Sunday, April 9, 2017

MLS 2017: Week 6

All teams in action this weekend, beginning with...

The Los Angeles Galaxy hosting the Montreal Impact on Friday. Evan Bush and Clement Diop are the goalies. Los Angeles opened in the fifteenth minute with a Romain Alessandrini goal, via Emmanuel Boateng. Montreal went down to ten men in the forty-fourth minute with a Marco Donadel red card for violent conduct. The Galaxy had a yellow card in the fifty-fourth minute for a Joao Pedro foul. Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla of the Impact had a yellow card for sixty-fourth minute foul. Los Angeles added on in the seventy-fourth minute with a Jermaine Jones goal, helped along by Gyasi Zardes. The man of the match was Alessandrini for the winner in the 2-0 game.

On Saturday, the first of eight games sees the Chicago Fire welcome the Columbus Crew SC. Zack Steffen and Jorge Bava are playing goal. Chicago started in the twenty-second minute with a Nemanja Nikolic goal, via Dax McCarty. Columbus had a yellow card for an Alex Crognale foul in the eighty-fourth minute. The Fire's McCarty took a yellow card for his eighty-sixth minute foul. The final held at 1-0, with the man of the match being Nikolic for the winning goal.

East to New England, with the Revolution bringing in the Houston Dynamo. Tyler Deric and Cody Cropper man the nets. Houston's Ricardo Clark took a yellow card for a sixteenth minute foul. New England got going in the fifty-second minute with a Kei Kamara goal. The Revolution added on with a seventy-second minute goal by Juan Agudelo. This made it 2-0, the final, with the man of the match being Kamara.

Down in DC, United hosts New York City FC. Sean Johnson and Bill Hamid are in the six-yard boxes. Alexander Callens of New York City had a yellow card for an eleventh minute handball. Ronald Matarrita of New York City took a yellow card for dissent in the thirty-fifth minute. DC dented the scoreboard in the fifty-third minute with a Lloyd Sam goal. DC added on in the seventy-third minute on a Luciano Acosta goal. New York City got on the board with an eighty-fourth minute David Villa goal, assisted by Thomas McNamara and Jack Harrison. The game ended at 2-1, with the man of the match being Acosta for his winner.

Next up, the Philadelphia Union welcome the Portland Timbers. Jake Gleeson and Andre Blake are the gloved men. Portland's David Guzman had a yellow card for a sixteenth minute foul. Philadelphia led off in the twenty-sixth minute with a Richie Marquez goal, via Haris Medunjanin. The Timbers tied it with a thirty-second minute goal from Darlington Nagbe. Medunjanin of the Union took a yellow card in first half stoppage time for a foul. Portland took the lead in the sixty-sixth minute with a goal by Roy Miller, assisted by Diego Valeri. Lawrence Olum of the Timbers had a yellow card for a seventy-third minute foul. In the eighty-fifth minute, Philadelphia's keeper Blake took a yellow card for a foul. Portland's Adi scored a penalty kick goal in the eighty-eighth minute to add to their lead, and he received a yellow card for delaying the restart of play. Oguchi Onyewu of the Union had a yellow card in the second half stoppage time for his foul. The man of the match was Miller for the winning goal.

In Canada, Toronto FC brings in Atlanta United. Alec Kann and Alexander Bono are the keepers. Jeff Larentowicz of Atlanta had a yellow card for a tenth minute foul. Atlanta began in the fifteenth minute with a Hector Villalba goal, set up by Miguel Almiron. Villalba took a yellow card for an eighteenth minute foul for Atlanta. Toronto tied it in the twentieth minute with a Sebastian Giovinco goal, assisted by Jozy Altidore and Victor Vazquez. Toronto took the lead with a forty-fourth minute Justin Morrow goal, passed from Steven Beitashour and Vazquez. Atlanta retied it on a Villalba goal in the forty-seventh minute, coming off of Leandro Gonzalez Pirez. Atlanta went down to ten men in the seventy-fifth minute as Yamil Asad took a straight red card for violent conduct. Toronto had a yellow card for an eightieth minute foul by Nick Hagglund. The final held at 2-2, with the man of the match being Villalba for his brace.

South to Texas, where FC Dallas hosts Minnesota United FC. Bobby Shuttleworth and Jesse Gonzalez are the veteran goalies. Minnesota's Collen Warner took a yellow card for a fifth minute foul. Dallas saw a yellow card given to Carlos Gruezo for a foul in the thirtieth minute. Dallas struck first in the forty-third minute with a Javier Morales goal, assisted by Walker Zimmerman and Michael Barrios. Dallas added on in the forty-ninth minute with a Barrios goal, set up by Kellyn Acosta. Ibson of Minnesota had a sixty-first minute yellow card for a foul, as did teammate Brent Kallman in the seventy-second minute. Dallas had yellow cards for Gonzalez's eighty-eighth minute time wasting and dissent in the eighty-ninth minute for Hernan Grana. The final held at 2-0, with the man of the match being Gonzalez for his five-save clean sheet.

Up in Utah, Real Salt Lake welcomes the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Nick Rimando guard the nets. Vancouver's Matias Laba took a yellow card for a twenty-ninth minute foul. Salt Lake had yellow cards for Chris Schuler's fortieth minute foul and another foul by Kyle Beckerman in the forty-second minute. Real was first to score in the fifty-fourth minute on an Albert Rusnak goal, assisted by Joao Plata. Salt Lake added on with a Yura Movsisyan goal in the seventy-fourth minute, made possible by Rusnak. Real extended the lead as Luke Mulholland scored in the seventy-eighth minute, thanks to Rusnak. This made it 3-0, the final, with the man of the match being Rusnak for his goal and two assists.

Saturday ends in San Jose, as the Earthquakes bring in the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and David Bingham are in the six-yard boxes. San Jose had a yellow card for a thirty-third minute by Anibal Godoy. Seattle's Nicolas Lodeiro took a yellow card for his foul in first half stoppage time. In the eighty-third minute, Fatai Alashe took a yellow card for a foul. The Sounders drew first blood in the eighty-fourth minute on a Lodeiro goal. San Jose tied it on a Chris Wondolowski goal in the ninetieth minute, via Marco Urena and Cordell Cato. The final stood at 1-1, with the man of the match being Osvaldo Alonso for his work on both sides of the ball.

On Sunday, Orlando City SC hosts the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Joe Bendik are the experienced goalies. Orlando City cracked the scoresheet in the thirty-fourth minute with a Servando Carrasco goal, via Will Johnson. Orlando City's Cristian Higuita took a yellow card for dissent in the sixty-first minute. Aurelien Collin of New York had a yellow card for a seventy-sixth minute foul. Luis Gil of Orlando City had a yellow card for an eighty-sixth minute foul, as did teammate Donny Toia in stoppage time. Orlando City held on for a 1-0 win, with the man of the match being Carrasco for his goal in a long substitute appearance.

Finally, Sporting Kansas City hosts the Colorado Rapids. Tim Howard and Tim Melia tend the nets. Kansas City got going with a sixth minute Seth Sinovic goal. Ilie Sanchez of Sporting had a yellow card for a thirty-eighth minute foul. Kansas City added on in the fifty-eighth minute with a Gerso Fernandes goal, assisted by Roger Espinoza and Dominic Dwyer. Eric Miller of Colorado had a yellow card for his foul in the eighty-fourth minute. Sporting extended the lead as Dwyer scored in the eighty-fifth minute, with the help of Sinovic and Soni Mustivar. The Rapids' Jared Watts took a yellow card for an eighty-sixth minute foul. Colorado got on the board with a Kevin Doyle penalty kick goal in stoppage time. The final stood at 3-1, with the man of the match being Sinovic for his goal and assist.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Saturday, April 8, 2017

NHL 2016/17 - Day 172

It's the penultimate day of the regular season, with fourteen games to be played. We begin early with...

The Ottawa Senators hosting the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Craig Anderson guard the cages. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Mike Hoffman goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Mark Stone and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Senators added on with a Derick Brassard goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Viktor Stalberg and Alexandre Burrows. Ottawa extended the lead in the third period as Pageau scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Mark Borowiecki and Stone. New York got on the board with an unassisted Mika Zibanejad goal, his fourteenth of the year. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars given to Pageau, Stone, and Brassard.

Down in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Steve Mason draw the starts in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Chris VandeVelde and Roman Lyubimov. The Flyers added on with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Brayden Schenn and Dale Weise. Columbus got on the board in the second period with a Seth Jones power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Alexander Wennberg and Nick Foligno. Philadelphia shot back with a Jakub Voracek power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds. The Flyers extended the lead as Ivan Provorov scored his seventh of the season, with the help of Andrew MacDonald and Schenn. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Boone Jenner goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Sam Gagner and Scott Hartnell. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars given to Schenn, Voracek, and Provorov.

Along to Boston, where the Bruins bring in the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Anton Khudobin are the backups in goal. Washington started in the first period with a Marcus Johansson goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Justin Williams. Boston tied it on a second period Colin Miller goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Drew Stafford. The Capitals took the lead back with a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. Washington added on with a Williams goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nate Schmidt. The final stayed at 3-1, with the three stars belonging to Williams, Shattenkirk, and Grubauer (21 for 22 in saves).

Out in California, the Los Angeles Kings host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jonathan Quick protect the nets. Chicago began in the first period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from Nick Schmaltz and Duncan Keith. Los Angeles tied it in the third period with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter. The Blackhawks took the lead back with an Artemi Panarin goal, his thirty-first of the season, via Patrick Kane and Keith. The Kings tied it again with a Dustin Brown goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Kopitar and Carter. Los Angeles won 3-2 in overtime with a Drew Doughty goal, his eleventh of the campaign, with helpers from Carter and Kopitar, both of whom earned sock tricks. The three stars went to Carter, Kopitar, and Keith.

Back east, the New Jersey Devils welcome the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Keith Kinkaid receive the starting nods in goal. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Adam Pelech goal, his third of the season, passed from Nikolay Kulemin. The Islanders added on with an Anders Lee goal, his thirty-second of the year, via Nick Leddy and Anthony Beauvillier. New York extended the lead as Jason Chimera scored his nineteenth of the season in the third period, thanks to Alan Quine and Calvin de Haan. New Jersey got on the board with a Beau Bennett goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Islanders shot back with a Lee power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the season, powered by Josh Bailey and Leddy. The Devils shot back with a Bennett goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, assisted by Dalton Prout and Miles Wood. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Lee, Bennett, and Leddy.

West to Detroit, where the Red Wings bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Charlie Lindgren is mismatched with Petr Mrazek in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Frans Nielsen goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Darren Helm. Montreal tied it in the second period on a Nathan Beaulieu power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Paul Byron and Brendan Gallagher. The Red Wings took the lead with a Dylan Larkin goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Tomas Tatar and Matt Lorito. The Canadiens tied it on an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Nikita Nesterov. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, assisted by Nesterov. The three stars belonged to Nesterov, Galchenyuk, and Lindgren (25 for 27 in saves).

South to Raleigh, with the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the St. Louis Blues. Carter Hutton and Cam Ward draw the starts in goal. St. Louis struck first in the first period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Alex Pietrangelo and Vladimir Tarasenko. Carolina tied it on a Klas Dahlbeck goal, his second of the year, made possible by Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Jeff Skinner goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, guided in by Brett Pesce and Noah Hanifin. The Blues tied it in the second period with an Alexander Steen power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Pietrangelo and Tarasenko. Carolina retook the lead with a Joakim Nordstrom goal, his seventh of the season, via Sergey Tolchinsky and Victor Rask. St. Louis tied it again with a Ryan Reaves goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Kyle Brodziak and Scottie Upshall. The Blues took the lead in the third period with a shorthanded and unassisted Upshall goal, his tenth of the season. The Hurricanes equalized with a Skinner goal, his second of the game and thirty-seventh of the year, helped along by Hanifin and Pesce. In the shootout, Lee Stempniak of Carolina was bested by Patrik Berglund and Tarasenko for a 5-4 Blues win. The three stars were Upshall, Tarasenko, and Skinner, while Pietrangelo, Hanifin, and Pesce get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Frederik Andersen are the solid goalies. Pittsburgh was first to score in the first period with a Phil Kessel goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Matt Cullen and Tom Kuhnhackl. Toronto tied it on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, fueled by Tyler Bozak and Roman Polak. Curtis McElhinney replaced Andersen after the latter was injured in the second period. The Maple Leafs took the lead back with a Bozak power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by William Nylander and Jake Gardiner. The Penguins tied it on a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his forty-fourth of the year, with assists provided by Jake Guentzel and Justin Schultz. Pittsburgh took the lead in the third period with a Guentzel goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto tied it on a Kasperi Kapanen goal, made possible by Matt Hunwick and Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs gained the lead with a Connor Brown goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Gardiner and Hunwick. Toronto iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Matthews, his fortieth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The three stars went to Bozak, Guentzel, and Hunwick, while Gardiner and Matthews get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Florida Panthers bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and James Reimer man the creases. Florida cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Thomas Vanek and Reilly Smith. The Panthers added on with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Jaromir Jagr on the power play. Florida extended the lead in the third period as Huberdeau scored his second of the game and tenth of the season, with a lone assist by Jagr. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Huberdeau, Reimer (30 save shutout), and Jagr.

North once more to Winnipeg, with the Jets hosting the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Nashville drew first blood in the second period with a shorthanded and unassisted Ryan Ellis goal, his sixteenth of the season. Winnipeg tied it on a third period goal by Kyle Connor goal, his second of the year, via Adam Lowry. The Jets took the lead with a shorthanded Blake Wheeler goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, set up by Mark Scheifele and Dustin Byfuglien. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Hellebuyck (33 for 34 in saves), Wheeler, and Connor.

In Texas, the Dallas Stars welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Jeremy Smith and Kari Lehtonen are in the blue paint. Dallas opened in the first period with a Devin Shore goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Cody Eakin and Greg Pateryn. The Stars added on with a Jamie Benn power play goal in the second period, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by John Klingberg and Tyler Seguin. Colorado got on the board with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Tyson Barrie and Sven Andrighetto. The Avalanche tied it on a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Francois Beauchemin and Blake Comeau. Colorado took the lead with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Barrie and J.T. Compher on the power play. Dallas tied it again with a Seguin goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, coming off of Esa Lindell and Klingberg. The Stars won 4-3 in the shootout with a Seguin tally. The three stars were Seguin, Klingberg, and Barrie.

Further west, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Mike Smith have the green light to play goal. Minnesota started in the first period with an Erik Haula goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Jason Pominville. The Wild added on with an Eric Staal power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Charlie Coyle. Arizona got on the board with a third period Brendan Perlini goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Shane Doan and Alex Goligoski. Minnesota shot back with a Martin Hanzal power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Mikko Koivu and Matt Dumba. The score stayed at 3-1, with the three stars being Kuemper (20 for 21 in saves), Staal, and Hanzal.

Up in San Jose, the Sharks welcome the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott and Aaron Dell draw the starts in goal. San Jose drew first blood in the second period with a Chris Tierney goal, his eleventh of the season, via Jannik Hansen. The Sharks added on with a Mikkel Boedker goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Tierney and Barclay Goodrow. Calgary got on the board with a Curtis Lazar goal, helped along by Matthew Tkachuk and Dougie Hamilton. San Jose replied in the third period with a Daniel O'Regan power play goal, powered by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Brent Burns. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars going to Dell (20 for 21 in saves), O'Regan, and Boedker.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Ryan Miller are between the pipes. Edmonton cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kris Russell. Vancouver tied it on a Brock Boeser power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. The Oilers took the lead back in the third period on a Mark Letestu power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with helpers from Connor McDavid and Oscar Klefbom. Edmonton added on with an Iiro Pakarinen goal, his second of the year, via Milan Lucic and Matt Benning. The Canucks pulled one back with an Alexander Edler goal, his sixth of the campaign, coming off of Reid Boucher and Henrik Sedin. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Pakarinen, Letestu, and Henrik Sedin.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Friday, April 7, 2017

NHL 2016/17 - Day 171

Only one game tonight, with the Montreal Canadiens hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Carey Price are the masked men. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Yanni Gourde goal, his fifth of the season, via Nikita Kucherov and Luke Witkowski. The Lightning added on with a Kucherov goal, his fortieth of the year, guided in by Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Dwight King goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Artturi Lehkonen and Nikita Nesterov. Tampa Bay replied with an Alex Killorn goal, his nineteenth of the year, helped along by Cory Conacher. The Canadiens pulled back with a Lehkonen shorthanded goal in the third period, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Lightning iced it at 4-2 with a Gourde goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, assisted by Conacher and Jake Dotchin. The three stars were Gourde, Kucherov, and Lehkonen, while Conacher gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Thursday, April 6, 2017

NHL 2016/17 - Day 170

Twelve games on tonight, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Tuukka Rask are the masked men. Boston began in the first period with a Drew Stafford power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Zdeno Chara. Ottawa tied it on an Alexandre Burrows goal, his fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted in the second period. The Senators won 2-1 in the shootout with a lone tally by Kyle Turris. The three stars went to Anderson (28 for 29 in saves), Burrows, and Rask (25 for 26 in saves).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Eddie Lack are the goalies with rhyming names. New York led off in the first period with a Brock Nelson goal, his nineteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Islanders added on with a Scott Mayfield goal, his second of the year, coming off of Anders Lee and Anthony Beauvillier. New York extended the lead in the second period as Andrew Ladd scored a power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Josh Bailey and Nick Leddy. This stood for the 3-0 final, with the three stars being Halak (29 save shutout), Nelson, and Mayfield.

Back north to New Jersey, where the Devils bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Cory Schneider protect the nets. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Stefan Noesen goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Beau Bennett and Jacob Josefson. Pittsburgh tied it on a Bryan Rust goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Nick Bonino. The Penguins took the lead with a Jake Guentzel goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Bonino and Justin Schultz. The Devils tied it in the second period on a John Moore goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Kyle Palmieri and Adam Henrique. Pittsburgh reclaimed the lead with a Josh Archibald goal, his third of the season, fueled by Scott Wilson and Carter Rowney. The Penguins added on with a Conor Sheary goal, his twenty-third of the year, made possible by Sidney Crosby and Guentzel. New Jersey chipped back with a Taylor Hall power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Andy Greene and Travis Zajac. Pittsburgh countered with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, with assists provided by Phil Kessel and Crosby. The Devils answered with a Palmieri goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, helped along by Zajac. The Penguins replied in the third period with a shorthanded Matt Cullen goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Tom Kuhnhackl and Ron Hainsey. Pittsburgh iced it at 7-4 with a Bonino power play goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, with helpers from Brian Dumoulin and Chad Ruhwedel. The three stars went to Bonino, Guentzel, and Palmieri, while Crosby and Zajac get the honorable mentions.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Winnipeg Jets. Eric Comrie and Joonas Korpisalo are the unknown goalies. Columbus started in the first period with a Nick Foligno goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg tied it on a Jacob Trouba power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Bryan Little and Joel Armia. The Jets took the lead with a Mark Scheifele goal, his thirty-second of the season, passed from Blake Wheeler and Andrew Copp. Winnipeg added on in the second period with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Little. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Brandon Saad goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Oliver Bjorkstrand. Columbus tied it on another Saad goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, guided in by Alexander Wennberg. The Jets retook the lead with a Trouba power play goal in the third period, his second of the game and eighth of the season, with assists provided by Perreault and Little, the latter earning a sock trick. Winnipeg extended the lead as Little scored his twenty-first of the year, thanks to Perreault and Julian Melchiori. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Boone Jenner goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, helped along by Scott Hartnell and Bjorkstrand. The three stars of the 5-4 game were Little, Trouba, and Saad, while Perreault and Bjorkstrand get the honorable mentions.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Ondrej Palat and Victor Hedman. Toronto tied it on a Nazem Kadri goal, his thirty-second of the year, via Matt Hunwick and Tyler Bozak. The Lightning took the lead back with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Hedman. Tampa Bay added on with a third period goal by Michael Bournival, his second of the year, passed from Andrej Sustr and Hedman, who got a sock trick. The Lightning extended the lead as Point scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, thanks to Palat and Jake Dotchin. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars belonging to Hedman, Point, and Palat.

Back south, the Florida Panthers bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and James Reimer are the solid goalies. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Ryan Reaves goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Scottie Upshall. Florida tied it on a Vincent Trocheck goal in the second period, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Jaromir Jagr and Ian McCoshen. The Blues took the lead back with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, passed from Jaden Schwartz and Ivan Barbashev. The Panthers tied it on a Michael Matheson goal, his seventh of the year, via Jonathan Huberdeau and Alex Petrovic. St. Louis took the lead back with a David Perron goal, his eighteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Colton Parayko. Florida tied it on a Denis Malgin goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Colton Sceviour and Jason Demers. The Blues regained the lead on a Patrik Berglund power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Jordan Schmaltz and Perron. St. Louis added on with an Alex Pietrangelo power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Schwartz and Jori Lehtera. The Blues extended the lead as Schwartz scored his nineteenth of the season into an empty net, set up by Pietrangelo and Tarasenko. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars handed to Perron, Schwartz, and Pietrangelo, while Tarasenko gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Dallas, where the Stars host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Antti Niemi are the Finnish goalies. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his thirtieth of the season, fueled by Craig Smith and Calle Jarnkrok. The Predators added on with a Smith goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Arvidsson. Kari Lehtonen replaced Niemi in goal. Nashville extended the lead as Kevin Fiala scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to P.A. Parenteau and P.K. Subban. The Predators padded the lead on an Arvidsson goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, helped along by Anthony Bitetto. Nashville struck again in the second period with a Harry Zolnierczyk goal, his second of the season, assisted by Austin Watson and Subban. Dallas got on the board with a Jason Spezza goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Jamie Benn. The Stars got closer with a Radek Faksa goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Dan Hamhuis and Gemel Smith. Dallas chipped closer with a Jason Dickinson goal, his second of the year, guided in by Faksa and Remi Elie. The Predators answered with a Roman Josi power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by James Neal and Arvidsson. Nashville capped it at 7-3 with a Smith goal in the third period, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, via Bitetto and Brad Hunt. The three stars were Arvidsson, Smith, and Bitetto, while Faksa and Subban get the honorable mentions.

Back northwest to Colorado, where the Avalanche welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Calvin Pickard are in the blue paint. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Jason Zucker goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Charlie Coyle and Jonas Brodin. The Wild added on with a Nate Prosser goal, his second of the year, fueled by Coyle and Zach Parise. Colorado got on the board with a Tyson Jost goal in the second period, via Rocco Grimaldi and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche tied it with a Francois Beauchemin goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Sven Andrighetto. Minnesota retook the lead in the third period on a Nino Niederreiter goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, helped along by Eric Staal and Ryan Suter. The Wild extended the lead as Mikael Granlund scored his twenty-sixth of the season, thanks to Niederreiter and Prosser. Colorado got one back with a Matt Nieto goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Matt Duchene and J.T. Compher. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Niederreiter, Prosser, and Coyle.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Louis Domingue make the starts in goal. Arizona began in the first period with a Luke Schenn goal, assisted by Brendan Perlini and Christian Dvorak. Vancouver tied it on a Nikolay Goldobin goal, his second of the season, via Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Coyotes retook the lead in the second period with a Radim Vrbata goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Jakob Chychrun and Anthony DeAngelo. Arizona added on with an Alex Burmistrov power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Alex Goligoski and Max Domi. The Coyotes extended the lead as Vrbata scored a power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, thanks to Domi. The Canucks got one back in the third period with a Brock Boeser goal, his third of the season, passed from Henrik Sedin and Brandon Sutter on the power play. Vancouver got closer with a Daniel Sedin goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Henrik Sedin, who got a sock trick. The final stayed at 4-3, with the three stars being Vrbata, Henrik Sedin, and Domi, while Daniel Sedin gets an honorable mention.

Over in Anaheim, the Ducks host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and John Gibson tend the twines. Anaheim started in the first period with a Corey Perry power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Rickard Rakell and Sami Vatanen. The Ducks added on with a Chris Wagner goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, via Ondrej Kase and Logan Shaw. Anaheim extended the lead as Ryan Kesler scored his twenty-second of the season in the third period, with the help of Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg. The Ducks iced it at 4-0 with a Rakell goal, his thirty-third of the year, made possible by Ryan Getzlaf and Patrick Eaves. The three stars belonged to Rakell, Gibson (37 save shutout), and Perry.

To Los Angeles, where the Kings welcome the Calgary Flames. Jon Gillies is mismatched with Ben Bishop in goal. Calgary opened in the first period with a Sam Bennett power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Mikael Backlund and Mark Giordano. Los Angeles tied it on a Trevor Lewis goal, his twelfth of the year, via Jeff Carter and Derek Forbort. The Flames retook the lead in the second period with a Dennis Wideman goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Micheal Ferland and Deryk Engelland. Calgary added on with a Freddie Hamilton goal, his second of the year, coming off of Troy Brouwer and Curtis Lazar. The Flames extended the lead as Alex Chiasson scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to T.J. Brodie and Kris Versteeg. The final remained at 4-1, with the three stars going to Gillies (27 for 28 in saves), Wideman, and Hamilton.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Martin Jones are between the pipes. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Joel Ward goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by David Schlemko and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Edmonton tied it on a Connor McDavid goal, his thirtieth of the year, passed from Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson in the second period. The Sharks took the lead back with a Brent Burns goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Tomas Hertl. The Oilers tied it again with a third period Milan Lucic power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Klefbom and McDavid. Edmonton took the lead on another Lucic goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, via Klefbom, who got a sock trick, and Jordan Eberle. The Oilers iced it at 4-2 with a Lucic power play goal to complete his natural hat trick on his twenty-third of the year, with assists provided by Mark Letestu and Klefbom. The three stars went to Lucic, Klefbom, and McDavid.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

NHL 2016/17 - Day 169

Just two games tonight, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres welcoming the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Robin Lehner guard the cages. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Rasmus Ristolainen goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Josh Gorges and Jack Eichel. The Sabres added on with a Tyler Ennis goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, via Evander Kane and Ryan O'Reilly. Montreal got on the board with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his tenth of the campaign, fueled by Alexander Radulov and Paul Byron. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Lehner (31 for 32 in saves), Ennis, and Ristolainen.

The other game has the Washington Capitals bringing in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington got going in the second period with a Justin Williams power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals added on in the third period with a Kuznetsov goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Marcus Johansson and Williams. This made it 2-0, with the three stars awarded to Holtby (24 save shutout), Williams, and Kuznetsov.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

NHL 2016/17 - Day 168

Thirteen games on a big day today, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Tuukka Rask make the starts in goal. Boston got going in the second period with a Drew Stafford goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by David Krejci and Adam McQuaid. The Bruins added on with a David Pastrnak goal, his thirty-third of the year, via Riley Nash and Kevan Miller. Boston extended the lead in the third period as Zdeno Chara scored his tenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Torey Krug and David Backes. The Bruins iced it at 4-0 with a Pastrnak empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-fourth of the year, set up by Krejci. The three stars were Rask (28 save shutout), Pastrnak, and Krejci.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Keith Kinkaid man the nets. New Jersey won 1-0 in overtime with a John Moore goal, his tenth of the campaign, via Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri. The three stars were awarded to Kinkaid (35 save shutout), Moore, and Mason (26 for 27 in saves).

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Matt Murray are the masked men. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Carter Rowney goal, his second of the game, passed from Scott Wilson. The Penguins added on in the second period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his twentieth of the year, via Tom Kuhnhackl. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Brian Dumoulin scored, with the help of Jake Guentzel and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins padded the lead in the third period on a Guentzel goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Justin Schultz and Crosby. Columbus got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Brandon Dubinsky, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Murray (38 for 39 in saves), Guentzel, and Crosby.

In Ontario, the Ottawa Senators host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Craig Anderson protect the nets. Ottawa began in the first period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Kyle Turris. The Senators added on in the second period with a Tom Pyatt goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Mike Hoffman and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The final held at 2-0, with the three stars going to Anderson (24 save shutout), Karlsson, and Pyatt.

Over in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Curtis McElhinney are the backups in goal. Washington started in the first period with a Lars Eller goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Andre Burakovsky and Brett Connolly. The Capitals added on with a Kevin Shattenkirk power play goal in the second period, his twelfth of the year, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. Washington extended the lead in the third period as Nate Schmidt scored his third of the season, thanks to Connolly and Justin Williams. The Capitals padded the lead with a Tom Wilson goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Daniel Winnik and Jay Beagle. Toronto got on the board with a Mitchell Marner power play goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Connollt, Shattenkirk, and Wilson.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Jake Allen draw the starts in goal. St. Louis opened in the first period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg tied it on a second period goal by Patrik Laine goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, coming off of Mark Stuart and Bryan Little. The Jets took the lead with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, passed from Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg added on with a Stuart goal, his second of the year, via Mathieu Perreault and Adam Lowry. The Blues got one back with a Jori Lehtera goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Ivan Barbashev and Zach Sanford. The Jets chipped back in the third period with a Scheifele goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Wheeler and Ehlers. Winnipeg extended the lead as Laine scored his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the season, thanks to Perreault and Little. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Laine, Stuart, and Scheifele, while Ehlers, Perreault, Little and Wheeler get the honorable mentions.

East to Nashville, where the Predators host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Pekka Rinne are between the pipes. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Mike Fisher goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Colin Wilson and Craig Smith. New York tied it on a Brock Nelson goal, his eighteenth of the year in the third period, via Calvin de Haan and Dennis Seidenberg. The Islanders won 2-1 in overtime with a Thomas Hickey goal, his fourth of the campaign, passed from Josh Bailey and the goalie Halak. The three stars went to Halak (22 for 23 in saves), Hickey, and Nelson.

North to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Devan Dubnyk receive the starting nods in goal. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Zach Parise goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Eric Staal and Nino Niederreiter. Carolina tied it on a Lee Stempniak goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Jeff Skinner and Jaccob Slavin. The Wild took the lead with a Jordan Schroeder goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Matt Dumba and Joel Eriksson Ek. The Hurricanes retied it on a Skinner goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, a power play goal powered by Noah Hanifin and Victor Rask. Minnesota regained the lead with a Niederreiter goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Parise and Jared Spurgeon. Carolina retied it on a Skinner goal, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the year, helped along by Stempniak and Derek Ryan. The Wild took another lead in the second period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his eighteenth of the season, with helpers from Christian Folin and Martin Hanzal. Minnesota iced it at 5-3 with a Niederreiter goal in the third period, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, with assists provided by Parise and Staal. The three stars went to Niederreiter, Skinner, and Parise, while Stempniak and Staal get the honorable mentions.

South to Texas, where the Dallas Stars bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Antti Niemi are the veteran goalies. Dallas was first to score in the first period with a Brett Ritchie goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Stars added on with a Jason Dickinson goal, with a lone assist by Adam Cracknell. Arizona got on the board with a Christian Dvorak goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Clayton Keller and Jamie McGinn. The Coyotes tied it in the third period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Max Domi and Alex Burmistrov. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime with a Julius Honka goal, fueled by Jason Spezza and Gemel Smith. The three stars belonged to Honka, Dickinson, and Ritchie.

Up in Colorado, the Avalanche host the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Calvin Pickard are the lesser-known goalies. Chicago got going in the second period with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks added on with a Ryan Hartman goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Marcus Kruger. Chicago extended the lead as Kruger scored his fifth of the season, with the help of Michal Rozsival and Marian Hossa. Colorado got on the board with a shorthanded Matt Duchene goal, his eighteenth of the year, set up by Matt Nieto. The Avalanche got closer with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted and shorthanded. Colorado tied it in the third period as Mikhail Grigorenko scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Duchene and Mark Barberio. The Avalanche won 4-3 in overtime with an Erik Johnson goal, his second of the campaign, with a lone assist by Duchene. The three stars went to Duchene, Johnson, and Kruger.

In California, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Calgary Flames. Chad Johnson and John Gibson play goal, although Johnson made a quick exit with an injury, replaced by Brian Elliott. Calgary led off in the first period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Mark Giordano and Kris Versteeg. Anaheim tied it in the second period with a Patrick Eaves goal, his thirty-first of the year, via Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks took the lead with a Kevin Bieksa goal, his third of the season, coming off of Antoine Vermette and Corey Perry. Anaheim added on in the third period with a Chris Wagner goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Logan Shaw and Nate Thompson. The game ended at 3-1, with the three stars given to Bieksa, Wagner, and Gibson (26 for 27 in saves).

Nearby in Los Angeles, the Kings bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Jonathan Quick are in the creases. Edmonton began in the first period with a Milan Lucic power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Oscar Klefbom. The Oilers added on with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Jordan Eberle and Kris Russell. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Nick Shore goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Jonny Brodzinski and Dustin Brown. The Kings tied it on a Brown goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Shore. Los Angeles took the lead with a Nic Dowd goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Kyle Clifford and Brodzinski. Edmonton retied it on a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, helped along by Zack Kassian and Darnell Nurse. The Kings retook the lead in the third period with a Trevor Lewis goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Shore and Paul LaDue. Los Angeles extended the lead as Tanner Pearson scored his twenty-fourth of the year, thanks to Tyler Toffoli. The Oilers pulled back with a Nurse goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Leon Draisaitl. The Kings won 6-4 with a Drew Doughty empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Shore. The three stars were Shore, Brown, and Brodzinski, while Nugent-Hopkins and Nurse get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Vancouver Canucks. Richard Bachman is mismatched with Martin Jones in goal. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Kevin Labanc goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Joe Pavelski. The Sharks added on with a Joel Ward goal, his ninth of the year, via Joonas Donskoi and David Schlemko. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Christopher Tanev goal, his second of the season, helped along by Brock Boeser and Luca Sbisa. San Jose shot back with a Chris Tierney goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Brent Burns and Donskoi. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars given to Jones (33 for 34 in saves), Donskoi, and Ward.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Monday, April 3, 2017

NHL 2016/17 - Day 167

It's the final week of the regular season, with three games on this Monday night. We begin with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Robin Lehner draw the starts in goal. Toronto led off in the first period with a Leo Komarov goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Nazem Kadri. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, assisted by William Nylander and Jake Gardiner. Toronto extended the lead as James van Riemsdyk scored his twenty-sixth of the season, thanks to Tyler Bozak. Anders Nilsson replaced Lehner in goal. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a shorthanded Ryan O'Reilly goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Brian Gionta. The Maple Leafs replied in the third period with a Kadri power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, passed from Mitchell Marner and Nikita Zaitsev. The Sabres got one back with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Sam Reinhart. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Kadri, van Riemsdyk, and Matthews.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Petr Mrazek are the masked men. Detroit got going in the second period with a Frans Nielsen goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Nick Jensen. Ottawa tied it on an Alexandre Burrows goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Kyle Turris and Erik Karlsson. The Red Wings retook the lead with a shorthanded Dylan Larkin goal, his sixteenth of the season, set up by Jensen. The Senators tied it on a Karlsson power play goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Mike Hoffman and the goalie Anderson. Detroit retook the lead on an unassisted Tomas Tatar power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season. The Red Wings added on with a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Mike Green and Tatar. Ottawa got one back with a Turris goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, passed from Mark Stone. The Senators tied it on a Fredrik Claesson goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Turris. The tie went to a shootout, where Evgeny Svechnikov scored the only tally in the seventh round for a 5-4 Red Wings win. The three stars were Tatar, Turris, and Jensen, while Karlsson gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Florida Panthers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Reto Berra and Charlie Lindgren are the little-known goalies. Montreal began in the first period with an Andrew Shaw goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Alex Galchenyuk and Artturi Lehkonen. Florida tied it in the second period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his thirtieth of the year, guided in by Michael Sgarbossa and Mark Pysyk. The Canadiens retook the lead in the third period with a Lehkonen goal, his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Montreal added on with a Lehkonen goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, coming off of Paul Byron. The Canadiens iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Alexander Radulov, his eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Max Pacioretty and Phillip Danault. The three stars went to Lehkonen, Lindgren (31 for 32 in saves), and Shaw.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.