NHL 2017-18 Day 173

Five games on a calmer day today, beginning with one early match in...

Philadelphia, with the Flyers hosting the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Petr Mrazek are in the creases. Philadelphia opened with a Claude Giroux goal in the first period, his twenty-eighth of the season, made possible by Travis Konecny and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers added on in the second period with a Konecny goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Provorov. Boston got on the board with a Noel Acciari goal, his ninth of the season, via David Backes and Danton Heinen. Philadelphia answered with a Nolan Patrick goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Oskar Lindblom and Jakub Voracek in the third period. The Bruins got one back with an unassisted power play goal by David Pastrnak, his thirty-third of the season. Boston tied it on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his thirtieth of the year, with a lone assist by Backes. The Flyers won 4-3 in overtime with a Giroux goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the campaign, guided in by Voracek. The three stars were Giroux, Konecny, and Voracek, while Provorov and Backes get the honorable mentions.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Andrei Vasilevskiy make the starts in goal. Nashville started in the first period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Filip Forsberg. The Predators added on in the second period with a Forsberg power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by P.K. Subban and the goalie Saros. Tampa Bay got on the board with an Ondrej Palat goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Anton Stralman. Nashville shot back in the third period with an unassisted goal by Forsberg, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year. The Predators extended the lead as Craig Smith scored his twenty-third of the campaign, thanks to Mattias Ekholm and Subban. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Forsberg, Saros (29 for 30 in saves), Subban.

Back north, the Montreal Canadiens host the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Carey Price man the nets. Montreal led off in the first period with a Daniel Carr power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Artturi Lehkonen and Mike Reilly. New Jersey tied it on a Nico Hischier goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Sami Vatanen and Kyle Palmieri in the second period. The Devils took the lead with a Taylor Hall shorthanded goal, his thirty-seventh of the campaign, set up by Travis Zajac. This produced the eventual 2-1 final, with the three stars handed to Hall, Kinkaid (25 for 26 in saves), and Hischier.

Stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Matt Murray are the masked men. Washington began in the first period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Andre Burakovsky and John Carlson. The Capitals added on in the second period with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington extended the lead as Tom Wilson scored his fourteenth of the season in the third period, thanks to Matt Niskanen. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, made possible by Evgeni Malkin and Carl Hagelin. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars belonging to Grubauer (36 for 37 in saves), Orlov, and Wilson.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Colorado Avalanche. Jonathan Bernier and John Gibson make the starts in goal. Colorado struck first in the first period with an unassisted Alexander Kerfoot goal, his eighteenth of the season. Anaheim tied it on an Andrew Cogliano goal, his tenth of the year, via Jakob Silfverberg. Ryan Miller replaced Gibson in goal to start the second period. The Avalanche retook the lead in the second period with a Tyson Jost power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado added on with a Jost goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with a lone assist by Kerfoot. The Ducks got one back with an Adam Henrique goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Corey Perry and Brandon Montour. Anaheim tied it on a Ryan Kesler goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Cogliano and Silfverberg. The Ducks won 4-3 in overtime with an Ondrej Kase goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, made possible by Ryan Getzlaf. The three stars went to Cogliano, Jost, and Silfverberg, while Kerfoot gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 172

Twelve games on a massive Saturday schedule. We begin with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Tuukka Rask are in the creases. Florida began in the first period with a Jamie McGinn goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Keith Yandle and Vincent Trocheck. Boston tied it on a Nick Holden goal, his fourth of the year, via David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk. The Bruins took the lead with a DeBrusk goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Ryan Donato and Krejci. Boston added on in the second period with a Donato goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Krejci, who earned a sock trick. The Bruins extended the lead as Patrice Bergeron scored his twenty-ninth of the season on the power play, thanks to David Backes and David Pastrnak. Boston padded the lead on a DeBrusk goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, assisted by Kevan Miller and Matt Grzelcyk. This led to the eventual 5-1 final, with the three stars being DeBrusk, Krejci, and Donato, while Rask (30 for 31 in saves gets an honorable mention.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Jimmy Howard draw the starts in goal. Detroit got going in the second period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Anthony Mantha and Nick Jensen. The Red Wings added on with an Andreas Athanasiou goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Evgeny Svechnikov and Niklas Kronwall. The game stayed at 2-0, with the three stars given to Howard (31 save shutout), Larkin, and Athanasiou.

Out west, the last matinee of the day has the Vancouver Canucks bringing in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Thatcher Demko are in the blue paint. Columbus led off in the first period with a Seth Jones power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Cam Atkinson and Artemi Panarin. Vancouver tied it in the second period with a Darren Archibald goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Ashton Sautner. The Canucks took the lead with a Nikolay Goldobin goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jussi Jokinen. Vancouver added on in the third period with a Jokinen goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Jake Virtanen and Bo Horvat. The Canucks extended the lead as Horvat scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Jokinen and Derrick Pouliot. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Pierre-Luc Dubois power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Panarin and Jones. Columbus got closer with a Zach Werenski goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Panarin, who got a sock trick, and Jones. The Blue Jackets tied it as Cam Atkinson scored his twenty-first of the year, with the help of Jones, who got a sock trick, and Panarin. Vancouver won 5-4 in overtime with an Alexander Edler goal, his sixth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Brandon Sutter. The three stars belonged to Jones, Panarin, and Jokinen, while Atkinson and Horvat get the honorable mentions.

Back east at the usual time, the Carolina Hurricanes host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Cam Ward are the veterans in goal. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Ryan Sproul goal, assisted by Paul Carey and Vladislav Namestnikov. The Rangers added on with a Kevin Hayes shorthanded goal, his twenty-third of the season, set up by Jesper Fast. Carolina got on the board in the third period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Derek Ryan and Klas Dahlbeck. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Lundqvist (40 for 41 in saves), Hayes, and Sproul.

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Keith Kinkaid are the average goalies. New York opened in the first period on a Tanner Fritz goal, his third of the season, coming off of Brandon Davidson and John Tavares. New Jersey tied it on a Stefan Noesen goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Blake Coleman and Will Butcher. The Devils took the lead with a Taylor Hall power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, powered by Butcher and Kyle Palmieri. New Jersey added on with another Hall goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, via Noesen. The Islanders got one back with an Anthony Beauvillier power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson. The Devils countered with a shorthanded Coleman goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Mirco Mueller and Michael Grabner. New York pulled back in the third period with a Chris Wagner goal, his seventh of the campaign, made possible by Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy. They couldn't equalize, falling 4-3, with the three stars being Hall, Coleman, and Noesen, while Butcher gets an honorable mention.

A little to the west, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Antti Niemi and Matt Murray receive the starting nods in goal. Montreal started in the first period with a Jeff Petry goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Brendan Gallagher and Paul Byron. Pittsburgh tied it on a Conor Sheary goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Riley Sheahan and Matt Hunwick. The Penguins took the lead with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Justin Schultz and Phil Kessel. Pittsburgh added on with a Carl Hagelin goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Evgeni Malkin. The Canadiens got one back with a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Alex Galchenyuk and Gallagher. The Penguins countered with a Kessel power play goal in the third period, his thirty-first of the year, guided in by Sidney Crosby and Malkin. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Sheahan scored his eleventh of the campaign on the power play, with the help of Olli Maatta and Kris Letang. This gave them a 5-2 win, with the three stars belonging to Kessel, Sheahan, and Malkin, while Gallagher receives an honorable mention.

In Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck meets a lesser foe in Curtis McElhinney in goal. Toronto cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Auston Matthews and Jake Gardiner. Winnipeg tied it on a Josh Morrissey goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Nikolaj Ehlers and Jacob Trouba. The Jets took the lead on a Dustin Byfuglien power play goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Blake Wheeler and Paul Stastny. Winnipeg added on with an Andrew Copp goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Adam Lowry and Brandon Tanev. This held up for the eventual 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Hellebuyck (28 for 29 in saves), Byfuglien, and Copp.

Way to the south, the Dallas Stars welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Kari Lehtonen are in the blue paint. Dallas struck first in the first period with a Jason Spezza goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Alexander Radulov and John Klingberg. The Stars added on in the second period with a Klingberg goal, his eighth of the year, via Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. Dallas extended the lead as Radek Faksa scored a shorthanded goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the season, set up by Tyler Pitlick. Minnesota got on the board with a Zach Parise power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Mikael Granlund and Jonas Brodin. The Stars iced it at 4-1 with a Seguin empty net goal, his fortieth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Klingberg, Lehtonen (33 for 34 in saves), and Seguin.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. Buffalo was first to score in the first period with a Jason Pominville goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Zemgus Girgensons and Jack Eichel. Nashville tied it on a P.K. Subban power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen. The Predators took the lead with an Austin Watson goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Mattias Ekholm and Nick Bonino. Nashville added on in the second period with a Kyle Turris goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Craig Smith and Kevin Fiala. The Sabres got one back with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, with helpers from Eichel and Rasmus Ristolainen. Buffalo tied it on a Kyle Okposo goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Evan Rodrigues and Casey Mittelstadt. The Predators regained the lead on a Bonino goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Ryan Ellis and Watson. The Sabres tied it again with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Ristolainen and Eichel, the latter earning a sock trick. Buffalo took the lead with another Reinhart power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, with assists provided by O'Reilly and Eichel. The Sabres extended the lead as Okposo scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, a power play goal made possible by Ristolainen, who got a sock trick, and Eichel. Buffalo capped it at 7-4 against Juuse Saros in the third period with a Reinhart goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-third of the campaign, with a lone assist from O'Reilly. The three stars were awarded to Reinhart, Eichel, and Okposo, while O'Reilly, Ristolainen, Bonino, and Watson get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Arizona, where the Coyotes host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Antti Raanta are the masked men. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Luke Schenn goal, via Dylan Strome and Max Domi. The Coyotes chased Allen in the second period on a Richard Panik goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Clayton Keller and Derek Stepan. Arizona added on against Carter Hutton with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Panik and Stepan. The Coyotes extended the lead as Jakob Chychrun scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Brad Richardson and Ekman-Larsson. Arizona padded the lead in the third period with an Alex Goligoski goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Domi and Strome. The Coyotes iced it at 6-0 with a Zac Rinaldo goal, his fifth of the campaign, with helpers from Domi and Strome, both of whom earned sock tricks. The three stars belonged to Raanta (34 save shutout), Domi, and Strome, while Panik, Ekman-Larsson, and Stepan get the honorable mentions.

North to Alberta, as the Calgary Flames welcome provincial rivals in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Mike Smith protect the nets. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Anton Slepyshev goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Zack Kassian. Calgary tied it on a Dougie Hamilton goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Mikael Backlund and Michael Frolik. The Flames took the lead with a Garnet Hathaway shorthanded goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Calgary added on with a Backlund goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Michael Stone and Frolik. Al Montoya relieved Talbot. The Oilers got one back in the secon d period with a Michael Cammalleri goal, his sixth of the campaign, coming off of Andrej Sekera and Kassian. This was as close as it got, with the 3-2 final lending the three stars to Backlund, Frolik, and Kassian.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Vegas potted the first goal in the first period, Shea Theodore scoring his sixth of the season with the help of William Karlsson and Deryk Engelland. San Jose tied it on a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Timo Meier and Joonas Donskoi. The Golden Knights took the lead with an Oscar Lindberg goal in the second period, his eighth of the season, assisted by Theodore. The Sharks tied it again with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Pavelski and Justin Braun. Vegas took the lead again in the third period with a shorthanded Karlsson goal, his forty-second of the season, going in unassisted. The three stars were Karlsson, Pavelski, and Theodore in the 3-2 game.

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MLS 2018 Week 5

A new weekend of soccer awaits, with one game on Friday leading it off. We begin with...

Toronto FC hosting Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Clint Irwin protect the nets. Toronto led off in the twenty-third minute with a Jozy Altidore penalty kick goal. Toronto saw yellow cards for Sebastian Giovinco and Altidore in the thirty-fifth minute, both for fouls. Kyle Beckerman of Salt Lake had a yellow card for his fortieth minute foul. Toronto added on in the forty-fifth minute with an Altidore goal, set up by Ashtone Morgan and Giovinco. Jonathan Osorio of Toronto took a yellow card for time wasting in the sixty-second minute. Demar Phillips of Real received a yellow card for a seventy-seventh minute foul. Salt Lake got on the board in the eighty-second minute on a Corey Baird goal, coming off of Jefferson Savarino. Morgan of Toronto took a yellow card for persistent infringement in the eighty-sixth minute. Toronto iced it at 3-1 with a Tosaint Ricketts goal in stoppage time. The man of the match was Altidore for his brace.

Ten more games begin on Saturday, with Orlando City SC hosting the New York Red Bulls in the first one. Luis Robles and Joe Bendik are the keepers. New York began in the seventh minute with a Florian Valot goal, via Alejandro Romero Gamarra and Marc Rzatkowski. Orlando City tied it on a Will Johnson goal in the fifteenth minute, coming off of Justin Meram and Sacha Kljestan. The Red Bulls regained the lead on a Derrick Etienne goal in the twenty-fourth minute, passed from Valot. Orlando City evened it again with a Dominic Dwyer goal in the twenty-sixth minute, assisted by Yoshimar Yotun. Aurelien Collin of New York received a yellow card in the thirty-eighth minute for persistent infringement. Orlando City pulled ahead with a Dwyer goal in the forty-eighth minute, his second of the game, made possible by Mohamed El-Munir. Romero Gamarra of the Red Bulls had a yellow card for a fifty-fourth minute foul. Lamine Sane of Orlando City took a yellow card for his sixtieth minute foul. New York tied it again in the eighty-second minute with an Aaron Long goal, guided in by Rzatkowski. Orlando City pulled ahead with a Josue Colman goal, set up by Scott Sutter. Yotun of Orlando City received a yellow card for dissent in stoppage time. The final held at 4-3, with the man of the match being Dwyer for his brace.

In Ohio, the Columbus Crew SC welcomes the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Stefan Marinovic and Zack Steffen are the gloved men. Marcel de Jong of Vancouver had a yellow card for his tenth minute foul. Columbus opened in the twenty-ninth minute on a Gyasi Zardes goal. Brek Shea of the Whitecaps tied it with his fifty-first minute goal. Milton Valenzuela of the Crew had a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-sixth minute. Vancouver took the lead with a seventy-eighth minute Kei Kamara goal, made possible by Felipe and Alphonso Davies. Felipe of the Whitecaps had a yellow card for an eighty-second minute foul. The final held at 2-1, with the man of the match being Kamara.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Galaxy bring in Los Angeles FC. Tyler Miller and David Bingham play in goal. LAFC started in the fifth minute with a Carlos Vela goal, via Steven Beitashour. LAFC added on with a twenty-sixth minute Vela goal, assisted by Diego Rossi and Marco Urena. LAFC extended the lead as Daniel Steres of the Galaxy committed an own goal in the forty-eighth minute. The Galaxy got on the board with a Sebastian Lletget goal, coming off of Servando Carrasco. The Galaxy pulled closer with a Chris Pontius goal, helped along by Emmanuel Boateng in the seventy-third minute. The Galaxy tied it with a Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal in the seventy-seventh minute, set up by Steres. Ibrahimovic took a yellow card for excessive celebration after his goal. The Galaxy won 4-3 in stoppage time on another Ibrahimovic goal, made possible by Ashley Cole and Baggio Husidic. Ibrahimovic was the man of the match for his game-winning brace.

Back east, the Chicago Fire host the Portland Timbers to begin an MLS/NWSL doubleheader. Jake Gleeson and Richard Sanchez man the nets for the mens' sides. Portland struck first in the sixth minute with a Diego Valeri goal, via Sebastian Blanco. Chicago's Aleksandar Katai took a yellow card for a twelfth minute foul. The Fire tied it on a fiftieth minute Nemanja Nikolic goal, coming off of Brandon Vincent and Bastian Schweinsteiger. The Timbers' Valeri had a yellow card for a fifty-second minute foul. Portland gained the lead with a Blanco goal in the fifty-fifth minute, set up by Andres Flores. Chicago retied it on a Vincent goal in the eighty-fourth minute, courtesy of Schweinsteiger. The final stayed at 2-2, with the man of the match being Blanco.

Next up, Minnesota United FC welcomes Atlanta United FC. Brad Guzan and Matthew Lampson are in the six-yard boxes. Atlanta saw a yellow card for Leandro Gonzalez Pirez in the first minute for a foul. Atlanta was first to score when Minnesota's Francisco Calvo committed an own goal in the third minute. Atlanta went down to ten men when Gonzalez Pirez took a second yellow card for a foul in the thirty-eighth minute, sealing his ejection. Guzan took a yellow card for time wasting in stoppage time for Atlanta. Minnesota's Calvo saw his night get worse with a yellow card for a foul two minutes later. Atlanta won 1-0, with Guzan the man of the match for a three-save clean sheet.

In California, the San Jose Earthquakes bring in New York City FC. Sean Johnson and Andrew Tarbell are between the posts. San Jose began in the third minute with a Yefferson Quintana goal, via Magnus Eriksson. Anibal Godoy of the Earthquakes had a yellow card for a twenty-ninth minute foul. New York City saw a yellow card given to Ebenezer Orofi in the forty-first minute. New York City tied it on an Anton Tinnerholm goal, passed from Maximiliano Moralez in the forty-ninth minute. New York City took the lead with a Moralez goal, helped along by Ismael Tajouri in the sixtieth minute. New York City racked up yellow cards for fouls by Alexander Callens in the sixty-seventh minute, Yangel Herrera in the seventy-fourth minute, Tinnerholm in the eighty-ninth minute, and Moralez's time wasting in stoppage time. The man of the 2-1 match was Moralez.

Southeast to Texas, where the Houston Dynamo host the New England Revolution. Matt Turner and Chris Seitz are the goalies. New England led off in the fifteenth minute with a Teal Bunbury goal, via Cristian Penilla and Luis Caicedo. Houston went down to ten men in the thirty-fifth minute when DaMarcus Beasley denied an obvious goal scoring opportunity, earning a red card. The Revolution had yellow cards for a Gabriel Somi foul in the fifty-second minute and time wasting by Diego Fagundez in the sixty-fourth minute. The Dynamo saw Adolfo Machado receive a yellow card for his sixty-ninth minute foul. New England added on in the seventy-first minute with a Penilla goal, set up by Somi. Houston's Alejandro Fuenmayor had a yellow card for an eighty-sixth minute foul. The final stood at 2-0, with Penilla earning man of the match honors.

Up in Missouri, Sporting Kansas City welcomes DC United. David Ousted and Tim Melia tend the nets. Kansas City opened in the third minute with a Felipe Gutierrez goal, assisted by Khiry Shelton. This held up for the entire game for a 1-0 win, with Gutierrez named man of the match.

Westward again to Colorado, as the Rapids bring in the Philadelphia Union. Andre Blake and Tim Howard guard the woodwork. Colorado had a yellow card for a forty-eighth minute foul by Jack Price. The Rapids got going in the fifty-third minute with a Dominique Badji goal, assisted by Tommy Smith and Price. Colorado added on with another Badji goal in the sixty-first minute. The Rapids had yellow cards for a Joham Blomberg handball in the sixty-third minute and time wasting by Dillon Serna in the sixty-ninth minute. Colorado's Badji completed his hat trick in the eighty-seventh minute to produce the 3-0 final score. Badji was the clear-cut man of the match.

Finally, the Seattle Sounders FC host the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Stefan Frei are the above-average keepers. Seattle went down to ten men in the fortieth minute when Kelvin Leerdam received a straight red card for violent conduct. Montreal's Daniel Lovitz took a yellow card on the same play. Ken Krolicki of the Impact had a yellow card for his forty-seventh minute foul. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the sixtieth minute with a Jeisson Vargas goal, via Ignacio Piatti. Roman Torres of the Sounders had a yellow card for a seventy-first minute foul. Samuel Piette of the Impact took a yellow card for persistent infringement in the eighty-third minute. Montreal held on to win 1-0, with Vargas the man of the match.

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NWSL 2018 Week 2

Another four games on this weekend before the season's first International Break. We begin on Friday with...

The Houston Dash hosting the Utah Royals FC. Abby Smith and Jane Campbell are the young goalies. While chances were hard to come by at times, there were a few, but nothing went in. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, with the woman of the match being Campbell for a clean sheet with five saves. Also starring for Houston were Rachel Daly and Kristie Mewis, while the best for Utah were Rachel Corsie, Becky Sauerbrunn, Diana Matheson, and Gunnhildur Jonsdottir.

On Saturday, the North Carolina Courage welcome Sky Blue FC. Kailen Sheridan and Sabrina D'Angelo protect the nets. In the sixty-fifth minute, Christina Gibbons of Sky Blue took a yellow card for a foul. Sky Blue's Rebekah Stott received a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-sixth minute. North Carolina won it 1-0 in stoppage time with a Jess McDonald goal, set up by Jaelene Hinkle. The Courage's best were Hinkle, Abby Erceg, Merritt Mathias, Denise O'Sullivan, Lynn Williams, Crystal Dunn, and McDonald, while Sky Blue got good games from Sheridan, Erica Skroski, Sarah Killion, and Carli Lloyd. 

Also, the Washington Spirit bring in the Orlando Pride. Ashlyn Harris faces her former backup Aubrey Bledsoe in goal. Washington's Whitney Church had a yellow card for a foul in the forty-fourth minute. The Spirit got going in the eightieth minute on a Mallory Pugh goal, via Ashley Hatch. Washington added on with a Hatch goal in the eighty-eighth minute, coming off of Pugh and Mallory Eubanks. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the woman of the match being Pugh. Other strong performers for the Spirit were Hatch, Andi Sullivan, and Bledsoe (four-save clean sheet), while Orlando's best were Carson Pickett, Shelina Zadorsky, Rachel Hill, and Sydney Leroux.

Finally, the Chicago Red Stars host the Portland Thorns FC in the second half of the MLS/NWSL doubleheader between the cities. Adrianna Franch and Alyssa Naeher are the strong keepers. Portland struck first in the ninth minute with a Lindsey Horan goal on a second chance after a Meghan Klingenberg corner kick. Chicago tied it in the thirty-first minute with an Alyssa Mautz goal, set up by Sofia Huerta and Summer Green. The Thorns retook the lead in the fortieth minute on a Christine Sinclair goal after Naeher missed clearing the through ball. Portland's Celeste Boureille took a yellow card for a fifty-eighth minute foul. The Red Stars' Danielle Colaprico saw a yellow card in the sixty-fourth minute for a handball in the box. The ensuing penalty kick was converted by Sinclair to add to the Thorns lead. Chicago got one back in the sixty-seventh minute with another Mautz goal, made possible by Huerta. The final stayed at 3-2, with the woman of the match being Sinclair. Other strong Thorns were Emily Sonnett, Horan, and Midge Purce, while the Red Stars got good games from Nikki Stanton, Mautz, and Huerta.

NWSL Week 2 Team of the Week
GK Jane Campbell
LB Kristie Mewis
CB Rachel Corsie
CB Abby Erceg
RB Merritt Mathias
DM Sarah Killion
DM Lindsey Horan
LW Sofia Huerta
ACM Christine Sinclair
RW Alyssa Mautz
FW Mallory Pugh

NHL 2017-18 Day 171

Six games are on tonight's schedule, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Christopher Gibson are the goalies. New York began in the first period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Jordan Eberle and Adam Pelech. Toronto tied it on a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. The Islanders took the lead back with a Johnny Boychuk power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Beauvillier and Brock Nelson. The Maple Leafs tied it in the second period with a Nikita Zaitsev goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Auston Matthews and Jake Gardiner. New York gained the lead again with a Nelson goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Andrew Ladd and Pelech. Toronto evened it out with a Marner goal, his twenty-second of the year, assisted by Gardiner and Kadri. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, fueled by Ron Hainsey. The Islanders evened it again with a John Tavares power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, with helpers from Anders Lee and Eberle. Toronto won 5-4 on a Matthews goal, his thirty-first of the campaign, guided in by William Nylander and Zach Hyman. The three stars went to Matthews, Marner, and Kadri, while Gardiner, Beauvillier, Nelson, Eberle, and Pelech get the honorable mentions.

Over in Manhattan, the New York Rangers welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Louis Domingue and Ondrej Pavelec are the backups in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Brady Skjei goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Pavel Buchnevich and David Desharnais. Tampa Bay tied it on a Cedric Paquette goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by J.T. Miller and Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning took the lead with an Alex Killorn goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Anthony Cirelli and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay added on with a Miller power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Hedman and Killorn in the third period. The Lightning extended the lead as Paquette scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, thanks to Cory Conacher and Chris Kunitz. Tampa Bay padded the lead with a Brayden Point goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, with a lone helper from Yanni Gourde. The Rangers shot back with a Filip Chytil goal, coming off of Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes. New York got closer with a Chris Kreider goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Mika Zibanejad and Jesper Fast. The Lightning countered with a Point empty net goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, set up by Gourde. Tampa Bay iced it at 7-3 with a Dan Girardi power play goal, his fifth of the campaign, with assists provided by Paquette and Kunitz. The three stars belonged to Paquette, Point, and Miller, while Killorn, Kunitz, Gourde, and Hedman get the honorable mentions.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Braden Holtby man the nets. Washington got going in the second period with a Michal Kempny goal, his second of the season, coming off of John Carlson and T.J. Oshie. Carolina tied it on a Derek Ryan goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Joakim Nordstrom and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Justin Faulk goal, his eighth of the season, via Phillip Di Giuseppe and Ryan. Carolina added on in the third period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, assisted by Valentin Zykov and Teuvo Teravainen. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-1 with a Brock McGinn empty net goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Jordan Staal and Justin Williams. The three stars were Ryan, Faulk, and Darling (20 for 21 in saves).

West to Denver, as the Colorado Avalanche host the Chicago Blackhawks. Collin Delia is mismatched with Semyon Varlamov in goal. Colorado opened in the first period with a Sven Andrighetto power play goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Samuel Girard. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Tyson Barrie power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. Colorado extended the lead in the third period as Rantanen scored a power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, with the help of Nathan MacKinnon and Barrie. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Tyson Jost goal, his tenth of the year, via Barrie and Alexander Kerfoot. Colorado continued with an Andrighetto goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The final held at 5-0, with the three stars being Barrie, Andrighetto, and Varlamov (30 for 30 in saves before injury), while Rantanen gets an honorable mention.

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and John Gibson tend the twines. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Drew Doughty goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. Anaheim tied it on a Nick Ritchie goal in the second period his ninth of the year, assisted by Francois Beauchemin and Ondrej Kase. The Ducks won 2-1 in overtime with a Rickard Rakell goal, his thirty-second of the campaign, via Brandon Montour and Kase. The three stars went to Kase, Gibson (28 for 29 in saves), and Rakell.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Malcolm Subban guard the cages. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Patrik Berglund goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Alexander Steen and Kyle Brodziak. Vegas tied it on a William Karlsson shorthanded goal, his forty-first of the year, set up by Cody Eakin. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, guided in by Alex Tuch and Karlsson. The Blues tied it again with a Brayden Schenn goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. Vegas regained the lead in the second period with a James Neal goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, fueled by Erik Haula and Tomas Tatar. St. Louis tied it again in the third period with a Chris Thorburn goal, coming off of Scottie Upshall and Oskar Sundqvist. The Golden Knights won 4-3 in overtime with a Marchessault goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, with assists provided by Nate Schmidt and Karlsson. The three stars were Marchessault, Karlsson, and Neal.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 170

Ten games on a busy night of hockey, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Boston led off in the first period with a Tim Schaller goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Tommy Wingels. The Bruins added on with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, powered by Torey Krug and Patrice Bergeron. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. Boston answered in the third period with a Bergeron goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, passed from Krug and Brad Marchand. The Lightning got one back on a Hedman goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Yanni Gourde and Dan Girardi. The Bruins iced it at 4-2 with a Marchand empty net goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, set up by Bergeron and Pastrnak. The three stars were Bergeron, Krug, and Pastrnak, while Marchand and Hedman get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Robin Lehner draw the starts in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, fueled by Jason Pominville and Brendan Guhle. The Sabres added on with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen. Detroit got on the board with a Dylan Larkin goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Evgeny Svechnikov. The Red Wings tied it on a shorthanded goal by Darren Helm in the second period, his eleventh of the year, set up by Frans Nielsen. Detroit took the lead with an Anthony Mantha goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Joe Hicketts and Nielsen. Chad Johnson replaced Lehner in goal for the third period. The Red Wings extended the lead as Andreas Athanasiou scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Justin Abdelkader and Niklas Kronwall. Buffalo got one back with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Casey Mittelstadt. Detroit shot back with a Danny DeKeyser goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Gustav Nyquist and Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings capped it at 6-3 with a Svechnikov goal, his second of the campaign, passed from Mantha and Larkin. The three stars went to Svechnikov, Larkin, and Mantha, while Nielsen gets an honorable mention.

In New Jersey, the Devils bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Keith Kinkaid are the alliterative goalies. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Nico Hischier. Pittsburgh tied it on a Conor Sheary goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Patric Hornqvist and Jamie Oleksiak. The Penguins took the lead in the second period with a Kris Letang goal, his eighth of the season, via Carl Hagelin and Brian Dumoulin. The Devils tied it on a Taylor Hall power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, powered by Will Butcher. New Jersey took the lead in the third period with a Blake Coleman goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Travis Zajac. Pittsburgh retied it on a Hornqvist goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Dumoulin and Riley Sheahan. The Penguins won 4-3 in overtime with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, made possible by Letang. The three stars went to Letang, Hornqvist, and Dumoulin.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators host the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Craig Anderson are the solid goalies. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Mike Hoffman and Tom Pyatt. Florida tied it on an Aaron Ekblad goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Jamie McGinn and Keith Yandle. The Panthers took the lead with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, via MacKenzie Weegar and Alexander Petrovic. The Senators tied it in the third period on a Magnus Paajarvi goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Zack Smith and Erik Karlsson. Ottawa won 3-2 in overtime with a Pageau penalty shot goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign. The three stars were awarded to Pageau, Paajarvi, and Anderson (24 for 26 in saves).

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Juuse Saros are in the blue paint. Nashville started in the first period with a Kyle Turris goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from P.K. Subban and Craig Smith. San Jose tied it on a Logan Couture goal, his thirty-second of the year, via Brent Burns and Mikkel Boedker. The Predators retook the lead on a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen. The Sharks tied it again with a Brenden Dillon goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Jannik Hansen. Nashville pulled ahead in the second period with a Smith goal, his twenty-second of the season, guided in by Kevin Fiala and Ryan Ellis. San Jose retied it in the third period with a Boedker goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Chris Tierney and Timo Meier. The Predators retook the lead with an Ellis goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Forsberg and Arvidsson.Nashville iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Nick Bonino, his eleventh of the year, set up by Forsberg, who earned a sock trick. The three stars were Ellis, Arvidsson, and Forsberg, while Boedker and Smith get the honorable mentions.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Devan Dubnyk are between the pipes. Dallas struck first in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Tyler Seguin. Minnesota tied it on a shorthanded Mikael Granlund goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Ryan Suter. The Wild took the lead with a Matt Dumba power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Suter and Jason Zucker. Minnesota added on with a Zach Parise goal, his eleventh of the year, via Granlund and Dumba. The Stars got one back with a Devin Shore goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Dan Hamhuis and Marc Methot. The Wild shot back with a Zucker power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, fueled by Eric Staal and Dumba. Minnesota iced it at 5-2 with a Parise empty net goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, made possible by Granlund and Dumba, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were handed to Dumba, Granlund, and Parise, while Zucker and Suter get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Chicago, where the Blackhawks host the Winnipeg Jets. Eric Comrie and Collin Delia are the unknown goalies. Chicago was first to score in the first period with an unassisted Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-seventh of the season. The Blackhawks added on with a Brandon Saad goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Kane and Nick Schmaltz. Chicago extended the lead as Tomas Jurco scored his fifth of the season in the second period, thanks to Artem Anisimov. The Blackhawks padded the lead on Jurco's second of the game and sixth of the year, coming off of Erik Gustafsson and Connor Murphy. Winnipeg got on the board with a Bryan Little goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Dustin Byfuglien and Joe Morrow. Chicago answered with a Gustafsson goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Sikura. The Jets got one back with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-third of the season, with a lone helper from Kyle Connor. The Blackhawks replied with a DeBrincat goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, fueled by Sikura and Victor Ejdsell. Scott Foster replaced Delia in goal after an injury. The final remained at 6-2, with the three stars given to Jurco, DeBrincat, and Kane, while Gustafsson and Sikura get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Alberta, as the Calgary Flames welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky faces a lesser foe in Jon Gillies in goal. Columbus drew first blood in the first period with a Markus Hannikainen goal, his third of the season, via Matt Calvert and Mark Letestu. The Blue Jackets added on with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson. Columbus extended the lead as Dubois scored in the second period, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, with the help of Atkinson and Panarin. The Blue Jackets padded the lead in the third period with a Markus Nutivaara goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Thomas Vanek and Ryan Murray. Columbus continued with a Dubois power play goal to complete his hat trick, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Sonny Milano and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Calgary got on the board with a Chris Stewart goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Curtis Lazar and Mark Giordano. This made it a 5-1 final, with the three stars awarded to Dubois, Panarin, and Atkinson, while Bobrovsky (37 for 38 in saves gets an honorable mention.

Over in British Columbia, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Jacob Markstrom are the decent goalies. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his forty-first of the season, made possible by Andrej Sekera and Adam Larsson. Vancouver tied it in the second period with a Sam Gagner goal, his tenth of the year, via Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks took the lead in the third period on a Derrick Pouliot goal, his third of the season, assisted by Nikolay Goldobin and Jussi Jokinen. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars being Markstrom (35 for 36 in saves), Pouliot, and Gagner.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper faces his former team and fellow backup Jack Campbell in goal. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Kevin Connauton goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Max Domi. Los Angeles tied it on a Jeff Carter goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Derek Forbort and Tyler Toffoli. The Coyotes took the lead in the second period on a Domi goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Christian Dvorak and Trevor Murphy. The Kings tied it again on a Carter power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, powered by Dion Phaneuf and Drew Doughty. Los Angeles took the lead in the third period with a Carter goal, completing his hat trick on his thirteenth of the season, via Tobias Rieder and Toffoli. The Kings iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Anze Kopitar, his thirty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Carter, Domi, and Toffoli.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 169

Four games for tonight, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Toronto led off in the first period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Morgan Rielly and Tomas Plekanec. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirtieth of the year, via William Nylander and Jake Gardiner. Toronto extended the lead as Patrick Marleau scored his twenty-fifth of the season, thanks to Marner. Florida got on the board with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Denis Malgin. The Panthers got closer in the second period with a Huberdeau goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, passed from Vincent Trocheck and Mark Pysyk. The Maple Leafs replied in the third period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, fueled by Tyler Bozak and Connor Brown. Florida got one back with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, helped along by Keith Yandle and Aaron Ekblad. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Marner, Huberdeau, and van Riemsdyk.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Braden Holtby tend the twines. New York began in the first period with a Kevin Hayes power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Jimmy Vesey and Brady Skjei. Washington tied it on an Andre Burakovsky goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie. The Rangers retook the lead in the third period on a Ryan Spooner goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Lias Andersson and Skjei. The Capitals tied it on a Lars Eller goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington won 3-2 in overtime with an unassisted Kuznetsov goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign. The three stars were Kuznetsov, Backstrom, and Skjei.

West to Colorado, where the Avalanche bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Andrew Hammond both return from long absences to play in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, courtesy of Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers added on with a Provorov goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Jordan Weal and Andrew MacDonald. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Matt Nieto goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Dominic Toninato and Erik Johnson. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Provorov, Giroux, and Nieto.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host their desert rivals, the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Marc-Andre Fleury are the masked men. Arizona started in the first period with a Kevin Connauton goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Christian Dvorak and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Vegas tied it on an Erik Haula goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, with a lone assist by James Neal. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Richard Panik goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Clayton Keller. The Golden Knights tied it in the second period with an Alex Tuch power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson. Arizona took the lead back with a Connauton goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, going in unassisted. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Connauton, Panik, and Raanta (27 for 29 in saves).

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