NHL 2016/17 - Day 59

The schedule sees ten games to be played today, beginning with two matinees. The first is in...

Philadelphia, where the Flyers host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Steve Mason are the veteran goalies. Dallas opened in the first period with a Devin Shore goal, his third of the season, coming off of Curtis McKenzie and Adam Cracknell. Philadelphia tied it on a Brayden Schenn goal, his fifth of the year, a power play goal powered by Jakub Voracek and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Stars retook the lead in the third period on another Shore goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, helped along by Antoine Roussel and Dan Hamhuis. The Flyers tied it again with another Schenn power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, assisted by Voracek and Mark Streit. Philadelphia pulled ahead as Schenn completed his hat trick on his seventh of the year, another power play goal made possible by Wayne Simmonds and Voracek, the latter earning a sock trick. The Flyers iced it at 4-2 with a Voracek empty net goal, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Claude Giroux. The three stars belonged to Schenn, Voracek, and Shore.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Kings welcome the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Peter Budaj are the backups in goal. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Jeff Carter power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Drew Doughty and Budaj. The Kings added on with an Alec Martinez power play goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers provided by Tanner Pearson and Kevin Gravel. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his fifth of the season, via Tom Pyatt and Kyle Turris. Los Angeles replied with a Trevor Lewis goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Derek Forbort and Dustin Brown. The Kings iced it at 4-1 with a Marian Gaborik power play goal in the third period, with a lone assist from Lewis. The three stars went to Lewis, Martinez, and Budaj (19 for 20 in saves).

Back east, the Boston Bruins bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Tuukka Rask man the nets. Toronto got going in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, his twelfth of the season, via William Nylander. The Maple Leafs added on with a Zach Hyman goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Jake Gardiner and Matt Hunwick. Boston got on the board with a Brad Marchand goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of David Backes. Toronto replied in the third period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Tyler Bozak and Hunwick. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Connor Brown, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Morgan Rielly. The three stars were Hyman, Hunwick, and Andersen (32 for 33 in saves).

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Montreal led off in the first period with a Brian Flynn goal, courtesy of Daniel Carr and Sven Andrighetto. The Canadiens added on with a Max Pacioretty goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Tomas Plekanec. Montreal extended the lead as Artturi Lehkonen scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Phillip Danault and Andrew Shaw. Semyon Varlamov replaced Pickard in goal. The Canadiens padded the lead with another Pacioretty goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, via Andrei Markov and Plekanec. Montreal kept going with a Paul Byron goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Brendan Gallagher and Jeff Petry. The Canadiens continued on a Flynn goal, his second of the game, made possible by Andrighetto and Zach Redmond. Colorado got on the board with a Blake Comeau goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Nikita Zadorov and Nathan MacKinnon. Montreal struck again in the second period on an Alexander Radulov, his sixth of the year, fueled by Pacioretty and Plekanec, the latter earning a sock trick. The Canadiens got another one with a Pacioretty goal to complete his hat trick on his tenth of the season, helped along by Radulov and Plekanec. Montreal continued with a Petry power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Markov and Shaw. The Canadiens finished it at 10-1 in the third period with a Pacioretty goal, his fourth of the game and twelfth of the campaign, dished from Torrey Mitchell and Redmond. The three stars were awarded to Pacioretty, Plekanec, and Flynn, while Radulov, Petry, Shaw, Redmond, Markov, and Andrighetto get the honorable mentions.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the young goalies. Pittsburgh was first to score in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Brian Dumoulin and Kris Letang. Tampa Bay tied it on a Jonathan Drouin goal, his fifth of the year, a power play goal powered by Anton Stralman and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning took the lead on a Valtteri Filppula goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Nikita Nesterov in the second period. Tampa Bay added on with another Drouin goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, helped along by Jason Garrison and Vladislav Namestnikov. The Penguins got one back with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Phil Kessel and Letang. Pittsburgh tied it with another Crosby goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, with assists from Kessel and Letang, the latter earning a sock trick, in the third period. The Penguins took the lead on a Malkin power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, with helpers from Trevor Daley and Kessel, the latter earning a sock trick. This made it a 4-3 win for them, with the three stars going to Malkin, Crosby, and Kessel, while Letang gets an honorable mention.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom faces his former team, as does his counterpart, Roberto Luongo. Florida began in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Seth Griffith. The Panthers added on with a Derek MacKenzie goal, his third of the year, via Paul Thompson and Colton Sceviour in the second period. Florida extended the lead in the third period as Aaron Ekblad scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Jaromir Jagr and Barkov. Vancouver got on the board with a Jack Skille goal, his third of the year, assisted by Michael Chaput. The Canucks got closer with a Daniel Sedin power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Troy Stecher and Henrik Sedin. The Panthers iced it at 4-2 with a Vincent Trocheck empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by MacKenzie and Mark Pysyk. The three stars went to MacKenzie, Barkov, and Luongo (37 for 39 in saves).

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Sergei Bobrovsky protect the nets. New York struck first in the first period with a Josh Bailey goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Columbus tied it with a Jack Johnson power play goal, powered by Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky. The Blue Jackets took the lead with an Atkinson goal in the second period his tenth of the year, via Johnson and David Savard. The Islanders retied it with a John Tavares goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Anders Lee and Travis Hamonic. Columbus retook the lead with an unassisted Josh Anderson goal in the third period, his eighth of the year. The Blue Jackets added on with a Brandon Saad goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Oliver Bjorkstrand and Markus Nutivaara. Columbus extended the lead as Lukas Sedlak scored his second of the year, thanks to Seth Jones and Matt Calvert. The Blue Jackets finished it at 6-2 with a Jones goal, his fourth of the campaign, fueled by William Karlsson and Scott Hartnell. The three stars belonged to Atkinson, Johnson, and Jones.

Southwest to Arizona, where the Coyotes welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Mike Smith are the experienced goalies. Arizona cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Alex Goligoski goal, via Lawson Crouse and Jordan Martinook. The Coyotes added on with a Laurent Dauphin goal, his second of the season, made possible by Tyler Gaudet and Ryan White. Nashville got one back with a Roman Josi goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Viktor Arvidsson and Ryan Johansen. Arizona replied with a Brendan Perlini goal, assisted by Shane Doan and Jakub Chychrun in the second period. Arizona extended the lead in the third period as Martin Hanzal scored his sixth of the campaign, thanks to Radim Vrbata and Goligoski. This produced the 4-1 final, with the three stars going to Smith (44 for 45 in saves), Goligoski, and Perlini.

Up in Alberta, the Calgary Flames bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Chad Johnson are in the blue paint. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Matthew Tkachuk and Mikael Backlund. The Flames added on in the second period with a Sam Bennett goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Johnny Gaudreau and Dennis Wideman. Calgary extended the lead as Hamilton scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, fueled by Tkachuk and Backlund. The Flames padded the lead on a Backlund power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Tkachuk, who earned a sock trick, and Hamilton. Connor Hellebuyck replaced Hutchinson for the third period. Calgary continued in the third period as Lance Bouma scored, with the help of Garnet Hathaway and Matt Stajan. Winnipeg got on the board with a Nikolaj Ehlers power play goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Bryan Little. The Flames replied with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Gaudreau and Mark Giordano. The Jets countered with a Jacob Trouba goal, helped along by Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele. The game ended at 6-2, with the three stars awarded to Hamilton, Backlund, and Tkachuk, while Gaudreau gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Aaron Dell receive the starting nods in goal. San Jose drew first blood in the first period with a Patrick Marleau goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Joe Thornton and Justin Braun. Carolina tied it on a Lee Stempniak power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Jaccob Slavin. The Sharks took the lead back with a Paul Martin goal, via Mikkel Boedker and Melker Karlsson. The Hurricanes retied it in the second period on a shorthanded goal by Andrej Nestrasil, his second of the season, set up by Victor Rask. San Jose regained the lead on a Logan Couture goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Brent Burns and Joel Ward. The Sharks extended the lead as Kevin Labanc scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Dylan DeMelo and Thornton. Carolina got one back in the third period with a Derek Ryan power play goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers provided by Jeff Skinner and Rask. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Thornton, Rask, and Labanc.

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MLS Cup 2016 - Toronto FC VS. Seattle Sounders FC

It's the championship game for MLS action, with the winner taking all tonight. In goal are Clint Irwin for Toronto and Stefan Frei for Seattle. Seattle's Chad Marshall had a yellow card for a foul in first half stoppage time. The Sounders' Joevin Jones took a yellow card for his seventy-second minute foul. In second half stoppage time, Michael Bradley of Toronto received a yellow card for his foul. The game went through extra time with no score, leading to a penalty shootout. Here, the Sounders prevailed as Roman Torres provided the difference-maker, with other Sounders tallies coming from Brad Evans, Andreas Ivanschitz, Joevin Jones, and Nicolas Lodeiro, which topped the four goals by Jozy Altidore, Benoit Cheyrou, Will Johnson, and Drew Moor. The MVP was Frei, who had a seven-save clean sheet on the night as the Sounders took the championship in a 1-0 win.

As I like to do at the end of each season I cover, I'll provide a status update on where my career is going. I have nearly completed my degree in sports journalism at this time, and as such, 2017 is likely to be a year of changes for myself and my blogging output. I hope to get a job working in some sort of sports journalism or for a particular team in one of the sports I'm familiar with. Should this happen, I will drop whichever league I'm coming from this blog with the purpose of maintaining a situation where there is no conflict of interest. That being said, I have no intentions of shuttering this site as a whole no matter where I end up working. This will be where I got started in my career, and I will keep it going as long as I possibly can, until I'm working in a full-time, year-round position that will demand the attention I usually pay to this. However, I do not see this being the case next year. As always, I hope you enjoyed my MLS coverage this season, and I'll be back for next year's games when they begin in March. Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

KHL 2016/17 - Day 105

There's nine games on for the day, beginning with...

Salavat Yulaev Ufa hosting Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Andrei Gavrilov are in goal. Khabarovsk led off in the first period with a Vitaly Popov goal, passed from Yury Nazarov and Oleg Li. Ufa tied it in the second period with an Enver Lisin goal, fueled by Evgeny Korotkov. Amur took the lead back with a Vladislav Ushenin goal, coming off of Vladimir Malevich and Teemu Ramstedt. Khabarovsk added on with a Vyacheslav Litovchenko goal in the third period, going in unassisted. Salavat Yulaev answered on a Linus Omark power play goal, powered by Sami Lepisto and Teemu Hartikainen. Ufa tied it with a Denis Kulyash goal, made possible by Maxim Goncharov and Dmitry Makarov. Ufa won 4-3 in overtime with an Igor Grigorenko goal, assisted by Lepisto and Omark on the power play. The three stars were Omark, Lepisto, and Grigorenko.

Over to Chelyabinsk, where Traktor welcomes Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Pavel Francouz are set to start in goal. Chelyabinsk began in the first period with a Vladimir Denisov goal, coming off of Dmitry Pestunov. Traktor added on in the second period with an Alexei Kruchinin goal, via Artyom Borodkin and Maxim Yakutsenya. Vladivostok got on the board with a Dmitry Lugin goal, guided in by Maxim Mamin and Anton Volchenkov. Chelyabinsk replied with a Borodkin goal, made possible by Danil Gubarev and Artyom Penkovsky. Traktor iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Kirill Koltsov, going in unassisted in the third period. The three stars belonged to Borodkin, Kruchinin, and Francouz (35 for 36 in saves).

In Magnitogorsk, Metallurg brings in Kunlun Red Star Beijing. Tomi Karhunen is mismatched with Vasily Koshechkin in goal. Beijing opened in the first period with a Sean Collins goal, via Brett Bellemore and Stanislav Alshevsky. Magnitogorsk tied it with a Denis Platonov goal, helped along by Dmitry Kazionov and Denis Kazionov. Metallurg took the lead with an unassisted power play goal by Alexander Semin. Kunlun Red Star tied it in the second period with an Alexei Ponikarovsky goal, going in unassisted. Magnitogorsk retook the lead with a third period goal by Semin, assisted by Artyom Zhelezkov and Tomas Filippi. Metallurg iced it at 4-2 with a Danis Zaripov power play goal, powered by Sergei Mozyakin and Jan Kovar. The three stars were handed to Semin, Zaripov, and Platonov.

Over in Moscow, Dynamo hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Alexander Yeryomenko tend the twines. Yaroslavl got going in the second period on a Vladislav Kartayev goal, helped along by Jakub Nakladal and Nikita Cherepanov. Lokomotiv added on with a Maxime Talbot goal, passed from Rushan Rafikov and Pavel Kraskovsky. Moscow got on the board with a Maxim Karpov goal, fueled by Artyom Fyodorov and Alexei Tereshchenko. Dynamo tied it on an Ilya Nikulin power play goal, powered by Alexei Tsvetkov and Fyodorov. Moscow took the lead in the third period with a shorthanded goal by Alexander Rybakov, set up by Denis Kokarev. Dynamo extended the lead as Kokarev scored, thanks to Konstantin Gorovikov and Artyom Podshendyalov. Moscow padded the lead with a Podshendyalov goal, via Kokarev. Yaroslavl got one back with a power play goal from Nakladal, with assists provided by Andrei Loktionov and Daniil Apalkov. Dynamo finished it at 6-3 with a Tsvetkov power play goal, made possible by Nikulin and Fyodorov, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars went to Kokarev, Fyodorov, and Nikulin, while Podshendyalov, Tsvetkov, and Nakladal get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Cherepovets, where Severstal welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Jakub Kovar draw the starts in goal. Podolsk dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Denis Abdullin power play goal, powered by Igor Golovkov and Nikita Vyglazov. Cherepovets tied it on a Maxim Trunyov goal, helped along by Daniil Vovchenko. Vityaz took the lead back in the third period with an Alexander Nikulin goal, guided in by Maxim Afinogenov and Alexei Semenov. Severstal retied it with a Ruslan Karlin goal, fueled by Evgeny Mons. Podolsk took the lead again with a Vyglazov goal, passed from Artyom Chernov. Cherepovets tied it on another Karlin goal, via Mons and Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Vityaz won 4-3 in overtime with a Nikulin goal, with a lone assist by Semenov. The three stars went to Nikulin, Vyglazov, and Semenov, while Karlin and Mons get the honorable mentions.

Down in Sochi, the Leopards bring in Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ville Kolppanen and Konstantin Barulin are the masked men. Nizhnekamsk started in the first period with a Dan Sexton power play goal, powered by Gilbert Brule and Andrei Sergeyev. Neftekhimik added on with a Sergeyev power play goal, with a lone assist from Sexton. Nizhnekamsk extended the lead in the second period as Richard Gynge scored, thanks to Brule. Neftekhimik padded the lead on a Gynge goal in the third period, coming off of Sexton and Brule, the latter earning a sock trick. Nizhnekamsk iced it at 5-0 with a Sexton goal, via Yegor Milovzorov. The three stars went to Sexton, Gynge, and Brule, while Sergeyev and Kolppanen (46 save shutout) get the honorable mentions.

Back in Moscow, Spartak hosts Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Nikita Bespalov are in the creases. Moscow struck first in the first period with a Konstantin Glazachev goal, assisted by Lukas Radil and Matthew Gilroy. Spartak added on with a Radil power play goal, powered by Gilroy. Togliatti got on the board in the second period with a Viktor Komarov goal, passed from Semyon Valuisky and Nikita Filatov. Lada tied it on a Georgy Belousov goal, courtesy of Alexei Volgin. Togliatti won 3-2 in overtime on a Dmitry Kostromitin goal, coming off of Anton Shenfeld and Belousov. The three stars went to Belousov, Radil, and Gilroy.

East a bit to Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Ilya Proskuryakov guard the cages. Nizhny Novgorod was first to score in the first period with an Evgeny Mozer goal, via Nikolai Zherdev. Torpedo finished it at 2-0 with a John Norman empty net goal, set up by Carter Ashton. The three stars were Proskuryakov (18 save shutout), Mozer, and Norman.

Finally, Dinamo Riga brings in Slovan Bratislava. Justin Pogge and Janis Kalnins are between the pipes. Riga drew first blood in the first period with a Roberts Lipsbergs goal, going in unassisted. Dinamo added on in the third period with a Mikelis Redlihs goal, via Justin Shugg and Tim Sestito. Bratislava got on the board with a Jonathan Cheechoo power play goal, powered by Jeff Taffe and Tomas Kundratek. Riga shot back with a Gints Meija goal, coming off of Lauris Darzins and Maris Bicevskis. Slovan got one back on a Taffe goal, with a lone assist by Ziga Jeglic. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Taffe, Meija, and Lipsbergs.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 58

Six games on tonight, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Robin Lehner draw the starts in goal. Washington dented the scoreboard in the second period on a T.J. Oshie goal, his ninth of the season, via Jay Beagle and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on with a Jakub Vrana power play goal, powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov. Buffalo got on the board with a power play goal by Kyle Okposo in the third period, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Rasmus Ristolainen and Ryan O'Reilly. Washington replied with a John Carlson power play goal, helped along by Backstrom and Marcus Johansson. The Capitals iced it at 4-1 with a Johansson empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Oshie and Orlov. The three stars went to Oshie, Backstrom, and Johansson, while Orlov gets an honorable mention.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Petr Mrazek are in the blue paint. Columbus started in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Cam Atkinson goal, his ninth of the season. Detroit tied it with a Dylan Larkin power play goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, powered by Thomas Vanek and Frans Nielsen. The Blue Jackets retook the lead on a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his third of the season, coming off of Atkinson and David Savard. Columbus added on with a Lukas Sedlak goal, passed from Sam Gagner and Markus Nutivaara. Jimmy Howard replaced Mrazek in goal. The Blue Jackets finished it at 4-1 with a third period empty net goal by Gagner, his eleventh of the year, set up by Sedlak and Seth Jones. The three stars were handed to Atkinson, Sedlak, and Gagner.

Back east, the New Jersey Devils bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen faces a lesser foe in Keith Kinkaid in goal. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Robby Fabbri goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Brad Hunt and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues added on with a second period Ryan Reaves goal, passed from Alex Pietrangelo and Kyle Brodziak. New Jersey got on the board with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Taylor Hall and Adam Henrique. St. Louis replied with a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Alexander Steen and Tarasenko. The Blues iced it at 4-1 with a Fabbri goal in the third period, his second of the game and eighth of the year, made possible by Tarasenko, who got a sock trick, and Jori Lehtera. The three stars were Fabbri, Tarasenko, and Allen (20 for 21 in saves).

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Devan Dubnyk are set to start in goal. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Benoit Pouliot and Tyler Pitlick. Minnesota tied it in the second period with a Matt Dumba goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Nino Niederreiter and Jason Pominville. The Wild took the lead back with a Jason Zucker goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Mikael Granlund in the third period. The Oilers retied it on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Oscar Klefbom and Jordan Eberle. The tie went to a shootout, where Pominville and Draisaitl exchanged goals before another exchange between Chris Stewart and Eberle, and then Eric Staal gave the Wild the 3-2 win. The three stars were Pominville, Draisaitl, and Eberle.

Down to Chicago, where the Blackhawks welcome the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and Scott Darling are in the creases. New York won 1-0 in overtime with a Nick Holden goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh. The three stars were awarded to Raanta (26 save shutout), Holden, and Darling (36 for 37 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones faces a lesser foe in Jonathan Bernier in goal. Anaheim began in the first period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his eleventh of the season, via Shea Theodore and Corey Perry. The Ducks added on with an Antoine Vermette goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Theodore and Nick Ritchie. San Jose got on the board with a Brent Burns goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski. The Sharks tied it on a Kevin Labanc goal, his third of the year, coming off of Logan Couture and Joel Ward. Anaheim retook the lead with a Hampus Lindholm goal in the third period, made possible by Ritchie and Ryan Kesler. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Theodore, Ritchie, and Lindholm.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 104

Just two games today, beginning with...

Metallurg Novokuznetsk hosting Avangard Omsk. Dominik Furch and Andrei Kareyev are the goalies. Novokuznetsk got going in the second period with a Kirill Semyonov goal, helped along by Alexander Titov. Omsk tied it on a Maxim Pestushko goal, via Vladimir Sobotka and Alexander Perezhogin. Metallurg took the lead with an Ignat Zemchenko power play goal, powered by Mark Skutar and Nikita Lyamkin. Avangard retied it with a Valentin Pyanov goal, fueled by Ilya Mikheyev and Erik Gustafsson. The tie went to a shootout, where Sobotka, Nikolai Lemtyugov, and Pestushko scored to top Evgeny Solovyov's lone tally for a 3-2 Avangard win. The three stars were Pestushko, Sobotka, and Pyanov.

The other game sees Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk host Barys Astana. Henrik Karlsson and Alexander Sharychenkov man the nets. Astana struck first in the first period with a Nigel Dawes power play goal, powered by Kevin Dallman and Martin St. Pierre. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it in the second period on an Evgeny Lapenkov goal, via Nikita Khlystov. Barys took the lead back in the third period with a Nursultan Belgibaeyev goal, passed from Konstantin Pushkaryov and Corey Trivino. Ugra tied it on  Pavel Varfolomeyev power play goal, assisted by Oleg Pogorishny and Denis Gorbunov. Astana took the lead again with an unassisted power play goal by Alexander Lipin. Barys iced it at 4-2 with a Dawes empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Dawes, Lipin, and Belgibayev.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 57

Ten games are on today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Anton Khudobin are the backups in goal. Colorado opened in the first period with an unassisted Matt Duchene goal, his tenth of the season. The Avalanche added on with a shorthanded and unassisted Nathan MacKinnon goal, his seventh of the year. Colorado extended the lead with a John Mitchell goal in the second period, going in unassisted. Boston got on the board with a David Pastrnak goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Tim Schaller. The Bruins got closer with another Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, assisted by Brad Marchand and Torey Krug. The Avalanche replied with a Carl Soderberg goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Mikhail Grigorenko and Francois Beauchemin. This made it 4-2, the eventual final, with the three stars being Pastrnak, Mitchell, and Soderberg.

In Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Thomas Greiss draw the starts in goal. St. Louis led off in the first period with a Robby Fabbri goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Vladimir Tarasenko. New York tied it on an Anders Lee power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Nick Leddy and Brock Nelson. The Islanders took the lead with a John Tavares goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blues retied it in the second period on a Kyle Brodziak goal, his third of the year, via Fabbri and Joel Edmundson. New York regained the lead in the third period with a Lee goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, helped along by Casey Cizikas. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Lee, Fabbri, and Tavares.

Next up, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Jonas Gustavsson and Steve Mason are the goalies. Edmonton started in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Jesse Puljujarvi. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Draisaitl and Mark Letestu. Philadelphia got on the board with a Mark Streit goal, his fifth of the season, via Travis Konecny and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers tied it on a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, coming off of Andrew MacDonald and Roman Lyubimov. Philadelphia took the lead with a Claude Giroux goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist from Jakub Voracek. Edmonton retied it on a shorthanded goal by Andrej Sekera, his fourth of the season, set up by Letestu and McDavid. The Oilers pulled ahead with a Benoit Pouliot goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, made possible by Draisaitl and Sekera. Edmonton extended the lead as Oscar Klefbom scored his fourth of the season on the power play, with the help of Jordan Eberle and Drake Caggiula. The Flyers chipped back with a Voracek power play goal, his tenth of the year, with helpers from Shayne Gostisbehere and Giroux. Philadelphia tied it as Giroux scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, thanks to Radko Gudas and Voracek. The Flyers took the lead on a Michael Raffl goal, his sixth of the year, dished from Voracek, who earned a sock trick, and Streit. This stood for a 6-5 win, with the three stars being Voracek, Giroux, and Draisaitl, while Streit, Sekera, and McDavid get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal began in the first period with a Phillip Danault goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Nathan Beaulieu and Andrew Shaw. New Jersey tied it with an Adam Henrique goal, his sixth of the year, passed from P.A. Parenteau and Taylor Hall. The Canadiens regained the lead with a Torrey Mitchell goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Brendan Gallagher and Zach Redmond. Montreal added on with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Shaw and Danault in the second period. The Canadiens extended the lead as Max Pacioretty scored his eighth of the season, an unassisted goal, in the third period. The Devils got one back with a Hall power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Henrique and Kyle Palmieri. Montreal iced it at 5-2 with a Mitchell goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, via Gallagher and Paul Byron. The three stars belonged to Mitchell, Danault, and Hall, while Henrique, Gallagher, and Shaw get the honorable mentions.

South to Florida, where the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Ben Bishop are the reliable goalies. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Jack Skille goal, with a lone assist from Erik Gudbranson. The Canucks added on with an unassisted Gudbranson goal. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period as Jayson Megna scored his second of the season, with the help of Alex Biega and Nikita Tryamkin. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his fourth of the year, via Valtteri Filppula and Luke Witkowski. The Canucks answered on Megna's second of the game and third of the season, assisted by Daniel Sedin and Markus Granlund. Andrei Vasilevskiy replaced Bishop for the third period. Vancouver padded the lead in the third period on another Skille goal, made possible by Brendan Gaunce. Jacob Markstrom replaced  Miller late in the game. This produced the 5-1 final, with the three stars going to Megna, Skille, and Gudbranson.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Roberto Luongo protect the nets. Pittsburgh was first to score in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Patric Hornqvist and Conor Sheary. The Penguins added on with a Sheary goal, his seventh of the year, via Crosby and Justin Schultz. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Tom Kuhnhackl scored his second of the season, thanks to Scott Wilson. Florida got on the board in the second period with a Jaromir Jagr power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Keith Yandle. The Penguins shot back in the third period with a Matt Cullen goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Wilson and Schultz. Pittsburgh finished it at 5-1 with a Carl Hagelin empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by the goalie Murray. The three stars went to Sheary, Crosby, and Murray (28 for 29 in saves), while Schultz and Wilson get the honorable mentions.

Back to Canada, where the Winnipeg Jets host the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and Michael Hutchinson are given the starting nods in goal. New York opened in the first period with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello. Winnipeg tied it on a Mark Scheifele goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the year, via Paul Postma and Dustin Byfuglien. The Rangers retook the lead in the third period with a Kevin Hayes power play goal, his eleventh of the campaign, assisted by Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Hayes, Raanta (17 for 18 in saves), and Kreider.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Kari Lehtonen are the Finnish goalies. Dallas started in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza. The Stars added on with a Brett Ritchie goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Antoine Roussel and Radek Faksa. Nashville got on the board with a Viktor Arvidsson shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Austin Watson. Dallas replied with a Spezza goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, passed from Dam Hamhuis and Benn. The Stars extended the lead as Roussel scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Lauri Korpikoski and John Klingberg. Marek Mazanec replaced Rinne in goal. Dallas padded the lead on a Seguin power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Benn and Spezza. The Predators got one back in the third period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Mike Ribeiro and the goalie Mazanec. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Benn, Spezza, and Roussel, while Seguin gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Arizona, where the Coyotes bring in the Calgary Flames. Chad Johnson and Mike Smith play in the blue paint. Arizona led off in the first period with a Max Domi goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Christian Dvorak and Shane Doan. Calgary tied it on a Mark Giordano power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. The Flames won 2-1 in overtime with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his fourth of the campaign, guided in by Gaudreau. The three stars went to Gaudreau, Johnson (27 for 28 in saves), and Hamilton.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Jeff Zatkoff play in the creases. Carolina began in the first period with a Derek Ryan goal, his second of the season, assisted by Andrej Nestrasil and Justin Faulk. The Hurricanes added on in the second period on a shorthanded Ryan goal in the second period, his second of the game and third of the year, set up by Brock McGinn and Jaccob Slavin. Carolina extended the lead in the third period as McGinn scored, thanks to Victor Rask and Phillip Di Giuseppe. Los Angeles got on the board with a Drew Doughty goal, his fifth of the campaign, fueled by Marian Gaborik and Tyler Toffoli. The three stars of the 3-1 game went to Ryan, McGinn, and Ward (21 for 22 in saves).

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 103

Eleven games fill the schedule as we get a burst of KHL action for a little bit. We begin with...

Traktor Chelyabinsk hosting Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Vasily Demchenko are the goalies. Chelyabinsk opened in the first period with a Derek Roy goal, passed from Dmitry Pestunov and Kirill Koltsov. Traktor added on in the second period with a Koltsov power play goal, powered by Pestunov and Paul Szczechura. Khabarovsk got on the board in the third period with a Vitaly Popov goal, made possible by Oleg Li and Yury Nazarov. Chelyabinsk iced it at 3-1 with a Maxim Yakutsenya empty net goal, set up by Alexei Kruchinin. The three stars went to Koltsov, Demchenko (25 for 26 in saves), and Pestunov.

In Magnitogorsk, Metallurg welcomes Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Vasily Koshechkin draw the starts in goal. Vladivostok started in the first period with a Maxim Kazakov goal, fueled by Sergei Barbashev. Magnitogorsk tied it on an Oskar Osala goal, coming off of Evgeny Biryukov. Admiral took the lead back in the second period with a Viktor Alexandrov goal, helped along by Mikhail Grigoryev. Vladivostok added on with an Alexander Gorshkov goal, guided in by Vladimir Tkachyov. Ilya Samsonov replaced Koshechkin in goal. Metallurg pulled back with a Jan Kovar power play goal, powered by Viktor Antipin. Magnitogorsk tied it as Tomas Filippi scored, thanks to Alexander Semin. Metallurg took the lead with a Semin goal, assisted by Filippi and Bogdan Potekhin. Magnitogorsk iced it at 5-3 on an Evgeny Timkin goal, via Kovar. The three stars were given to Filippi, Semin, and Kovar.

Next up, Salavat Yulaev Ufa brings in Kunlun Red Star Beijing. Tomi Karhunen and Niklas Svedberg man the creases. Beijing struck first in the first period on a power play goal by Janne Jalasvaara, powered by Chad Rau. Ufa tied it on a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, passed from Sami Lepisto and Linus Omark. Kunlun Red Star retook the lead with a Tomi Sallinen goal, guided in by Tommi Taimi and Martin Bakos. Salavat Yulaev tied it on a Denis Parshin goal, made possible by Alexander Loginov and Maxim Mayorov. Beijing took the lead again in the third period with a Rau goal, coming off of Linus Videll on the power play. Kunlun Red Star added on with a Bakos goal, with a lone assist by Taimi. Andrei Gavrilov replaced Svedberg in goal. Ufa shot back with a Loginov goal, courtesy of Omark and Kaprizov. Salavat Yulaev tied it as Denis Kulyash scored in the third period, thanks to Mayorov. The tie went to a shootout, where Bakos had the lone tally to give Beijing the 5-4 win. The three stars went to Bakos, Loginov, and Rau, while Taimi, Omark, Mayorov, and Kaprizov get the honorable mentions.

To the west, Severstal Cherepovets hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Jakub Kovar are the masked men. Yaroslavl got going in the second period with a Vladislav Gavrikov power play goal, powered by Pavel Kraskovsky and Alexander Kadeikin. Cherepovets tied it on an Evgeny Mons power play goal, via Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Denis Yezhov. Severstal took the lead in the third period with a Mons power play goal, helped along by Kagarlitsky and Ruslan Karlin. Cherepovets added on with a Daniil Vovchenko goal, fueled by Kagarlitsky, who got a sock trick and Adam Masuhr. Lokomotiv got one back with an Alexander Polunin goal, guided in by Kadeikin. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars went to Mons, Kagarlitsky, and Kadeikin.

Into Finland, where Jokerit Helsinki welcomes Slovan Bratislava. Justin Pogge and Ryan Zapolski receive the starting nods in goal. Bratislava led off in the first period with a Ziga Jeglic goal, assisted by Tomas Kundratek. Slovan added on in the second period with another Jeglic goal, guided in by Kyle Chipchura and Patrik Lusnak. Helsinki got on the board with a Jesse Joensuu goal, passed from Frank Gymer and Mika Niemi. Bratislava answered with a Lusnak goal, courtesy of Chipchura. The three stars of the 3-1 game were Jeglic, Lusnak, and Chipchura.

Way south to Sochi, where the Leopards bring in Ak Bars Kazan. Stanislav Galimov and Konstantin Barulin guard the cages. Kazan began in the first period with an Alexander Svitov power play goal, powered by Justin Azevedo. Sochi tied it on an Andrei Kostitsyn power play goal, with a lone assist from Oscar Fantenberg. Ak Bars took the lead on a Fyodor Malykhin goal in the second period, assisted by Dmitry Obukhov and Stefan Elliott. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Galimov (28 for 29 in saves), Malykhin, and Svitov.

In Moscow, CSKA hosts Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Viktor Fasth are between the pipes. Moscow was first to score in the first period with a Kirill Petrov goal, via Grigory Panin. CSKA added on with a Sergei Andronov goal, coming off of Denis Denisov and Greg Scott. Podolsk got on the board with an Alexander Nikulin goal in the second period, assisted by Maxim Afinogenov. Moscow replied with a Scott goal, fueled by Denisov. CSKA extended the lead in the third period as Semyon Koshelev scored, with the help of Vyacheslav Osnovin and Maxim Mamin. Moscow padded the lead on a Mamin goal, guided in by Koshelev. Vityaz answered on an Alexei Kopeikin goal, passed from Mario Kempe. This produced the 5-2 final, with the three stars given to Scott, Koshelev, and Mamin, while Denisov gets an honorable mention.

Staying in the city, Spartak Moscow welcomes Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ville Kolppanen and Nikita Bespalov are set to start in goal. Moscow opened in the first period with a Konstantin Glazachev power play goal, powered by Matthew Gilroy. Nizhnekamsk tied it on a third period power play goal by Richard Gynge, made possible by Gilbert Brule and Andrei Sergeyev. Spartak retook the lead on an Igor Mirnov goal, fueled by Tim Stapleton and Viktor Bobrov. Moscow iced it at 3-1 with a Ryan Stoa empty net goal, set up by Glazachev. The three stars went to Bespalov (32 for 33 in saves), Mirnov, and Glazachev.

Out to St. Petersburg, where SKA brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Igor Shestyorkin tend the twines. St. Petersburg started in the first period with a Vadim Shipachyov power play goal, powered by Anton Belov and Ilya Kovalchuk. Moscow tied it on an Artyom Fyodorov goal in the third period, guided in by Mat Robinson and Ansel Galimov. SKA won 2-1 in the shootout with a Sergei Shirokov and Kovalchuk tallying to top Vladimir Bryukvin. The three stars were Kovalchuk, Shestyorkin (24 for 25 in saves), and Yeryomenko (34 for 35 in saves).

Backtracking to Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo hosts Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Mikhail Biryukov are in goal. Nizhny Novgorod led off in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Brandon McMillan goal. Togliatti tied it on a third period power play goal by Stanislav Bocharov, powered by Georgy Belousov and Viktor Komarov. The tie went to a shootout, where the lone tally came from John Norman in the eighth round to give Torpedo the 2-1 win. The three stars were McMillan, Biryukov (21 for 22 in saves), and Ezhov (26 for 27 in saves).

Finally, Dinamo Riga hosts Medvescak Zagreb. Drew MacIntyre and Jakub Sedlacek are the solid goalies. Zagreb began in the first period with a Terry Galiardi goal, assisted by Francis Pare and Lukas Lessio. Medvescak added on in the second period with an unassisted Lessio goal. Zagreb extended the lead in the third period as Pare scored, thanks to Goran Bezina and Galiardi. Medvescak padded the lead with a power play goal by Bobby Butler, powered by Mark Katic and Pare. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars being Pare, MacIntyre (34 save shutout), and Galiardi, while Lessio gets an honorable mention.

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