NHL 2016/17 - Day 139

Four games tonight, beginning in...

Ottawa, as the Senators host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Craig Anderson guard the cages. Ottawa began in the first period with a Derick Brassard goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Alexandre Burrows and Marc Methot. The Senators added on with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Dion Phaneuf. Boston got on the board with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Torey Krug. Ottawa replied in the third period with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Erik Karlsson and Phaneuf. The Bruins got one back on a Brad Marchand power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, with assists provided by David Pastrnak and Krug. The Senators iced it at 4-2 with a Burrows empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Mark Stone and Karlsson. The three stars went to Burrows, Karlsson, and Phaneuf, while Krug gets an honorable mention.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and Andrei Vasilevskiy man the nets. New York won 1-0 in overtime with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his ninth of the campaign, made possible by Ryan McDonagh. The three stars went to Raanta (38 save shutout), Zibanejad, and Vasilevskiy (33 for 34 in saves).

Back north, the Washington Capitals bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Braden Holtby are the masked men. Dallas led off in the first period with a Devin Shore goal, his eleventh of the season, via Patrick Sharp and Stephen Johns. The Stars added on in the second period with a Radek Faksa goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. Dallas extended the lead as Jason Spezza scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. Phillip Grubauer replaced Holtby in goal. Washington got on the board with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk and Brooks Orpik. The Capitals got closer in the third period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, coming off of Karl Alzner and Backstrom. The Stars iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Sharp, his eighth of the year, set up by John Klingberg. The three stars went to Sharp, Backstrom, and Lehtonen (42 for 44 in saves).

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets host the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Connor Hellebuyck are in the blue paint. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Melker Karlsson and Brenden Dillon. Winnipeg tied it on a Josh Morrissey goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Sharks took the lead with a shorthanded Mikkel Boedker goal in the third period, his ninth of the season, set up by Logan Couture. San Jose added on with a Pavelski empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, helped along by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Joe Thornton. The Jets got one back with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, powered by Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Pavelski, Boedker, and Morrissey.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 138

Seven games throughout the day today, beginning with...

The Calgary Flames hosting the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Brian Elliott play goal. Calgary started in the first period with a Michael Frolik goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Dougie Hamilton and Mikael Backlund. The Flames added on with a T.J. Brodie goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Alex Chiasson and Matt Stajan. Calgary extended the lead as Micheal Ferland scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Sean Monahan. The Flames padded the lead with a Monahan goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Hamilton. Jean-Francois Berube replaced Greiss to start the second period. New York got on the board in the second period with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, made possible by Josh Bailey and Scott Mayfield. Calgary answered in the third period with a Kris Versteeg goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Sam Bennett and Matt Bartkowski. The Islanders got one back with a Jason Chimera goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Nick Leddy and Shane Prince. The game ended at 5-2, with the three stars being Monahan, Hamilton, and Ferland.

East to New Jersey, where the Devils welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Cory Schneider guard the cages. Columbus got going in the second period with a Boone Jenner goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky. The Blue Jackets added on with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his third of the year, assisted by Sam Gagner and David Savard. Columbus extended the lead in the third period as Gagner scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Bjorkstrand and Scott Hartnell. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Bobrovsky (20 save shutout), Bjorkstrand, and Gagner.

Backtracking to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Anders Nilsson is mismatched with Matt Murray in goal. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Brian Gionta and Evander Kane. The Sabres added on with a Gionta power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Matt Moulson. Buffalo extended the lead as Jack Eichel scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Marcus Foligno and Sam Reinhart. Marc-Andre Fleury replaced Murray to start the second period. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with a Justin Schultz goal, his eleventh of the year, via Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins got closer with a Malkin power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, helped along by Schultz and Patric Hornqvist. Pittsburgh tied it in the third period with a Jake Guentzel goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, guided in by Conor Sheary and Nick Bonino. The Penguins took the lead with a Sheary goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, fueled by Schultz and Brian Dumoulin. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Sheary, Schultz, and Malkin, while Gionta gets an honorable mention.

West to Minnesota, where the Wild host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Devan Dubnyk tend the twines. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Zach Parise power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Jason Pominville and Ryan Suter. The Wild added on with an Eric Staal goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Matt Dumba. San Jose got on the board with a Melker Karlsson goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Micheal Haley and Justin Braun. Minnesota replied with an empty net goal by Staal in the third period, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Martin Hanzal. The three stars went to Staal, Parise, and Dubnyk (20 for 21 in saves).

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Jeremy Smith are in the creases. St. Louis began in the first period with a Paul Stastny power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Jaden Schwartz and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues added on with a Kyle Brodziak goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Ryan Reaves. St. Louis extended the lead as Patrik Berglund scored a power play goal in the second period, his eighteenth of the campaign, thanks to Colton Parayko. The three stars of the 3-0 game went Allen (27 save shutout), Stastny, and Brodziak.

Out in Anaheim, the Ducks bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Richard Bachman and Jonathan Bernier are the backups in goal. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Bo Horvat goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Ben Hutton and Alex Biega. The Canucks added on with a Markus Granlund goal, his seventeenth of the year, going in unassisted in the second period. Anaheim got one back with a Patrick Eaves goal in the third period, his twenty-third of the campaign, assisted by Ryan Getzlaf and Kevin Bieksa. The game ended 2-1, with the three stars going to Bachman (43 for 44 in saves), Granlund, and Horvat.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack and Mike Smith are in the flue paint. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Peter Holland goal, his third of the season, coming off of Anthony Duclair and Luke Schenn. Carolina tied it on a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Jaccob Slavin and Victor Rask. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period with a Derek Ryan goal, his tenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Jeff Skinner. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars being Ryan, Teravainen, and Lack (25 for 26 in saves).

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 137

Ten games today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider faces a lesser foe in Anton Khudobin in goal. Boston got going in the second period with a Torey Krug power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron. New Jersey tied it on a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Steven Santini and Kyle Palmieri. The Bruins retook the lead on a Brandon Carlo goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Bergeron and David Backes. The Devils retied it in the third period with a Palmieri goal, his twentieth of the year, with a lone assist by Taylor Hall. Boston gained the lead with a Ryan Spooner goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Drew Stafford and Frank Vatrano. This produced a 3-2 final, with the three stars given to Palmieri, Bergeron, and Spooner.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Robin Lehner draw the starts in goal. Buffalo started in the first period with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Jack Eichel. Tampa Bay tied it on a Tyler Johnson goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning won 2-1 in the shootout with tallies by Brayden Point and Kucherov. The three stars were Kucherov, Vasilevskiy (31 for 32 in saves), and Lehner (31 for 32 in saves).

Across the state, the New York Rangers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. Montreal opened in the first period with a Shea Weber goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Max Pacioretty and Steve Ott. The Canadiens added on in the second period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Phillip Danault and Pacioretty. Montreal extended the lead as Andrew Shaw scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Alex Galchenyuk and Andrei Markov. New York got on the board in the third period with a Chris Kreider goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello. The Canadiens replied with a Jordie Benn goal, his third of the season, made possible by Nathan Beaulieu and Galchenyuk.

Down in Florida, the Panthers host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and James Reimer are in the blue paint. Dallas led off in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, coming off of Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza. Florida tied it on a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Jonathan Marchessault and Aleksander Barkov. The Stars took the lead in the third period with a John Klingberg goal, his eleventh of the campaign, passed from Seguin and Benn. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Lehtonen (41 for 42 in saves), Benn, and Seguin.

Back north, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Koprisalo is mismatched with Craig Anderson in goal. Columbus began in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Zach Werenski and Seth Jones. Ottawa tied it with a Viktor Stalberg goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Chris Kelly and Tommy Wingels. The Senators gained the lead in the second period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Mark Stone and Marc Methot. Ottawa added on in the third period with a Zack Smith goal, his sixteenth of the year coming shorthanded into the empty net, set up by Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Sam Gagner power play goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, helped along by Werenski and Cam Atkinson. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars being Smith, Werenski, and Karlsson.

Over in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Connor Hellebuyck are in the creases. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Patrik Laine goal, his thirty-second of the season, assisted by Mathieu Perreault and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets added on with a Blake Wheeler power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Bryan Little and Byfuglien. Winnipeg extended the lead as Mark Scheifele scored his twenty-seventh of the season, via Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets padded the lead in the second period with a Ben Chiarot goal, passed from Ehlers and Wheeler. Winnipeg continued with an Ehlers goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Wheeler. Jeremy Smith replaced Pickard in goal. The Jets struck again in the third period with an unassisted Jacob Trouba goal, his sixth of the season. Colorado got on the board with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his fourteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Cody Goloubef. The game ended at 6-1, with the three stars awarded to Wheeler, Ehlers, and Laine, while Byfuglien gets an honorable mention.

Back east, the Washington Capitals host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Braden Holtby are the masked men. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Sean Couturier goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Matt Read and Nick Cousins. Washington tied it on a Dmitry Orlov goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Matt Niskanen. The Capitals won 2-1 in overtime with a power play goal by Nicklas Backstrom, his twentieth of the campaign, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Alex Ovechkin. The three stars went to Backstrom, Holtby (30 for 31 in saves), and Orlov.

Southwest to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Juuse Saros man the nets. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Brent Seabrook and Richard Panik. The Blackhawks added on in the second period with a Jordin Tootoo goal, passed from Seabrook and Duncan Keith. Nashville got on the board with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Ryan Johansen and P.K. Subban. Chicago replied with a Jonathan Toews power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Predators got one back with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his thirteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Nashville tied it in the third period with another Arvidsson goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, helped along by Johansen and Filip Forsberg. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Brian Campbell goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, coming off of Toews and Panik. Chicago iced it at 5-3 with a Kane empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the campaign, set up by Artemi Panarin. The three stars were Kane, Toews, and Arvidsson, while Panik, Seabrook, and Johansen.

Northwest to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Cam Talbot are in the blue paint. Edmonton cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Adam Larsson. Detroit tied it on an Anthony Mantha goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Henrik Zetterberg. The Oilers took the lead with a Zack Kassian goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Larsson and David Desharnais. Edmonton added on in the third period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Milan Lucic. The Red Wings answered with a Darren Helm goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Dylan Larkin. The Oilers replied with a Patrick Maroon goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Leon Draisaitl and McDavid. Detroit pulled back on a Larkin goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Justin Abdelkader. The three stars of the 4-3 game were McDavid, Larsson, and Larkin.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Ben Bishop are the American goalies. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with a Sven Baertschi goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Loui Eriksson and Bo Horvat. The Canucks added on with a Henrik Sedin goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Horvat and Christopher Tanev. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period as Baertschi scored his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, with the help of Horvat, who got a sock trick, and Eriksson. The Canucks padded the lead with a Nikolay Goldobin goal, assisted by Ben Hutton and Brandon Sutter. Los Angeles got on the board with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Alec Martinez and Drew Doughty. The Kings got closer in the third period with a Trevor Lewis power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Adrian Kempe and Paul Ladue. Los Angeles chipped closer with a shorthanded Martinez goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Kempe and Derek Forbort. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to Baertschi, Horvat, and Eriksson, while Martinez and Kempe get the honorable mentions.

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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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