NHL 2016/17 - Day 124

After Canada got the spotlight yesterday, today is Hockey Day In America, featuring another eleven games to fill the schedule. We begin with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Henrik Lundqvist play goal. New York led off in the first period with a Ryan McDonagh goal, his third of the season, coming off of Rick Nash and Derek Stepan. Washington tied it in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Lars Eller and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Rangers retook the lead in the third period on a Mats Zuccarello goal, his twelfth of the campaign, made possible by Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Zuccarello, Lundqvist (31 for 32 in saves), and McDonagh.

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Matt Murray draw the starts in goal. Detroit began in the first period with a Nick Jensen goal, his third of the season, assisted by Justin Abdelkader and Andreas Athanasiou. Pittsburgh tied it on a Tom Kuhnhackl shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Kris Letang. The Red Wings retook the lead with a Steve Ott goal, his third of the season, passed from Riley Sheahan. Detroit added on in the third period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Henrik Zetterberg and Anthony Mantha. The Red Wings extended the lead as Thomas Vanek scored his fifteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Penguins got one back with a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirty-second of the year, with a lone assist by Jake Guentzel. Detroit iced it at 5-2 with a Luke Glendening empty net goal, his third of the campaign, with helpers from Ott and Zetterberg. The three stars were Ott, Zetterberg, and Tatar.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Mike Condon are given the starting nods in goal. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine. The Jets added on with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his sixth of the year, via Scheifele and Laine. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a Mark Stone goal, his twenty-second of the season, a power play goal powered by Erik Karlsson and Dion Phaneuf. Winnipeg replied with a Josh Morrissey goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted in the third period. The Senators chipped back with a Zack Smith goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, made possible by Derick Brassard and Karlsson. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Scheifele, Laine, and Karlsson.

Back stateside, the Buffalo Sabres host the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Robin Lehner are in the blue paint. Chicago opened in the first period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Tanner Kero and Duncan Keith. Buffalo tied it on an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Jack Eichel and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Blackhawks took the lead back in the second period with a Marian Hossa goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Marcus Kruger and Michal Kempny. Chicago added on with a Jonathan Toews goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Richard Panik and Nick Schmaltz. The Blackhawks extended the lead in the third period as Artem Anisimov scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin. Chicago padded the lead on a Kane goal, his twentieth of the year, with a lone assist from Panarin. The three stars of the 5-1 game were Kane, Panarin, and Darling (25 for 26 in saves).

Across the state, the New York Islanders welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Jean-Francois Berube are the backups in goal. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Miles Wood power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri. New York tied it on a Ryan Strome goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Anthony Beauvillier and Dennis Seidenberg. The Islanders took the lead in the second period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Stephen Gionta. New York added on with a Strome goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Islanders extended the lead as Andrew Ladd scored his sixteenth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Johnny Boychuk. The Devils answered with a Palmieri goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Travis Zajac and Hall. New Jersey got closer with a Joseph Blandisi goal, guided in by Steven Santini and Stefan Noesen. New York shot back in the third period on a John Tavares power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by Strome and Anders Lee. The Islanders padded the lead with a Jason Chimera goal, his fifteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Devils got one back with a Hall power play goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Damon Severson and the goalie Kinkaid. The game ended at 6-4, with the three stars handed to Strome, Hall, and Palmieri.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a Ryan Ellis goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Roman Josi and James Neal. The Predators added on with a Kevin Fiala goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, via Mike Fisher. Columbus got on the board with a Brandon Saad goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Seth Jones and Zach Werenski. Nashville shot back with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Neal and P.K. Subban. The Blue Jackets pulled back with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his second of the season, helped along by Alexander Wennberg and Werenski. Columbus tied it in the third period with a Werenski goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Wennberg and Jones. The Predators retook the lead with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his third of the campaign, courtesy of Filip Forsberg and Subban. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Werenski, Neal, and Subban, while Jones and Wennberg get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Curtis McElhinney and Cam Ward are between the pipes. Toronto got going in the second period with a Connor Brown goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Jake Gardiner. Toronto extended the lead in the third period as Gardiner scored his eighth of the season, with the help of Nazem Kadri and Leo Komarov. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Brown goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, guided in by van Riemsdyk and Gardiner. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars being Brown, McElhinney (37 save shutout), and Gardiner, while van Riemsdyk gets an honorable mention.

West to Denver, where the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Calvin Pickard are the goalies. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Alex Killorn and Victor Hedman. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his seventh of the year, via Valtteri Filppula and Brian Boyle. Colorado got on the board with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Blake Comeau and Matt Duchene in the third period. The Avalanche tied it on a Duchene goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Tyson Barrie and Nathan MacKinnon. Tampa Bay won 3-2 in overtime on a Jonathan Drouin goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Drouin, Duchene and Namestnikov.

Out in California, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Martin Jones guard the cages. Boston started in the first period with a Ryan Spooner goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Jimmy Hayes and Adam McQuaid. San Jose tied it on a Patrick Marleau goal in the second period, his twenty-first of the year, via Brent Burns and David Schlemko. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, assisted by Torey Krug and Patrice Bergeron. The three stars were Rask (29 for 30 in saves), Marchand, and Spooner.

Down in Anaheim, the Ducks host the Los Angeles Kings in a battle of California. Peter Budaj and John Gibson are the solid goalies. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Josh Manson goal, his second of the season, helped along by Ryan Getzlaf. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars given to Gibson (24 save shutout), Manson, and Budaj (28 for 29 in saves).

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Ryan Miller occupy the creases. Philadelphia struck first in the first period with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers added on with a Jakub Voracek goal in the second period, his fifteenth of the year, via Sean Couturier and Gostisbehere. Philadelphia extended the lead as Brayden Schenn scored a power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Gostisbehere, who earned a sock trick. Vancouver got on the board with a Markus Granlund goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks got closer with a Jannik Hansen goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Bo Horvat and Ben Hutton. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Gostisbehere, Schenn, and Voracek.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 123

Eleven games on for today, which is Hockey Day in Canada. We begin with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Robin Lehner play goal. St. Louis started in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, passed from Jaden Schwartz and Joel Edmundson. Buffalo tied it on a Nicholas Baptiste goal, his third of the year, via Jack Eichel and Evander Kane. The Sabres took the lead in the second period with a Kane goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Zach Bogosian and Baptiste. Buffalo added on with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Kyle Okposo. The Blues got one back with a shorthanded and unassisted Scottie Upshall goal in the third period, his sixth of the campaign. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Kane, Baptiste, and Lehner (37 for 39 in saves).

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Petr Mrazek protect the nets. Detroit began in the first period with a Frans Nielsen power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings added on in the second period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Zetterberg and Anthony Mantha. Washington got on the board with a Zach Sanford goal, his second of the season, made possible by Lars Eller. The Capitals tied it on a Daniel Winnik goal, his eighth of the year, passed from T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom. In the shootout, Thomas Vanek of Detroit and Evgeny Kuznetsov of Washington traded goals before Zetterberg won it 3-2 for the Red Wings. The three stars were Zetterberg, Tatar, and Nielsen.

In Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Carey Price draw the starts in goal. Montreal led off in the first period with an Andrei Markov goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk. Winnipeg tied it on a Joel Armia shorthanded goal in the second period, his second of the game and sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Jets took the lead in the third period with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Dustin Byfuglien and Patrik Laine. Winnipeg iced it at 3-1 with a Laine empty net goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, set up by Ben Chiarot and Perreault. The three stars were Perreault, Laine, and Hellebuyck (19 for 20 in saves).

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Edmonton got going in the second period with a Matt Benning power play goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Oilers added on with a Milan Lucic goal in the third period, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle. Chicago got on the board with a Richard Panik goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Jonathan Toews and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Edmonton iced it at 3-1 with a Connor McDavid empty net goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Mark Letestu and Leon Draisaitl. The three stars were Talbot (38 for 39 in saves), Lucic, and Benning.

East to New Jersey, where the Devils welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Cory Schneider are given the starting nods. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, his third of the season, assisted by Travis Zajac and Jon Merrill. The Devils added on in the second period with a shorthanded Zajac goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Adam Henrique. New Jersey extended the lead in the third period as Pavel Zacha scored a power play goal, his eighth of the season, thanks to P.A. Parenteau and Damon Severson. New York got on the board with an Andrew Ladd goal, his fifteenth of the year, helped along by Calvin de Haan. The Islanders got closer with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Alan Quine and Johnny Boychuk. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Zajac, Zacha, and Schneider (40 for 42 in saves).

In Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in their provincial rivals, the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Frederik Andersen are the similarly-named goalies. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Chris Wideman goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Derick Brassard and Mark Stone. The Senators added on with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his twelfth of the year, via Marc Methot and Stone. Toronto got on the board in the second period on a Morgan Rielly goal, his third of the season, guided in by Auston Matthews and William Nylander. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Nazem Kadri goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, made possible by Josh Leivo. Toronto took the lead in the third period with a Nylander power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Matthews and Leo Komarov. Ottawa retied it with a Mike Hoffman goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Kyle Turris and Erik Karlsson. The Senators took the lead with a Brassard power play goal, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Stone, who got a sock trick, and Karlsson. Ottawa extended the lead as Stone scored an empty net goal, his twenty-first of the year, with the help of Turris. The Senators iced it at 6-3 with a Brassard empty net goal, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Turris, who got a sock trick, and Stone. The three stars were Stone, Brassard, and Turris, while Karlsson, Nylander, and Matthews get the honorable mentions.

South to Texas, where the Dallas Stars host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Kari Lehtonen and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in the creases. Tampa Bay was first to score in the first period with a Victor Hedman goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Brian Boyle and Jake Dotchin. The Lightning added on with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Brayden Point and Hedman. Dallas got on the board with an Antoine Roussel goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Dan Hamhuis and Tyler Seguin. The Stars tied it on another Roussel goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, via Seguin and Patrick Eaves. Tampa Bay retook the lead with a Hedman goal in the second period, his second of the game and tenth of the season, helped along by Johnson and Ondrej Palat on the power play. Dallas tied it in the third period with a Roussel goal, completing his hat trick on his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Seguin, who got a sock trick, and Patrick Sharp. The Stars won 4-3 in overtime with a Jamie Benn goal, his twentieth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Cody Eakin. The three stars went to Roussel, Seguin, and Hedman, while Johnson gets an honorable mention.

Over in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell is mismatched with Mike Smith in goal. San Jose opened in the first period with a Brent Burns goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Melker Karlsson. The Sharks added on with a Karlsson goal, his eighth of the year, via Micheal Haley and Brenden Dillon. San Jose extended the lead in the second period as Haley scored, thanks to Paul Martin and Karlsson. Arizona got on the board in the third period with a Martin Hanzal goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Alex Goligoski and Radim Vrbata. The Sharks iced it at 4-1 with a Burns power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Logan Couture and Joe Thornton. The three stars went to Burns, Karlsson, and Haley.

Back northeast to Minnesota, where the Wild bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Devan Dubnyk guard the cages. Minnesota started in the first period with a Mikael Granlund power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Nino Niederreiter and Mikko Koivu. The Wild added on in the second period with Jason Zucker's seventeenth goal of the year, via Granlund and Jared Spurgeon. Minnesota extended the lead in the third period with a Koivu goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Ryan Suter and Zucker. Nashville got on the board with a Colin Wilson goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Yannick Weber. The Predators got closer with a P.K. Subban goal, his eighth of the season, passed from James Neal and Wilson. The Wild answered with a Zucker goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Minnesota iced it at 5-2 with an Eric Staal goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, an empty net goal set up by Jason Pominville and Suter. The three stars went to Zucker, Koivu, and Granlund, while Suter and Wilson get the honorable mentions.

In California, the Los Angeles Kings host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Peter Budaj are the old goalies. Florida led off in the first period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Aleksander Barkov and Vincent Trocheck. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Jussi Jokinen goal, his ninth of the year, via Reilly Smith and Alex Petrovic. Los Angeles got on the board with a Dwight King goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Trevor Lewis and Nick Shore. The Kings tied it on a Tanner Pearson goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Jeff Carter and Paul Ladue. Florida regained the lead in the third period with a Barkov goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, passed from Jaromir Jagr and Aaron Ekblad. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Barkov, Jokinen, and Huberdeau.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott and Ryan Miller are the masked men. Vancouver began in the first period with an Alexander Edler goal, his third of the season, assisted by Troy Stecher. Calgary tied it on a Mark Giordano goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Matthew Tkachuk and Michael Frolik in the third period. The Canucks won 2-1 in overtime with a Christopher Tanev goal, with a lone assist by Daniel Sedin. The three stars went to Tanev, Miller (35 for 36 in saves), and Edler.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 161 Regular Season Finale

Twelve games wrap up the KHL regular season, setting the playoff field for the next two months or so. We begin with...

Salavat Yulaev Ufa hosting Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Niklas Svedberg earn the starts in goal. Togliatti opened in the first period with a Denis Zernov goal, via Georgy Belousov and Kristaps Sotnieks. Ufa tied it in the second period with a power play goal by Sami Lepisto, powered by Igor Grigorenko. Lada took the lead back with a Stanislav Bocharov goal, helped along by Viktor Komarov. Andrei Gavrilov relieved Svedberg at this time. Salavat Yulaev tied it again on a Maxim Mayorov goal, with a lone assist by Evgeny Korotkov. Ufa took the lead with a third period Stanislav Gareyev goal, passed from Mikhail Vorobyov and Mikhail Kotlyarevsky. Salavat Yulaev iced it at 4-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Denis Kulyash. The three stars were Gareyev, Mayorov, and Lepisto.

Next up, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg welcomes Sibir Novosibirsk. Danny Taylor and Vladimir Sokhatsky are the goalies. Novosibirsk got going in the second period with a Yegor Milovzorov goal, assisted by Maxim Shalunov. Yekaterinburg tied it in the third period with an unassisted Anatoly Golyshev goal. Sibir won 2-1 in the shootout with a Stepan Sannikov tally. The three stars were Taylor (33 for 34 in saves), Milovzorov, and Sokhatsky (29 for 30 in saves).

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana brings in Avangard Omsk. Denis Kostin is mismatched with Henrik Karlsson in goal. Omsk started in the first period with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, fueled by Valentin Pyanov. Avangard added on in the second period with an Ilya Zubov goal, made possible by Pyanov and Mikheyev. Omsk extended the lead as Mikheyev scored a power play goal, with the help of Yegor Martynov. Astana got on the board with a Roman Starchenko power play goal in the third period, powered by Cam Barker. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Mikheyev, Kostin (27 for 28 in saves), and Pyanov.

Back north, Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Vladislav Podyapolsky and Georgy Boyarshinov are set to start in goal. Novokuznetsk led off in the first period with a Stanislav Kalashnikov power play goal, powered by Ignat Zemchenko and Evgeny Solovyov. Metallurg added on with an Igor Skorokhodov goal, passed from Artyom Mikheyev and Kirill Semyonov in the second period. Novokuznetsk extended the lead as Semyonov scored a power play goal, thanks to Timur Fatkullin and Skorokhodov. Metallurg padded the lead with a Nikita Yazkov goal, guided in by Andrei Taratukhin and Alexander Titov. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board in the third period with an Evgeny Kulik goal, helped along by Sergei Kuptsov and Artyom Bulyansky. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Semyonov, Skorokhodov, and Podyapolsky (38 for 39 in saves).

West to Cherepovets, where Severstal welcomes the Sochi Leopards. Dmitry Shikin and Jakub Kovar are given the starting nods in goal. Sochi began in the first period with an Eric O'Dell goal, made possible by Andrei Kostitsyn. Cherepovets tied it on a Daniil Vovchenko power play goal in the second period, powered by Denis Yezhov. Severstal took the lead with a Ruslan Karlin goal in the third period, via Sergei Monakhov and Alexei Ugarov. Cherepovets added on with a Nikolai Stasenko goal, assisted by Vladislav Kodola and Sergei Lapin. The Leopards answered with an Ilya Krikunov goal, coming off of O'Dell and Ivan Vorobyov. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars being Stasenko, O'Dell, and Karlin.

Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk brings in Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Kevin Lalande are in the blue paint. Kazan struck first in the first period with an Atte Ohtamaa goal, made possible by Anton Glinkin and Alexander Svitov. Minsk tied it on an Aaron Palushaj power play goal, powered by Marc-Andre Gragnani and Fredrik Pettersson. Ak Bars retook the lead in the third period with a Svitov power play goal, assisted by Vasily Tokranov and Justin Azevedo. Kazan added on with a Mikhail Varnakov goal, going in unassisted. Dinamo pulled back with a Sergei Kostitsyn goal, passed from Alexander Kitarov and Matt Ellison. Minsk tied it on a Pettersson goal, with a lone assist by Ellison. Ak Bars regained the lead on an Andrei Popov goal, courtesy of Mikhail Glukhov. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Svitov, Pettersson, and Ellison.

Returning to Russia, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Alexander Sudnitsin draw the starts in goal. Khabarovsk was first to score in the first period with an Alexei Byvaltsev goal, courtesy of Tomas Zohorna. Yaroslavl tied it on a Maxime Talbot goal, assisted by Brandon Kozun and Petri Kontiola in the second period. Lokomotiv took the lead with an Alexander Polunin goal, via Pavel Kraskovsky and Yegor Korshkov. Amur retied it on a Zohorna goal, coming off of Vyacheslav Litovchenko and Maxim Kondratyev. Yaroslavl retook the lead in the third period with an Alexander Kadeikin goal, passed from Emil Galimov and Vladislav Kartayev. Khabarovsk tied it again on a Pavel Dedunov goal, going in unassisted. Amur took the lead with a Byvaltsev goal, his second of the game, made possible by Ilya Gorokhov and Zohorna. Khabarovsk added on with a Litovchenko power play goal, powered by Zohorna, who earned a sock trick. The final held at 5-3, with the three stars being Zohorna, Byvaltsev, and Litovchenko.

In Moscow, Dynamo welcomes Kunlun Red Star Beijing. Tomi Karhunen and Alexander Yeryomenko are in the creases. Beijing dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Tomi Sallinen goal, assisted by Tuukka Mantyla and Oleg Yashin. Moscow tied it on a shorthanded goal by Denis Kokarev, set up by Konstantin Gorovikov. Dynamo took the lead in the third period with a Martins Karsums power play goal, powered by Ilya Nikulin and Lukas Kaspar. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Yeryomenko (28 for 29 in saves), Karsums, and Kokarev.

Staying in the city, CSKA Moscow brings in cross-town rivals Spartak. Markus Svensson and Ilya Sorokin are the masked men. CSKA began in the first period with a Valery Nichushkin goal, assisted by Semyon Koshelev and Maxim Mamin. Spartak tied it on an unassisted Sergei Shmelyov goal. CSKA took the lead with a Dmitry Kugryshev power play goal, powered by Denis Denisov and Igor Ozhiganov. CSKA added on with a Sergei Andronov goal, coming off of Ivan Telegin and Vladimir Zharkov. CSKA extended the lead as Grigory Panin scored, thanks to Artyom Sergeyev and Zharkov. CSKA padded the lead with a Koshelev goal, via Sergeyev and Mamin. Denis Sinyagin replaced Svensson in goal. CSKA continued in the second period with a Mikhail Naumenkov goal, helped along by Nichushkin and Mamin, the latter earning a sock trick. This made it 6-1, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Koshelev, Nichushkin, and Mamin, while Sergeyev and Zharkov get the honorable mentions.

Down in Podolsk, Vityaz hosts Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Harri Sateri are the solid goalies. Podolsk drew first blood in the second period on an unassisted goal by Alexander Pankov. Vladivostok tied it on a Samvel Mnatsyan goal, assisted by Sergei Barbashev and Andrei Konev. Admiral took the lead in the third period with an Andrei Sigaryov goal, fueled by James Wright and Anton Volchenkov. Vladivostok added on with another Sigaryov goal, going in unassisted. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Sigaryov, Bobkov (37 for 38 in saves), and Mnatsyan.

In St. Petersburg, SKA welcomes Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Mikhail Biryukov and Mikko Koskinen are the veteran goalies. St. Petersburg led off in the first period with a Nikolai Prokhorkin goal, going in unassisted. Nizhny Novgorod tied it on a Brandon McMillan goal, passed from Carter Ashton in the second period. SKA took the lead back with a Patrik Hersley power play goal, powered by Pavel Datsyuk. St. Petersburg added on with an Alexander Khokhlachyov goal, fueled by Jarno Koskiranta and Artyom Zub. Torpedo got one back in the third period with an Artyom Alyayev goal, guided in by John Norman. SKA iced it at 4-2 with an Ilya Kovalchuk power play goal, with a lone assist by Hersley. The three stars went to Hersley, Khokhlachyov, and Kovalchuk.

Finally, the regular season ends with Dinamo Riga bringing in Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Andrei Kareyev and Janis Kalnins draw the starts in goal. Nizhnekamsk struck first in the first period with a Pavel Poryadin goal, fueled by Gennady Stolyarov and Ivan Lekomtsev. Riga tied it on a Lauris Darzins goal, passed from Maris Bicevskis and Aleksandrs Jerofejevs. Dinamo took the lead with a Guntis Galvins goal, via Miks Indrasis and Bicevskis. Neftekhimik tied it on a Richard Gynge power play goal, powered by Gilbert Brule and Dan Sexton. The tie went to a shootout, where Gynge got topped by Indrasis and Filipp Toluzakov for a 3-2 Dinamo win. The three stars went to Bicevskis, Indrasis, and Gynge.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0, and prepare for the Gagarin Cup Playoffs, beginning on Tuesday.

2016/17 Hockey - KHL Day 160/NHL Day 122

Just another light day, with four total games of hockey. We begin in...

Magnitogorsk, where Metallurg hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vasily Demchenko and Ilya Samsonov play goal, and they played very well. The game went to a shootout scoreless until Tommi Santala and Chris Lee bested Vitaly Kravtsov to give Metallurg a 1-0 win. The three stars went to Samsonov (31 save shutout), Demchenko (33 save "shutout"), and Lee.

In the US, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Columbus got going in the second period with a Ryan Murray goal, his second of the season, via William Karlsson and Josh Anderson. Pittsburgh tied it on an Ian Cole goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Evgeni Malkin. The Blue Jackets won 2-1 in overtime with a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his ninth of the campaign, assisted by Cam Atkinson and Seth Jones. The three stars were Dubinsky, Bobrovsky (38 for 39 in saves), and Matt Murray (37 for 39 in saves).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Cam Ward are the goalies. Colorado opened in the first period with a Tyson Barrie goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Jarome Iginla and John Mitchell. Carolina tied it on a Jeff Skinner goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Lee Stempniak and Brett Pesce. The Avalanche won 2-1 with a Mikko Rantanen goal in overtime, his twelfth of the campaign, guided in by Matt Duchene. The three stars belonged to Rantanen, Barrie, and Pickard (28 for 29 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and John Gibson draw the starts in goal. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his twelfth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Logan Shaw. Florida tied it on a Colton Sceviour goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Derek MacKenzie and Shawn Thornton. The Panthers took the lead with an unassisted Jaromir Jagr goal, his eleventh of the season. Florida added on with a power play goal by Aaron Ekblad, his eighth of the year, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Jonathan Marchessault. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with a third period MacKenzie empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, going in shorthanded and unassisted. The three stars were Reimer (35 for 36 in saves), MacKenzie, and Jagr.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 121

Eight games for today, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Cory Schneider are the goalies. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Dion Phaneuf power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Chris Wideman and Bobby Ryan. The Senators added on with an Erik Karlsson goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, via Derick Brassard and Tom Pyatt. Ottawa iced it at 3-0 with an empty net goal by Kyle Turris, his nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Zack Smith and Mike Hoffman. The three stars were Condon (21 save shutout), Phaneuf, and Karlsson.

Over in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome cross-town rivals, the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Thomas Greiss protect the nets. The Rangers opened in the first period with a Nick Holden goal, his ninth of the season, via Mats Zuccarello and Brady Skjei. The Islanders tied it in the second period with an Anders Lee goal, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Josh Bailey and John Tavares. The Islanders took the lead with an Andrew Ladd goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Stephen Gionta. The Islanders added on in the third period with a shorthanded Nikolay Kulemin goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Tavares. The Rangers got one back with a Jimmy Vesey power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Rick Nash and Skjei. The Islanders iced it at 4-2 with a Ladd empty net goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Jason Chimera. The three stars went to Ladd, Tavares, and Skjei.

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Marc-Andre Fleury earn the starts in goal. Pittsburgh started in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, helped along by Scott Wilson and Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins added on with a Chris Kunitz goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Patrik Laine goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, courtesy of Mathieu Perreault and Mark Scheifele. The Jets tied it in the third period with a Paul Postma goal, coming off of Adam Lowry. Winnipeg took the lead with a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Scheifele. Pittsburgh tied it again with a Phil Kessel power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Letang and Crosby. The Penguins won 4-3 with a Crosby goal in overtime, his thirty-first of the year, fueled by Malkin and Letang, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Crosby, Letang, and Malkin, while Scheifele gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with Robin Lehner in goal. Buffalo dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Ryan O'Reilly. The Sabres added on in the third period with an Evander Kane goal, his nineteenth of the year, helped along by Evan Rodrigues and Jack Eichel. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars being Lehner (23 save shutout), Reinhart, and Kane.

Southwest t St. Louis, where the Blues host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen draw the starts. St. Louis led off in the first period with a Magnus Paajarvi goal, his third of the season, coming off of Kevin Shattenkirk and Ivan Barbashev. Vancouver tied it on a Bo Horvat goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Nikita Tryamkin. The Blues retook the lead with a Jori Lehtera goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Vladimir Tarasenko and Colton Parayko. The Canucks tied it in the second period with a Henrik Sedin goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Daniel Sedin and Markus Granlund. St. Louis retook the lead in the third period with a Tarasenko power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Shattenkirk and Alexander Steen. The Blues added on with a Steen power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with a lone helper by Shattenkirk, who earned a sock trick. Vancouver got one back with a Brandon Sutter goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Alexander Edler and Troy Stecher. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Tarasenko, Steen, and Shattenkirk.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Darcy Kuemper are in the blue paint. Minnesota began in the first period with a Ryan Suter power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Jason Pominville and Mikko Koivu. The Wild added on in the second period with an Erik Haula goal, his twelfth of the year, via Jordan Schroeder and Koivu. Dallas got on the board in the third period with a Cody Eakin goal, his second of the season, assisted by Antoine Roussel and Patrick Eaves. Minnesota iced it at 3-1 with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Haula and Mikael Granlund. The three stars went to Kuemper (34 for 35 in saves), Haula, and Koivu.

West to Alberta, where the Edmonton Oilers host the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Cam Talbot are the solid goalies. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Matt Hendricks goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Mark Letestu and Iiro Pakarinen. The Oilers added on with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Matt Benning and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a Radko Gudas goal, his third of the season, coming off of Sean Couturier. Edmonton replied with a Jordan Eberle goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Connor McDavid and Patrick Maroon. The Oilers extended the lead as Nugent-Hopkins scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Eric Gryba and Zack Kassian. Edmonton padded the lead on an Oscar Klefbom goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by McDavid and Hendricks. The Flyers got one back with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, helped along by Brayden Schenn. Philadelphia got closer in the third period with a Schenn power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. The Oilers countered with a McDavid goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, guided in by Eberle and Maroon. This stood for a 6-3 win, with the three stars going to McDavid, Hendricks, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Eberle, Schenn, and Maroon get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Peter Budaj are the veteran goalies. Arizona was first to score in the first period with a Brendan Perlini power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Radim Vrbata and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes added on with a Tobias Rieder goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Jordan Martinook and Alex Goligoski. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Jeff Carter and Dustin Brown. Arizona shot back on a Perlini goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, coming off of Goligoski. The Kings answered on a Brown goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Pearson. The Coyotes countered with a shorthanded and unassisted Martinook goal, his ninth of the year. Arizona extended the lead as Martinook scored an empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, set up by Christian Dvorak and Josh Jooris. Los Angeles got one back with a Pearson power play goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Anze Kopitar and Jake Muzzin. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Martinook, Perlini, and Pearson, while Goligoski and Brown get the honorable mentions.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 159

Twelve games on today in a busy day for the league. We begin with...

Barys Astana hosting Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Rafael Khakimov and Kevin Poulin are the backups in goal. Astana got going in the second period with a Brendan Shinnimin power play goal, powered by Roman Starchenko and Roman Savchenko. Barys added on with a Savchenko power play goal, via Starchenko and Konstantin Pushkaryov. Novokuznetsk got on the board in the third period with a Timur Fatkullin power play goal, with assists provided by Kirill Semyonov and Mark Skutar. Metallurg tied it on a power play goal by Evgeny Solovyov, with a lone helper from Alexei Razumov. Novokuznetsk won 3-2 in overtime with an Alexander Komaristy goal, assisted by Stanislav Kalashnikov and Nikita Lyamkin. The three stars were Savchenko, Starchenko, and Komaristy.

Up in Yekaterinburg, Avtomobilist welcomes Avangard Omsk. Denis Kostin and Ivan Lisutin are the mediocre goalies. Yekaterinburg opened in the first period with a Petr Koukal power play goal, powered by Nikolai Timashov and Alexei Simakov. Avtomobilist added on with an Alexei Vasielvsky goal, passed from Rok Ticar and Michal Cajkovsky on the power play. Dominik Furch replaced Kostin in goal. Omsk got on the board in the second period with an Alexander Perezhogin goal, fueled by Nikolai Lemtyugov and Erik Gustafsson. Avangard tied it with a Pyotr Khokhryakov goal in the third period, helped along by David Booth and Anton Burdasov. In the shootout, Lemtyugov scored twice, topping Ticar's one goal as Avangard won 3-2. The three stars were Lemtyugov, Ticar, and Khokhryakov.

Further north to Khanty-Mansiysk, where Ugra brings in Sibir Novosibirsk. Danny Taylor and Georgy Boyarshinov are in the blue paint. Novosibirsk led off in the first period with an Adam Polasek goal, via Sergei Shumakov on the power play. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it on an Andrei Alexeyev power play goal, powered by Evgeny Lapenkov and Nikita Khlystov. Ugra took the lead with a Lapenkov power play goal in the second period, with a lone assist by Sergei Kuptsov. Sibir tied it again with a Polasek power play goal, helped along by Shumakov. Khanty-Mansiysk won 3-2 in overtime on an Alexeyev power play goal, courtesy of Lapenkov. The three stars were Alexeyev, Lapenkov, and Polasek, while Shumakov gets an honorable mention.

West to Cherepovets, where Severstal hosts Spartak Moscow. Markus Svensson and Roman Smiryagin are between the pipes. Moscow started in the first period with a Viktor Bobrov goal, assisted by Maxim Potapov. Cherepovets tied it on a Clay Wilson goal, guided in by Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Vojtech Polak. Severstal won 2-1 in overtime on another Wilson goal, via Polak and Kagarlitsky. The three stars were Wilson, Smiryagin (28 for 29 in saves), and Polak, while Kagarlitsky gets an honorable mention.

Into Moscow, where CSKA welcomes Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ilya Proskuryakov and Ilya Sorokin tend the twines. Moscow began in the first period with a Maxim Mamin power play goal, powered by Vladimir Zharkov and Valery Nichushkin. Nizhny Novgorod tied it on a Kaspars Daugavins goal, coming off of Proskuryakov and Grigory Zheldakov. CSKA took the lead back with an Igor Ozhiganov goal, courtesy of Denis Denisov and Jan Mursak. Moscow added on with a Bogdan Kiselevich goal, passed from Grigory Panin. CSKA extended the lead in the second period as Greg Scott scored, thanks to Mamin. Torpedo got one back with a Nikolai Zherdev power play goal, with assists provided by Dmitry Semin and Daugavins. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars going to Mamin, Daugavins, and Kiselevich.

Down in Podolsk, Vityaz brings in Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Harri Sateri protect the nets. Podolsk dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Pavel Lukin goal, via Ivan Yatsenko and Alexander Pankov. Vityaz added on with a Mikhail Yepishin goal, coming off of Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi and Alexei Makeyev. Khabarovsk got on the board in the third period with a Vyacheslav Litovchenko goal, made possible by Alexei Byvaltsev and Tomas Zohorna. Amur took the lead with a Vitaly Atyushov goal, with a lone assist by Oleg Li. Khabarovsk won 3-2 in the shootout with a Zohorna tally. The three stars were Zohorna, Litovchenko, and Atyushov.

Next up, SKA St. Petersburg hosts the Sochi Leopards. Konstantin Barulin and Mikko Koskinen are the masked men. St. Petersburg struck first in the first period with a Nikita Gusev goal, coming off of Evgeny Dadonov. SKA added on with a Vadim Shipachyov goal, courtesy of Dadonov. SKA extended the lead as Ilya Kovalchuk scored a power play goal, thanks to Shipachyov and Anton Belov. Sochi got on the board with an Oscar Fantenberg power play goal, powered by Eric O'Dell. SKA replied with a Belov power play goal, from Kovalchuk and Gusev. St. Petersburg padded the lead with an Evgeny Ketov goal, with assists provided by Patrik Hersley and Pavel Datsyuk. Dmitry Shikin replaced Barulin in goal. SKA struck again in the third period with a Shipachyov goal, passed from Dadonov, who got a sock trick, and Gusev. The Leopards got one back with a Fantenberg power play goal, with a lone helper from Igor Levitsky. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars being Gusev, Dadonov, and Kovalchuk, while Shipachyov, Belov, and Fantenberg get the honorable mentions.

Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk welcomes Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Andrei Kareyev and Kevin Lalande are set to start in goal. Minsk was first to score in the first period with a Fredrik Pettersson power play goal, powered by Aaron Palushaj. Nizhnekamsk tied it in the third period with a Richard Gynge goal, fueled by Andrei Pervyshin and Gilbert Brule. Dinamo won 2-1 in the shootout with Alexander Materukhin and Pettersson topping Gynge. The three stars were Pettersson, Lalande (26 for 27 in saves), and Gynge.

Back in Moscow, Dynamo brings in Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Alexander Yeryomenko guard the cages. Vladivostok got going in the second period with a Dmitry Sayustov power play goal, powered by Jonathon Blum and Robert Sabolic. Moscow tied it on a Maxim Karpov goal in the third period, guided in by Dmitry Vishnevsky. Dynamo won 2-1 in overtime with a Martins Karsums power play goal, helped along by Ilya Nikulin and Juuso Hietanen. The three stars belonged to Yeryomenko (32 for 33 in saves), Karsums, and Karpov.

East to Yaroslavl, where Lokomotiv hosts Kunlun Red Stars Beijing. Tomi Karhunen and Alexei Murygin are the goalies. Yaroslavl opened in the first period with a Daniil Apalkov goal, assisted by Dmitry Lugin and Yegor Averin. Lokomotiv added on with an Averin goal, passed from Apalkov. Beijing got on the board with a Max Warn power play goal, powered by Tobias Viklund and Janne Jalasvaara. Yaroslavl replied with an Alexander Kadeikin goal in the second period, made possible by Alexander Polunin. Lokomotiv extended the lead as Brandon Kozun scored a power play goal, with the help of Jakub Nakladal and Maxime Talbot. Kunlun Red Star got one back in the third period with a shorthanded Chad Rau goal, set up by Sean Collins. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Averin, Apalkov, and Kadeikin.

Into Finland, where Jokerit Helsinki welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Ryan Zapolski protect the nets. Helsinki started in the first period with a Charles Genoway power play goal, powered by Brian O'Neill and Tommi Huhtala. Jokerit added on with an O'Neill goal, via Genoway and Jesper Jensen. Kazan got on the board with a Denis Golubev goal, courtesy of Vasily Tokranov and Atte Ohtamaa. Helsinki shot back in the second period with a Petteri Wirtanen goal, coming off of Masi Marjamaki and Roope Talaja. Ak Bars countered with a Rafael Batyrshin goal, assisted by Justin Azevedo and Vladimir Tkachyov. Kazan tied it on a Tokranov power play goal in the third period, guided in by Tkachyov. Ak Bars took the lead with a Damir Musin power play goal, with helpers from Fyodor Malykhin and Anton Glinkin. Jokerit tied it again with a Jesse Joensuu goal, fueled by Oliver Lauridsen and Marko Anttila. Kazan regained the lead with an Azevedo goal, with a lone assist by Tkachyov, who earned a sock trick. The three stars were Azevedo, Tkachyov, and Tokranov, while O'Neill and Genoway get the honorable mentions in the 5-4 game.

Finally, Dinamo Riga brings in Lada Togliatti. Edgars Masalskis and Janis Kalnins play goal. Togliatti struck first in the first period with a Gleb Koryagin goal, made possible by Semyon Valuisky and Vasily Streltsov. Riga tied it in the third period with a Lauris Darzins goal, with a lone assist by Krisjanis Redlihs. Dinamo won 2-1 in overtime with a Darzins goal, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Darzins, Kalnins (25 for 26 in saves), and Redlihs.

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Hockey 2016/17 - KHL Day 158/NHL Day 120

Six games on for today between the two leagues. In the KHL, two games were played, beginning with...

Traktor Chelyabinsk hosting Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Pavel Francouz draw the starts in goal. Magnitogorsk got going in the second period with a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal, powered by Chris Lee and Danis Zaripov. Chelyabinsk tied it on an Artyom Penkovsky goal, passed from Francouz and Kirill Koltsov on the power play. Traktor took the lead with a Paul Szczechura goal, assisted by Maxim Yakutsenya and Alexei Kruchinin. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars going to Francouz (24 for 25 in saves), Szczechura, and Penkovsky.

The other European game has Slovan Bratislava welcoming Medvescak Zagreb. Sergei Gaiduchenko and Justin Pogge play goal. Bratislava opened in the first period with a Nick Plastino goal, via Kyle Chipchura and Ziga Jeglic. Slovan added on with a Patrik Bacik goal, assisted by Mislav Rosandic. Bratislava extended the lead on a Patrik Lusnak power play goal, powered by Andrej Stastny and Pavol Skalicky. Slovan padded the lead as Skalicky scored a power play goal in the second period, thanks to Stastny. Zagreb got on the board with an Alexandre Giroux goal, helped along by Mark Katic. Bratislava answered with a Chipchura goal in the third period, made possible by Jeglic and Plastino. Medvescak countered with another Giroux goal, guided in by Ilya Arkalov. Slovan answered with a Tomas Starosta goal, fueled by Jeglic and Plastino, the former earning a sock trick. Bratislava struck again with a Michal Hlinka power play goal, with assists provided by Jeff Taffe and Jonathan Cheechoo. Zagreb pulled back on a Lukas Kozak goal, coming off of Katic. Medvescak chipped closer with a Giroux goal, finishing his hat trick with the help of Lukas Lessio and Nathan Perkovich. Zagreb inched closer with a Perkovich power play goal, with helpers from Lessio and Katic, the latter earning a sock trick. The final stayed at 7-5, with the three stars given to Plastino, Skalicky, and Giroux, while Jeglic, Chipchura, Stastny, Katic, Perkovich, and Lessio earn the honorable mentions.

In the NHL, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Curtis McElhinney and Joonas Korpisalo are the backups in goal. Columbus started in the first period with a Josh Anderson goal, his eleventh of the season, via William Karlsson and Seth Jones. The Blue Jackets added on with a Boone Jenner goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Zach Werenski and Brandon Dubinsky. Columbus extended the lead as Oliver Bjorkstrand scored, thanks to Alexander Wennberg and Brandon Saad. The Blue Jackets padded the lead with a Nick Foligno power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Werenski and Wennberg. Toronto got on the board with a Nazem Kadri goal, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Leo Komarov and Josh Leivo. The Maple Leafs got closer in the third period with a Kadri goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, helped along by Leivo. Columbus iced it at 5-2 with a Matt Calvert empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Jones. The three stars went to Kadri, Werenski, and Wennberg, while Leivo and Jones get the honorable mentions.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings host the St. Louis Blues. Carter Hutton and Petr Mrazek man the nets. St. Louis led off in the first period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his second of the season, passed from Kenny Agostino and Carl Gunnarsson. The Blues iced it at 2-0 in the third period with an empty net goal by Jaden Schwartz, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hutton (25 save shutout), Barbashev, and Schwartz.

Over in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Brian Elliott draw the starts in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Nick Cousins goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Matt Read. Calgary tied it on a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Mikael Backlund and Dougie Hamilton. The Flames took the lead in the second period with a T.J. Brodie goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Tkachuk and Deryk Engelland. Calgary iced it at 3-1 with a Mark Giordano empty net goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Tkachuk, Elliott (33 for 34 in saves), and Brodie.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Martin Jones tend the twines. Florida struck first in the first period with a Jussi Jokinen goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Reilly Smith and Vincent Trocheck. San Jose tied it on a Brent Burns goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, coming off of Joe Pavelski. The Panthers retook the lead with a Nick Bjgustad goal, his third of the season, assisted by Aaron Ekblad and Mark Pysyk. Florida added on with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twelfth of the year, via Keith Yandle and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Sharks pulled back with a Joel Ward goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Joe Thornton and Burns. San Jose tied it on a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, guided in by Kevin Labanc and Pavelski. The Panthers regained the lead with another Bjugstad goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, helped along by Alex Petrovic. Florida extended the lead as Barkov scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, with the help of Jaromir Jagr and Petrovic. The Sharks got one back with a Pavelski goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by David Schlemko and Brenden Dillon. San Jose tied it on another Pavelski goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, with helpers from Tomas Hertl and Schlemko. James Reimer replaced an injured Luongo at this time. The Panthers won 6-5 in overtime with a Huberdeau goal, his third of the campaign, with a lone assist by Barkov. The three stars were Barkov, Bjugstad, and Pavelski, while Huberdeau, Petrovic, Burns, and Schlemko get the honorable mentions.

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