yandle and Vincent Trocheck. The Panthers tied it on a Trocheck goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Jakub Kindl and Marchessault. Toronto won 3-2 in the shootout, where Mitchell Marner scored the only goal. The three stars went to Matthews, Marchessault, and Trocheck.

Staying in the state, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Montreal opened in the first period with an Alexander Radulov goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Paul Byron. Tampa Bay tied it on a Tyler Johnson goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. The Canadiens took the lead with a Shea Weber power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Byron and Max Pacioretty. Montreal added on with a Chris Terry goal in the second period, his second of the year, helped along by Daniel Carr and Michael McCarron. The Lightning got one back with a Victor Hedman goal in the third period, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Kucherov. Tampa Bay tied it with a Palat goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Hedman and Brayden Point. The Lightning won 4-3 in overtime with a Johnson goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, with helpers from Jason Garrison and the goalie Vasilevskiy. The three stars went to Johnson, Palat, and Hedman, while Kucherov and Byron get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Carter Hutton are given the starting nods in goal. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Travis Konecny and Brayden Schenn. St. Louis tied it on a Kevin Shattenkirk power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Alexander Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues took the lead with a Robby Fabbri power play goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Colton Parayko. The Flyers tied it on a second period Nick Cousins goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Ivan Provorov and Konecny. Philadelphia took the lead in the third period with a Schenn power play goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Shayne Gostisbehere and Simmonds. St. Louis retied it on a David Perron goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Parayko. The Blues took the lead with a Scottie Upshall goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Joel Edmundson and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis added on with a Fabbri goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, made possible by Patrik Berglund and Dmitrij Jaskin. The Blues iced it at 6-3 with a Fabbri empty net goal, his eleventh of the campaign giving him a hat trick, set up by Jaskin and Paul Stastny. The three stars were Fabbri, Schenn, and Simmonds, while Konecny, Jaskin, and Parayko get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Ryan Miller are between the pipes. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Loui Eriksson power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Bo Horvat and Ben Hutton. The Canucks added on in the second period with a Henrik Sedin goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Troy Stecher. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his eighth of the season, via Jeff Carter. The final stayed at 2-1, with the three stars going to Miller (36 for 37 in saves), Sedin, and Eriksson.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 120

Four games on for today, beginning with...

Metallurg Novokuznetsk hosting Sibir Novosibirsk. Ivan Nalimov and Vladislav Podyapolsky are the goalies. Novosibirsk got going in the third period with a Konstantin Okulov goal, going in unassisted. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Okulov, Nalimov (15 save shutout), and Podyapolsky (34 for 35 in saves).

Out to Kazakhstan, where Barys Astana welcomes Avangard Omsk. Dominik Furch and Henrik Karlsson are the masked men. Omsk led off in the first period with an Ilya Zubov goal, assisted by Maxim Pestushko. Astana tied it on a Kirill Panyukov goal in the third period, helped along by Roman Savchenko and Brendan Shinnimin. Barys took the lead with a Martin St. Pierre goal, via Shinnimin and Savchenko. Astana iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Konstantin Pushkaryov, set up by Ivan Kuchin. The three stars were Karlsson (14 for 15 in saves), Shinnimin, and Savchenko.

In Moscow, CSKA brings in cross-town rivals Dynamo. Alexander Zalivin and Viktor Fasth man the nets. CSKA began in the first period with an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, passed from Vladimir Zharkov and Andrei Svetlakov. Dynamo tied it on a Martins Karsums power play goal, powered by Alexei Tereshchenko and Dmitry Vishnevsky. CSKA retook the lead in the second period on an Artyom Blazhiyevsky goal, via Dmitry Kugryshev and Maxim Mamin. Dynamo retied it with a Yakov Rylov goal, going in unassisted. Dynamo retook the lead in the third period on a Juuso Hietanen power play goal, with assists provided by Vishnevsky and Lukas Kaspar. CSKA tied it on a Svetlakov goal, assisted by Geoff Platt and Mamin. CSKA took the lead with another Svetlakov goal, coming off of Blazhiyevsky and Kuzmenko. CSKA iced it at 5-3 with a Bogdan Kiselevich power play goal, fueled by Ivan Telegin and Nikita Pivtsakin. The three stars went to Svetlakov, Blazhiyevsky, and Kuzmenko, while Mamin and Vishnevsky get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Sochi Leopards host Spartak Moscow. Markus Svensson and Konstantin Barulin are in the creases. Moscow dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Lukas Radil power play goal, powered by Tim Stapleton. Spartak added on with a Vsevolod Sorokin goal, assisted by Denis Tolpeko. Moscow extended the lead as Ryan Stoa scored a power play goal, thanks to Matthew Gilroy. Spartak padded the lead with an Igor Mirnov goal, helped along by Alexander Vasilyev and Maxim Potapov. Dmitry Shikin replaced Barulin in goal. Sochi got on the board with an Ivan Zakharchuk goal, via Mikhail Mamkin and Eric O'Dell. The game ended 4-1, with the three stars belonging to Svensson (40 for 41 in saves), Sorokin, and Stoa.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 73

After the three days off for Christmas, the NHL is back. We begin with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Antti Raanta are the backups in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Mark Borowiecki goal, assisted by Mike Hoffman and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Senators added on with a Zack Smith goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone. New York got on the board with a Nick Holden goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Ryan McDonagh and Kevin Hayes. Ottawa replied with a Cody Ceci goal, passed from Hoffman and Pageau. The Rangers countered with a Derek Stepan goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Chris Kreider and McDonagh in the second period. New York tied it on a Stepan power play goal, his second of the and ninth of the year, powered by Mats Zuccarello and McDonagh, who earned a sock trick. The Rangers took the lead in the third period on a Holden goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season via Brady Skjei and Matt Puempel. The game ended at 4-3, with the three stars belonging to Holden, Stepan, and McDonagh, while Hoffman and Pageau get the honorable mentions.

Across town in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jaroslav Halak protect the nets. New York opened in the first period with a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his third of the season, made possible by Nikolay Kulemin and Ryan Strome. Washington tied it on a Justin Williams goal, his eighth of the year, via Alex Ovechkin and Dmitry Orlov. The Islanders took the lead in the second period with an Andrew Ladd goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Thomas Hickey and Alan Quine. The Capitals tied it again in the third period on an Ovechkin goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Williams and Evgeny Kuznetsov. New York took the lead back on a Ladd goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, passed from Quine and Hickey. The Jets added on with an unassisted Anders Lee goal, his thirteenth of the year. Washington pulled back with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Jay Beagle and Matt Niskanen. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars going to Ladd, Ovechkin, and Williams, while Hickey and Quine get the honorable mentions.

Out to New Jersey, where the Devils bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Cory Schneider are the masked men. New Jersey led off in the first period with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Taylor Hall. Pittsburgh retied it on an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel. The Devils took the lead with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac. The Penguins tied it again with a Crosby goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Conor Sheary. Pittsburgh tied it on a Justin Schultz goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Malkin and Crosby. The Penguins added on with a Carl Hagelin goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Chad Ruhwedel. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Bryan Rust, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Nick Bonino and Hagelin. The three stars belonged to Crosby, Malkin, and Hagelin.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Columbus began in the first period with a Scott Hartnell goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Lukas Sedlak and Sam Gagner. The Blue Jackets added on with a Seth Jones goal, his sixth of the year, via Hartnell and Brandon Saad. Columbus extended the lead as Matt Calvert scored his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Josh Anderson. Boston got on the board with a David Backes goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of David Krejci. The Bruins got closer with an Austin Czarnik goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Riley Nash and Torey Krug. Boston tied it on a Krejci goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, guided in by Ryan Spooner and Backes. The Blue Jackets retook the lead with a Nick Foligno power play goal in the third period, his eleventh of the season, powered by Alexander Wennberg and Zach Werenski. The game ended at 4-3, with the three stars being Hartnell, Backes, and Krejci.

In Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Petr Mrazek are in the creases. Buffalo struck first in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Brian Gionta and Zach Bogosian. The Sabres added on with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Jack Eichel. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his seventh of the season, via Steve Ott and Anthony Mantha. Buffalo retook the lead with an Eichel goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Marcus Foligno. The Red Wings pulled back on a Drew Miller goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Dylan Larkin. Detroit tied it in the third period with an unassisted Thomas Vanek power play goal, his sixth of the year. The Sabres regained the lead on a Kane goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, courtesy of Gionta and Dmitry Kulikov. The game ended at 4-3, with the three stars going to Kane, Gionta, and Eichel.

Down to Nashville, where the Predators bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Pekka Rinne are between the pipes. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Zach Parise power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Matt Dumba and Charlie Coyle. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his sixth of the year, via Ryan Johansen and Mattias Ekholm. The Wild retook the lead with a Chris Stewart goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Eric Staal and Jordan Schroeder. The Predators tied it again on a Reid Boucher goal, coming off of Austin Watson and Calle Jarnkrok. Minnesota won 3-2 in overtime with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his third of the year, passed from Schroeder and Coyle. The three stars went to Coyle, Schroeder, and Dubnyk (28 for 30 in saves).

Northwest to Chicago, where the Blackhawks host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Corey Crawford play in the blue paint. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Bryan Little and Jacob Trouba. The Jets added on with a Mark Scheifele goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Trouba and Nikolaj Ehlers. Chicago got on the board in the second period with an Artem Anisimov goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin. Winnipeg answered in the third period with a Drew Stafford goal, his second of the year, coming off of Nic Petan and Marko Dano. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Scheifele, Trouba, and Hellebuyck (33 for 34 in saves).

Westward to Colorado, where the Avalanche welcome the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott faces a lesser foe in Calvin Pickard in goal. Colorado started in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Nathan MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie. Calgary tied it on a second period Mikael Backlund goal, his eighth of the year, via Matthew Tkachuk and Dennis Wideman. The Flames took the lead with a Sam Bennett goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Deryk Engelland and Backlund. Calgary added on with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Wideman and T.J. Brodie. The Avalanche got one back on a Jarome Iginla goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Carl Soderberg and Cody Goloubef. The Flames countered with a Backlund goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, helped along by Dougie Hamilton and Michael Frolik. Calgary extended the lead in the third period as Gaudreau scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, thanks to Kris Versteeg and Matt Stajan. Colorado replied with a Landeskog goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with assists provided by MacKinnon and Goloubef. The Flames responded with a Versteeg power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Brodie and Gaudreau. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to Gaudreau, Backlund, and Versteeg, while Landeskog, Brodie, Wideman, MacKinnon, and Goloubef get the honorable mentions.

South to Arizona, where the Coyotes bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. Dallas got going in the second period with a shorthanded Jason Spezza goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Jordie Benn. Arizona tied it on an Anthony Duclair goal, his second of the year, helped along by Martin Hanzal and Tobias Rieder. The Stars took the lead back with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Tyler Seguin and Spezza. Dallas added on with a John Klingberg empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by the goalie Lehtonen. The Coyotes got one back on a Radim Vrbata penalty shot goal, his ninth of the campaign. The game ended at 3-2, with the three stars being Spezza, Lehtonen (35 for 37 in saves), and Jamie Benn.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the San Jose Sharks in a Battle of California. Martin Jones and John Gibson play goal. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Paul Martin goal, his third of the season, assisted by Logan Couture and Mikkel Boedker. Anaheim tied it in the second period with an Ondrej Kase goal, his second of the year, via Nick Ritchie and Antoine Vermette. The Sharks took the lead back with a Melker Karlsson goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Joel Ward and Brent Burns. The Ducks tied it on a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Ryan Kesler and Andrew Cogliano. San Jose won 3-2 in overtime with a Burns goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, guided in by Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. The three stars were Burns, Karlsson, and Martin.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 119

Just four games on for today, beginning with...

Lada Togliatti hosting Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg and Edgars Masalskis get the starts in goal. Togliatti opened with an unassisted Denis Zernov goal. Lada added on with a Viktor Komarov goal, passed from Nikita Filatov. Ufa got on the board with a shorthanded and unassisted Igor Grigorenko goal. Togliatti replied with a Vasily Streltsov power play goal, powered by Alexander Mokshantsev. Lada extended the lead on a shorthanded Streltsov goal, set up by Stanislav Bocharov. Andrei Gavrilov replaced Svedberg in goal. Togliatti padded the lead in the second period as Filatov scored a power play goal, thanks to Andrei Ivanov and Anton Shenfeld. Lada continued in the third period on a Maxim Rybin power play goal, with a lone assist by Georgy Belousov. Salavat Yulaev got one back with a Dmitry Maltsev goal, coming off of Stanislav Gareyev. Ufa pulled closer with an Enver Lisin power play goal, guided in by Evgeny Bodrov. Salavat Yulaev drew closer with a Dmitry Makarov goal, made possible by Konstantin Korneyev. The game ended at 6-4, with the three stars going to Streltsov, Filatov, and Rybin.

Over in Nizhnekamsk, Neftekhimik welcomes Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Andrei Kareyev are in the blue paint. Nizhnekamsk started in the first period with a Dmitry Ogurtsov goal, passed from Pavel Poryadin and Igor Bortnikov. Neftekhimik added on with a Bortnikov goal, assisted by Andrei Pervyshin and Igor Polygalov. Cherepovets got on the board with a Maxim Trunyov goal, fueled by Daniil Vovchenko. Severstal tied it in the second period on a Vovchenko goal, with a lone helper by Nikolai Stasenko. Nizhnekamsk retook the lead with a Richard Gynge goal, coming off of Andrei Sergeyev and Gennady Stolyarov. Cherepovets tied it in the third period with a Yury Trubachyov goal, helped along by Vovchenko. Neftekhimik took the lead with an Ogurtsov goal, his second of the game, via Sergeyev and Stolyarov. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Ogurtsov, Vovchenko, and Bortnikov, while Sergeyev and Stolyarov get the honorable mentions.

Up in Finland, Jokerit Helsinki brings in Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Ryan Zapolski are the goalies. Helsinki led off in the first period with a Pekka Jormakka power play goal, powered by Peter Regin and Brian O'Neill. Riga tied it on a Maris Bicevskis goal, assisted by Lauris Darzins. Dinamo took the lead on a Bicevskis power play goal, made possible by Darzins and Uvis Balinskis. Jokerit tied it in the second period with a Jesse Joensuu goal, via Antti Pihlstrom and Rasmus Rissanen. Riga won 3-2 in overtime with a Tim Sestito goal, coming off of Ralfs Freibergs and Mikelis Redlihs. The three stars were Bicevskis, Darzins, and Sestito.

Finally, Ak Bars Kazan hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Emil Garipov tend the twines. St. Petersburg began in the first period with an unassisted Evgeny Dadonov goal. Kazan tied it on a Fyodor Malykhin goal, helped along by Dmitry Obukhov and Atte Ohtamaa. Ak Bars took the lead with a Mikhail Glukhov goal, via Stepan Zakharchuk and Ziyat Paigin. SKA tied it on a Vadim Shipachyov goal, courtesy of Nikita Gusev. St. Petersburg took the lead in the second period with a Shipachyov goal, assisted by Patrik Hersley and Anton Belov. Kazan tied it on an unassisted goal by Jiri Sekac in the third period. Ak Bars won 4-3 as Malykhin scored twice to top one Gusev goal in the shootout. The three stars were Malykhin, Shipachyov, and Gusev.

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