NHL Day 12 2013-2014

We have the promised eleven games on today, beginning with a matinee from...

Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Jack Johnson power play goal, his second of the season, powered by James Wisniewski and Marian Gaborik. Boston tied the game in the second period with a Chris Kelly goal, his second of the year, fueled by Jarome Iginla and David Krejci. The Bruins took the lead in the third period on a Loui Eriksson goal, set up by Patrice Bergeron and Reilly Smith. Boston iced it at 3-1 with a Milan Lucic empty net goal, his second of the season, coming off of Zdeno Chara and Johnny Boychuk. The three stars were Iginla, Rask (26 for 27 in saves), and Bobrovsky (33 for 35 in saves).

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Jimmy Howard draw the starts. Detroit was first to score in the first period with a Todd Bertuzzi power play goal, coming off of Daniel Alfredsson and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings added on in the second period when Kronwall scored a power play goal, powered by Alfredsson and Henrik Zetterberg. Philadelphia tied it with an Erik Gustafsson goal, via Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds. Detroit replied on a Pavel Datsyuk goal, his second of the season coming on the power play from Kronwall and Alfredsson, the latter getting a sock trick. The Flyers answered on a Tye McGinn goal, fueled by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. The Red Wings shot back as Zetterberg notched his third of the year, with the help of Datsyuk and Kyle Quincey. Detroit iced it at 5-2 as Zetterberg scored his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, an empty net goal set up by Datsyuk and Cleary. The three stars were Kronwall, Zetterberg, and Alfredsson, while Datsyuk gets an honorable mention.

Way to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Anders Lindback are given the starting nods. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Alex Killorn and Richard Panik. Pittsburgh tied it with a second period power play goal by Sidney Crosby, his third of the year, powered by Jussi Jokinen and Chris Kunitz. The Lightning retook the lead with a Steven Stamkos goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Martin St. Louis and Victor Hedman. The Penguins answered on a Brooks Orpik goal, assisted by Pascal Dupuis and Kunitz. Tampa Bay pulled ahead again with a Teddy Purcell power play goal, coming off of Sami Salo and St. Louis as his third of the year. Pittsburgh retied it in the third period with Crosby's second of the game and fourth of the season, set up by Rob Scuderi and Matt Niskanen. The Penguins pulled ahead as Crosby completed the hat trick with his fifth of the year, a power play goal, fueled by Jokinen and Evgeni Malkin. The Lightning evened the score on a Killorn power play goal, his second of the season, passed from Panik and Tyler Johnson. Pittsburgh got the lead back on a late Niskanen power play goal, via Malkin and Crosby. They went on to win 5-4, with the three stars being Crosby, Niskanen, and Killorn, while St. Louis, Kunitz, Panik, Malkin, and Jokinen get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking up to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Jonathan Bernier are the young goalies. Edmonton began in the first period with a Ryan Smyth goal, his second of the season, coming off of Mark Arcobello. Toronto tied it with a Nazem Kadri goal, his second of the year, made possible by Mason Raymond and Dion Phaneuf. The Maple Leafs took the lead as James van Riemsdyk notched his fourth of the season, with the help of Cody Franson and Phaneuf on the power play. The Oilers retied it on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Justin Schultz and Anton Belov. Edmonton took the lead in the second period as Boyd Gordon scored his third of the season, via David Perron and Taylor Hall. Toronto pulled even with a Joffrey Lupul goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Kadri and David Broll. The Oilers shot back with a Jordan Eberle goal in the third period, assisted by Arcobello and Hall. The Maple Leafs tied it again as van Riemsdyk scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, with helpers from Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel. Edmonton edged back ahead as Smyth scored his second of the game and third of the year, thanks to Eberle and Arcobello, the latter getting a sock trick. Toronto tied it again with Lupul's second of the game and fifth of the season, passed from Jake Gardiner. The Maple Leafs won 6-5 with an overtime goal by Dave Bolland, his third of the year, with assists provided by Franson and Raymond. The three stars were Lupul, van Riemsdyk, and Smith, while Arcobello, Kadri, Eberle, Hall, Franson, Phaneuf, and Raymond pick up the honorable mentions.

Into the States again, with the Washington Capitals welcoming the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth are the former teammates in the creases. Colorado started in the first period with an Alex Tanguay goal, assisted by Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche added on with a Matt Duchene goal, his third of the season, thanks to Ryan O'Reilly and Andre Benoit. Colorado extended the lead in the second period as Nathan MacKinnon scored a power play goal, powered by Paul Stastny and Landeskog. The Avalanche padded the lead in the third period on Tanguay's second of the game, a shorthanded goal set up by Stastny and Benoit. Washington got on the board as Eric Fehr scored, with the help of Jason Chimera and Joel Ward. Colorado replied on a goal by Jamie McGinn, via P.A. Parenteau and MacKinnon. This made it 5-1, the final, with Varlamov (40 for 41 in saves), Tanguay, and MacKinnon getting the three stars, while Benoit, Stastny, and Landeskog get the honorable mentions.

To the west, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Corey Crawford protect the nets. Chicago started with a first period goal by Ben Smith, coming off of Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks added on in the second period as Patrick Kane scored, with the help of Patrick Sharp and Andrew Shaw. Buffalo got on the board in the third period when Drew Stafford scored, courtesy of Cody Hodgson and Mark Pysyk. This was as close as it got, with the final being 2-1, and the three stars were Crawford (28 for 29 in saves), Kane, and Miller (38 for 40 in saves).

Down in St. Louis, the Blues host the New York Rangers. Martin Biron is mismatched with Jaroslav Halak in goal. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with an Alexander Steen goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by T.J. Oshie and David Backes. New York tied it with a Ryan Callahan power play goal, powered by Derick Brassard and Derek Stepan. The Blues took the lead back in the second period with a Backes goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Steen. St. Louis took the lead as Derek Roy notched his second of the season, a power play goal made possible by Kevin Shattenkirk and Steen. The Rangers took the lead back as Brad Richards scored his fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Brassard. The Blues answered as Backes scored his second of the game and fourth of the season, with assists provided by Oshie and Steen, the latter getting a sock trick. Henrik Lundqvist relieved Biron in the third period. New York chipped back in the third period on another Callahan goal, his second of the game, passed from Richards and Stepan. St. Louis replied on a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, pushed through by Shattenkirk and Roy. This was good for a 5-3 win, with the three stars awarded to Steen, Backes, and Callahan, while Richards, Roy, Shattenkirk, Stepan, Brassard, and Oshie all get honorable mentions.

A bit to the east, the Nashville Predators welcome the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Pekka Rinne man the blue paint. Nashville struck first in the first period with a power play goal by Seth Jones, powered by David Legwand and Shea Weber. New York tied it with a Frans Nielsen goal, his second of the season, guided in by Kyle Okposo and Travis Hamonic. The Islanders took the lead with a John Tavares goal, his third of the year, assisted by Okposo and Brian Strait. The Predators retied it on a Patric Hornqvist goal, via Colin Wilson and Ryan Ellis. Nashville took the lead in the second period as Ellis scored, with the help of Matt Cullen and Craig Smith. This was all they needed for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Ellis, Okposo, and Jones.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Dallas Stars. Backups Dan Ellis and Josh Harding are in goal. Minnesota led off with a Justin Fontaine goal in the first period, with a lone assist by Matt Cooke. The Wild added on as Cooke scored his third of the season, an unassisted goal. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period with a Mathew Dumba power play goal, powered by Dany Heatley and Jonas Brodin. The Wild padded the lead as Nino Neiderreiter scored, thanks to Mikko Koivu and Jared Spurgeon. Dallas got on the board with a Jordie Benn power play goal, via Tyler Seguin and Alex Chiasson. Minnesota made it 5-1 in the third period with a power play goal by Zach Parise, his fourth of the year, set up by Spurgeon and Ryan Suter. This was a final, with the three stars going to Cooke, Spurgeon, and Harding (18 for 19 in saves).

Way out west, the San Jose Sharks host the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Antti Niemi are the masked men. San Jose quickly opened in the first period as Tomas Hertl scored his seventh of the season, assisted by Dan Boyle and Brent Burns. Ottawa tied it on a Zack Smith goal, courtesy of Chris Phillips and Colin Greening. The Senators took the lead on a Bobby Ryan power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Jason Spezza and Patrick Wiercioch. The Sharks retied it in the second period as Patrick Marleau scored, with the help of Joe Pavelski and Matt Irwin. San Jose took the lead in the third period on a Burns goal, his third of the season, guided in by Joe Thornton and Matthew Nieto. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Burns, Lehner (47 for 50 in saves), and Niemi (21 for 23 in saves).

Finally, we end in Vancouver, where the Canucks host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Roberto Luongo guard the cages. Montreal started in the first period with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Francis Bouillon and Raphael Diaz. Vancouver tied it on a Henrik Sedin goal, set up by Daniel Sedin and Jason Garrison. The Canadiens retook the lead as Lars Eller scored his fifth of the year, a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Montreal added on in the third period with a Tomas Plekanec power play goal, assisted by Andrei Markov and P.K. Subban. The Canadiens wrapped it up at 4-1 with a Josh Gorges goal, courtesy of Diaz and Travis Moen. The three stars were handed to Price (39 for 40 in saves), Eller, and Diaz.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Day 39 2013-2014

Four games today as a prelude to eleven NHL games later. We begin in...

Omsk, where Avangard hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Georgy Gelashvili and Andrei Mezin are set to start. Nizhny Novgorod began in the first period with a Wojtek Wolski power play goal, assisted by Sakari Salminen. Omsk tied it in the second period when Alexander Popov scored, via Dmitry Vorobyov and Alexander Perezhogin. Avangard took the lead with a Roman Berdnikov goal, guided in by Sergei Kalinin. Omsk extended the lead in the third period as Andrei Ivanov scored, courtesy of Oleg Kvasha. Avangard added on with a shorthanded empty net goal by Ivanov, set up by Ivan Baranka. Omsk padded the lead as Popov scored his second of the game, with a lone assist by Perezhogin. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Popov, Ivanov, and Mezin (21 for 22 in saves), while Perezhogin gets an honorable mention.

Over in Yekaterinburg, Avtomobilist welcomes Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Lazushin and Jakub Kovar draw the starts. Moscow led off in the first period as Konstantin Volkov scored, thanks to Dmitry Pestunov and Marek Kvapil. Dynamo added on with an unassisted goal by Maxim Karpov. Yekaterinburg got on the board in the second period with a power play goal by Artyom Chernov, powered by Anton Lazarev and Fyodor Malykhin. Avtomobilist tied the game when Tobias Viklun scored an unassisted goal. Moscow took the lead back in the third period on a Roman Derlyuk goal, going in unassisted. Dynamo iced it at 4-2 with an unassisted goal from Kvapil. The three stars were Kvapil, Lazushin (19 for 21 in saves), and Derlyuk.

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Konstantin Barulin and Ari Ahonen tend the twines. Kazan started in the first period with a Janne Pesonen goal, coming off of Ilya Nikulin and Kirill Petrov. Ak Bars added on with a Mikhail Varnakov goal, fueled by Stepan Zakharchuk and Alexander Burmistrov. Kazan extended the lead with a Tomas Vincour goal, assisted by Burmistrov and Grigory Panin. Ak Bars padded the lead with an Alexei Tereshchenko goal, with a lone assist by Petrov. Kazan iced it at 5-0 with a power play goal by Evgeny Medvedev, powered by Tim Stapleton and Burmistrov. The three stars were Barulin (18 save shutout), Burmistrov, and Petrov.

Finally, we end in Khanty-Mansiysk, with Yugra bringing in Vityaz Podolsk. Johan Backlund and Alexei Kuznetsov are the masked men. Khanty-Mansiysk opened with a first period goal by Kirill Knyazev, passed from Anton Krysanov. Yugra took the lead as Krysanov scored a power play goal, powered by Alexei Pepelyaev. Podolsk got on the board with a Maxim Rybin goal, with a lone helper by Josh Hennessy. Khanty-Mansiysk answered in the second period on a Marek Troncinsky power play goal, assisted by Krysanov and Pepelyaev. This held up for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Krysanov, Kuznetsov (31 for 32 in saves), and Pepelyaev.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL Day 11 2013-2014

Tonight, there are just six games on, beginning in...

Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Cam Ward are in between the pipes. Los Angeles got going in the third period on a Dwight King shorthanded goal, going in unassisted. Carolina tied it as Jeff Skinner scored, with the help of Andrej Sekera and Nathan Gerbe. The tie lasted into the shootout, where Jeff Carter sealed a 2-1 Kings victory. The three stars went to Quick (27 for 28 in saves), Ward (36 for 37 in saves), and King.

Up in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Phoenix Coyotes. Thomas Greiss and Steve Mason are the replacement level goalies. Phoenix started in the first period with a Rob Klinkhammer goal, assisted by Derek Morris and Tim Kennedy. Philadelphia tied it in the second period on a Max Talbot goal, coming off of Zac Rinaldo and Sean Couturier. The Coyotes took the lead with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Mike Ribeiro and Martin Hanzal. The scoring ended here, with the Coyotes winning 2-1, and Greiss (36 for 37 in saves), Ekman-Larsson, and Klinkhammer were given the three stars.

Back south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jeff Zatkoff and Jacob Markstrom are the inexperienced goalies. Florida opened in the first period on a Brad Boyes goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Tomas Fleischmann. Pittsburgh tied it with an Evgeni Malkin goal, courtesy of Beau Bennett. The Panthers retook the lead on a Kris Versteeg goal, via Scott Gomez and Shawn Matthias. The Penguins retied it on the third of the year by Craig Adams, assisted by Tanner Glass and Joe Vitale. Florida took the lead again on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his second of the season, coming on the power play from Versteeg and Fleischmann. The Panthers added on with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh got one back as Pascal Dupuis scored, and Sidney Crosby had the only helper. Florida shot back in the third period on a Fleischmann goal, fueled by Barkov and Boyes. The Panthers iced it at 6-3 as Boyes scored his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, with helpers provided by Barkov and Fleischmann, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were Fleischmann, Barkov, and Boyes, while Versteeg gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the New York Islanders. Kevin Poulin and Nikolai Khabibulin are the backups making spot starts. Chicago began with a first period goal by Joakim Nordstrom, assisted by Niklas Hjalmarsson. The Blackhawks added on as Jonathan Toews scored his second of the season, courtesy of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. New York got on the board when Josh Bailey scored his second of the year, with the help of Michael Grabner. The Islanders tied it when Kyle Okposo scored, with a lone assist by John Tavares. Chicago retook the lead on a second period goal by Michal Handzus, via Keith and Ben Smith. They would cruise from here to a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Keith, Handzus, and Toews.

Crossing into Canada, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Ondrej Pavelec receive the starting nods. Dallas struck first in the first period on an Alex Chiasson power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Tyler Seguin and Sergei Gonchar. The Stars added on with a Seguin goal, set up by Rich Peverley and Jamie Benn. Dallas extended the lead with a Benn goal, fueled by Brendon Dillon and Seguin. The Stars padded the lead in the second period with Seguin's second of the night, a power play goal made possible by Benn and Chiasson. Lehtonen had to be relieved by Dan Ellis after turning aside 21 shots, due to an injury. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period when Blake Wheeler scored a power play goal, with the help of Dustin Byfuglien and Tobias Enstrom. They got no closer, losing 4-1, with the three stars going to Seguin, Benn, and Chiasson.

Finally, in Calgary, the Flames bring in the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur faces a lesser foe in Joey MacDonald in goal. New Jersey led off with a first period goal by Adam Henrique, courtesy of Damien Brunner and Andy Greene. Calgary tied it with a second period power play goal by Dennis Wideman, powered by Mark Giordano and Jiri Hudler. The Devils took the lead back as Dainius Zubrus scored, with the help of Travis Zajac. The Flames tied it again on a Giordano power play goal, his second of the season, via Hudler and Curtis Glencross. Calgary gained the lead in the third period with a Sean Monahan goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Sven Baertschi and Wideman. They held on for a 3-2 win, with the three stars belonging to Monahan, Wideman, and Giordano, while Hudler gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Day 38 2013-2014

The KHL goes for ten games today, beginning in...

Yaroslavl, as Lokomotiv hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Mika Jarvinen and Curtis Sanford man the creases. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Amur got goals from Dmitry Tarasov and Jakub Petruzalek to defeat Lokomotiv, whose lone tally was from Daniil Apalkov. The three stars of the 1-0 game were Jarvinen (38 save shutout), Sanford (32 save "shutout"), and Petruzalek.

Over to Moscow, as CSKA hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Rastislav Stana tend the twines. Magnitogorsk struck first in the second period on a Sergei Mozyakin goal, assisted by Evgeny Biryukov and Jan Kovar. Moscow tied it in the third period as Oleg Saprykin scored, with the help of Dmitry Ogurtsov and Roman Lyubimov. The game went to a shootout, where Ilya Zubov's goal led CSKA to a 2-1 victory. The three stars were Stana (27 for 28 in saves), Zubov, and Koshechkin (32 for 33 in saves).

Backtracking to Cherepovets, with Severstal welcoming Admiral Vladivostok. Joakim Lundstrom and Jakub Stepanek are set to start. Vladivostok began with a first period Niclas Bergfors goal, assisted by Felix Schutz and Yegor Antropov. Cherepovets tied it on a Pavel Buchnevich goal, courtesy of Evgeny Kovyrshin. Admiral took the lead back with a Konstantin Sokolov goal, passed from Mathias Porseland and Evgeny Grachyov. Severstal retied it in the second period on a Teemu Laasko power play goal, powered by Gleb Klimenko and Bogdan Kiselevich. Vladivostok retook the lead as Artyom Ternavsky scored, with a lone assist by Enver Lisin. Cherepovets tied it again in the third period on a Vladimir Antipov goal, made possible by Vadim Berdnikov. Admiral regained the lead on another Ternavsky goal, via Bergfors and Schutz. Severstal got yet another equalizer on an Alexander Fedoseyev goal, coming off of Linus Videll and Kiselevich. The game went into a shootout, where Antipov led Severstal to a 5-4 win with the lone tally. The three stars were Antipov, Ternavsky, and Bergfors, while Schutz and Kiselevich get the honorable mentions.

West again to Mytishchi, where Atlant brings in Sibir Novosibirsk. Mikko Koskinen and Stanislav Galimov are between the pipes. Novosibirsk led off in the first period with a Kristian Kudroc power play goal, powered by Jori Lehtera and Vyacheslav Belov. Mytishchi tied it in the third period as Igor Radulov scored, with a lone assist by Andreas Engqvist. Sibir won 2-1 in overtime with an Alexander Kutuzov goal, fueled by Lehtera. The three stars were Kutuzov, Koskinen (25 for 26 in saves), and Lehtera.

Into St. Petersburg, as SKA hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Nikita Lozhkin is mismatched with Ilya Ezhov in goal. St. Petersburg was first to score in the first period with an Alexei Semenov goal, guided in by Alexander Kucheryavenko and Maxim Chudinov. SKA added on in the second period with a Kevin Dallman power play goal, powered by Ilya Kovalchuk and Patrick Thoresen. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Tony Martensson notched a power play goal, with the help of Roman Cervenka and Kovalchuk. Novokuznetsk got on the board in the third period with a power play goal by Ansel Galimov, courtesy of Rafael Akhmetov and Tuuka Mantyla. SKA answered on a Dmitry Kalinin power play goal, with a lone helper by Kovalchuk. This made it a 4-1 final, with Kovalchuk, Ezhov (29 for 30 in saves), and Dallman getting the three stars.

Leaving Russia and into Belarus, where Dinamo Minsk hosts Spartak Moscow. Jeff Glass and Kevin Lalande are the North American goalies. Minsk started in the first period with a shorthanded goal by Zbynek Irgl, set up by Tomas Surovy. Moscow tied it with a Tom Wandell power play goal, powered by Andrei Sergeyev and Matt Anderson. Dinamo took the lead with a shorthanded goal in the third period by Alexei Yefimenko, guided in by Alexander Kitarov and Andrei Filichkin. Minsk extended the lead with an Alexander Materukhin goal, coming off of Alexei Kalyuzhny. They would coast to a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Yefimenko, Lalande (43 for 44 in saves), and Materukhin.

Over in Ukraine, Donbass Donetsk brings in Medvescak Zagreb. Barry Brust and Michael Leighton guard the cages. Zagreb opened in the first period with an unassisted goal by Patrick Bjorkstrand. Medvescak added on with a Bill Thomas power play goal, powered by Kurtis Foster and Matt Murley. Donetsk got on the board with a Teemu Laine power play goal, assisted by Oleg Piganovich and Lukas Kaspar. Zagreb replied in the second period on a Michael Ryan power play goal, with a lone assist from Ryan Vesce. Donbass got one back in the third period as Petteri Wirtanen scored, via Vaclav Nedorost. Medvescak replied on an Andrew Murray goal, with a lone helper by Bjorkstrand. Zagreb iced it at 5-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Thomas. The three stars belonged to Bjorkstrand, Thomas, and Ryan.

Moving along to Latvia, as Dinamo Riga welcomes Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Mikael Tellqvist have the green light to start. Riga got going in the first period with a Martins Cipulis goal, assisted by Paul Szczechura. Nizhnekamsk tied it in the second period with a power play goal by Mikhail Anisin, powered by Dmitry Kosmachyov. Dinamo took the lead back in the third period on a Sandis Ozolins power play goal, coming off of Kyle Wilson and Marcel Hossa. This stood up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars belonging to Tellqvist (27 for 28 in saves), Ozolins, and Cipulis.

Further on our journey to Bratislava, where Slovan hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Alexei Volkov and Miroslav Kopriva draw the starts. Bratislava began in the first period with an unassisted goal by Jonathan Sigalet. Ufa tied it as Yegor Dubrovsky scored a power play goal, powered by Arturs Kulda and Dmitry Makarov. Slovan won 2-1 in the shootout with a Tomas Netik goal. The three stars went to Kopriva (30 for 31 in saves), Netik, and Volkov (33 for 34 in saves).

Finally, Lev Praha hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Petri Vehanen are prepared to start. Praha led off in the first period as Marc-Andre Gragnani scored, thanks to Tomsa Kubalik. Lev added on with a Jakub Klepis power play goal, powered by Ondrej Nemec and Nathan Oystrick. Chelyabinsk got on the board as Stanislav Chistov scored, courtesy of Konstantin Panov. Praha answered in the second period on a Martin Sevc power play goal, set up by Justin Azevado. Lev struck again when Topi Jaakola scored, with a lone helper by Jiri Sekac. Praha extended the lead on a Spencer Humphries goal, guided in by Michal Repik and Petr Vrana. Lev padded the lead in the third period with a Martin Thornberg power play goal, pushed through by Klepis. Praha got another on a Patrik Zackrisson goal, fueled by Sekac. Traktor took one back when Anton Glinkin sank a power play goal, with assistance from Dmitry Ryabykin. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 7-2, and the three stars were awarded to Klepis, Sekac, and Sevc.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL Day 10 2013-2014

Busy day of ten games on the tenth day of the tenth month. Funny how that works out sometimes. We begin in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Colorado Avalanche. Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Tuukka Rask are in the blue paint. Colorado began in the first period with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Andre Benoit and Matt Duchene. The Avalanche iced it at 2-0 with a third period empty net goal by Duchene, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Giguere (39 save shutout), O'Reilly, and Duchene.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Ryan Miller protect the nets. Columbus was first to score in the first period on a Cam Atkinson goal, guided in by Marian Gaborik and James Wisniewski. Buffalo tied it on a Thomas Vanek goal, his second of the season, pushed through by Steve Ott and Cody Hodgson. The Blue Jackets retook the lead as Nick Foligno notched his second of the year, thanks to Ryan Johansen and R.J. Umberger. Columbus added on as Gaborik potted his second of the season, assisted by Atkinson and Ryan Murray. The Blue Jackets extended the lead in the second period on a Brandon Dubinsky goal, fueled by David Savard and Gaborik. This was it for the scoring, resulting in a 4-1 final, with the three stars going to Gaborik, Bobrovsky (26 for 27 in saves), and Atkinson.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals host the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Braden Holtby are given the starting nods. Washington started in the first period on a Jason Chimera goal, assisted by Eric Fehr and John Carlson. Carolina tied it as Elias Lindholm scored in the second period, with the help of Jeff Skinner and Ryan Murphy. The Capitals took the lead back as Alex Ovechkin scored his fifth of the season, courtesy of Steve Oleksy and Nicklas Backstrom. The Hurricanes tied it again on a power play goal by Alexander Semin, powered by Eric Staal and Skinner. Carolina pulled ahead in the third period with a Nathan Gerbe goal, his third of the year, via Jordan Staal and Justin Faulk. They would win the game 3-2, with the three stars going to Gerbe, Skinner, and Ovechkin.

Northwest to Detroit, as the Red Wings bring in the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Jimmy Howard are the reliable goalies. Phoenix opened in the first period on a Derek Morris goal, set up by Antoine Vermette. Detroit tied it with a Joakim Andersson goal in the second period, coming off of Jakub Kindl and Todd Bertuzzi. The Red Wings took the lead with an unassisted goal by Jonathan Ericsson. The Coyotes retied it on a Mikkel Boedker goal, fueled by Morris. Phoenix retook the lead in the third period on a Michael Stone goal, with assists provided by Mike Ribeiro and Martin Hanzal. The Coyotes iced it at 4-2 on a Vermette empty net goal, with a lone assist by Boedker. The three stars were Boedker, Morris, and Vermette.

Way to the south, the battle of Florida is renewed as the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Florida Panthers. Scott Clemmensen and Ben Bishop are the young goalies. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Martin St. Louis goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Steven Stamkos and Teddy Purcell. Clemmensen was pulled in favor of Markstrom when the former suffered an injury. The Lightning added on with a Stamkos shorthanded goal, set up by St. Louis and Victor Hedman. Florida got on the board in the second period as Brad Boyes scored his second of the year, a power play goal, guided in by Brian Campbell and Tomas Fleischmann. Tampa Bay shot back as Stamkos scored his second of the game, assisted by Matthew Carle and Ryan Malone. The Lightning extended the lead with an Ondrej Palat goal, via Alex Killorn and the goalie Bishop. The Panthers answered as Jonathan Huberdeau scored a goal, made possible by Scott Gomez and Kris Versteeg. Tampa Bay replied with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his second of the season, coming on the power play from Carle and Killorn. The Lightning padded the lead with another Filppula goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with assists provided by Purcell and Sami Salo. Tampa Bay kept going as Stamkos finished his hat trick with a power play goal, powered by Salo and Purcell, the latter getting a sock trick. The final stood at 7-2, with the three stars being Stamkos, Filppula, and St. Louis, while Purcell, Carle, Salo, and Killorn all get honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Pekka Rinne are the masked men. Toronto got going in the second period on a Phil Kessel goal in the second period, his second of the season, assisted by James van Riemsdyk. The Maple Leafs added on with a van Riemsdyk goal, his third of the year, made possible by Kessel and Carl Gunnarsson. Toronto extended the lead with a power play goal in the third period with a Tyler Bozak goal, his second of the season, powered by Kessel and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs wrapped it up at 4-0 with a Joffrey Lupul power play goal, his third of the year, set up by Jake Gardiner and Nazem Kadri. The three stars were Kessel, Bernier (36 save shutout), and van Riemsdyk.

Further north, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Josh Harding have the green light to start. Minnesota led off in the first period as Jonas Brodin potted his second of the season, with the help of Matt Cooke and Kyle Brodziak. Winnipeg tied it with a power play goal by Bryan Little, his third of the year, powered by Tobias Enstrom and Dustin Byfuglien. The Wild took the lead back in the second period as Cooke scored his second of the campaign, via Torrey Mitchell and Clayton Stoner. This was it for the scoring, with the Wild taking a 2-1 win. Cooke, Harding (14 for 15 in saves), and Brodin were named the three stars.

To the west, the Edmonton Oilers host the Montreal Canadiens. Peter Budaj and Devan Dubnyk occupy the creases. Edmonton began in the second period with a Ryan Smyth power play goal, powered by Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Montraeal tied it as Brendan Gallagher scored his third of the season, a power play goal, with helpers from Alex Galchenyuk and P.K. Subban. The Canadiens took the lead on a Brandon Prust goal, coming off of Travis Moen and Subban. Montreal added on in the third period as Galchenyuk scored, with a lone assist by Gallagher. The Canadiens iced it at 4-1 with a Max Pacioretty empty net goal, set up by Daniel Briere and Subban, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars belonged to Gallagher, Galchenyuk, and Subban.

Over in British Columbia, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Roberto Luongo guard the cages. San Jose started in the first period with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his second of the season, assisted by Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on as Matt Pelech scored, with the help of James Sheppard. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a Mike Santorelli goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Ryan Stanton and Christopher Tanev. San Jose answered with a Patrick Marleau goal, his third of the season, made possible by Tyler Kennedy and Logan Couture. The Sharks wrapped it up at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Burns, his second of the year, set up by Thornton and Couture. The three stars were Niemi (25 for 26 in saves), Burns, and Thornton, while Couture gets an honorable mention.

Finally, we end in Anaheim, as the Ducks host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jonas Hiller draw the starts. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, assisted by Corey Perry and Dustin Penner. The Ducks added on as Jakob Silfverberg scored his third of the season, with the help of Teemu Selanne and Mathieu Perreault. Anaheim extended the lead when Daniel Winnik scored, via Sami Vatanen. The Ducks padded the lead in the second period with another Silfverberg goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, passed from Selanne and Perreault. Anaheim kept going as Saku Koivu scored his second of the season, thanks to Winnik and Andrew Cogliano. The Ducks got another as Penner scored, with helpers provided by Perry and Bryan Allen. This was all for the scoring, resulting in a 6-0 final score, with the three stars going to Hiller (34 save shutout), Silfverberg, and Penner, while Winnik, Perry, Selanne, and Perreault all get honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Thursday Night Football Week 6 2013

Tonight's game is in Chicago, as the Bears host the New York Giants. Chicago led off in the first quarter as Tim Jennings returned an interception of Eli Manning for 48 yards and a touchdown, and Robbie Gould made the extra point. New York tied it on a 4 yard touchdown run by Brandon Jacobs, and Josh Brown booted the extra point. The Bears took the lead back in the second quarter as Jay Cutler tossed a 10 yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall, and Gould again made the extra point. The Giants answered as Manning found Rueben Randle for 37 yards and a touchdown, and Brown knocked in the PAT. Chicago took the lead again as Cutler and Marshall connected for 3 yards and a touchdown, and Gould was true with the extra point. The Bears added on with a Gould field goal of 40 yards. Chicago extended the lead with a 52 yard field goal by Gould in the third quarter. New York shot back with a 1 yard Jacobs rush for a touchdown, and Brown nailed the extra point. The fourth quarter went scoreless, so the Bears held on for a 27-21 win, and improved to 4-2 while the Giants fall to 0-6.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Day 37 2013-2014

There are only four games on today, beginning in...

Omsk, as Avangard hosts Vityaz Podolsk. Ivan Lisutin and Denis Kostin were given the starting nods. Omsk led off in the first period with a power play goal by Sergei Kostitsyn, powered by Dmitry Semin and Alexander Frolov. Avangard added on with a Denis Kazionov goal, fueled by Alexander Popov and Alexander Perezhogin. Podolsk got on the board in the third period with a Mike Iggulden goal, assisted by Alexandr Vasilyev. Omsk answered with a Perezhogin goal, via Denis Kulyash and Popov. This was good for a 3-1 win, and the three stars were awarded to Perezhogin, Kostin (12 for 13 in saves), and Popov.

Into Yekaterinburg, where Avtomobilist welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Konstantin Barulin and Evgeny Lobanov will be the in blue paint. Yekaterinburg opened with an Alexander Streltsov goal in the first period, going in unassisted. Kazan tied it on a second period Tim Stapleton goal, fueled by Mikhail Varnakov and Albert Yarullin. Ak Bars took the lead with a power play goal by Shaun Heshka, powered by Alexander Burmistrov and Evgeny Medvedev. Avtomobilist tied it in the third period as Sami Lepisto scored, thanks to Anton Lazarev. The game went into a shootout, where Stapleton scored two goals to lead Ak Bars to a 3-2 lead, topping a lone tally by Filipp Toluzakov. The three stars belonged to Stapleton, Barulin (37 for 39 in saves), and Lobanov (25 for 27 in saves).

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Lazushin and Vitaly Yeremeyev were the masked men. Moscow got going in the second period on an Alexei Tsvetkov goal, via Alexander Boikov and Maxim Karpov. Astana tied it with an Artemy Lakiza goal, fueled by Talgat Zhailauov and Roman Starchenko. Dynamo took the lead back with a power play goal by Martins Karsums, powered by Filip Novak and Leo Komarov. Moscow added on in the third period on another Karsums power play goal, set up by Konstantin Volkov and Novak. Barys got one back as Roman Savchenko scored a power play goal, with a lone assist by Mike Lundin. Astana retied it on a Dmitry Upper power play goal, via Savchenko and Nikolai Antropov. The tie was broken in the shootout, as Nigel Dawes was matched by Tsvetkov, followed by an exchange of goals between Antropov and Komarov, before Barys won with a Dustin Boyd goal for a 4-3 final. the three stars were Karsums, Savchenko, and Novak.

Finally, in Khanty-Mansiysk, Yugra brings in Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Georgy Gelashvili and Alexei Kuznetsov are set to start. Khanty-Mansiysk started in the first period with a Stephen Dixon goal, assisted by Jonas Andersson. Yugra added on as Andersson scored an unassisted goal. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board when Tim Brent scored an unassisted goal. Torpedo tied it in the second period on a Jarkko Immonen goal, fueled by Sakari Salminen. Nizhny Novgorod took the lead with a Vyacheslav Kulyomin, coming off of Vladimir Galuzin. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it again as Vitaly Sitnikov scored, with the help of Mikhail Zhukov. Yugra took the lead on a third period goal by Kirill Knyazev, guided in by Alexei Pepelyaev. They held on for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Andersson, Knyazev, and Sitnikov.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.