MLS Saturday June 7th, 2014

Six games on today, beginning with...

Toronto FC hosting the San Jose Earthquakes. Jon Busch and Joe Bendik are the keepers. Toronto picked up a yellow card in the seventeenth minute for unsporting behavior by Doneil Henry. Toronto opened the scoring in the twenty-seventh minute as Jermain Defoe scored on a penalty kick. San Jose picked up two yellow cards in the second half as Sam Cronin committed a foul in the sixtieth minute and Clarence Goodson had a handball in the sixty-sixth minute. Toronto picked up two yellow cards of their own afterwards, as Nick Hagglund had a foul in the eighty-fourth minute and Defoe was booked for wasting time in the third minute of stoppage time. Toronto won 1-0, and Defoe was the man of the match for his goal.

Down in DC, United welcomes the Columbus Crew. Steve Clark and Bill Hamid play goal. DC had the first action in the game, a yellow card issued to Bobby Boswell in the forty-second minute for a foul. United picked up another yellow card on Cristian foul in the seventy-eighth minute. Columbus also found themselves in the book for a Justin Meram foul in the eighty-eighth minute. The Crew picked up a second yellow card as Eric Gehrig was booked for dissent during the fourth minute of stoppage time. The scoring just was not there, as the game ended 0-0. The man of the match was Clark for his three saves and a clean sheet.

Along to Philadelphia, as the Union bring in the Vancouver Whitecaps. David Ousted and Zac MacMath are in the six yard boxes. Vancouver started with an Erik Hurtado goal in the eighteenth minute, set up by Nigel Reo-Coker and Russell Teibert. The Whitecaps added on in the forty-first minute as Nicolas Mezquida scored, thanks to Hurtado. Philadelphia's Raymon Gaddis was the first to be shown a yellow card for his foul in the fifty-third minute. The Union got on the board with a Conor Casey goal, assisted by Cristian Maidana and Fabinho in the sixty-third minute. In the sixty-eighth minute, Sebastien Le Toux tied it for Philadelphia on a goal made possible by Vincent Nogueira and Maidana. The Union gained the lead with a Casey goal in the seventy-first minute, courtesy of Maidana for his third assist. Philadelphia's goalie MacMath was given a yellow card in the eightieth minute, and doubled down with his mistake by conceding the ensuing penalty kick a minute later to Pedro Morales, as Vancouver tied the game, and Darren Mattocks was credited with an assist. The Whitecaps' Johnny Leveron and the Union's Michael Lahoud received a yellow card each in stoppage time for unsporting behavior. The game ended in a 3-3 draw, with Casey being the man of the match for rallying Philadelphia with a brace. 

South to Dallas, where FC Dallas hosts the Colorado Rapids. Clint Irwin and Raul Fernandez man the nets. Colorado's Dillon Serna was shown a yellow card in the eighteenth minute for a foul. Deshorn Brown put the Rapids on the board first with a goal in the twenty-fifth minute, thanks to Drew Moor and Jose Mari. Dallas tied it in the thirty-third minute on a free kick goal by Jair Benitez. Dallas took the lead in the second minute of first half stoppage time on an unassisted Zach Loyd goal. Dallas' Peter Luccin was booked for a foul in the forty-ninth minute, good for a yellow card. Colorado tied it in the fifty-second minute as Mari scored, with the help of Dillon Powers. Dallas retook the lead on a Fabian Castillo goal in the sixty-second minute. The Rapids had a yellow card shown to Nick LaBrocca in the seventy-sixth minute for a foul. The game ended 3-2, and the man of the match was Castillo for the game winner.

Back north, the Chicago Fire welcome the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Sean Johnson protect the nets. The game began chippy, with things boiling over in the eighth minute, as Chris Ritter of Chicago and Obafemi Martins of Seattle both picked up yellow cards for unsporting behavior. Jhon Kennedy Hurtado had the next yellow card for the Fire in the twenty-fourth minute for a foul. The Sounders got on the board as Martins scored in the thirty-first minute. Hurtado was shown another yellow card in the thirty-seventh minute, his second yellow resulting in a red card that put him out of the game and his team down a man. To make matters worse for Hurtado, Martins buried the penalty kick a minute later to extend the Seattle lead. Chicago cut into the lead in the forty-first minute on a Harrison Shipp goal, passed from Quincy Amarikwa. The Sounders' man advantage disappeared in the forty-second minute, as Martins was shown a straight red card for a fight, and the teams were evenly matched again at ten men each. Seattle extended their lead with a goal in the seventy-eighth minute by Lamar Neagle, made possible by Kenny Cooper and Marco Pappa. The Fire got one back in the eighty-second minute as Shipp scored his second of the game, again assisted by Amarikwa. The chippiness returned in stoppage time, with Amarikwa picking up a yellow for unsporting behavior, Leo Gonzalez being booked a yellow card for a dive, and Frei being shown the yellow card for time wasting. The eventful game ended 3-2 favoring Seattle, and Martins was the man of the match for a crucial brace despite playing less than a half of the game.

Finally, Real Salt Lake brings in the Portland Timbers. Donovan Ricketts and Jeff Attinella are guarding the woodwork. Salt Lake began in the twenty-third minute on an unassisted Luke Mulholland goal. Portland tied it on a Fanendo Adi goal, guided in by Diego Valeri. The Timbers took the lead on an Adi goal in the forty-fifth minute, an unassisted effort. Real went down a man in the second half, as Tony Beltran committed two fouls for yellow cards in two minutes, beginning around the fifty-third minute. Salt Lake had another yellow card dished out to Olmes Garcia in the seventieth minute. Portland scored again as Will Johnson deposited a penalty kick in the seventy-third minute. Real's fourth yellow card was shown to Mulholland in the eighty-fourth minute for his foul. Portland's Diego Chara was given a yellow card in the first minute of stoppage time for a foul as well, but the Timbers still won 3-1. The man of the match was Adi for his brace.

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MLS Friday June 6th, 2014

One game tonight, as the Houston Dynamo host Sporting Kansas City. Eric Kronberg and Tyler Deric draw the starts in goal. Things got heated in the twenty-first minute, as Alexander Lopez was given a yellow card for his role in argument on the Houston side, while Kansas City's Toni was shown the red card for a fight, putting his team down to ten men. The Dynamo had another yellow card in the twenty-ninth minute on a foul by Andrew Driver. Sporting got on the board in the forty-fifth minute with a Soony Saad goal, set up by Benny Feilhaber. Houston returned to the referee's book in the second minute of first half stoppage time on an off the ball foul by Eric Brunner that brought out another yellow card. Kansas City added on to their lead as Dominic Dwyer deposited a penalty kick in the seventieth minute. The teams exchanged yellow cards later, as Jermaine Taylor and Saad had fouls worthy of being booked in the seventy-ninth and eighty-seventh minutes, respectively. Sporting picked up one more yellow in the fourth minute of second half stoppage time, as Kronberg was booked for time wasting. Still, the shorthanded side from Kansas City won 2-0, and Saad was the man of the match for the game-winner.

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MLS Wednesday June 4th, 2014

Two games on tonight, beginning in...

Columbus, as the Crew host Real Salt Lake. Jeff Attinella and Steve Clark are in the six-yard boxes. Columbus picked up a yellow card for an Eric Gehrig foul in the sixteenth minute. Salt Lake opened the scoring in the fifty-sixth minute on a Luis Gil goal, going in unassisted. The Crew tied it in the eighty-eighth minute as Ethan Finlay scored, thanks to Ben Speas. This made it a 1-1 draw, and Attinella was the man of the match for making six saves to garner a point for Real.

The other game is in Colorado, as the Rapids host the Chicago Fire. Sean Johnson and John Berner are the keepers. Chicago's Benji Joya picked up a yellow card for a foul in the twentieth minute. The Fire got another yellow card in the seventy-eighth minute for a Matt Watson off the ball foul, but Colorado had a yellow card shown to Jared Watts just seven minutes later for a foul of his own. The game ended in a scoreless draw, with Johnson being the man of the match by stopping the two shots directed on his goal to help the Fire earn their point.

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Western Conference Final: Chicago Blackhawks VS. Los Angeles Kings

This post is a reference for the above referenced series, so check back here for each game.

Game 1: United Center, Chicago, Illinois. In goal: Jonathan Quick and Corey Crawford. Chicago opened in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his third of the postseason, courtesy of Nick Leddy and Marian Hossa on the power play. Los Angeles tied it in the second period on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his fourth of the playoffs, guided in by Tanner Pearson and Jeff Carter. The Blackhawks took the lead back with a Duncan Keith goal, his third of the postseason, assisted by Saad and Marcus Kruger. Chicago added on in the third period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his sixth of the playoffs, fueled by Johnny Oduya and Hossa. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Saad, Crawford (25 for 26 in saves), and Hossa. Chicago begins the series ahead 1-0.

Game 2: United Center, Chicago, Illinois. In goal: Jonathan Quick and Corey Crawford. Chicago began in the first period on a Nick Leddy power play goal, powered by Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks added on as Ben Smith scored his second of the postseason in the second period, assisted by Brandon Bollig and Johnny Oduya. Los Angeles got on the board as Justin Williams scored his sixth of the playoffs, thanks to Mike Richards and Dwight King. The Kings tied it in the third period on a Drew Doughty power play goal, his second of the postseason, via Slava Voynov and Marian Gaborik. Los Angeles took the lead with a Jeff Carter power play goal, his fifth of the playoffs, fueled by Jake Muzzin and Alec Martinez. The Kings extended the lead with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his fifth of the postseason, coming off of Tanner Pearson and Carter. Los Angeles padded the lead as Carter scored his sixth of the playoffs and second of the game, courtesy of Pearson and Matt Greene. The Kings iced it at 6-2 when Carter completed his hat trick with his seventh of the postseason, an empty net goal going in unassisted. The three stars were Carter, Pearson, and Toffoli. The series heads west tied at 1.

Game 3: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. In goal: Corey Crawford and Jonathan Quick. Chicago was first to score in the first period on a Jonathan Toews goal, his seventh of the postseason, going in shorthanded and unassisted. Los Angeles tied it on a Slava Voynov power play goal, his second of the playoffs, powered by Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty. The Blackhawks retook the lead on a Toews goal, his second of the game and eighth of the postseason, via Michal Rozsival and Marian Hossa. The Kings tied it in the second period with a Carter goal, his eighth of the playoffs, assisted by Tanner Pearson. Los Angeles took the lead on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his sixth of the postseason, coming off of Carter and Willie Mitchell. The Kings added on in the third period with a Doughty goal, his second of the playoffs, made possible by Jake Muzzin and Justin Williams. Chicago got one back late on a Patrick Sharp goal, his third of the postseason, with a lone assist by Nick Leddy. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Carter, Toews, and Doughty. The Kings now have a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. In goal: Corey Crawford and Jonathan Quick. Los Angeles led off in the first period on a Jake Muzzin goal, his fifth of the postseason, a power play goal powered by Drew Doughty and Tyler Toffoli. The Kings added on as Marian Gaborik scored his tenth of the playoffs, with a lone assist by Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles extended the lead on a Dustin Brown power play goal, his third of the postseason, fueled by Justin Williams and Muzzin. The Kings padded the lead with a Doughty goal, his third of the playoffs, guided in by Kopitar and Williams. Chicago got on the board with a Brandon Saad goal, his fourth of the postseason, passed from Michal Rozsival. The Blackhawks pulled closer in the third period on a Bryan Bickell goal, his seventh of the playoffs, set up by Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. Los Angeles iced it at 5-2 with a Tanner Pearson empty net goal, his fifth of the postseason, helped along by Jeff Carter. The three stars were Muzzin, Kopitar, and Doughty, while Williams gets an honorable mention. Los Angeles travels with a 3-1 series lead.

Game 5: United Center, Chicago, Illinois. In goal: Jonathan Quick and Corey Crawford. Chicago started in the first period on a Brent Seabrook power play goal, his third of the postseason, powered by Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks added on with a Johnny Oduya goal, his second of the playoffs, guided in by Kane and Andrew Shaw. Los Angeles got on the board with a Jarret Stoll goal, his second of the postseason, with a lone helper from Dwight King. Chicago shot back on a Brandon Saad goal, his fifth of the playoffs, assisted by Shaw and Kane, the latter getting a sock trick. The Kings pulled back with a Marian Gaborik goal, his eleventh of the postseason, made possible by Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. Los Angeles tied it in the second period on a Brown goal, his fourth of the playoffs, passed from Gaborik. The Kings took the lead on a Tanner Pearson goal, his fourth of the postseason, coming off of Jeff Carter. The Blackhawks tied it in the third period on a Ben Smith goal, his third of the playoffs, thanks to Saad and Oduya. Chicago won 5-4 in the second overtime on a Michal Handzus goal, his second of the postseason, courtesy of Saad and Kane. The three stars were Kane, Saad, and Shaw, while Brown, Oduya, and Gaborik were the honorable mentions. Los Angeles will head home with a 3-2 series lead after this setback.

Game 6: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. In goal: Corey Crawford and Jonathan Quick. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Dwight King goal, his second of the postseason, via Jarret Stoll and Justin Williams. Chicago tied it in the second period on a Patrick Kane power play goal, his seventh of the playoffs, powered by Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks took the lead on a Ben Smith goal, his fourth of the postseason, guided in by Patrick Sharp and Seabrook. The Kings tied it on a third period Drew Doughty goal, his fourth of the playoffs, assisted by Dustin Brown and Mike Richards. Los Angeles regained the lead as Alec Martinez scored his third of the postseason, a power play goal made possible by Doughty. Chicago evened the score on a Duncan Keith goal, his fourth of the playoffs, set up by Kane and Andrew Shaw. The Blackhawks pulled ahead on Kane's second of the game and eighth of the postseason, thanks to Brandon Saad and Niklas Hjalmarsson. They held on for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Kane, Seabrook, and Doughty. The series heads to Chicago to be decided in Game 7.

Game 7: United Center, Chicago, Illinois. In goal: Jonathan Quick and Corey Crawford. Chicago got going in the first period on a Brandon Saad goal, his sixth of the postseason, coming off of Patrick Kane and Andrew Shaw. The Blackhawks added on with a Jonathan Toews power play goal, his ninth of the playoffs, powered by Kane and Brent Seabrook. Los Angeles got one back with a Jeff Carter goal, his ninth of the postseason, passed from Dustin Brown and Tyler Toffoli. The Kings tied it on a Justin Williams goal, his seventh of the playoffs, guided in by Slava Voynov and Dwight King. Chicago retook the lead as Patrick Sharp scored his fourth of the postseason, thanks to Marcus Kruger. Los Angeles tied it in the second period on a Toffoli goal, his seventh of the playoffs, via Matt Greene and King. The Blackhawks got the lead back on a Sharp goal, his second of the game and fifth of the postseason, helped along by Saad on the power play. The Kings tied it on a Marian Gaborik goal in the third period, his twelfth of the playoffs, with assists provided by Brown and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles won with an Alec Martinez goal in overtime, his fourth of the postseason, dished from Williams and Greene for the 5-4 win. The three stars were Williams, Saad, and Sharp, while Kane, Brown, Greene, King, and Toffoli are the honorable mentions. The Kings take the series 4-3 and face the New York Rangers for the Stanley Cup, beginning on Wednesday. 

MLS Sunday June 1st, 2014

Three games on to close out this week in the league. First...

The Chicago Fire host the Los Angeles Galaxy. Jaime Penedo and Sean Johnson are the keepers. Chicago picked up an early yellow card as Jhon Kennedy Hurtado was booked for a foul in the seventh minute. The Fire started the scoring in the sixty-eighth minute on a Jeff Larentowicz penalty kick conversion. Los Angeles tied it on a Landon Donovan goal in the seventy-fourth minute, set up by Robbie Rogers. In the seventy-sixth minute, Donovan found himself in the referee's book with a yellow card for a foul. This was the end of the action, with the game ending in a 1-1 draw. The man of the match was Penedo, stopping three of the four shots sent his way.

Out west, the Colorado Rapids welcome the Houston Dynamo. Tally Hall and Clint Irwin play goal. Colorado opened in the fifth minute with a Deshorn Brown goal, assisted by Marvell Wynne. The Rapids added on in the thirty-fifth minute as Brown scored again, this time with an assist from Dillon Powers. Houston was shown a yellow card in the fortieth minute for a Warren Creavalle foul. Colorado extended their lead in the fifty-first minute as Kamani Hill scored, and Powers was credited with the assist. This was good for a 3-0 win, and Brown was the man of the match.

Finally, in Portland, the Timbers host the Vancouver Whitecaps FC for a Cascadia Cup battle. David Ousted and Donovan Ricketts protect the nets. Portland quickly began in the third minute with a Maximiliano Urruti goal, set up by Diego Valeri. Vancouver took the lead as Pedro Morales put two penalty kicks in the back of the net, in the sixteenth and twenty-sixth minutes. The Whitecaps also saw Kekuta Manneh booked on a yellow card in the twenty-eighth minute for a foul. In the forty-fifth minute, each team received a yellow card, as Pa Modou Kah of the Timbers was called for unsporting behavior and Sebastian Fernandez committed a foul. Vancouver added on to their lead with a goal by Erik Hurtado in the fourth minute of stoppage time, with assists by Hurtado and Matias Laba. The Whitecaps extended the lead with a Jordan Harvey goal, passed from Morales. Portland pulled closer on a Gaston Fernandez goal in the seventy-seventh minute, courtesy of Valeri. The Timbers chipped away with a Will Johnson goal in the eighty-sixth minute, via Fanendo Adi. They failed to pull level, losing 4-3. The man of the match was Morales for a brace and two assists, having a part in each Whitecaps goal.

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MLS Saturday May 31st, 2014

Six games on today, beginning with...

The Seattle Sounders FC hosting Real Salt Lake. Jeff Attinella and Stefan Frei draw the starts in goal. Seattle began with a Gonzalo Pineda penalty kick goal in the forty-second minute. Salt Lake's Tony Beltran received a yellow card in the forty-third minute for a foul. The Sounders added on with a Marco Pappa free kick goal in the fifty-fifth minute, which was beautifully tucked in on the right side of the goal after clearing the wall. Seattle added on in the sixty-second minute as Chad Barrett scored, thanks to Lamar Neagle. Real earned another yellow card with a foul by Nat Borchers in the seventy-sixth minute, but the Sounders were also shown one for a Brad Evans foul in the eightieth minute. Seattle iced it at 4-0 with an Obafemi Martins goal in the ninetieth minute, set up by Kenny Cooper. The man of the match was Pappa for his beautiful free kick and strong defense.

Back east, Toronto FC welcomes the Columbus Crew. Steve Clark and Joe Bendik protect the woodwork. Columbus was first to score in the eighteenth minute on a Justin Meram goal, passed from Ethan Finlay. Toronto quickly tied it as Jermain Defoe converted a penalty kick in the twenty-first minute. The Crew got into a bit of trouble after this, as Michael Parkhurst in the thirty-ninth minute and Agustin Viana in the sixtieth minute were both booked for yellow card fouls. Viana made up for his transgression by giving Columbus the lead in the sixty-fifth minute, with the help of Ben Speas. It was Toronto's turn to be visited by the referees at this point. As a result of the goal, Bendik was shown a yellow for expressing his dissent, followed by Gilberto's off the ball foul in the seventy-seventh minute and more dissent from Kyle Bekker in the eightieth minute. Despite the bookings, Toronto tied the game in the eighty-first minute on a Defoe goal, set up by Gilberto. The Crew's Tyson Wahl got a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-third minute. Toronto then took the lead with a timely goal by Doneil Henry, coming two minutes into stoppage time on an assist from Daniel Lovitz. Henry got a yellow for excessive celebration, but it didn't matter as Toronto held on for a 3-2 win. Defoe's brace gives him the man of the match honors.

Staying in Canada, as the Montreal Impact bring in the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth and Troy Perkins man the nets. Montreal opened in the third minute with an Andres Romero goal, via Marco Di Vaio. The Impact added on in the thirty-eighth minute as Jack McInerney scored an unassisted goal. New England began the referee's bookkeeping with a yellow card foul in the fortieth minute. Montreal's Felipe Martins matched it in the sixty-third minute with his yellow card for persistent infringement. The Revolution picked up another yellow card in the seventy-sixth minute with a foul by Teal Bunbury. The Impact won the game 2-0, and the man of the match was Perkins for his fiftieth career clean sheet, this one having three saves.

Down in DC, United hosts Sporting Kansas City. Eric Kronberg and Bill Hamid are the keepers. DC struck first in the twenty-eighth minute with a Fabian Espindola goal, made possible by Chris Korb. In the last half-hour of the match, there were quite a few cards tossed around. Yellow cards were given to United's Cristian in the sixtieth minute for a foul, Espindola in the seventy-sixth minute for an argument, and Perry Kitchen in the eighty-second minute on a foul, while Kansas City picked up yellows for Erik Palmer-Brown's foul in the seventy-second minute, and Toni's argument in the eight-fifth minute. Then, there was a red card in the fourth minute of stoppage time as Alex Caskey committed a serious foul. Luckily, DC played at ten men for only a couple of minutes, and still won 1-0. Hamid, with five saves in his shutout, shares man of the match honors with Espindola.

Further south to Texas, as Dallas FC welcomes the San Jose Earthquakes. Jon Busch and Chris Seitz are in the six-yard box. Dallas led off in the sixteenth minute with a Blas Perez goal, courtesy of Fabian Castillo. Dallas was the first to receive a card, as Adam Moffat's persistent infringement was shown the book. San Jose leveled the score in the twenty-seventh minute on an Atiba Harris goal, via Steven Lenhart. Dallas took a significant blow in the thirty-seventh minute as Moffat committed a foul that was deemed worthy of a second yellow card and took him out of the game, putting Dallas at ten men for about an hour of game time. The Earthquakes grabbed the lead in the forty-fifth minute on a Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi goal, passed from Khari Stephenson. San Jose picked up a couple of yellow cards late in the second half as Brandon Barklage committed a foul in the eighty-seventh minute, followed by a Cordell Cato foul in the eighty-ninth minute. This did not affect them, as they won 2-1. The man of the match was Pierrazzi for a shot from long range.

Finally, Chivas USA brings in the Philadelphia Union. Zac MacMath and Den Kennedy are the goalies. Philadelphia started with a goal in the twenty-eighth minute as Conor Casey finished off a penalty kick. There was a parade of yellow cards right after the hour-mark, as Leandro Barrera in the sixty-third minute and Erick Torres a minute later picked up yellows for a foul and persistent infringement, respectively, for Chivas. The Union did not escape unscathed, as Fabinho received a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-fifth minute. Keeping with the action, Philadelphia extended their lead as Casey scored in the sixty-sixth minute, his second of the game being assisted by Cristian Maidana. Chivas was booked again in the seventy-third minute on an Eric Avila foul for a yellow card. The Union added on with a Maidana goal in the seventy-sixth minute, passed from Vincent Nogueira. Chivas couldn't catch a break as Oswaldo Minda was shown a straight red card for a fight in the eighty-third minute, putting his team down to ten men. No more damage was suffered, and Philadelphia took a 3-0 win for three points on the road. The man of the match was Casey for his brace.

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Eastern Conference Finals: Montreal Canadiens VS. New York Rangers

This post is a reference for the above referenced series, so check back here for each game.

Game 1: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec. In goal: Henrik Lundqvist and Carey Price. New York opened in the first period with a Martin St. Louis goal, his fourth of the postseason, courtesy of Dominic Moore and Kevin Klein. The Rangers added on with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his fourth of the playoffs, assisted by Ryan McDonagh and Dominic Moore. Montreal got on the board in the second period on a Rene Bourque goal, his fifth of the postseason, via Brian Gionta and Lars Eller. New York shot back with a Chris Kreider goal, his second of the playoffs, coming off of Rick Nash. The Rangers extended the lead as Brad Richards potted his fifth of the postseason, thanks to Zuccarello and Marc Staal. New York padded the lead in the third period with a McDonagh power play goal, his second of the playoffs, powered by Derek Stepan and Kreider. The Rangers kept going with a Stepan power play goal, his third of the postseason, with assists provided by St. Louis and McDonagh. New York struck again on a Nash power play goal, made possible by Zuccarello and John Moore. The Canadiens got one back with a shorthanded Eller goal, his fifth of the playoffs, going in unassisted. The final stood from here at 7-2, with the three stars going to Zuccarello, St. Louis, and McDonagh, while Dominic Moore, Eller, Kreider, Nash, and Stepan all get honorable mentions. New York dominated their way to a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec. In goal: Henrik Lundqvist and Dustin Tokarski. Montreal was first to score in the first period on a Max Pacioretty goal, his fourth of the postseason, going in unassisted. New York tied it on a Ryan McDonagh goal, his third of the playoffs, an unassisted goal. The Rangers took the lead as Rick Nash scored his second of the postseason, thanks to Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan. New York added on in the second period with a Martin St. Louis power play goal, his fifth of the playoffs, powered by Stepan and McDonagh. This was all they needed for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Lundqvist (40 for 41 in saves), McDonagh, and Stepan. The Rangers head home with a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York. In goal: Dustin Tokarski and Henrik Lundqvist. New York started with a Carl Hagelin first period goal, his fifth of the postseason, fueled by Martin St. Louis. Montreal tied it in the second period on an Andrei Markov goal, assisted by Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens took the lead on a Daniel Briere goal in the third period, his third of the playoffs, guided in by Thomas Vanek and Rene Bourque. The Rangers tied it on a Chris Kreider goal, his third of the postseason, via Dan Girardi and Derek Stepan. Montreal won 3-2 with an Alex Galchenyuk goal in overtime, coming off of Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta. The three stars were Galchenyuk, Tokarski (35 for 37 in saves), and Briere. The Rangers still hold a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York. In goal: Dustin Tokarski and Henrik Lundqvist. New York began in the first period with a Carl Hagelin shorthanded goal, his sixth of the postseason, set up by Brian Boyle and Ryan McDonagh. Montreal tied it in the second period on a Fancis Bouillon goal, his second of the playoffs, coming off of David Desharnais and Rene Bourque. The
Rangers retook the lead on a Derick Brassard goal, his fifth of the postseason, made possible by Dan Girardi and the goalie Lundqvist. The Canadiens tied it on a third period P.K. Subban power play goal, his fifth of the playoffs, powered by Andrei Markov and Desharnais. New York won 3-2 with a Martin St. Louis overtime goal, his sixth of the postseason, assisted by Hagelin and Brad Richards. The three stars were Hagelin, Desharnais, and St. Louis. New York will head north and push their opponents to the brink with a 3-1 series lead.

Game 5: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec. In goal: Henrik Lundqvist and Dustin Tokarski. Montreal led off with an Alex Galchenyuk power play goal, his second of the postseason, powered by P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov. New York tied it on a Derek Stepan goal, his fourth of the playoffs, made possible by Chris Kreider and Marc Staal. The Canadiens took the lead back with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his fourth of the postseason, fueled by Brian Gionta and Galchenyuk. Montreal added on in the second period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his fifth of the playoffs, passed from Brendan Gallagher and Markov. The Canadiens extended the lead on a Rene Bourque goal, his sixth of the postseason, guided in by Lars Eller and Thomas Vanek. The Rangers got one back as Rick Nash scored his third of the playoffs, a power play goal set up by Ryan McDonagh and Kreider. New York pulled closer with Stepan's second of the game and fifth of the postseason, via Kreider, who got a sock trick, and Nash. The Rangers tied it on a Kreider power play goal, his fourth of the playoffs, with assists from McDonagh and Derick Brassard. Montreal retook the lead as Bourque scored his second of the game and seventh of the postseason, helped along by Dale Weise and Eller. The Canadiens padded the lead with Bourque completing his hat trick on his eighth of the playoffs, with assists provided by Weise and Markov, the latter getting a sock trick. Montreal iced it at 7-4 with a David Desharnais empty net goal, his second of the postseason, courtesy of Pacioretty. The three stars were Bourque, Markov, and Kreider, while Stepan, Galchenyuk, Pacioretty, Eller, Nash, McDonagh, and Weise all get honorable mentions. The series still favors New York 3-2.

Game 6: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York. In goal: Dustin Tokarski and Henrik Lundqvist. New York got going in the second period on a Dominic Moore goal, his third of the postseason, via Brian Boyle and Ryan McDonagh. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win. The three stars were Lundqvist (18 save shutout), Moore, and Tokarski (31 for 32 in saves). The Rangers advance to the Stanley Cup Finals on a 4-2 series win.