Sunday, January 13, 2013

KHL All-Star Game

This could be a bit sloppy, so fair warning. The English language website did not have a posting of the game text, so I'm using Google Translate to piece together what's happening.

This game pits East against West, being played in Traktor Arena in Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett for the East and Vasily Koshechkin for the West make the starts. The West scored the first of many goals as Ilya Kovalchuk potted the puck, with the help of Alexander Radulov. The West struck again as Alexander Korolyuk scored, thanks to Nikolai Zherdev. The East got on the board as Evgeny Kuznetsov scored a goal, coming off of Jakub Petruzalek. The East tied it on a Tomas Zaborsky goal, via Alexander Perezhogin and Ilya Nikulin. The East edged ahead as Renat Mamashev scored, with Perezhogin picking up the only helper. The East added on as Igot Skorokhodov scored, via Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Jori Lehtera. The East got another on a Kagarlitsky goal, passed from Lehtera. The East continued their surge with an unassisted Kuznetsov goal. The West chipped back on a Sergei Shirokov goal, set up by Zherdev. The East shot back in the second period with a Kuznetsov goal to complete his hat trick, and Nikulin added an assist. The West quickly replied with a Zherdev goal, courtesy of Shirokov. The East answered again on a Deron Quint goal, with Lehtera adding his third assist for a sock trick. The West pulled back with a Radulov goal, and Pavel Datsyuk supplied an assist. The East answered after Staffan Kronwall commited a penalty on a breakaway, setting Lehtera up for a successful penalty shot. The East extended the lead with an Alexei Morozov goal, and Sergei Mozyakin was credited with the assist. At the middle of the period, Garnett was relieved by Konstantin Barulin, and Koshechkin was relieved by Rastislav Stana. The East continued with another Morozov goal, this time thanks to Nikulin. The East padded the lead as Mamashev scored a goal, powered by Zaborsky and Petruzalek. The West chipped back with another Kovalchuk goal from Radulov. The East came back with a Quint goal, guided in by Kagarlitsky and Lehtera. The East continued the attack in the third period with an unassisted Mozyakin goal. The East got another as Kuznetsov scored his fourth of the night, also going down unassisted. The West responded on a Korolyuk goal, helped along by Shirokov. The East struck again as Kagarlitsky scored another goal, with helpers provided by Lehtera and Skorokhodov. The East continued with a Skorokhodov goal, made possible by Quint. The East got another on a Petruzalek tally, set up by Perezhogin and Zaborsky. The West came back with a Michael Varnakov goal, assisted by Tim Stapleton and Sergei Plotnikov. The West chipped away as Shirkov put down an unassisted goal. The West pulled closer with another Varnakov goal, coming from Korolyuk and Shirokov. The West got another back as Kovalchuk finished his hat trick, with assist coming from Radulov, for a sock trick, and Datsyuk. This produced the 18-11 East win, and the awards for best defenders went to the East's Mamashev and the West's Ilya Gorokhov. Congratulations to all of the All-Stars for being at the top of the KHL in talent.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. KHL resumes on Tuesday, NHL begins next Saturday.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

KHL January 10th 2013

Last day before the All-Star Game break as the superstars head to Chelyabinsk for the weekend. Eight games will be played, beginning in...

Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Ilya Ezhov and Andrei Vasilevsky will play in goal. St. Petersburg opened with a first period goal by Patrick Thoresen, assisted by Dmitry Kalinin. SKA added on in the second period on a Thoresen goal, made possible by Kalinin and Tony Martensson. Ufa got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Denis Khlystov, passed from Ivan Baranka. St. Petersburg shot back as Kevin Dallman scored a goal, with a lone assist from Ilya Kovalchuk. SKA padded the lead with an Igor Makarov goal, fueled by Alexander Kucheryavenko and Maxim Afinogenov. Salavat Yulaev got one back in the third period as Oleg Saprykin scored, courtesy of Andrei Zubarev and Khlystov. This was as close as it got, with the final being 4-2, with the three stars belonging to Thoresen, Khlystov, and Kalinin.

In the west, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod hosts Dinamo Minsk. Lars Haugen and Vitaly Koval receive the starting nods. Minsk started in the first period with a Stanislav Lopachuk goal, coming off of Andrei Mikhalyov and Pavel Chernook. Dinamo padded the lead in the second period as Tim Stapleton scored an unassisted goal. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board in the third period when Vladimir Gorbunov scored, with the help of Ilya Krikunov and Mikhail Tyulyapkin. This was it for the scoring, resulting in a 2-1 win for Dinamo. The three stars were Haugen (32 for 33 in saves), Stapleton, and Lopachuk.

A bit to the west, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl brings in Severstal Cherepovets. Vasily Koshechkin and Curtis Sanford will be in the blue paint. Cherepovets led off in the first period with an Alexander Ryazantsev goal, via Vadim Berdnikov and Mikhail Anisin. Yaroslavl tied it on a Daniil Apalkov goal, guided in by Niklas Hagman. Severstal took the lead again in the second period with a Stanislav Yegorshev goal, assisted by Evgeny Ketov and Vadim Shipachyov. Cherepovets iced it at 3-1 in the third period with an empty net goal by Berdnikov, going down unassisted. The three stars were Berdnikov, Koshechkin (25 for 26 in saves), and Yegorshev.

Back east, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Matt Dalton are between the pipes. Nizhnekamsk was first to score in the first period as Ruslan Nurtdinov scored, thanks to Alexander Seluyanov and Renat Mamashev. Neftekhimik extended the lead with an unassisted goal by Denis Grot. Nizhnekamsk continued in the second period with a Yegor Milovzorov goal, fueled by Maxim Berezin and Maxim Pestushko. Neftekhimik padded the lead as Milovzorov scored another goal, passed from Pestushko. Moscow got on the board in the third period when Konstantin Gorovikov scored a power play goal, powered by Denis Mosalyov. Nizhnekamsk replied on an Andrei Subbotin goal, courtesy of Tomas Netik. Dynamo got one back with a Sergei Soin goal, made possible by Alexei Tsvetkov and Konstantin Kasyanchuk. This produced the 5-2 final score, with the three stars being Milovzorov, Pestushko, and Nurtdinov.

Westward again, as CSKA Moscow welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Ari Ahonen and Rastislav Stana tend the twines. Moscow began in the first period with a Nikolai Prokhorkin goal, via Segei Barbashev and Dmitry Kugryshev. Magnitogorsk tied it on a Georgy Misharin goal, assisted by Ryan O'Reilly. Metallurg took the lead in the second period as Sergei Mozyakin scored, with the help of Denis Platonov. CSKA retied it with an Igor Radulov power play goal, powered by Denis Denisov and Alexei Marchenko. The game went to a shootout, where Ahonen was relieved by Georgy Gelashvili, but he was unable to stop goals from Oleg Kvasha and Radulov, which toppled the single goal by O'Reilly for a 3-2 CSKA win Ilya Proskuryakov also appeared in goal, relieving Stana. The three stars were Radulov, Stana (30 for 32 in saves), and Prokhorkin.

Staying in the city, Spartak Moscow hosts Dinamo Riga. Mikael Tellqvist and Jan Lasak are the masked men. Riga finally started in the second period with an unassisted and shorthanded goal by Andris Dzerins. Dinamo added on with an Alexandre Giroux power play goal, powered by Krisjanis Redlihs and Paul Szczechura. Riga struck again in the third period on a Martins Karsums power play goal, assisted by Redlihs and Arvids Rekis. Dinamo kept going as Miks Indrasis converted a penalty shot he earned after being tripped on a breakaway by Jaroslav Obsut. Moscow shot back with a Nikita Shchitov goal, with a lone Branko Radivojevic. This made it 4-1, the final, with Redlihs, Tellqvist (33 for 34 in saves), and Giroux getting the three stars.

A little north, Atlant Mytishchi hosts Vityaz Chekhov. Ivan Lisutin and Stanislav Galimov protect the nets. Mytishchi struck first in the first period with a Jonas Andersson goal, assisted by Rafael Batyrshin. Chekhov tied it on an Artemy Panarin goal, coming off of Josh Hennessy and Alexander Korolyuk. Atlant took the lead back as Andersson scored again, with assists provided by Batyrshin and Nikolai Zherdev. Mytishchi added on with another Andersson goal to complete his hat trick, a power play goal powered by Igor Ignatushkin and Zherdev. Atlant extended the lead with Batyrshin potting a power play goal, via Ignatushkin and Zherdev, the latter getting a sock trick. Vityaz shot back with an Alexei Badyukov goal, fueled by Denis Sergeyev and Sergei Lesnukhin. Chekhov pulled closer with a Pavel Chernov goal, with a lone helper by Evgeny Timkin. Mytishchi replied in the third period as Andersson potted his fourth of the night, courtesy of Dmitry Kosmachyov and Zherdev. Atlant kept going with a Mikhail Glukhov goal, guided in by Konstantin Koltsov. Mytishchi finished it at 7-3 with an Ilya Kablukov goal, pushed through by Batyrshin, who got a sock trick. The three stars were Andersson, Batyrshin, and Zherdev, while Ignatushkin gets an honorable mention.

Finally, Lev Praha welcomes Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Tomas Popperle will be in the creases. Praha got going in the first period on a Lukas Cingel goal, assisted by Michal Repik and Ondrej Nemec. Lev struck again as Vitaly Karamnov scored, with the help of Tomas Surovy and Nemec. Chelyabinsk got on the board in the second period as Jan Bulis scored a power play goal, powered by Stanislav Chistov and Maxim Yakutsenya. Traktor tied it as Evgeny Kuznetsov scored a goal, with a lone assist provided by Andrei Popov. Praha took the lead back in the third period as Petr Vrana scored, courtesy of Jakub Klepis and Tomas Rachunek. Lev extended the lead as Nicklas Danielsson scored, via Martins Cipulis and Nathan Oystrick. Praha padded the lead as Vrana scored again, guided in by Klepis and Rachunek again. Lev iced it at 6-2 with a Cipulis goal, made possible by Danielsson. The three stars went to Vrana, Danielsson, and Cipulis, while Klepis, Rachunek, and Nemec get the honorable mentions.

See you for the All-Star Game on Sunday. Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

KHL January 9th 2013

Three games again today, with the teams from Monday having rotated around amongst themselves. First up...

Amur Khabarovsk hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Edgars Masalskis and Alexei Kuznetsov will be in the creases. Khabarovsk opened in the second period on a power play goal by Juha-Pekka Hytonen, powered by Alexander Yunkov and Nikita Gusev. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it on a Konstantin Glazachev goal, fueled by Stanislav Bocharov. Amur took the lead in the third period as Topi Jaakola scored, with the help of Perttu Lindgren and Mikhail Fisenko. Yugra tied it on an unassisted Marek Troncinsky goal. The game went to a shootout, where Amur's Gusev was matched by Yugra's Igor Skorokhodov twice, and then Jakub Petruzalek of Amur scored, only to be answered by Igor Magogin of Yugra. Finally, Petruzalek scored, and Skorokhodov fell short, giving Amur a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Gusev, Petruzalek, and Skorokhodov.

To the west, Sibir Novosibirsk hosts Barys Astana. Vitaly Yeremeyev and Jeff Glass will be given the green light to start. Astana started in the first period as Roman Starchenko scored, thanks to Dmitry Upper and Konstantin Rudenko. Novosibirsk tied it in the second period on a Alexei Kopeikin's goal, coming off of Alexander Nikulin and Viktor Drugov. Sibir took the lead in the third period with a power play goal by Kristian Kudroc, powered by Nikita Zaitsev and Jori Lehtera. Novosibirsk iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Lehtera, going in unassisted. The three stars were Lehtera, Glass (22 for 23 in saves), and Kudroc.

Finally, in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg welcomes Avangard Omsk. Karri Ramo and Alexander Lazushin tend the twines. Novokuznetsk was first to score with a first period Alexander Bumagin goal, assisted by Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Omsk tied it as Anssi Salmela scored, with the help of Georgijs Pujacs. Avangard took the lead with an unassisted Tomas Zaborsky goal. Metallurg tied it as Filipp Metyluk scored, via Kagarlitsky and Bumagin, coming on the power play. Omsk took the lead back with an Alexander Frolov goal, courtesy of Dmitry Syomin and Salmela. Avangard padded the lead in the second period on an Anton Kuryanov power play goal, powered by Frolov. Omsk extended the lead when Kuryanov scored again, with a lone assist from Sergei Kalinin. Novokuznetsk shot back in the third period on a Konstantin Turukin goal, passed from Yury Nazarov and Alexei Yefimov. They got no closer, losing 5-3, with the three stars being Kuryanov, Salmela, Frolov, while Bumagin and Kagarlitsky pick up the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

KHL January 8th 2012

First off, much appreciation for pushing me over 10,000 views on the blog. That's a huge number, and I honestly never thought I'd get that many when I started all those months ago. Thank you for sticking with me. For the KHL today, we have nine games, beginning in...

Ufa, as Salavat Yulaev finally returns home, hosting Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Sharychenkov and Andrei Vasilevsky will play in goal. Ufa led off in the first period as Igor Mirnov scored, with assists from Vasilevsky and Antti Pihlstrom. This was the game's only goal, resulting in a 1-0 win for Salavat Yulaev. Vasilevsky (25 save shutout), Sharychenkov (28 for 29 in saves), and Mirnov picked up the three stars.

Over in the west, CSKA Moscow hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Chris Holt and Ilya Proskuryakov will make the starts. Yekaterinburg got going with a first period power play goal by Rastislav Spirko, with a lone assist from Branislav Mezei. Avtomobilist added on as Alexei Makeyev scored, thanks to Alexei Simakov and Spirko. Moscow got on the board when Sergei Gimayev scored, via Andrei Sergeyev. CSKA tied it in the second period as Vladimir Zharkov scored, with the help of Dmitry Kugryshev. Moscow took the lead with an Igor Radlov goal, passed from Patrick Davis. Yekaterinburg retied the game in the third period as Stanislav Zhmakin scored, courtesy of Mezei and Evgeny Lapenkov. The game went to a shootout, where CSKA got three goals, including two by Oleg Kvasha and one from Sergei Shirokov to top tallies by Avtomobilist's Zhmakin and Denis Sokolov. The three stars went to Kvasha, Spirko, and Zhmakin, while Mezei gets an honorable mention.

Moving along to Yaroslavl, with Lokomotiv hosting Dinamo Minsk. Kevin Lalande and Curtis Sanford are all padded up. Yaroslavl began with a first period goal by Alexander Guskov, assisted by Staffan Kronwall on the power play. Lokomotiv added on as Alexander Chernikov scored, with the help of Yury Petrov and Yegor Yakovlev. Minsk got on the board with a power play goal by Dmitry Meleshko, powered by Jere Karalahti and Lukas Krajicek. Yaroslavl answered as Guskov scored a power play goal, via Sergei Plotnikov and Alexei Kalyuzhny. Lokomotiv extended the lead in the second period as Petrov scored a power play goal, guided in by Chernikov and Guskov. The scoring ended here with the final being 4-1, with the three stars being Guskov, Sanford (36 for 37 in saves), and Chernikov, while Petrov gets the honorable mention.

Down in Mytishchi, Atlant hosts Severstal Cherepovets. Vasily Koshechkin and Stanislav Galimov are given the starting nods. Cherepovets was first to score in the first period with a power play goal by Niclas Bergfors, powered by Petr Caslava and Alexei Medvedev. Severstal struck again in the third period with a Mikhail Anisin goal, fueled by Vadim Berdnikov and Linus Videll on the power play. Cherepovets iced it at 3-0 with an Ignat Zemchenko goal, assisted by Videll. The three stars were Koshechkin (17 save shutout), Videll, and Bergfors.

Backtracking east, with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod hosting Vityaz Chekhov. Sergei Denisov and Vitaly Koval will stand in the blue paint. Chekhov struck first in the first period on an Evgeny Timkin goal, passed from Pavel Chernov. Vityaz added on in the second period with a Chernov goal, set up by Nikita Dvurechensky. Nizhny Novgorod got one back as Alexei Vasilyev scored, with the help of Alexander Yevseyenkov. Chekhov shot back in the third period as Alexander Korolyuk converted a penalty shot that he was awarded when Yevseyenkov knocked the net off its posts. This made it a 3-1 game, the final, with Chernov, Denisov (44 for 45 in saves), and Korolyuk getting the three stars.

East again to Kazan, with Ak Bars hosting SKA St. Petersburg. Ilya Ezhov and Konstantin Barulin will be between the pipes. Kazan finally got going in the second period on a Danis Zaripov power play goal, set up by Konstanin Korneyev and Ilya Nikulin. Ak Bars extended the lead with a power play goal from Kirill Petrov, powered by Lauris Darzins and Alexei Tereshchenko. Kazan kept going in the third period as Zaripov scored again, with a lone assist from Alexei Morozov. St. Petersburg got on the board with a tony Martensson power play goal, passed from Ilya Kovalchuk and Dmitry Kalinin. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Zaripov, Barulin (44 for 45 in saves), and Petrov.

Again in Moscow, where Spartak welcomes Donbass Donetsk. Jan Laco and Jan Lasak will guard the cages. Donetsk finally started in the second period on a Vaclav Nedorost goal, assisted by Evgeny Dadonov and Sergei Tereshchenko. Moscow tied it in the third period with an unassisted Anatoly Nikontsev goal. Spartak took the lead on a Branko Radivojevic goal, made possible by Mikhail Yunkov and Andrei Shefer. Moscow iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Oleg Petrov, set up by Denis Bodrov and Nikolai Bushuyev. The three stars were Lasak (31 for 32 in saves), Radivojevic, and Nikontsev.

West to Prague, as Lev Praha hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Ari Ahonen and Jakub Stepanek protect the nets. Magnitogorsk opened with a first period power play goal by Mats Zuccarello, powered by Denis Platonov and Ryan O'Reilly. Metallurg padded the lead in the second period on an O'Reilly goal, fueled by Platonov and Sergei Mozyakin. Magnitogorsk struck again on a Justin Hodgman goal, set up by Zuccarello and Yaroslav Kosov. Praha got on the board when Jiri Hunkes scored, thanks to Jakub Klepis and Tomas Rachunek. Metallurg replied in the third period on a Mozyakin goal, with a lone assist from O'Reilly. Lev took one back as Klepis scored an unassisted shorthanded goal. Magnitogorsk finished the scoring at 5-2 with a Kosov goal, coming off of Hodgman and Zuccarello. The three stars of the game were Zuccarello, O'Reilly, and Mozyakin, while Platonov, Kosov, Hodgman, and Klepis get the honorable mentions.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Jaroslav Janus tend the twines. Bratislava started in the first period with a power play goal by Michel Miklik, powered by Roman Kukumberg and Lubomir Visnovsky. Slovan struck again in the second period as Andrej Kudrna scored, via Visnovsky and Kukumberg. Chelyabinsk got on the board with a power play goal by Valery Nichushkin, coming off of Vyacheslav Belov and Stanislav Chistov. Traktor tied it on a Vladimir Antipov goal, courtesy of Konstantin Panov and Yegor Dugin. Bratislava took the lead back as Jonathan Sigalet scored, with the help of Martin Bakos. Chelyabinsk tied it again in the third period as Panov scored, thanks to Evgeny Kuznetsov. The game went to overtime, where Slovan prevailed 4-3 on an unassisted Kukumberg goal. The three stars were Kukumberg, Visnovsky, and Panov.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Monday, January 7, 2013

KHL January 7th 2013

The first day after the mass exodus of NHL players back to North America. Only three games though, so the impact is yet to be fully felt, and some players have remained with their teams at first glance on the box score. First up...

Amur Khabarovsk hosts Avangard Omsk. Eduard Reizvikh and Alexei Kuznetsov will play in goal. Omsk led off in the second period as Dmitry Syomin scored, thanks to Sergei Kostitsyn and Alexander Frolov. Khabarovsk tied it as Alexander Yunkov scored a power play goal, powered by Juha-Pekka Hytonen. Avangard took the lead back in the third period on an Andrei Ivanov goal, made possible by Sergei Kalinin. Omsk iced it at 3-1 on a Frolov empty net goal, set up by Nikita Nikitin and Kostitsyn. The three stars went to Frolov, Reizvikh (33 for 34 in saves), and Kostitsyn.

To the west, Sibir Novosibirsk hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Edgars Masalskis and Jeff Glass protect the nets. Novosibirsk began in the first period with a Jonas Enlund goal, fueled by Nikita Zaitsev and Maxim Krivonozhkin. Sibir struck again in the second period as Enlund scored again, a power play goal with a lone assist by Krivonozhkin. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with a Rinat Ibragimov goal, passed from Igor Skorokhodov and Igor Magogin. Yugra tied it with a Skorokhodov power play goal, powered by Vitaly Sitnikov. Khanty-Mansiysk completed the comeback in overtime, winning 3-2 on an Anton But goal, assisted by Marek Troncinsky on the power play. The three stars were Skorokhodov, Enlund, and Krivonozhkin.

Finally, an interesting game ends our day in Novokuznetsk, as Metallurg hosts Barys Astana. Teemu Lassila and Alexander Lazushin started the game, but backups Pavel Poleuktov and Ilya Sorokin also saw time in the high-scoring affair. Astana started with a Dmitry Upper goal in the first period, courtesy of Mikhail Rakhmanov. Novokuznetsk tied it on a Konstantin Turukin goal, via Yury Nazarov. Barys took the lead again as Dustin Boyd scored, with help from Nigel Dawes and Rakhmanov. Astana padded the lead on a Talgat Zhailauov goal, made possible by Fyodor Polishchuk and Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev. Barys extended the lead with a Viktor Alexandrov goal, guided in by Andrei Gavrilin and Maxim Spiridonov. Metallurg shot back as Alexander Bumagin potted the puck, with a helper from Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Novokuznetsk pulled closer with a second period goal by Dmitry Chernykh, with a lone assist from Kagarlitsky. Metallurg tied it as Turukin scored, with the help of Nazarov. Astana took the lead back as Zhailauov scored a goal, helped along by Polishchuk. Novokuznetsk retied it on a Kagarlitsky goal, set up by Chernykh. Barys took the lead again with a Spiridonov goal, coming on the power play from Alexandrov. Astana got another as Roman Starchenko scored, fueled by Andrew Hutchinson. Metallurg chipped back in the third period when Alexander Mereskin scored a power play goal, powered by Stanislav Romanov and Nikita Vyglazov. Barys iced it at 8-6 with Zhailauov finishing his hat trick with a goal coming off of Polishchuk, who got a sock trick. The three stars went to Zhailauov, Polishchuk, and Rakhmanov, while the honorable mentions include Turukin, Nazarov, Alexandrov, Spiridonov, Kagarlitsky, and Chernykh.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

NFL Wild Card Weekend 2013

Four games, with the winner moving on and the loser going home. First up...

The Houston Texans host the Cincinnati Bengals for the early Saturday game. Houston started in the first quarter with a 48 yard Shayne Graham field goal. The Texans added on in the second quarter when Graham made a 27 yard field goal. Cincinnati took the lead as Leon Hall returned an interception of Matt Schaub for 20 yards and a touchdown, and Josh Brown had the go-ahead extra point. Houston took the lead back as Graham made a 22 yard field goal. The Texans padded the lead in the third quarter with a 1 yard touchdown run by Arian Foster, and Graham made the PAT. The Bengals replied as Brown made a 34 yard field goal. Houston answered on a fourth quarter Graham field goal from 24 yards away. Cincinnati chipped away on a 47 yard Brown field goal. This only made it 19-13, a final. Houston goes on to play the New England Patriots next week, while the Bengals are out.

Up in Green Bay, the Packers host the Minnesota Vikings in the late Saturday game. Minnesota led off with a first quarter Blair Walsh field goal of 33 yards. Green Bay took the lead as DuJuan Harris ran 9 yards for a touchdown, and Mason Crosby made the extra point. The Packers added on in the second quarter as Crosby made a 20 yard field goal. Green Bay added on as John Kuhn ran in a 3 yard touchdown, and Crosby was there with the PAT. The Packers got some more in the third quarter with Aaron Rodgers passing 9 yards to Kuhn for another touchdown, and Crosby handled the extra point. The Vikings chipped back in the fourth quarter as Joe Webb passed 50 yards for a touchdown to Michael Jenkins, and Walsh was true with the extra point. They got no closer, losing 24-10, with Green Bay moving on to play San Francisco next week, while Minnesota is out.

Beginning on Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens host the Indianapolis Colts. Baltimore got going in the second quarter as Justin Tucker kicked a 23 yard field goal. Indianapolis tied it on an Adam Vinatieri field goal from 47 yards out. The Ravens took the lead on a 2 yard touchdown run by Vonta Leach, and Tucker supplied the extra point. The Colts got some back on a 52 yard Vinatieri field goal. Baltimore extended the lead in the third quarter as Joe Flacco tossed a 20 yard touchdown to Dennis Pitta, and Tucker handled the extra point. Indianapolis shot back on a Vinatieri field goal of 26 yards. The Ravens padded the lead in the fourth quarter on a Flacco touchdown pass of 18 yards to Anquan Boldin, and Tucker tacked on the PAT. This made it 24-9, a final, with Baltimore moving on to play Denver next week while the Colts are out.

Finally, closing out the weekend, the Washington Redskins host the Seattle Seahawks. Washington opened with a first quarter Robert Griffin III touchdown pass of 4 yards to Evan Royster, and Kai Forbath made the extra point. The Redskins added on as Griffin found Logan Paulsen for 4 yards and a touchdown, and Forbath made another extra point. Seattle got on the board with a 32 yard field goal by Steven Hauschka in the second quarter. The Seahawks pulled closer as Russell Wilson passed 4 yards to Michael Robinson for a touchdown, and Hauschka tacked on the PAT. Seattle chipped away as Hauschka was able to make a 29 yard field goal. The Seahawks edged ahead in the fourth quarter as Marshawn Lynch ran 27 yards for a touchdown, and the two-point conversion from Wilson to Zach Miller was also good. Seattle iced it at 24-14 with a Hauschka 22 yard field goal. Seattle's win means they play in Atlanta next week, while Washington exits from the playoffs.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

KHL January 6th 2013

Eight games on today, and with early rumblings of an NHL CBA deal, there could be a dramatic migration of players back to North America for the impending season. Regardless, the season continues with...

CSKA Moscow hosting Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Rastislav Stana are in goal. Chelyabinsk opened in the second period on a Vladimir Antipov goal, fueled by Konstantin Panov. Moscow tied it with a third period Denis Denisov goal, coming off of Pavel Datsyuk and Alexander Radulov. Traktor took the lead back as Panov scored an unassisted goal shorthanded. CSKA retied the game as Datsyuk scored, via Igor Radulov and Sergei Shirokov. The game went into a shootout, where Datsyuk scored the only goal, leading CSKA to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Datsyuk, Panov, and Stana (41 for 43 in saves).

Back east, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Sergei Bobrovsky and Maxim Sokolov will be between the pipes. St. Petersburg was first to score in the first period with an unassisted Fyodor Fedorov goal. SKA added on in the third period with a Patrick Thoresen power play goal, powered by Petr Prucha and Kevin Dallman. St. Petersburg struck again as Maxim Afinogenov potted the puck, with the help of Dmitry Vorobyov. SKA extended the lead on another Fedorov goal, with a lone assist from Ivan Nepryayev. St. Petersburg iced it at 5-0 with a power play goal by Dmitry Kalinin, passed from Igor Makarov. The three stars went to Fedorov, Bobrovsky (40 save shutout), and Thoresen.

Westward again, as Atlant Mytishchi hosts Dinamo Minsk. Lars Haugen and Stanislav Galimov are given the starting nods. Minsk won the game 1-0 in overtime as Geoff Platt scored an unassisted goal. The three stars go to Platt, Haugen (19 save shutout), and Galimov (38 for 39 in saves).

Northeast to Nizhny Novgorod, with Torpedo hosting Severstal Cherepovets. Vasily Koshechkin and Vitaly Koval are the masked men. Cherepovets led off in the first period with a Vadim Berdnikov goal, with a lone assist from Linus Videll. Nizhny Novgorod tied it on a Dmitry Makarov goal, set up by Martin Thornberg. Severstal took the lead back with an unassisted Berdnikov goal. Torpedo tied it again in the second period as Maxim Potapov scored, thanks to Anton Volchenkov. Nizhny Novgorod took the lead as Thornberg scored, with the help of Alexander Yevseyenkov. Torpedo padded the lead on a Juuso Hietanen power play goal, powered by Mikhail Varnakov. Cherepovets got one back as Videll scored, courtesy of Alexander Ryazantsev. Nizhny Novgorod replied in the third period as Alexander Semin scored a power play goal, made possible by Hietanen and Pyotr Schastlivy. This produced the 5-3 final, with the three stars being Hietanen, Thornberg, and Berdnikov, while Videll gets an honorable mention.

Over to Yaroslavl, as Lokomotiv hosts Vityaz Chekhov. Ivan Lisutin and Curtis Sanford will protect the nets. Yaroslavl struck first in the first period as Alexander Chernikov scored, with the help of Yury Petrov. Lokomotiv added on as Alexei Kalyuzhny potted the puck, thanks to Niklas Hagman and Mikelis Redlihs in the second period. Chekhov got on the board in the third period on a Denis Sergeyev goal, made possible by Ainars Podzins and Vladimir Malevich. They failed to tie the game, falling 2-1, with the three stars being Sanford (26 for 27 in saves), Lisutin (32 for 34 in saves), and Kalyuzhny.

Moving out of Russia, Dinamo Riga welcomes Donbass Donetsk. Jan Laco and Mikael Tellqvist will make the starts. Riga started in the first period with an Alexandre Giroux goal, made possible by Kaspars Daugavins and Oskars Cibulskis. Donetsk tied the game with a Sergei Varlamov goal, passed from Denis Kochetkov and Jan Kolar. Donbass took the lead on a Vaclav Nedorost goal, courtesy of Tuomas Kiiskinen. Donetsk extended the lead in the second period with a goal by Evgeny Dadonov, assisted by Sergei Peretyagin. Donbass finished the scoring at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Alexei Ponikarovsky, with help from Petteri Wirtanen and Kolar. The three stars were given to Laco (27 for 28 in saves), Kolar, and Nedorost.

Further southwest, we stop in Prague as Lev Praha hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Chris Holt and Tomas Popperle will guard the cages. Praha began in the second period on an Erik Christensen power play goal, powered by Nicklas Danielsson and Jakub Klepis. This was the only goal in the game, resulting in a 1-0 final, with the three stars being Popperle (23 save shutout), Christensen, and Holt (21 for 22 in saves).

Finally, we end in Bratislava, as Slovan welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Ari Ahonen and Jaroslav Janus tend the twines. Bratislava got going in the first period on a power play goal by Milan Bartovic, courtesy of Libor Hudacek and Jan Lipiansky. Slovan added on with a Hudacek power play goal, set up by Bartovic and Lipiansky. Magnitogorsk answered in the second period as Evgeny Malkin scored a power play goal, powered by Nikolai Kulemin and Sergei Mozyakin. Metallurg tied the game as Mozyakin scored, thanks to Kulemin and Malkin. Bratislava took the lead back in the third period on a Hudacek power play goal, passed from Lipiansky, who got a sock trick, and Michal Sersen. Magnitogorsk tied it again with another Mozyakin goal, assisted by Malkin and Kulemin, the latter getting a sock trick. Slovan ended up winning 4-3 in the shootout as Mario Bliznak scored two goals to overwhelm a lone Mozyakin tally. The three stars were Bliznak, Hudacek, and Lipiansky, while Bartovic, Mozyakin, Malkin, and Kulemin get the honorable mentions.

By now, you may have heard that the NHL is eying a return between the 15th and the 19th of this month. When the lockout began and I started blogging the KHL, I made the promise that I would continue to work on the KHL regardless of if the NHL returned or not. I fully intend to keep this promise, and will work on both the KHL and NHL when the NHL gets underway. Thank you for your support as always, and follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.