Pacific Division Playoffs: 1) Anaheim Ducks VS. 4) Calgary Flames

It's playoff time in 2017, as the NHL's quest for the Stanley Cup begins. This series features the Pacific Division champion Anaheim Ducks against the Calgary Flames.

Game 1: Honda Center, Anaheim, California. In goal: Brian Elliott for the Flames and John Gibson for the Ducks. Anaheim started in the first period with a Ryan Getzlaf power play goal, powered by Jakob Silfverberg and Shea Theodore. Calgary tied it on a Sean Monahan power play goal, helped along by Kris Versteeg and T.J. Brodie. The Flames took the lead in the second period with a Sam Bennett goal, via Versteeg and Dougie Hamilton. The Ducks retied it on a Rickard Rakell goal, made possible by Getzlaf and Kevin Bieksa. Anaheim retook the lead with a Silfverberg power play goal, guided in by Patrick Eaves and Theodore. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Getzlaf, Silfverberg, and Theodore, while Versteeg gets an honorable mention. The Ducks lead the series 1-0.

Game 2: Honda Center, Anaheim, California. In goal: Brian Elliott for the Flames and John Gibson for the Ducks. Anaheim opened in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his second of the postseason, assisted by Brandon Montour and Shea Theodore. The Ducks added on with a Rickard Rakell goal, his second of the playoffs, coming off of Ryan Getzlaf and Kevin Bieksa. Calgary got on the board with a shorthanded Mikael Backlund goal, set up by Michael Frolik. The Flames tied it in the second period with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his second of the postseason, powered by Johnny Gaudreau and T.J. Brodie. Anaheim regained the lead in the third period with a Getzlaf power play goal, his second of the playoffs, with assists provided by Ryan Kesler and Patrick Eaves. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Getzlaf, Rakell, and Silfverberg. The Ducks leave home with a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta. In goal: John Gibson for the Ducks and Brian Elliott for the Flames. Calgary led off in the first period with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his third of the postseason, powered by Troy Brouwer and Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames added on with a Kris Versteeg power play goal, with assists provided by Monahan and T.J. Brodie. Anaheim got on the board with a Nick Ritchie goal, made possible by Antoine Vermette and Hampus Lindholm. Calgary replied in the second period with a Michael Stone goal, guided in by Brodie and Mikael Backlund. The Flames extended the lead as Sam Bennett scored a power play goal, his second of the playoffs, with the help of Mark Giordano and Backlund. The Ducks got one back with a Shea Theodore goal, helped along by Rickard Rakell and Kevin Bieksa. Anaheim pulled closer with a Nate Thompson goal in the third period, fueled by Lindholm and Corey Perry. The Ducks tied it on a Theodore goal, his second of the game, coming off of Bieksa and Thompson. Anaheim completed the comeback with a Perry goal in overtime, with helpers from Rakell and Thompson for the 5-4 win. The three stars were handed to Perry, Theodore, and Thompson, while Rakell, Lindholm, Bieksa, Monahan, Backlund, and Brodie receive the honorable mentions. The Ducks are ahead 3-0 in the series, giving them up to four chances to advance.

Game 4: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta. In goal: John Gibson for the Ducks and Brian Elliott for the Flames. Anaheim began in the first period with an unassisted Patrick Eaves goal. Chad Johnson replaced Elliott in goal. The Ducks added on with a Nate Thompson goal, his second of the postseason, via Rickard Rakell and Corey Perry. Calgary got on the board in the second period with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his fourth of the playoffs, powered by Kris Versteeg and Troy Brouwer. Anaheim iced it at 3-1 with a Ryan Getzlaf empty net goal, his third of the postseason, going in unassisted in the third period. The three stars were Gibson (36 for 37 in saves), Thompson, and Eaves. The Ducks swept the series 4-0, and they are the first team to advance to the Division Finals.

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MLS Midweek: April 19, 2017

Just one game for the first midweek session of the year, as the New England Revolution host the San Jose Earthquakes. David Bingham and Cody Cropper are in goal. San Jose's Anibal Godoy took a yellow card for a twenty-seventh minute foul. The Earthquakes had a yellow card for Bingham's time wasting in the eighty-fifth minute. The final held at 0-0, with the man of the match being Bingham for his five-save clean sheet.

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NWSL 2017: Week 1

We're back for our second season of NWSL coverage, but there will be changes this year. Due to the change of streaming service by the league going from YouTube to Go90, I will be aligning my coverage of the NWSL with how I do MLS and NHL coverage. I apologize to those who enjoyed the play-by-play style of last year, but I will not be able to do it with just a phone. Instead, the condensed style will focus on goals and disciplinary action, although my viewing of the games will provide insight as I name the players of the match and potentially a team of the week. Without further delay...

The Houston Dash open the season by hosting the Chicago Red Stars. Alyssa Naeher and Lydia Williams are the keepers. Houston began in the fifteenth minute with a Kealia Ohai goal, assisted by Amber Brooks on a long pass. Chicago's Alyssa Mautz took a yellow card for a twenty-ninth minute foul. The Dash's Bruna took a yellow card for a fifty-sixth minute foul. Houston added on in the eightieth minute with a Rachel Daly goal, set up by Ohai. The final stood at 2-0, with Ohai being the woman of the match with her goal and assist.

Up in Portland, the Thorns FC welcome the Orlando Pride. Ashlyn Harris and Adrianna Franch are in the six-yard boxes. Portland led off in the thirty-second minute with a Nadia Nadim penalty kick goal, after Alanna Kennedy of Orlando committed a handball in the box. The Thorns added on in the sixty-seventh minute with a Christine Sinclair goal, via Allie Long. This stood for a 2-0 win, with Long the woman of the match with her defensive play and distribution from the back.

Back east, the Washington Spirit host the North Carolina Courage. Sabrina D'Angelo and Stephanie Labbe protect the nets. North Carolina opened in the eighteenth minute with a McCall Zerboni goal, coming off of Makenzy Doniak. In the twenty-eighth minute, Washington's Kristie Mewis received a yellow card for a foul. In the seventieth minute, Zerboni took a yellow card for the Courage for a foul. The Spirit's Shelina Zadorsky took a yellow card for an eighty-second minute foul. The game ended at 1-0, with Zerboni named woman of the match for her goal.

Saturday's games end with the Seattle Reign FC bringing in Sky Blue FC. Kailen Sheridan and Haley Kopmeyer are between the posts. Seattle got going in the fifty-sixth minute with a Megan Rapinoe penalty kick goal after being fouled by Sky Blue's Erica Skroski. In the sixty-second minute, Merritt Mathias of the Reign took a yellow card for her foul in the box on Kelley O'Hara, and Sky Blue's Sarah Killion converted the penalty kick to tie the game. The final stood at 1-1, with Kopmeyer the woman of the match for her eight saves on nine shots on target.

Finally, FC Kansas City hosts the Boston Breakers. Abby Smith and Nicole Barnhart are the keepers. Kansas City started in the seventh minute with a Sydney Leroux goal, courtesy of Becky Sauerbrunn. Boston's Allysha Chapman took a yellow card for a thirty-seventh minute foul. Kansas City added on in the forty-eighth minute with an Amy Rodriguez goal, via Shea Groom. Rosie White of the Breakers had a yellow card for a sixtieth minute foul. The game ended at 2-0, with the woman of the match being Sauerbrunn.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0. I will try to do better with being prepared and organized for the league next week.

2017 Gagarin Cup Finals - Metallurg Magnitogorsk VS. SKA St. Petersburg

This is it for the 2016/17 KHL season, with four to seven games to determine this year's champion.

Game 1: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Igor Shestyorkin of SKA and Vasily Koshechkin of Metallurg. St. Petersburg led off in the first period with an Evgeny Ketov power play goal, powered by Patrik Hersley and Anton Belov. Magnitogorsk tied it on an Evgeny Timkin goal in the second period, passed from Sergei Tereshchenko and Yaroslav Kosov. Metallurg took the lead with a Sergei Mozyakin goal, going in unassisted. SKA retied it on an Evgeny Dadonov goal, made possible by Nikita Gusev. St. Petersburg took the lead with a Nikolai Prokhorkin goal, via Hersley and Alexander Barabanov. Magnitogorsk tied it again with a Viktor Antipin power play goal, with assists provided by Chris Lee and Mozyakin. SKA took the lead with a Hersley power play goal in the third period, guided in by Vadim Shipachyov and Gusev. St. Petersburg added on with an unassisted Dadonov goal. Metallurg got one back with a Tomas Filippi goal, going in unassisted. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars being Hersley, Dadonov, and Mozyakin, while Gusev gets an honorable mention. SKA leads the series 1-0.

Game 2: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Igor Shestyorkin of SKA and Vasily Koshechkin of Metallurg. Magnitogorsk began in the first period with a Jan Kovar power play goal, powered by Chris Lee. St. Petersburg tied it on a Vadim Shipachyov power play goal, with assists provided by Ilya Kovalchuk and Nikita Gusev. Metallurg took the lead back in the second period with a shorthanded goal by Vladislav Kaletnik, set up by Oskar Osala. Magnitogorsk iced it at 3-1 with a Tommi Santala empty net goal in the third period, via Evgeny Timkin and Evgeny Biryukov. The three stars were Koshechkin (43 for 44 in saves), Kaletnik, and Kovar. The series heads west tied at 1.

Game 3: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Vasily Koshechkin of Metallurg and Mikko Koskinen of SKA. St. Petersburg got going in the second period with an Andrei Zubarev goal, via Artyom Zub and Sergei Shirokov. Magnitogorsk tied it on a Denis Kazionov goal, assisted by Chris Lee and Vladislav Kaletnik. SKA won 2-1 in double overtime with an Evgeny Dadonov goal, passed from Vadim Shipachyov and Nikita Gusev. The three stars went to Dadonov, Zubarev, and Koskinen (27 for 28 in saves). SKA leads the series 2-1.

Game 4: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Vasily Koshechkin of Metallurg and Mikko Koskinen of SKA. Magnitogorsk opened in the first period with a Viktor Antipin goal, assisted by Evgeny Biryukov and Sergei Mozyakin. St. Petersburg tied it in the second period on a Dinar Khafizullin goal, passed from Vadim Shipachyov and Nikita Gusev. Metallurg retook the lead with an Oskar Osala goal, via Tommi Santala. SKA tied it in the third period with an Andrei Zubarev goal, guided in by Nikolai Prokhorkin and Gusev. St. Petersburg won with a Khafizullin goal, his second of the game, made possible by Patrik Hersley and Gusev on the power play. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Khafizullin, Gusev, and Zubarev. SKA heads back on the road with a 3-1 series lead.

Game 5: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Igor Mikko Koskinen of SKA and Vasily Koshechkin of Metallurg. Magnitogorsk started in the first period with an Oskar Osala goal, via Tommi Santala and Yaroslav Khabarov. Metallurg added on with a Viktor Antipin goal, with a lone assist by Jan Kovar in the second period. St. Petersburg got on the board with a Nikita Gusev power play goal, powered by Evgeny Dadonov and Vadim Shipachyov. SKA tied it on an Alexander Barabanov goal, passed from Ilya Kovalchuk. St. Petersburg took the lead with a Dadonov goal, coming off of Shipachyov and Gusev. SKA extended the lead as Kovalchuk scored in the third period, thanks to Patrik Hersley. Magnitogorsk got one back with a Yaroslav Kosov going, going in unassisted. St. Petersburg iced it at 5-3 with a Sergei Plotnikov empty net goal, set up by Nikolai Prokhorkin. The three stars were Kovalchuk, Dadonov, and Gusev, while Shipachyov gets an honorable mention. SKA won the Gagarin Cup 4-1, but Metallurg's Koshechkin was the Playoff MVP.

With that, my time covering the KHL comes to a close. As I continue toward a professional career in sports, I must be more resourceful with my time, and covering the KHL, while quite the pleasure to a hockey fan like me, will not help me at this stage. I plan on continuing to follow the league from a distance, but there will be no more posts on this blog. I have enjoyed the four and a half years I spent learning about hockey outside of the NHL, but it's time to move on and I hope everyone can understand that decision. With that, I am still accessible on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

MLS 2017: Week 7

All teams in action this weekend, but no Sunday games this week. We begin in...

Philadelphia, where the Union host New York City FC. Sean Johnson and Andre Blake are in the nets. Jack Elliott of Philadelphia had a yellow card for his twenty-fifth minute foul. New York City's Alexander Ring received a yellow card for a forty-third minute foul. New York City got going in the fifty-second minute on a Jack Harrison goal, passed from Ronald Matarrita. New York City's Matarrita took a yellow card for his fifty-fifth minute foul. New York City added on with a ninetieth minute goal by David Villa. The final held at 2-0, with Harrison named man of the match.

Over in Vancouver, the Whitecaps FC welcome the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and David Ousted are the gloved men. Vancouver had a twenty-seventh minute yellow card for Sheanon Williams for a foul. Seattle's Nicolas Lodeiro took a yellow card for delaying the restart of play in the thirty-seventh minute, as did teammate Harry Shipp for his forty-fourth minute foul. The Whitecaps' Fredy Montero had a fifty-third minute yellow card for a foul. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the sixty-fifth minute on a Montero goal, made possible by Cristian Techera. The Whitecaps added on in the eightieth minute with another Montero goal, via Kendall Waston and Christian Bolanos. The Sounders got on the board in the eighty-ninth minute with a Will Bruin goal, set up by Lodeiro. In stoppage time, Vancouver's Tim Parker took a yellow card for a foul. The final held at 2-1, with Montero the man of the match.

Friday's last game has the San Jose Earthquakes bringing in FC Dallas. Jesse Gonzalez and David Bingham man the nets. Dallas drew first blood in the seventy-ninth minute with a Kellyn Acosta goal. San Jose's Fatai Alashe took a yellow card for his foul in the eighty-third minute. Dallas saw a yellow card for Gonzalez's time wasting in stoppage time. This was all for naught, as the Earthquakes tied it a minute later on a Jahmir Hyka goal, set up by Chris Wondolowski. This made it 1-1, the final, with the man of the match being Hyka for the equalizer at the death.

On Saturday, we begin in Montreal with the Impact hosting Atlanta United. Alec Kann and Evan Bush draw the starts in goal. Montreal's Victor Cabrera took a yellow card for a thirteenth minute foul. Atlanta started in the fortieth minute with a Kenwyne Jones goal, set up by Hector Villalba. In first half stoppage time, Ignacio Piatti of the Impact had a yellow card for a foul. Three minutes later, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez of Atlanta took a straight red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity, putting the visitors at ten men. Montreal tied it with a Piatti penalty kick goal a minute after that. Atlanta's Kann received a yellow card in second half stoppage time for time wasting. This didn't work out very well, as the Impact took the lead with an Anthony Jackson-Hamel goal two minutes later, assisted by Hernan Bernardello. The final stood at 2-1, with the man of the match being Piatti.

Down in Florida, Orlando City SC welcomes the Los Angeles Galaxy. Clement Diop and Joe Bendik man the nets. Orlando City opened in the ninth minute with a Will Johnson goal, fueled by Scott Sutter. Los Angeles had yellow cards for Jelle Van Damme in the fifty-second minute and Joao Pedro in the sixty-fourth minute, both for fouls. The Galaxy tied it on a Romain Alessandrini goal in the eighty-third minute, set up by Jermaine Jones. Orlando City retook the lead in stoppage time with a Cyle Larin goal, passed from Johnson. This made it 2-1, the final, with the man of the match being Johnson for his goal and assist.

Up in Chicago, the Fire bring in the New England Revolution. Cody Cropper and Jorge Bava are the goalies. New England saw Je-Vaughn Watson take yellow cards in the twenty-first and twenty-seventh minutes, both for fouls, putting them at ten men with the defender's ejection. Chicago led off in the forty-fifth minute with a Bastian Schweinsteiger goal, assisted by Luis Solignac. The Fire added on with a Nemanja Nikolic goal in the forty-seventh minute. Chicago extended the lead as Nikolic scored again in the seventy-third minute, with the help of David Accam and Schweinsteiger. The Fire's Johan Kappelhof took a yellow card for a seventy-seventh minute foul. The final stood at 3-0, with the man of the match being Nikolic for his brace.

Back east, the New York Red Bulls host DC United. Bill Hamid and Luis Robles are between the posts. New York's Felipe took a yellow card for dissent in the fortieth minute, as did Sacha Kljestan for delaying the restart of play in first half stoppage time. The Red Bulls struck first in the forty-sixth minute with an Alex Muyl goal, via Kljestan. Luciano Acosta of DC had a yellow card for a fifty-second minute foul. In the fifty-sixth minute, a handball by Kemar Lawrence earned a yellow card for New York. The Red Bulls added on in the sixty-second minute with a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, set up by Felipe. DC's Sean Franklin had an eightieth minute yellow card for dissent. The game ended at 2-0, with the man of the match being Muyl for the winner.

Backtracking to Columbus, where the Crew SC welcome Toronto FC. Alexander Bono and Zack Steffen are the young goalies. Toronto began in the twenty-first minute with a Jozy Altidore goal, assisted by Victor Vazquez. Columbus tied it in the thirty-seventh minute on an Ola Kamara goal, via Niko Hansen and Federico Higuain. The Crew took the lead with a forty-fourth minute goal by Justin Meram, coming off of Alex Crognale and Higuain. Toronto had a yellow card for an eightieth minute foul by Michael Bradley. Columbus' Juuka Raitala took a yellow card for time wasting in stoppage time. The Crew won 2-1, with the man of the match being Higuain as the architect of the two goals.

In Texas, the Houston Dynamo bring in Minnesota United FC. Bobby Shuttleworth and Joe Willis play goal. Houston was first to score in the fourteenth minute with a Mauro Manotas goal, helped along by Erick Torres and Ricardo Clark. Jerome Thiesson of Minnesota took a yellow card for a thirty-fifth minute foul. The Dynamo added on with an Alberth Elis goal in the forty-third minute, guided in by Boniek Garcia. Minnesota got on the board in the forty-seventh minute with a Christian Ramirez goal, coming off of Kevin Molino. Minnesota tied it on a Johan Venegas goal in the fifty-ninth minute. Brent Kallman of Minnesota had a yellow card for his eighty-sixth minute foul. Minnesota's Venegas took a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, with Ramirez the man of the match for his goal and shot production.

Northwest to Colorado, as the Rapids host Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Zac MacMath protect the nets. Colorado opened in the twenty-ninth minute with a Kevin Doyle goal, via Marlon Hairston and Bismark Boateng. Chris Wingert of Salt Lake had a yellow card for his fifty-second minute foul. Colorado saw Mekeil Williams receive a yellow card for an eighty-fourth minute foul. In the eighty-fifth minute, the Rapids went down to ten men when Jared Watts took a straight red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity. Real tied it on a Yura Movsisyan penalty kick. Salt Lake took the lead with a Brooks Lennon goal, set up by Demar Phillips in the eighty-eighth minute. This made it 2-1, the final, with the man of the match being Lennon for his winner.

Finally, the Portland Timbers host Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and Jake Gleeson guard the woodwork. Kansas City had a yellow card for time wasting in the twenty-fifth minute by Ike Opara. Seth Sinovic of Sporting took a yellow card for his foul in the fifty-second minute. Kansas City got going with a fifty-third minute Dominic Dwyer goal, assisted by Jimmy Medrandra and Benny Feilhaber. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the man of the match being Dwyer for scoring the winner.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 173 (Regular Season Finale)

This is it for the NHL Regular Season, with all the playoff spots doled out and just a bit of seeding to be determined. We begin the first of the last ten games with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the New Jersey Devils for the last-ever game at Joe Louis Arena. Cory Schneider and Jimmy Howard are the veterans in goal. Detroit started in the first period with a Riley Sheahan goal, assisted by Frans Nielsen and Darren Helm. The Red Wings added on with a Tomas Tatar goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, courtesy of Gustav Nyquist and Henrik Zetterberg. Detroit extended the lead as Zetterberg scored his seventeenth of the year, thanks to Nyquist. New Jersey got on the board in the third period with a John Moore goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Jacob Josefson and Michael Cammalleri. The Red Wings iced it at 4-1 with a Sheahan power play goal, his second of the game, powered by Nielsen and Dylan Larkin. Sheahan, Zetterberg, and Nyquist received the three stars, while Nielsen gets an honorable mention.

East to Brooklyn, where the New York Islanders welcome the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Thomas Greiss are in the nets. New York opened in the first period with an Andrew Ladd goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Alan Quine and Johnny Boychuk. The Islanders added on in the second period with an Anders Lee goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, passed from Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson. New York extended the lead as Nelson scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Adam Pelech and Scott Mayfield. Ottawa got on the board with a Bobby Ryan goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Ryan Dzingel. The Senators got closer in the third period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Alexandre Burrows and Chris Neil. The Islanders iced it at 4-2 with a Jason Chimera empty net goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Nelson and Nick Leddy. The three stars were Nelson, Lee, and Ladd.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Andrei Vasilevskiy draw the starts in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a William Carrier goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Alexander Nylander and Zach Bogosian. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a Brayden Point goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Victor Hedman and Jake Dotchin. The Lightning took the lead with a shorthanded goal by Braydon Coburn, his fifth of the season, set up by Vladislav Namestnikov and Alex Killorn. The Sabres tied it on a third period Evander Kane goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, passed from Brian Gionta and Ryan O'Reilly. Tampa Bay took the lead back with a Point goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, assisted by Nikita Kucherov and Anton Stralman. The Lightning iced it at 4-2 with a Hedman empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Stralman and Point. The three stars were Point, Hedman, and Stralman.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Jake Allen are the goalies. St. Louis began in the first period with a Zach Sanford goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Dmitrij Jaskin. Colorado tied it in the second period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Francois Beauchemin and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche took the lead with a Rantanen goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, with a lone assist by Erik Johnson. The Blues tied it in the third period on a Vladimir Sobotka goal, courtesy of Jori Lehtera and Magnus Paajarvi. St. Louis took the lead with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, passed from Ivan Barbashev. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Rantanen, Tarasenko, and Sobotka.

Northeast to Toronto, with the Maple Leafs welcoming the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo faces former Blue Jacket Curtis McElhinney in goal. Toronto got going in the second period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, assisted by Roman Polak. The Maple Leafs added on with another van Riemsdyk goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, made possible by Jake Gardiner. Columbus got on the board with a Matt Calvert goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Boone Jenner and Gabriel Carlsson. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Josh Anderson goal, his seventeenth of the year, via William Karlsson. Columbus took the lead with a shorthanded Cam Atkinson goal, his thirty-fifth of the campaign, set up by Calvert and David Savard. This made it 3-2, the eventual final, with the three stars being Calvert, van Riemsdyk, and Atkinson.

Back stateside, the New York Rangers bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Magnus Hellberg are the little-known goalies. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Nick Bonino goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Dominik Simon and Phil Kessel. New York tied it on a Ryan McDonagh goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Michael Grabner. The Rangers took the lead with a Derek Stepan power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by McDonagh and Mika Zibanejad. The Penguins tied it in the second period with a Carter Rowney goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. New York reclaimed the lead in the third period with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, assisted by Zibanejad. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being McDonagh, Zibanejad, and Vesey.

Nearby in Philadelphia, the Flyers host the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack and Anthony Stolarz are the backups in goal. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Brock McGinn goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Derek Ryan. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Dale Weise goal, his seventh of the year, via Sean Couturier and Andrew MacDonald. The Hurricanes took the lead back in the third period on another McGinn goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, assisted by Noah Hanifin and Jordan Staal. The Flyers tied it on another Weise goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, courtesy of Couturier and Ivan Provorov. Philadelphia took the lead with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his thirty-first of the season, coming off of Shayne Gostisbehere and Jordan Weal. Carolina tied it on a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Justin Faulk and Teuvo Teravainen. The tie went to a shootout, where Bryan Bickell and McGinn topped Claude Giroux for a 4-3 Hurricanes win. The three stars were McGinn, Weise, and Bickell, while Couturier gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the Washington Capitals welcome the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Florida dented the scoreboard in the second period on a shorthanded Derek MacKenzie goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Colton Sceviour. The Panthers added on with a Denis Malgin power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Reilly Smith and Nick Bjugstad in the third period. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars being Reimer (38 save shutout), MacKenzie, and Malgin.

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier are the similarly named goalies. Anaheim opened in the first period with a Patrick Eaves goal, his thirty-second of the season, made possible by Ryan Getzlaf. Los Angeles tied it on a Drew Doughty power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Alec Martinez and Tanner Pearson. The Ducks took the lead back in the second period with an Antoine Vermette power play goal, his ninth of the season, via Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell. The Kings tied it on a Kyle Clifford goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Kevin Gravel and Nic Dowd. Los Angeles regained the lead in the third period with a Dustin Brown goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jarome Iginla and Derek Forbort. Anaheim retied it on a Nate Thompson goal, fueled by Brandon Montour and Hampus Lindholm. The Ducks won 4-3 in overtime with a Shea Theodore goal, his second of the year, guided in by Rakell and Getzlaf, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were given to Getzlaf, Rakell, and Iginla.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Vancouver Canucks. Richard Bachman and Laurent Brossoit are the little-known goalies. Edmonton started in the first period with a Jordan Eberle power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Oscar Klefbom. Vancouver tied it in the second period with a Nikolay Goldobin goal, his third of the year, via Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Oilers took the lead back with an unassisted Eberle goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season. Edmonton added on with a Drake Caggiula goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Connor McDavid. The Oilers extended the lead in the third period as Eberle finished his hat trick with his twentieth of the season, with the help of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Milan Lucic. Edmonton padded the lead on a Draisaitl goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, helped along by McDavid. The Canucks got one back with a Nikita Tryamkin goal, his second of the season, fueled by Bo Horvat. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Eberle, McDavid, and Draisaitl.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

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.

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