NHL 2016/17 - Day 127

Three games on for tonight, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot faces a lesser foe in James Reimer in goal. Edmonton started in the first period with an Oscar Klefbom goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. Florida tied it on an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Jussi Jokinen and Aaron Ekblad in the second period. The Oilers retook the lead with an Eric Gryba goal, his second of the season, via Mark Letestu and Kris Russell. The Panthers tied it again with a Colton Sceviour goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Jokinen and Keith Yandle. Edmonton took the lead again on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Jordan Eberle and Milan Lucic. Florida tied it with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his eighteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Yandle on the power play. The Oilers pulled ahead in the third period with a Russell goal, helped along by Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Russell, Jokinen, and Yandle.

Up in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby faces former teammate Michal Neuvirth in goal. Washington opened in the first period with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of T.J. Oshie and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals added on with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by John Carlson and Justin Williams on the power play. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Brandon Manning. Washington replied with another Kuznetsov goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, helped along by Williams and Taylor Chorney. The Capitals extended the lead in the third period as Oshie scored his twenty-fourth of the campaign, assisted by Ovechkin and Backstrom. This produced the 4-1 final, with the three stars going to Kuznetsov, Backstrom, and Oshie, while Williams and Ovechkin get the honorable mentions.

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Jonathan Bernier are the goalies. Boston struck first in the first period with a Brandon Carlo goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of David Backes. Anaheim tied it in the second period on an Ondrej Kase goal, his fifth of the year, via Nick Ritchie and Ryan Getzlaf. The Bruins took the lead back with a Zdeno Chara goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Backes and Frank Vatrano. The Ducks tied it again with a Rickard Rakell goal, his twenty-third of the year, with a lone assist by Corey Perry. Anaheim took the lead with a Josh Manson goal, his third of the season, passed from Ritchie and Kase. Boston tied it in the third period with a Vatrano goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by David Krejci and Kevan Miller. The Ducks regained the lead on a Rakell goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, courtesy of Perry and Kevin Bieksa. Anaheim iced it at 5-3 with an Andrew Cogliano empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Ryan Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg. The three stars were Rakell, Kase, and Vatrano, while Backes, Ritchie, and Perry get the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 126

Nine games tonight, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Cam Ward draw the starts in goal. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Scott Wilson goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Patric Hornqvist and Matt Cullen. Carolina tied it on a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Lee Stempniak and Phillip Di Giuseppe. The Penguins retook the lead in the second period with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, with assists provided by Phil Kessel and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh added on in the third period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, courtesy of Carl Hagelin. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Murray (29 for 30 in saves), Crosby, and Malkin.

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Cory Schneider guard the cages. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Kyle Turris goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Ryan Dzingel and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Senators added on in the third period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his tenth of the year, a power play goal with helpers from Dion Phaneuf and Derick Brassard. New Jersey got on the board with a power play goal by Travis Zajac, his twelfth of the campaign, powered by Joesph Blandisi and Kyle Palmieri. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Anderson (29 for 30 in savres), Karlsson, and Turris.

In Manhattan, the New York Rangers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. Montreal led off in the first period with an Andrew Shaw goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Shea Weber and Alexei Emelin. New York tied it on an Oscar Lindberg goal, his third of the year, via Jesper Fast and Brady Skjei. The Canadiens took the lead with a Weber power play goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Andrei Markov and Max Pacioretty. The Rangers tied it again with a Rick Nash goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Ryan McDonagh and Jimmy Vesey. In the shootout, Montreal won 3-2 with goals by Alexander Radulov and Paul Byron besting Mats Zuccarello. The three stars went to Weber, Price (28 for 30 in saves), and Byron.

Out in Detroit, the Red Wings host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Petr Mrazek make the starts. New York opened in the first period with an unassisted Josh Bailey goal, his twelfth of the season. Detroit tied it on a Henrik Zetterberg power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Thomas Vanek and Frans Nielsen. The Islanders took the lead in the second period with a Calvin de Haan power play goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Brock Nelson and Alan Quine. New York added on in the third period with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-second of the year, with a lone assist by Bailey. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Bailey, Greiss (26 for 27 in saves), and de Haan.

Back south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Laurent Brossoit and Ben Bishop are the goalies. Tampa Bay started in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on in the second period with Palat's second of the game and thirteenth of the year, fueled by Tyler Johnson and Kucherov. Edmonton got on the board with an Iiro Pakarinen goal, coming off of Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson. Tampa Bay replied with a Kucherov goal in the third period, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Anton Stralman and Johnson. The Lightning iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Vladislav Namestnikov, his eighth of the year, set up by Kucherov, who earned a sock trick. The three stars were Kucherov, Palat, and Johnson.

In Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Frederik Andersen are in the blue paint. Toronto struck first in the first period with a Leo Komarov goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Josh Leivo and Nikita Zaitsev. Winnipeg tied it on a Patrik Laine goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, via Mark Scheifele and Mathieu Perreault. The Jets took the lead with a Bryan Little power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Adam Lowry and Dustin Byfuglien. The Maple Leafs retied it on a Nazem Kadri goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Leivo and Morgan Rielly in the second period. Winnipeg took the lead with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Josh Morrissey and Blake Wheeler. Toronto retied it on a Komarov power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, with assists provided by William Nylander and Auston Matthews. The Jets regained the lead on a Laine goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, passed from Scheifele and Perreault. The Maple Leafs tied it again with a Nylander power play goal in the third period, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Matthews and Jake Gardiner. Toronto won 5-4 in overtime with a Gardiner goal, his ninth of the campaign, thanks to Matthews, who earned a sock trick. The three stars were Gardiner, Matthews, and Laine, while Nylander, Komarov, Scheifele, Leivo, and Perreault get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators host the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott and Pekka Rinne are the veterans in goal. Calgary was first to score in the first period with a Micheal Ferland goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano. Nashville tied it on a P.K. Subban goal, his ninth of the year, via Austin Watson and Mattias Ekholm. The Flames took the lead back with a Mikael Backlund goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Matthew Tkachuk and Dougie Hamilton. Calgary added on with a Ferland goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, guided in by Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. The Flames extended the lead in the second period Hamilton scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Gaudreau, who earned a sock trick, and Monahan. The Predators got one back with a Filip Forsberg goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Colin Wilson and Viktor Arvidsson. Nashville pulled closer on a Wilson power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Ryan Ellis and Subban. The Predators tied it on another Forsberg goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, with helpers from Roman Josi and James Neal. Nashville took the lead as Forsberg completed his hat trick on his nineteenth of the season, with the help of Ryan Johansen. Calgary retied it in the third period with a Backlund goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Tkachuk and Michael Stone. The Flames won 6-5 in overtime with a Giordano goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Monahan, who earned a sock trick, and Gaudreau. The three stars went to Backlund, Gaudreau, and Forsberg, while Giordano, Ferland, Monahan, Tkachuk, Subban, Wilson, and Hamilton get the honorable mentions.

Up north, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Devan Dubnyk protect the nets. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Brian Campbell and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Minnesota tied it on a Mikael Granlund power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Nino Niederreiter and Mikko Koivu. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a Richard Panik goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Toews. Chicago added on in the third period with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Toews. The Wild pulled back with a Zach Parise goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Marco Scandella and Jason Pominville. The Blackhawks countered with another Toews goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, assisted by Schmaltz and Panik. Minnesota chipped back with a Granlund power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, with assists provided by Niederreiter and Koivu. Chicago iced it at 5-3 with Toews completing his hat trick on an empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Schmaltz. The three stars were awarded to Toews, Granlund, and Schmaltz, while Panik, Niederreiter, and Koivu get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Calvin Pickard are in the blue paint. Colorado drew first blood in the second period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles tied it on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his tenth of the year, via Drew Doughty and Adrian Kempe. The Kings took the lead with a Trevor Lewis goal, his eighth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Tanner Pearson. This made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars being Budaj (24 for 25 in saves), Lewis, and Toffoli.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 125

Only two games on today, beginning with...

The St. Louis Blues welcoming the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Jake Allen are the goalies. Florida led off in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Nick Bjugstad. St. Louis tied it in the third period with a Kyle Brodziak goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Scottie Upshall and Ryan Reaves. The Panthers won 2-1 with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, via Mark Pysyk. The three stars went to Trocheck, Reimer (26 for 27 in saves), and Marchessault.

The other game has the Arizona Coyotes bringing in the Anaheim Ducks. Jonathan Bernier and Mike Smith play in the creases. Arizona began in the first period with a Christian Dvorak goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Shane Doan and Brendan Perlini. The Coyotes added on with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Ryan White and Tobias Rieder. Arizona extended the lead as Radim Vrbata scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Max Domi and Luke Schenn. John Gibson replaced Bernier for the second period. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Josh Manson and Nick Ritchie. The Ducks got one back in the third period on another Getzlaf goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, made possible by Sami Vatanen and Cam Fowler. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Vrbata, Getzlaf, and Chychrun.

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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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