NHL Day 89 2013-2014

Eight games on tonight. We begin in...

Ottawa, as the Senators host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Craig Anderson are in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Patrick Wiercioch goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Cody Ceci and Cory Conacher. Boston tied it on an unassisted Daniel Paille goal, his fourth of the year. The Senators retook the lead on a Conacher goal, his fourth of the season, via Kyle Turris and Ceci. Ottawa added on in the second period with a shorthanded Zack Smith goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Erik Condra. Rask was pulled for Chad Johnson at this time. The Bruins pulled back with a Jarome Iginla goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Milan Lucic and David Krejci. Boston tied it in the third period with a David Warsofsky goal, made possible by Johnny Boychuk and Patrice Bergeron. The Senators took the lead back as Bobby Ryan scored his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Conacher, Ceci, and Ryan.

South to Florida, as the Panthers welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jonas Gustavsson and Scott Clemmensen are the backups in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Daniel Alfredsson power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Niklas Kronwall and Pavel Datsyuk. The Red Wings added on as Henrik Zetterberg scored his twelfth of the year, a power play goal with a lone helper by Datsyuk. Florida got on the board in the second period when Sean Bergenheim scored his sixth of the season, a power play goal coming off of Brian Campbell and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers tied it with an unassisted goal by Nick Bjugstad, his eighth of the year. Detroit retook the lead on a Brendan Smith goal, helped along by Kyle Quincey. The Red Wings extended the lead as Gustav Nyquist scored his fifth of the season, fueled by Jakub Kindl and Tomas Tatar. Florida got one back on another Bergenheim goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, thanks to Dylan Olsen and Marcel Goc. They failed to tie it, losing 4-3, with the three stars belonging to Bergenheim, Nyquist, and Datsyuk.

North again to Long Island, as the New York Islanders host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Evgeni Nabokov are in the creases. New Jersey was first to score in the first period on an Adam Henrique goal, his eighth of the season, via Reid Boucher and Michael Ryder. New York tied it in the third period as Frans Nielsen scored his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Kyle Okposo and Thomas Vanek. The Devils took the lead back as Travis Zajac scored his seventh of the campaign, with the help of Marek Zidlicky and Jaromir Jagr. This was good for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Schneider (30 for 31 in saves), Zajac, and Henrique.

Back in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Ben Bishop tend the twines. Montreal got going in the second period on a Tomas Plekanec goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Brian Gionta and Travis Moen. Tampa Bay tied it on a Martin St. Louis goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Lars Eller's lone tally gave the Canadiens a 2-1 win. The three stars were Price (23 for 24 in saves), Bishop (20 for 21 in saves), and Eller.

Northwest to Nashville, as the Predators host the Los Angeles Kings. Ben Scrivens and Marek Mazanec are the goalies. Nashville began in the first period as Patric Hornqvist scored his eighth of the season, assisted by Mike Fisher and Seth Jones. Los Angeles tied it in the second period when Anze Kopitar scored his twelfth of the year, a power play goal powered by Slava Voynov and Drew Doughty. The Predators retook the lead in the third period as Fisher scored his eighth of the season, a power play goal coming off of Hornqvist and Shea Weber. The Kings retied it when Jeff Carter potted his twelfth of the year, guided in by Kopitar and Dwight King. Nashville pulled ahead as Fisher scored his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, with the help of Colin Wilson and Jones. This made it 3-2, the final, with Fisher, Hornqvist, and Kopitar getting the three stars and Jones getting an honorable mention.

Out in Anaheim, the Ducks welcome the Phoenix Coyotes. Thomas Greiss and Jonas Hiller are set to start. Anaheim struck first in the first period on a shorthanded goal by Saku Koivu, his sixth of the season, set up by Daniel Winnik and Francois Beauchemin. The Ducks added on in the third period as Andrew Cogliano scored his eleventh of the year, via Winnik and Koivu. Phoenix got on the board with a Martin Hanzal goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Michael Stone. The Coyotes tied it on a Mike Ribeiro goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Keith Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Anaheim won 3-2 in overtime as Koivu scored his second of the night and seventh of the campaign, thanks to Ben Lovejoy and Cam Fowler. The three stars were Koivu, Winnik, and Cogliano.

Eastward to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Chicago Blackhawks. Antti Raanta and Jaroslav Halak are the masked men. Chicago opened in the first period with a Patrick Sharp goal, his twenty-second of the season, fueled by Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks added on as Andrew Shaw scored his eleventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. St. Louis got on the board with a Maxim Lapierre goal, his fourth of the campaign, coming off of Carlo Colaiacovo and Ian Cole. Chicago responded with a Kane goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Keith and Toews. The Blues shot back in the second period on a Jaden Schwartz goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrik Berglund. St. Louis tied it with a Dmitrij Jaskin goal, passed from Jay Bouwmeester and Chris Porter. The Blackhawks retook the lead on a Brandon Saad goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, made possible by Ben Smith and Marcus Kruger. Chicago extended the lead as Brent Seabrook scored in the third period, his fourth of the season, thanks to Kane. The Blues pulled back with a Tarasenko goal, his twelfth of the year, pushed through by Alex Pietrangelo and Cole. St. Louis tied it again with a Berglund power play goal, his fourth of the campaign, with helpers from Tarasenko and Kevin Shattenkirk. The tie lasted to a shootout, where T.J. Oshie was matched by Toews, Tarasenko and Sharp cancelled out, and Shattenkirk's goal gave the Blues a 6-5 win. The three stars were Tarasenko, Berglund, and Cole, while Shattenkirk, Kane, Keith, and Toews get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason faces the goalie he replaced, Ilya Bryzgalov. Edmonton quickly dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Taylor Hall goal, his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Oilers added on as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Hall and Andrew Ference. Philadelphia got on the board with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal in the second period, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers tied it as Simmonds scored his second of the game and twelfth of the year, a power play goal powered by Voracek and Scott Hartnell. Edmonton retook the lead in the third period as David Perron notched his sixteenth of the season, a power play goal coming off of Jordan Eberle and Justin Schultz. Philadelphia tied it again on a Hartnell power play goal, guided in by Kimmo Timonen and Giroux as his seventh of the year. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Eberle and Giroux washed out before Michael Raffl gave the Flyers a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Simmonds, Hartnell, and Hall, while Voracek and Giroux get the honorable mentions.

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KHL Day 116 2013-2014

Six games on today, beginning in...

Khanty-Mansiysk, as Yugra hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Nikita Bespalov is mismatched with Mikhail Biryukov in goal. Khanty-Mansiysk was first to score in the first period as Mikhail Tyulyapkin scored, thanks to Mikhail Zhukov and Mikhail Yakubov. Yugra added on in the third period with a Veli-Matti Savinainen power play goal, powered by Ilari Melart and Tomas Starosta. Novosibirsk got on the board as Igor Ozhiganov scored, with the help of Dmitry Monya. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Biryukov (46 for 47 in saves), Savinainen, and Tyulyapkin.

Down in Omsk, Avangard welcomes Admiral Vladivostok. Evgeny Ivannikov and Mathieu Garon guard the cages. Omsk led off in the first period on an Alexander Perezhogin goal, fueled by Alexander Popov. Avangard added on as Anton Kuryanov scored, with the help of Sergei Shirokov. Vladivostok got on the board in the second period as Felix Schutz scored, thanks to Evgeny Grachyov and Niclas Bergfors. Omsk replied on a power play goal by Sergei Kalinin, powered by Dmitry Semin. Avangard iced it at 4-1 with another Perezhogin goal in the third period, assisted by Miroslav Blatak. The three stars were Perezhogin, Garon (33 for 34 in saves), and Kuryanov.

Moving along to Yekaterinburg, as Avtomobilist brings in Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Nikita Lozhkin and Jakub Kovar are in the creases. Yekaterinburg began in the first period with a Fyodor Malykhin goal, with a lone assist by Anton Lazarev. Avtomobilist added on in the second period with another Malykhin goal, coming on the power play from Sami Lepisto. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 2-0, and the three stars were Malykhin, Kovar (23 save shutout), and Lazarev.

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Alexei Murygin and Ari Ahonen are the masked men. Astana struck first in the first period with a Brandon Bochenski power play goal, with a lone assist from Mike Lundin. Barys added on as Nigel Dawes scored a power play goal, powered by Cam Barker and Bochenski. Khabarovsk got on the board with an Andrei Stepanov power play goal, guided in by Vladimir Loginov and the goalie Murygin. Astana responded in the second period on a Dmitry Upper goal, made possible by Talgat Zhailauov and Konstantin Romanov. Barys extended the lead with another Dawes power play goal, and Dustin Boyd had the only helper. Murygin was pulled for Mika Jarvinen. Astana padded the lead as Bochenski scored a shorthanded goal, set up by Boyd. Barys struck again as Evgeny Blokhin scored a power play goal, thanks to Konstantin Rudenko and Romanov. Astana kept going in the third period on a Lundin power play goal, coming off of Dawes and Bochenski. Barys got another as Dawes scored to complete his hat trick, via Barker and Bochenski, the latter getting a sock trick. Amur got one back on a Dmitry Lugin goal, passed from Artyom Dubinin and Ilshat Bilalov. The final was 8-2, with the three stars being awarded to Bochenski, Dawes, and Boyd, while Lundin, Barker, and Romanov get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to St. Petersburg, where SKA welcomes Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Vladimir Sokhatsky and Alexander Salak are between the pipes. Ufa got going in the second period as Igor Mirnov scored, thanks to Alexander Mereskin and Andrei Ankudinov. Salavat Yulaev added on with a shorthanded goal by Alexei Kaigorodov, set up by Brent Sopel. St. Petersburg got on the board in the third period on a Dmitry Kalinin goal, guided in by Igor Makarov and Artemy Panarin. They failed to tie it, losing 2-1, with the three stars being Sokhatsky (32 for 33 in saves), Kaigorodov, and Mirnov.

Finally, in Riga, Dinamo brings in Lev Prague. Petri Vehanen and Mikael Tellqvist protect the nets. Riga dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Marcel Hossa goal, fueled by Sandis Ozolins. Prague tied it in the third period on a Ondrej Nemec goal, assisted by Jiri Sekac and Martin Thornberg. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Lev won 2-1 with tallies by Thornberg and Jakub Klepis. The three stars were Thornberg, Vehanen (19 for 20 in saves), and Tellqvist (30 for 31 in saves).

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NHL Day 88 2013-2014

Ten games on tonight for the first of three busy nights in a row. We begin in...

Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Justin Peters are between the pipes. Carolina opened in the first period as Andrej Sekera scored his seventh of the season, courtesy of Jordan Staal and Nathan Gerbe. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period on a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of James Neal and Olli Maatta. The Hurricanes retook the lead as Gerbe scored his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Alexander Semin. The Penguins tied it again in the third period with a Chris Conner goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Jussi Jokinen and Neal. Pittsburgh took the lead as Deryk Engelland potted his third of the season, thanks to Brooks Orpik and Jokinen. Carolina tied it with a Drayson Bowman goal, his third of the year, guided in by Riley Nash and Patrick Dwyer. The Penguins won 4-3 in overtime on a Neal goal, his eleventh of the campaign, made possible by Jokinen, who got a sock trick, and Engelland. The three stars were handed to Neal, Jokinen, and Engelland, while Gerbe gets an honorable mention.

Up in Boston, the Bruins welcome the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Tuukka Rask are in the creases. Boston dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jarome Iginla goal, his eleventh of the season coming on the power play with assists provided by Milan Lucic and Torey Krug. The Bruins added on in the third period as David Krejci scored his eighth of the year, via Matt Bartkowski and Adam McQuaid. Boston extended the lead with a Reilly Smith goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins padded the lead as Smith scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Bergeron. Boston iced it at 5-0 with a shorthanded Marchand goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Johnny Boychuk. The three stars were handed to Rask (33 save shutout), Smith, and Marchand, while Bergeron gets an honorable mention.

Moving along to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the New York Rangers. Backups Cam Talbot and Philipp Grubauer are in goal. Washington led off in the first period on a Mike Green power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Martin Erat and Dmitry Orlov. New York tied it in the second period on a Benoit Pouliot power play goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Brad Richards and Derrick Brassard. The Capitals retook the lead as Nicklas Backstrom scored his tenth of the season, assisted by Steve Oleksy. The Rangers tied it in again in the third period on a Carl Hagelin shorthanded goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi. Washington pulled ahead as Eric Fehr scored his sixth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Backstrom. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Backstrom, Grubauer (38 for 40 in saves), and Fehr.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Martin Brodeur are the masked men. Columbus struck first in the first period on an Artem Anisimov goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Brandon Dubinsky and Cam Atkinson. New Jersey tied it as Adam Henrique scored in the third period with his seventh of the year, thanks to Patrik Elias and Marek Zidlicky. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Atkinson had the lone tally for a 2-1 Blue Jackets win. The three stars were Atkinson, McElhinney (16 for 17 in saves), and Brodeur (29 for 30 in saves).

North to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Jonathan Bernier protect the nets. Buffalo was first to score in the first period on a Matt Moulson goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Zemgus Girgensons and Jamie McBain. The Sabres added on as John Scott scored, thanks to Matt Ellis. Toronto got on the board in the second period with a Jake Gardiner goal, his second of the year, guided in by Phil Kessel and Cody Franson. The Maple Leafs tied it as Peter Holland scored his sixth of the season, with the help of Mason Raymond and Franson. Toronto took the lead with a power play goal from Kessel, his eighteenth of the year, powered by James van Riemsdyk and Dion Phaneuf. Buffalo tied it in the third period as Steve Ott scored his fifth of the campaign, a power play goal assisted by Moulson and Tyler Myers. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Joffrey Lupul had the lone tally for a 4-3 win for the Maple Leafs. The three stars belonged to Kessel, Moulson, and Franson.

Westward to Winnipeg, where the Jets host the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Ondrej Pavelec are the veteran goalies. Minnesota began in the first period with a Dany Heatley goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Jason Pominville and Mikael Granlund. Winnipeg tied it as Evander Kane scored his eleventh of the year, a shorthanded goal set up by Michael Frolik. The Jets took the lead with an Olli Jokinen goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Devin Setoguchi and Chris Thorburn. The Wild retied it as Justin Fontaine potted his seventh of the year, via Matt Cooke and Kyle Brodziak. Minnesota took the lead again on a Stephane Veilleux goal, with assists provided by Jared Spurgeon and Torrey Mitchell. Al Montoya relieved Pavelec at this time. Winnipeg retied it again on a Blake Wheeler goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Jacob Trouba and Andrew Ladd. The Jets pulled ahead as Dustin Byfuglien scored his seventh of the year, with the help of Eric Tangradi and Adam Pardy. The Wild tied it again in the second period on a Mikko Koivu power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Charlie Coyle and Pominville. Winnipeg took the lead once more in the third period as Wheeler netted his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, helped along by Bryan Little and Ladd. The Jets wrapped it up at 6-4 with a Tobias Enstrom empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Jokinen. The three stars went to Wheeler, Jokinen, and Ladd, while Pominville gets an honorable mention.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Antti Raanta draw the starts. Chicago started in the first period on a Patrick Sharp goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks added on as Jonathan Toews scored his fourteenth of the year, thanks to Marian Hossa and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Chicago extended the lead with another Sharp goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the campaign, a power play goal powered by Keith and Toews. The Blackhawks padded the lead in the second period when Sharp completed his hat trick on his twenty-first of the season, via Hjalmarsson and Toews. Chicago got another with Toews' second of the night and fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Sharp. Colorado got on the board with a Paul Stastny goal, his eleventh of the campaign, passed from Gabriel Landeskog and P.A. Parenteau. The Blackhawks replied on a Michal Handzus goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Patrick Kane and Kris Versteeg. Chicago struck again with a Versteeg goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Keith, who got a sock trick, and Handzus. Semyon Varlamov relieved Giguere for the third period. The Avalanche got one back in the third period as Landeskog netted his eleventh of the campaign, with a lone helper by Parenteau. This only made it 7-2, the final, with Sharp, Toews, and Keith getting the three stars while Versteeg, Handzus, Landeskog, Hjalmarsson, and Parenteau get the honorable mentions.

Further to the south, the Dallas Stars host the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton is mismatched with Kari Lehtonen in goal. Dallas got going in the first period as Jamie Benn scored his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Alex Goligoski and Brenden Dillon. Nashville tied it in the second period on a Kevin Klein goal, fueled by Colin Wilson and Ryan Ellis. The Stars retook the lead as Erik Cole scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Rich Peverley and Colton Sceviour. Dallas added on as Cole scored his second of the game and eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Goligoski. The Stars iced it at 4-1 in the third period on a Ryan Garbutt goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Cody Eakin and Jordie Benn. The three stars were given to Cole, Lehtonen (33 for 34 in saves), and Goligoski.

A bit to the west, the Phoenix Coyotes bring in the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Mike Smith tend the twines. Phoenix led off in the first period with a David Moss goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. San Jose tied it in the second period as Joe Pavelski scored his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Joe Thornton and Brent Burns. The Coyotes retook the lead on another Moss goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, coming off of David Schlemko and Mike Ribeiro. The Sharks tied it again as Patrick Marleau scored his seventeenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Tommy Wingels and Jason Demers. San Jose took the lead in the third period on a Burns goal, his eleventh of the season, via Pavelski and Thornton. Phoenix retied it on a Radim Vrbata goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Ribeiro and Keith Yandle on the power play. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Mikkel Boedker was matched by Logan Couture before a Marleau goal gave the Sharks a 4-3 win. The three stars were Pavelski, Burns, and Marleau, while Moss, Ribeiro, and Thornton get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in Calgary, the Flames host the Battle of Alberta when the Edmonton Oilers come to town. Devan Dubnyk and Reto Berra are in the blue paint. Edmonton began in the first period with a Ryan Smyth goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Ales Hemsky and Boyd Gordon. The Oilers iced it at 2-0 in the third period as Smyth put his second of the game and sixth of the year into the empty net, set up by Gordon. The three stars were handed to Smyth, Dubnyk (27 save shutout), and Gordon.

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KHL Day 115 2013-2014

Seven games on today leading into a busy weekend for sports. We begin in...

Yaroslavl, as Lokomotiv hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Vitaly Kolesnik are in the creases. The game was scoreless until the shootout, where a lone tally by Emil Galimov was all Lokomotiv needed to win 1-0. The three stars were Kolesnik (27 save shutout), Galimov, and Garnett (31 save "shutout").

Down in the Moscow Oblast, Vityaz Podlsk welcomes a team from the city, Spartak Moscow. Jeff Glass and Ivan Lisutin are in goal. Moscow began in the first period with a Grigory Zheldakov goal, fueled by Vyacheslav Kozlov and Alexei Krutov. Podolsk tied it on a power play goal by Dinar Khafizullin, guided in by Maxim Afinogenov. Vityaz took the lead in the second period on a shorthanded goal by Dmitry Shitikov, set up by Alexander Korolyuk and Branislav Mezei. Spartak retied it as Nikolai Lemtyugov scored, thanks to Andrei Sergeyev and Oleg Kvasha. Podolsk took the lead back on an Afinogenov goal, courtesy of Airat Ziazov and Khafizullin. Moscow tied it as Kvasha scored, with assists provided by Mikhail Mamkin and Filipp Toluzakov. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Afinogenov matched Toluzakov, but Vityaz still won with a goal by Vyacheslav Solodukhin. Afinogenov, Khafizullin, and Kvasha got the three stars in the 4-3 game.

Back up in Cherepovets, Severstal brings in Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin faces a lesser foe in Ivan Kasutin in goal. Magnitogorsk was first to score in the first period on an Evgeny Timkin goal, fueled by Chris Lee and Vladimir Malenkikh. Metallurg added on in the third period with a power play goal by Francis Pare, powered by Danis Zaripov and Jan Kovar. Magnitogorsk extended the lead on a Sergei Tereshchenko power play goal, assisted by Dmitry Kazionov and Rinat Ibragimov. Metallurg padded the lead with an Oskar Osala goal, courtesy of Kazionov and Pare. This made it 4-0, the final, with Pare, Koshechkin (29 save shutout), and Kazionov earning the three stars.

Out in Minsk, Dinamo hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Konstantin Barulin and Kevin Lalande are the masked men. Kazan led off in the first period with a power play goal by Alexander Burmistrov, powered by Tim Stapleton and Evgeny Medvedev. Ak Bars added on in the third period with an unassisted goal by Dmitry Obukhov. Minsk got on the board as Sergei Drozd scored, thanks to Ivan Usenko. They failed to tie the game, losing 2-1, and the three stars were Barulin (28 for 29 in saves), Obukhov, and Burmistrov.

Further west to Zagreb, as Medvescak brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Barry Brust tend the twines. Moscow started in the first period with an unassisted Maxim Karpov goal. Dynamo added on with a Denis Mosalyov shorthanded goal, set up by Dmitry Pestunov. Moscow extended the lead as Alexander Ryazantsev scored a power play goal, powered by Filip Novak and Pestunov. Mark dekanich relieved Brust in the second period. Dynamo padded the lead in the second period with a Konstantin Glazachev goal, courtesy of Yury Babenko and Alexei Tsvetkov. Moscow got another in the third period on a Maxim Pestushko goal, assisted by Leo Komarov and Yegor Dugin. This was good for a 5-0 win, with Yeryomenko (34 save shutout), Pestunov, and Karpov being the three stars.

Backtracking to Ukraine, as Donbass Donetsk welcomes Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Vitaly Koval and Michael Leighton guard the cages. Donetsk struck first in the first period on a Petteri Wirtanen power play goal, powered by Clay Wilson and Teemu Laine. Nizhny Novgorod tied it in the second period as Vladimir Galuzin scored, with a lone assist by Vyacheslav Kulyomin. Torpedo took the lead as Galuzin scored again, with another lone assist by Kulyomin. Donbass tied it in the third period with a power play goal by Dmitry Kagarlitsky, coming off of Lukas Kaspar. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Jarkko Immonen of Torpedo was cancelled out by Randy Robitaille of Donbass, before Wojtek Wolski sealed a 3-2 win for Torpedo with his tally. The three stars were Galuzin, Kulyomin, and Wolski.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Jaroslav Janus protect the nets. Nizhnekamsk opened in the first period with a Pavel Kulikov goal, fueled by Yaroslav Alshevsky and Albert Yarullin. Neftekhimik added on as Denis Tolpeko scored, via Yarullin and Roman Lyuduchin. Bratislava got on the board in the second period with a Milan Bartovic goal, coming off of Peter Olvecky. Slovan tied it with a Michal Vondrka power play goal, powered by Mario Bliznak and Marek Troncinsky. Bratislava took the lead on a Tomas Mikus goal, guided in by Bruno Mraz and Andrej Stastny. Slovan extended the lead in the third period as Vondrka scored his second of the game, assisted by Bliznak and Michel Miklik. This was good for a 4-2 win, with Vondrka, Bliznak, and Yarullin getting the three stars.

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KHL Day 114 2013-2014

Five games on today, beginning in...

Omsk, as Avangard hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Alexei Murygin and Mathieu Garon are in the creases. Omsk began in the first period as Denis Kulyash scored, with the help of Nikita Pivtsakin. Khabarovsk tied it on a power play goal by Jan Mursak, powered by Timofei Shishkanov and Andrei Stepanov. Avangard gained the lead in the second period with a Stefan Ruzicka goal, assisted by Alexander Perezhogin. Amur tied it again on a Mikhail Klimchuk goal, going in unassisted. Omsk took the lead back in the third period as Maxim Goncharov scored a power play goal, with a lone assist by Sergei Shirokov. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Goncharov, Ruzicka, and Kulyash.

Up to Yekaterinburg, as Avtomobilist welcomes Sibir Novosibirsk. Mikko Koskinen and Jakub Kovar tend the twines. The game remained scoreless until a Vasily Streltsov shootout tally to give Avtomobilist the 1-0 win. The three stars went to Kovar (31 save shutout), Streltsov, and Koskinen (18 save "shutout").

Moving along to Khanty-Mansiysk, as Yugra hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Nikita Lozhkin and Mikhail Biryukov were given the starting nods. Novokuznetsk struck first in the first period on an Igor Velichkin goal, assisted by Sergei Yemelin and Mark Skutar. Metallurg added on with an Alexei Kosourov goal, fueled by Artyom Gareyev. Novokuznetsk extended the lead in the second period with a Pavel Kanarsky goal, coming off of Skutar. Metallurg padded the lead when Skutar scored, with helpers provided by Velichkin and Yemelin. Novokuznetsk got another as Yemelin scored, via Skutar, who got a sock trick, and Nikita Vyglazov. Metallurg struck again in the third period with a power play goal by Tuukka Mantyla, powered by Gareyev and Vladislav Kartayev. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with a power play goal by Ivan Yatsenko, guided in by Ilari Melart and Mikhail Tyulyapkin. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars being Skutar, Yemelin, and Velichkin, while Gareyev gets an honorable mention.

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana brings in Admiral Vladivostok. Niko Hovinen and Ari Ahonen are the masked men. Astana led off in the first period with a Brandon Bochenski shorthanded goal, set up by Dustin Boyd. Barys added on with another Bochenski goal, with a lone assist by Nigel Dawes. Vladivostok got on the board in the second period on a Vladimir Pervushin goal, coming off of Dmitry Vorobyov and Artyom Zemchyonok. Astana shot back as Dawes scored, guided in by Bochenski and Boyd. Barys extended the lead with a power play goal by Bochenski to finish his hat trick, powered by Roman Savchenko and Boyd, the latter getting a sock trick. Admiral pulled back as Felix Schutz scored, courtesy of Niclas Bergfors and Evgeny Grachyov. Astana padded the lead in the third period with a Konstantin Rudenko goal, made possible by Roman Starchenko and Nikolai Antropov. Vladivostok replied with another Schutz goal, passed from Bergfors and Justin Hodgman. Barys iced it at 6-3 as Starchenko scored an unassisted empty net goal shorthanded. The three stars were Bochenski, Boyd, and Dawes, while Schutz, Starchenko, and Bergfors get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in Mytishchi, Atlant plays the second of a back-to-back against Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Vladimir Sokhatsky is msimatched with Stanislav Galimov in goal. Ufa was first to score in the second period on a Teemu Hartikainen goal, fueled by Dmitry Makarov. Salavat Yulaev added on as Sergei Zinovyev scored a power play goal, courtesy of Nikita Filatov. Mytishchi got on the board as Alexander Kadeikin scored, thanks to Yaroslav Dyblenko and Evgeny Artyukhin. Ufa shot back on an unassisted goal by Ivan Vishnevsky. Salavat Yulaev extended the lead as Hartikainen scored his second of the game, assisted by Makarov and Brent Sopel. Ufa padded the lead in the third period on a Filatov goal, coming off of Kirill Koltsov and Antti Pihlstrom. Atlant got one back on a power play goal by Alexei Mikhnov, powered by Igor Radulov and Roman Rukavishnikov. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Hartikainen, Filatov, and Makarov.

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KHL Day 113 2013-2014

For the United States, it's Christmas, but that means very little to the KHL, where we have six games to go with today. We begin in...

Cherepovets, as Severstal hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Jakub Stepanek protect the nets. Cherepovets was first to score in the first period as Teemu Laasko scored, thanks to Nikolai Zherdev and Bogdan Kiselevich on the power play. St. Petersburg tied it as Alexander Kucheryavenko scored, assisted by Anton Burdasov and Evgeny Ketov. SKA took the lead in the second period as Igor Makarov found twine, with the help of Andrei Kuteikin and Burdasov. This was all they needed for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Salak (27 for 28 in saves), Makarov, and Burdasov.

Over in Nizhny Novgorod, Torpedo welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Vitaly Koval and Konstantin Barulin are the masked men. Kazan led off in the first period as Dmitry Obukhov scored, thanks to Alexander Svitov. Nizhny Novgorod tied it on a Wojtek Wolski power play goal, powered by Mikhail Grigoryev and Vladimir Denisov. Ak Bars retook the lead as Ilya Nikulin scored, via Mikhail Varnakov and Alexander Burmistrov. Sergei Mashkovtsev replaced Koval at this time. Torpedo tied it again as Vladimir Galuzin scored, with the help of Grigoryev and Vyacheslav Kulyomin. Kazan pulled ahead again as Tim Stapleton scored, with assists provided by Varnakov and Burmistrov. Ak Bars added on in the second period with another Stapleton goal, made possible by Evgeny Medvedev and Burmistrov, the latter getting a sock trick. Kazan extended the lead on a Shaun Heshka goal, fueled by Tomas Vincour. Nizhny Novgorod shot back as Grigoryev scored, courtesy of Maxim Potapov and Alexei Potapov. Ak Bars padded the lead with a Varnakov goal in the third period, set up by Stapleton. Torpedo pulled closer as Pavel Lukin potted the puck, assisted by Wolski and Daniil Zharkov. This only made it 6-4, the final, with the three stars being Stapleton, Varnakov, and Grigoryev, while Burmistrov and Wolski get the honorable mentions.

West to Moscow, as CSKA brings in Vityaz Podolsk. Ivan Lisutin and Ilya Proskuryakov are the reliable goalies. Moscow began in the first period on a Denis Denisov goal, fueled by Ilya Zubov. Podolsk tied it when Airat Ziazov scored, with the help of Gleb Klimenko and Mathias Porseland. CSKA retook the lead in the second period with a goal by Alexander Radulov, coming off of Igor Grigorenko. Moscow added on as Nikolai Prokhorkin scored, thanks to Sergei Gimayev and the goalie Proskuryakov. CSKA extended the lead in the third period with a Stanislav Yegorshev goal, with a lone assist by Prokhorkin. Moscow padded the lead with a Roman Lyubimov goal, going in unassisted. Vityaz got one back as Dinar Khafizullin scored, via Alexander Korolyuk and Dmitry Shitikov. This only made it 5-2, with the three stars being Prokhorkin, Proskuryakov (28 for 30 in saves), and Radulov.

Staying in the region, Atlant Mytishchi hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Stanislav Galimov guard the cages. Mytishchi opened in the first period with a power play goal by Vitaly Novopashin, powered by Rafael Batyrshin and Alexander Kadeikin. Nizhnekamsk tied it as Renat Mamashev scored a power play goal, via Fyodor Belyakov and Georgy Belousov. Atlant retook the lead with an Evgeny Artyukhin goal in the second period, coming off of Kadeikin and Sergei Shmelyov. Mytishchi added on as Andreas Engqvist scored, with the help of Maxim Mayorov and Vitaly Atyushov on the power play. Atlant iced it at 4-1 with a third period goal by Engqvist, guided in by Mayorov and Juha-Pekka Haataja. The three stars were Engqvist, Kadeikin, and Mayorov.

Back to the city, as Spartak Moscow welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Jeff Glass tend the twines. Magnitogorsk started in the second period on a Chris Lee goal, guided in by Sergei Mozyakin and Jan Kovar. Metallurg added on as Francis Pare scored, with the help of Dmitry Kazionov and Oskar Osala. Magnitogorsk extended the lead with a power play goal by Danis Zaripov, powered by Tim Brent and Kovar. Metallurg padded the lead on a power play goal from Evgeny Timkin, assisted by Brent and Lee. Moscow got on the board with a Vladimir Peshekhonov goal, via Andrei Sergeyev. Magnitogorsk shot back as Pare scored an unassisted goal. Metallurg wrapped it up at 6-1 with a Viktor Antipin goal, with a lone assist by Yaroslav Kosov. The three stars were Pare, Kovar, and Lee, while Brent gets an honorable mention.

Finally, in Ukraine, Donbass Donetsk brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Michael Leighton are the North American goalies. Chelyabinsk struck first in the first period with a power play goal by Andrei Kostitsyn, powered by Petri Kontiola and Alexei Bondarev. Traktor added on as Semyon Kokuyov scored, via Anton Glinkin and Andrei Popov. Donetsk got on the board in the third period as Maxim Yakutsenya scored an unassisted goal. Donbass tied it with an Oleg Piganovich power play goal, coming off of Jan Kolar and Lukas Kaspar. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Kaspar scored to seal a 3-2 Donbass victory. The three stars were Kaspar, Piganovich, and Yakutsenya.

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Monday Night Football Week 16 2013

Tonight's game marks the last regular season event at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, where the 49ers bring in the Atlanta Falcons. San Francisco opened in the first quarter on a Phil Dawson field goal of 49 yards. Atlanta took the lead in the second quarter on a Steven Jackson 2 yard touchdown run, and Matt Bryant made the extra point. The Falcons added on as Bryant made a 35 yard field goal. The 49ers pulled back in the third quarter on a 10 yard Colin Kaepernick touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin, and Dawson was true with the extra point. San Francisco took the lead as Dawson made a 30 yard field goal. The 49ers extended the lead in the fourth quarter with a 4 yard touchdown run by Kaepernick, and Dawson knocked in the PAT. Atlanta shot back as Matt Ryan found Roddy White for 39 yards and a touchdown, and Bryant handled the extra point. San Francisco replied on a 1 yard Frank Gore touchdown rush, and Dawson nailed the extra point. The Falcons chipped back as Ryan tossed a 2 yard touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez, and Bryant booted the extra point. The 49ers iced it at 34-24 on an 89 yard interception return off of Ryan by NaVorro Bowman, capped off by a Dawson extra point. The 49ers improve to 11-4 while the Falcons fall to 4-11.

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