NHL 2016/17 - Day 86

Four games on today as another round of byes will occur this week. We begin with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider guard the cages. Florida opened in the first period with a Reilly Smith power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Jussi Jokinen and Vincent Trocheck. The Panthers added on with a Jokinen empty net goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Florida iced it at 3-0 with a Trocheck empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Keith Yandle. The three stars were Luongo (28 save shutout), Jokinen, and Trocheck.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Carey Price tend the twines. Washington started in the first period with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Alex Ovechkin and Karl Alzner. Montreal tied it in the third period on a Tomas Plekanec power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Paul Byron and Artturi Lehkonen. The Capitals took the lead back with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Ovechkin and Justin Williams. Washington added on with a Brett Connolly goal, his fifth of the year, via Kuznetsov. The Capitals extended the lead on an Ovechkin power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Backstrom and Marcus Johansson. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars awarded to Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, and Backstrom.

Over to Winnipeg, where the Jets bring in the Calgary Flames. Chad Johnson and Connor Hellebuyck are in the blue paint. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Drew Stafford and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets added on in the third period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The game ended at 2-0, with the three stars awarded to Hellebuyck (28 save shutout), Byfuglien, and Wheeler.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Peter Budaj are the goalies. Dallas began in the first period with a Brett Ritchie goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Lauri Korpikoski. The Stars added on in the second period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Jason Spezza and Jiri Hudler. Los Angeles got on the board with a shorthanded Nick Shore goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Tanner Pearson and Drew Doughty. Dallas shot back with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Patrick Sharp and Radek Faksa. The Kings got one back with a Dustin Brown power play goal in the third period, his fifth of the season, powered by Nic Dowd and Alec Martinez. The Stars replied with a Devin Shore goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Faksa and Sharp. Los Angeles pulled back with an Anze Kopitar goal, his fourth of the season, with helpers from Derek Forbort and Trevor Lewis. The Kings tied it on a Doughty power play goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Kopitar and Jeff Carter. Dallas regained the lead with a Hudler goal, via Seguin. The Stars iced at 6-4 with a Sharp empty net goal, his second of the campaign, made possible by Faksa and Devin Shore. The three stars were Sharp, Faksa, and Seguin, while Hudler, Devin Shore, Kopitar, and Doughty get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

KHL 2016/17 - Day 128

Five games to be played today, beginning in...

China, as Kunlun Red Star Beijing hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Tomi Karhunen draw the starts in goal. Beijing opened in the first period with a Tuukka Mantyla goal, via Zach Yuen and Yaroslav Alshevsky. Moscow tied it on a Konstantin Gorovikov goal, assisted by Denis Kokarev and Artyom Podshendyalov. Kunlun Red Star took the lead in the second period on a Martin Bakos goal, helped along by Damien Fleury and Sergei Peretyagin. Dynamo tied it again on an Artyom Fyodorov goal, going in unassisted. Moscow took the lead with an unassisted Vladimir Bryukvin goal in the third period. Beijing tied it on a Bakos goal, guided in by Tomas Marcinko and Joonas Jarvinen. Dynamo retook the lead with a shorthanded goal by Ilya Nikulin, set up by Gorovikov. Moscow iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Kokarev, with assists provided by Gorovikov and Andrei Kuteikin. The three stars were Gorovikov, Bakos, and Kokarev.

Out west, CSKA Moscow welcomes SKA St. Petersburg. Igor Shestyorkin and Ilya Sorokin tend the twines. St. Petersburg started in the first period with an Anton Belov power play goal, powered by Evgeny Dadonov and Vadim Shipachyov. Moscow tied it on a Kirill Petrov power play goal, assisted by Ivan Telegin and Alexander Popov. SKA took the lead with a Nikita Gusev power play goal, with a lone assist by Shipachyov. CSKA tied it on a Maxim Mamin goal, passed from Mikhail Naumenkov and Denis Denisov. SKA won 3-2 in the shootout with a lone tally by Gusev. The three stars were Gusev, Shipachyov, and Belov.

In Finland, Jokerit Helsinki hosts Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Riku Helenius man the nets. Helsinki led off in the first period with a Marko Anttila goal, going in unassisted. Togliatti tied it on a Semyon Valuisky power play goal, powered by Andrei Ivanov and Anton Shenfeld. Lada took the lead with a Vasily Streltsov goal, passed from Stanislav Bocharov and Alexei Mastryukov. Togliatti added on in the second period with a Taylor Aronson goal, helped along by Streltsov and Bocharov. Jokerit got one back with a third period Brian O'Neill power play goal, with helpers from Jesper Jensen. Helsinki tied it on a Tommi Huhtala power play goal, guided in by Jensen and Helenius. In the shootout, Lada prevailed on a Georgy Belousov tally, for a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Streltsov, Bocharov, and Jensen.

Back in Russia, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl brings in Dinamo Riga. Janis Kalnins and Alexander Sudnitsin are in the creases. Riga began in the first period with a Mikelis Redlihs goal, assisted by Guntis Galvins and Vitalijs Pavlovs. Yaroslavl tied it on a second period goal by Staffan Kronwall, coming off of Brandon Kozun and Petri Kontiola. Lokomotiv took the lead with a Dmitry Lugin power play goal in the third period, powered by Yegor Averin and Andrei Loktionov. Yaroslavl iced it at 3-1 with an unassisted Kozun goal. The three stars went to Kozun, Sudnitsin (24 for 25 in saves), and Lugin.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb hosts Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Michael Garnett are the masked men. Zagreb got going in the second period on a Goran Bezina goal, assisted by Kirill Voronin and Mike Glumac. Cherepovets tied it on an Evgeny Mons goal, via Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Anton Sizov. Medvescak took the lead back in the third period with a Francis Pare goal, coming off of Derek Smith and Voronin. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Voronin, Pare, and Garnett (33 for 34 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2016/17 - Day 85

Six games on today, beginning in...

Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Boston Bruins. Zane McIntyre is mismatched with Cam Ward in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Tim Schaller goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Dominic Moore and Riley Nash. Carolina tied it in the second period on a Sebastian Aho goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Jaccob Slavin and Lee Stempniak. The Hurricanes took the lead on a Derek Ryan goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Jordan Staal. The Bruins tied it again in the third period with a David Backes goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Kevan Miller and Ryan Spooner. Carolina retook the lead on a Jay McClement goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Viktor Stalberg and Joakim Nordstrom. Boston tied it again with a Brad Marchand goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Patrice Bergeron. The Hurricanes won 4-3 in overtime with an Aho goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Teuvo Teravainen. The three stars were Aho, McClement, and Ryan.

North to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Marc-Andre Fleury are the masked men. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Valtteri Filppula and Victor Hedman. Pittsburgh tied it on a Conor Sheary goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins took the lead with an Eric Fehr goal, his fifth of the season, via Matt Cullen. Pittsburgh added on in the third period with a Chris Kunitz goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Olli Maatta and Nick Bonino. The Penguins extended the lead as Scott Wilson scored his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Lightning got one back with a Vladislav Namestnikov power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Drouin and Anton Stralman. Pittsburgh replied on a Phil Kessel goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Crosby and Sheary.The Penguins iced it at 6-2 with a power play goal by Kris Letang, his third of the year, assisted by Justin Schultz and Cullen. The three stars went to Sheary, Crosby, and Drouin, while Cullen gets an honorable mention.

Over in Ohio, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Sergei Bobrovsky face their former teams in goal. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the second period with a David Savard goal, his second of the season, via William Karlsson. Philadelphia tied it in the third period on a Brayden Schenn goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Ivan Provorov. The Blue Jackets won 2-1 in overtime with a Nick Foligno goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, assisted by Seth Jones. The three stars were Foligno, Bobrovsky (25 for 26 in saves), and Savard.

Further west, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Corey Crawford guard the cages. Chicago began in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Patrick Kane and Brian Campbell. Nashville tied it on a Mattias Ekholm goal, his second of the year, helped along by Mike Fisher. Chicago retook the lead with a Niklas Hjalmarsson goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Duncan Keith and Kane. The Predators tied it in the third period on an Austin Watson goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Fisher. Chicago took the lead with a Ryan Hartman goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Richard Panik and Tanner Kero. The Blackhawks added on with an unassisted Hartman empty net goal, his ninth of the year. Chicago iced it at 5-2 with another Hartman empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his tenth of the campaign, set up by Kane and Hjalmarsson, the former earning a sock trick. The three stars were handed to Hartman, Hjalmarsson, and Kane, while Fisher gets an honorable mention.

Up in Canada, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Jonas Gustavsson and Mike Condon are between the pipes. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Zack Smith goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Mark Stone and Cody Ceci. The Senators added on with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Stone and Kyle Turris. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a Patrick Maroon goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Anton Lander and Adam Larsson. The Oilers tied it on another Maroon goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, assisted by Connor McDavid. Edmonton took the lead with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by McDavid and Andrej Sekera. Ottawa tied it on a Stone goal, his twelfth of the year, via Smith and Derick Brassard. The Senators took the lead back with a Tom Pyatt goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Ceci and Marc Methot. Ottawa iced it at 5-3 in the third period with an empty net goal by Turris, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Hoffman and Dion Phaneuf. The three stars went to Stone, Smith, and Hoffman, while Turris, Maroon, Ceci, and McDavid get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and John Gibson protect the nets. Anaheim started in the first period with a Ryan Kesler goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Jakob Silfverberg. Minnesota tied it on a second period Matt Dumba power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Zach Parise and Eric Staal. The Wild took the lead with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Jason Pominville and Jason Zucker. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Dubnyk (23 for 24 in saves), Spurgeon, and Dumba.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

KHL 2016/17 - Day 127

Four games for today, beginning with...

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg hosting Spartak Moscow. Markus Svensson and Vladimir Sokhatsky are in the blue paint. Moscow opened in the first period with a Maxim Potapov goal, passed from Ryan Stoa. Yekaterinburg tied it on an Alexei Mikhnov goal, helped along by Petr Koukal and Artyom Gareyev in the second period. Spartak retook the lead with a Denis Tolpeko goal, assisted by Artyom Voronin and Vyacheslav Leshchenko. Avtomobilist tied it on a Nikolai Timashov power play goal, powered by Nikita Shchitov and Gareyev. Yekaterinburg took the lead with a Jan Buchtele goal, coming off of Stanislav Chistov. Avtomobilist added on in the third period with an unassisted Mikhnov goal. Moscow got one back with a Vsevolod Sorokin goal, with a lone assist by Potapov. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Mikhnov, Potapov, and Gareyev.

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana welcomes Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Mikhail Biryukov and Kevin Poulin man the nets. Nizhny Novgorod started in the first period with a Maxim Osipov goal, fueled by Alexei Potapov and Vyacheslav Kulyomin. Torpedo added on in the third period with a Carter Ashton goal, via Evgeny Grachyov and Nikolai Zherdev. Astana got on the board with a Dustin Boyd power play goal, powered by Brandon Bochenski and Nigel Dawes. Nizhny Novgorod iced it on an Ashton empty net goal, set up by Dmitry Semin. The three stars of the 3-1 game were Ashton, Biryukov (35 for 36 in saves), and Osipov.

Up in Khanty-Mansiysk, Ugra brings in the Sochi Leopards. Konstantin Barulin and Alexander Sharychenkov are the masked men. Khanty-Mansiysk got going in the second period on a Roman Lyuduchin power play goal, powered by Vitaly Shulakov. Sochi tied it on an Ilya Krikunov power play goal in the third period, assisted by Andrei Kostitsyn and Andre Petersson. Ugra took the lead back with a Yegor Ivanov goal, coming off of Shulakov. Khanty-Mansiysk iced it at 3-1 with a Pavel Varfolomeyev empty net goal, set up by Alexander Akmaldinov. The three stars went to Shulakov, Sharychenkov (25 for 26 in saves), and Ivanov.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava hosts Admiral Vladivostok. Nikita Serebryakov and Barry Brust are in the creases. Bratislava struck first in the first period with an Andrej Stastny goal, via Tomas Surovy. Vladivostok tied it in the second period with a James Wright goal, courtesy of Vladimir Tkachyov and Robert Sabolic. Admiral took the lead with a Pavel Makarenko goal, made possible by Jonathon Blum and Andrei Sigaryov. Slovan tied it on a Jeff Taffe goal, with a lone assist by Jonathan Cheechoo. Bratislava won 3-2 with a late third period goal by Taffe, coming off of Kyle Chipchura. The three stars were Taffe, Brust (32 for 34 in saves), and Stastny.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2016/17 - Day 84

Twelve games for today, including three matinees. They begin with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Robin Lehner man the nets. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Patrik Laine and Mark Scheifele. Buffalo tied it on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Sam Reinhart. The Jets retook the lead in the second period with a Drew Stafford goal, his third of the season, a power play goal powered by Blake Wheeler and Mathieu Perreault. Winnipeg added on with a Joel Armia goal, his second of the year, via Adam Lowry and Josh Morrissey. The Sabres got one back with a Marcus Foligno goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Cody Franson. Buffalo tied it with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Matt Moulson. The Sabres took the lead on a Brian Gionta goal, his eighth of the campaign, guided in by O'Reilly. The three stars were O'Reilly, Gionta, and Girgensons in the 4-3 Sabres win.

Down in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Michal Neuvirth are the goalies. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Vladislav Namestnikov and Nikita Nesterov. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Travis Konecny goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Jakub Voracek and Andrew MacDonald. The Flyers took the lead on a Sean Couturier goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Ivan Provorov and Voracek. Philadelphia added on with a Michael Raffl goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Claude Giroux and Nick Schultz. The Lightning got one back on an Alex Killorn goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Nesterov and Jonathan Drouin. The Flyers replied with a Radko Gudas goal, his second of the year, with a lone helper by Brayden Schenn. This stood for a 4-2 with, with the three stars going to Voracek, Nesterov, and Raffl.

Out in Los Angeles, the Kings bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Peter Budaj are in goal. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Mikko Koivu goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Wild added on with a Charlie Coyle goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Jason Pominville. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Jeff Carter goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Jake Muzzin. The Kings tied it with a Marian Gaborik goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Carter and Drew Doughty. Los Angeles took the lead in the third period with a Muzzin power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Doughty and Carter. Minnesota tied it on a power play goal by Zach Parise, his eighth of the year, coming off of Eric Staal and Koivu. The Kings won 4-3 in overtime with a Tanner Pearson goal, his eleventh of the campaign, helped along by Alec Martinez and Anze Kopitar. The three stars went to Carter, Muzzin, and Doughty, while Koivu gets an honorable mention.

Back east at the usual time, the New Jersey Devils host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Cory Schneider are given the starting nods in goal. New Jersey began in the first period with a Miles Wood goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Travis Zajac and Steven Santini. Edmonton tied it in the third period on a Matthew Benning goal, via Andrej Sekera and Anton Lander. The Oilers won 2-1 in overtime with a Mark Letestu power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Oscar Klefbom and Connor McDavid. The three stars were Talbot (19 for 20 in saves), Letestu, and Benning.

Up in Canada, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Mike Condon are in the creases. Washington struck first in the first period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Nicklas Backstrom and Nate Schmidt. This was the only goal in the game, a 1-0 final, with the three stars given to Holtby (30 save shutout), Oshie, and Condon (19 for 20 in saves).

Staying in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. Montreal was first to score in the first period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Alexander Radulov and Shea Weber. The Canadiens added on with a Artturi Lehkonen goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Tomas Plekanec and Jeff Petry. Toronto got on the board with a Tyler Bozak power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Mitchell Marner and James van Riemsdyk. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Nazem Kadri goal, his sixteenth of the year, a power play goal coming off of Marner and van Riemsdyk. Montreal retook the lead with a Nikita Scherbak power play goal, with assists provided by Petry and Phillip Danault. The Canadiens extended the lead in the second period as Radulov scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Weber and Nathan Beaulieu. Toronto pulled back on a van Riemsdyk goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Marner, who got a sock trick, and Nikita Zaitsev. Montreal responded in the third period with a Michael McCarron goal, with a lone assist by Daniel Carr. The three stars of the 5-3 game were Radulov, van Riemsdyk, and Marner, while Petry and Weber get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and James Reimer are called on to start. Boston opened in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Brad Marchand goal, his eleventh of the season. The Bruins added on with a David Backes goal in the second period, his tenth of the year, passed from David Krejci and Zdeno Chara. Boston extended the lead as Marchand scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, thanks to Torey Krug and David Pastrnak on the power play. The Bruins padded the lead with a third period Riley Nash goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Kevan Miller. The game ended at 4-0, with the three stars handed to Marchand, Rask (25 save shutout), and Backes.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist faces a lesser foe in Curtis McElhinney in goal. Columbus started in the first period with a Markus Nutivaara goal, his second of the season, made possible by Josh Anderson. The Blue Jackets added on with a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Sam Gagner and Nick Foligno. New York got on the board with an Oscar Lindberg goal, helped along by Michael Grabner and Nick Holden. Columbus shot back with a Scott Hartnell goal, his tenth of the season, via Gagner. The Blue Jackets extended the lead in the second period as Lukas Sedlak scored his fourth of the year, with the help of Hartnell and Jack Johnson. The Rangers pulled back with a Grabner goal, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. New York got closer in the third period with an Adam Clendening power play goal, assisted by J.T. Miller and Kevin Hayes. The Rangers tied it on another Clendening goal, his second of the game, fueled by Lindberg and Jesper Fast. New York won 5-4 with a Grabner goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Grabner, Clendening, and Lindberg, while Gagner and Hartnell get the honorable mentions.

Out to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Carter Hutton occupy the creases. Dallas led off in the first period with a Lauri Korpikoski goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Jordie Benn. St. Louis tied it on a Paul Stastny goal, his eighth of the year, via Brad Hunt and Hutton. The Blues took the lead with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Stastny and Alexander Steen. The Stars tied it in the second period on a Patrick Eaves power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jason Spezza and John Klingberg. St. Louis retook the lead with a Stastny goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, courtesy of Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. Antti Niemi replaced Lehtonen in goal. Dallas retied it on a Klingberg goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Korpikoski and Radek Faksa. The Blues took the lead in the third period with a Patrik Berglund goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Shattenkirk and Kyle Brodziak. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Stastny, Steen, and Shattenkirk, while Klingberg and Korpikoski get the honorable mentions.

In Arizona, the Coyotes host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Louis Domingue are the little-known goalies. New York got going in the second period with an Alan Quine goal, his third of the season, assisted by Johnny Boychuk. Arizona tied it on a Brendan Perlini goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Connor Murphy and Peter Holland. The tie went to a shootout, where Anthony Duclair and Radim Vrbata lifted the Coyotes to a 2-1 win. The three stars were Domingue (27 for 28 in saves), Perlini, and Greiss (24 for 25 in saves).

Up in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Chad Johnson are set to play goal. Calgary began in the first period with an Alex Chiasson goal, his seventh of the season, via Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames added on with a Matt Stajan goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Garnet Hathaway and Dougie Hamilton. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a Bo Horvat goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Alexander Edler and Troy Stecher. Calgary replied in the third period with a Michael Frolik goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Matthew Tkachuk and Jyrki Jokipakka. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Stajan, Johnson (28 for 29 in saves), and Frolik.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jared Coreau and Martin Jones get the starts in goal. Detroit struck first in the first period with a Thomas Vanek goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Frans Nielsen and Andreas Athanasiou. San Jose tied it on a Joonas Donskoi goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Tommy Wingels and Mirco Mueller. The Sharks took the lead with a Mueller goal, via Dylan DeMelo and Joel Ward. San Jose added on with a Patrick Marleau goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Ward and Paul Martin. The Sharks extended the lead in the third period as Joe Pavelski scored his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Brent Burns and Timo Meier. San Jose padded the lead with a Mikkel Boedker goal, his third of the season, guided in by Burns and Martin. The Red Wings answered with an Anthony Mantha goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Drew Miller and Luke Glendening. The Sharks countered on Pavelski's second of the game and fifteenth of the season, made possible by Joe Thornton and DeMelo. Detroit replied with an Athanasiou goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Xavier Ouellet and Vanek. This only made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars going to Pavelski, Mueller, and DeMelo, while Athanasiou, Vanek, Ward, Burns, and Martin get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

KHL 2016/17 - Day 126

Nine games on for today, as the schedule slows down a bit from the heavy oscillation. We begin with...

Sibir Novosibirsk hosting Vityaz Podolsk. Igor Saprykin and Danny Taylor are the backups in goal. Novosibirsk led off in the first period with an unassisted Konstantin Okulov goal. Podolsk tied it on a Roman Horak goal, made possible by Maxim Afinogenov. Vityaz took the lead with an Alexander Pankov power play goal, powered by Igor Golovkov and Alexei Makeyev. Sibir tied it on a Zach Boychuk goal, via Georgy Misharin and Konstantin Alexeyev in the second period. Novosibirsk retook the lead in the third period with Okulov's second goal of the game, helped along by Yegor Milovzorov and Vladislav Naumov. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Okulov, Boychuk, and Taylor (30 for 32 in saves).

Over in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg welcomes Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko faces a lesser foe in Rafael Khakimov in goal. Moscow dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Juuso Hietanen power play goal, powered by Lukas Kaspar and Alexei Tereshchenko. Dynamo added on with an Ansel Galimov goal, guided in by Yeryomenko and Artyom Fyodorov. Moscow iced it at 3-0 with a Martins Karsums goal, passed from Kaspar and Tereshchenko. The three stars were Yeryomenko (24 save shutout), Kaspar, and Tereshchenko.

West to Omsk, where Avangard brings in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Dominik Furch tend the twines. Omsk started in the first period with an unassisted Nikolai Lemtyugov power play goal. Yaroslavl tied it on a Vladislav Gavrikov power play goal, powered by Andrei Loktionov and Yegor Averin. Lokomotiv took the lead with a Denis Mosalyov goal, going in unassisted. Avangard retied it on a Lemtyugov goal, his second of the game, made possible by Yegor Martynov and Evgeny Medvedev. Omsk took the lead with an Ilya Mikheyev power play goal in the second period, assisted by Maxim Pestushko and Ilya Zubov. The final held from here at 3-2, with the three stars going to Lemtyugov, Mikheyev, and Furch (27 for 29 in saves).

Further west to Togliatti, where Lada hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg and Ilya Ezhov man the nets. Togliatti began in the first period with a Stanislav Bocharov power play goal, powered by Maxim Rybin and Viktor Komarov. Lada added on with an Alexei Mastryukov goal, courtesy of Semyon Valuisky and Vasily Streltsov. Ufa got on the board with an Alexander Loginov power play goal, with assists provided by Linus Omark. Togliatti replied in the second period with a Sergei Demagin goal, with a lone assist by Rafael Akhmetov. Salavat Yulaev shot back with a Tomas mertl goal, via Omark and Teemu Hartikainen. Lada iced it at 4-2 in the third period with an Anton Shenfeld power play goal, guided in by Andrei Ivanov. The three stars went to Demagin, Omark, and Shenfeld.

Along to Nizhnekamsk, where Neftekhimik welcomes Traktor Chelyabinsk. Pavel Francouz and Andrei Kareyev are in the creases. Nizhnekamsk got going in the second period with a Richard Gynge goal, made possible by Andrei Sergeyev. This was all they needed to win 1-0, with the three stars awarded to Kareyev (26 save shutout), Gynge, and Francouz (30 for 31 in saves).

Next up, Ak Bars Kazan brings in Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Emil Garipov guard the cages. Magnitogorsk drew first blood in the second period with a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal, powered by Chris Lee. Metallurg added on with a Jan Kovar power play goal, with a lone assist from Mozyakin. The game held from here at 2-0, with the three stars handed to Mozyakin, Koshechkin (24 save shutout), and Kovar.

Out in Minsk, Dinamo hosts CSKA Moscow. Viktor Fasth and Ben Scrivens are the former NHL goalies in goal. Minsk opened in the first period with an Alexander Pavlovich power play goal, powered by Alexander Materukhin and Andrei Stepanov. Moscow tied it in the second period with a Kirill Petrov power play goal, fueled by Alexander Popov and Andrei Svetlakov. CSKA took the lead with an Ivan Telegin goal, courtesy of Vyacheslav Osnovin. Moscow added on in the third period with a Maxim Mamin goal, passed from Svetlakov and Andrei Kuzmenko. This produced the 3-1 final, with the three stars being Fasth (16 for 17 in saves), Svetlakov, and Telegin.

Up in Helsinki, Jokerit welcomes Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Ryan Zapolski are between the pipes. Cherepovets struck first in the first period with a Sergei Monakhov goal, passed from Clay Wilson and Denis Yezhov. Helsinki tied it in the second period on a Pekka Jormakka goal, coming off of Ville Lajunen and Mika Niemi. Severstal took the lead back in the third period with a Maxim Trunyov goal, helped along by Yury Trubachyov. Cherepovets added on with an Alexander Yevseyenkov power play goal, powered by Trubachyov and Nikolai Stasenko. Severstal extended the lead as Dmitry Kagarlitsky scored, thanks to Arseny Khatsei. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Trubachyov, Kovar (32 for 33 in saves), and Trunyov.

Finally, Dinamo Riga brings in SKA St. Petersburg. Igor Shestyorkin and Jakub Sedlacek are the masked men. St. Petersburg was first to score in the second period with a Vyacheslav Voynov power play goal, powered by Sergei Shirokov and Ilya Kovalchuk. SKA added on with an Evgeny Ketov goal, passed from Viktor Tikhonov and Patrik Hersley. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Maxim Chudinov scored, thanks to Vadim Shipachyov. SKA padded the lead on a Shipachyov goal, helped along by Nikita Gusev and Evgeny Dadonov. St. Petersburg struck again in the third period with another Ketov goal, via Nikolai Prokhorkin and Yegor Yakovlev. Riga got on the board with a Nikolajs Jelisejevs goal, assisted by Georgs Golovkovs and Edgars Kulda. SKA iced it at 6-1 with a Tikhonov goal, made possible by Prokhorkin and Ketov. The three stars were Ketov, Tikhonov, and Shipachyov, while Prokhorkin gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2016/17 - Day 83

Six games going on tonight, with the first in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Cory Schneider are in the blue paint. Toronto led off in the first period with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. The Maple Leafs added on with a Connor Brown shorthanded goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Toronto extended the lead as Auston Matthews scored his twenty-first of the season on the power play, with the help of Zach Hyman and Jake Gardiner. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Bozak goal, his eighth of the year, via van Riemsdyk and Kadri on the power play. New Jersey got on the board in the third period with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his twelfth of the campaign, fueled by Adam Henrique and Damon Severson. The Devils got closer with a Jon Merrill goal, coming off of Miles Wood and Devante Smith-Pelly. This only made it a 4-2 game, with the three stars being Bozak, Kadri, and van Riemsdyk.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and James Reimer are the backups in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Greg McKegg goal, his second of the season, passed from Derek MacKenzie and Paul Thompson. Nashville tied it in the third period with a Craig Smith goal, his seventh of the year, via Mike Ribeiro and Filip Forsberg. The Panthers took the lead back in the second period on a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Vincent Trocheck and Jaromir Jagr. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Marchessault, Reimer (26 for 27 in saves), and McKegg.

Northwest to Chicago, where the Blackhawks bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Scott Darling man the nets. Chicago opened in the first period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his seventh of the season, via Marian Hossa and Vinnie Hinostroza. The Blackhawks added on with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. Carolina got on the board with a Victor Rask goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Ty Rattie and Jeff Skinner. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Panarin, Darling (39 for 40 in saves), and Toews.

West to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Calvin Pickard are the goalies. Colorado started in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. New York tied it in the second period on a Johnny Boychuk power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Nick Leddy and Ryan Strome. The Avalanche won 2-1 in overtime on a MacKinnon power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, made possible by Jarome Iginla and Tyson Barrie. The three stars were MacKinnon, Pickard (35 for 36 in saves), and Greiss (37 for 39 in saves).

Northwest to Vancouver, where the Canucks welcome the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott and Ryan Miller are the experienced goalies. Calgary struck first in the first period with a Michael Frolik goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Mikael Backlund and Matthew Tkachuk. Vancouver tied it on a Michael Chaput goal, with a lone assist by Jack Skille. The Canucks took the lead with a Loui Eriksson goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Markus Granlund and Alexander Edler. Vancouver added on in the second period with a Granlund power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Bo Horvat and Jayson Megna. The Canucks extended the lead as Granlund scored his second of the game and ninth of the year in the third period, thanks to Nikita Tryamkin. The Flames got one back with a power play goal by Frolik, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, with helpers from Backlund and Mark Giordano. This produced the 4-2 final, with the three stars being Granlund, Frolik, and Backlund.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and John Gibson are the masked men. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with a Joseph Cramarossa goal, his third of the season, via Corey Perry and Josh Manson. Arizona tied it in the second period on a Martin Hanzal goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Anthony Duclair and Tobias Rieder. The Ducks retook the lead with a Chris Wagner goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Logan Shaw. The Coyotes tied it on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, powered by Jamie McGinn and Duclair. Anaheim won 3-2 with an Ondrej Kase goal, his fourth of the campaign, going in unassisted in overtime. The three stars were Duclair, Kase, and Wagner.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.