Premier League Week 17

Ten games on over three days, beginning in...

Manchester, as City hosts Crystal Palace. Julian Speroni and Joe Hart are in goal. In the thirty-sixth minute, Aleksandar Kolarov received a yellow card for a foul for Manchester City. In the thirty-ninth minute, Jason Puncheon of Crystal Palace took a yellow card for his foul. Manchester City opened in the forty-ninth minute with a David Silva goal, guided in by Pablo Zabaleta. Manchester City added on with a Silva goal in the sixty-first minute, passed from Kolarov on a cross after a corner kick. Manchester City's James Milner received a yellow card in the seventh-ninth minute for a foul. Manchester City extended the lead as Yaya Toure scored in the eighty-first minute, with an assist from Milner. This made it a 3-0 final score.

Next up, Aston Villa welcomes Manchester United. David de Gea and Brad Guzan are in the six-yard boxes. In the eighteenth minute, Christian Benteke scored for Aston Villa after a set piece. Manchester United tied it on a fifty-third minute Falcao header, passed from Ashley Young on a cross. In the sixty-fifth minute, Aston Villa went down to ten men when Gabriel Agbonlahor was shown a straight red card for a foul. In the seventy-fifth minute, Tyler Blackett of Manchester United got a yellow card for a foul, and then Guzan got a yellow card for Aston Villa for backtalking the official. The score stayed level at 1-1.

Over to Hull City bringing in Swansea City. Lukasz Fabianski and Allan McGregor protect the nets. In the fifteenth minute, Ki Sung-Yueng scored for Swansea City, with the help of Jonjo Shelvey. Hull City took a yellow card in the twenty-seventh minute for a foul by Jake Livermore. Swansea City had a yellow card go to Ashley Richards in the fortieth minute for a foul. In the sixty-seventh minute, Sone Aluko of Hull City took a yellow card for a foul. Neil Taylor had the last yellow card in the seventy-fifth minute for a foul for Swansea City. The final favored Swansea City 1-0.

Down in London, the Queens Park Rangers host West Bromwich Albion. Ben Foster and Robert Green are the gloved men. West Brom started in the tenth minute with a Joleon Lescott header at close range, passed from Stephane Sessegnon on a headed pass after a corner kick. West Brom added on in the twentieth minute with a Silvestre Varela goal, set up by a Sessegnon through ball. QPR got on the board when Charlie Austin converted a penalty kick in the twenty-fourth minute. In the thirty-ninth minute, Richard Dunne of QPR took a yellow card for a foul. QPR tied it on a forty-eighth minute Austin goal, coming off of Bobby Zamora headed pass after corner kick. In the eighty-sixth minute, Austin completed his hat trick and gave QPR the lead with a goal, courtesy of Joey Barton's cross after a corner kick. QPR went on to win 3-2.

Along to Southampton welcoming Everton. Tim Howard and Fraser Forster are the keepers. In the thirty-eighth minute, Southampton received a gift as Everton's Romelu Lukaku put the ball in his own net. In the sixty-fifth minute, Southampton added on with a Graziano Pelle goal, coming off of Shane Long. Everton took a yellow card in the sixty-eighth minute for a Muhamed Besic foul. Southampton's Jose Fonte was given a yellow card for his seventy-second minute foul. Southampton extended the lead in the eighty-second minute on a Maya Yoshida header goal, made possible by a Steven Davis cross. This produced the 3-0 final for Southampton.

Back into London with Tottenham Hotspur bringing in Burnley. Tom Heaton and Hugo Lloris are set to start in goal. In the third minute, Tottenham Hotspur's Ben Davies received a yellow card for a foul. In the twenty-first minute, Tottenham led off the scoring on a Harry Kane header from close range, set up by Nacer Chadli with the cross after a set piece. Burnley tied it in the twenty-seventh minute with an Ashley Barnes goal, coming off of George Boyd. Tottenham Hotspur regained the lead with a thirty-fifth minute Erik Lamela goal, assisted by Ryan Mason. This was all they needed for a 2-1 win.

Closing out Saturday, West Ham United hosts Leicester City. Ben Hamer and Adrian are the goalies. West Ham United began in the twenty-fourth minute with an Andy Carroll goal. Leicester City saw yellow cards given to Andy King in the thirty-third minute and Jamie Vardy in the forty-first minute, both for fouls. West Ham United added on in the fifty-sixth minute on a Stewart Downing goal, made possible by Diafra Sakho headed pass. Leicester City took another yellow card in the sixty-fourth minute for a Leonardo Ulloa foul. The final stood at 2-0 for West Ham United.

Sunday's first game had Newcastle United welcome Sunderland. Costel Pantilimon and Jak Arnwick are set to start in goal. In the second minute, Sunderland's Sebastian Coates took a yellow card for a foul. Newcastle United took three straight yellow cards, going to Fabricio Coloccini in the ninth minute, Cheick Tiote in the twenty-fourth minute, and Jack Colback in the twenty-fifth minute, all for fouls. In the thirty-ninth minute, Connor Wickham of Sunderland was given a yellow card for a foul. Sunderland took a pair of yellow cards in the second half, for a fifty-sixth minute Lee Cattermole foul and a sixty-ninth minute John O'Shea foul. Sunderland got on the board with a ninetieth minute goal by Adam Johnson, set up by William Buckley after a fast break. Newcastle United's Paul Dummett had a yellow card in the same minute. Sunderland went on to win 1-0.

Over to Liverpool bringing in Arsenal. Wojciech Szczesny and Bradley Jones guard the woodwork. Arsenal's Mathieu Flamini took a yellow card for a fourteenth minute foul. In the forty-fifth minute, Liverpool began with a Philippe Coutinho goal, passed from Jordan Henderson. Arsenal tied it in first half stoppage time on a Mathieu Debuchy header goal, courtesy of a Flamini headed pass after a set piece. In the forty-seventh minute, Arsenal's Debuchy received a yellow card for a foul. Arsenal took the lead at the sixty-four minute mark on an Olivier Giroud goal, coming off of Santiago Cazorla. Liverpool took a ninetieth minute yellow card for a Fabio Borini foul. Two minutes later, Borini was sent off on a second yellow card foul, leaving Liverpool down at ten men and facing a one-goal deficit. Arsenal took a yellow card for a Cazorla foul a minute after that. Just over six minutes into stoppage time, Martin Skrtel got the improbable tying goal for Liverpool, a header assisted by an Adam Lallana cross after a corner kick. The final stood at 2-2.

Monday's game had Stoke City host Chelsea. Thibaut Courtois and Asmir Begovic are the keepers. Chelsea began in the second minute with a John Terry goal, via Cesc Fabregas' cross after a corner. In the twentieth minute, Stoke City's Phil Bardsley took a yellow card. Stoke City saw a yellow card go to Erik Pieters in the fifty-third minute. Chelsea added on with a Fabregas goal, assisted by Eden Hazard in the seventy-eighth minute. In the ninetieth minute, Jonathan Walters of Stoke City received a yellow card for a foul. Chelsea won 2-0.

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KHL December 22nd, 2014

As you may have heard, the Russian economy took a drastic downturn this past week. This has trickled down to having a dire impact on the health of the KHL. I'm here to say that I will continue covering the league as long as it operates. With that, three games on today, beginning in...

Helsinki, as Jokerit hosts Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Riku Helenius are in goal. Helsinki began with a first period Steve Moses power play goal, powered by Linus Omark. Riga tied it on a Gunars Skvorcovs goal, with a lone assist by Maris Bicevskis. Jokerit regained the lead with a Moses goal, assisted by Ville Lajunen and Omark. Helsinki added on in the second period on an Omark power goal, helped along by Moses. This produced the 3-1 final, with the three stars going to Moses, Omark, and Helenius (21 for 22 in saves).

Down in Bratislava, Slovan welcomes Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Jaroslav Janus are the masked men. Bratislava opened in the first period on a Ziga Jeglic goal, courtesy of Andrej Stastny and Michal Vondrka. Togliatti tied it on an unassisted Stanislav Romanov power play goal. Lada took the lead in the third period on an Alexander Streltsov goal, made possible by Fedor Fedorov. Slovan tied it as Tomas Netik scored, thanks to Michal Sersen. Lada won 3-2 in the shootout on a Yury Petrov goal. The three stars went to Streltsov, Ezhov (46 for 48 in saves), and Petrov.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ville Kolppanen and Calvin Heeter are in the creases. Zagreb started on a first period goal by Edwin Hedberg, via Mark Popovic and James Wright. Medvescak added on with a Ville Leino power play goal, powered by Mathieu Carle. Zagreb extended the lead in the second period as Eric Beaudoin scored an unassisted goal. Nizhnekamsk got on the board with a Igor Polygalov goal, made possible by Maxim Berezin and Yegor Milovzorov. Medvescak answered with a Mark Flood power play goal, coming off of Pascal Pelletier and Martin St. Pierre. Neftekhimik replied in the third period on an Andrei Ivanov goal, with a lone assist by Milovzorov. Zagreb countered with a Patrick Bjorkstrand goal, with helpers from Hedberg and Shaone Morrisonn. Nizhnekamsk got one back on a Maxim Rybin shorthanded goal, set up by Matt Anderson and Stanislav Kalashnikov. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Hedberg, Milovzorov, and Flood.

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NHL December 21st, 2014

Six games today, beginning in...

Detroit, as the Red Wings host the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Petr Mrazek are the unknown goalies. Detroit dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Pavel Datsyuk power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Riley Sheahan and Henrik Zetterberg. Colorado tied it on an Erik Johnson goal, his eighth of the year, a power play goal coming off of Tyson Barrie and Gabriel Landeskog. In the shootout, Landeskog and Matt Duchene scored for the Avalanche before Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar matched for the Red Wings, and then Jarome Iginla gave the Avalanche a 2-1 shootout win. The three stars went to Pickard (34 for 35 in saves), Iginla, and Mrazek (22 for 23 in saves).

West to Edmonton, as the Oilers welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen faces a lesser foe in Ben Scrivens in goal. Edmonton led off in the first period on a Taylor Hall power play goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Teddy Purcell and Jordan Eberle. Dallas tied it with Shawn Horcoff's fifth of the year, via Jyrki Jokipakka and Colton Sceviour. The Stars took the lead as Erik Cole scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Ales Hemsky and Alex Goligoski. The Oilers retied it in the second period on a Purcell goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Hall. Edmonton took the lead on a Mark Arcobello goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Jeff Petry and Andrew Ference. The Oilers added on with another Arcobello goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Steven Pinizzotto and Matt Hendricks. Edmonton extended the lead with a Hall goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, made possible by Purcell. Dallas shot back with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Jason Spezza and Tyler Seguin. The Stars pulled closer on a Seguin goal in the third period, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by John Klingberg and Goligoski. Dallas tied it on a Seguin goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, with helpers from Benn and Hemsky. Seguin and Eberle cancelled each other out in the shootout, followed by Vernon Fiddler matched by Purcell, and a Horcoff goal to give the Stars a 6-5 win. The three stars belonged to Seguin, Hall, and Arcobello, while Purcell, Eberle, Horcoff, Hemsky, Benn, and Goligoski get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Boston Bruins bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Tuukka Rask are between the pipes. Boston began in the first period on a Dougie Hamilton power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Carl Soderberg and Loui Eriksson. Buffalo tied it on an Andrej Meszaros goal, fueled by Chris Stewart and Johan Larsson. The Sabres took the lead on a Rasmus Ristolainen power play goal, his third of the year, assisted by Tyler Ennis and Zemgus Girgensons. The Bruins retied it with a Chris Kelly goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Zdeno Chara and Hamilton. Buffalo pulled ahead with a Tim Schaller goal in the third period, passed from Nicolas Deslauriers and Brian Flynn. Boston retied it as Hamilton scored his second of the game and seventh of the year, thanks to Patrice Bergeron and Reilly Smith. The Bruins won 4-3 in overtime on an Eriksson goal, his seventh of the campaign, made possible by Milan Lucic and Chara. The three stars went to Hamilton, Eriksson, and Chara.

Westward again, where the Chicago Blackhawks host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Antti Raanta are in the blue paint. Chicago started in the first period on a David Rundblad goal, via Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp. The Blackhawks added on with a Kris Versteeg goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Kane and Sharp. Chicago extended the lead on a third period Kane power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Sharp, who got a sock trick, and Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks finished it at 4-0 with a Jonathan Toews goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, assisted by Seabrook and Duncan Keith. The three stars belonged to Raanta (31 save shutout), Kane, and Sharp, while Seabrook gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to New York, where the Rangers welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Backups Anton Khudobin and Cam Talbot make the starts. New York got going in the first period on a Ryan McDonagh goal, his second of the season, fueled by Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello. This was good for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Talbot (18 save shutout), Khudobin (30 for 31 in saves), and McDonagh.

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Rob Zepp and Ondrej Pavelec are given the green light to play goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period on a Jakub Voracek goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Claude Giroux and Michael Raffl. Winnipeg tied it with an unassisted Matt Halischuk goal. The Jets took the lead on a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Bryan Little. Winnipeg added on in the second period as Mathieu Perreault scored his sixth of the season, with the help of Mark Scheifele and Michael Frolik. The Flyers got one back in the third period on a Mark Streit goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Chris VandeVelde and Vincent Lecavalier. Philadelphia tied it on a Lecavalier goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Flyers won on Voracek's second of the game and fourteenth of the year in overtime, an unassisted goal for a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Voracek, Lecavalier, and Streit.

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NHL December 20th, 2014

Twelve games on today, beginning with a matinee in...

Los Angeles, as the Kings host the Arizona Coyotes. Devan Dubnyk is mismatched with Jonathan Quick in goal. Los Angeles began in the first period on a Jeff Carter goal, his ninth of the season, via Anze Kopitar. Arizona tied it on a Martin Hanzal goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Coyotes took the lead on a Kyle Chipchura goal, his second of the season, fueled by Shane Doan and Keith Yandle. The Kings retied it on a Marian Gaborik power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Kopitar and Jamie McBain. Los Angeles took the lead in the third period on an Alec Martinez power play goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Kopitar, who got a sock trick, and McBain. The Kings finished it at 4-2 with a Trevor Lewis goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Tyler Toffoli and Gaborik. The three stars went to Gaborik, Kopitar, and McBain.

At the normal time, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Jhonas Enroth are in the blue paint. Colorado led off in the first period with an Erik Johnson goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Nathan MacKinnon and Max Talbot. The Avalanche added on with a shorthanded goal by Cody McLeod, his second of the year, set up by Ryan O'Reilly. Colorado extended the lead in the third period on an Alex Tanguay goal, his tenth of the season, via Jarome Iginla and John Mitchell. The Avalanche padded the lead as Mitchell scored his fourth of the year, a power play goal powered by Tanguay and Iginla. Buffalo got on the board with a Johan Larsson goal, passed from Chris Stewart and Andre Benoit. Colorado wrapped it up on a Tanguay empty net goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, courtesy of Iginla, who got a sock trick, and Johnson. The three stars were given to Tanguay, Iginla, and Mitchell, while Johnson gets an honorable mention.

Down to the Carolina Hurricanes bringing in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Cam Ward are the veteran goalies. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Chris Terry goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Nathan Gerbe. New York tied it in the third period as J.T. Miller scored his fourth of the year, a power play goal powered by Mats Zuccarello and Ryan McDonagh. The Hurricanes took the lead back on a Jeff Skinner goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Elias Lindholm and Justin Faulk. The Rangers tied it again as Kevin Klein scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan. New York won 3-2 in the shootout with a Zuccarello tally. The three stars went to Zuccarello, Klein, and Miller.

North to Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Carey Price are between the pipes. Ottawa opened in the first period on an Erik Condra shorthanded goal, his second of the season, set up by David Legwand. Montreal tied it on a Brandon Prust goal, his third of the year, passed from Tom Gilbert and Jiri Sekac. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Alex Galchenyuk and Max Pacioretty. Montreal added on with a Tomas Plekanec power play goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, powered by P.A. Parenteau and Andrei Markov. The Canadiens iced it at 4-1 with a Galchenyuk goal, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Alexei Emelin and Pacioretty. The three stars belonged to Galchenyuk, Price (24 for 25 in saves), and Pacioretty.

Back stateside, the New Jersey Devils welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Cory Schneider are the young goalies. Washington got going in the second period on a Mike Green goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Jack Hillen and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on with a Backstrom goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Jay Beagle and John Carlson. Washington extended the lead in the third period on an unassisted Alex Ovechkin goal, his fifteenth of the season. The Capitals padded the lead on a Backstrom empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Beagle and Carlson. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Holtby (21 save shutout), Backstrom, and Beagle, while Carlson gets an honorable mention.

Out on Long Island, the New York Islanders bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jaroslav Halak are the masked men. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Brett Connolly goal, his sixth of the season, via Tyler Johnson and Mark Barberio. New York tied it with a John Tavares goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey. The Islanders took the lead as Anders Lee netted his seventh of the season, with the help of Travis Hamonic and Brock Nelson. New York iced it at 3-1 with a Nikolay Kulemin empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Cal Clutterbuck. The three stars were given to Halak (20 for 21 in saves), Vasilevskiy (45 for 47 in saves), and Lee.

West a little to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Pittsburgh was first to score in the first period on a Nick Spaling goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Steve Downie and Marcel Goc. The Penguins added on with a Derrick Pouliot goal, coming off of Downie and Spaling. Florida got on the board with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. Pittsburgh answered in the third period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Kris Letang and Simon Despres. This held up for a 3-1 win, and the three stars were Fleury (45 for 46 in saves), Spaling, and Downie.

Crossing into Canada again for the Toronto Maple Leafs welcoming the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Jonathan Bernier made the starts. Toronto started in the first period on a Joffrey Lupul goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Morgan Rielly and Phil Kessel. The Maple Leafs added on with a power play goal by James van Riemsdyk, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Cody Franson and Kessel. Philadelphia got on the board with a R.J. Umberger goal, his third of the season, passed from Sean Couturier and Matt Read. The Flyers tied it as Couturier scored, his eighth of the year, thanks to Read. Toronto took the lead back on a David Clarkson goal, his ninth of the season, via Daniel Winnik and Stephane Robidas. Philadelphia tied it again on a Claude Giroux goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Jakub Voracek and Michael Raffl. The Flyers took the lead in the second period as Nicklas Grossmann potted his third of the season, with the help of Mark Streit and Voracek. Philadelphia extended the lead with another Giroux goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Voracek, who got a sock trick. The Flyers padded the lead in the third period on a Scott Laughton goal, his second of the season, coming off of Voracek and Giroux. Philadelphia kept going with a Raffl goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Wayne Simmonds and Giroux. The Maple Leafs got one back as Peter Holland potted his eighth of the campaign, helped along by Korbinian Holzer and Lupul. This produced the 7-4 final, with the three stars given to Giroux, Voracek, and Raffl, while Couturier, Lupul, Read, and Kessel get the honorable mentions.

South to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Columbus led off in the first period with a Jack Skille goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Ryan Johansen and Fedor Tyutin. Chicago tied it in the second period on a Patrick Sharp goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Michal Rozsival. The Blue Jackets regained the lead as Kevin Connauton scored his third of the season in the third period, with the help of David Savard and Matt Calvert. The Blackhawks tied it on a Ben Smith goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Marcus Kruger and Patrick Kane. In the shootout, Jeremy Morin scored for Columbus against his former team, only to be matched by Andrew Shaw before Jack Johnson lifted the Blue Jackets to a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Bobrovsky (39 for 41 in saves), Connauton, and Skille.

Northwest to Minnesota, where the Wild host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Darcy Kuemper are in the creases. Minnesota struck first in the first period on a Jason Zucker goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Jason Pominville and Mikko Koivu. Nashville tied it on a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his third of the year, passed from Shea Weber and Roman Josi. The Wild took the lead back on a Zach Parise goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Charlie Coyle and Thomas Vanek. The Predators tied it on a Matt Cullen goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Victor Bartley and Mike Fisher. Nashville took the lead as Craig Smith scored his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Mike Ribeiro. Niklas Backstrom came on for Kuemper at the start of the second period. Minnesota tied it again in the second period on a Marco Scandella goal, his seventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Coyle and Parise. The Predators retook the lead in the third period on a Filip Forsberg goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Bartley and Smith. Nashville added on with a Josi power play goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Weber and Cullen. The Wild pulled back on Parise's second of the game and thirteenth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Pominville and Ryan Suter. Minnesota tied it with a Vanek goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Scandella and Suter. The Predators won 6-5 in overtime with a Mattias Ekholm goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were handed to Josi, Cullen, and Parise, while Pominville, Weber, Coyle, Vanek, Bartley, Smith, Scandella, and Suter all get honorable mentions.

Westward to Vancouver, as the Canucks welcome the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Ryan Miller are the goalies with rhyming names. Vancouver opened with an own goal off a Dennis Wideman botched pass, credited as the second of the season for Yannick Weber. The Canucks added on with a Radim Vrbata power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Alexandre Burrows and Daniel Sedin. Calgary got on the board in the second period with a David Jones goal, his sixth of the season, via Kris Russell and Markus Granlund. The Flames tied it in the third period on a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Jiri Hudler and Deryk Engelland. Vancouver won 3-2 in overtime with a Christopher Tanev goal, his second of the campaign, made possible by Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. The three stars went to Daniel Sedin, Tanev, and Hiller (30 for 32 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Antti Niemi receive the starting nods. San Jose got going in the second period on an Andrew Desjardins goal, his second of the season, fueled by Justin Braun and Tye McGinn. St. Louis tied it on a Patrik Berglund goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Alex Pietrangelo and Dmitrij Jaskin. The Blues took the lead on a Steve Ott goal, guided in by Maxim Lapierre and Ian Cole. The Sharks tied it on a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal in the third period, his fourth of the season, via Joe Thornton and Melker Karlsson. San Jose won 3-2 with a Brent Burns power play goal in overtime, his tenth of the year, powered by Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture. The three stars were handed to Burns, Vlasic, and Desjardins.

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NHL December 19th, 2014

Five games on tonight, beginning in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Backups Evgeni Nabokov and Keith Kinkaid are in the creases. New Jersey led off in the first period on an Adam Henrique goal, his ninth of the season, a power play goal powered by Andy Greene and Scott Gomez. The Devils added on with a Patrik Elias goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Martin Havlat and Henrique. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his nineteenth of the season, guided in by Ryan Callahan and Jonathan Drouin. The Lightning tied it on a third period goal by Nikita Kucherov, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Callahan and Jason Garrison. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Elias scored for a 3-2 Devils win. The three stars went to Henrique, Elias, and Callahan.

West to Detroit, as the Red Wings welcome the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. Detroit started in the first period on a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Darren Helm and Tomas Tatar. New York tied it with a Brock Nelson goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Lubomir Visnovsky and Anders Lee. Petr Mrazek came on for Howard in the second period. The Islanders took the lead with a Lee goal in the second period, his sixth of the campaign, made possible by Nelson. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Lee, Nelson, and Halak (17 for 18 in saves).

Crossing into Ontario, as the Ottawa Senators host the Anaheim Ducks. Ilya Bryzgalov and Craig Anderson are the experienced goalies. Ottawa began in the first period with a Milan Michalek power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Erik Karlsson and Mika Zibanejad. The Senators added on as Mark Stone scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Mark Borowiecki and Kyle Turris. Ottawa extended the lead with a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Turris, his seventh of the season. The Senators padded the lead with a Mike Hoffman goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Anaheim got on the board with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Emerson Etem and Ben Lovejoy. The Ducks pulled closer with another Getzlaf goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, guided in by Lovejoy and the goalie Bryzgalov. Ottawa shot back on a Hoffman goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, passed from Bobby Ryan and Karlsson. The Senators iced it at 6-2 with a Zibanejad, his ninth of the year, fueled by Ryan. The three stars belonged to Hoffman, Getzlaf, and Turris, while Zibanejad, Karlsson, Lovejoy, and Ryan get the honorable mentions.

Over in Manitoba, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Michael Hutchinson are between the pipes. Winnipeg opened in the first period on an Evander Kane goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Grant Clitsome and Jay Harrison. Boston tied it on a second period goal by Torey Krug, his sixth of the year, helped along by Chris Kelly and Carl Soderberg. The Jets took the lead back with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his fifth of the campaign, via Dustin Byfuglien and Mark Scheifele. This was all they needed for the 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Hutchinson (30 for 31 in saves), Perreault, and Kane.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Jonas Hiller are the masked men. Dallas got going in the second period on a Jamie Benn goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Tyler Seguin and Cody Eakin. The Stars added on with a Trevor Daley goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Benn and Eakin. Calgary got on the board with a Mark Giordano goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. This was all the scoring, leaving the final at 2-1. The three stars were Benn, Lehtonen (21 for 22 in saves), and Eakin.

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NHL December 18th, 2014

Seven games on tonight, with the first in...

Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Steve Mason are the goalies. Florida began in the first period on a Scottie Upshall goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Tomas Kopecky and Dylan Olsen. Philadelphia tied it in the second period on a Jakub Voracek goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Nicklas Grossmann. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Voracek cancelled out Brandon Pirri only to have Dave Bolland win it 2-1 for the Panthers. The three stars went to Voracek, Luongo (25 for 26 in saves), and Mason (31 for 32 in saves).

Down to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Cam Ward are in the blue paint. Carolina led off in the first period on a Chris Terry goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Eric Staal and Nathan Gerbe. The Hurricanes added on with a Justin Faulk shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Patrick Dwyer and Andrej Sekera. Toronto got on the board in the second period on a Dion Phaneuf goal, his second of the season, via Peter Holland Cody Franson. Carolina shot back in the third period on a Sekera power play goal, powered by Faulk and Gerbe. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-1 on an Elias Lindholm empty net goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Staal and Ron Hainsey. The three stars belonged to Sekera, Faulk, and Gerbe, while Staal gets an honorable mention.

Back in Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Pittsburgh won 1-0 in overtime on a Blake Comeau goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Evgeni Malkin and Rob Scuderi. The three stars were awarded to Fleury (29 save shutout), Pickard (47 for 48 in saves), and Comeau.

West a little to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Sergei Bobrovsky are the young goalies. Washington struck first in the first period on a Joel Ward goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Eric Fehr and Karl Alzner. The Capitals added on with a Jason Chimera goal, his third of the year, via Michael Latta and Brooks Orpik. Columbus got on the board in the second period with a Jack Johnson goal, his third of the season, coming off of Nick Foligno and James Wisniewski on the power play. The Blue Jackets tied it with a power play goal by Foligno, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Kevin Connauton and Ryan Johansen. Columbus gained the lead in the third period on another Foligno goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, assisted by Jeremy Morin and Brian Gibbons. Washington tied it again on an Alzner goal, his second of the year, helped along by Latta and Chimera. The Blue Jackets pulled ahead on a Michael Chaput goal, passed from Jared Boll and Matt Calvert. The Capitals retied it as Troy Brouwer scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Mike Green. Washington won 5-4 with an overtime goal by Fehr, his seventh of the year, with a lone helper by Green. The three stars went to Foligno, Fehr, and Alzner, while Chimera, Latta, and Green get the honorable mentions.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Carey Price protect the nets. Anaheim was first to score in the first period on a Hampus Lindholm goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Ryan Getzlaf. Montreal tied it on a David Desharnais power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Andrei Markov and Alex Galchenyuk. The Ducks retook the lead with a Matt Beleskey goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, guided in by Rickard Rakell and Devante Smith-Pelly. This was good for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Beleskey, Andersen (23 for 24 in saves), and Lindholm.

Southwest to California, where the San Jose Sharks welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Scrivens and Antti Niemi draw the starts. Edmonton opened in the first period on a Boyd Gordon goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by David Perron and Jeff Petry. San Jose tied it in the second period on a James Sheppard goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Barclay Goodrow and Melker Karlsson. The Sharks took the lead as Logan Couture scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Brenden Dillon. The Oilers retied it on a Steven Pinizzotto goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Matt Hendricks and Justin Schultz. Edmonton pulled ahead on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Jordan Eberle and Perron. San Jose tied it with a Matt Tennyson power play goal, powered by Tommy Wingels and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks gained the lead with a Goodrow goal, his second of the year, assisted by Brent Burns and Karlsson. This held up for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Goodrow, Karlsson, and Perron.

Finally, we end with the Los Angeles Kings hosting the St. Louis Blues. Martin Brodeur and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. St. Louis started in the first period on a David Backes power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues added on with a Dmitrij Jaskin goal, his second of the year, fueled by Petteri Lindbohm and Patrik Berglund. St. Louis extended the lead as Kevin Shattenkirk scored his fifth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Alexander Steen and Paul Stastny. Los Angeles got on the board with a Marian Gaborik goal, his eighth of the year, a power play goal coming off of Jeff Carter and Anze Kopitar. The Kings pulled closer in the second period on a Kopitar goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Gaborik and Carter. Los Angeles tied it on a Gaborik power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, with helpers from Drew Doughty and Kopitar. The Blues gained the lead back on a Jori Lehtera goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Vladimir Tarasenko. The Kings tied it in the third period with a Carter goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Kopitar, who got a sock trick. Los Angeles took the lead with a Jake Muzzin power play goal, his third of the season, helped along by Carter, who got a sock trick, and Kopitar. The Kings finished it at 6-4 on a Dwight King goal, his fourth of the year, pushed through by Jarret Stoll. The three stars went to Kopitar, Gaborik, and Carter.

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NHL December 17th, 2014

Three games on tonight, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Cory Schneider protect the nets. Ottawa struck first in the first period on a Kyle Turris goal, his fifth of the season, coming on the power play from Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone. The Senators iced it at 2-0 with a Turris empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, set up by Clarke MacArthur and Mark Borowiecki. The three stars went to Anderson (34 save shutout), Turris, and Schneider (14 for 15 in saves).

West to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Boston Bruins. Niklas Svedberg is mismatched with Niklas Backstrom in goal. Boston was first to score on a Carl Soderberg goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Loui Eriksson and Chris Kelly. Minnesota tied it on a Kyle Brodziak goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Brett Sutter and Erik Haula. The Bruins retook the lead on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his sixth of the season, via Brad Marchand and Zach Trotman. The Wild tied it again in the third period with a Jason Pominville goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Ryan Suter. Boston won 3-2 in overtime with a Eriksson, his sixth of the campaign, thanks to Soderberg and Zdeno Chara. The three stars went to Eriksson, Soderberg, and Svedberg (35 for 37 in saves).

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Eddie Lack make the starts. Dallas got going in the second period on a Colton Sceviour goal, his second of the season, made possible by Shawn Horcoff and Vernon Fiddler. The Stars iced it at 2-0 with an unassisted Antoine Roussel empty net goal, his seventh of the year. The three stars were given to Lehtonen (27 save shutout), Sceviour, and Lack (27 for 28 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.