NHL 2016/17 - Day 163

Nine games on for tonight, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Cam Ward are the goalies. Columbus got going in the second period with a Jack Johnson goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Scott Hartnell and Sam Gagner. Carolina tied it on a third period goal by Jeff Skinner, his thirty-second of the year, coming off of Teuvo Teravainen and Brett Pesce. The Hurricanes won 2-1 in overtime with a Noah Hanifin goal, his fourth of the campaign, via Skinner and Teravainen. The three stars were Skinner, Teravainen, and Ward (23 for 24 in saves).

Up in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Steve Mason make the starts in goal. Philadelphia opened with a Dale Weise goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn. The Flyers added on with a Couturier goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Brandon Manning and Schenn. Philadelphia extended the lead as Radko Gudas scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Weise and Couturier. Jaroslav Halak replaced Greiss in goal. The Flyers padded the lead with a Jordan Weal goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Wayne Simmonds and Valtteri Filppula. Philadelphia continued with a Simmonds power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Shayne Gostisbehere and Jakub Voracek. New York got on the board with a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his fourth of the year, via Stephen Gionta and Calvin de Haan in the second period. The Islanders got closer in the third period with a Jason Chimera goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by de Haan. New York chipped closer with an Andrew Ladd goal, his twenty-first of the year, passed from Casey Cizikas and Adam Pelech. The Flyers countered with a Filppula empty net goal, his tenth of the season, set up by Simmonds and Chris VandeVelde. The final stood at 6-3, with the three stars awarded to Couturier, Simmonds, and Weise, while de Haan, Schenn, and Filppula get the honorable mentions.

Over to Boston, where the Bruins bring in the Dallas Stars. Antti Niemi and Tuukka Rask are the Finnish goalies. Boston started in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, made possible by David Backes. The Bruins added on with a Torey Krug power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by David Pastrnak and Marchand. The final stood at 2-0, with the three stars handed to Marchand, Rask (27 save shutout), and Krug.

Into Canada, with the Montreal Canadiens hosting the Florida Panthers. Reto Berra is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Montreal led off in the first period with a Paul Byron goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from Brendan Gallagher and Nathan Beaulieu. The Canadiens added on with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his ninth of the year, via Gallagher and Alexei Emelin. Montreal extended the lead as Byron scored his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, with the help of Beaulieu and Gallagher, the latter earning a sock trick. Florida got on the board with a Reilly Smith goal in the second period, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Jussi Jokinen. The Canadiens replied in the third period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, assisted by Alexander Radulov. The Panthers got one back with a Michael Matheson goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Vincent Trocheck and Mark Pysyk. Montreal answered with a Gallagher goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Brandon Davidson and Plekanec. The Canadiens padded the lead with Phillip Danault goal, his twelfth of the year, with a lone assist by Radulov. The final held at 6-2 with the three stars given to Gallagher, Byron, and Plekanec, while Radulov and Beaulieu get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Andrei Vasilevskiy draw the starts in goal. Detroit began in the first period with a Frans Nielsen goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Darren Helm. Tampa Bay tied it on a J.T. Brown goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Gabriel Dumont. The Lightning took the lead in the second period with an Andrej Sustr goal, his third of the season, helped along by Ondrej Palat. The Red Wings tied it again with a Danny DeKeyser goal, his fourth of the year, via Tomas Tatar and Henrik Zetterberg. Tampa Bay took the lead back with an Alex Killorn power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Lightning added on with a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Victor Hedman and Brayden Point. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the third period as Yanni Gourde scored his third of the season, thanks to Palat and Sustr. The Red Wings got one back with a Mike Green power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with helpers from Nielsen and Dylan Larkin. The final held at 5-3, with the three stars awarded to Palat, Sustr, and Nielsen.

Northwest to Nashville, with the Predators bringing in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Pekka Rinne are the masked men. Toronto drew first blood in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Nikita Zaitsev and Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Connor Brown and Jake Gardiner. Nashville got on the board in the third period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his thirtieth of the season, passed from Ryan Johansen. Toronto iced it at 3-1 with a Brown empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Nazem and Kadri and Gardiner. The three stars were Andersen (29 for 30 in saves), Brown, and Gardiner.

In Canada again, the Winnipeg Jets host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonathan Bernier and Michael Hutchinson are in the blue paint. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his twenty-second of the season, guided in by Ryan Kesler. Winnipeg tied it on a shorthanded Joel Armia goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Dustin Byfuglien. The Ducks took the lead back with a Corey Perry goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Antoine Vermette and Josh Manson. Anaheim added on with a Perry power play goal in the second period, his eighteenth of the year and second of the game, powered by Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen. The Jets answered in the third period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, passed from Nikolaj Ehlers and Jacob Trouba. Winnipeg tied it on a Byfuglien goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Mathieu Perreault and Ehlers. The Jets won 4-3 in overtime with a Mark Scheifele goal, his thirtieth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Byfuglien. The three stars went to Byfuglien, Ehlers, and Perry.

Stateside to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Alex Stalock are between the pipes. Ottawa was first to score in the first period with a Mike Hoffman goal, his twenty-third of the season, fueled by Mark Stone and Cody Ceci. Minnesota tied it on a Nino Niederreiter goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Jonas Brodin and Chris Stewart. The Wild took the lead in the second period with a Niederreiter goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, made possible by Eric Staal and Stewart. Minnesota added on with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his third of the year, via Charlie Coyle and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild extended the lead as Matt Dumba scored his eleventh of the season, a power play goal powered by Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund. Minnesota iced it at 5-1 with a Jason Pominville goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Coyle and Martin Hanzal. The three stars were given to Niederreiter, Stewart, and Coyle.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Cam Talbot guard the cages. San Jose cracked the scoreboard in the first period with a Jannik Hansen goal, his eighth of the season, via Paul Martin. Edmonton tied it on a Patrick Maroon goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers took the lead with a shorthanded goal by McDavid, his twenty-eighth of the season, set up by Oscar Klefbom and Drake Caggiula. The Oilers added on in the third period with Maroon's second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, coming off of Kris Russell. The Sharks got one back with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, passed from Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Hansen. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars belonging to Maroon, McDavid, and Hansen.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

KHL Eastern Conference Final: 1) Metallurg Magnitogorsk VS. 3) Ak Bars Kazan

This is one of the conference finals in the KHL season, pitting Eastern foes Metallurg Magnitogorsk against Ak Bars Kazan for a trip to the Gagarin Cup.

Game 1: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Emil Garipov of Ak Bars and Vasily Koshechkin of Metallurg. Kazan got going in the second period with a Fyodor Malykhin power play goal, powered by Atte Ohtamaa. Magnitogorsk tied it on a Danis Zaripov goal, via Viktor Antipin and Sergei Mozyakin. Metallurg won 2-1 in double overtime with a Mozyakin goal, assisted by Chris Lee and Jan Kovar. The three stars were Mozyakin, Koshechkin (48 for 49 in saves), and Garipov (47 for 49 in saves).

Game 2: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Emil Garipov of Ak Bars and Vasily Koshechkin of Metallurg. Magnitogorsk opened in the first period with an Evgeny Timkin goal, assisted by Yaroslav Kosov and Yaroslav Khabarov. Metallurg added on with a Danis Zaripov goal, guided in by Sergei Mozyakin and Jan Kovar in the second period. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars given to Koshechkin (30 save shutout), Timkin, and Zaripov. Metallurg leaves home leading the series 2-0.

Game 3: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Vasily Koshechkin for Metallurg and Emil Garipov for Ak Bars. Kazan started in the first period with a Justin Azevedo power play goal, powered by Jiri Sekac and Albert Yarullin. Magnitogorsk tied it on a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal in the second period, assisted by Chris Lee and Danis Zaripov. Ak Bars took the lead with a Mikhail Glukhov goal in the third period, going in unassisted. Metallurg retied it on a Zaripov goal, passed from Lee and Jan Kovar. Magnitogorsk took the lead on another Zaripov goal, made possible by Viktor Antipin and Kovar. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Zaripov, Kovar, and Lee. Metallurg leads the series 3-0, getting a chance to advance in two days. 

Game 4: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Vasily Koshechkin for Metallurg and Emil Garipov for Ak Bars. Magnitogorsk struck first in the first period with a Jan Kovar power play goal, powered by Sergei Mozyakin and Chris Lee. Metallurg added on with a Viktor Antipin power play goal, with assists provided by Mozyakin and Kovar. Kazan got on the board with a Jiri Sekac goal, passed from Albert Yarullin and Justin Azevedo. Magnitogorsk replied with an unassisted Mozyakin goal in the second period. Metallurg extended the lead as Denis Platonov scored, thanks to Denis Kazionov in the third period. The game ended 4-1, with the three stars given to Mozyakin, Kovar, and Koshechkin (32 for 33 in saves). Metallurg swept the series 4-0, and will play against SKA St. Petersburg for the Gagarin Cup.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2016/17 - Day 162

Four games tonight, beginning with the...

Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Marc-Andre Fleury are the veterans in goal. Chicago began in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Patrick Kane and Tanner Kero. The Blackhawks added on with a Richard Panik goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Nick Schmaltz and Jonathan Toews. Chicago extended the lead as Marcus Kruger scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Kane and Panarin. The Blackhawks padded the lead on a Marian Hossa goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Ryan Hartman goal. Chicago kept going in the third period with a Kero goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Bryan Rust goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Ian Cole and Matt Cullen. The three stars of the 5-1 game were Panarin, Kero, and Kane.

Over in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Ben Bishop and Brian Elliott are the masked men. Calgary led off in the first period with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. Los Angeles tied it on a Trevor Lewis goal, his tenth of the year, via Derek Forbort and Anze Kopitar. The Kings took the lead in the second period with a Jarome Iginla goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles added on with a Kopitar goal in the third period, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Jake Muzzin and Marian Gaborik. The Kings extended the lead as Jeff Carter scored his thirty-second of the season, thanks to Iginla and Gaborik. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars handed to Iginla, Kopitar, and Gaborik.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Calvin Pickard are given the starts in goal. Washington opened in the first period with a John Carlson power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky. Colorado tied it on a Mikko Rantanen goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Nathan MacKinnon and Sven Andrighetto. The Capitals took the lead with a Jay Beagle goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Kevin Shattenkirk and Tom Wilson. Washington added on with a Marcus Johansson power play goal in the second period, his twenty-third of the year, with assists provided by T.J. Oshie and Shattenkirk. The Capitals extended the lead as Kuznetsov scored his eighteenth of the season, with the help of Johansson and Justin Williams. The Avalanche got one back with a Matt Nieto goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Mikhail Grigorenko and Rene Bourque. Colorado pulled closer in the third period with a MacKinnon goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Tyson Barrie and Andrighetto. Washington iced it at 5-3 with a Lars Eller empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Daniel Winnik. The three stars were Kuznetsov, Johansson, and MacKinnon, while Andrighetto and Shattenkirk get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the St. Louis Blues. Carter Hutton and Louis Domingue are the backups in goal. St. Louis started in the first period with a Patrik Berglund goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Magnus Paajarvi and Colton Parayko. The Blues added on in the second period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, coming off of Jay Bouwmeester and Jaden Schwartz. Arizona got on the board with an Alex Goligoski power play goal in the third period, his sixth of the season, powered by Christian Dvorak and Clayton Keller. St. Louis iced it at 3-1 with a David Perron power play goal into the empty net, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Berglund and Alex Pietrangelo. The three stars were Berglund, Tarasenko, and Hutton (22 for 23 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

KHL Western Conference Final: 2) SKA St. Petersburg VS. 4) Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

This is one of the conference finals in the KHL season, pitting Western foes SKA St. Petersburg against Lokomotiv Yaroslavl for a trip to the Gagarin Cup.

Game 1: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Sudnitsin of Lokomotiv and Mikko Koskinen of SKA. St. Petersburg opened in the first period with a Jarno Koskiranta goal, via Sergei Shirokov and Anton Belov on the power play. Yaroslavl tied it on a Dmitry Lugin goal, assisted by Rushan Rafikov and Yegor Averin. Lokomotiv took the lead with an Averin goal, coming off of Pavel Koledov and Ilya Lyubushkin. SKA tied it again in the third period with a Patrik Hersley goal, made possible by Vadim Shipachyov and Evgeny Dadonov. Yaroslavl pulled ahead with a Maxime Talbot goal, courtesy of Petri Kontiola. Lokomotiv added on with a Denis Mosalyov goal, fueled by Daniil Apalkov and Emil Galimov. St. Petersburg replied with a power play goal by Nikita Gusev, powered by Hersley and Shipachyov. SKA tied it with ten seconds left in regulation as Koskiranta scored, with the help of Hersley and Belov. During overtime, Igor Shestyorkin replaced Koskinen in goal. St. Petersburg won 5-4 in overtime on a Hersley goal, with helpers from Shipachyov, who got a sock trick, and Gusev. The three stars belonged to Hersley, Koskiranta, and Shipachyov, while Gusev, Belov, and Averin get the honorable mentions. SKA holds a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Sudnitsin of Lokomotiv and Mikko Koskinen of SKA. Yaroslavl started in the first period with a Dmitry Lugin power play goal, powered by Andrei Loktionov and Yegor Averin. St. Petersburg tied it on an Ilya Kovalchuk power play goal, passed from Nikita Gusev and Vadim Shipachyov in the second period. SKA took the lead with a Sergei Plotnikov goal, assisted by Andrei Zubarev and Nikolai Prokhorkin. St. Petersburg added on with a Prokhorkin goal, via Plotnikov and Sergei Shirokov. SKA extended the lead as Plotnikov scored his second of the game, thanks to Shirokov and Prokhorkin. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Plotnikov, Prokhorkin, and Shirokov. SKA leads the series 2-0 as they head out on the road.

Game 3: Arena 2000, Yaroslav, Russia. In goal: Mikko Koskinen of SKA and Alexander Sudnitsin of Lokomotiv. Yaroslavl led off in the first period with a Pavel Kraskovsky goal, going in unassisted. Koskinen went out a bit later, replaced by Igor Shestyorkin. St. Petersburg tied it in the third period with a Nikita Gusev power play goal, powered by Anton Belov and Vadim Shipachyov. SKA won 2-1 in overtime with an Alexander Barabanov goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Barabanov, Gusev, and Shestyorkin (30 for 30 in saves in relief). SKA can advance on Wednesday as they hold a 3-0 series lead. 

Game 4: Arena 2000, Yaroslav, Russia. In goal: Igor Shestyorkin of SKA and Alexander Sudnitsin of Lokomotiv. St. Petersburg got going in the second period with a Dinar Khafizullin power play goal, powered by Evgeny Dadonov and Vadim Shipachyov. SKA added on with an Anton Belov goal, passed from Dadonov and Nikolai Prokhorkin. Yaroslavl got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Alexander Kadeikin, set up by Nikita Cherepanov and Andrei Loktionov. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars being Dadonov, Shestyorkin (33 for 34 in saves), and Belov. SKA swept the series 4-0 to punch their ticket to the Gagarin Cup Finals.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2016/17 - Day 161

Eleven games on tonight, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Tuukka Rask are the Finnish goalies. Boston led off in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Zdeno Chara and Brad Marchand. The Bruins added on with a David Krejci goal, his twenty-second of the year, via David Pastrnak and Drew Stafford. Nashville got on the board in the third period with a Craig Smith goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis. Boston replied with a Noel Acciari goal, guided in by Riley Nash. The Bruins iced it at 4-1 with a David Backes empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Dominic Moore. The three stars were Krejci, Acciari, and Rask (24 for 25 in saves).

Down to Raleigh, where the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Cam Ward play goal. Carolina began in the first period with a Lee Stempniak goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Derek Ryan and Justin Faulk. The Hurricanes added on with a Joakim Nordstrom goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Brett Pesce and Teuvo Teravainen. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Jordan Staal scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Matt Tennyson and Klas Dahlbeck. Detroit got on the board with a Tomas Nosek goal, helped along by Drew Miller and Nick Jensen in the third period. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-1 with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Sebastian Aho and Faulk. The three stars were Ward (21 for 22 in saves), Faulk, and Nordstrom.

Back north to New Jersey, where the Devils bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Cory Schneider are in the blue paint. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Blake Wheeler and Jacob Trouba. New Jersey tied it on a Beau Bennett goal, his sixth of the year, via Pavel Zacha and Dalton Prout. The Devils took the lead with a Taylor Hall goal, his nineteenth of the season, with a lone assist from Travis Zajac. New Jersey added on with a Stefan Noesen goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, coming off of Blake Pietila. The Jets got one back with a Wheeler goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Julian Melchiori and Mark Scheifele. Winnipeg tied it in the third period with a Joel Armia goal, his ninth of the year, a shorthanded and unassisted goal. The Jets won 4-3 in the shootout with a Patrik Laine goal. The three stars went to Wheeler, Armia, and Laine.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Steve Mason are the solid goalies. Ottawa started in the first period with an Erik Karlsson power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Kyle Turris. Philadelphia tied it on a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Shayne Gostisbehere and Claude Giroux. The Senators retook the lead with a Turris goal in the third period, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Cody Ceci and Fredrik Claesson. The Flyers tied it on an unassisted Jordan Weal goal, his sixth of the year. Philadelphia won 3-2 in the shootout with a lone tally by Weal. The three stars were Weal, Schenn, and Mason (26 for 28 in saves).

West to Columbus, with the Blue Jackets welcoming the Buffalo Sabres. Anders Nilsson is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Kyle Quincey goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets added on with a Cam Atkinson goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, assisted by Seth Jones and Alexander Wennberg. Buffalo got on the board with an Evan Rodrigues goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, a power play goal powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Jake McCabe. Columbus answered with a Brandon Saad empty net goal, his twenty-second of the year, set up by Josh Anderson. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Bobrovsky (41 for 42 in saves), Atkinson, and Quincey.

Up in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Carey Price are the similarly named goalies. Dallas was first to score in the first period with a Curtis McKenzie goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Montreal tied it on a Max Pacioretty goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, passed from Phillip Danault in the second period. The Canadiens took the lead in the third period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Paul Byron. Montreal added on with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his fourteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Andrei Markov. The Canadiens extended the lead as Alexander Radulov scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Pacioretty. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars handed to Pacioretty, Gallagher, and Lehkonen.

In Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Florida Panthers. James Reimer faces his former team and Curtis McElhinney in goal. Toronto opened in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, coming off of Zach Hyman and William Nylander. The Maple Leafs added on with a Leo Komarov goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Connor Brown and Nazem Kadri. Florida got on the board in the second period with a Reilly Smith goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Keith Yandle and Jason Demers. Toronto replied in the third period with a shorthanded goal by Hyman, his tenth of the year, set up by Komarov. The Panthers got one back with a Jaromir Jagr power play goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Yandle. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Hyman, Komarov, and Yandle.

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Devan Dubnyk tend the twines. Washington started in the first period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his thirty-first of the season, made possible by Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. Minnesota tied it in the second period on a Jason Pominville goal, his twelfth of the year, via Martin Hanzal and Nino Niederreiter. The Capitals retook the lead with an Ovechkin goal, his thirty-first of the season, a power play goal powered by Marcus Johansson and Backstrom. Washington added on with another Ovechkin power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, with assists provided by Kevin Shattenkirk and Johansson. The Wild pulled back with a Hanzal goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Pominville and Jared Spurgeon. The Capitals replied in the third period with an Ovechkin goal to complete his hat trick, his thirty-third of the year, with helpers from Backstrom and Johansson, both of whom got sock tricks. Minnesota got one back with a Spurgeon goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Wild tied it on an Eric Staal goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, guided in by Spurgeon and Mikko Koivu. Washington won 5-4 in overtime with an Oshie goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the campaign, dished from Johansson and Matt Niskanen. The three stars went to Ovechkin, Oshie, and Johansson, while Backstrom, Spurgeon, Pominville, and Hanzal get the honorable mentions.

In Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Cam Talbot protect the nets. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, via Leon Draisaitl. Los Angeles tied it on a Jarome Iginla goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The Oilers took the lead in the second period with an Eric Gryba goal, his second of the season, made possible by Darnell Nurse and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Gryba, Talbot (34 for 35 in saves), and McDavid.

Westward to Vancouver, with the Canucks hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Jonathan Bernier and Ryan Miller are set to start in goal. Anaheim began in the first period with a Corey Perry goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Nick Ritchie and Antoine Vermette. The Ducks added on with a Patrick Eaves goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, passed from Rickard Rakell and Kevin Bieksa. Anaheim extended the lead as Ritchie scored his fourteenth of the season, with the help of Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson. The Ducks padded the lead with a second period goal by Brandon Mantour, his second of the year, via Vermette. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Brock Boeser goal, his second of the season, made possible by Brandon Sutter. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Bernier (34 for 35 in saves), Ritchie, and Vermette.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Jones guard the cages. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Jannik Hansen goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Tomas Hertl and Mikkel Boedker. New York tied it on a J.T. Miller goal, his twenty-first of the year, passed from Matt Puempel. The Sharks retook the lead with a shorthanded goal by Melker Karlsson, his tenth of the season, set up by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun. San Jose added on in the second period with a Chris Tierney goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Rangers got one back with a Derek Stepan goal, his sixteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Mats Zuccarello and Brady Skjei. New York tied it on a Jesper Fast goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Skjei and Kevin Hayes. The Rangers took the lead with a Miller power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, with assists provided by Skjei, who got a sock trick, and Hayes. The Sharks tied it on a Tierney goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, helped along by Hansen and Boedker. San Jose won 5-4 in overtime with a Brent Burns power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, with helpers from Joe Pavelski and Patrick Marleau. The three stars went to Tierney, Miller, and Skjei, while Boedker and Hayes get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2016/17 - Day 160

There's six games on today as we hurtle toward the finish of the season in a couple of weeks. We begin in...

Buffalo, where the Sabres host the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Robin Lehner are the solid goalies. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Jack Eichel and Dmitry Kulikov. The Sabres added on with a Zach Bogosian goal, his second of the year, via Zemgus Girgensons and Matt Moulson. Buffalo extended the lead as Brian Gionta scored his fifteenth of the season in the second period, a power play goal made possible by Moulson. Florida got on the board with a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, with assists provided by Jonathan Huberdeau and Keith Yandle. The Sabres answered with a Marcus Foligno goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Eichel and Sam Reinhart. The Panthers got one back with a Huberdeau goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars given to Eichel, Moulson, and Huberdeau.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Eddie Lack are set to start in goal. Carolina began in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his thirty-first of the season, made possible by Jaccob Slavin and Lee Stempniak. Detroit tied it in the second period with an unassisted Anthony Mantha goal, his sixteenth of the year. The Red Wings took the lead on another Mantha goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, coming off of Andreas Athanasiou and Danny DeKeyser. The Hurricanes retied it with a Justin Faulk goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Slavin and Derek Ryan. Detroit took the lead in the third period with a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Gustav Nyquist and Henrik Zetterberg. Carolina tied it again with a Faulk goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, helped along by Noah Hanifin and Victor Rask. The Red Wings won 4-3 in overtime with an Athanasiou goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Nyquist. The three stars went to Athanasiou, Nyquist, and Mantha, while Faulk and Slavin get the honorable mentions. As the winning goal was scored, Lack was ran into by the goal-scorer Athanasiou, and suffered what appeared to be a significant injury. Best wishes to Lack as he faces a recovery.

Back north, the New York Islanders bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Thomas Greiss are the backups in goal. Nashville opened in the first period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Calle Jarnkrok and Anthony Bitetto. The Predators added on in the second period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, passed from Filip Forsberg and Mattias Ekholm. New York got on the board with a Josh Bailey goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Nick Leddy and Brock Nelson. Nashville replied in the third period with a Ryan Johansen empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Ryan Ellis. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Saros (24 for 25 in saves), Arvidsson, and Fiala.

South again to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Andrei Vasilevskiy man the nets. Chicago started in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, via Tanner Kero. Tampa Bay tied it on an Ondrej Palat power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a Patrick Kane goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, helped along by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Duncan Keith. Chicago added on with a Tomas Jurco goal, guided in by Nick Schmaltz. Peter Budaj replaced Vasilevskiy in goal. The Blackhawks extended the lead in the second period as Richard Panik scored his twenty-first of the year, thanks to Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Lightning got one back with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Alex Killorn and Anton Stralman. Tampa Bay got closer with a Stralman goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Greg McKegg and Palat. The Lightning tied it with a Drouin power play goal, his twentieth of the season and second of the game, with assists provided by Hedman and Kucherov. Tampa Bay won 5-4 with a Yanni Gourde goal in overtime, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Hedman, who got a sock trick. The three stars went to Drouin, Hedman, and Stralman, while Palat and Kucherov get the honorable mentions.

Over in St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Jake Allen are in the creases. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Alexander Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues added on with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his twelfth of the year, via Nail Yakupov and Steen. Arizona got on the board in the third period with an Anthony DeAngelo goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Radim Vrbata and Alex Goligoski. St. Louis replied with a Schwartz goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, assisted by Tarasenko and Steen, the latter earning a sock trick. The Blues extended the lead as Tarasenko scored his thirty-fifth of the campaign, with the help of Schwartz and Steen. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars being Schwartz, Steen, and Tarasenko.

Finally, the Calgary Flames bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Brian Elliott are the masked men. Calgary struck first in the first period with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by T.J. Brodie. The Flames added on in the second period with a Micheal Ferland goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Johnny Gaudreau and Monahan. Colorado got on the board with a Sven Andrighetto power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Erik Johnson and Nathan MacKinnon. Calgary replied with a Troy Brouwer power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Monahan and Kris Versteeg. The Avalanche pulled back with an Andrighetto goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, via Mikko Rantanen and Johnson. The Flames iced it at 4-2 with a Gaudreau power play goal into an empty net, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Ferland and Monahan, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Monahan, Ferland, and Andrighetto, while Gaudreau and Johnson get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2016/17 - Day 159

Five games on today, beginning with a matinee in...

Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Jimmy Howard are the solid goalies. Minnesota led off in the first period with an Eric Staal goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, helped along by Zach Parise and Jonas Brodin. Detroit tied it on a Mike Green goal, his twelfth of the year, via Niklas Kronwall and Frans Nielsen. The Wild took the lead back in the second period with a Nate Prosser goal, going in unassisted. The Red Winds retied it in the third period with a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Gustav Nyquist and Henrik Zetterberg. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his seventeenth of the year, with a lone assist by Nyquist. The three stars were Athanasiou, Nyquist, and Tatar.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Keith Kinkaid are in the creases. New Jersey began in the first period with an unassisted goal by Blake Coleman. Dallas tied it in the third period with an Ales Hemsky power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Stephen Johns and Devin Shore. The Stars won 2-1 in overtime with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Jamie Benn and John Klingberg. The three stars were Lehtonen (20 for 21 in saves), Seguin, and Coleman.

In Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins host their in-state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Matt Murray are the masked men. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Matt Cullen power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Chris Kunitz and Patric Hornqvist. Philadelphia tied it on a Jordan Weal goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Michael Del Zotto and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Flyers took the lead with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his ninth of the season, via Weal and Brandon Manning. Philadelphia added on with a Dale Weise goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, fueled by Travis Konecny and Sean Couturier. The Flyers extended the lead as Jakub Voracek scored his nineteenth of the season, passed from Matt Read and Claude Giroux. The Penguins got one back with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his nineteenth of the year, helped along by David Warsofsky and Ian Cole. Philadelphia replied with an empty net goal by Radko Gudas, his fifth of the season, set up by Giroux. The Flyers iced it at 6-2 with a Gostisbehere goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist from Brayden Schenn. The three stars were Weal, Gostisbehere, and Giroux.

West to Winnipeg, where the Jets bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Michael Hutchinson draw the starts in goal. Vancouver started in the first period with an Alexander Edler goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Christopher Tanev and Bo Horvat. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Mathieu Perreault power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. The Jets took the lead in the third period with an Adam Lowry power play goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, coming off of Perreault and Wheeler. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Perreault, Wheeler, and Hutchinson (28 for 29 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Bernier are in the blue paint. New York struck first in the first period with a Rick Nash goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Marc Staal and Mika Zibanejad. Anaheim tied it on a Patrick Eaves goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Cam Fowler and Ryan Getzlaf. The Rangers retook the lead with a Derek Stepan goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello. The Ducks tied it again with a Ryan Kesler power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Getzlaf and Fowler. Anaheim took the lead in the second period with a shorthanded goal by Josh Manson, his fifth of the season, set up by Getzlaf, who got a sock trick on the play. New York retied it on a Brady Skjei goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Jimmy Vesey and Zibanejad. The Ducks regained the lead in the third period on an Andrew Cogliano goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Kesler. Anaheim added on with an Eaves goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, coming off of Rickard Rakell and Getzlaf. The Ducks iced it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Nick Ritchie, his thirteenth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Corey Perry. The three stars were Getzlaf, Kesler, and Eaves, while Fowler and Zibanejad get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.