MLS 2017: Week 1

Just less than three months after the Seattle Sounders FC were crowned MLS Cup Champions in a thrilling shootout win, the 2017 campaign is here, with 22 teams to play 34 games apiece. We begin with a single Friday game this weekend, as...

The Portland Timbers host Minnesota United FC. John Alvbage and Jake Gleeson man the nets. Portland started in the fourteenth minute with a Lawrence Olum goal, passed from Vytautas Andriuskevicius and Diego Valeri. The Timbers saw a yellow card for Diego Chara foul in the twenty-fifth minute. Portland added on in the forty-seventh minute with a Valeri goal, set up by Sebastian Blanco. Minnesota got on the board in the seventy-ninth minute with a Christian Martinez goal, via Johan Venegas. In the eighty-first minute, Minnesota's Venegas received a yellow card for dissent. A minute later, the Timbers replied with a Valeri penalty kick goal. Portland extended the lead as Fanendo Adi scored a minute into stoppage time, thanks to Darlington Nagbe. The Timbers padded the lead with another Adi goal, helped along by Andriuskevicius. This made it 5-1, with Valeri the man of the match.

The first of seven on Saturday has the Columbus Crew SC welcoming the Chicago Fire. Jorge Bava and Zack Steffen are the goalies. Columbus opened in the seventeenth minute with an Ethan Finlay goal, via Justin Meram. The Crew' Federico Higuain received a yellow card in the forty-first minute for dissent. Chicago tied it on a seventy-third minute goal by David Accam. The Fire's John Goossens took a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-first minute. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with Accam the man of the match for the equalizer.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Galaxy bring in FC Dallas. Chris Seitz and Brian Rowe are in the six-yard boxes. In the seventeenth minute, Los Angeles' Jermaine Jones took a yellow card for a foul. Joao Pedro of the Galaxy took a yellow card for a forty-first minute foul. Dallas got going in the forty-seventh minute with a Maximiliano Urruti goal. Los Angeles tied it on a Giovani dos Santos penalty kick goal in the fifty-third minute. Dallas retook the lead with a sixty-ninth minute goal by Kellyn Acosta, passed from Roland Lamah. Dallas had yellow cards in the eighty-third and eighty-fifth minutes to Maynor Figueroa and Matt Hedges for fouls. Dallas took the win 2-1, with Acosta the man of the match for the winner.

Backtracking to Utah, where Real Salt Lake hosts Toronto FC. Clint Irwin and Nick Rimando protect the nets. Chris Schuler of Salt Lake took a yellow card for dissent in the twenty-third minute. In the twenty-ninth minute, Real had a yellow card for a foul by Rimando. Toronto had a yellow card for a forty-fifth minute foul by Nick Hagglund. Toronto saw another yellow card given to Steven Beitashour for dissent in the fifty-third minute. Salt Lake's Sunny took a yellow card for persistent infringement in the seventy-second minute. In the eighty-second minute, Sebastian Giovinco of Toronto had a yellow card for a foul. In stoppage time, Jozy Altidore received a yellow card for persistent infringement. The game ended 0-0, with the man of the match named as Rimando for a three-save clean sheet.

Over in Colorado, the Rapids welcome the New England Revolution. Cody Cropper is mismatched with Zac MacMath in goal. New England saw a yellow card for a fourteenth minute foul by Chris Tierney. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the fifty-second minute with a Dominique Badji goal, set up by Jared Watts. The Rapids collected yellow cards for Caleb Calvert's sixty-eighth minute foul, persistent infringement by Dillon Powers in the sixty-ninth minute, and Sam Cronin in the seventy-fifth minute. The Revolution's Kei Kamara took a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-ninth minute. Colorado took the win 1-0, with the man of the match being Badji.

Back east, DC United bring in Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and Bill Hamid are set to start in goal. Seth Sinovic of Kansas City took a yellow card for a thirty-seventh minute foul. DC had yellow cards for Sean Franklin and Rob Vincent fouls in the fifty-fourth and sixty-fourth minutes, respectively. Sporting took a yellow card for a Roger Espinoza foul in the seventy-second minute. The game ended at 0-0, with the man of the match being Melia for his five-save clean sheet on the road.

Down in Houston, the Dynamo host the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Tyler Deric are the gloved men. Houston began in the twentieth minute with an Erick Torres goal. Seattle's Chad Marshall had a yellow card for a thirty-third minute foul. The Dynamo added on with a Romell Quioto goal, passed from Alex. The Sounders got on the board with a fifty-eighth minute goal by Clint Dempsey. In the sixty-seventh minute, Roman Torres of Seattle received a yellow card for a foul. Houston's Torres took a yellow card for time wasting in the eighty-first minute. The final stood at 2-1, with the man of the match being Quioto.

Saturday ends in San Jose, where the Earthquakes welcome the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and David Bingham are between the posts. Montreal's Chris Duvall took a yellow card for a fourteenth minute foul. San Jose struck first with an Anibal Godoy goal, coming off of Chris Wondolowski in he seventeenth minute. The Earthquakes had a yellow card for a thirty-fifth minute foul by Fatai Alashe. In first half stoppage time, Hassoun Camara received a yellow card for a foul for the Impact. Montreal went down to ten men in the sixty-sixth minute as Camara took a second yellow card for a foul. Matteo Mancosu of the Impact had a yellow card for an eighty-third minute foul. San Jose saw Shea Salinas take a yellow card for time wasting in second half stoppage time. The game ended 1-0 with the man of the match being Godoy.

Sunday's first game has Orlando City SC bringing in New York City FC. Sean Johnson and Joe Bendik are set to start in goal. Orlando City began in the fifteenth minute on a Cyle Larin goal, via Giles Barnes and Carlos Rivas. New York City had a yellow card for a Rodney Wallace foul in the thirtieth minute. Orlando City's Will Johnson took a yellow card for a sixty-first minute foul. Alexander Ring of New York City received a yellow card for a sixty-seventh minute foul. The final held at 1-0, with the man of the match being Larin for the winner.

Up to Georgia, where Atlanta United hosts the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Alec Kann are the veteran keepers. Atlanta led off in the twenty-fifth minute with a Yamil Asad goal, coming off of Tyrone Mears. Sal Zizzo of New York had a yellow card for a foul in the thirty-eighth minute. Atlanta's Josef Martinez took a yellow card for his forty-ninth minute foul. The Red Bulls saw Damien Perrinelle receive a yellow card for a sixty-sixth minute foul. New York tied it in the seventy-sixth minute on a Daniel Royer goal, via Sacha Kljestan. The Red Bulls took the lead in the eighty-second minute with an Anton Walkes own goal. Carlos Carmona of Atlanta received a yellow card in the eighty-eighth minute for violent conduct. The game ended 2-1, with the man of the match being Royer.

Finally, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC host the Philadelphia Union. Andre Blake and David Ousted play goal. Vancouver had a yellow card in the fifty-fifth minute for Matias Laba delaying the restart of the play. Philadelphia's Fabian Herbers had a yellow card for an eightieth minute foul. The final stood at 0-0, with the man of the match being Ousted for his five-save clean sheet.

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KHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinal: 4) Traktor Chelyabinsk VS. 5) Barys Astana

The KHL playoffs are back, and we'll return to the old series-post format. Here's the first game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal between Traktor Chelyabinsk and Barys Astana.

Game 1: Traktor Sport Palace, Chelyabinsk, Russia. In goal: Henrik Karlsson and Pavel Francouz man the nets. Astana started in the first period with a Konstantin Pushkaryov goal, going in unassisted. Barys added on with an unassisted Nigel Dawes goal. Astana extended the lead as Dustin Boyd scored a power play goal, with the help of Kevin Dallman and Martin St. Pierre. Barys padded the lead in the second period with a Brendan Shinnimin power play goal, going in unassisted. Vasily Demchenko took over for Francouz in goal. Astana continued with a Vladimir Markelov goal, passed from Corey Trivino and Kirill Panyukov. Chelyabinsk got on the board in the third period with a Vitaly Kravtsov goal, courtesy of Alexander Chernikov. Traktor pulled closer with a Yury Petrov goal, assisted by Kirill Koltsov and Alexei Kruchinin. The final held at 5-2 for Barys, with the three stars going to Boyd, Shinnimin, and Karlsson (36 for 38 in saves). Barys leads the series 1-0.

Game 2: Traktor Sport Palace, Chelyabinsk, Russia. In goal: Henrik Karlsson and Pavel Francouz man the nets. Chelyabinsk got going in the second period with an Alexei Kruchinin power play goal, powered by Dmitry Pestunov and Paul Szczechura. Traktor added on with an Alexander Sharov goal, via Pestunov. Astana got on the board with a Martin St. Pierre power play goal, assisted by Nigel Dawes and Kevin Dallman. Chelyabinsk replied in the third period with an Artyom Penkovsky goal, passed from Kirill Koltsov and Nikolai Belov on the power play. Traktor extended the lead as Maxim Yakutsenya scored, thanks to Koltsov. Chelyabinsk finished it at 5-1 with a Yakutsenya empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Yakutsenya, Pestunov, and Koltsov. The series heads to Kazakhstan tied at 1.

Game 3: Barys Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan. In goal: Pavel Francouz of Traktor and Henrik Karlsson of Barys. Chelyabinsk opened in the first period with a Dmitry Pestunov power play goal, powered by Paul Szczechura. Astana tied it in the second period with a Nigel Dawes power play goal, with a lone assist from Konstantin Pushkaryov. Barys took the lead in the third period on an unassisted Dawes goal. Astana iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Corey Trivino, going in unassisted. The three stars were Dawes, Karlsson (18 for 19 in saves), and Pestunov. Barys takes a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4: Barys Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan. In goal: Pavel Francouz of Traktor and Henrik Karlsson of Barys. Chelyabinsk dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Paul Szczechura goal, assisted by Maxim Yakutsenya and Alexei Kruchinin. Astana tied it on a Nigel Dawes power play goal in the third period, powered by Kevin Dallman. Traktor won 2-1 in overtime on an Alexei Petrov goal, via Derek Roy and Alexander Tridchikov. The three stars were Petrov, Szczechura, and Francouz (29 for 30 in saves). The series heads north tied at 2.

Game 5: Traktor Sport Palace, Chelyabinsk, Russia. In goal: Henrik Karlsson and Pavel Francouz man the nets. Astana led off in the first period with a Konstantin Pushkaryov goal, assisted by Nigel Dawes and Dustin Boyd. Chelyabinsk tied it in the second period with an Artyom Borodkin power play goal, powered by Maxim Yakutsenya and Kirill Koltsov. Barys won 2-1 in overtime with a Martin St. Pierre goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were St. Pierre, Karlsson (27 for 28 in saves), and Pushkaryov. Barys heads home with a 3-2 series lead. 

Game 6: Barys Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan. In goal: Pavel Francouz of Traktor and Henrik Karlsson of Barys. Chelyabinsk began in the first period with a Kirill Koltsov goal power play goal, powered by Derek Roy and Artyom Penkovsky. Astana tied it in the second period with a Vladimir Markelov goal, with a lone assist by Kevin Dallman. Barys took the lead with a Dustin Boyd power play goal in the third period, made possible by Konstantin Pushkaryov and Dallman. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Boyd, Dallman, and Karlsson (28 for 29 in saves). Barys won the series 4-2, and is the only lower-ranked team to make the Conference Semifinals, facing Metallurg Magnitogorsk next.

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KHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinal: 2) Avangard Omsk VS. 7) Admiral Vladivostok

The KHL playoffs are back, and we'll return to the old series-post format. Here's the first game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal between Avangard Omsk and Admiral Vladivostok.

Game 1: Omsk Arena, Omsk, Russia. In goal: Igor Bobkov of Admiral and Dominik Furch of Avangard. Omsk opened in the first period with a Jonas Ahnelov goal, coming off of Vladimir Sobotka and Erik Gustafsson. Vladivostok tied it on a Maxim Kazakov goal in the second period, made possible by Artyom Zemchyonok. Avangard won in triple overtime with an Alexander Kucheryavenko goal, via Anton Burdasov and Ilya Zubov. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Kucheryavenko, Furch (31 for 32 in saves), and Bobkov (49 for 51 in saves). Avangard holds a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Omsk Arena, Omsk, Russia. In goal: Igor Bobkov of Admiral and Dominik Furch of Avangard. Omsk started in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Mikhail Yunkov goal. Vladivostok tied it on an Artyom Zemchyonok power play goal, powered by Mikhail Fisenko and Viktor Alexandrov. Admiral took the lead on a Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev power play goal, with assists provided by Oskars Bartulis and Alexandrov. Avangard retied it on an Evgeny Medvedev power play goal in the second period, helped along by Yegor Martynov and Valentin Pyanov. Vladivostok retook the lead with a Maxim Kazakov goal, passed from Krasnoslobodtsev. Omsk retied it on a Nikolai Lemtyugov goal, via Vladimir Sobotka and Erik Gustafsson on the power play. Avangard took the lead with a Mikhail Grigoryev power play goal in the third period, made possible by Sobotka. Omsk added on with a Jonas Ahnelov goal, with a lone helper from Ilya Mikheyev. Avangard iced it at 6-3 with a Yunkov goal, coming off of Ahnelov and Maxim Pestushko. The three stars went to Yunkov, Ahnelov, and Sobotka, while Krasnoslobodtsev and Alexandrov get the honorable mentions. Avangard holds 2-0 series lead as the series heads east.

Game 3: Fetisov Arena, Vladivostok, Russia. In goal: Dominik Furch of Avangard and Igor Bobkov of Admiral. Vladivostok led off in the first period with a Sergei Barbashev power play goal, powered by Vladimir Tkachyov. Admiral added on in the second period with a Maxim Kazakov goal, fueled by Denis Alexeyev. Omsk got on the board with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, guided in by Alexander Perezhogin and Nikolai Lemtyugov. Vladivostok answered with a shorthanded goal by Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev, set up by Damir Zhafyarov and Artyom Zemchyonok. Avangard pulled back on a Valentin Pyanov goal, passed from Sobotka and Yegor Martynov. Omsk tied it on a Pyotr Khokhryakov goal, assisted by Lemtyugov and Erik Gustafssov. Admiral won 4-3 with a Kazakov goal, his second of the game, courtesy of Zhafyarov. The three stars went to Kazakov, Zhafyarov, and Sobotka, while Lemtyugov gets an honorable mention. Admiral has cut into the deficit a bit, but Avangard still has a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4: Fetisov Arena, Vladivostok, Russia. In goal: Dominik Furch of Avangard and Igor Bobkov of Admiral. Omsk began in the first period with an Anton Burdasov goal, via Nikolai Lemtyugov and Erik Gustafsson. Vladivostok tied it on a Maxim Kazakov goal, assisted by Anton Volchenkov and Shaone Morrisonn. Avangard retook the lead in the second period with another Burdasov goal, fueled by Alexander Kucheryavenko. Admiral tied it again with a Vladimir Tkachyov power play goal, powered by Jonathon Blum and Morrisonn. Vladivostok won 3-2 in overtime with a James Wright goal, with a lone assist by Tkachyov. The three stars went to Tkachyov, Morrisonn, and Burdasov. The series heads back west tied at 2.

Game 5: Omsk Arena, Omsk, Russia. In goal: Igor Bobkov of Admiral and Dominik Furch of Avangard. Omsk struck first in the first period with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, courtesy of Nikolai Lemtyugov and Maxim Pestushko. Avangard added on with a Jonas Ahnelov goal, going in unassisted. Omsk extended the lead as Vitaly Menshikov scored, thanks to Sobotka. Avangard padded the lead on a David Booth goal in the second period, via Evgeny Medvedev and Mikhail Yunkov. Omsk struck again with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, passed from Ilya Zubov and Valentin Pyanov. Avangard iced it at 6-0 in the third period with a Danil Faizullin goal, coming off of Erik Gustafsson. The three stars went to Sobotka, Furch (21 save shutout), and Ahnelov. Avangard heads east again with a 3-2 series lead in tow. 

Game 6: Fetisov Arena, Vladivostok, Russia. In goal: Dominik Furch of Avangard and Igor Bobkov of Admiral. Omsk was first to score in the first period with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, passed from Valentin Pyanov. Avangard added on in the second period with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, assisted by Nikolai Lemtyugov. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Furch (17 save shutout), Mikheyev, and Sobotka. Avangard won the series 4-2, and advance to face Ak Bars Kazan in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. 

NHL 2016/17 - Day 136

Just six games tonight across the league, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Peter Budaj and Matt Murray draw the starts in goal. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with an Adam Erne goal, via Vladislav Namestnikov and Cedric Paquette. Pittsburgh tied it on an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Phil Kessel and Justin Schultz. The Penguins took the lead with a Malkin goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, assisted by Kessel and Ian Cole. The Lightning retied it in the third period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, helped along by Jonathan Drouin and Victor Hedman. Pittsburgh took the lead back with a Mark Streit goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Sidney Crosby and Malkin. The Penguins added on with a Schultz power play goal, his tenth of the season, with helpers from Crosby and Streit. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Tom Kuhnhackl, his fourth of the year, set up by Nick Bonino. The three stars went to Malkin, Schultz, and Streit, while Crosby and Kessel get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue is mismatched with Cam Ward in goal. Arizona opened in the first period with a Christian Dvorak goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off Shane Doan. The Coyotes added on with an Alex Goligoski goal, his fourth of the year, via Radim Vrbata and Max Domi. Carolina got on the board with a Lee Stempniak goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Jaccob Slavin and Jay McClement. The Hurricanes tied it on a Jordan Staal goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Teuvo Teravainen and Phillip Di Giuseppe. Arizona took the lead with a third period goal by Jordan Martinook, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Doan. The Coyotes iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Doan, his sixth of the year, a power play goal set up by Tobias Rieder. The three stars went to Doan, Martinook, and Goligoski.

Up in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the St. Louis Blues. Carter Hutton and Connor Hellebuyck are set to start in goal. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his eighteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Mathieu Perreault and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets added on in the third period with a Bryan Little goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Byfuglien and Wheeler. Winnipeg iced it at 3-0 with a Wheeler empty net goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Little and Jacob Trouba. The three stars went to Wheeler, Little, and Hellebuyck (29 save shutout), while Byfuglien gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Corey Crawford are in the blue paint. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brock Nelson goal, his fourteenth of the season, set up by Travis Hamonic and Jason Chimera. Chicago tied it on a third period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. The tie went to a shootout, where Jonathan Toews and Panarin scored for the Blackhawks to win 2-1. The three stars were Panarin, Crawford (31 for 32 in saves), and Greiss (30 for 31 in saves).

In Canada again, the Calgary Flames welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Brian Elliott are the masked men. Detroit led off in the first period with a Darren Helm goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Justin Abdelkader and Anthony Mantha. Calgary tied it on a Kris Versteeg power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by T.J. Brodie and Sean Monahan. The Flames took the lead with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Red Wings tied it in the third period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Henrik Zetterberg and Abdelkader. Calgary won 3-2 in overtime with a Mikael Backlund goal, his twentieth of the campaign, helped along by Michael Frolik and Mark Giordano. The three stars went to Backlund, Abdelkader, and Elliott (35 for 37 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Curtis McElhinney and Jonathan Bernier are the backups in goal. Anaheim began in the first period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, made possible by Chris Wagner and Logan Shaw. Toronto tied it on a Zach Hyman goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Nikita Zaitsev and William Nylander. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, a power play goal powered by Tyler Bozak and Mitchell Marner. The Ducks retied it on a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Ryan Kesler. Anaheim took the lead with a Rakell goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, via Hampus Lindholm and Nick Ritchie. The Ducks added on with a Sami Vatanen goal, his third of the year, guided in by Ryan Getzlaf and Brandon Montour. Anaheim iced it at 5-2 with a Patrick Eaves empty net goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, set up by Getzlaf and Vatanen. The three stars were Rakell, Vatanen, and Getzlaf.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 135

Ten games for tonight, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Tuukka Rask protect the nets. New York dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Nick Holden and Rick Nash. The Rangers added on with an Oscar Lindberg goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Matt Puempel and Brady Skjei. Boston got on the board with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-ninth of the campaign, made possible by David Pastrnak and Colin Miller. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Lundqvist (32 for 33 in saves), Lindberg, and Buchnevich.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Robin Lehner are the productive goalies. Arizona opened in the first period with a Teemu Pulkkinen goal, his second of the season, coming off of Max Domi and Christian Dvorak. Buffalo tied it on a shorthanded goal by Marcus Foligno, his eleventh of the year, set up by Ryan O'Reilly and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres took the lead with an O'Reilly goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the season, a power play goal via Jack Eichel and Kyle Okposo. The Coyotes retied it on a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Tobias Rieder, his fourteenth of the year. Buffalo regained the lead with an Eichel power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Sam Reinhart and Okposo. Arizona tied it again in the third period with an Alex Goligoski, his third of the year, passed from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Rieder. The Sabres gained the lead with an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-third of the season, guided in by O'Reilly and Jake McCabe. Buffalo added on with a Foligno empty net goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with helpers from Eichel and Cody Franson. The Sabres extended the lead as Reinhart scored an empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. This made it 6-3, with the three stars given to Foligno, Eichel, and O'Reilly, while Rieder, Okposo, and Reinhart get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Steve Mason draw the starts in goal. Florida got going in the second period with an Aaron Ekblad shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Philadelphia tied it on a Valtteri Filppula goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, assisted by Brayden Schenn and Jakub Voracek. In the shootout, Jordan Weal and Voracek scored, topping Aleksander Barkov as the Flyers won 2-1. The three stars went to Voracek, Mason (39 for 40 in saves), and Reimer (35 for 36 in saves in relief from the second period onward).

Close by, the Washington Capitals host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington cracked the scoresheet in the third period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson on the power play. This held up for a 1-0 win, with the three stars handed to Vrana, Holtby (15 save shutout), and Schneider (23 for 24 in saves).

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Sergei Bobrovsky protect the nets. Columbus drew first blood in the third period with a Brandon Saad goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist from Nick Foligno. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Bobrovsky (38 save shutout), Dubnyk (39 for 40 in saves), and Saad.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Carey Price are the masked men. Nashville started in the first period with a Ryan Ellis power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by P.K. Subban and Mike Fisher. Montreal tied it on a Brendan Gallagher goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens took the lead with a Paul Byron goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Byron, Price (24 for 25 in saves), and Gallagher.

Over in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators host the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with Craig Anderson in goal. Ottawa led off in the first period with an Alexandre Burrows goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Mike Hoffman and Cody Ceci. The Senators added on in the second period with a Burrows goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Hoffman. Colorado got on the board in the third period with a Rene Bourque goal, his tenth of the campaign, courtesy of Nathan MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie. This stood for a 2-1 result, with the three stars going to Burrows, Hoffman, and Anderson (22 for 23 in saves).

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Antti Niemi are in the blue paint. New York began in the first period with a Ryan Strome goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Jason Chimera. Dallas tied it on a Jamie Benn power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza. The Stars took the lead with a Radek Faksa goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Patrick Sharp and Greg Pateryn. Dallas added on with a Spezza goal, his tenth of the year, via John Klingberg and Seguin. The Islanders got one back with an Andrew Ladd goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Strome and Josh Bailey. New York tied it in the third period with a Nick Leddy goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Anders Lee and John Tavares. The Islanders pulled ahead with a Dennis Seidenberg goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Calvin de Haan and Strome. New York extended the lead as Nikolay Kulemin scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Leddy. The Stars got one back on a shorthanded and unassisted Benn goal, his twenty-third of the campaign. The final remained at 5-4, with the three stars given to Strome, Leddy, and Benn, while Seguin and Spezza get the honorable mentions.

Out to California, where the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Jonathan Quick man the creases. Toronto struck first in the first period with a Tyler Bozak goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Mitchell Marner and James van Riemsdyk. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Nikita Zaitsev goal, his third of the year, via Brian Boyle. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin. The Kings tied it on a Tanner Pearson goal, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Alec Martinez and Tyler Toffoli. Los Angeles won 3-2 with a Kopitar goal in the shootout. The three stars were Kopitar, Pearson, and Quick (28 for 30 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Aaron Dell are between the pipes. Vancouver was first to score in the first period with a Bo Horvat goal, his nineteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Ben Hutton and Sven Baertschi. San Jose tied it on a Mikkel Boedker goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Logan Couture and Paul Martin. The Sharks took the lead in the second period with a Marcus Sorensen goal, made possible by Tomas Hertl and Joel Ward. San Jose added on with a Couture goal, his twenty-first of the season, helped along by Patrick Marleau and Brent Burns. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Couture, Sorensen, and Dell (17 for 18 in saves).

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KHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinal: 3) Ak Bars Kazan VS. 6) Salavat Yulaev Ufa

The KHL playoffs are back, and we'll return to the old series-post format. Here's the first game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal between Ak Bars Kazan and Salavat Yulaev Ufa.

Game 1: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Niklas Svedberg for Salavat Yulaev and Emil Garipov for Ak Bars. Kazan began in the first period with a Jiri Sekac power play goal, powered by Justin Azevedo and Vasily Tokranov. Ufa tied it on a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, assisted by Linus Omark and Alexander Loginov. Ak Bars won 2-1 on a last second goal by Atte Ohtamaa, via Mikhail Varnakov and Andrei Popov. The three stars were Ohtamaa, Sekac, and Garipov (24 for 25 in saves). Ak Bars has a 1-0 lead in the series.

Game 2: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Niklas Svedberg for Salavat Yulaev and Emil Garipov for Ak Bars. Kazan led off in the first period with a Fyodor Malykhin power play goal, powered by Mikhail Varnakov and Rafael Batyrshin. Ak Bars added on in the third period with a Mikhail Glukhov goal, via Vladimir Tkachyov. Ufa got on the board with an unassisted Enver Lisin goal. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Garipov (26 for 27 in saves), Glukhov, and Malykhin. Ak Bars takes a 2-0 series lead with them on the road.

Game 3: Ufa Arena, Ufa, Russia. In goal: Emil Garipov of Ak Bars and Andrei Gavrilov of Salavat Yulaev. Ufa opened in the first period with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, powered by Linus Omark. Salavat Yulaev added on with a Denis Kulyash goal, assisted by Enver Lisin and Denis Parshin. Ufa extended the lead in the second period as Omark scored a power play goal, with the help of Igor Grigorenko and Sami Lepisto. Kazan got on the board with a Fyodor Malykhin goal, helped along by Artyom Lukoyanov. Ak Bars got closer with a Jiri Sekac power play goal, via Vasily Tokranov and Alexander Svitov. Kazan tied it on a Justin Azevedo power play goal, with assists provided by Vladimir Tkachyov and Tokranov. Niklas Svedberg replaced Gavrilov at this time. Salavat Yulaev retook the lead in the third period with a Lisin goal, with a lone helper from Parshin. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Omark, Lisin, and Parshin, while Tokranov gets the honorable mention. Ufa has gained some ground against leading Ak Bars, who hold a 2-1 series lead still.

Game 4: Ufa Arena, Ufa, Russia. In goal: Emil Garipov of Ak Bars and Niklas Svedberg of Salavat Yulaev. Kazan started in the first period with a Vladimir Tkachyov power play goal, powered by Justin Azevedo and Jiri Sekac. Ufa tied it on a Kirill Kaprizov goal in the third period, coming off of Sami Lepisto and Linus Omark in the last minute. Ak Bars answered only 37 seconds later with the winner, an Azevedo goal with a lone assist by Tkachyov to take the game 2-1. The three stars were Azevedo, Tkachyov, and Garipov (12 for 13 in saves). Ak Bars leads the series 3-1 as they head home looking to close it out. 

Game 5: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Niklas Svedberg for Salavat Yulaev and Emil Garipov for Ak Bars. Kazan struck first in the first period with a Fyodor Malykhin power play goal, powered by Vladimir Tkachyov and Justin Azevedo. Ufa tied it on a Zakhar Arzamastsev power play goal in the third period, going in unassisted. Ak Bars won 2-1 in overtime with a Jiri Sekac goal, made possible by Azevedo. The three stars were Azevedo, Sekac, and Garipov (27 for 28 in saves). Ak Bars advances to the Eastern Conference Semifinals with a 4-1 series win.

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KHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinal: 1) Metallurg Magnitogorsk VS. 8) Kunlun Red Star Beijing

The KHL playoffs are back, and we'll return to the old series-post format. Here's the first game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal between Metallurg Magnitogorsk and Kunlun Red Star Beijing.

Game 1: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Tomi Karhunen of Kunlun Red Star and Ilya Samsonov of Metallurg. Magnitogorsk began in the first period with a Tomas Filippi goal, with a lone assist by Chris Lee. Metallurg added on with another Filippi goal in the second period, via Evgeny Timkin and Alexei Bereglazov. Magnitogorsk extended the lead as Yaroslav Kosov scored, thanks to Sergei Tereshchenko and Yaroslav Khabarov. Andrei Makarov replaced Karhunen in goal. Metallurg padded the lead with a Viktor Antipin power play goal, powered by Lee and Danis Zaripov. Beijing got on the board with a Tuukka Mantyla power play goal, with assists provided by Linus Videll and Sean Collins. Kunlun Red Star got closer with another Mantyla goal, going in unassisted. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Filippi, Mantyla, and Lee. Metallurg holds a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Andrei Makarov of Kunlun Red Star and Vasily Koshechkin of Metallurg. Magnitogorsk opened in the first period with an Oskar Osala goal, fueled by Alexander Semin. Beijing tied it on a Sean Collins goal, courtesy of Chad Rau and Sergei Peretyagin in the second period. Kunlun Red Star took the lead with a Collins goal, guided in by Tobias Viklund and Linus Videll on the power play. Metallurg retied it on a Jan Kovar goal, via Danis Zaripov. Magnitogorsk took the lead with a Vladislav Kaletnik goal, assisted by Denis Platonov. Beijing tied it on a Zach Yuen goal, passed from Tomas Marcinko and Brett Bellemore. Metallurg gained the lead again with a shorthanded Osala goal, set up by Platonov and Alexei Bereglazov. Magnitogorsk iced it at 5-3 with an Osala empty net goal, with helpers from Tomas Filippi and Kovar. The three stars went to Osala, Collins, and Platonov, while Kovar gets an honorable mention. Metallurg leads the series 2-0 as it heads to China.

Game 3: Le Sports Center, Beijing, China. In goal: Vasily Koshechkin of Metallurg and Tomi Karhunen of Kunlun Red Star. Beijing started in the first period with a Linus Videll power play goal, powered by Tommi Taimi and Tuukka Mantyla. Magnitogorsk tied it in the second period with a Denis Platonov goal, guided in by Viktor Antipin and Evgeny Biryukov. Metallurg took the lead with a Sergei Mozyakin goal, via Danis Zaripov and Jan Kovar. Magnitogorsk added on in the third period with a Zaripov power play goal, made possible by Mozyakin and Chris Lee. Kunlun Red Star got one back with an Oleg Yashin goal, coming off of Mantyla and Vadim Pereskokov. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Mozyakin, Zaripov, and Mantyla. Metallurg will try to advance in two days, leading the series 3-0 currently.

Game 4: Le Sports Center, Beijing, China. In goal: Vasily Koshechkin of Metallurg and Tomi Karhunen of Kunlun Red Star. Beijing led off in the first period with a Martin Bakos goal, passed from Tuukka Mantyla and Joonas Jarvinen. Kunlun Red Star added on with a Chad Rau goal, via Mantyla and Linus Videll. Beijing extended the lead in the second period as Tommi Taimi scored, thanks to Miika Lahti and Max Warn. Ilya Samsonov replaced Koshechkin in goal. Magnitogorsk got on the board with a Viktor Antipin goal, coming off of Chris Lee and Sergei Mozyakin on the power play. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Mantyla, Karhunen (32 for 33 in saves), and Rau. The series is at 3-1 for Metallurg, and they will try to close it out at home. 

Game 5: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Tomi Karhunen of Kunlun Red Star and Vasily Koshechkin of Metallurg. Magnitogorsk struck first in the first period with a Danis Zaripov power play goal, powered by Chris Lee. Metallurg added on with a Jan Kovar power play goal, with assists provided by Lee and Zaripov. Beijing got on the board with a Tommi Taimi power play goal, helped along by Tobias Viklund. Magnitogorsk answered on a Zaripov goal, passed from Lee, who got a sock trick, and Alexei Bereglazov. Metallurg extended the lead in the second period as Sergei Mozyakin scored a power play goal, thanks to Lee and Kovar. Magnitogorsk padded the lead with another Kovar goal, assisted by Mozyakin and Bereglazov. Metallurg continued in the third period as Zaripov completed his hat trick, with the help of Mozyakin and Kovar. Magnitogorsk struck again with a Yaroslav Kosov goal, with a lone assist by Tomas Filippi. Metallurg got another with a Kovar power play goal to complete his hat trick, coming off of Lee and Zaripov. Kunlun Red Star got one back with a Yaroslav Alshevsky goal, passed from Tuukka Mantyla. This only made it 8-2, the final, with the three stars going to Zaripov, Kovar, and Lee, while Mozyakin and Bereglazov get the honorable mentions. Metallurg takes the series 4-1, the first team to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.