Sunday, April 22, 2018

MLS 2018 Week 8

We've got a busy weekend in MLS, beginning with a lone game on Friday night in...

Kansas City, as Sporting hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Stefan Marinovic and Tim Melia protect the nets. Kansas City started in the tenth minute with a Johnny Russell goal, via Roger Espinoza and Graham Zusi. Sporting added on in the sixteenth minute with another Russell goal, coming off of Espinoza. Kansas City extended the lead as Jimmy Medranda scored in the thirtieth minute, thanks to Daniel Salloi. Kendall Waston of Vancouver had a yellow card in the thirty-sixth minute for a foul. In the fortieth minute, the Whitecaps went down to nine men with straight red cards for Yordy Reyna's violent conduct after application of VAR, as well as Efrain Juarez's foul and abusive language. Russell of Sporting also had a yellow card for a foul. Kansas City padded the lead in the forty-eighth minute as Russell completed his hat trick with the help of Matt Besler. Sporting continued with a Cristian Lobato goal in the fifty-fourth minute, guided in by Yohan Croizet. Kansas City iced it at 6-0 with a Croizet goal in the seventy-seventh minute, fueled by Ilie Sanchez. Russell was the obvious man of the match.

The first of eight games on Saturday sees the Montreal Impact welcome Los Angeles FC. Tyler Miller and Evan Bush man the nets. Montreal opened in the ninth minute with an Ignacio Piatti goal. Los Angeles goalie Miller took a yellow card for a fifteenth minute foul, leading the Impact to double the lead on a Piatti penalty kick goal. In the twenty-fourth minute, Los Angeles got on the board with a Laurent Ciman goal. Montreal's Piatti took a yellow card for a twenty-fifth minute dive. The Impact went down to ten men in the thirty-first minute as Victor Cabrera denied a goal scoring opportunity. Montreal added on in the forty-third minute with a Piatti goal, set up by Jukka Raitala to finish the hat trick. Los Angeles got one back in the fifty-second minute with a Benny Feilhaber goal, assisted by Marco Urena and Carlos Vela. Los Angeles tied it on an own goal by Raitala in the fifty-seventh minute. Los Angeles gained the lead with a Vela penalty kick goal in the eighty-third minute. Alejandro Silva of the Impact had a yellow card for an eighty-fourth minute foul. Los Angeles iced it at 5-3 with a Latif Blessing goal in the eighty-ninth minute. The man of the match was Piatti for his hat trick despite the loss.

Down in Houston, the Dynamo bring in Toronto FC. Clint Irwin and Joe Willis are the veterans in goal. Houston led off in the third minute with a Mauro Manotas goal, assisted by Romell Quioto. The Dynamo added on in the seventh minute with a Leonardo goal. Mitchell Taintor of Toronto had a yellow card for his twenty-ninth minute foul. Houston extended the lead in the forty-sixth minute as Eric Alexander scored. Toronto got on the board with a Taintor goal in the fifty-second minute, set up by Ager Aketxe. The Dynamo replied in the sixtieth minute on an Alberth Elis goal, passed from Quioto. Houston padded the lead on a Quioto goal in the seventy-seventh minute, made possible by Alejandro Fuenmayor. Jordan Hamilton of Toronto received a yellow card for his seventy-ninth minute foul. The final remained at 5-1, with the man of the match being Quioto.

Back north, the New York Red Bulls host the Chicago Fire. Richard Sanchez and Luis Robles are set to start in goal. Chicago began in the thirtieth minute with an Aleksandar Katai goal. New York's keeper Robles had a yellow card for his foul in the sixty-eighth minute, leading the Fire to adding a Nemanja Nikolic penalty kick goal to their lead. The Red Bulls got one back on an eighty-first minute goal by Bradley Wright-Phillips. Mohammed Adams of Chicago had a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The final stood at 2-1, with Sanchez (nine for ten in saves) named man of the match.

West to Columbus, as the Crew SC welcome the New England Revolution. Matt Turner and Zack Steffen are between the posts. Columbus struck first in the ninth minute with an Andrew Farrell own goal. Claude Dielna of New England had a yellow card for his eleventh minute foul. The Revolution tied it on a Teal Bunbury goal in the fourteenth minute, set up by Cristian Penilla and Wilfried Zahibo. In the thirty-sixth minute, New England's Zahibo received a yellow card for a foul. The Crew took the lead back in the forty-third minute on a Gyasi Zardes goal, assisted by Federico Higuain and Pedro Santos. The Revolution tied it again in first half stoppage time with a Penilla goal, coming off of Juan Agudelo. In the sixtieth minute, New England had a yellow card for a Diego Fagundez foul. In the sixty-sixth minute, Higuain of Columbus took a yellow card for dissent. Gabriel Somi of the Revolution got booked on a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-seventh minute. In the eighty-eighth minute, New England's keeper Turner had a yellow card for time wasting. The final held at 2-2, with Penilla named man of the match.

In Florida, Orlando City SC brings in the San Jose Earthquakes. Andrew Tarbell and Joe Bendik are the gloved men. Orlando City kicked off the scoring in the second minute with a Chris Mueller goal, set up by Yoshimar Yotun. Orlando City added on in the thirty-fifth minute with a Sacha Kljestan goal, passed from Mueller and Yotun. Yotun took a yellow card for a sixty-fifth minute foul for Orlando City. Orlando City extended the lead in the sixty-ninth minute as Dominic Dwyer scored, thanks to Justin Meram. San Jose saw a yellow card for dissent by Yefferson Quintana in the seventy-third minute. The Earthquakes got on the board with a Florian Jungwirth goal in the seventy-eighth minute. San Jose pulled closer in the ninetieth minute with a Jungwirth goal, made possible by Magnus Eriksson. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the man of the match being Mueller.

West to Texas, as FC Dallas hosts the Philadelphia Union. Andre Blake and Jimmy Maurer are set to start in goal. Dallas had a yellow card for a seventeenth minute foul by Jacori Hayes. Dallas got going in the sixty-fourth minute with a Mauro Diaz penalty kick goal. Dallas added on in the seventy-fourth minute with a Maximiliano Urruti goal, via Roland Lamah. Philadelphia saw a yellow card for a Haris Medunjanin foul in stoppage time. The final was 2-0, with Lamah being the man of the match.

In the Rocky Mountain Derby, Real Salt Lake welcomes the Colorado Rapids. Tim Howard and Nick Rimando tend the nets, but Howard was ejected for handling the ball outside of the box on a goal scoring opportunity for Colorado in the twentieth minute. Zac MacMath stepped in for the ten-man side in the twenty-second minute after warming up. The Rapids also saw a yellow card for a foul by Dominique Badji in the thirty-second minute. Salt Lake had a yellow card for a seventy-fifth minute foul by Nick Besler. Yannick Boli and Tommy Smith of Colorado saw yellow cards for fouls in the seventy-seventh and eighty-first minutes, respectively. Real dented the scoreboard in the eighty-second minute with a Joao Plata penalty kick goal. Salt Lake added on with a Damir Kreilach goal in the eighty-ninth minute, courtesy of Albert Rusnak. Bismark Boateng of the Rapids had a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. A minute later, Real iced it at 3-0 with a Rusnak goal. Rusnak was named man of the match for his late heroics.

Saturday ends with the Los Angeles Galaxy bringing in Atlanta United FC. Brad Guzan and David Bingham protect the nets. Atlanta was first to score in the twenty-second minute with a Josef Martinez goal. Los Angeles saw yellow cards for fouls by Jorgen Skjelvik and Perry Kitchen in the twenty-fourth and twenty-ninth minutes, respectively. Atlanta had yellow cards for time wasting by Michael Parkhurst in the seventy-fifth minute and a foul by Miguel Almiron in the seventy-seventh minute. Servando Carrasco of the Galaxy took a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-fifth minute. Romario Williams of Atlanta had a yellow card for not retreating in stoppage time. Atlanta iced it at 2-0 a minute later on an Almiron penalty kick goal. Martinez was the man of the match.

On Sunday, the Seattle Sounders FC host Minnesota United FC. Bobby Shuttleworth and Stefan Frei are the experienced keepers. Seattle opened in the twenty-third minute with a Gustav Svensson goal, set up by Cristian Roldan and Osvaldo Alonso. The Sounders added on with a Will Bruin goal in the twenty-fifth minute, assisted by Roldan and Nicolas Lodeiro. In the fifty-eighth minute, Seattle's Nouhou took a yellow card for time wasting. Minnesota got on the board in the sixty-sixth minute with a Christian Ramirez goal, via Darwin Quintero and Sam Nicholson. Kelvin Leerdam of the Sounders had a yellow card for time wasting in the eighty-seventh minute. Seattle iced it at 3-1 with a Jordy Delem goal in stoppage time, coming off of Clint Dempsey. The man of the match was Roldan.

Finally, the Portland Timbers host New York City FC. Sean Johnson faces a lesser foe in Jeff Attinella in goal. Portland started in the twenty-sixth minute with a Sebastian Blanco goal, set up by Andres Flores and Alvas Powell. The Timbers added on in the thirty-eighth minute with a Fanendo Adi goal. Alexander Ring of New York City had a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-third minute. Portland extended the lead as Larrys Mabiala scored in the sixty-sixth minute, thanks to Diego Valeri. Alexander Callens of New York City took a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The final was 3-0, with Blanco named man of the match.

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Metropolitan Division Playoffs: 2) Pittsburgh Penguins v. 3) Philadelphia Flyers

The Stanley Cup Playoffs start now, with divisional round series. Each post will contain the entire series.

Game 1: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In goal: Brian Elliott for the Flyers and Matt Murray for the Penguins. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Bryan Rust goal, via Kris Letang and Jake Guentzel. The Penguins added on with a Carl Hagelin goal, passed from Patric Hornqvist and Riley Sheahan. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Evgeni Malkin scored, thanks to Hagelin. The Penguins padded the lead with a Guentzel power play goal, powered by Derick Brassard and Conor Sheary. Pittsburgh chased Elliott with a Sidney Crosby goal, made possible by Brian Dumoulin and Guentzel. The Penguins continued against Petr Mrazek in the third period with another Crosby goal, assisted by Justin Schultz and Guentzel, the latter earning a sock trick. Pittsburgh made it 7-0 with a Crosby goal to complete a natural hat trick, with a lone assist by Dumoulin. This was the final score, with the three stars being Crosby, Guentzel, and Murray (24 save shutout), while Hagelin and Dumoulin get the honorable mentions. The Penguins lead the series 1-0.

Game 2: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In goal: Brian Elliott for the Flyers and Matt Murray for the Penguins. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, powered by Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier. The Flyers added on in the second period with a Couturier goal, via Ivan Provorov and Michael Raffl. Philadelphia extended the lead as Travis Konecny scored, thanks to Wayne Simmonds and Provorov. The Flyers padded the lead on a Nolan Patrick power play goal, made possible by Couturier and Jakub Voracek. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Patric Hornqvist goal, passed from Justin Schultz and Brian Dumoulin. Philadelphia iced at 5-1 with an Andrew MacDonald empty net goal, set up by Jori Lehtera. The three stars went to Couturier, Provorov, and Elliott (34 for 35 in saves). The series heads east tied at 1.

Game 3: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In goal: Matt Murray for the Penguins and Brian Elliott for the Flyers. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his fourth of the postseason, helped along by Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins added on in the second period with a Derick Brassard power play goal, powered by Phil Kessel and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Evgeni Malkin scored his second of the playoffs on the power play, with the help of Letang and Crosby. The Penguins padded the lead on a Brian Dumoulin goal, with a lone helper by Crosby. Philadelphia got on the board with a Travis Sanheim goal, helped along by Jakub Voracek and Nolan Patrick. Pittsburgh capped it at 5-1 in the third period on a Justin Schultz power play goal, with assists provided by Malkin and Crosby, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars belonged to Crosby, Malkin, and Letang. The Penguins retook the series lead at 2-1.

Game 4: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In goal: Matt Murray for the Penguins and Brian Elliott for the Flyers. Pittsburgh began in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his third of the postseason, powered by Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel. The Penguins added on with a Kessel goal, with a lone assist by Malkin. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the second period as Kris Letang scored, thanks to Jake Guentzel. The Penguins padded the lead on a Crosby goal, his fifth of the playoffs, coming off of Guentzel and Dominik Simon. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-0 with a Riley Sheahan goal in the third period, with helpers from Olli Maatta and Zach Aston-Reese. The three stars were Malkin, Kessel, and Murray (26 save shutout), while Crosby and Guentzel get the honorable mentions. Pittsburgh heads back home with a 3-1 series lead.

Game 5: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In goal: Michal Neuvirth for the Flyers and Matt Murray for the Penguins. Philadelphia struck first in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, helped along by Jakub Voracek and Valtteri Filppula. Pittsburgh tied it on a Bryan Rust goal, his second of the postseason, via Conor Sheary and Derick Brassard in the second period. The Penguins took the lead with a Jake Guentzel goal, his second of the playoffs, coming off of Sidney Crosby and Dominik Simon. The Flyers retied it with a shorthanded Filppula goal, set up by Jori Lehtera. Philadelphia gained the lead with a Sean Couturier goal, his second of the postseason, with a lone assist by Wayne Simmonds. The Flyers iced it at 4-2 with a Matt Read empty net goal, set up by Filppula. The three stars were Filppula, Couturier, and Giroux. The series heads east again with the Penguins up 3-2. 

Game 6: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In goal: Matt Murray for the Penguins and Michal Neuvirth for the Flyers. Philadelphia kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Sean Couturier goal, his third of the postseason, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby goal, his sixth of the playoffs, assisted by Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin. The Penguins took the lead on a Carl Hagelin goal, his second of the postseason, helped along by Phil Kessel and Riley Sheahan. The Flyers tied it on an Andrew MacDonald goal, his second of the playoffs, via Ivan Provorov and Couturier. Philadelphia pulled ahead on a Couturier goal in the second period, his second of the game and fourth of the postseason, passed from Matt Read. The Flyers added on with a Scott Laughton goal, with a lone assist by Couturier. Pittsburgh pulled back on a Patric Hornqvist goal, his second of the playoffs, fueled by Jake Guentzel and Crosby. The Penguins retied it on a Guentzel goal, his third of the postseason, guided in by Olli Maatta and Hornqvist. Pittsburgh gained the lead with a Guentzel goal in the third period, his fourth of the playoffs and second of the game, with a lone helper from Kessel. The Penguins extended the lead as Guentzel completed his hat trick on his fifth of the postseason, thanks to Crosby and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh padded the lead with a Guentzel goal, his fourth of the game and sixth of the playoffs, courtesy of Hornqvist and Letang, the latter earning a sock trick. Philadelphia got one back with a Couturier goal to complete his hat trick with his fifth of the postseason, dished from Claude Giroux. The Penguins iced it at 8-5 with a Bryan Rust empty net goal, his third of the playoffs. The three stars were Guentzel, Couturier, and Crosby, while Hornqvist, Letang, and Kessel get the honorable mentions. The Penguins took the series 4-2 to advance to the second round.

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Saturday, April 21, 2018

Atlantic Division Playoffs: 1) Tampa Bay Lightning v. 4) New Jersey Devils

The Stanley Cup Playoffs start now, with divisional round series. Each post will contain the entire series.

Game 1: Amalie Arena, St. Petersburg, Florida. In goal: Keith Kinkaid for the Devils and Andrei Vasilevskiy for the Lightning. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, via Tyler Johnson and Ryan McDonagh. The Lightning added on with a Johnson goal, helped along by Palat and Brayden Point. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the second period as Yanni Gourde scored a power play goal, with the help of Palat and Mikhail Sergachev. New Jersey got on the board with an unassisted Taylor Hall goal. The Devils got closer in the third period with a Travis Zajac power play goal, powered by Hall and Will Butcher. Tampa Bay replied with an Alex Killorn goal, made possible by Gourde. The Lightning iced it at 5-2 with a Nikita Kucherov empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Palat, Johnson, and Gourde, while Hall gets an honorable mention. The Lightning have a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Amalie Arena, St. Petersburg, Florida. In goal: Keith Kinkaid for the Devils and Andrei Vasilevskiy for the Lightning. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, made possible by Ondrej Palat and Ryan McDonagh. New Jersey tied it on a Nico Hischier goal, going in unassisted. The Lightning retook the lead with an Alex Killorn power play goal, his second of the postseason, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay added on with a Tyler Johnson goal, his second of the playoffs, via McDonagh and Point. The Lightning extended the lead on an unassisted Kucherov goal, his second of the postseason. Tampa Bay padded the lead on another Killorn power play goal, his second of the game and third of the playoffs, with helpers from J.T. Miller and Kucherov. Cory Schneider replaced Kinkaid in goal. The Devils got one back with a Sami Vatanen goal, passed from Andy Greene and the goalie Schneider. New Jersey got closer in the third period with a Blake Coleman goal, helped along by Travis Zajac and John Moore. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Kucherov, Killorn, and Point, while McDonagh gets an honorable mention. The series heads north with the Lightning ahead 2-0.

Game 3: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey. In goal: Andrei Vasilevskiy for the Lightning and Cory Schneider for the Devils. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with an Alex Killorn power play goal, his fourth of the postseason, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. New Jersey tied it on a Taylor Hall goal, his second of the playoffs, via Brian Boyle and Kyle Palmieri. The Lightning took the lead back on a Stamkos power play goal, assisted by Kucherov and Killorn. The Devils tied it again on a Will Butcher power play goal, with assists provided by Hall and Kyle Palmieri. New Jersey gained the lead on a Stefan Noesen goal, coming off of Hall and Andy Greene. The Devils added on with a shorthanded empty net goal by Blake Coleman, his second of the postseason, going in unassisted. New Jersey capped it at 5-2 with a Ben Lovejoy unassisted empty net goal. The three stars were Hall, Stamkos, and Killorn, while Kucherov gets an honorable mention. The Lightning retain a 2-1 series lead despite the setback.

Game 4: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey. In goal: Andrei Vasilevskiy for the Lightning and Cory Schneider for the Devils. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, powered by Will Butcher and Taylor Hall. Tampa Bay tied on a J.T. Miller goal, assisted by Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning took the lead with a Kucherov goal, his third of the postseason, passed from Braydon Coburn and Miller. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-1 with a Kucherov empty net goal, his second of the game and fourth of the playoffs, set up by Miller. The three stars were Kucherov, Miller, and Vasilevskiy (27 for 28 in saves). The Lightning return home ahead 3-1 in the series. 

Game 5: Amalie Arena, St. Petersburg, Florida. In goal: Cory Schneider for the Devils and Andrei Vasilevskiy for the Lightning. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Mikhail Sergachev goal, assisted by Anthony Cirelli. The Lightning added on in the third period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his fifth of the postseason, via Anton Stralman and Steven Stamkos. New Jersey got on the board with a Patrick Maroon goal, courtesy of Kyle Palmieri and Will Butcher. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-1 with a Ryan Callahan empty net goal, set up by Ryan McDonagh. The three stars were Kucherov, Vasilevskiy (26 for 27 in saves), and Sergachev. The Lightning head to the second round after taking this series 4-1.

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Friday, April 20, 2018

Central Division Playoffs: 2) Winnipeg Jets v. 3) Minnesota Wild

The Stanley Cup Playoffs start now, with divisional round series. Each post will contain the entire series.

Game 1: Bell MTS Place, Winnipeg, Manitoba. In goal: Devan Dubnyk for the Wild and Connor Hellebuyck for the Jets. Winnipeg got going in the second period with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, powered by Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. Minnesota tied it on a Matt Cullen goal, coming off of Jordan Greenway and Nate Prosser in the third period. The Wild took the lead with a Zach Parise goal, via Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu. The Jets retied on a Patrik Laine goal, with a lone assist by Paul Stastny. Winnipeg took the lead with a Joe Morrow goal, helped along by Nikolaj Ehlers. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Morrow, Laine, and Scheifele. The Jets have a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Bell MTS Place, Winnipeg, Manitoba. In goal: Devan Dubnyk for the Wild and Connor Hellebuyck for the Jets. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Tyler Myers goal, via Jack Roslovic and Ben Chiarot. The Jets added on in the third period with a Paul Stastny goal, made possible by Dustin Byfuglien and Patrik Laine. Winnipeg extended the lead as Andrew Copp scored, with the help of Bryan Little and Roslovic. The Jets padded the lead on a Laine goal, his second of the postseason, helped along by Nikolaj Ehlers and Myers. Minnesota got on the board with a Zach Parise power play goal, his second of the playoffs, powered by Mikko Koivu and Jonas Brodin. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Laine, Myers, and Roslovic. The Jets have a 2-0 series lead as they head on the road.

Game 3: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota. In goal: Connor Hellebuyck for the Jets and Devan Dubnyk for the Wild. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Blake Wheeler power play goal, powered by Dustin Byfuglien and Patrik Laine. Minnesota tied it on a Mikael Granlund power play goal, with helpers from Mikko Koivu and Eric Staal. The Wild took the lead on a Zach Parise power play goal, his third of the postseason, assisted by Koivu and Jonas Brodin. Minnesota added on in the second period with a Matt Dumba goal, passed from Daniel Winnik and Joel Eriksson Ek. The Jets got one back with an unassisted Tyler Myers goal, his second of the playoffs. The Wild countered with a Staal goal, via Granlund and Dumba. Minnesota extended the lead as Jordan Greenway scored, thanks to Matt Cullen and Nick Seeler. The Wild padded the lead on a Marcus Foligno goal, guided in by Jared Spurgeon and Seeler. This made it 6-2, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Staal, Dumba, and Granlund, while Seeler and Koivu get the honorable mentions. The Wild get one back, but the Jets still have a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota. In goal: Connor Hellebuyck for the Jets and Devan Dubnyk for the Wild. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his second of the postseason, helped along by Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey. The Jets iced it at 2-0 in the third period with a Scheifele empty net goal, his second of the game and third of the playoffs, set up by Blake Wheeler and Andrew Copp. The three stars were Hellebuyck (30 save shutout), Scheifele, and Dubnyk (26 for 27 in saves). The Jets return home with a chance to advance as they currently lead the series 3-1. 

Game 5: Bell MTS Place, Winnipeg, Manitoba. In goal: Devan Dubnyk for the Wild and Connor Hellebuyck for the Jets. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Jacob Trouba goal, helped along by Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor. The Jets added on with a Bryan Little goal, courtesy of Dustin Byfuglien and Paul Stastny. Winnipeg extended the lead as Brandon Tanev scored an unassisted goal. The Jets chased Dubnyk on a Joel Armia goal, passed from Byfuglien and Andrew Copp. Alex Stalock replaced Dubnyk in goal. Winnipeg padded the lead in the second period with a Scheifele power play goal, his fourth of the postseason, powered by Stastny and Blake Wheeler. This stood for the eventual 5-0 final, with the three stars awarded to Hellebuyck (30 save shutout), Byfuglien, and Scheifele, while Stastny gets an honorable mention. The Jets won the series 4-1, advancing to the second round.

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Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Pacific Division Playoffs: 2) Anaheim Ducks v. 3) San Jose Sharks

The Stanley Cup Playoffs start now, with divisional round series. Each post will contain the entire series.

Game 1: Honda Center, Anaheim, California. In goal: Martin Jones for the Sharks and John Gibson for the Ducks. San Jose got going in the second period with an Evander Kane power play goal, powered by Joe Pavelski and Tomas Hertl. The Sharks added on with another Kane goal, via Pavelski and Brenden Dillon. San Jose extended the lead as Brent Burns scored, thanks to Timo Meier. This held up for an eventual 3-0 win, with the three stars given to Kane, Jones (25 save shutout), and Pavelski. The Sharks take a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Honda Center, Anaheim, California. In goal: Martin Jones for the Sharks and John Gibson for the Ducks. Anaheim began in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, assisted by Hampus Lindholm. San Jose tied it on a Marcus Sorensen goal, via Brenden Dillon. The Sharks took the lead with a Logan Couture power play goal, powered by Kevin Labanc and Joe Pavelski. San Jose added on with a Tomas Hertl goal in the second period, coming off of Mikkel Boedker and Couture. The Ducks got one back on a Lindholm power play goal, with assists provided by Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler. This only made it 3-2, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Couture, Lindholm, and Hertl. The Sharks have a 2-0 series lead in their travel bags as they return home.

Game 3: SAP Center, San Jose, California. In goal: John Gibson for the Ducks and Martin Jones for the Sharks. San Jose led off in the first period with a Logan Couture goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Mikkel Boedker. Anaheim tied it on a Rickard Rakell power play goal, powered by Brandon Montour and Ryan Getzlaf. The Sharks took the lead back in the second period with a Joonas Donskoi goal, with a lone assist by Evander Kane. San Jose added on with a Marcus Sorensen goal, his second of the playoffs, fueled by Donskoi. The Sharks extended the lead as Eric Fehr scored, thanks to Sorensen and Melker Karlsson. San Jose padded the lead on a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his second of the postseason, with assists provided by Joe Pavelski and Couture. The Sharks continued against Ryan Miller in the third period with a Pavelski power play goal, helped along by Timo Meier and Donskoi. San Jose kept going with a Kane power play goal, his third of the playoffs, guided in by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Couture. The Sharks finished it at 8-1 with a Meier power play goal, passed from Chris Tierney and Kevin Labanc. The three stars belonged to Couture, Donskoi, and Kane, while Jones (45 for 46 in saves), Sorensen, Meier, and Pavelski get the honorable mentions. The Sharks have pushed the Ducks to the brink as the former holds a 3-0 series lead.

Game 4: SAP Center, San Jose, California. In goal: John Gibson for the Ducks and Martin Jones for the Sharks. San Jose opened in the first period with a Marcus Sorensen goal, his third of the postseason, via Brent Burns and Melker Karlsson. Anaheim tied it in the third period on an Andrew Cogliano goal, coming off of Ryan Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg. The Sharks took the lead back on a Tomas Hertl goal, his third of the playoffs, helped along by Marc-Edouard Vlasic. This stood for a 2-1 final, with the three stars given to Hertl, Jones (30 for 31 in saves), and Sorensen. The Sharks swept the series 4-0.

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NWSL 2018 Week 4 Midweek

Two games are on during midweek action in the NWSL. We begin with...

The North Carolina Courage hosting the Seattle Reign FC. Michelle Betos and Sabrina D'Angelo protect the nets. North Carolina's Kristen Hamilton took a yellow card for a foul in the fourteenth minute. The Courage got going in the seventieth minute with a Jessica McDonald goal, set up by Hamilton. The final held at 1-0 for the Courage, but the woman of the match was Betos, who went 4 for 5 in saves with plenty of help from the posts. The Reign's other good players were Megan Oyster, Allie Long, and Beverly Yanez, while the Courage saw great efforts from McDonald, McCall Zerboni, Denise O'Sullivan, and Abby Erceg.

In the other game, the Chicago Red Stars host the Houston Dash. Jane Campbell and Alyssa Naeher are the gloved women. Chicago struck first in the seventh minute as Sarah Gorden sent in a cross that deflected off of Houston's Kristie Mewis and into her net for an own goal. In the ninth minute, the Red Stars' Arin Gilliland received a yellow card for a foul. Chicago added on with a Lauren Kaskie goal in the eleventh minute, created after Campbell saved the initial shot from Sofia Huerta. In the forty-fourth minute, Houston's Kimberly Keever took a yellow card for a foul. The Red Stars extended the lead in the seventy-fourth minute as Huerta scored, with the help of Danielle Colaprico. In the eighty-second minute, Amber Brooks of the Dash took a yellow card for dissent. In stoppage time, Chicago's Sam Johnson received a yellow card for a foul. The final was 3-0 Red Stars, with Huerta as the woman of the match. Also starring for Chicago were Katie Naughton, Gorden, Colaprico, Huerta, and Kaskie, while Janine van Wyk and Haley Hanson had the best of a weak team performance from the Dash.

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Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Pacific Division Playoffs: 1) Vegas Golden Knights v. 4) Los Angeles Kings

The Stanley Cup Playoffs start now, with divisional round series. Each post will contain the entire series.

Game 1: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada. In goal: Jonathan Quick for the Kings and Marc-Andre Fleury for the Golden Knights. Vegas led off in the first period with a Shea Theodore goal, with a lone helper from Tomas Nosek. The final held from here at 1-0, with the three stars awarded to Fleury (30 save shutout), Theodore, and Quick (27 for 28 in saves). The Golden Knights hold a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada. In goal: Jonathan Quick for the Kings and Marc-Andre Fleury for the Golden Knights. Vegas began in the first period with an Alex Tuch power play goal, powered by Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith. Los Angeles tied it on second period Paul LaDue power play goal, with assists provided by Dion Phaneuf and Michael Amadio. The Golden Knights won 2-1 in double-overtime with an Erik Haula goal, coming off of James Neal and Shea Theodore. The three stars were Haula, Fleury (29 for 30 in saves), and Quick (54 for 56 in saves). The Golden Knights travel with a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. In goal: Marc-Andre Fleury for the Golden Knights and Jonathan Quick for the Kings. Los Angeles started in the first period with an Alex Iafallo goal, passed from Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. Vegas tied it on a Cody Eakin goal in the third period, assisted by Ryan Carpenter and David Perron. The Golden Knights took the lead with a James Neal goal, via Nate Schmidt and Alex Tuch. Vegas added on with a William Karlsson goal, coming off of Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault. The Kings got one back on a Kopitar goal, made possible by Oscar Fantenberg. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Kopitar, Karlsson, and Neal. The Golden Knights have a chance to get the sweep as they hold a 3-0 series lead. 

Game 4: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. In goal: Marc-Andre Fleury for the Golden Knights and Jonathan Quick for the Kings. Vegas got going in the second period with a Brayden McNabb goal, via Reilly Smith and William Karlsson. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Fleury (31 save shutout), McNabb, and Quick (20 for 21 in saves). The Golden Knights advance to the second round on a 4-0 series sweep.

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