NHL 2016/17 - Day 134

Two games on tonight, beginning with the...

Tampa Bay Lightning welcoming the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in goal. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Victor Hedman power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. Carolina tied it on a Noah Hanifin goal, his third of the year, guided in by Elias Lindholm and Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes took the lead on a Derek Ryan power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Hanifin and Victor Rask. The Lightning tied it in the third period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Jake Dotchin and Palat. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Kucherov goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, fueled by Johnson and Jason Garrison. Carolina retied it on a Jay McClement shorthanded goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Jaccob Slavin and Lindholm. The Lightning won 4-3 in overtime with a Hedman goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, helped along by Kucherov and Johnson. The three stars went to Kucherov, Hedman, and Johnson, while Hanifin, Lindholm, and Palat get the honorable mentions.

The other game has the Chicago Blackhawks bringing in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Scott Darling play goal. Chicago got going in the second period with a Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, coming off of Nick Schmaltz. Pittsburgh tied it on a Scott Wilson goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Ron Hainsey. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a Richard Panik goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Duncan Keith. Chicago added on with another Kane goal in the third period, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, made possible by Schmaltz and Artemi Panarin. The Blackhawks iced it at 4-1 with a Kane empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his unassisted twenty-seventh of the campaign. The three stars were Kane, Schmaltz, and Darling (36 for 37 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

KHL Western Conference Quarterfinal: 3) Dynamo Moscow VS. 6) Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod

The KHL playoffs are back, and we'll return to the old series-post format. Here's the first game of the Western Conference Quarterfinal between Dynamo Moscow and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod.

Game 1: VTB Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Mikhail Biryukov for Torpedo and Alexander Yeryomenko for Dynamo. The game went into double overtime before Maxim Karpov scored for Dynamo, with the help of Lukas Kaspar to seal the 1-0 win. The three stars were Yeryomenko (33 save shutout), Karpov, and Biryukov (48 for 49 in saves). Dynamo leads 1-0 in the series.

Game 2: VTB Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Mikhail Biryukov for Torpedo and Alexander Yeryomenko for Dynamo. Moscow opened in the first period with an Artyom Fyodorov power play goal, powered by Alexei Tsvetkov and Dmitry Vishnevsky. Dynamo added on with a Juuso Hietanen power play goal, with assists provided by Martins Karsums and Lukas Kaspar. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board in the second period with an Evgeny Mozer goal, helped along by Maxim Osipov and Artyom Alyayev. Torpedo tied it on an Alexander Frolov power play goal, courtesy of Sam Lofquist and Kaspars Daugavins. Moscow won 3-2 in overtime with an unassisted goal by Andrei Kuteikin. The three stars were Kuteikin, Hietanen, and Fyodorov. Dynamo travels with a 2-0 series lead after the pair of overtime wins.

Game 3: Trade Union Sport Palace, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko for Dynamo and Ilya Proskuryakov for Torpedo. Nizhny Novgorod got going in the second period with a Kaspars Daugavins goal, passed from John Norman and Dmitry Semin. Torpedo added on with a Norman goal, assisted by Semin and Evgeny Grachyov. Moscow got on the board with an Artyom Podshendyalov goal, via Ilya Nikulin and Andrei Mironov. Dynamo tied it on an Alexei Tereshchenko goal, coming off of Dmitry Vishnevsky. Moscow took the lead with a Nikulin goal, guided in by Juuso Hietanen and Tereshchenko. Nizhny Novgorod retied it with another Norman goal, courtesy of Daugavins and Semin, the latter earning a sock trick. Torpedo won 4-3 in overtime with an unassisted Brandon McMillan goal. The three stars went to Norman, Semin, and Daugavins, while Nikulin and Tereshchenko get the honorable mentions. Torpedo cut Dynamo's series lead to 2-1 in the closest series in the west.

Game 4: Trade Union Sport Palace, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko for Dynamo and Ilya Proskuryakov for Torpedo. Nizhny Novgorod started in the first period with a Vladimir Galuzin goal, going in unassisted. Torpedo added on in the second period with an Evgeny Mozer power play goal, powered by Galuzin and Dmitry Semin. Moscow got on the board with an Ivan Igumnov goal, made possible by Daniil Tarasov and Yakov Rylov. Dynamo tied it in the third period with an unassisted Tarasov goal. Moscow won 3-2 in overtime with a Maxim Karpov goal, also unassisted. The three stars went to Tarasov, Karpov, and Galuzin. Dynamo leads the series 3-1 as they return home in two days. 

Game 5: VTB Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Mikhail Biryukov for Torpedo and Alexander Yeryomenko for Dynamo. Moscow struck first in the first period with a Yakov Rylov goal, assisted by Alexei Tsvetkov and Artyom Fyodorov. Dynamo added on with a Fyodorov power play goal in the second period, powered by Tsvetkov. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board with a Kirill Urakov goal, coming off of Vyacheslav Kulyomin and Kirill Rasskazov. Moscow won 3-1 with an Alexei Tereshchenko empty net goal, set up by Andrei Kuteikin. The three stars went to Fyodorov, Tsvetkov, and Yeryomenko (18 for 19 in saves). Dynamo win the series 4-1, confirming the Western Conference Semifinals to be CSKA v. Lokomotiv and SKA v. Dynamo.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

KHL Western Conference Quarterfinal: 4) Lokomotiv Yaroslavl VS. 5) Dinamo Minsk

The KHL playoffs are back, and we'll return to the old series-post format. Here's the first game of the Western Conference Quarterfinal between Lokomotiv Yaroslavl and Dinamo Minsk.

Game 1: Arena 2000, Yaroslavl, Russia. In goal: Ben Scrivens of Dinamo and Alexei Murygin of Lokomotiv. Yaroslavl dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Yegor Korshkov goal, via Vladislav Gavrikov and Pavel Kraskovsky. Lokomotiv added on with a Petri Kontiola power play goal, powered by Brandon Kozun and Staffan Kronwall. Minsk got on the board with a Matt Ellison goal, coming off of Dmitry Korobov. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Murygin (26 for 27 in saves), Kontiola, and Korshkov. Lokomotiv leads 1-0 in the series.

Game 2: Arena 2000, Yaroslavl, Russia. In goal: Ben Scrivens of Dinamo and Alexei Murygin of Lokomotiv. Yaroslavl led off in the first period with a Staffan Kronwall power play goal, powered by Brandon Kozun and Maxime Talbot. Lokomotiv added on with an Artyom Ilyenko goal in the second period, passed from Andrei Loktionov. Yaroslavl extended the lead as Jakub Nakladal scored a power play goal, with the help of Kozun and Kronwall. Lokomotiv padded the lead on a Yegor Averin goal, via Dmitry Lugin. Kevin Lalande replaced Scrivens in goal. Yaroslavl struck again with a Lugin power play goal, with a lone assist by Rushan Rafikov. Lokomotiv continued in the third period with a shorthanded Loktionov goal, set up by Alexander Kadeikin and Rafikov. Yaroslavl got another with another Loktionov shorthanded goal, with helpers from Vladislav Gavrikov and Kadeikin. Minsk got on the board with a Dmitry Korobov goal, fueled by Andrei Stepanov on the power play. Dinamo got closer with a Matt Ellison goal, via Rob Klinkhammer and Sergei Kostitsyn. This only made it 7-2, the final, with the three stars going to Loktionov, Kronwall, and Kadeikin, while Lugin, Kozun, and Rafikov get the honorable mentions. Lokomotiv leaves the country leading the series 2-0.

Game 3: Minsk-Arena, Minsk, Belarus. In goal: Alexei Murygin of Lokomotiv and Ben Scrivens of Dinamo. Yaroslavl began in the first period with a Staffan Kronwall power play goal, powered by Brandon Kozun and Jakub Nakladal. Lokomotiv added on with a Nakladal goal, passed from Maxime Talbot and Kozun. Yaroslavl extended the lead as Talbot scored a power play goal, with the help of Kozun, who got a sock trick, and Petri Kontiola. Lokomotiv padded the lead in the second period with an unassisted goal by Alexander Polunin. Minsk got on the board with an Evgeny Lisovets goal in the third period, via Alexander Kulakov and Alexander Materukhin. Yaroslavl replied with a Nakladal power play goal, with assists provided by Kozun and Andrei Loktionov. This produced the 5-1 final, with the three stars given to Nakladal, Kozun, and Talbot. Lokomotiv is at 3-0, on the verge of advancing through this series.

Game 4: Minsk-Arena, Minsk, Belarus. In goal: Alexei Murygin of Lokomotiv and Ben Scrivens of Dinamo. Minsk started in the first period with an Andrei Stepanov power play goal, powered by Marc-Andre Gragnani and Andrei Kostitsyn. Dinamo added on with an unassisted goal by Alexander Pavlovich. Yaroslavl got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Daniil Apalkov in the second period, set up by Yegor Averin. Minsk shot back with an Evgeny Kovyrshin goal, passed from Artur Gavrus. Lokomotiv pulled back with an Alexander Kadeikin goal, made possible by Rushan Rafikov. Dinamo answered with an Andrei Stas goal, fueled by Sergei Drozd and Alexander Materukhin. The game ended 4-2, with the three stars going to Kovyrshin, Stas, and Pavlovich. Dinamo lives to see another game, as Lokomotiv leads the series 3-1 before heading home.

Game 5: Arena 2000, Yaroslavl, Russia. In goal: Ben Scrivens of Dinamo and Alexei Murygin of Lokomotiv. Minsk opened with a first period goal by Rob Klinkhammer, via Dmitry Korobov. Yaroslavl tied it on a Staffan Kronwall goal, assisted by Brandon Kozun and Petri Kontiola. Lokomotiv took the lead in the second period with a Pavel Koledov goal, coming off of Dmitry Lugin and Andrei Loktionov. Yaroslavl added on with a Kozun power play goal, powered by Kronwall in the third period. Lokomotiv iced it at 4-1 with a Maxime Talbot empty net goal, set up by Kozun and Kontiola. The three stars were Kozun, Kronwall, and Murygin (22 for 23 in saves), while Kontiola gets an honorable mention. Lokomotiv won the series 4-1, advancing to the Western Conference Semifinal, presumably against CSKA Moscow.

NHL 2016/17 - Day 133

Twelve games on throughout the night on a busy day for the NHL. We begin in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Tuukka Rask are the masked men. Boston led off in the first period with a Colin Miller goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of David Pastrnak and David Krejci. Arizona got on the board in the second period with a Peter Holland goal, his second of the year, a power play goal powered by Brendan Perlini and Radim Vrbata. The Bruins took the lead back with Riley Nash shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Patrice Bergeron. Boston added on with a David Backes goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Brad Marchand and Bergeron. The Bruins extended the lead as Marchand scored his twenty-eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Marchand, Bergeron, and Rask (22 for 23 in saves).

Up in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Robin Lehner are in the blue paint. Buffalo began in the first period with a Brian Gionta goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Zach Bogosian and Jack Eichel. The Sabres added on with a Kyle Okposo goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Jake McCabe and Matt Moulson. Nashville got on the board with a Mike Fisher goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Austin Watson and Matt Irwin. The Predators tied it in the second period with a Colin Wilson power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Ryan Johansen and Roman Josi. Buffalo took the lead back with an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-second of the season, guided in by Gionta and Cody Franson. The Sabres extended the lead as McCabe scored his second of the year, thanks to Okposo and Ryan O'Reilly. Nashville chipped back on a Johansen goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Filip Forsberg and Irwin. The Predators tied it on a Forsberg goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with a lone helper from Viktor Arvidsson. Nashville won 5-4 in overtime with a Forsberg goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Josi. The three stars went to Forsberg, Johansen, and Okposo, while Irwin, Josi, Gionta, and McCabe get the honorable mentions. 

Across the state, the New York Rangers bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. New York opened in the first period with a Brady Skjei goal, his third of the season, passed from Adam Clendening and J.T. Miller. Washington tied it in the second period with a Marcus Johansson goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Dmitry Orlov and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals took the lead with a Brett Connolly goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Matt Niskanen and Lars Eller. Washington added on in the third period with another Johansson goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, guided in by Kuznetsov and Niskanen. The Capitals extended the lead as Nicklas Backstrom scored a power play goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, with the help of Johansson and John Carlson. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Johansson, Kuznetsov, and Holtby (29 for 30 in saves), while Niskanen gets an honorable mention.

West to Philadelphia, where the Flyers host the Colorado Avalanche. Jeremy Smith and Steve Mason are the backups in goal. Philadelphia started in the first period with a shorthanded Wayne Simmonds goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, set up by Andrew MacDonald. The Flyers added on with a Simmonds power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Shayne Gostisbehere and Claude Giroux. Philadelphia extended the lead as Jakub Voracek scored a power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Brayden Schenn and Giroux. The Flyers padded the lead in the second period on a Jordan Weal goal, via Radko Gudas and Mark Streit. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars handed to Simmonds, Giroux, and Mason (32 save shutout). 

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Carey Price guard the cages. Montreal won 1-0 in overtime with an Alex Galchenyuk power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Shea Weber and Max Pacioretty. The three stars went to Price (26 save shutout), Galchenyuk, and Bobrovsky (29 for 30 in saves).

South to Florida, where the Panthers bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Roberto Luongo are the veteran goalies. Florida struck first in the first period with a Jaromir Jagr power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers added on with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Reilly Smith and Alex Petrovic. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Lee Stempniak goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Teuvo Teravainen and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes tied it in the third period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Victor Rask and Elias Lindholm. The Panthers won 3-2 in the shootout, with Huberdeau and Barkov tallying. The three stars went to Huberdeau, Barkov, and Trocheck.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Jake Allen are the strong goalies. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with a Paul Stastny power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Jaden Schwartz. Edmonton tied it on a Milan Lucic goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers took the lead in the second period with a Mark Letestu power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Connor McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Nugent-Hopkins, Talbot (25 for 26 in saves), and Letestu.

In Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg drew first blood in the first period with a Patrik Laine goal, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by Mark Scheifele and Mathieu Perreault. Minnesota tied it on a Mikael Granlund goal, his twenty-first of the year, with a lone assist by Mikko Koivu. The Wild took the lead with a Tyler Graovac goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Granlund and Martin Hanzal. Minnesota added on with an Erik Haula power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Granlund and Chris Stewart. The Wild extended the lead in the second period as Marco Scandella scored his third of the season, thanks to Hanzal. The Jets got one back with an Adam Lowry goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Drew Stafford and Nikolaj Ehlers. Minnesota answered with a Ryan White goal, his ninth of the season, via Stewart. Michael Hutchinson replaced Hellebuyck at this time. Winnipeg shot back with a Perreault goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets got closer with a shorthanded goal by Joel Armia, his seventh of the season, set up by Scheifele. Winnipeg tied it on a Scheifele goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with helpers from Perreault and Laine. The Wild won 6-5 with a shorthanded Jason Zucker goal, his twentieth of the campaign, helped along by Haula and Scandella. The three stars went to Granlund, Scheifele, and Perreault, while Haula, Scandella, Hanzal, Stewart, and Laine get the honorable mentions.

Back south, the Dallas Stars bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Antti Niemi draw the starts in goal. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Patric Hornqvist and Carl Hagelin. The Penguins added on in the second period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his seventh of the year, via Ian Cole and Chris Kunitz. Dallas got on the board with a Brett Ritchie goal in the third period, his eleventh of the season, guided in by John Klingberg and Antoine Roussel. The Stars tied it on a Jason Spezza goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Jamie Benn and Dan Hamhuis. Dallas took the lead with a Roussel goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone assist by Klingberg. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Roussel, Klingberg, and Spezza.

Returning to Canada, the Calgary Flames host the Los Angeles Kings. Ben Bishop and Brian Elliott are between the pipes. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Tanner Pearson power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter. Calgary tied it in the second period on a Micheal Ferland goal, his twelfth of the year, with a lone helper by Mark Giordano. The Flames won 2-1 in overtime on a T.J. Brodie goal, his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Mikael Backlund. The three stars went to Elliott (28 for 29 in saves), Brodie, and Ferland.

Over in British Columbia, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Ryan Miller occupy the creases. Detroit led off in the first period with a Frans Nielsen goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Andreas Athanasiou and Xavier Ouellet. The Red Wings added on with a Nielsen power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, powered by Henrik Zetterberg. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a Markus Granlund goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks tied it in the third period on a Reid Boucher goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his fifth of the campaign, with helpers from Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. The three stars went to Nielsen, Zetterberg, and Abdelkader.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Martin Jones protect the nets. Toronto got going in the second period on an Auston Matthews power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Josh Leivo and William Nylander. San Jose tied it on a Brenden Dillon goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Kevin Labanc and Joe Pavelski. The Sharks took the lead in the third period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Patrick Marleau and Brent Burns. San Jose iced it at 3-1 with a Pavelski empty net goal, his twenty-first of the year, set up by Joe Thornton and Logan Couture. The three stars were Jones (20 for 21 in saves), Pavelski, and Hertl.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2016/17 - Day 132

Just three games today, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Al Montoya is mismatched with Cory Schneider in goal. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Travis Zajac. The Devils added on in the third period with a John Moore goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Joseph Blandisi. Montreal got on the board with an Alexander Radulov goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Alexei Emelin and Jeff Petry. New Jersey shot back with a Zajac goal, his thirteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Miles Wood and Palmieri. The Canadiens pulled back on a Max Pacioretty goal, his thirtieth of the season, courtesy of Nathan Beaulieu and Radulov. Montreal tied it with a Pacioretty goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, via Shea Weber and Radulov. The Canadiens won 4-3 with an Alex Galchenyuk power play goal in overtime, his fourteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Weber and Radulov, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars went to Pacioretty, Radulov, and Zajac, while Palmieri and Weber get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Andrei Vasilevskiy draw the starts in goal. Ottawa began in the first period with a Kyle Turris power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Erik Karlsson and Mike Hoffman. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Brayden Point goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Lightning took the lead with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Victor Hedman and Jonathan Drouin. Tampa Bay added on with another Kucherov power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Drouin and Tyler Johnson. The Lightning extended the lead as Kucherov completed his natural hat trick on another power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, guided in by Hedman and Drouin, the latter earning a sock trick. Tampa Bay padded the lead in the third period on a Braydon Coburn goal, his third of the year, coming off of Kucherov and Johnson. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars awarded to Kucherov, Drouin, and Hedman, while Johnson gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Nick Shore goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Marian Gaborik and Jake Muzzin. Minnesota tied it on a Nino Niederreiter goal, his twentieth of the year, via Jared Spurgeon and Ryan White. The Kings retook the lead with a Tanner Pearson goal, his twentieth of the season, going in unassisted. The Wild tied it in the second period with a Jordan Schroeder goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Chris Stewart. Los Angeles gained the lead again on a Muzzin goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Nic Dowd and Dwight King. Minnesota tied it once again with a White goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Eric Staal. The Kings pulled ahead in the third period with a Gaborik goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Shore and Trevor Lewis. The Wild equalized with a Jason Zucker goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Tyler Graovac and Schroeder. Minnesota won 5-4 in overtime with a Mikael Granlund goal, his twentieth of the campaign, with helpers from Spurgeon and Mikko Koivu. The three stars went to White, Schroeder, and Spurgeon, while Gaborik, Muzzin, and Shore get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

KHL Western Conference Quarterfinal: 1) CSKA Moscow VS. Jokerit Helsinki

The KHL playoffs are back, and we'll return to the old series-post format. Here's the first game of the Western Conference Quarterfinal between CSKA Moscow and Jokerit Helsinki.

Game 1: CSKA Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Ryan Zapolski of Jokerit and Ilya Sorokin of CSKA. Moscow began in the first period with a Bogdan Kiselevich power play goal, powered by Stephane Da Costa. CSKA added on with a Greg Scott goal, passed from Geoff Platt and Jan Mursak. Helsinki got on the board in the second period with an Antti Pihlstrom goal, fueled by Marko Anttila and Arturs Kulda. Moscow answered with a Kiselevich goal, his second of the game, via Scott. Jokerit replied in the third period with a Ville Lajunen goal, courtesy of Jesper Jensen. CSKA iced it at 4-2 with a Vladimir Zharkov empty net goal, set up by Grigory Panin and Ivan Telegin. The three stars were Kiselevich, Scott, and Zharkov. CSKA leads the series 1-0.

Game 2: CSKA Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Ryan Zapolski of Jokerit and Ilya Sorokin of CSKA. Moscow got going in the second period with a Maxim Mamin goal, assisted by Valery Nichushkin. Helsinki tied it in the third period on a Tommi Huhtala goal, via Charles Genoway. CSKA won 2-1 in overtime with a Sergei Andronov goal, passed from Vladimir Zharkov and Igor Ozhiganov. The three stars went to Andronov, Sorokin (18 for 19 in saves), and Mamin. CSKA head out of the country leading the series 2-0.

Game 3: Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland. In goal: Ryan Zapolski for Jokerit and Ilya Sorokin for CSKA. Moscow led off in the first period with a Stephane Da Costa goal, passed from Artyom Sergeyev and Maxim Mamin. CSKA added on with a Mamin goal in the second period, assisted by Bogdan Kiselevich and Da Costa. Helsinki got on the board with a Brian O'Neill power play goal, powered by Topi Jaakola and Peter Regin. Jokerit tied it in the third period with a Tommi Huhtala goal, guided in by Petteri Wirtanen and Jesper Jensen. Moscow took the lead back with a power play goal by Alexander Popov, with assists provided by Valery Nichushkin and Kiselevich. Helsinki retied it on a Ville Lajunen power play goal, made possible by O'Neill and Jaakola. CSKA won 4-3 in overtime with a Jan Mursak goal, fueled by Kirill Petrov and Grigory Panin. The three stars were Mamin, Da Costa, and O'Neill, while Kiselevich and Jaakola get the honorable mentions. CSKA is on the brink of advancing with a 3-0 series lead. 

Game 4: Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland. In goal: Ryan Zapolski for Jokerit and Ilya Sorokin for CSKA. Moscow won 1-0 in overtime with a Geoff Platt goal, assisted by Mikhail Naumenkov and Vladimir Zharkov. The three stars were Platt, Sorokin (25 save shutout), and Zapolski (39 for 40 in saves). CSKA sweeps the series 4-0, sending themselves into the Western Conference Semifinals. 

KHL Western Conference Quarterfinal: 2) SKA St. Petersburg VS. 7) Vityaz Podolsk

The KHL playoffs are back, and we'll return to the old series-post format. Here's the first game of the Western Conference Quarterfinal between SKA St. Petersburg and Vityaz Podolsk.

Game 1: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Harri Sateri of Vityaz and Mikko Koskinen of SKA. St. Petersburg led off in the first period with an Anton Belov power play goal, powered by Evgeny Dadonov and Vadim Shipachyov. Podolsk tied it in the second period with an Alexei Makeyev goal, via Alexander Nikulin. SKA retook the lead with a Nikita Gusev power play goal, going in unassisted. St. Petersburg added on with a Dadonov goal in the third period, also unassisted. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Dadonov, Koskinen (22 for 23 in saves), and Gusev. SKA leads 1-0 in the series.

Game 2: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Igor Saprykin of Vityaz and Mikko Koskinen of SKA. St. Petersburg began in the first period with an Evgeny Ketov goal, passed from Yegor Yakovlev and Anton Belov. SKA added on with an Evgeny Dadonov goal, via Arkhip Nekolenko and Vadim Shipachyov. Harri Sateri replaced Saprykin to start the second period. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Ketov scored again, thanks to Dinar Khafizullin and Patrik Hersley. SKA padded the lead with a Pavel Datsyuk goal, assisted by Shipachyov and Hersley. St. Petersburg continued with a Jarno Koskiranta goal, guided in by Sergei Shirokov and Belov. Podolsk got on the board with an Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi goal, helped along by Maxim Afinogenov. SKA answered in the third period with a Hersley goal, coming off of Nikita Gusev and Dadonov. Vityaz replied with a Jakub Jerabek goal, made possible by Ivan Yatsenko and Artyom Chernov. St. Petersburg finished it at 7-2 with an Ilya Kovalchuk power play goal, powered by Belov, who earned a sock trick. The three stars were Ketov, Hersley, and Belov, while Dadonov and Shipachyov get the honorable mentions. SKA travels southeast with a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3: Vityaz Ice Palace, Podolsk, Russia. In goal: Mikko Koskinen of SKA and Harri Sateri of Vityaz. St. Petersburg opened in the first period with a Patrik Hersley power play goal, powered by Jarno Koskiranta and Pavel Datsyuk. SKA added on with an Evgeny Ketov power play goal in the second period, via Hersley and Datsyuk. Podolsk got on the board with an Alexander Nikulin power play goal, with assists provided by Jakub Jerabek. St. Petersburg replied with a Roman Rukavishnikov goal, coming off of Anton Belov. SKA extended the lead as Nikita Gusev scored, thanks to Evgeny Dadonov and Andrei Zubarev. St. Petersburg padded the lead in the third period with an unassisted Datsyuk goal. Vityaz pulled back with an Alexei Kopeikin goal, passed from Mario Kempe. SKA iced it at 6-2 with an Ilya Kovalchuk empty net goal, set up by Koskinen and Datsyuk, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars went to Datsyuk, Hersley, and Koskinen (29 for 31 in saves). SKA holds a 3-0 series lead, giving them a good chance to advance soon. 

Game 4: Vityaz Ice Palace, Podolsk, Russia. In goal: Mikko Koskinen of SKA and Harri Sateri of Vityaz. St. Petersburg started in the first period with a Jarno Koskiranta power play goal, powered by Pavel Datsyuk and Patrik Hersley. SKA added on with a Vadim Shipachyov goal, passed from Nikita Gusev and Evgeny Dadonov. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Sergei Shirokov scored a power play goal, thanks to Datsyuk and Evgeny Ketov. SKA padded the lead in the second period with a Koskiranta goal, via Alexander Khokhlachyov. St. Petersburg continued with a Nikolai Prokhorkin goal, assisted by Yegor Yakovlev and Sergei Plotnikov. SKA struck again with a Dadonov power play goal, with a lone assist by Ilya Kovalchuk. Podolsk got on the board in the third period with an Alexei Makeyev goal, coming off of Roman Horak and Maxim Afinogenov. SKA iced it at 7-1 with a Dadonov power play goal, with helpers from Gusev and Shipachyov. The three stars went to Koskiranta, Dadonov, and Shipchyov, while Gusev and Datsyuk get the honorable mentions. SKA swept the series 4-0, the first team to punch a ticket to the Western Conference Semifinal round. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.