NHL 2016/17 - Day 166

Eleven games on for today, beginning early with...

The Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Corey Crawford man the nets. Boston led off in the first period with a Ryan Spooner goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Zdeno Chara and Brandon Carlo. The Bruins added on with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Brad Marchand. Chicago got on the board in the second period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, via Richard Panik and Brent Seabrook. Boston replied in the third period with a Kevan Miller goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Chicago got one back with a Jordin Tootoo goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by John Hayden and Seabrook. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Miller, Seabrook, and Khudobin (41 for 43 in saves).

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the New York Islanders. Robin Lehner and Jaroslav Halak are the masked men. New York began in the first period with a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Nick Leddy. Buffalo tied it in the second period with an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, with a lone assist by C.J. Smith. The Islanders retook the lead with a Joshua Ho-Sang goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Dennis Seidenberg. The Sabres tied it in the third period with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Matt Moulson and William Carrier. New York took the lead with an Anders Lee goal, his thirtieth of the season, going in unassisted. The Islanders added on with another Lee goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, also an unassisted goal. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars being Lee, Ho-Sang, and Clutterbuck.

West to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Jake Allen are in goal. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, coming off of Jaden Schwartz and David Perron. Nashville tied it on a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Filip Forsberg and P.K. Subban. The Blues took the lead in the second period with an Alexander Steen goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Perron. St. Louis added on with a Perron goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues won 4-1 in the third period with an unassisted goal by Joel Edmundson, his third of the campaign. The three stars were Perron, Allen (35 for 36 in saves), and Steen.

Back east, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack and Matt Murray are the young goalies. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Chad Ruhwedel and Nick Bonino. Carolina tied it with a Jeff Skinner goal, his thirty-third of the year, courtesy of Elias Lindholm and Lucas Wallmark. The Penguins took the lead back in the second period with a Scott Wilson goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Carter Rowney. Pittsburgh added on in the third period with a Conor Sheary goal, his twenty-second of the year, a power play goal assisted by Patric Hornqvist and Phil Kessel. The Hurricanes got one back with a Justin Faulk power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by Sebastian Aho and Lindholm. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Sheary, Lindholm, and Wilson.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Peter Budaj are the goalies. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with an Adam Erne goal, his second of the season, passed from Yanni Gourde and Andrej Sustr. Dallas tied it on a Gemel Smith goal in the second period, his third of the year, fueled by Esa Lindell and Jason Spezza. The Stars took the lead with a Spezza goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by John Klingberg and Lindell. The Lightning tied it on a Braydon Coburn goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Anton Stralman and Ondrej Palat. Tampa Bay took the lead in the third period with a Brayden Point goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Jake Dotchin and Palat. The Lightning added on with a Palat power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Nikita Kucherov. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Erne scored his second of the game and third of the season, thanks to Vladislav Namestnikov and Tyler Johnson. Dallas got one back with a Brett Ritchie goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Lindell, who got a sock trick, and Devin Shore. The Lightning iced it at 6-3 with a Stralman empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Palat, Erne, and Lindell, while Stralman and Spezza get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Washington got going in the second period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his thirty-third of the season, passed from Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his twelfth of the year, via Lars Eller and Kevin Shattenkirk. Washington extended the lead as Matt Niskanen scored his fifth of the season, with the help of Burakovsky. Columbus got on the board with a Jack Johnson goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, assisted by Alexander Wennberg and Sam Gagner. The Blue Jackets got closer with a Kyle Quincey goal, his sixth of the campaign, made possible by Brandon Saad and Gagner. They couldn't tie it, losing 3-2. The three stars were Burakovsky, Gagner, and Holtby (35 for 37 in saves).

West to Minnesota, where the Wild host the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with Devan Dubnyk in goal. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Martin Hanzal goal, his nineteenth of the season, guided in by Charlie Coyle and Jason Pominville. The Wild added on with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Erik Haula and Mikko Koivu. Colorado got on the board with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by J.T. Compher and Erik Johnson. Minnesota replied with a Haula goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Mikael Granlund and Koivu. The Wild extended the lead with a second period power play goal by Zach Parise, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Eric Staal and Pominville. Jeremy Smith replaced Pickard in goal. Minnesota padded the lead as Jordan Schroeder scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Ryan Suter. The Avalanche got one back with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Sven Andrighetto. This stood for a 5-2 final, with the three stars given to Haula, Koivu, and Parise.

Northwest to Vancouver, where the Canucks welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Ryan Miller are called on to start in goal. San Jose led off in the first period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Mikkel Boedker and Jannik Hansen. The Sharks added on with a Hertl goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, courtesy of Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Sven Baertschi goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Bo Horvat. San Jose iced it at 3-1 with a Patrick Marleau empty net goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Hertl, Jones (29 for 30 in saves), and Marleau.

Back east, the New York Rangers bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Anthony Stolarz and Henrik Lundqvist are in the blue paint. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Jordan Weal. New York tied it on a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Mats Zuccarello. The Rangers took the lead with a Brendan Smith goal, his third of the season, fueled by Zuccarello and Derek Stepan. New York added on in the third period with an Oscar Lindberg goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Dan Girardi and Zuccarello, the latter earning a sock trick. The Rangers extended the lead as Chris Kreider scored his twenty-eighth of the season, thanks to Stepan and Brady Skjei. The Flyers got one back with a Brayden Schenn goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Shayne Gostisbehere. Philadelphia got closer with a Filppula goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, courtesy of Jakub Voracek and Gostisbehere. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars handed to Zuccarello, Filppula, and Stepan, while Gostisbehere gets an honorable mention.

In Alberta, the Calgary Flames host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonathan Bernier and Brian Elliott are set to start in goal. Anaheim began in the first period with a Patrick Eaves power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Ryan Kesler and Cam Fowler. The Ducks added on with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Kesler and Kevin Bieksa. Calgary got on the board in the second period with a Kris Versteeg power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by T.J. Brodie and Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames tied it on another Versteeg power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, assisted by Mark Giordano and Brodie. Anaheim took the lead back with a Korbinian Holzer goal, his second of the season, guided in by Ryan Getzlaf. Calgary tied it in the third period as Michael Frolik scored his seventeenth of the year, with the help of Giordano and Mikael Backlund. The Ducks regained the lead with a Logan Shaw goal, his third of the season, passed from Kesler, who got a sock trick, and Andrew Cogliano. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars being Kesler, Versteeg, and Brodie, while Giordano gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. Arizona struck first in the first period with an Alex Burmistrov goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Alex Goligoski. The Coyotes added on in the second period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his fourth of the year, via Max Domi and Ekman-Larsson. Los Angeles got on the board with an Alec Martinez power play goal in the third period, his ninth of the season, powered by Paul LaDue and Anze Kopitar. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Smith (34 for 35 in saves), Ekman-Larsson, and Duclair.

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MLS 2017: Week 5

Ten games on this weekend, beginning with...

Toronto FC hosting Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and Clint Irwin man the nets, although Irwin went out injured in the fortieth minute, replaced in the Toronto goal by Alexander Bono. Ilie Sanchez of Kansas City had a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-ninth minute. Toronto had a yellow card for an extra flag to checker by Jozy Altidore in the eighty-first minute. The game ended 0-0, with the man of the match being Bono for three saves in 50 minutes of action.

The other of two Friday games has the Seattle Sounders FC welcoming Atlanta United. Alec Kann and Stefan Frei are in goal. Julian Gressel of Atlanta had a yellow card for a twentieth minute foul. Atlanta's Yamil Asad took a yellow card for a forty-third minute foul. The final held at 0-0, with the man of the match being Cristian Roldan for his work on both sides of the ball.

The first of Saturday's seven games has New York City FC bringing in the San Jose Earthquakes. David Bingham and Sean Johnson protect the nets. San Jose opened in the sixth minute with a Marco Urena goal. New York City tied it in the tenth minute with a Jack Harrison goal, coming off of David Villa and Ronald Matarrita. Alexander Ring of New York City received a yellow card for his fifty-fourth minute foul, as did teammate Rodney Wallace in the fifty-ninth minute for a foul of his own. New York City took the lead with a Thomas McNamara goal in the sixty-seventh minute, set up by Matarrita and Villa. The Earthquakes went down to ten men in the eightieth minute when Victor Bernardez received a straight red card for a foul. New York City won 2-1, with the man of the match being McNamara.

Over in Chicago, the Fire host the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Jorge Bava draw the starts in goal. Chicago started in the seventeenth minute with a Bastian Schweinsteiger goal, via David Accam and Juninho. In the forty-first minute, Juninho of the Fire took a yellow card for a foul. Montreal had yellow cards for Chris Duvall in the fifty-seventh minute and Adrian Arregui in the sixtieth minute, both for fouls. The Impact tied it on a Matteo Mancosu goal, assisted by Duvall in the sixty-first minute. Chicago went down a man in the seventy-first minute as Juninho took a second yellow card for a foul. Montreal saw yellow cards for Victor Cabrera and Daniel Lovitz for fouls in the seventy-sixth and seventy-eighth minutes respectively. The Impact also went to ten men in the eightieth minute when Cabrera denied a goal scoring opportunity. Montreal went ahead on a ninetieth minute goal by Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla, courtesy of Patrice Bernier. The Fire tied it in stoppage time with a Luis Solignac goal, guided in by Dax McCarty. The final stood at 2-2, with the man of the match being Solignac with the late equalizer.

Backtracking to Columbus, where the Crew SC welcomes Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and Zack Steffen are the keepers. Columbus began in the thirteenth minute with a Justin Meram goal, passed from Artur. The Crew's Meram had a yellow card for his nineteenth minute foul. Orlando City saw yellow cards for fouls by Servando Carrasco in the sixtieth minute and Tommy Redding in the seventy-sixth minute. Columbus added on in the seventy-seventh minute with another Meram goal, via Federico Higuain. Meram was the man of the 2-0 match for his brace.

East to DC, where United brings in the Philadelphia Union. Andre Blake and Bill Hamid are the gloved men. DC led off in the eighteenth minute with a Jose Guillermo Ortiz goal, via Lloyd Sam. DC added on with a Luciano Acosta penalty kick goal in the twenty-seventh minute. Philadelphia had yellow cards for a fifty-sixth minute dive by Ilsinho and a sixty-first minute instance of dissent by Derrick Jones. DC's Marcelo Sarvas took a yellow card for a sixty-sixth minute foul. The Union got on the board with a C.J. Sapong goal in the seventy-first minute. DC held on to win 2-1, with the man of the match being Hamid for going seven for eight in saves.

Westward to Minnesota, where United FC hosts Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Bobby Shuttleworth are the veterans in goal. Salt Lake struck first in the fourth minute with a Luke Mulholland goal. Minnesota tied it on a sixteenth minute goal by Kevin Molino. Minnesota saw yellow cards for Molino in the twentieth minute and Francisco Calvo in the thirty-fourth minute, both for fouls. Real had a yellow card for dissent by Yura Movsisyan in the forty-ninth minute. Minnesota took the lead with a fifty-second minute goal by Christian Ramirez, thanks to Molino. Minnesota added on with a Ramirez goal in the sixty-second minute. Minnesota extended the lead as Johan Venegas scored in the sixty-eighth minute, thanks to Molino. In the eighty-seventh minute, Salt Lake got one back with a Movsisyan goal, set up by Luis Silva. The final stood at 4-2, with Molino named the man of the match.

Down in Texas, the Houston Dynamo welcome the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Tyler Deric are between the posts. New York was first to score in the first period with a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal in the thirteenth minute, via Sacha Kljestan and Felipe. Houston tied it on a fourteenth minute goal by Dylan Remick, coming off of Alex. The Red Bulls saw a yellow card for a twenty-eighth minute foul by Connor Lade. The Dynamo took the lead in the forty-first minute on an Erick Torres penalty kick goal. Tyler Adams took a yellow card for New York in the forty-fourth minute for dissent. Houston added on with a fifty-sixth minute Torres goal, his second of the game. The Dynamo's Remick took a yellow card for a foul in the seventieth minute, as did Torres in the eighty-seventh minute. Houston ended it at 4-1 with a Torres goal in stoppage time to complete his hat trick, which earned him man of the match honors.

Saturday ends in Canada, with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC bring in the Los Angeles Galaxy. Clement Diop and David Ousted are in the six-yard boxes. Vancouver led off in the nineteenth minute with a Cristian Techera goal, assisted by Sheanon Williams. Los Angeles got on the board in the twenty-sixth minute when Whitecaps keeper Ousted misplayed the ball into his own net. The Galaxy went ahead on a thirtieth minute with a Romain Alessandrini goal, via Emmanuel Boateng and Jack McBean. Los Angeles saw a yellow card in the sixtieth minute for a McBean foul. Vancouver tied it again with a Fredy Montero goal in the sixty-sixth minute. The Whitecaps took the lead with a sixty-seventh minute goal by Matias Laba, set up by Montero. The Galaxy's Jermaine Jones received a yellow card for his seventy-seventh minute foul. In the eightieth minute, Vancouver's Montero received a yellow card for time wasting. The Whitecaps added on in the eighty-seventh minute with a Laba goal. The final stood at 4-2, with Laba the man of the match for his brace.

Finally, Sunday's only game has the Portland Timbers hosting the New England Revolution. Cody Cropper and Jake Gleeson are given the starts in goal. Portland began in the twelfth minute with a Diego Valeri goal. New England saw a yellow card for a foul by Xavier Kouassi in the forty-fourth minute. The Revolution's Kelyn Rowe took a yellow card for his forty-seventh minute foul. New England tied it on an eighty-fourth minute goal by Lee Nguyen. This made it 1-1, the final, with the man of the match being Nguyen for the late equalizer.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 165

We're into the final days of the regular season, with eight games going today. We begin in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Florida Panthers. Reto Berra is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Boston led off in the first period with an unassisted Noel Acciari goal, his second of the season. Florida tied it on a Thomas Vanek goal in the second period, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Nick Bjugstad. The Bruins retook the lead with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his nineteenth of the season, courtesy of Zdeno Chara and David Pastrnak. The Panthers tied it again with a Jaromir Jagr power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Keith Yandle and Jonathan Marchessault. Boston reclaimed the lead on a David Krejci goal, his twenty-third of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins added on in the third period with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, with assists provided by Ryan Spooner and Pastrnak. Boston iced it at 5-2 with a Bergeron empty net goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Bergeron, Pastrnak, and Krejci.

Down in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and Pekka Rinne are the goalies. Nashville got going in the second period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen. The Predators added on with a Kevin Fiala goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. Nashville extended the lead in the third period as P.K. Subban scored his tenth of the campaign, an unassisted goal going into the empty net. The final stood at 3-0, with the three stars given to Rinne (31 save shutout), Forsberg, and Fiala.

At the normal time, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Jimmy Howard play goal. Detroit began in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Frans Nielsen and Nick Jensen. Toronto tied it on an Auston Matthews power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, powered by Leo Komarov and Nikita Zaitsev. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Mitchell Marner goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Connor Carrick. Toronto added on with a William Nylander goal, his twenty-second of the year, assisted by Matthews and Roman Polak. The Red Wings got one back Jensen goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Henrik Zetterberg. Detroit tied it on a Niklas Kronwall goal in the third period, his second of the year, fueled by Zetterberg and Nyquist. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, fueled by Tyler Bozak and Jake Gardiner. Toronto added on with a Matthews goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the year, with a lone helper by Brian Boyle. The Red Wings chipped back with a Mike Green goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, guided in by Dylan Larkin and Darren Helm. The final held at 5-4, with the three stars awarded to Matthews, Nyquist, and Jensen, while Zetterberg gets an honorable mention.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Cam Ward are between the pipes. Dallas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jason Spezza goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Remi Elie and Greg Pateryn. The Stars added on with an empty net goal in the third period by John Klingberg, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Dallas extended the lead as Devin Shore scored his twelfth of the campaign into an empty net, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Lehtonen (25 save shutout), Spezza, and Klingberg.

Back north, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Michal Neuvirth protect the nets. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and Shayne Gostisbehere. Neuvirth collapsed in his crease shortly after this, and was replaced by Anthony Stolarz. The Flyers added on with a Colin McDonald goal, made possible by Chris VandeVelde and Radko Gudas. Philadelphia extended the lead as Jordan Weal scored his eighth of the year on the power play in the second period, thanks to Jakub Voracek and Michael Del Zotto. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars belonging to Stolarz (28 for 28 in saves in relief), Schenn and McDonald.

In Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Andrei Vasilevskiy are called on to start. Montreal was first to score in the second period with a Phillip Danault goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Max Pacioretty. Tampa Bay tied it on a Yanni Gourde goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Victor Hedman and Jonathan Drouin. The Canadiens won 2-1 in overtime with an Alexander Radulov goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, passed from Pacioretty and Danault. The three stars went to Danault, Pacioretty, and Price (21 for 22 in saves).

Northwest in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Connor Hellebuyck are the strong goalies. Ottawa started in the first period with a Mike Hoffman goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Derick Brassard. Winnipeg tied it in the second period on a Blake Wheeler goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Senators took the lead back with Hoffman's second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Tom Pyatt and Cody Ceci. The Jets tied it again with an Adam Lowry goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Jacob Trouba. Winnipeg took the lead in the third period with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Bryan Little and Trouba. The Jets iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Nikolaj Ehlers, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Little. The three stars went to Hoffman, Trouba, and Little.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Cam Talbot tend the twines. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, coming off of Patrick Maroon and Adam Larsson. Anaheim tied it on a Ryan Getzlaf power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Jakob Silfverberg and Cam Fowler in the second period. The Ducks took the lead in the third period with a Patrick Eaves power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, with assists provided by Antoine Vermette and Silfverberg. The Oilers tied it on a Milan Lucic power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, helped along by Leon Draisaitl and McDavid. Edmonton won 3-2 in overtime with a Draisaitl goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, with a lone assist from McDavid. The three stars were McDavid, Draisaitl, and Silfverberg.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 164

Seven games on tonight, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Henrik Lundqvist protect the nets. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel. The Penguins added on with a Crosby goal, his forty-third of the year, courtesy of Conor Sheary and Ron Hainsey. New York got on the board with a Nick Holden power play goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh replied in the third period with a Bryan Rust goal, his fourteenth of the year, made possible by Ian Cole. The Rangers chipped back with a Rick Nash goal, his twenty-third of the season, via J.T. Miller and Dan Girardi. New York tied it on a Chris Kreider goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, coming off of Miller and Holden. The tie went to a shootout, where Kessel and Crosby tallied for the Penguins for a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Crosby, Kessel, and Holden, while Miller gets an honorable mention.

Over in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Jaroslav Halak are given the starting nods in goal. New York led off in the first period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Johnny Boychuk and John Tavares. The Islanders added on with an Anthony Beauvillier goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, guided in by Joshua Ho-Sang and Jason Chimera. New Jersey got on the board in the third period with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his twentieth of the campaign, with assists provided by John Quenneville and Pavel Zacha. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars being Beauvillier, Lee, and Halak (26 for 27 in saves).

Westward to Chicago, where the Blackhawks bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Chicago began in the first period with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. Columbus tied it on a Nick Foligno goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Sam Gagner and Jack Johnson. The Blackhawks took the lead back with a Marian Hossa goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, coming off of Kane and Brent Seabrook. Chicago iced it at 3-1 with a Panarin empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, set up by Kane, who got a sock trick. The three stars went to Kane, Panarin, and Crawford (32 for 33 in saves).

Northwest to Calgary, where the Flames host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Brian Elliott are in the blue paint. Calgary opened in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Sam Bennett. The Flames added on in the second period with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Kris Versteeg. San Jose got on the board with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Micheal Haley and Marcus Sorensen. Calgary replied with a Matt Stajan goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Michael Stone. The Flames extended the lead as Alex Chiasson scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Versteeg and T.J. Brodie. The Sharks got one back with a Melker Karlsson goal, his eleventh of the year, via Joe Pavelski and Paul Martin in the third period. Calgary iced it at 5-2 with a Bennett empty net goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, set up by Chiasson and Brodie. The three stars went to Chiasson, Versteeg, and Brodie, while Bennett gets an honorable mention.

Down in Denver, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Calvin Pickard are between the pipes. St. Louis started in the first period with a Ryan Reaves goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Scottie Upshall and Jordan Schmaltz. Colorado tied it in the second period with a J.T. Compher power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie. The Avalanche won 2-1 in the shootout with tallies from Matt Duchene and MacKinnon. The three stars were MacKinnon, Pickard (27 for 28 in saves), and Allen (31 for 32 in saves).

Back in Canada, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Ryan Miller are the veterans in goal. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jarome Iginla power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Alec Martinez and Paul LaDue. The Kings added on with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Jake Muzzin and Nick Shore. The game ended at 2-0, with the three stars awarded to Quick (35 save shutout), Iginla, and Toffoli.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby faces a lesser foe in Louis Domingue in goal. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Christian Dvorak goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Coyotes added on with a Josh Jooris goal, his fourth of the year, via Alex Goligoski. Arizona extended the lead as Alex Burmistrov scored his second of the season, thanks to Shane Doan and Lawson Crouse. Washington got on the board with a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal in the second period, his twenty-third of the year, powered by T.J. Oshie and Marcus Johansson. The Capitals got closer with a Daniel Winnik goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Tom Wilson and Dmitry Orlov. The Coyotes replied with a Dvorak power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Arizona padded the lead with a Burmistrov power play goal, his second of the game and third of the season, with assists provided by Max Domi and Anthony DeAngelo. The Coyotes continued in the third period with an unassisted Peter Holland goal, his fifth of the year. Washington got one back with a Justin Williams goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, dished from Matt Niskanen and Johansson. Dvorak, Burmistrov, and Johansson received the three stars in the 6-3 game.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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