NHL March 21st, 2015

Thirteen games on a massive day for the NHL. We begin with three matinees, the first in...

Minnesota, as the Wild host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Devan Dubnyk are the goalies. Minnesota started in the first period on a Chris Stewart goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Wild added on with a Thomas Vanek goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Justin Fontaine and Ryan Suter. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period on a Zach Parise goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, assisted by Jonas Brodin and Mikael Granlund. The Wild padded the lead on a Brodin goal, his third of the year, guided in by Fontaine and Charlie Coyle. Jake Allen replaced Elliott in goal. St. Louis got on the board with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, powered by Jaden Schwartz and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues pulled closer with a Schwartz goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, helped along by Tarasenko and Jay Bouwmeester. Minnesota shot back on a Fontaine goal, his ninth of the season, via Coyle and Suter. The Wild continued with a Mikko Koivu power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Jason Pominville. St. Louis chipped back with a Paul Stastny power play goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, with helpers provided by Alexander Steen and David Backes. The final was 6-3 for the Wild, with the three stars going to Fontaine, Brodin, and Tarasenko, while Schwartz, Coyle, and Suter get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Calgary, as the Flames welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Karri Ramo draw the starts. Calgary struck first in the first period on a Sean Monahan power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Jiri Hudler and Johnny Gaudreau. Columbus tied it on a Rene Bourque goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Ryan Johansen. The Flames retook the lead in the second period on a Hudler goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, via Monahan. The Blue Jackets tied it in the third period on an unassisted Artem Anisimov goal, his sixth of the year. Columbus won 3-2 in overtime on a Bourque goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, helped along by Kevin Connauton and Fedor Tyutin. The three stars went to Bourque, Monahan, and Hudler.

Down in Los Angeles, the Kings bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Jonathan Quick are in the blue paint. Los Angeles got going in the second period on a Marian Gaborik goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming on the power play from Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. Vancouver tied it on a Nick Bonino goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Radim Vrbata and Kevin Bieksa. The Canucks took the lead on a Vrbata power play goal in the third period, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Alexander Edler and Yannick Weber. Vancouver added on with an unassisted empty net goal by Daniel Sedin, his sixteenth of the year. The Canucks iced it at 4-1 with a Bo Horvat shorthanded empty net goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Vrbata, Lack (25 for 26 in saves), and Bonino.

Back east, the Carolina Hurricanes lead off the regularly scheduled games by hosting the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot and Anton Khudobin are the reliable backups in goal. Carolina was first to score in the first period on an Elias Lindholm goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Victor Rask and Danny Biega. New York tied it in the second period on a J.T. Miller goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Mats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard. The Rangers took the lead with a Jesper Fast goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Kevin Hayes and Carl Hagelin. The Hurricanes tied it in the third period on a Ryan Murphy power play goal, his second of the year, powered by John-Michael Liles and Jordan Staal. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Zuccarello won it for the Rangers by a 3-2 score. The three stars belonged to Zuccarello, Fast, and Miller.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal opened in the first period with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Alex Galchenyuk and P.A. Parenteau. The Canadiens iced it at 2-0 with an empty net goal by Brendan Gallagher in the third period, his twenty-first of the year, set up by Max Pacioretty and Plekanec. The three stars were awarded to Price (29 save shutout), Plekanec, and Niemi (27 for 28 in saves).

Back stateside, the New Jersey Devils bring in the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Cory Schneider guard the cages. New York led off in the first period on a Ryan Strome goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Nikolay Kulemin. The Islanders added on in the third period on a Travis Hamonic goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Strome and Brock Nelson. New York finished it at 3-0 on a Kyle Okposo empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by John Tavares and Hamonic. The three stars were handed to Halak (26 save shutout), Strome, and Hamonic.

Into Canada again, as the Ottawa Senators host the Toronto Maple Leafs for a Battle of Ontario. James Reimer and Andrew Hammond are set to start in goal. Ottawa began in the first period on a Mike Hoffman goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, fueled by Alex Chiasson and Marc Methot. The Senators added on with an Erik Karlsson goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Mika Zibanejad and Matt Puempel. Toronto got on the board in the second period on a Joakim Lindstrom goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Dion Phaneuf and Sam Carrick. Ottawa shot back on a Curtis Lazar goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Methot. The Maple Leafs pulled back with a Leo Komarov goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Zach Sill. Toronto tied it on an unassisted goal by Tim Erixon, his second of the year. The Senators took the lead on a Kyle Turris power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Karlsson and Patrick Wiercioch. Ottawa wrapped it up at 5-3 on a Turris empty net goal in the third period, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, set up by Mark Stone and the goalie Hammond. The three stars were Turris, Karlsson, and Methot.

Way south to Florida, as the Panthers welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Roberto Luongo are the masked men. Florida struck first in the first period on a Jimmy Hayes goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Dave Bolland and Jussi Jokinen. Boston tied it in the second period on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twentieth of the year, a power play goal powered by Ryan Spooner and Dougie Hamilton. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Brandon Pirri scored to give the Panthers a 2-1 win. The three stars belonged to Luongo (26 for 27 in saves), Rask (24 for 25 in saves), and Pirri.

Northward again, with the Winnipeg Jets bringing in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Ondrej Pavelec are occupying the creases. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Mark Stuart goal, his second of the season, via Mark Scheifele and Drew Stafford. The Jets added on with a second period Scheifele goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Blake Wheeler and Stafford. Winnipeg iced it at 3-0 on an Adam Lowry shorthanded empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Pavelec (28 save shutout), Scheifele, and Stafford.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Kari Lehtonen are the talented goalies. Dallas led off in the first period on a Patrick Eaves goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Alex Goligoski and Jyrki Jokipakka. The Stars added on with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, powered by Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza. Dallas extended the lead in the third period on a Shawn Horcoff power play goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Goligoski and Ales Hemsky. The Stars finished it at 4-0 on a Spezza goal, his sixteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Eaves. The three stars were given to Lehtonen (33 save shutout), Eaves, and Spezza, while Goligoski gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Matt Hackett is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Taylor Beck goal, his seventh of the season, a power play goal from Shea Weber and Matt Cullen. The Predators added on in the third period as Craig Smith scored his twenty-third of the year, thanks to Ryan Ellis and Cullen. Nashville extended the lead on a Mike Fisher goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, courtesy of Viktor Stalberg and Ellis. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Rinne (22 save shutout), Cullen, and Ellis.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. Arizona started in the first period on a Tobias Rieder goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by David Moss. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period on a Brandon Sutter power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Penguins added on with a Daniel Winnik goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh finished it at 3-1 with a Crosby empty net goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars went to Fleury (30 for 31 in saves), Crosby, and Winnik.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Ben Scrivens are the mediocre goalies. Edmonton began in the first period on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twenty-first of the season, with a lone assist by Jordan Eberle. Philadelphia tied it on a Claude Giroux goal, his twentieth of the year, fueled by Jakub Voracek. The Flyers took the lead on a Giroux goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, a power play goal from Voracek and Wayne Simmonds. Philadelphia added on with a Ryan White goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Zac Rinaldo. The Oilers got one back as Teddy Purcell scored his tenth of the season, with the help of Derek Roy. Edmonton tied it on a Matt Hendricks goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Boyd Gordon and Andrew Ference. The Oilers took the lead in the second period on an Eberle goal, his twentieth of the season, guided in by Benoit Pouliot and Nugent-Hopkins. The Flyers tied it in the third period on a Michael Raffl goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Voracek, who got a sock trick, and Mark Streit. Edmonton won with another Nugent-Hopkins goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, making it 5-4 in overtime with the help of Nikita Nikitin and Taylor Hall. The three stars were Nugent-Hopkins, Giroux, and Eberle, while Voracek, gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL March 20th, 2015

Just three games tonight, the first with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Anders Lindback are the unknown goalies. New Jersey got going in the second period on a Steve Bernier goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Scott Gomez and Adam Henrique. The Devils added on with another Bernier goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, fueled by Henrique and Gomez. New Jersey extended the lead in the third period on an unassisted Jordin Tootoo goal, his ninth of the season. Buffalo got on the board with a Matt Moulson power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Tyler Ennis and Brian Gionta. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Bernier, Kinkaid (28 for 29 in saves), and Gomez, while Henrique gets an honorable mention.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Ben Bishop guard the cages. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Anton Stralman goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Victor Hedman and Ondrej Palat. Detroit tied it on an unassisted power play goal by Tomas Tatar, his twenty-sixth of the year. The Lightning took the lead back in the third period on an Alex Killorn goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Hedman and Jonathan Drouin. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-1 on a Steven Stamkos empty net goal, his fortieth of the year, set up by Brian Boyle and Palat. The three stars went to Bishop (30 for 31 in saves), Hedman, and Palat.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Frederik Andersen are the solid goalies. Anaheim opened in the first period on a Jiri Sekac goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Tomas Fleischmann and Rickard Rakell. Colorado tied it in the third period with a Jarome Iginla goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Matt Duchene and Jan Hejda. The Avalanche took the lead on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in shorthanded and unassisted. The Ducks retied it on a Rakell goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Simon Despres and Sekac. Anaheim won 3-2 in overtime on Corey Perry's twenty-ninth of the campaign, with a lone helper by Sami Vatanen. The three stars went to Sekac, Rakell, and Perry.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL March 19th, 2015

Ten games on a busy night in hockey, beginning with...

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Carey Price man the nets. Montreal began in the first period on a Dale Weise goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Manny Malhotra and Brandon Prust. The Canadiens added on with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his twentieth of the year, via Tomas Plekanec and Max Pacioretty. Montreal extended the lead in the second period as David Desharnais scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Tom Gilbert and Weise. The Canadiens padded the lead in the third period on a Pacioretty goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, made possible by Plekanec. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars going to Price (31 save shutout), Weise, and Pacioretty, while Plekanec gets an honorable mention.

Over in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Andrew Hammond are called on to start. Ottawa struck first in the first period on a Kyle Turris goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Milan Michalek and Mark Stone. Boston tied it on a Carl Soderberg goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Loui Eriksson and Dougie Hamilton. The Bruins took the lead with a Ryan Spooner goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Milan Lucic and David Pastrnak. The Senators tied it as Michalek scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Stone and Turris. Ottawa took the lead back in the second period with a David Legwand goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Erik Condra and Alex Chiasson. Boston tied it on a power play goal by Spooner, his second of the game and fifth of the year, powered by Torey Krug and Patrice Bergeron. The Senators regained the lead on a shorthanded goal by Jean-Gabriel Pageau, his fifth of the season, set up by Condra. The Bruins tied it again with a Krug goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Soderberg and Pastrnak. Ottawa claimed the lead again in the third period on a Bobby Ryan goal, his eighteenth of the season, dished from Cody Ceci and Mika Zibanejad. The Senators iced it at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Turris, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, with helpers provided by Stone, who got a sock trick, and Michalek. The three stars were Turris, Michalek, and Spooner, while Stone, Krug, Soderberg, and Pastrnak get the honorable mentions.

Staying in the province, the Toronto Maple Leafs brings in the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Jonathan Bernier are the masked men. San Jose started in the first period on a Tomas Hertl goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Chris Tierney and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks added on in the second period as Logan Couture scored his twenty-third of the year, thanks to Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. Toronto got on the board with a Jake Gardiner goal, his third of the season, via Leo Komarov and Brandon Kozun. San Jose shot back with a Melker Karlsson goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Thornton and Joe Pavelski. The Sharks extended the lead on a Tommy Wingels goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, helped along by Matthew Nieto and Couture. This made it 4-1, the eventual final, with the three stars being Couture, Niemi (27 for 28 in saves), and Thornton.

Way south to Florida, where the Panthers host the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek is mismatched with Roberto Luongo in goal. Florida got going in the second period on a Jaromir Jagr goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers added on with a Brandon Pirri goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Jagr and Aaron Ekblad. Florida extended the lead in the third period with an unassisted goal by Scottie Upshall, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Detroit got on the board with an Erik Cole goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Tomas Tatar and Riley Sheahan. This made it a 3-1 final, with the three stars given to Jagr, Pirri, and Luongo (26 for 27 in saves).

Back into Canada, where the Winnipeg Jets welcome the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Ondrej Pavelec are the veteran goalies. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the second period on a David Backes goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, guided in by Paul Stastny and Alex Pietrangelo. Winnipeg tied it on a Drew Stafford goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Tyler Myers and Toby Enstrom. In the shootout, Stafford and Andrew Ladd combined to beat T.J. Oshie for a 2-1 Jets win. The three stars went to Pavelec (32 for 33 in saves), Stafford, and Elliott (33 for 34 in saves).

A little south to Minnesota, where the Wild bring in the Washington Capitals. Devan Dubnyk and Braden Holtby are given the starting nods. Washington was first to score in the second period on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-sixth of the season, fueled by Karl Alzner and Matt Niskanen. The Capitals added on with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Minnesota got on the board with a Christian Folin goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Zach Parise and Mikael Granlund. Washington answered in the third period with another Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and forty-seventh of the year, made possible by Nicklas Backstrom. The Wild shot back with a Jared Spurgeon power play goal, his ninth of the campaign, powered by Thomas Vanek and Granlund. They took a 3-2 loss, with the three stars given to Ovechkin, Granlund, and Kuznetsov.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Kari Lehtonen guard the cages. Dallas opened in the second period with a Brett Ritchie goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Jamie Benn and Shawn Horcoff. The Stars added on with a Benn goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Tyler Seguin and Cody Eakin. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Kris Letang goal, his eleventh of the campaign, via Sidney Crosby and Christian Ehrhoff. This produced the 2-1 final, with the three stars going to Benn, Lehtonen (31 for 32 in saves), and Ritchie.

Up to Alberta, as the Flames welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Karri Ramo are the surprisingly reliable goalies. Calgary led off in the second period with a Dennis Wideman goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Jiri Hudler. The Flames added on with a T.J. Brodie goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Deryk Engelland and Johnny Gaudreau. Mason was pulled for Ray Emery. Philadelphia got on the board with a Claude Giroux goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Jakob Voracek and Nicklas Grossmann. Calgary shot back in the third period on a Sean Monahan power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Gaudreau and Kris Russell. The Flames finished it at 4-1 with a Gaudreau power play goal, his twentieth of the campaign, assisted by Hudler and Russell. The three stars belonged to Gaudreau, Hudler, and Russell.

West to British Columbia, as the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Eddie Lack are in the creases. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Bo Horvat goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canucks added on with a Daniel Sedin goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Henrik Sedin and Alexandre Burrows. Columbus got on the board with a Rene Bourque goal, his fourth of the season, via Ryan Johansen. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Marko Dano goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Artem Anisimov and Nick Foligno. Columbus took the lead on a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Mark Letestu and Jack Johnson. The Blue Jackets extended the lead in the third period on a Dano goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, guided in by Alexander Wennberg. Columbus chased Lack with a Scott Hartnell goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Dano and David Savard. The Blue Jackets padded the lead on a Wennberg goal, his third of the year, going unassisted into the empty net. The three stars were awarded to Dano, Wennberg, and Atkinson.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov faces a lesser foe in Louis Domingue in goal. Arizona struck first in the first period on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Sam Gagner and Shane Doan. Colorado tied it on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Gabriel Landeskog and Alex Tanguay. The Avalanche took the lead with a Jarome Iginla goal, his twenty-third of the season, guided in by John Mitchell and Jan Hejda. Colorado added on with a Freddie Hamilton goal, made possible by Brad Stuart and Daniel Briere. The Coyotes got one back in the third period on another Ekman-Larsson goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, assisted by Lauri Korpikoski and Brandon Gormley. The Avalanche shot back on a Matt Duchene goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Dennis Everberg. Colorado finished it at 5-2 on a Landeskog empty net goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by O'Reilly. The three stars went to O'Reilly, Ekman-Larsson, and Landeskog.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Eastern Conference Semifinals: Ak Bars Kazan VS. Avangard Omsk

Welcome to the eastern conference semifinal round for the 2015 Gagarin Cup Playoffs. This post will act as a reference for the entire series between Ak Bars Kazan and Avangard Omsk.

Game 1: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Konstantin Barulin for Omsk and Anders Nilsson for Kazan. Kazan began with an unassisted goal by Alexander Svitov. Omsk tied it on a Sergei Shirokov penalty shot goal, coming after he was slashed by Stepan Zakharchuk. Avangard took the lead in the second period with an Alexander Perezhogin goal, with a lone assist by Chad Kolarik. Ak Bars tied it on a Sheldon Brookbank goal, guided in by Justin Azevedo. Omsk retook the lead in the third period on a Kirill Semyonov goal, coming off of Roman Berdnikov. Kazan tied it again with another Svitov goal, fueled by Oscar Moller and Igor Mirnov on the power play. Avangard won 4-3 in the second overtime on a Shirokov goal, made possible by Erik Gustafsson. The three stars belonged to Shirokov, Svitov, and Semyonov. Avangard leads the series 1-0.

Game 2: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Denis Kostin for Omsk and Anders Nilsson for Kazan. Kazan struck first in the first period on a Konstantin Koltsov goal, fueled by Alexander Svitov and Ilya Nikulin. Ak Bars added on with a Stepan Zakharchuk goal, assisted by Koltsov and Artyom Lukoyanov. Kazan extended the lead in the second period as Igor Mirnov scored a power play goal, powered by Justin Azevedo and Nikulin. Ak Bars finished it at 4-0 in the third period on a Lukoyanov goal, guided in by Svitov and Yakov Rylov. The three stars went to Nilsson (33 save shutout), Koltsov, and Lukoyanov, while Svitov and Nikulin get the honorable mentions. The series heads east tied at 1.

Game 3: Omsk Arena, Omsk, Russia. In goal: Anders Nilsson for Kazan and Konstantin Barulin for Omsk. Kazan got going in the second period on an Ilya Nikulin goal, passed from Konstantin Koltsov and Alexander Svitov. Ak Bars iced it at 2-0 with a third period goal by Justin Azevedo, fueled by Yakov Rylov and Igor Mirnov. The three stars were Nilsson (25 save shutout), Nikulin, and Azevedo. Ak Bars holds a 2-1 series lead now.

Game 4: Omsk Arena, Omsk, Russia. In goal: Anders Nilsson for Kazan and Denis Kostin for Omsk. Kazan led off in the first period with an unassisted goal by Mikhail Glukhov. Ak Bars added on with a Sergei Kostitsyn goal in the second period, made possible by Glukhov. Kazan extended the lead as Stepan Zakharchuk scored, thanks to Kostitsyn and Yakov Rylov. Omsk got on the board with a Kirill Semyonov goal in the third period, passed from Sergei Shirokov and Ivan Fischenko. The final was 3-1 for Ak Bars, and the three stars went to Kostitsyn, Glukhov, and Nilsson (23 for 24 in saves). Ak Bars holds a 3-1 series lead as they head home.

Game 5: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Konstantin Barulin for Omsk and Anders Nilsson for Kazan. Kazan dented the scoreboard in the second period with an unassisted Oscar Moller goal. Ak Bars added on with an Alexander Burmistrov goal, going in unassisted. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars given to Nilsson (21 save shutout), Moller, and Burmistrov. Ak Bars faces Sibir in the Eastern Conference final.

KHL Western Conference Semifinals: CSKA Moscow VS. Jokerit Helsinki

Welcome to the western conference semifinal round for the 2015 Gagarin Cup Playoffs. This post will act as a reference for the entire series between CSKA Moscow and Jokerit Helsinki.

Game 1: CSKA Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Henrik Karlsson for Helsinki and Kevin Lalande for Moscow. Helsinki got going in the second period on a power play goal by Niklas Hagman, powered by Ryan Gunderson and Juhamatti Aaltonen. Jokerit added on in the third period on a Steve Moses power play goal, guided in by Gunderson and Atte Ohtamaa. Moscow got on the board with an Alexander Radulov goal, assisted by Igor Grigorenko and Nikita Zaitsev. CSKA tied it on a Grigorenko goal, made possible by Zaitsev and Radulov. Moscow took the lead on another Grigorenko goal, again with helpers from Zaitsev, who got a sock trick, and Radulov. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars going to Grigorenko, Radulov, and Zaitsev, while Gunderson gets an honorable mention. CSKA begins with a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: CSKA Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Henrik Karlsson for Helsinki and Kevin Lalande for Moscow. Moscow dented the scoreboard in the second period on an Igor Grigorenko goal, via Alexander Radulov. CSKA added on with a Simon Hjalmarsson goal, passed from Jan Mursak and Igor Makarov. Moscow extended the lead on a Radulov goal, fueled by Nikita Zaitsev and Mursak. CSKA finished it at 4-0 in the third period on a Grigorenko goal, with a lone assist by Evgeny Artyukhin. The three stars went to Radulov, Grigorenko, and Lalande (25 save shutout), while Mursak gets an honorable mention. CSKA has a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3: Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland. In goal: Kevin Lalande of Moscow and Henrik Karlsson of Helsinki. Moscow opened in the second period on a Simon Hjalmarsson shorthanded goal, set up by Jan Mursak and Grigory Panin. Helsinki tied it on a Ville Lajunen power play goal, powered by Juhamatti Aaltonen and Topi Jaakola. Jokerit took the lead in the third period on a Tommi Huhtala goal, passed from Jere Sallinen and Eetu Poysti. Helsinki added on with another Huhtala goal, made possible by Jaakola. CSKA got one back with an Igor Grigorenko goal, coming off of Nikita Zaitsev and Denis Denisov. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Huhtala, Jaakola, and Lajunen. CSKA still leads the series 2-1.

Game 4: Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland. In goal: Stanislav Galimov of Moscow and Henrik Karlsson of Helsinki. Moscow started in the first period on a Simon Hjalmarsson power play goal, guided in by Stephane Da Costa and Jan Mursak. CSKA added on in the third period on a power play goal by Hjalmarsson, powered by Denis Denisov and Mursak. Moscow iced it at 3-0 with a power play goal by Igor Grigorenko, assisted by Alexander Radulov and Mursak, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were awarded to Hjalmarsson, Galimov (17 save shutout), and Mursak. CSKA heads home carrying a 3-1 series lead.

Game 5: CSKA Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Henrik Karlsson for Helsinki and Stanislav Galimov for Moscow. Helsinki struck first in the second period on an unassisted goal by Juhamatti Aaltonen. Moscow tied it on a Vladimir Zharkov goal, fueled by Damir Zhafyarov. Jokerit took the lead back with a Linus Omark goal, via Steve Moses and Petr Koukal. CSKA tied it again in the third period on an Igor Grigorenko goal, made possible by Alexander Radulov. Moscow took the lead on a Zhafyarov goal, passed from Jan Mursak. CSKA iced it at 4-2 on a shorthanded empty net goal by Grigory Panin. The three stars went to Zhafyarov, Grigorenko, and Zharkov. CSKA will face SKA in the Western Conference Final.

KHL Eastern Conference Semifinals: Sibir Novosibirsk VS. Metallurg Magnitogorsk

Welcome to the eastern conference semifinal round for the 2015 Gagarin Cup Playoffs. This post will act as a reference for the entire series between Sibir Novosibirsk and Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

Game 1: Ice Sports Palace Sibir, Novosibirsk, Russia. In goal: Vasily Koshechkin of Magnitogorsk and Alexander Salak of Novosibirsk. Novosibirsk got going in the second period on a David Ullstrom goal, guided in by Jonas Enlund and Maxim Shalunov. Sibir added on with an Alexei Kopeikin power play goal in the third period, powered by Dmitry Kugryshev and Vyacheslav Belov. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars going to Salak (38 save shutout), Ullstrom, and Kopeikin. Sibir owns a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Ice Sports Palace Sibir, Novosibirsk, Russia. In goal: Vasily Koshechkin of Magnitogorsk and Alexander Salak of Novosibirsk. Novosibirsk was first to score in the first period on a Viktor Bobrov goal, via Ivan Vereshchagin. Magnitogorsk tied it in the second period on a Jan Kovar power play goal, powered by Chris Lee and Danis Zaripov. Sibir retook the lead with an unassisted goal by Stepan Sannikov. Novosibirsk added on in the third period as Patrik Hersley scored on the power play, with the help of Alexei Kopeikin and Dmitry Kugryshev. Metallurg got one back with an unassisted power play goal from Zaripov. The final was 3-2, with the three stars given to Hersley, Sannikov, and Zaripov. Sibir travels with a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Alexander Salak of Novosibirsk and Vasily Koshechkin of Magnitogorsk. Magnitogorsk began in the first period on a Tim Stapleton goal, via Vladimir Malenkikh and Tim Brent. Metallurg added on with a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal, with a lone assist by Chris Lee. Magnitogorsk extended the lead on another Mozyakin power play goal, powered by Viktor Antipin and Danis Zaripov. Novosibirsk got on the board in the second period with an unassisted power play goal by David Ullstrom. Metallurg shot back as Brent scored, thanks to Lee and Oskar Osala. Sibir pulled back in the third period on a Dmitry Monya power play goal, guided in by Patrik Hersley and Jonas Enlund. Magnitogorsk answered with a Jan Kovar goal, helped along by Mozyakin. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Mozyakin, Brent, and Lee. The series still belongs to Sibir, but only with a 2-1 advantage.

Game 4: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Nikita Bespalov of Novosibirsk and Vasily Koshechkin of Magnitogorsk. Novosibirsk struck first in the first period on a Dmitry Kugryshev goal, with a lone assist by Oleg Gubin. Sibir added on with a Patrik Hersley power play goal, powered by Jonas Enlund and Igor Ozhiganov. Magnitogorsk got on the board with a Danis Zaripov goal, fueled by Sergei Mozyakin and Jan Kovar on the power play. Metallurg tied it in the second period with another Zaripov goal, coming off of Mozyakin. The tie was broken in overtime on a Renat Mamashev goal for Novosibirsk, giving them a 3-2 win. The three stars belonged to Zaripov, Mamashev, and Mozyakin. Sibir takes a 3-1 series lead home.

Game 5: Ice Sports Palace Sibir, Novosibirsk, Russia. In goal: Vasily Koshechkin of Magnitogorsk and Alexander Salak of Novosibirsk. Magnitogorsk dented the scoreboard with a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal in the second period, powered by Viktor Antipin and Danis Zaripov. Novosibirsk tied it on a Sergei Shumakov goal, courtesy of Stepan Sannikov. Sibir took the lead in the third period on an Oleg Gubin goal, coming off of Artyom Voroshilo. Novosibirsk iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Igor Ozhiganov, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Gubin, Salak (26 for 27 in saves), and Shumakov. Sibir advances to the conference final round with a 4-1 series win.

NHL March 18th, 2015

Three games on a calm Wednesday, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Cam Talbot are the little known goalies. Chicago got going in the third period on a Brad Richards goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Duncan Keith and Andrew Desjardins. This was the only goal, with the Blackhawks winning 1-0. The three stars were Darling (25 save shutout), Richards, and Talbot (30 for 31 in saves).

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Ben Scrivens are in the blue paint. Columbus started in the first period on a David Savard goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Alexander Wennberg and Scott Hartnell. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Ryan Murray and Cam Atkinson. Edmonton got on the board with a Derek Roy power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Benoit Pouliot and Nail Yakupov. The Oilers tied it in the third period on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twentieth of the year, with a lone assist by Jordan Eberle. Edmonton took the lead on a Yakupov goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Oscar Klefbom and Andrew Ference. Columbus retied it with a Mark Letestu goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Jack Johnson. In the shootout, Johansen and Wennberg topped Eberle for a 4-3 Blue Jackets win. The three stars went to Johansen, Wennberg, and Yakupov.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and John Gibson are between the pipes. Los Angeles opened in the first period on a Jeff Carter power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. Anaheim tied it on a third period goal by Patrick Maroon, his eighth of the year, assisted by Ryan Getzlaf and James Wisniewski. The Ducks took the lead on a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Andrew Coglaino and Hampus Lindholm. The Kings tied it on a Justin Williams goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Jake Muzzin and Trevor Lewis. Anaheim won 3-2 in overtime on a Ryan Kesler goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, helped along by Cam Fowler and Simon Despres. The three stars were Kesler, Silfverberg, and Maroon.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.