NHL 2016/17 - Day 107

Eight games tonight, beginning with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Michal Neuvirth make the starts in goal. Montreal led off in the first period with a Nikita Nesterov goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Alex Galchenyuk and Andrew Shaw. Philadelphia tied it on a Claude Giroux power play goal in the second period, his twelfth of the year, powered by Mark Streit and Brayden Schenn. The Flyers took the lead in the third period with a Matt Read goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Sean Couturier and Nick Cousins. Philadelphia iced it at 3-1 with a Couturier empty net goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Read, Couturier, and Giroux.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Robin Lehner protect the nets. New York got going in the second period with a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller. Buffalo tied it in the third period with a Cody Franson goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Ryan O'Reilly and Tyler Ennis. The Rangers won 2-1 in overtime with a Chris Kreider goal, his twentieth of the campaign, helped along by Miller and Mika Zibanejad. The three stars were Lundqvist (36 for 37 in saves), Miller, and Lehner (42 for 44 in saves).

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Andrei Vasilevskiy man the nets. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Nikita Kucherov. Ottawa tied it with a Mark Stone goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Zack Smith and Cody Ceci. The Senators took the lead with a Kyle Turris power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson. Ottawa added on in the third period with a Hoffman goal, his eighteenth of the year, a power play goal with assists provided by Turris and Stone. The Lightning got one back with a Brayden Point goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Brian Boyle and Ondrej Palat. The Senators shot back with a Stone goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, coming off of Karlsson and Derick Brassard. Ottawa iced it at 5-2 with a Chris Kelly empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Karlsson, who earned a sock trick. The three stars went to Stone, Hoffman, and Turris, while Karlsson gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Nashville Predators bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Pekka Rinne are the masked men. Nashville was first to score in the second period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Ryan Johansen. The Predators added on with a Johansen goal, his ninth of the year, via Arvidsson and Filip Forsberg. This produced a 2-0 final eventually, with the three stars awarded to Rinne (31 save shutout), Arvidsson, and Johansen.

In Texas, the Dallas Stars host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Kari Lehtonen are the mediocre goalies. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Bryan Little goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine. Dallas tied it on a John Klingberg power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Jamie Benn. The Stars took the lead with a Benn goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Patrik Nemeth and Patrick Eaves. The Jets retied it on a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg took the lead in the third period with Scheifele's second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Mathieu Perreault and Dustin Byfuglien on the power play. The Jets added on with an Ehlers goal, his nineteenth of the year, fueled by Laine. Dallas got one back with an Eaves goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Klingberg and Benn. This was as close as it got, with the three stars of the 4-3 Jets win being Scheifele, Ehlers, and Benn, while Laine, Eaves, and Klingberg get the honorable mentions.

Up in Missouri, the St. Louis Blues welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Jake Allen are given the starting nods in goal. Toronto started in the first period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. St. Louis tied it on an Alexander Steen goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk and Paul Stastny. The Blues took the lead in the second period with a Stastny goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Steen and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis added on with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Jori Lehtera and Colton Parayko. The Blues extended the lead as Parayko scored a power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Pietrangelo and Robby Fabbri. St. Louis padded the lead in the third period as Stastny scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, with the help of Parayko and Joel Edmundson. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars handed to Stastny, Parayko, and Steen, while Pietrangelo gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Arizona, where the Coyotes host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Mike Smith are the All-Star goalies. Chicago opened in the first period with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Duncan Keith and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks added on with a Ryan Hartman goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Keith and Andrew Desjardins. Chicago extended the lead as Marian Hossa scored his nineteenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Artemi Panarin and Brent Seabrook. Arizona got on the board in the second period with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Radim Vrbata and Michael Stone. The Blackhawks shot back with a Panarin goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Artem Anisimov and Kane. The Coyotes answered with a Christian Dvorak goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Shane Doan and Brendan Perlini. Arizona got closer with a Perlini goal, his eighth of the campaign, made possible by Dvorak and Alex Goligoski. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Panarin, Kane, and Keith, while Dvorak and Perlini get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Ryan Miller are between the pipes. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns. The Sharks added on with a Chris Tierney goal, his fifth of the year, via David Schlemko. San Jose extended the lead in the third period as Burns scored his twenty-second of the season, thanks to Tomas Hertl and Joe Thornton. Vancouver got on the board with a Philip Larsen goal, coming off of Brendan Gaunce and Nikita Tryamkin. The Sharks iced it at 4-1 with a Tierney power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, assisted by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Joel Ward. The three stars were Tierney, Burns, and Jones (32 for 33 in saves).

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 150

There are six games today for the Russian league, beginning with...

Sibir Novosibirsk hosting Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Danny Taylor make the starts in goal. Novosibirsk led off in the first period with a Stepan Sannikov goal, passed from Joonas Kemppainen and Maxim Shalunov. Sibir added on with an Alexei Glukhov goal in the second period, assisted by Georgy Misharin and Konstantin Sokolov. Novosibirsk extended the lead as Konstantin Okulov scored, thanks to Vladislav Naumov. Vladivostok got on the board with an unassisted goal by Denis Alexeyev. Sibir shot back in the third period with Glukhov's second goal of the game, via Sokolov and Fyodor Belyakov. Novosibirsk padded the lead with a Naumov power play goal, powered by Okulov and Zach Boychuk. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars given to Glukhov, Okulov, and Naumov, while Sokolov gets an honorable mention.

In Novokuznetsk, Metallurg welcomes Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Vladislav Podyapolsky are the goalies. Khabarovsk dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Kirill Kapustin goal, assisted by Igor Rudenkov and Anton Krysanov. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars given to Kapustin, Metsola (29 save shutout), and Podyapolsky (26 for 27 in saves).

West to Omsk, where Avangard brings in Kunlun Red Star Beijing. Tomi Karhunen and Dominik Furch man the nets. Omsk got going in the second period with a Pyotr Khokhyrakov goal, coming off of Anton Burdasov and Jonas Ahnelov. Avangard added on with a Burdasov goal, helped along by Yegor Martynov and Khokhryakov. Beijing got on the board with a Sean Collins power play goal, powered by Chad Rau and Linus Videll. Omsk iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Alexander Perezhogin, set up by Vladimir Sobotka and Valentin Pyanov. The three stars were Burdasov, Khokhryakov, and Furch (19 for 20 in saves).

Further west to Togliatti, where Lada hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Ilya Ezhov are the masked men. Togliatti began in the first period with an Andrei Ivanov goal, helped along by Nikita Filatov and Alexander Bumagin. Lada added on with an Anton Shenfeld goal, assisted by Alexei Mastryukov and Maxim Rybin. Togliatti extended the lead as Filatov scored, with the help of Ivanov. Lada iced it at 4-0 with an empty net goal by Georgy Belousov, set up by Dmitry Kostromitin and Viktor Komarov in the third period. The three stars belonged to Ivanov, Filatov, and Ezhov (37 save shutout).

In Europe, Slovan Bratislava welcomes Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Justin Pogge play goal. Moscow started in the first period with an Alexander Rybakov goal, coming off of Juuso Hietanen and Alexei Sopin. Dynamo added on with an Artyom Podshendyalov goal, via Maxim Solovyov and Denis Kokarev. Bratislava got on the board with a Patrik Lusnak goal, passed from Tomas Starosta in the second period. The game ended 2-1, with the three stars going to Yeryomenko (40 for 41 in saves), Podshendyalov, and Rybakov.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Sergei Gaiduchenko are in the blue paint. Yaroslavl opened in the first period with an Emil Galimov goal, passed from Mikhail Pashnin. Lokomotiv added on with a Petri Kontiola goal, courtesy of Maxime Talbot and Brandon Kozun on the power play. Yaroslavl extended the lead as Denis Osipov scored a power play goal, thanks to Kontiola and Kozun. Lokomotiv padded the lead on a Rushan Rafikov power play goal, powered by Daniil Apalkov and Alexander Kadeikin. Michael Garnett replaced Gaiduchenko in goal at the start of the second period. Yaroslavl continued in the second period with an Ilya Lyubushkin goal, via Galimov and Vladislav Kartayev. Zagreb got on the board with a Mike Glumac power play goal, with helpers from Nathan Perkovich and Mark Katic. Lokomotiv shot back on a Kozun goal, with a lone assist from Talbot. Medescak countered with a Kirill Voronin goal, fueled by Blake Parlett and Alexandre Giroux. Zagreb got closer in the third period with a Lukas Lessio power play goal, with assists provided by Perkovich and Derek Smith. Medvescak chipped closer with an unassisted Ilya Arkalov goal. Yaroslavl iced it at 7-4 with a Kozun empty net goal, set up by Talbot. The three stars were Kozun, Talbot, and Kontiola, while Galimov and Perkovich get the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 106

Just three games on tonight, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington led off in the first period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on with a Backstrom goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Matt Niskanen and Oshie. Boston got on the board with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak. The Bruins tied it in the second period with another Marchand power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, via Ryan Spooner and Pastrnak. Washington retook the lead with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Niskanen and Backstrom. The Capitals extended the lead in the third period as Brett Connolly scored his ninth of the year, with the help of Dmitry Orlov and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington padded the lead on a Kuznetsov goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Tom Wilson. Boston got one back with a David Krejci goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Pastrnak, who got a sock trick, and Marchand. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Backstrom, Oshie, and Marchand, while Kuznetsov, Pastrnak, and Niskanen get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Calgary, where the Flames welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Brian Elliott draw the starts in goal. Calgary began in the first period with an Alex Chiasson goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Sam Bennett and Kris Versteeg. The Flames added on with a Sean Monahan goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming on the power play from Johnny Gaudreau and Troy Brouwer. Minnesota got on the board with a second period goal by Jason Zucker, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Mikael Granlund. Calgary answered in the third period with Monahan's second power play goal of the game, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Dennis Wideman and T.J. Brodie. The Flames extended the lead as Deryk Engelland scored his second of the season, with the help of Matt Stajan. Calgary iced it at 5-1 with a Micheal Ferland goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Engelland. The three stars were Monahan, Engelland, and Elliott (28 for 29 in saves.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Spencer Martin and Peter Budaj are the backups in goal. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Marian Gaborik goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. The Kings added on with a Jeff Carter goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, a power play goal powered by Jake Muzzin and Drew Doughty. Los Angeles extended the lead as Carter scored his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Devin Setoguchi. The Kings padded the lead in the third period with a Brown goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Nic Dowd and Kevin Gravel. Los Angeles continued with a Dwight King goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. This produced a 5-0 final, with the three stars given to Carter, Brown, and Budaj (22 save shutout).

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 149

Seven games on today, beginning with...

Salavat Yulaev Ufa hosting SKA St. Petersburg. Igor Shestyorkin and Andrei Gavrilov man the nets. St. Petersburg got going in the second period with a Vadim Shipachyov power play goal, powered by Anton Belov and Evgeny Dadonov. SKA added on with another Shipachyov goal, coming off of Dadonov and Nikita Gusev. Ufa got on the board in the third period with an Enver Lisin goal, passed from Alexander Loginov and Denis Parshin. St. Petersburg shot back with a Shipachyov goal to complete his hat trick, with the help of Vyacheslav Voynov and Dadonov. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Shipachyov, Shestyorkin (25 for 26 in saves), and Dadonov.

Over to Yekaterinburg, where Avtomobilist welcomes Dinamo Minsk. Ben Scrivens and Vladimir Sokhatsky are the goalies. Yekaterinburg dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Evgeny Chesalin goal, made possible by Petr Koukal. Minsk tied it with an Aaron Palushaj power play goal, powered by Fredrik Pettersson and Marc-Andre Gragnani. Dinamo took the lead with an Alexander Materukhin goal, helped along by Rob Klinkhammer. Minsk added on with a shorthanded empty net goal in the third period from Alexander Pavlovich, set up by Roman Graborenko. Avtomobilist shot back with a Michal Cajkovsky power play goal, assisted by Alexei Simakov. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Pavlovich, Materukhin, and Palushaj.

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana brings in Jokerit Helsinki. Ryan Zapolski faces a lesser foe in Kevin Poulin. Helsinki drew first blood in the third period with a Pekka Jormakka power play goal, powered by Jesse Joensuu and Brian O'Neill. Jokerit added on with a Mika Niemi goal, coming off of Sakari Salminen and Ville Lajunen. This produced the 2-0 final, with the three stars awarded to Zapolski (18 save shutout), Jormakka, and Niemi.

Back in Russia, Traktor Chelyabinsk hosts CSKA Moscow. Ilya Sorokin and Pavel Francouz tend the twines. Moscow cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Dmitry Kugryshev goal, assisted by Denis Denisov and Valery Nichushkin. Chelyabinsk tied it on an Alexei Kruchinin goal, helped along by Maxim Yakutsenya and the goalie Francouz. CSKA took the lead with a Kirill Petrov power play goal, powered by Alexander Popov and Stephane Da Costa. Traktor tied it again with a Paul Szczechura goal in the third period, via Kirill Koltsov and Kruchinin. Moscow reclaimed the lead with a Popov goal, courtesy of Petrov and Da Costa. Chelyabinsk tied it with a Szczechura goal, with a lone assist by Yakutsenya. Traktor won 4-3 with a Jiri Novotny power play goal, with a lone assist by Yakutsenya, who earned a sock trick. The three stars went to Yakutsenta, Szczechura, and Koltsov, while Da Costa, Petrov, and Popov get the honorable mentions.

Along to Magnitogorsk, where Metallurg brings in Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Ilya Samsonov are the masked men. Magnitogorsk opened in the first period with a Chris Lee goal, assisted by Dmitry Kazionov and Yaroslav Kosov. Metallurg added on with a Denis Kazionov goal, via Lee and Denis Platonov. Magnitogorsk extended the lead as Tomas Filippi scored, thanks to Alexander Semin and Alexei Bereglazov in the second period. Roman Smiryagin replaced Kovar in goal. Cherepovets got on the board with an Adam Masuhr power play goal, powered by Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Vojtech Polak. Metallurg answered with an Oskar Osala goal, coming off of Filippi and Kosov. Magnitogorsk padded the lead with a Sergei Mozyakin goal, passed from Danis Zaripov and Jan Kovar. Severstal answered with a Clay Wilson goal, guided in by Ruslan Karlin and Alexei Ugarov. Cherepovets got closer with a Maxim Trunyov goal, made possible by Yury Trubachyov and Daniil Vovchenko. Metallurg replied with a Mozyakin power play goal, with assists provided by Lee and Zaripov. Severstal got one back with a Sergei Lapin goal in the third period, fueled by Vladislav Kodola and Denis Yezhov. This only made it 6-4, the final, with the three stars going to Mozyakin, Lee, and Filippi, while Zaripov and Kosov get the honorable mentions.

Up in Khanty-Mansiysk, Ugra welcomes Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Alexander Sharychenkov protect the nets. Riga was first to score in the first period with a Lauris Darzins goal, via Edgars Kulda. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with an Andrei Ankudinov goal, going in unassisted. Ugra took the lead with an Andrei Alexeyev power play goal, powered by Alexander Ugolnikov and Anton Kuryanov. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Alexeyev, Ankudinov, and Sharychenkov (15 for 16 in saves).

Finally, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod hosts the Sochi Leopards. Konstantin Barulin and Ilya Proskuryakov guard the cages. Nizhny Novgorod started in the first period with a Dmitry Semin goal, via Dmitry Shulenin and Denis Barantsev. Sochi tied it on an Eric O'Dell power play goal in the second period, powered by Andre Petersson. The Leopards won 2-1 in the shootout with a lone tally by Vadim Shchegolkov. The three stars were O'Dell, Barulin (32 for 33 in saves), and Proskuryakov (32 for 33 in saves).

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 105

Fourteen games as the NHL returns from its All-Star Break. We begin with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Cam Ward are the goalies. Carolina started in the first period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes added on with an Aho goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, via Elias Lindholm. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Jeff Skinner scored his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Lee Stempniak. The Hurricanes padded the lead with an Aho power play goal, completing his hat trick on his fifteenth of the year, powered by Lindholm and Teuvo Teravainen. Carolina struck again in the third period with a Justin Faulk power play goal, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Aho and Teravainen. Philadelphia got on the board with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Shayne Gostisbehere and Jakub Voracek. The game ended at 5-1, with the three stars awarded to Aho, Lindholm, and Teravainen.

Up in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Thomas Greiss man the nets. Washington opened in the first period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his tenth of the season, via Justin Williams and Brooks Orpik. New York tied it in the second period with an Alan Quine goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Andrew Ladd and Calvin de Haan on the power play. The Islanders took the lead in the third period with a Ryan Strome goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Brock Nelson and Anthony Beauvillier. New York added on with an empty net goal by Johnny Boychuk, his sixth of the year, set up by Casey Cizikas and John Tavares. The Capitals got one back with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, assisted by Nicklas Backstrom and Kuznetsov. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Kuznetsov, Strome, and Boychuk.

Over to Manhattan, where the New York Rangers bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo is mismatched with Henrik Lundqvist. Columbus led off in the first period with a Seth Jones goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by William Karlsson. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Brandon Saad goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Alexander Wennberg and Jack Johnson. Columbus extended the lead as Wennberg scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Ryan Murray and Zach Werenski. Antti Raanta replaced Lundqvist in goal. The Blue Jackets padded the lead on a Jones goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, courtesy of Scott Hartnell and Sam Gagner. Columbus continued with a Nick Foligno goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Wennberg and Saad. The Blue Jackets struck again in the third period with a Matt Calvert goal, his seventh of the year, via Werenski and Josh Anderson. New York got on the board with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Rick Nash. The Rangers got another one on a Michael Grabner goal, his twenty-second of the year, with helpers from Brady Skjei and J.T. Miller. New York chipped away with a Chris Kreider goal, his nineteenth of the season, from Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers got closer with a Kevin Klein goal, made possible by Nick Holden and Derek Stepan. The final held at 6-4, with the three stars going to Jones, Wennberg, and Saad, while Werenski gets an honorable mention.

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Matt Murray are in between the posts. Nashville began in the first period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Colin Wilson and Matt Irwin. Pittsburgh tied it on a Chris Kunitz goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Scott Wilson and Ian Cole. The Penguins took the lead in the second period with a Trevor Daley goal, his fifth of the season, via Carl Hagelin and Eric Fehr. Pittsburgh added on with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Sidney Crosby and Conor Sheary. The Penguins extended the lead as Hornqvist scored power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, powered by Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel. The Predators got one back in the third period with a Wilson power play goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Mike Fisher and Jarnkrok. The game ended at 4-2, with the three stars going to Hornqvist, Jarnkrok, and Wilson.

Next up, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Jared Coreau play goal. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Stefan Noesen goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Pavel Zacha and Jacob Josefson. The Devils added on with a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Kyle Palmieri, his twelfth of the year. Detroit got on the board with a Henrik Zetterberg goal in the second period, his tenth of the season, via Gustav Nyquist and Anthony Mantha. New Jersey replied with a Palmieri goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, with assists Taylor Hall and Ben Lovejoy. The Devils extended the lead on a shorthanded Adam Henrique goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted in the third period. The Red Wings got one back with a Tomas Tatar goal, his twelfth of the year, a power play goal powered by Niklas Kronwall and Darren Helm. Detroit pulled closer with a Nick Jensen goal, with a lone assist by Nyquist. The final remained at 4-3, with the three stars going to Palmieri, Nyquist, and Henrique.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Carey Price protect the nets. Montreal was first to score in the first period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Alexander Radulov and Phillip Danault. The Canadiens added on in the second period with another Pacioretty goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, via Radulov and Danault. Montreal extended the lead as David Desharnais scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Sven Andrighetto. The Canadiens padded the lead with a Paul Byron goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Andrei Markov and Tomas Plekanec. Montreal continued in the third period with a Pacioretty goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Buffalo got on the board with a Dmitry Kulikov goal, with a lone assist by Cal O'Reilly. The Sabres got closer with a Brian Gionta power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Cody Franson and Evander Kane. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Pacioretty, Radulov, and Danault.

South to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Ben Bishop guard the cages. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with an Alex Killorn goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Victor Hedman and Tyler Johnson. Boston tied it on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Adam McQuaid and Brad Marchand. The Bruins took the lead with a David Krejci goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Marchand and Kevan Miller. The Lightning tied it in the third period with a Killorn goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, via Hedman and Johnson. Boston retook the lead with a Zdeno Chara goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Colin Miller and Matt Beleskey. The Bruins added on with a Frank Vatrano power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Krejci and Colin Miller. Tampa Bay got one back with a Brayden Point goal, his fourth of the campaign, guided in by Hedman, who got a sock trick, and Jake Dotchin. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars being Killorn, Hedman, and Marchand, while Colin Miller and Johnson get the honorable mentions.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers welcome the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Roberto Luongo are given the starting nods in goal. Florida opened in the first period with a Michael Matheson goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Alex Petrovic and Nick Bjugstad. Ottawa tied it on a Ryan Dzingel goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Kyle Turris. The Panthers retook the lead with a Mark Pysyk goal, his second of the season, fueled by Derek MacKenzie and Michael Sgarbossa. The Senators retied it on a Dzingel goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, passed from Marc Methot and Bobby Ryan. Ottawa took the lead with a Chris Wideman goal, his third of the season, assisted by Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone. The Senators added on in the second period with a Karlsson goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Zack Smith and Tom Pyatt. Florida got one back with a Colton Sceviour goal, his sixth of the season, via Jason Demers and Greg McKegg. The Panthers tied it again on a Matheson goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, made possible by Sgarbossa. Florida took the lead with a Jonathan Marchessault goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Panthers extended the lead with a Demers empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Reilly Smith. Ottawa pulled back with a Derick Brassard goal, his ninth of the campaign, dished from Ryan and Fredrik Claesson. The three stars of the 6-5 game went to Matheson, Dzingel, and Demers, while Karlsson, Ryan, and Sgarbossa get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Jake Allen are the struggling goalies. St. Louis started in the first period with an Alexander Steen goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Alex Pietrangelo and Paul Stastny. Winnipeg tied it with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-third of the year, fueled by Blake Wheeler and Toby Enstrom. The Jets took the lead with a second period goal by Patrik Laine, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Scheifele and Josh Morrissey. Winnipeg added on with a Nikolaj Ehlers power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Bryan Little. The Blues got one back with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Jaden Schwartz and Pietrangelo. The Jets answered in the third period with a Jacob Trouba goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Wheeler and Andrew Copp. St. Louis pulled closer with a Pietrangelo goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Kevin Shattenkrik and Tarasenko. Winnipeg iced it at 5-3 with a Wheeler empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Scheifele. The three stars were Scheifele, Wheeler, and Pietrangelo, while Tarasenko gets an honorable mention.

South to Dallas, where the Stars host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Kari Lehtonen are in the blue paint. Dallas led off in the first period with a Devin Shore goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Dan Hamhuis. The Stars added on with a Radek Faksa goal, his seventh of the year, via Shore and Patrick Sharp. Dallas extended the lead as Lauri Korpikoski scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Brett Ritchie and Hamhuis. Curtis McElhinney replaced Andersen in goal. Toronto got on the board with a Tyler Bozak power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by James van Riemsdyk and Mitchell Marner. The Stars replied with a Ritchie goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Julius Honka and Adam Cracknell. Dallas padded the lead with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by John Klingberg and Tyler Seguin. The Maple Leafs answered with a Nikita Soshnikov goal in the second period, his third of the season, helped along by Matt Martin. The Stars countered with a Jason Spezza goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Seguin. Toronto shot back with a Marner goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Nazem Kadri and Nikita Zaitsev. This held up for a 6-3 result, with the three stars going to Shore, Ritchie, and Seguin, while Hamhuis and Marner get the honorable mentions.

North to Alberta, where the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Cam Talbot are called on to start in goal. Minnesota began in the first period with an unassisted Tyler Graovac goal, his fifth of the season. The Wild added on with a Jason Zucker goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Mikko Koivu. Minnesota extended the lead as Zach Parise scored in the second period, his ninth of the season, thanks to Jason Pominville and Nate Prosser. Edmonton got on the board with n Adam Larsson goal, his third of the year, guided in by Oscar Klefbom and Anton Slepyshev. The Wild shot back with a Graovac goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, assisted by Mikael Granlund. Laurent Brossoit relieved Talbot in goal. The Oilers pulled back with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Milan Lucic and Andrej Sekera. Minnesota replied in the third period with a Chris Stewart goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists from Zucker and Kuemper. This remained the last goal, with the final at 5-2, and the three stars were Graovac, Zucker, and Kuemper (41 for 43 in saves). 

Returning south to Arizona, where the Coyotes bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Mike Smith are the goalies. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Jordan Martinook goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Connor Murphy and Lawson Crouse. Los Angeles tied it on an Anze Kopitar goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Marian Gaborik and Drew Doughty. The Coyotes retook the lead in the second period with a Ryan White goal, his fourth of the season, via Crouse. The Kings tied it again with a Jordan Nolan goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Kopitar and Derek Forbort. Los Angeles took the lead in the third period with a Jake Muzzin power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, powered by Jeff Carter and Kopitar. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Kopitar, Crouse, and Muzzin.

In California, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and John Gibson earned the starts in goal. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Nick Ritchie and Antoine Vermette. The Ducks added on with a Rickard Rakell goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf in the second period. Colorado got on the board with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Mikhail Grigorenko. Anaheim replied in the third period with another Silfverberg goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, coming off of Andrew Cogliano. The Ducks extended the lead as Korbinian Holzer scored, thanks to Silfverberg and Joseph Cramarossa. Anaheim iced it at 5-1 with a Cam Fowler goal, his eleventh of the campaign, made possible by Ritchie and Ryan Kesler. The three stars were Silfverberg, Ritchie, and Gibson (28 for 29 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Martin Jones tend the twines. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns. Chicago tied it with a Dennis Rasmussen goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Richard Panik and Brent Seabrook. The Sharks retook the lead in the third period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Burns and Pavelski. San Jose iced it at 3-1 with a Pavelski empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Logan Couture and Joe Thornton. The three stars went to Pavelski, Burns, and Jones (24 for 25 in saves).

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 148

Six games for the last day in January. We begin with...

Sibir Novosibirsk hosting Kunlun Red Star Beijing. Tomi Karhunen and Danny Taylor draw the starts in goal. Novosibirsk got going in the second period with a Stepan Sannikov power play goal, powered by Maxim Shalunov and Joonas Kemppainen. This was the only goal in the game, with the 1-0 final for Sibir sending the three stars to Sannikov, Taylor (27 save shutout), and Karhunen (27 for 28 in saves).

In Novokuznetsk, Metallurg welcomes Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Rafael Khakimov are in the creases. Vladivostok opened in the first period with a Dmitry Sayustov power play goal, powered by Jonathon Blum and Robert Sabolic. Novokuznetsk tied it on an Evgeny Solovyov goal, passed from Ignat Zemchenko. Admiral retook the lead in the second period with a Denis Alexeyev goal, assisted by Ivan Gavrilenko and Mikhail Plotnikov. Metallurg tied it with an Ivan Yemets goal, coming off of Zemchenko and Nikita Lyamkin. In the shootout, Alexeyev was matched by Yemets and beaten by Zemchenko as Metallurg took the game 3-2. The three stars were Zemchenko, Yemets, and Alexeyev.

West to Omsk, where Avangard brings in Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Dominik Furch are the goalies. Khabarovsk started in the first period with an Oleg Li goal, fueled by Igor Rudenkov and Vyacheslav Ushenin. Amur added on with a Maxim Kondratyev goal, via Tomas Zohorna. Khabarovsk extended the lead in the third period as Kondratyev scored again, thanks to Vladislav Ushenin and Vyacheslav Ushenin. Omsk got on the board with an Erik Gustafsson goal, helped along by Alexander Perezhogin and Jonas Ahnelov. Avangard got closer with an unassisted Anton Burdasov goal. Amur iced it at 4-2 with a Vladislav Ushenin empty net goal, set up by Vyacheslav Ushenin, who got a sock trick, and Anton Krysanov. The three stars were Kondratyev, Vyacheslav Ushenin, and Vladislav Ushenin.

Further west, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Andrei Kareyev are in the blue paint. Nizhnekamsk led off in the first period with a Richard Gynge goal, guided in by Dan Sexton. Kazan tied it on an Andrei Chibisov goal, courtesy of Stepan Zakharchuk and Artyom Lukoyanov. Neftekhimik retook the lead in the second period with a Geoffrey Kinrade goal, passed from Andrei Sergeyev and Sexton. Ak Bars tied it on a Fyodor Malykhin goal, helped along by Mikhail Varnakov and Dmitry Obukhov. Nizhnekamsk gained the lead again with a power play goal by Sergeyev, powered by Kinrade and Sexton, the latter earning a sock trick. Stanislav Galimov replaced Garipov in goal. Neftekhimik added on with a Pavel Poryadin goal, coming off of Igor Polygalov. Nizhnekamsk extended the lead as Sergeyev scored another power play goal, thanks to Kinrade and Sexton. Neftekhimik padded the lead on an Andrei Pervyshin goal, made possible by Gennady Stolyarov and Polygalov on the power play. Nizhnekamsk continued with a Sexton goal, via Sergei Konkov on the power play. Neftekhimik struck again in the third period with a Maxim Berezin goal, assisted by Bogdan Yakimov and Pavel Zdunov. The final stood at 8-2, with the three stars awarded to Sexton, Sergeyev, and Kinrade, while Polygalov gets an honorable mention.

Out in Slovakia, Slovan Bratislava welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexander Sudnitsin and Barry Brust are the masked men. Bratislava struck first in the first period with a Michal Hlinka goal, passed from Jonathan Cheechoo. Slovan added on with a Cheechoo power play goal in the second period, powered by Jeff Taffe and Tomas Kundratek. Yaroslavl got on the board in the third period with a Brandon Kozun power play goal, with a lone assist by Jakub Nakladal. Lokomotiv tied it with a Kozun goal, assisted by Mikhail Pashnin and Petri Kontiola. The tie went to a shootout, where Slovan won 3-2 with tallies by Ziga Jeglic and Igor Musatov. The three stars were Cheechoo, Kozun, and Hlinka.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Lazushin and Michael Garnett are between the pipes. Moscow began in the first period with an Alexei Tereshchenko goal, guided in by Maxim Karpov. Dynamo added on with a Semyon Kokuyov goal, assisted by Alexei Sopin and Yakov Rylov. Zagreb got on the board with an Alexandre Giroux goal, via Jakub Krejcik and Lukas Lessio. Moscow answered with an Ilya Nikulin goal, helped along by Lukas Kaspar and Karpov. Dynamo extended the lead in the third period as Vladimir Bryukvin scored, thanks to Kokuyov. Medvescak got one back with a Mark Katic goal, courtesy of Krejcik. Moscow shot back with a Kokuyov goal, with helpers from Yegor Dugin and Artyom Fyodorov. Zagreb replied with a Lessio goal, made possible by Samson Mahbod and Kirill Voronin. Dynamo iced it at 6-3 with a Kaspar empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Kokuyov, Kaspar, and Karpov, while Krejcik and Lessio get the honorable mentions.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 147

Just two games today, beginning with...

Jokerit Helsinki hosting Dinamo Minsk. Ben Scrivens and Ryan Zapolski man the nets. Minsk started in the first period with a Fredrik Pettersson power play goal, powered by Rob Klinkhammer and Matt Ellison. Dinamo added on with a shorthanded Klinkhammer goal, set up by Kirill Gotovets and Scrivens. Minsk iced it at 3-0 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Marc-Andre Gragnani, with a lone assist from Roman Graborenko. The three stars went to Klinkhammer, Scrivens (36 save shutout), and Pettersson.

The other game has Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod hosting Spartak Moscow. Markus Svensson and Ilya Proskuryakov are given the starting nods in goal. Nizhny Novgorod opened in the first period with a Nikolai Zherdev goal, passed from Carter Ashton and Evgeny Grachyov. Moscow tied it on a Konstantin Glazachev goal, helped along by Lukas Radil. Torpedo retook the lead with a Zherdev goal, assisted by Kirill Rasskazov and Denis Barantsev. Nizhny Novgorod added on in the third period with an Artyom Alyayev power play goal, powered by Kaspars Daugavins and Alexander Frolov. Torpedo extended the lead as Alyayev scored again, thanks to Frolov on the power play. Nizhny Novgorod iced it at 5-1 with an Evgeny Mozer goal, coming off of Stanislav Yegorshev and John Norman. The three stars were Zherdev, Alyayev, and Frolov.

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