NHL 2016/17 - Day 102

Just four games on tonight, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Petr Mrazek are in the creases. Toronto led off in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-third of the season, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs added on with a Roman Polak goal in the second period, his third of the year, via Matt Hunwick and Nazem Kadri. Toronto extended the lead in the third period as James van Riemsdyk scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Nikita Zaitsev and Martin Marincin. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-0 with a Nikita Soshnikov goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by the goalie Andersen. The three stars went to Andersen (22 save shutout), Matthews, and Polak.

Over in New York, the Rangers welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Henrik Lundqvist are the veteran goalies. Philadelphia got going in the third period with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Brayden Schenn and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers added on with a Voracek goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars given to Mason (34 save shutout), Voracek, and Simmonds.

West to Denver, where the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Calvin Pickard are the backups in goal. Vancouver began in the first period with a Sven Baertschi goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Bo Horvat and Luca Sbisa. The Canucks added on in the second period with an unassisted Markus Granlund goal, his twelfth of the year. Colorado got on the board with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Nikita Zadorov and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche tied it in the third period with a Matt Nieto goal, his second of the year, passed from Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene. Vancouver retook the lead with another Baertschi goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Baertschi, Granlund, and Markstrom (30 for 32 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and John Gibson guard the cages. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Milan Lucic and Anton Slepyshev. Edmonton extended the lead as Zack Kassian scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Mark Letestu. The Oilers padded the lead with a third period goal by Draisaitl, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, via Patrick Maroon and Andrej Sekera. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars given to Draisaitl, Talbot (26 save shutout), and Nugent-Hopkins.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

KHL 2016/17 - Day 142

Nine games today, beginning with...

Lada Togliatti hosting Avangard Omsk. Oleg Shilin and Ilya Ezhov man the nets. Togliatti began in the first period with a Vasily Streltsov goal, assisted by Denis Zernov and Stanislav Bocharov. Omsk tied it on a Nikolai Lemtyugov foal, fueled by Vladimir Sobotka in the second period. Lada retook the lead with a Bocharov goal, passed from Streltsov and Zernov. Togliatti added on with a Viktor Komarov power play goal, powered by Yefim Gurkin and Maxim Rybin. This made it 3-1, the eventual final, with the three stars being Bocharov, Streltsov, and Zernov.

Over in Nizhnekamsk, Neftekhimik welcomes Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Rafael Khakimov faces former teammate Andrei Kareyev in goal. Nizhnekamsk led off in the first period with a Richard Gynge goal, via Dan Sexton and Dmitry Ogurtsov. Novokuznetsk tied it on a Timur Fatkullin power play goal, powered by Denis Vikharev and Kirill Semyonov in the second period. Neftekhimik retook the lead on an Ogurtsov goal, coming off of Gynge and Sexton. Metallurg tied it again with a Semyonov power play goal, made possible by Igor Skorokhodov and Mark Skutar. In the shootout, Gynge and Sergei Konkov lifted Neftekhimik 3-2 over Kirill Lebedev's lone tally for Metallurg. The three stars were Gynge, Ogurtsov, and Sexton, while Semyonov gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Yaroslavl, where Lokomotiv brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Pavel Francouz and Alexander Sudnitsin play goal. Chelyabinsk opened in the first period with an Alexander Sharov goal, helped along by Dmitry Pestunov and Kirill Koltsov. Traktor added on with a Maxim Yakutsenya goal, assisted by Paul Szczechura and Koltsov. Chelyabinsk extended the lead as Yakutsenya scored again, thanks to Alexei Kruchinin. Alexei Murygin replaced Sudnitsin in goal. Yaroslavl got on the board in the second period with a Pavel Kraskovsky goal, via Denis Osipov and Alexander Polunin. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Yakutsenya, Koltsov, and Francouz (38 for 39 in saves).

In Moscow, Spartak hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Markus Svensson are in the blue paint. Moscow got going in the second period with a Vyacheslav Leshchenko goal, made possible by Vadim Berdnikov and Igor Mirnov. St. Petersburg tied it on a Vadim Shipachyov power play goal, powered by Evgeny Dadonov. SKA took the lead in the third period with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, assisted by Pavel Datsyuk and Dadonov. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Kovalchuk, Dadonov, and Shipachyov.

South to Podolsk, where Vityaz welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Ilya Samsonov and Igor Saprykin draw the starts in goal. Podolsk dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Nikita Vyglazov goal, via Sergei Gimayev and Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi. Magnitogorsk tied it on a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal, powered by Chris Lee and Danis Zaripov. Vityaz took the lead back on a Roman Horak power play goal, coming off of Maxim Afinogenov and Alexei Makeyev. Metallurg tied it again with an Alexander Semin goal, passed from Oskar Osala and Grigory Dronov. Podolsk took the lead in the third period with an Afinogenov goal, assisted by Pavel Lukin and Igor Golovkov. The game ended 3-2, with the three stars awarded to Afinogenov, Horak, and Vyglazov.

Back east, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod brings in CSKA Moscow. Ilya Sorokin and Mikhail Biryukov are the goalies. Moscow started in the first period with a Greg Scott power play goal, powered by Dmitry Kugryshev and Denis Denisov. CSKA added on in the third period with an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, coming off of Mikhail Naumenkov. Moscow extended the lead as Scott scored an unassisted goal, his second of the game. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board with a Dmitry Shulenin goal, made possible by Evgeny Mozer. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Scott, Sorokin (17 for 18 in saves), and Kuzmenko.

Next up, Ak Bars Kazan hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Danny Taylor and Emil Garipov are the masked men. Kazan drew first blood in the second period with a Mikhail Varnakov goal, assisted by Fyodor Malykhin and Dmitry Obukhov. Novosibirsk tied it in the third period with a Maxim Ignatovich power play goal, powered by Zach Boychuk and Vladislav Naumov. Sibir won 2-1 in overtime with a Yegor Milovzorov goal, passed from Konstantin Okulov. The three stars went to Milovzorov, Taylor (26 for 27 in saves), and Ignatovich.

Back in Moscow, Dynamo welcomes Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg and Alexander Yeryomenko tend the twines. Moscow struck first in the first period with a Lukas Kaspar goal, guided in by Dmitry Vishnevsky and Martins Karsums. Dynamo added on with an Ansel Galimov goal, fueled by Alexei Tsvetkov and Juuso Hietanen. Ufa got on the board with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, powered by Sami Lepisto and Linus Omark. Salavat Yulaev tied it on an Igor Grigorenko goal, passed from Kaprizov and Maxim Goncharov. Alexander Lazushin replaced Yeryomenko in goal. Moscow retook the lead on an Artyom Fyodorov goal, with a lone assist by Hietanen. Dynamo extended the lead in the second period as Kaspar scored his second of the game, with the help of Alexei Tereshchenko and Karsums. Moscow padded the lead with an unassisted Karsums goal in the third period. Dynamo iced it at 6-2 with a Fyodorov power play goal, his second of the game with a lone helper from Tsvetkov. The three stars were Kaspar, Karsums, and Fyodorov, while Hietanen, Tsvetkov, and Kaprizov get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Sochi Leopards bring in Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Konstantin Barulin guard the cages. Sochi was first to score in the first period with a shorthanded Ivan Zakharchuk goal, set up by Yury Alexandrov. Cherepovets tied it on a Daniil Vovchenko goal, made possible by Yury Trubachyov. The Leopards took the lead back in the third period with an Ilya Krikunov goal, helped along by Igor Ignatushkin. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars going to Barulin (26 for 27 in saves), Krikunov, and Zakharchuk.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2016/17 - Day 101

Ten games for today, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Detroit Red Wings. Jared Coreau and Tuukka Rask man the nets. Boston opened with a Kevan Miller goal, fueled by Tim Schaller and Dominic Moore. Detroit tied it on an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Mike Green and Niklas Kronwall. The Bruins retook the lead with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Ryan Spooner and David Pastrnak. The Red Wings tied it again in the second period on a Green goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Henrik Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist. Detroit took the lead on a Tomas Tatar goal, his eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Zetterberg. Boston tied it with a Marchand goal in the third period, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, helped along by Patrice Bergeron and Torey Krug. The Bruins won 4-3 in overtime on a Pastrnak goal, his twentieth of the year, with helpers from David Krejci and Brandon Carlo. The three stars were Marchand, Pastrnak, and Green, while Zetterberg gets an honorable mention.

In New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Cory Schneider are in goal. Los Angeles led off in the first period with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty. The Kings added on with a Tanner Pearson power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Carter and Devin Setoguchi. Los Angeles extended the lead as Alec Martinez scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Marian Gaborik and Nick Shore. Keith Kinkaid replaced Schneider for the second period. New Jersey got on the board with a third period goal by Kyle Quincey, his fourth of the year, passed from Michael Cammalleri and Miles Wood. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Carter, Budaj (24 for 25 in saves), and Pearson.

Over in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky faces a lesser foe in Thomas Greiss in goal. Columbus started in the first period with a Nick Foligno goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Alexander Wennberg and Ryan Murray. New York tied it on a second period Josh Bailey goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of John Tavares. The Islanders took the lead with a Nikolay Kulemin goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Tavares and Calvin de Haan. New York added on with a Brock Nelson goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, via Nick Leddy and Adam Pelech. The Islanders extended the lead as Jason Chimera scored his tenth of the season, going unassisted. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Cam Atkinson goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, an unassisted goal. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Tavares, Nelson, and Chimera.

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins host the St. Louis Blues. Carter Hutton and Matt Murray are the goalies. St. Louis began in the first period with a Colton Parayko power play goal, his third of the season, powered by David Perron and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues added on with a Ryan Reaves goal, his third of the year, coming off of Kevin Shattenkirk and Robert Bortuzzo in the second period. St. Louis extended the lead in the third period as Scottie Upshall scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Perron. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars bestowed upon Hutton (34 save shutout), Perron, and Parayko.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Calgary Flames. Chad Johnson is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Montreal struck first in the first period with an Andrew Shaw goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Sven Andrighetto and Jeff Petry. The Canadiens added on with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his seventh of the year, going in shorthanded and unassisted in the second period. Montreal extended the lead as Alexander Radulov scored a power play goal, his eleventh of the season, thanks to Nathan Beaulieu and Shea Weber. The Canadiens padded the lead with a Daniel Carr goal, his second of the year, via Torrey Mitchell and the goalie Price. Montreal continued with a Radulov power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Plekanec and Shaw. Calgary got on the board with a Sam Bennett power play goal, his tenth of the year, with helpers from Matthew Tkachuk and Dougie Hamilton. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars going to Radulov, Shaw, and Plekanec.

Over in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Mike Condon draw the starts in goal. Ottawa was first to score in the first period with a Chris Kelly goal, his third of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Tom Pyatt and Fredrik Claesson. The Senators added on with a Bobby Ryan goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Claesson and Derick Brassard. Ottawa extended the lead as Zack Smith scored a power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Ryan Dzingel and Chris Wideman. The game ended at 3-0, with the three stars being Condon (30 save shutout), Claesson, and Kelly.

South to Nashville, where the Predators host the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Juuse Saros are the solid goalies. Nashville opened in the first period with a shorthanded Filip Forsberg goal, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Calle Jarnkrok and Matt Irwin. Buffalo tied it in the second period on a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his sixth of the year, via Evander Kane and Cody Franson. The Predators took the lead back with a Cody McLeod goal, his third of the season, assisted by Yannick Weber. The Sabres tied it with a Jack Eichel goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Franson and Zach Bogosian. Nashville regained the lead in the third period with a Viktor Arvidsson power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Ryan Johansen and James Neal. The Predators added on with a Neal goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Jarnkrok and Mike Ribeiro. Buffalo got one back with a Brian Gionta goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Girgensons. The Sabres tied it with a Kyle Okposo goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Sam Reinhart. Buffalo won 5-4 in overtime on an Eichel goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, made possible by Taylor Fedun and the goalie Lehner. The three stars went to Eichel, Girgensons, and Franson, while Neal and Jarnkrok get the honorable mentions.

Back in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Ondrej Pavelec are mediocre goalies. San Jose started in the first period with a Brent Burns goal, his twenty-first of the season, a power play goal powered by Logan Couture and Joe Thornton. Winnipeg tied it on a Bryan Little goal, his eleventh of the year, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Josh Morrissey and Dustin Byfuglien. The Sharks took the lead back with a Couture goal in the second period, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Mikkel Boedker and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Jets tied it again with an Andrew Copp goal, his seventh of the year, via Blake Wheeler and Byfuglien. Winnipeg took the lead in the third period with a Little goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, courtesy of Morrissey and Patrik Laine. San Jose tied it again with a Melker Karlsson penalty shot goal, his sixth of the year, coming while shorthanded. The Sharks took the lead with a Patrick Marleau goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, made possible by Ryan Carpenter and Brenden Dillon. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Couture, Little, and Byfuglien, while Morrissey gets an honorable mention.

Stateside again to Chicago, where the Blackhawks bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Corey Crawford are the masked men. Chicago led off in the first period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Richard Panik and Ryan Hartman. Tampa Bay tied it on a Brian Boyle goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Valtteri Filppula. The Blackhawks took the lead back in the second period with a Duncan Keith goal, his third of the season, via Artemi Panarin and Toews. The Lightning tied it in the third period with a Nikita Nesterov goal, his third of the year, helped along by Boyle. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Tyler Johnson goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Alex Killorn and Filppula. The Lightning added on with Johnson's second of the game and fifteenth of the year, via Killorn and Vasilevskiy. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-2 with a Nikita Kucherov empty net goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Johnson, Boyle, and Killorn, while Filppula and Toews earn honorable mentions.

Finally, the Dallas Stars host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Kari Lehtonen are between the pipes. Minnesota began in the first period with a Jason Pominville goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. The Wild added on in the second period with a Mikko Koivu power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Nino Niederreiter and Mikael Granlund. Dallas got on the board with a Tyler Seguin goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Antoine Roussel and Jason Spezza. The Stars tied it on a Patrick Eaves power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jamie Benn and Spezza. The tie went to a shootout, where Pominville, Koivu, and Chris Stewart topped Eaves and Benn for a 3-2 Wild win. The three stars were Koivu, Pominville, and Eaves, while Spezza and Benn get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

KHL 2016/17 - Day 141

Only five games on today, beginning with...

Amur Khabarovsk hosting Slovan Bratislava. Barry Brust and Juha Metsola protect the nets. Bratislava opened in the first period with a Jeff Taffe goal, assisted by Michal Sersen and Jonathan Cheechoo. Slovan added on with a Lukas Vopelka goal in the third period, via Mislav Rosandic and Ivan Svarny. Khabarovsk got on the board with an Oleg Li goal, coming off of Vladislav Ushenin and Nikita Kamalov. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Brust (28 for 29 in saves), Vopelka, and Taffe.

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Medvescak Zagreb. Michael Garnett and Nikita Serebryakov man the nets. Vladivostok started in the first period with a Robert Sabolic power play goal, powered by Jonathon Blum and Vladimir Tkachyov. Zagreb tied it on a Lukas Lessio power play goal in the second period, helped along by Goran Bezina and Jakub Krejcik. Admiral retook the lead on a Sabolic goal, made possible by Tkachyov and Dmitry Sayustov. Vladivostok added on with a Pavel Makarenko goal, passed from Blum and Oskars Bartulis. Admiral extended the lead as Makarenko scored an unassisted goal, his second of the game. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars going to Sabolic, Makarenko, and Tkachyov, while Blum gets an honorable mention.

Way out west, Dinamo Minsk hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Ivan Lisutin and Ben Scrivens play goal. Minsk led off in the first period with an Evgeny Lisovets goal, courtesy of Fredrik Pettersson and Matt Ellison. Yekaterinburg tied it on an Artyom Gareyev goal, coming off of Yegor Zhuravlyov and Petr Koukal. Dinamo took the lead with an Ellison power play goal, with a lone assist by Pettersson. Avtomobilist tied it again in the second period on a Michal Cajkovsky power play goal, powered by Gareyev. Yekaterinburg took the lead back with an Alexei Mikhnov power play goal, with helpers from Dmitry Megalinsky and Cajkovsky. Minsk tied it again with an Aaron Palushaj power play goal, with assists provided by Ellison and Marc-Andre Gragnani. Vladimir Sokhatsky replaced Lisutin in goal. Dinamo took the lead with a Roman Graborenko goal, via Pettersson and Gragnani. Avtomobilist retied it in the third period with an Alexander Torchenyuk goal, helped along by Alexei Simakov. Minsk won 5-4 in overtime with a Gragnani goal, assisted by Pettersson. The three stars were Gragnani, Pettersson (sock trick), and Gareyev, while Ellison and Cajkovsky get the honorable mentions.

Up in Finland, Jokerit Helsinki brings in Barys Astana. Henrik Karlsson and Ryan Zapolski are the goalies. Helsinki began in the first period with a Brian O'Neill goal, made possible by Jesper Jensen. Jokerit added on with a Peter Regin goal, passed from O'Neill and Pekka Jormakka. Astana got on the board with a Dustin Boyd power play goal, powered by Nigel Dawes and Brandon Bochenski. Helsinki shot back in the second period with a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Mika Niemi. Barys took one back in the third period on a Dawes power play goal, with assists provided by Bochenski and Kevin Dallman. Astana tied it on an Ivan Kuchin goal, made possible by Konstantin Pushkryov. Barys won 4-3 in overtime on a Bochenski power play goal, with a lone assist by Dallman. The three stars were Bochenski, Dawes, and Dallman, while O'Neill gets an honorable mention.

Finally, Dinamo Riga hosts Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Alexander Sharychenkov and Janis Kalnins are in the blue paint. Riga got going in the third period with an Aleksandrs Jerofejevs goal, assisted by Filipp Toluzakov and Tim Sestito. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it on a Yegor Ivanov power play goal, powered by Evgeny Kulik and Anton Kuryanov. Dinamo won 2-1 in the shootout with a Toluzakov tally. The three stars were Toluzakov, Kalnins (30 for 31 in saves), and Jerofejevs.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2016/17 - Day 100

Six games tonight as we'll just play half a week before the All-Star break. We begin in...

New York, where the Rangers host the Los Angeles Kings. Jeff Zatkoff and Henrik Lundqvist man the nets. New York started in the first period with an unassisted Brandon Pirri goal, his eighth of the season. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Matt Puempel goal, his sixth of the year, via Derek Stepan and Dan Girardi. Los Angeles got on the board with a Jordan Nolan goal, his third of the season, assisted by Andy Andreoff and Drew Doughty. New York answered in the third period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his ninth of the year, passed from J.T. Miller. The Kings got one back with a Kyle Clifford goal, his fourth of the campaign, helped along by Jake Muzzin and Nolan. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars going to Zuccarello, Nolan, and Lundqvist (36 for 38 in saves).

In DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Braden Holtby receive the starting nods in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Jordan Staal power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Sebastian Aho. Washington tied it with a Dmitry Orlov power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky. The Capitals took the lead on a Justin Williams goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Karl Alzner and Matt Niskanen. Washington added on with an Orlov goal in the second period, his second of the game and fourth of the year, via Brett Connolly and Burakovsky. The Capitals extended the lead as Kuznetsov scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Alzner and Williams. Washington padded the lead with a T.J. Oshie goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals continued with a Lars Eller goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Nate Schmidt and Burakovsky, the latter earning a sock trick. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars going to Orlov, Kuznetsov, and Williams, while Alzner and Burakovsky get the honorable mentions.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott and Frederik Andersen draw the starts in goal. Toronto began in the first period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Nikita Zaitsev. The Maple Leafs added on with a Nazem Kadri goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of William Nylander. Toronto extended the lead as Zach Hyman scored a shorthanded goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Martin Marincin. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-0 with a Kadri power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, powered by Marner and Nikita Zaitsev. The three stars were Kadri, Marner, and Andersen (26 save shutout), while Zaitsev gets an honorable mention.

West to Winnipeg, where the Jets host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonathan Bernier and Ondrej Pavelec are the overrated goalies. Winnipeg led off in the first period with an Andrew Copp goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Mark Scheifele and Jacob Trouba. Anaheim tied it on a Logan Shaw shorthanded goal, his second of the year, set up by Cam Fowler and Joseph Cramarossa. The Ducks took the lead in the second period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Ryan Getzlaf and Hampus Lindholm. Anaheim added on in the third period with a Getzlaf power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Shea Theodore and Corey Perry. The Jets got one back with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, coming off of Toby Enstrom and Bryan Little. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Getzlaf, Rakell, and Shaw.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Spencer Martin are in the creases. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Brent Burns goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by David Schlemko and Logan Couture. Colorado tied it in the second period on a Jarome Iginla power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Mikhail Grigorenko and Nikita Zadorov. The Sharks took the lead back with a Patrick Malreau goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Mikkel Boedker. San Jose added on with a Marleau goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, via Couture and Burns. The Sharks extended the lead as Marleau completed a natural hat trick in just under eight minutes with his fifteenth of the season, with the help of Joe Pavelski and Burns. The Avalanche got one back with an Andreas Martinsen goal, his second of the year, helped along by Zadorov and Blake Comeau. San Jose iced it at 5-2 with Marleau's fourth of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, with a lone helper by Vlasic. The three stars were Marleau, Burns, and Couture, while Vlasic and Zadorov get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. Florida struck first in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Jakub Kindl and Jonathan Marchessault. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Christian Fischer goal, his second of the year, helped along by Jakob Chychrun and Alex Burmistrov. The Coyotes took the lead with a Ryan White goal, his third of the season, assisted by Chychrun and Connor Murphy. The Panthers retied it on a Michael Sgarbossa goal, his second of the year, via Colton Sceviour and Derek MacKenzie. Arizona won 3-2 in overtime with a Tobias Rieder goal, his tenth of the campaign, made possible by Burmistrov and Alex Goligoski. The three stars went to Burmistrov, Chychrun, and Rieder.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

KHL 2016/17 - Day 140

Eight games for today, beginning with...

Lada Togliatti hosting Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Vladislav Podyapolsky and Ilya Ezhov make the starts in goal for the first game after the All-Star break. Novokuznetsk opened in the first period with an unassisted Nikita Lyamkin goal. Togliatti tied it on an Andrei Ivanov goal, passed from Nikita Filatov and Semyon Valuisky in the second period. The tie went to a shootout, where Kirill Semyonov and Kirill Lebedev scored to give Metallurg a 2-1 win. The three stars were Podyapolsky (35 for 36 in saves), Ezhov (39 for 40 in saves), and Lyamkin.

Next up, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk welcomes Sibir Novosibirsk. Danny Taylor and Andrei Kareyev are in goal. Novosibirsk started in the first period with a Stepan Sannikov goal, guided in by Joonas Kemppainen and Maxim Ignatovich. Sibir added on in the second period with a power play goal by Adam Polasek, powered by Konstantin Alexeyev. Novosibirsk extended the lead in the third period as Sannikov scored again, thanks to Vladislav Naumov. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars given to Sannikov, Taylor (32 save shutout), and Polasek.

West to Podolsk, where Vityaz hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg faces a lesser foe in Igor Saprykin in goal. Ufa led off in the first period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, assisted by Denis Kulyash and Linus Omark. Salavat Yulaev added on with a Zakhar Arzamastsev goal in the second period, going in unassisted. Ufa extended the lead as Kaprizov scored again, thanks to Omark. Podolsk got on the board with a Miro Aaltonen power play goal, powered by Alexei Kopeikin. Vityaz got one back with a Jakub Jerabek power play goal, with a lone assist by Kopeikin in the third period. Podolsk tied it on a Kopeikin goal, made possible by Aaltonen. Vityaz won 4-3 in the shootout with goals by Nikita Vyglazov and Kopeikin. The three stars were Kopeikin, Aaltonen, and Kaprizov, while Omark gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo brings in Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Ilya Proskuryakov are the solid goalies. Cherepovets began in the first period with an Ilya Khokhlov goal, passed from Pavel Chernov and Nikolai Stasenko. Severstal added on in the second period with a Vojtech Polak goal, coming off of Chernov. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board with a power play goal by Carter Ashton, powered by Nikolai Zherdev and Evgeny Grachyov. Cherepovets shot back in the third period with a Maxim Trunyov power play goal, assisted by Yury Trubachyov and Daniil Vovchenko. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Chernov, Kovar (26 for 27 in saves), and Polak.

Into Moscow, where Dynamo hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vasily Demchenko and Alexander Yeryomenko guard the cages. Moscow struck first in the first period with a Lukas Kaspar power play goal, powered by Martins Karsums and Alexei Tereshchenko. Dynamo added on with a Juuso Hietanen goal, via Tereshchenko and Kaspar on the power play. Moscow extended the lead as Artyom Fyodorov scored on the power play, with the help of Alexei Tsvetkov. Chelyabinsk got on the board with a Maxim Yakutsenya goal, helped along by Paul Szczechura and Derek Roy in the second period. Dynamo answered with a Maxim Karpov goal, with a lone assist by Vladimir Bryukvin. Moscow padded the lead on a Konstantin Gorovikov goal, courtesy of Maxim Solovyov and Yakov Rylov. Dynamo struck again with a Hietanen goal in the third period, coming off of Ansel Galimov. Traktor got one back with a shorthanded and unassisted Yury Petrov goal. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars going to Hietanen, Kaspar, and Tereshchenko.

South to Sochi, where the Leopards welcome SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Konstantin Barulin tend the twines. St. Petersburg got going in the second period with a Viktor Tikhonov goal, assisted by Ilya Kablukov. SKA added on with a Nikita Gusev power play goal, powered by Ilya Kovalchuk. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Evgeny Dadonov scored a power play goal, thanks to Gusev and Kovalchuk. SKA padded the lead on a Pavel Datsyuk power play goal, made possible by Vyacheslav Voynov. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars going to Gusev, Koskinen (27 save shutout), and Kovalchuk.

In Yaroslavl, Lokomotiv hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Alexei Murygin protect the nets. Magnitogorsk dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Alexander Semin goal, helped along by Chris Lee. Yaroslavl tied it on an unassisted Alexander Kadeikin goal. Metallurg took the lead back with a Sergei Tereshchenko goal, via Evgeny Timkin and Tomas Filippi. Magnitogorsk added on with a Jan Kovar goal, fueled by Viktor Antipin and Sergei Mozyakin. Metallurg iced it at 4-1 in the third period with a Timkin empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Timkin, Koshechkin (28 for 29 in saves), and Tereshchenko.

Finally, we end in Moscow as Spartak brings in CSKA for a cross-town derby. Andrei Filonenko and Markus Svensson are in the blue paint. CSKA was first to score in the first period with a Stephane Da Costa goal, assisted by Kirill Petrov and Valery Nichushkin on the power play. CSKA added on with an unassisted Sergei Andronov goal in the second period. CSKA extended the lead as Alexander Popov scored, thanks to Petrov and Nichushkin. CSKA padded the lead with a Denis Denisov goal, with a lone assist by Andrei Kuzmenko. CSKA kept going with a Da Costa goal, his second of the game, coming off of Artyom Blazhiyevsky and Kuzmenko. Spartak got on the board with a Konstantin Glazachev goal, passed from Alexander Vasilyev. CSKA iced it at 6-1 with an Alexander Kutuzov goal, made possible by Kuzmenko, who earned a sock trick. The three stars went to Da Costa, Kuzmenko, and Petrov, while Nichushkin gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

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.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.