NHL 2016/17 - Day 99

As the 99th regular season game day, we could call it Gretzky day for the NHL. Call it what you want with six games spread throughout the day, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jared Coreau make the starts in goal. New York took the game 1-0 in overtime on a J.T. Miller goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Mats Zuccarello and Brady Skjei. The three stars were Lundqvist (21 save shutout), Miller, and Coreau (18 for 19 in saves).

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Matt Murray man the nets. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Bryan Rust goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Sidney Crosby and Conor Sheary. The Penguins added on with a Sheary goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Rust and Crosby. Zane McIntyre replaced Rask in goal. Boston got on the board with a David Krejci goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of David Pastrnak and Matt Beleskey. Pittsburgh answered with a Patric Hornqvist goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Chad Ruhwedel and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins extended the lead as Sheary scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, thanks to Rust and Justin Schultz. Pittsburgh padded the lead on a Crosby power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Phil Kessel and Malkin. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Sheary, Rust, and Crosby, while Murray (44 for 45 in saves) and Malkin get the honorable mentions.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo is mismatched with Mike Condon in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Zack Smith goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Cody Ceci and Derick Brassard. Columbus tied it on a Nick Foligno power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Alexander Wennberg and Sam Gagner. The Senators took the lead back on Smith's second of the game and eleventh of the season, coming off of Ceci and Curtis Lazar. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Scott Harrington goal, via Wennberg and Dalton Prout. Columbus took the lead in the second period with a Zach Werenski power play goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Seth Jones and Wennberg, the latter earning a sock trick. Ottawa took the lead on a Mike Hoffman goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Senators gained the lead on a Mark Stone goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Brassard and Smith. Ottawa added on with a Hoffman goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, with helpers from Tom Pyatt and Pageau. The Blue Jackets pulled back in the third period with a Lukas Sedlak goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Scott Hartnell and Harrington. Columbus tied it on a Matt Calvert goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Jones and William Karlsson. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Cam Atkinson goal, his twenty-second of the year, with a lone assist from Brandon Dubinsky. The Senators tied it again with a Kyle Turris power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by Dion Phaneuf and Erik Karlsson. Columbus won 7-6 in overtime with Atkinson's second of the game and twenty-third of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Atkinson, Wennberg, and Hoffman, while Harrington, Jones, Smith, Pageau, Brassard, and Ceci get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the New York Islanders host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Thomas Greiss are the solid goalies. New York opened in the first period with an unassisted Nick Leddy goal, his eighth of the season. The Islanders added on with an Alan Quine goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, via Shane Prince and Dennis Seidenberg. Philadelphia got on the board with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Brayden Schenn and Radko Gudas. The Flyers tied it in the third period with an Ivan Provorov goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Schenn and Simmonds. Philadelphia won 3-2 in overtime with a Claude Giroux goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Shayne Gostisbehere and Jakub Voracek. The three stars were Simmonds, Schenn, and Giroux.

West to Chicago, where the Blackhawks welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Corey Crawford protect the nets. Chicago led off in the first period with a Richard Panik goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Brian Campbell and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks added on with a Patrick Kane goal, his fifteenth of the year, helped along by Toews. Vancouver tied it on a Troy Stecher power play goal in the third period, his second of the season, powered by Henrik Sedin and Brandon Sutter. The Canucks tied it on an unassisted Bo Horvat goal, his fourteenth of the year. Chicago retook the lead with a Toews goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Panik and Niklas Hjalmarsson. The Blackhawks iced it at 4-2 with a Marian Hossa empty net goal, his eighteenth of the year, set up by Toews. The three stars were Toews, Panik, and Kane.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Darcy Kuemper are in the blue paint. Minnesota began in the first period with a Mikael Granlund goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Jason Zucker and Jordan Schroeder. The Wild added on with a Jason Pominville goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Erik Haula and Ryan Suter. Nashville got on the board with a James Neal goal in the second period, his sixteenth of the campaign, fueled by Mike Ribeiro and Yannick Weber. The Predators tied it in the third period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Viktor Arvidsson and Ryan Johansen. Nashville took the lead on another Forsberg goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, via Ryan Ellis and Johansen. The Predators iced it at 4-2 with a Johansen empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Ellis. The three stars were Forsberg, Johansen, and Ellis.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 139 (The All-Star Game)

With the season very close to done, the KHL held its All-Star Game this weekend. Adopting the NHL's format from last year, it is three 20-minute games between the league's four divisions. We begin with...

The Kharlamov against the Chernyshev. Igor Bobkov and Pavel Francouz start in goal. Kharlamov opened with a Vladimir Tkachyov goal, assisted by Jan Kovar and Sergei Mozyakin. Chernyshev tied it on a Chad Rau goal, made possible by Jan Kolar. Chernyshev took the lead with an Enver Lisin goal, passed from Kirill Kaprizov. Kharlamov retied it with a Mozyakin goal, with a lone assist by Danis Zaripov. Chernyshev retook the lead with a Rau goal, coming off of Evgeny Medvedev and Nigel Dawes. Chernyshev added on with another Lisin goal, helped along by Sami Lepisto and Andrei Altybarmakyan. Kharlamov got one back on a Kirill Koltsov goal, but they wouldn't steal the game. Chernyshev advanced on a 4-3 win, with Rau, Lisin, and Mozyakin excelling in this game.

For the western divisions, Bobrov opposes Tarasov in the middle game. Ilya Sorokin and Igor Shestyorkin guard the cages. Bobrov started with a Matt Ellison goal, assisted by Charles Genoway and Anton Korolyov. Tarasov tied it on a Mat Robinson goal, via Ivan Telegin. Tarasov took the lead with a Dmitry Kagarlitsky goal, made possible by Robinson. Tarasov added on with a Brandon Kozun goal, guided in by Robinson. Tarasov extended the lead as Kozun scored again, thanks to Alexei Potapov and Kagarlitsky. Tarasov padded the lead when Kozun finished his natural hat trick, with the help of Kagarlitsky. Tarasov struck again with a Telegin empty net goal, set up by Igor Ozhiganov and Valery Nichushkin. Bobrov got one back with a Vyacheslav Voynov goal, passed from Ilya Kovalchuk. This made it 6-2, with the best players of this game being Kozun, Kagarlitsky, Robinson, and Telegin.

To finish it off, Chernyshev meets Tarasov for the All-Star Final. The goalies Sorokin and Bobkov take their places in the creases. Chernyshev got going with a Maxim Shalunov goal, helped along by Altybarmakyan and Zakhar Arzamastsev. Tarasov tied it on a Nichushkin goal, coming off of Ozhiganov and Potapov. Tarasov took the lead with a Kozun goal, via Jakub Jerabek. Chernyshev retied it on a Dawes goal, fueled by Arzamastsev and Rau. Chernyshev went ahead on an Altybarmakyan goal, guided in by Lepisto and Shalunov. This stood to give the Chernyshev Division the title, likely making the home crowd happy. Adding their names to the multi-point performances of the day were Shalumov, Altybarmakyan, Arzamastsev, Nichushkin, Ozhiganov, Potapov, Dawes, and Lepisto.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 98

Eleven games on for this Saturday, beginning with two matinees. The first is in...

Winnipeg, where the Jets host the St. Louis Blues. Pheonix Copley and Ondrej Pavelec are the backups in goal. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Bryan Little power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Dustin Byfuglien and Mark Scheifele. St. Louis tied it on a Kevin Shattenkirk power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Paul Stastny and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Jets took the lead back in the second period on a Blake Wheeler goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Byfuglien and Mathieu Perreault. Winnipeg added on in the third period with another Little power play goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, assisted by Wheeler and Perreault. The Jets extended the lead as Scheifele scored his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Nikolaj Ehlers and Jacob Trouba. Winnipeg padded the lead with an Ehlers power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Nic Petan and Trouba. The Blues got one back with a Paul Stastny goal, his twelfth of the season, via Jaden Schwartz. St. Louis got closer with a Shattenkirk goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, coming off of Alexander Steen and Schwartz. This made it 5-3, with the three stars going to Scheifele, Ehlers, and Little, while Wheeler, Trouba, Perreault, Byfuglien, Shattenkirk, Schwartz, and Stastny.

Down in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Michael Leighton is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a Markus Hannikainen goal, assisted by Josh Anderson and William Karlsson. The Blue Jackets added on with a Scott Hartnell goal, his twelfth of the season, via Dalton Prout and Scott Harrington. Carolina got on the board with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Elias Lindholm and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes tied it on a Justin Faulk goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Ty Rattie. Columbus took the lead in the third period with another Hartnell goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, helped along by Sam Gagner and Prout. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Hartnell, Prout, and Hannikainen.

Back in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Carey Price were given the starting nods in goal. Montreal got going in the second period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Paul Byron. Buffalo tied it on a Brian Gionta goal, his tenth of the year, via Evander Kane. The Canadiens retook the lead with a Phillip Danault goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Jeff Petry and Max Pacioretty. The Sabres retied it in the third period with a Cody Franson goal, his second of the year, helped along by Ryan O'Reilly. Buffalo won 3-2 in overtime with a Zach Bogosian goal, assisted by O'Reilly and Kane. The three stars were O'Reilly, Kane, and Bogosian.

South to Brooklyn, where the New York Islanders host the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Jean-Francois Berube man the nets. New York led off in the first period with a Jason Chimera goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Stephen Gionta. The Islanders added on with an Anders Lee power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by John Tavares and Nick Leddy in the second period. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period with a Jeff Carter power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. The Kings tied it on a Doughty goal, his eighth of the year, via Andy Andreoff and Trevor Lewis. New York took the lead with a Lee power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, fueled by Leddy and Josh Bailey. The Islanders added on with a Tavares empty net goal on the power play, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Nikolay Kulemin and Thomas Hickey. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Lee, Leddy, and Tavares, while Doughty gets an honorable mention.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Michal Neuvirth are between the pipes. New Jersey began in the first period with a Pavel Zacha goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Jacob Josefson and Kyle Quincey. Philadelphia tied it on a Travis Konecny goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Nick Cousins and Ivan Provorov. The Devils took the lead back in the second period with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by P.A. Parenteau and Michael Cammalleri. New Jersey added on with a Miles Wood goal, his sixth of the year, via Cammalleri and Steven Santini. The Devils extended the lead in the third period as Wood scored again, his second of the game and seventh of the season, thanks to Taylor Hall and Karl Stollery on the power play. The game ended at 4-1, with Wood, Kinkaid (35 for 36 in saves), and Cammalleri earning the three stars.

In Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Frederik Andersen play goal. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Bobby Ryan goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Marc Methot and Chris Neil. Toronto tied it in the second period with a Tyler Bozak power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by James van Riemsdyk and Nazem Kadri. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with a Matt Martin goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jake Gardiner and Kadri. The Senators tied it on a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Erik Karlsson and Dion Phaneuf. In the shootout, Ryan and Tom Pyatt topped Mitchell Marner for a 3-2 Senators win. The three stars went to Ryan, Kadri, and Hoffman.

In Texas, the Dallas Stars host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Kari Lehtonen draw the starts in goal. Washington was first to score in the first period with an unassisted Andre Burakovsky goal, his ninth of the season. Dallas tied it with an Adam Cracknell goal, his sixth of the year, via Jordie Benn and Dan Hamhuis. The Stars took the lead in the second period with a Patrick Eaves goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Patrik Nemeth and Curtis McKenzie. Dallas added on with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Eaves and Tyler Seguin. The Capitals got one back in the third period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Matt Niskanen and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington tied it on a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with helpers from Niskanen and Backstrom. The Capitals won 4-3 in overtime with a Jay Beagle goal, his tenth of the campaign, helped along by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Niskanen, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Niskanen, Backstrom, and Eaves.

West to Arizona, where the Coyotes welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Mike Smith are the goalies. Arizona opened in the first period with a Tobias Rieder goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Radim Vrbata and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes added on with a Vrbata goal, his eleventh of the year, via Martin Hanzal and Rieder. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Cedric Paquette goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Gabriel Dumont and Michael Bournival. Arizona answered in the second period with a Michael Stone power play goal, powered by Hanzal and Vrbata. The Coyotes extended the lead as Christian Fischer scored, assisted by Jamie McGinn and Alex Burmistrov. Arizona padded the lead with a Hanzal goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Vrbata, who got a sock trick, and Rieder. Andrei Vasilevskiy replaced Bishop in goal to start the third period. The Lightning got one back with a third period Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Valtteri Filppula and Ondrej Palat. Tampa Bay got closer with a Palat power play goal, his tenth of the year, with helpers from Tyler Johnson and Nikita Nesterov. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Vrbata, Hanzal, and Rieder, while Palat gets an honorable mention.

North to Minnesota, where the Wild bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Devan Dubnyk tend the twines. Minnesota started in the first period with an Erik Haula goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Jason Pominville and Zach Parise. Anaheim tied it on a Stefan Noesen goal, his second of the year, helped along by Jared Boll and Cam Fowler. The Ducks took the lead with Fowler shorthanded goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. Anaheim added on in the second period with a Corey Perry power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Ryan Kesler and Ryan Getzlaf. The Wild got one back with a Jason Zucker goal, his thirteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. Minnesota tied it in the third period with a Haula goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, made possible by Ryan Suter and Matt Dumba. The Wild took the lead with a Suter goal, his seventh of the season, via Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle. Minnesota iced it at 5-3 with a Zucker goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, fueled by Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu. The three stars were Haula, Zucker, and Suter, while Fowler gets an honorable mention.

Over in Alberta, the Calgary Flames host the Edmonton Oilers in a Battle of Alberta. Laurent Brossoit opposes Chad Johnson in goal. Edmonton led off in the first period with an Anton Slepyshev goal, his third of the season, helped along by Drake Caggiula. The Oilers added on with a Mark Letestu goal, his tenth of the year, via Zack Kassian and Oscar Klefbom. Edmonton extended the lead as Jordan Eberle scored his tenth of the season, with the help of Benoit Pouliot and Adam Larsson. Brian Elliott relieved Johnson in goal. The Oilers padded the lead in the second period on a Connor McDavid goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Draisaitl and Larsson. Edmonton kept going with an Eberle goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, assisted by Matthew Benning and Pouliot. Calgary got on the board with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Michael Frolik. The Oilers shot back with a Klefbom power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Eberle. The Flames answered with a shorthanded and unassisted Sean Monahan goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year. Calgary pulled closer with a Lance Bouma goal, his third of the season, guided in by T.J. Brodie and Dennis Wideman. Edmonton finished it at 7-3 with a Nugent-Hopkins empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Eberle and Larsson, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Eberle, Klefbom, and Larsson, while Nugent-Hopkins and Pouliot get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Colorado Avalanche. Spencer Martin is mismatched with Martin Jones in goal. San Jose began in the first period with a Joel Ward power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Joe Thornton and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Colorado tied it in the second period on a Mikhail Grigorenko goal, his fifth of the year, via Nathan MacKinnon and Cody Goloubef. The Sharks retook the lead with a Melker Karlsson goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Ryan Carpenter. The Avalanche tied it in the third period with a Francois Beauchemin goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. San Jose won 3-2 in overtime with a David Schlemko goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Logan Couture and Kevin Labanc. The three stars went to Schlemko, Karlsson, and Ward.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 97

Six games tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Tuukka Rask are in the creases. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Marian Hossa goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Tanner Kero and Vinnie Hinostroza. This made it 1-0, with the three stars going to Hossa, Darling (30 save shutout), and Rask (21 for 22 in saves).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Cam Ward man the nets. Pittsburgh began in the first period with an unassisted Trevor Daley goal, his fourth of the season. The Penguins added on in the second period with a Carl Hagelin goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Cameron Gaunce and Phil Kessel. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Conor Sheary scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Bryan Rust. The Penguins padded the lead on a Chris Kunitz goal, his fifth of the year, via Eric Fehr and Scott Wilson. Pittsburgh continued with a Kessel power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Justin Schultz. The Penguins struck again in the third period with a twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina got on the board with a Viktor Stalberg shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Ron Hainsey and Jaccob Slavin. Pittsburgh answered with a Sheary goal, his fifteenth of the year and second of the game, made possible by Sidney Crosby and Rust. This made it 7-1, the final, with the three stars going to Sheary, Kessel, and Malkin, while Rust gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Anders Nilsson draw the starts in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Frans Nielsen power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Mike Green. Buffalo tied it on a Sam Reinhart power play goal in the second period, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Jack Eichel and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Red Wings took the lead with a Darren Helm goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Justin Abdelkader and Alexey Marchenko in the third period. The Sabres tied it again on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Cody Franson and Justin Falk. Buffalo won 3-2 in overtime with a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, guided in by O'Reilly and Eichel. The three stars were O'Reilly, Eichel, and Okposo.

Along to New Jersey, where the Devils host the Montreal Canadiens. Al Montoya and Keith Kinkaid are the backups in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Steven Santini goal, his second of the season, courtesy of P.A. Parenteau and Taylor Hall. Montreal tied it on an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his eleventh of the year, coming on the power play from Alexander Radulov and Nathan Beaulieu. The Canadiens took the lead in the third period with a Shea Weber power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Radulov and Galchenyuk. Montreal added on with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Galchenyuk and Radulov, the latter earning a sock trick. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars awarded to Galchenyuk, Radulov, and Weber.

Westward to Edmonton, where the Oilers welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen. Edmonton tied it on a Matt Hendricks goal, his second of the year, via Zack Kassian. The Predators retook the lead in the third period with a Ryan Ellis goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Johansen and Matt Irwin. The Oilers tied it again with a Milan Lucic power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. The tie went to a shootout, where Ellis and James Neal scored to give the Predators a 3-2 win. The three stars were Ellis, Johansen, and Neal.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Ryan Miller are the veteran goalies. Florida started in the second period with a Jaromir Jagr power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Jared McCann and Jonathan Marchessault. Vancouver tied it on a Henrik Sedin goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Daniel Sedin and Alexander Edler. The Canucks took the lead in the third period with an unassisted Luca Sbisa goal, his second of the campaign. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Henrik Sedin, Sbisa, and Miller (34 for 35 in saves).

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 96

Eight games on today, beginning in...

Brooklyn, as the New York Islanders host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Thomas Greiss are in the creases. New York led off in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Anders Lee. The Islanders added on in the third period with another Tavares goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, a shorthanded goal set up by Nikolay Kulemin. New York iced it at 3-0 with a Calvin de Haan empty net goal, his third of the campaign, courtesy of Greiss. The three stars were Tavares, Greiss (23 save shutout), and de Haan.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Sergei Bobrovsky man the nets. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Kyle Turris goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Erik Karlsson and Marc Methot. The Senators added on with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his ninth of the year, via Chris Wideman and Derick Brassard. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars being Condon (42 save shutout), Turris, and Dzingel.

In Toronto, the Maple Leafs host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Frederik Andersen are the goalies. New York started in the first period with a Brady Skjei goal, his second of the season, via Mats Zuccarello and Chris Kreider. Toronto tied it on a Tyler Bozak goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Mitchell Marner and James van Riemsdyk. The Rangers retook the lead with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Rick Nash and Skjei. New York added on in the second period with a J.T. Miller goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Kevin Hayes and Adam Clendening. The Maple Leafs got one back with a shorthanded and unassisted Zach Hyman goal, his sixth of the season. The Rangers replied with a shorthanded Michael Grabner goal in the third period, his twentieth of the year, set up by Hayes and Nick Holden. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Grabner empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Grabner, Skjei, and Hayes.

Southwest to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jake Allen guard the cages. Washington began in the first period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Daniel Winnik and Lars Eller. The Capitals added on with a Jay Beagle goal, his ninth of the year, via Winnik and Tom Wilson. St. Louis got on the board with a second period Jaden Schwartz goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Paul Stastny and Alexander Steen. Washington replied with a T.J. Oshie goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals extended the lead as Brett Connolly scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Burakovsky. Carter Hutton replaced Allen in goal. Washington padded the lead with an unassisted Marcus Johansson goal, his fifteenth of the year. The Capitals kept going with a Justin Williams power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov. Washington struck again in the third period with a Kuznetsov goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Oshie and Ovechkin. The Blues got one back on a Steen goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Schwartz and Carl Gunnarsson. St. Louis chipped closer with Steen's second of the game and eighth of the year, coming off of Colton Parayko and Schwartz. This only made it 7-3, with the three stars given to Oshie, Burakovsky, and Steen, while Schwartz, Winnik, Ovechkin, and Kuznetsov get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Minnesota, where the Wild host the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Devan Dubnyk are in the blue paint. Minnesota struck first in the first period with an Eric Staal goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle. Arizona tied it on a Brendan Perlini goal, his seventh of the year, via Shane Doan and Michael Stone. The Wild took the lead back with a Niederreiter power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Mikko Koivu and Jason Pominville. Minnesota added on in the second period with a Chris Stewart goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Pominville. The Coyotes got one back with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his third of the season, made possible by Doan and Christian Dvorak. Arizona tied it on a Jamie McGinn goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Alex Goligoski. The Wild retook the lead on a Niederreiter power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Mikael Granlund and Pominville, the latter earning a sock trick. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars awarded to Niederreiter, Pominville, and Doan.

In Calgary, the Flames welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Chad Johnson draw the starts in goal. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a James Neal goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Mike Fisher and Anthony Bitetto. The Predators added on in the second period with a Ryan Ellis goal, his sixth of the year, via Harry Zolnierczyk. Nashville extended the lead as Ellis scored his second of the game and seventh of the season on the power play, with the help of Mike Ribeiro and Viktor Arvidsson. The Predators padded the lead in the third period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his twelfth of the year, with a lone assist by Arvidsson. Calgary got on the board with a Kris Versteeg power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Sean Monahan. The Flames got closer with a Michael Frolik goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Mikael Backlund and Hamilton. Calgary pulled closer on a Monahan goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Johnny Gaudreau and Dennis Wideman. This was as close as it got, with the final standing at 4-3. The three stars were Ellis, Monahan, and Arvidsson, while Hamilton gets an honorable mention.

Out in Anaheim, the Ducks host the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with John Gibson in goal. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the delayed part of the second period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his ninth of the season, a power play goal powered by Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon. Anaheim tied it in the third period with a Hampus Lindholm power play goal, hi third of the year, assisted by Rickard Rakell and Antoine Vermette. The Ducks took the lead on a Nick Ritchie goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Ondrej Kase. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Ritchie, Lindholm, and Gibson (21 for 22 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Aaron Dell are the backups in goal. San Jose got going in the second period with a Ryan Carpenter goal, his second of the season, coming off of Paul Martin and Brent Burns. Tampa Bay tied it on a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Brian Boyle and Nikita Kucherov. The Sharks took the lead back with a Logan Couture goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the season, via Kevin Labanc and Joonas Donskoi. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars going to Dell (24 for 25 in saves), Couture, and Carpenter.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 138

Ten games fill today's schedule, the last day before the KHL All-Star Break. We begin with...

Amur Khabarovsk hosting Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Juha Metsola protect the nets. Vladivostok opened in the first period with a Robert Sabolic goal, coming off of Vladimir Tkachyov and Artyom Zemchyonok. Admiral iced it at 2-0 with a Sabolic empty net goal, set up by James Wright and Shaone Morrisonn. The three stars were Sabolic, Bobkov (27 save shutout), and Metsola (25 for 26 in saves).

Over to Chelyabinsk, where Traktor welcomes Kunlun Red Star Beijing. Tomi Karhunen and Pavel Francouz are the goalies. Beijing started in the first period with a Tobias Viklund goal, courtesy of Linus Videll. Kunlun Red Star Beijing added on in the second period with a Zach Yuen goal, made possible by Chad Rau. Beijing extended the lead in the third period as Damien Fleury scored, thanks to Tomi Sallinen and Yuen. Vasily Demchenko replaced Francouz in goal. Chelyabinsk got on the board with a Dmitry Pestunov goal, helped along by Artyom Borodkin and Alexander Chernikov. The final stayed at 3-1, with the three stars being Yuen, Fleury, and Karhunen (19 for 20 in saves).

Along to Magnitogorsk, where Metallurg brings in Avangard Omsk. Dominik Furch and Vasily Koshechkin tend the twines. Magnitogorsk began in the first period with a Sergei Mozyakin goal, assisted by Danis Zaripov and Alexei Bereglazov. Omsk tied it on an Ilya Mikheyev goal, passed from Furch and Evgeny Medvedev in the second period. Metallurg took the lead back with a Zaripov goal, coming off of Mozyakin and Jan Kovar. Magnitogorsk added on in the third period with a Zaripov power play goal, powered by Kovar and Bereglazov. Metallurg extended the lead as Oskar Osala scored a shorthanded empty goal, going in unassisted. Avangard got one back on a Nikolai Lemtyugov power play goal, with helpers from Yegor Martynov and Medvedev. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars going to Zaripov, Mozyakin, and Bereglazov, while Kovar and Medvedev get the honorable mentions.

In Yekaterinburg, Avtomobilist hosts Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Alexander Sharychenkov and Vladimir Sokhatsky draw the starts in goal. Khanty-Mansiysk got going in the second period with an Evgeny Lapenkov goal, helped along by Roman Lyuduchin. Ugra added on in the third period with a Vitaly Shulakov goal, courtesy of Nikita Khlystov and Alexander Yaremchuk. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars given to Sharychenkov (22 save shutout), Lapenkov, and Shulakov.

Northwest to Cherepovets, where Severstal welcomes Medvescak Zagreb. Michael Garnett and Jakub Kovar are in the blue paint. Zagreb led off in the first period with a Tomislav Zanoski goal, with a lone assist by Francis Pare. Medvescak added on in the third period with an Alexandre Giroux goal, via Pare. Zagreb extended the lead as Mike Glumac scored, thanks to Pare, who earned a sock trick. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Pare, Garnett (32 save shutout), and Zanoski.

Down in Nizhnekamsk, Neftekhimik brings in Slovan Bratislava. Barry Brust and Andrei Kareyev are between the pipes. Nizhnekamsk struck first in the first period with a Richard Gynge goal, assisted by Gilbert Brule and Mikhail Zhukov. Bratislava got on the board with a Michal Hlinka goal, via Michal Sersen and Jeff Taffe. Slovan took the lead with a Nick Plastino goal in the second period, coming off of Jonathan Cheechoo and Taffe. Bratislava added on with a Pavol Skalicky goal, fueled by Patrik Lusnak. Neftekhimik got one back with a power play goal by Igor Polygalov, powered by Ivan Lekomtsev and the goalie Kareyev. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Taffe, Skalicky, and Plastino.

Moving along, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Mikhail Biryukov are the experienced goalies. Yaroslavl opened in the first period with an Andrei Loktionov goal, guided in by Dmitry Lugin. Nizhny Novgorod tied it on a Stanislav Yegorshev goal, via Evgeny Grachyov and Nikolai Zherdev. Lokomotiv took the lead back in the third period with a Pavel Kraskovsky goal, assisted by Mikhail Pashnin and Rushan Rafikov. Yaroslavl iced it at 3-1 with a Loktionov empty net goal, set up by Lugin. The three stars were Loktionov, Murygin (20 for 21 in saves), and Lugin.

Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk welcomes Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Ben Scrivens are the masked men. Riga started in the first period with a Guntis Galvins power play goal, powered by Filipp Toluzakov. Minsk tied it in the third period with an Andrei Stepanov goal, courtesy of Roman Graborenko and Artur Gavrus. Riga took the lead back with a Miks Indrasis power play goal, with assists provided by Lauris Darzins and Galvins. Riga added on with a Toluzakov goal, made possible by Tim Sestito on the power play. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Galvins, Toluzakov, and Sedlacek (14 for 15 in saves).

Southeast to Sochi, where the Leopards bring in Spartak Moscow. Markus Svensson and Dmitry Shikin are the goalies. Moscow began in the first period with a Konstantin Glazachev power play goal, powered by Matthew Gilroy and Lukas Radil. Sochi tied it on an Alexei Pepelyayev goal, made possible by Ilya Krikunov. The Leopards took the lead in the second period on an Igor Ignatushkin goal, via Krikunov. Sochi added on with an Andrei Kostitsyn goal, guided in by Krikunov and Ignatushkin, the former earning a sock trick. The Leopards extended the lead as Igor Levitsky scored in the third period, with the help of Nikita Tochitsky and Yegor Morozov. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Krikunov, Ignatushkin, and Shikin (28 for 29 in saves).

Finally, SKA St. Petersburg hosts Jokerit Helsinki. Ryan Zapolski and Mikko Koskinen protect the nets. St. Petersburg led off in the first period with an Ilya Kovalchuk power play goal, powered by Nikita Gusev and Vadim Shipachyov. SKA added on with another Kovalchuk goal, with a lone assist by Yegor Yakovlev. Helsinki got on the board in the second period with a Jesse Joensuu goal, via Mika Niemi. Jokerit tied it on an Oliver Lauridsen goal, helped along by Masi Marjamaki and Roope Talaja. Helsinki took the lead with a Tommi Huhtala goal, coming off of Charles Genoway and Petteri Wirtanen. St. Petersburg retied it on an Evgeny Dadonov power play goal, assisted by Dinar Khafizullin. Jokerit retook the lead in the third period on a Huhtala goal, made possible by Marko Anttila and Wirtanen. Helsinki made it 5-3 with a Pekka Jormakka goal, fueled by Peter Regin and Topi Jaakola. The three stars were Huhtala, Kovalchuk, and Wirtanen.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 95

Five games on tonight, beginning with...

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Carey Price are the masked men. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with an Ian Cole goal, his third of the season, made possible by Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins added on in the second period with an Eric Fehr goal, his sixth of the year, via Chris Kunitz and Scott Wilson. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Jake Guentzel scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Cameron Gaunce and Hornqvist. Montreal got on the board with a Sven Andrighetto goal, his second of the year, assisted by Alexei Emelin and Artturi Lehkonen. The Penguins got one back in the third period on an Olli Maatta goal, passed from Conor Sheary. The score stood at 4-1, with the three stars given to Hornqvist, Murray (19 for 20 in saves), and Fehr.

Over in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Ondrej Pavelec are the veteran goalies. Arizona began in the first period with a Josh Jooris goal, his second of the season, passed from Lawson Crouse. Winnipeg tied it on a Josh Morrissey goal, his third of the year, helped along by Dustin Byfuglien and Mathieu Perreault. The Coyotes took the lead with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Shane Doan. The Jets tied it again in the second period on a Blake Wheeler goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Perreault and Bryan Little. Winnipeg took the lead with an Andrew Copp goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Chris Thorburn and Nic Petan. The Jets added on with a Joel Armia goal, his third of the year, fueled by Shawn Matthias and Byfuglien. Winnipeg extended the lead in the third period as Jacob Trouba scored his third of the season, thanks to Drew Stafford. The Jets padded the lead on a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Paul Postma. Arizona got one back with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his second of the season, guided in by Alex Burmistrov. The three stars of the 6-3 game were Byfuglien, Perreault, and Armia.

Stateside to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces a lesser foe in Jared Coreau in goal. Boston started in the first period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Adam McQuaid and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on with a shorthanded Brandon Carlo goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Brad Marchand and Bergeron. Boston extended the lead as Vatrano scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, a power play goal, guided in by David Backes and Ryan Spooner. Petr Mrazek replaced Coreau in goal. Detroit got on the board with a Dylan Larkin goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along Tomas Tatar and Riley Sheahan. The Bruins replied with a Bergeron power play goal, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Torey Krug and Marchand. The Red Wings got one back in the second period on an Xavier Ouellet goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Detroit got closer with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Thomas Vanek and Mike Green. The Red Wings tied it on a Tatar goal, his tenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Boston took the lead back with a McQuaid goal, assisted by David Krejci. Detroit tied it on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his seventh of the campaign, via Larkin and Tatar. The tie went to a shootout, where Vanek and Frans Nielsen scored to top Marchand for a 6-5 Red Wings win. The three stars went to Tatar, Larkin, and Vanek, while Vatrano, Bergeron, McQuaid, and Marchand get the honorable mentions.

Back in Canada, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Cam Talbot man the nets. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Zack Kassian goal, his third of the season, coming off of Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on with a Mark Letestu power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by McDavid and Andrej Sekera. Florida got on the board with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Reilly Smith and Keith Yandle. The Panthers tied it in the second period with a Michael Sgarbossa power play goal, with assists provided by Jonathan Marchessault and Aaron Ekblad. Florida took the lead in the third period with a Greg McKegg goal, his third of the year, made possible by Jaromir Jagr and Ekblad. Edmonton retied it on a Jordan Eberle goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers won 4-3 in overtime with a McDavid goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Leon Draisaitl. The three stars went to McDavid, Ekblad, and Eberle.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Peter Budaj are in the creases. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Brent Burns goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Joe Thornton and Melker Karlsson. Los Angeles tied it on a Tanner Pearson goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Derek Forbort and Dustin Brown. The Sharks took the lead with a Tommy Wingels goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Micheal Haley. San Jose added on in the second period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Joel Ward and Thornton. The Kings got one back with a Marian Gaborik goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Kyle Clifford and Brown. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Thornton, Brown, and Pavelski.

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