Tuesday, January 22, 2013

NHL January 22nd 2013

Nine games to enjoy tonight, beginning in...

Carolina, as the Hurricanes host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mathieu Garon and Cam Ward make the starts. Tampa Bay led off in the first period as Tom Pyatt scored, with the help of Vincent Lecavalier and Matt Carle. The Lightning added on as Cory Conacher scored his second of the season, thanks to Lecavalier and Teddy Purcell. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Jeff Skinner power play goal, powered by Jordan Staal and Alexander Semin. Tampa Bay shot back in the third period on a Keith Aulie goal, fueled by Brendan Mikkelson. The Lightining padded the lead as Ryan Malone potted a power play goal, coming off of Martin St. Louis and Sami Salo.  This made it 4-1, a final, with Lecavalier, Garon (35 for 36 in saves), and Conacher picking up the three stars.

Up the coast, the Washington Capitals host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Braden Holtby are the young goalies. Washington began in the first period as Matt Hendricks scored, thanks to Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. Winnipeg tied it as Evander Kane scored a power play goal set up by Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets took the lead with an Andrew Ladd power play goal, powered by Nik Antropov and Tobias Enstrom. Winnipeg extended the lead in the second period as Wheeler notched a goal, with the help of Kane and Enstrom. The Jets padded the lead when Jim Slater scored a goal, passed from  Byfuglien and Enstrom, the latter getting a sock trick. The Capitals got one back in the third period on a Troy Brouwer power play goal, guided in by Mike Ribeiro and Backstrom. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Kane, Enstrom, and Pavelec (32 for 34 in saves), while Byfuglien, Wheeler, and Backstrom get the honorable mentions.

North further to Montreal, as the Canadiens host the Florida Panthers. Scott Clemmensen and Carey Price protect the nets. Montreal started in the first period as Tomas Plekanec scored, with the help of Brian Gionta and Raphael Diaz. The Canadiens added on as Andrei Markov sank a power play goal, powered by Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais. Florida got on the board in the second period as Tomas Kopecky scored a power play goal, assisted by Tomas Fleischmann and Brian Campbell. Montreal replied with Markov's second power play goal of the night, via Diaz and Pacioretty. The Canadiens padded the lead on an Alex Galchenyuk goal, set up by Brandon Prust and Brendan Gallagher. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 4-1, and the three stars were Galchenyuk, Markov, and Price (27 for 28 in saves), while Diaz and Pacioretty picked up the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the New Jersey Devils welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Martin Brodeur guard the cages. New Jersey struck first in the first period with Travis Zajac's second of the season, assisted by Bryce Salvador and Dainius Zubrus. The Devils added on with a David Clarkson power play goal, fueled by Ilya Kovalchuk and Marek Zidlicky. New Jersey got on the board in the second period as Kovalchuk converted a penalty shot after being tripped by Kimmo Timonen. This was it for the scoring, resulting in a 3-0 final, with the three stars going to Brodeur (24 save shutout), Kovalchuk, and Zajac.

West to Detroit, with the Red Wings hosting the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Jimmy Howard man the creases. Dallas was first to score in the first period on a Michael Ryder goal, made possible by Cody Eakin and Brenden Morrow. The Stars added on with a third period goal by Ryder, coming off of Ray Whitney and Eakin. Detroit got on the board as Damien Brunner scored, via Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. They failed to tie the game, losing 2-1, with the three stars going to Lehtonen (39 for 40 in saves), Ryder, and Howard (30 for 32 in saves), while Eakin gets an honorable mention.

Northwest a bit to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the Nashville Predators. Chris Mason and Niklas Backstrom are the masked men. Minnesota opened in the first period as Zach Parise scored his second of the season, with assists provided by Dany Heatley and Clayton Stoner. Nashville tied it on a Nick Spaling goal, fueled by Kevin Klein and Brandon Yip. The Predators took the lead in the third period as Martin Erat potted his second of the year, an unassisted goal. Nashville iced it at 3-1 as David Legwand scored a power play goal, powered by Spaling. The three stars were awarded to Mason (29 for 30 in saves), Heatley, and Parise, while Spaling gets an honorable mention.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks play host to the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Corey Crawford will stand between the pipes. Chicago got going in the first period as Patrick Kane scored his second of the year, with assists provided by Patrick Sharp and Nick Leddy. The Blackhawks padded the lead in the second period as Brent Seabrook scored a power play goal, powered by Duncan Keith and Jonathan Toews. Chicago extended the lead with a Viktor Stalberg goal in the third period, his second of the season, coming off of Bryan Bickell and Johnny Oduya. St. Louis got on the board as Andy McDonald scored his second of the year, thanks to Alex Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues got closer with a T.J. Oshie netted a power play goal, his second of the season, via David Perron and Alex Pietrangelo. They couldn't get an equalizer, falling 3-2, with the three stars being Kane, McDonald, and Keith.

Westward to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Semyon Varlamov will handle the goaltending duties. Los Angeles began in the first period as Kyle Clifford scored, courtesy of Jordan Nolan and Alec Martinez. Colorado tied it in the third period as Gabe Landeskog scored, with the help of Jan Hejda and Matt Duchene. The Avalanche took the lead as David Jones scored a power play goal, powered by Paul Stastny. Colorado added on as P.A. Parenteau scored, via Erik Johnson and Ryan Wilson. This gave them a 3-1 lead, which was good for the win, and Landeskog, Varlamov (28 for 29 in saves), and Duchene were given the three stars.

Finally, we end in Edmonton, with the Oilers welcoming the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Devan Dubnyk will receive the starting nods. San Jose led off with a first period Dan Boyle power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. The Sharks extended the lead with a Logan Couture power play goal, via Patrick Marleau and Pavelski. Edmonton replied with a Nail Yakupov goal, fueled by Sam Gagner and Ales Hemsky on the power play. San Jose shot back as Marleau scored, his third of the year, with helpers from Thornton and Brad Stuart. The Sharks added on with another Marleau goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, a power play goal set up by Thornton, who gets a sock trick, and Couture. San Jose padded the lead as Couture scored his second of the game, with the help of Martin Havlat and T.J. Galiardi. The Sharks got another as Marc-Eduard Vlasic potted the puck, courtesy of Tommy Wingels and Galiardi. Yann Danis relieved Dubnyk at the start of the second period. The Oilers got one back in the second period as Justin Schultz scored a power play goal, assisted by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle. Edmonton pulled closer in the third period as Taylor Hall scored, with helpers from Eberle and Ladislav Smid. This was as close as it got, resulting in a 6-3 final, with the three stars going to Marleau, Couture, and Schultz, while Thornton, Pavelski, Galiardi, and Eberle get honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL January 22nd 2013

Five games on as the KHL winds down the game counts before going to next week's extremes. The first up for today comes from...

Kazakhstan, as Barys Astana hosts Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Pavel Poluektov receive the starting nods. Bratislava got going in the second period with a Roman Kukumberg goal, assisted by Milan Bartovic and Peter Olvecky. Slovan added on in the third period with a shorthanded goal by Michel Miklik, passed from Jan Tabacek. Astana got on the board as Roman Savchenko scored, with a lone assist from Brandon Bochenski. Barys tied it with a Dustin Boyd goal, set up by Nigel Dawes. Bratislava got the lead back with a power play goal by Mario Bliznak, powered by Miklik and Libor Hudacek. Slovan iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Bartovic, coming off of Kukumberg and Milan Kytnar. The three stars went to Miklik, Bartovic, and Kukumberg.

To the north, Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk hosts Lev Praha. Tomas Popperle and Edgars Masalskis guard the cages. Praha began with a first period power play goal by Jakub Klepis, powered by Petr Vrana and Ondrej Nemec. Lev extended the lead in the second period with a Jakub Krejcik goal, with a lone assist by Michal Birner. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with a Konstantin Glazachev goal, fueled by Alexei Pepelyaev and Igor Skorokhodov. Yugra tied it in the third period with a power play goal from Rinat Ibragimov, assisted by Kirill Safronov and Sergei Demagin. Khanty-Mansiysk gained the lead on a Skorokhodov goal, made possible by Glazachev and Marek Troncinsky. Yugra finished the scoring with an empty net goal by Safronov, with Anton Krysanov getting the only assist. This made it 4-2, a final, with Skorokhodov, Glazachev, and Safronov picking up the three stars.

In the west, Dynamo Moscow welcomes SKA St. Petersburg. Ilya Ezhov and Alexander Yeryomenko draw the starts. St. Petersburg started in the first period with an Igor Makarov power play goal, powered by Dmitry Kalinin and Viktor Tikhonov. SKA added on in the second period as Kalinin scored, with a lone assist by Tony Martensson. Moscow got on the board in the third period as Konstantin Kasyanchuk scored, via Marek Kvapil and Dominik Granak. They failed to tie the game, losing 2-1, with the three stars going to Kalinin, Ezhov (37 for 38 in saves), and Yeryomenko (25 for 27 in saves).

North to Mytishchi, where Atlant brings in Spartak Moscow. Jan Lasak and Stanislav Galimov are in the creases. Mytishchi opened with a first period goal by Sergei Shmelyov, courtesy of Igor Ignatushkin and Alexei Petrov. Atlant added on as Alexei Mikhnov scored, thanks to Andreas Engqvist. Mytishchi struck again with a Nikita Tochitsky goal, made possible by Mikhnov. Moscow got on the board in the second period as Vyacheslav Kozlov scored, with the help of Alexander Suglobov. Atlant answered with a power play goal by Mikhail Glukhov, powered by Ilya Kablukov and Konstantin Koltsov. Mytishchi padded the lead as Koltsov scored a goal, with a lone assist from Roman Rukavishnikov. Spartak got one back in the third period when Andrei Ankudinov scored a goal, guided in by Valery Vasilyev. This only made it 5-2, the final, with Mikhnov, Koltsov, and Galimov (18 for 20 in saves) getting the three stars.

Finally, in Riga, Dinamo hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Maris Jucers play in the blue paint. Yaroslavl finally led off in the third period with an Alexei Kruchinin goal, passed from Sergei Plotnikov and Yegor Averin. Riga tied it as Miks Indrasis scored, with the help of Martins Karsums and Oskars Cibulskis. The game went into a shootout, where Lokomotiv topped Dinamo 2-1 with a lone tally by Yury Petrov. The three stars were Petrov, Sanford (21 for 22 in saves), and Jucers (28 for 29 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Monday, January 21, 2013

NHL January 21st 2013

Seven games to keep us busy on Martin Luther King, Jr./Inauguration Day in the fine United States. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Tuukka Rask are the young goalies. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Chris Thorburn goal, fueled by Paul Postma and Jim Slater. Boston tied it with a Brad Marchand goal, made possible by Tyler Seguin. The game went to a shootout, where tallies from the Bruins' Seguin and Patrice Bergeron lifted them 2-1 over a single tally by Blake Wheeler for the Jets. The three stars were given to David Krejci, Bergeron, and Rask (26 for 27 in saves), while Pavelec (26 for 27 in saves) or Seguin are more deserving of the first spot.

Out to Long Island, with the New York Islanders welcoming the Tampa Bay Lightning. Anders Lindback and Evgeni Nabokov receive the starting nods. New York got going in the second period as Michael Grabner scored a power play goal, powered by Mark Streit and the goalie Nabokov. The Islanders added on with a Matt Martin goal, via John Tavares. New York struck again when Kyle Okposo scored, thanks to Tavares and Matt Moulson. The Islanders extended the lead in the third period as David Ullstrom scored, with the help of Keith Aucoin and Travis Hamonic. Tampa Bay got one the board with a Martin St. Louis goal, his third of the season, coming off of Steven Stamkos and Cory Conacher. The Lightning pulled back with a Benoit Pouliot, with assists provided by B.J. Crombeen and Adam Hall. Tampa Bay chipped away with a Stamkos goal, guided in by Conacher and St. Louis. They couldn't get an equalizer, falling 4-3, with the three stars being Tavares, Martin, and St. Louis, while Stamkos and Conacher get the honorable mentions.

A bit west to Nashville, as the Predators host the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Pekka Rinne are in the creases. Nashville led off with a first period Colin Wilson goal, via Patric Hornqvist and Ryan Ellis. St. Louis tied it with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his third of the season, made possible by Andy McDonald and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues took the lead as McDonald scored, a power play goal powered by Tarasenko and Shattenkirk. The Predators tied it again with a Mike Fisher power play goal, set up by Martin Erat and Hornqvist. Nashville took the lead in the second period as Hornqvist scored a power play goal, assisted by Erat and Fisher. Brian Elliott relieved Halak here. St. Louis tied it again in the third period on an Alex Pietrangelo goal, with assists provided by Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz. The Blues completed the comeback with goals by T.J. Oshie and Alex Steen in the shootout for a 4-3 victory. The three stars were awarded to Tarasenko, Oshie, and Hornqvist, while Elliott (13 for 13 in saves in relief), Fisher, Erat, Shattenkirk, and McDonald get the honorable mentions.

To the north, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Ben Scrivens are between the pipes. Buffalo started with a first period Cody Hodgson goal, his second of the season, fueled by Christian Ehrhoff and Jason Pominville. The Sabres added on in the second period as Pominville potted the puck, and Thomas Vanek picked up the lone helper. Toronto got on the board late in the third period as Nazem Kadri scored his second of the year, thanks to Mike Kostka and Tyler Bozak. They failed to tie it, losing 2-1, with the three stars being Miller (34 for 35 in saves), Pominville, and Dion Phaneuf, while any other point getter could slide into the third slot.

Staying in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators host the Florida Panthers. Jose Theodore and Craig Anderson protect the nets Ottawa was first to score in the first period as Kyle Turris scored his second of the season, a power play goal powered by Patrick Wiercioch and Daniel Alfredsson. The Senators added on in the second period as Turris potted his second of the game and third of the year, thanks to Guillaume Latendresse and Andre Benoit. Ottawa got another in the third period as Jim O'Brien sank an unassisted goal. The Senators iced it at 4-0 with Jakob Silfverberg scoring a goal, made possible by Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek. The three stars went to Turris, Anderson (31 save shutout), and Marc Methot, while Silfverberg gets the unofficial third star for his first career goal.

To the south, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Sergei Bobrovsky are the goalies. Detroit struck first in the second period as Brian Lashoff scored, with helpers from Mikael Samuelsson and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings extended the lead as Ian White scored, courtesy of Johan Franzen and Pavel Datsyuk. Columbus got one back as Cam Atkinson scored, thanks to Ryan Johansen and Derek Dorsett. The Blue Jackets tied it in the third period with a James Wisniewski goal, coming on the power play via Derick Brassard and R.J. Umberger. Columbus gained the lead as Vinny Prospal put down a power play goal, with assists provided by Nikita Nikitin and Fedor Tyutin. Detroit retied the game with a Datsyuk goal, fueled by Kronwall and Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings won it 4-3 in overtime with a lone tally by Damien Brunner. The three stars were given to Datsyuk, Bobrovsky (39 for 42 in saves), and Wisniewski, while Kronwall gets the honorable mention.

Finally, in Calgary, the Flames host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Miikka Kiprusoff tend the twines. Anaheim began early in the first period as Ryan Getzlaf scored, with assists from Toni Lydman and Corey Perry. The Ducks added on as Saku Koivu scored a goal, guided in by Andrew Cogliano and Daniel Winnik. Anaheim kept going as Winnik scored his third of the season, assisted by Sheldon Souray and Koivu. Calgary got on the board with a Curtis Glencross power play goal, powered by Dennis Wideman and Alex Tanguay. The Flames pulled closer as Tanguay potted the puck, with the help of Jarome Iginla and Glencross. Calgary tied it in the second period as Glencross potted his second of the night, another power play goal, set up by Michael Cammalleri and Wideman. The Ducks retook the lead in the third period as Winnik potted his second of the game and fourth of the year, via Cogliano and Koivu. Anaheim extended the lead with another Getzlaf goal, his second of the game, helped along by Perry and Kyle Palmieri. The Flames chipped back as Lee Stempniak scored his second of the season, pushed through by T.J. Brodie and Roman Horak. They got no closer, losing 5-4, with the three stars handed to Winnik, Glencross, and Koivu, while Getzlaf, Cogliano, Perry, Tanguay, and Wideman receive the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL January 21st 2013

Six more games over in the general Russian area. First up...

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Andrei Vasilevsky and Evgeny Lobanov will be in the blue paint. Ufa opened with a first period goal by Nikita Filatov, passed from Denis Khlystov. Yekaterinburg tied it in the second period as Nikolai Pronin scored, thanks to Eduard Gimatov. Salavat Yulaev took the lead back in the third period when Alexander Pankov found twine, with the help of Ivan Baranka. Ufa iced it at 3-1 with an unassisted empty net goal from Alexander Stepanov. The three stars went to Vasilevsky (22 for 23 in saves), Pankov, and Filatov.

Into Magnitogorsk, as Metallurg hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Konstantin Barulin and Georgy Gelashvili receive the starting nods. Magnitogorsk got going in the second period as Pavel Zdunov scored, with assists provided by Yaroslav Kosov and Mikhail Yakubov. Kazan tied it with a power play goal by Ilya Nikulin, powered by Konstantin Korneyev. Ak Bars took the lead in the third period on an Alexei Tereshchenko goal, coming off of Denis Golubev. They held on to win 2-1, with the three stars going to Tereshchenko, Barulin (35 for 36 in saves), and Gelashvili (27 for 29 in saves).

A bit west, Traktor Chelyabinsk hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Maxim Sokolov and Vladislav Fokin will man the creases. Chelaybinsk was first to score in the first period as Petri Kontiola scored a power play goal, powered by Maxim Yakutsenya and Konstantin Panov. Nizhnekamsk tied it as Petr Koukal scored, via Tomas Netik. Neftekhimik took the lead on a power play goal by Pyotr Khokhryakov, with a lone assist from Maxim Berezin. Traktor pulled even in the second period as Anton Glinkin scored, thanks to Deron Quint. Chelyabinsk took the lead back on a Jan Bulis power play goal, made possible by Stanislav Chistov. Traktor added on as Kontiola scored again, with the help of Vyacheslav Belov and Panov. Matt Dalton relieved Sokolov at this time. Nizhnekamsk responded in the third period on a Vitaly Shulakov goal, coming off of Martin Cibak and Yegor Milovzorov. Chelyabinsk extended the lead as Valery Nichushkin scored a goal, guided in by Quint. Neftekhimik shot back as Netik scored, courtesy of Ruslan Nurtdinov and Koukal. After a late illegal hit and brawl, the game ended with no new goals, resulting in a 5-4 final. The three stars were Kontiola, Panov, and Quint, while Netik and Koukal get the honorable mentions.

Farther west, Severstal Cherepovets welcomes Amur Khabarovsk. Alexei Kuznetsov and Vasily Koshechkin make the starts. Cherepovets started with a first period goal by Niclas Bergfors, made possible by Stanislav Yegorshev and Alexei Medvedev. Severstal added on with a shorthanded goal by Vadim Shipachyov, passed from Evgeny Ketov. Cherepovets padded the lead in the second period as Ketov scored, thanks to Linus Videll and Vadim Berdnikov. Severstal kept going with another Ketov goal, courtesy of Denis Kazionov. Cherepovets struck again as Kazionov scored a power play goal, powered by Shipachyov. Severstal extended the lead with a power play goal by Yegorshev, assisted by Bergfors and Medvedev. Cherepovets got another as Shipachyov netted the puck, with the help of Bogdan Kiselevich and Ignat Zemchenko. Khabarovsk got on the board in the third period as Evgeny Orlov scored a shorthanded goal, set up by Juha-Pekka Hytonen. This produced the 7-1 final, with the three stars being Ketov, Shipachyov, and Kazionov, while Yegorshev, Bergfors, and Medvedev get the honorable mentions.

Down in Chekhov, Vityaz brings in Sibir Novosibirsk. Jeff Glass and Ivan Lisutin protect the nets. Chekhov struck first in the second period with an Artemy Panarin power play goal, powered by Dinar Khafizullin and Alexander Korolyuk. Novosibirsk tied it with an unassisted and shorthanded goal by Alexander Nikulin. Sibir took the lead in the third period on a power play goal by Maxim Krivonozhkin, assisted by Alexander Kutuzov and Kristian Kudroc. Novosibirsk extended the lead on a Nikulin goal, fueled by Jonas Enlund and Viktor Drugov. This held up for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Nikulin, Glass (23 for 24 in saves), and Krivonozhkin.

Finally, we end in Belarus, as Dinamo Minsk hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Alexander Lazushin and Lars Haugen will be all padded up. Minsk led off with a first period goal by Tim Stapleton, assisted by Geoff Platt and Jere Karalahti. Dinamo added on in the second period as Zbynek Irgl potted the puck, thanks to Cory Murphy and Oleg Goroshko. Minsk padded the lead with a Platt power play goal goal, with an assist provided by Murphy. Dinamo struck again as Sergei Drozd scored, via Andrei Mikhalyov. Minsk extended the lead with a power play goal from Murphy, powered by Platt and Teemu Laine. Dinamo got another when Dmitry Meleshko scored, courtesy of Alexander Kitarov. Novokuznetsk got on the board in the third period as Alexander Bumagin scored a power play goal, with the help of Dmitry Chernykh and Nikita Vyglazov. This was as close as it got, with the final being 6-1, leaving the three stars with Platt, Murphy, and Haugen (27 for 28 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

NHL January 20th 2013

Six games on in the NHL today. If that sounds familiar, the KHL had that many as well. Here, we begin in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Philadelphia Flyers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Ryan Miller are in the creases. Buffalo started with a first period Steve Ott power play goal, made possible by Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek. Philadelphia tied it in the second period on a Sean Couturier goal, passed from Kurtis Foster and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers took the lead as Claude Giroux scored a power play goal, assisted by Kimmo Timonen and Wayne Simmonds. The Sabres tied it again on a Vanek power play goal, powered by Drew Stafford and Pominville. Buffalo edged ahead with a Tyler Myers power play goal, via Tyler Ennis and Vanek. The Sabres padded the lead with a Cody Hodgson goal, guided in by Vanek, who got a sock trick, and Andrej Sekera. Buffalo iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Vanek, set up by Pominville, who got a sock trick for his efforts. The three stars were Vanek, Pominville, and Ott.

Later, the Calgary Flames welcome the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Miikka Kiprusoff tend the twines. Calgary opened with a Lee Stempniak power play goal, powered by Jay Bouwmeester and Mikael Backlund. San Jose took the lead as Patrick Marleau scored a power play goal, coming off of Joe Thornton and Logan Couture. The Sharks took the lead on a Martin Havlat goal, via Marc-Eduard Vlasic and Ryane Clowe. San Jose extended the lead as Marleau scored his second of the game, with the help of Dan Boyle and Joe Pavelski. The Sharks finished it at 4-1 with a Boyle power play goal, set up by Thornton and Pavelski. The three stars were given to Marleau, Stempniak, and Niemi (31 for 32 in saves), while Boyle, Thornton, and Pavelski get the honorable mentions.

Back in the east, the New York Rangers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tomas Vokoun and Henrik Lundqvist will be in the blue paint. Pittsburgh led off with James Neal's second goal of the season, made possible by Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang on the power play. New York tied the game as Ryan Callahan scored, thanks to Brad Richards and Derek Stepan on the power play. The Penguins regained the lead on the second of the year by Tyler Kennedy, courtesy of Joe Vitale and Simon Despres. Pittsburgh added on with a Matt Niskanen goal, coming off of Sidney Crosby. The Penguins chased Lundqvist in the second period when Pascal Dupuis potted a power play goal, passed from Malkin and Chris Kunitz. Martin Biron came on in relief. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Neal scored his second of the game and third of the season with helpers provided by Malkin, who got a sock trick, and Paul Martin. The Rangers got one back as Taylor Pyatt found twine, with the help of Michael Del Zotto and Richards. New York chipped away with a Rick Nash shorthanded goal, with a line helper by Stepan. The Penguins finished it at 6-3 with an unassisted empty net goal by Letang. Neal, Malkin, and Letang get the three stars, while Richards and Stepan get the honorable mentions.

Back west a bit, the Minnesota Wild host the Dallas Stars. Christopher Nihlstorp and Josh Harding are the backup goalies getting spot starts. Minnesota began with a first period Zach Parise goal, assisted by Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Dany Heatley. This was the only goal of the game, resulting in a 1-0 final. The three stars went to Harding (24 save shutout), Parise, and Cal Clutterbuck (five hits), while Nihlstorp (31 for 32 in saves) deserves an honorable mention for a strong debut.

Farther west, the Vancouver Canucks host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Roberto Luongo will protect the nets. Vancouver struck first in the first period with an unassisted Alexander Edler goal, his second of the season. The Canucks added on in the second period as Zack Kassian potted the puck, with help from Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. Edmonton got on the board when Jordan Eberle scored, thanks to Taylor Hall. The Oilers tied it in the third period as Ales Hemsky put away a power play goal, powered by Sam Gagner and Ryan Whitney. Edmonton would take the game in the shootout by a 3-2 final score after tallies from both Gagner and Hemsky. The three stars were handed to Kassian, Eberle, and Justin Schultz (for being an over-hyped rookie, presumably), while better choice could include either Gagner or Hemsky.

Finally, we end in Glendale, with the Phoenix Coyotes hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Ray Emery and Mike Smith will wear the masks. Phoenix was first to score in the first period on a David Moss goal, going in unassisted. Chicago tied it with a power play goal by Dave Bolland, set up by Patrick Kane and Nick Leddy. The Coyotes took the lead in the second period with an Antoine Vermette goal, assisted by Shane Doan and David Schlemko. The Blackhawks retied it as Patrick Sharp scored, with helpers provided by Bolland and Johnny Oduya. Chicago took the lead with a Marian Hossa goal, his third of the season, via Michal Rozsival and Kane. The Blackhawks added on as Viktor Stalberg found twine, thanks to Bryan Bickell and Andrew Shaw. Chicago extended the lead in the third period with Hossa's second of the night and fourth of the year, going down unassisted. Phoenix got one back as Vermette scored his second of the game, courtesy of Mikkel Boedker. The Coyotes chipped away with a Doan goal, helped along by Keith Yandle and Schlemko. The Blackhawks responded with Bolland's second goal of the game, pushed through by Sharp and Niklas Hjalmarsson. This was it for the scoring, with the final standing at 6-4. The three stars were handed to Hossa, Doan, and Bolland, while Sharp, Kane, Rozsival, and Schlemko get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Championship Sunday

Two football games to watch today, with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line in each of them. First up...

The NFC Championship game in Atlanta, with the Falcons hosting the San Francisco 49ers. Atlanta began with a first quarter Matt Ryan touchdown pass of 46 yards to Julio Jones, and Matt Bryant knocked in the extra point. The Falcons added on as Bryant booted a field goal of 35 yards. Atlanta kept going in the second quarter on a Ryan touchdown pass of 20 yards to Jones, and Bryant again kicked the extra point. San Francisco scored with LaMichael James running 15 yards for a touchdown, and David Akers nailed the extra point. The 49ers got closer with Colin Kaepernick throwing a 4 yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis, and Akers made another extra point. The Falcons padded the lead as Ryan found Tony Gonzalez for 10 yards and a touchdown, and Bryant tacked on the extra point. San Francisco chipped away in the third quarter on a 5 yard Frank Gore touchdown run, and Akers was there with the extra point. The 49ers took the lead in the fourth quarter as Gore rushed 9 yards for a touchdown, and Akers kicked the PAT. This held up for a 28-24 win, leaving the San Francisco 49ers with tickets to New Orleans in two weeks, while the Atlanta Falcons are done for the year. As an aside, if this is Tony Gonzalez's final game, thanks to him for a fabulous career as the best tight end of all time.

The AFC Championship came next, with the New England Patriots hosting the Baltimore Ravens. New England led off with a first quarter Stephen Gostkowski 31 yard field goal. Baltimore edged ahead in the second quarter as Ray Rice ran 2 yards for a touchdown, and Justin Tucker knocked in the extra point. The Patriots took the lead back as Tom Brady passed 1 yard for a touchdown to Wes Welker, and Gostkowski supplied the extra point. The Ravens pulled back in front in the third quarter as Joe Flacco threw 5 yards for a touchdown to Dennis Pitta, and Tucker nailed the PAT. Baltimore padded the lead in the fourth quarter as Flacco passed 3 yards for a touchdown to Anquan Boldin, and Tucker was true with the extra point. The Ravens added on as Flacco found Boldin again for 11 yards and a touchdown, and Tucker booted the extra point. They held on to win 28-13, advancing to the Harbaugh Bowl, while the Patriots head into the offseason.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL January 20th 2013

Six games going today, beginning in...

Omsk, as Avangard hosts Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Eduard Reizvikh are called on for the starts. Bratislava got going with a power play goal by Mario Bliznak in the first period, via Michel Miklik. Omsk tied it in the third period on a power play goal by Anton Kuryanov, courtesy of Sergei Kalinin and Andrei Ivanov. Slovan took the lead back as Milan Kytnar scored, with the help of Marko Dano and Martin Bakos. Avangard retied it with a power play goal off the tape of Tomas Zaborsky, powered by Kuryanov and Ivanov. The game went into a shootout, where Bliznak and Peter Olvecky scored a goal apiece for Slovan, leading them to a 3-2 win over Avangard, who had a lone tally from Alexander Frolov. The three stars went to Bliznak, Kuryanov, and Ivanov.

Up in Khanty-Mansiysk, Yugra hosts CSKA Moscow. Ilya Proskuryakov and Mikhail Biryukov will be between the pipes. Khanty-Mansiysk led off with a first period Alexei Pepelyaev goal, passed from Igor Skorokhodov and Igor Magogin. Moscow tied it in the second period on an Igor Radulov goal, assisted by Alexei Marchenko and Niklas Persson. CSKA took the lead in the third period with a Vladimir Zharkov goal, coming off of Evgeny Ryasensky and Yakov Rylov. Moscow added on as Persson scored, thanks to Alexander Radulov. CSKA iced it at 4-1 with a Denis Denisov goal, made possible by Persson and Alexander Radulov. The three stars went to Persson, Proskuryakov (28 for 29 in saves), and Alexander Radulov.

To the south, Barys Astana hosts Lev Praha. Tomas Popperle and Pavel Poluektov are in front of the nets. Praha started in the first period with a Toms Surovy goal, via Marcel Hossa, coming shorthanded. Astana tied it in the second period as Viktor Alexandrov scored, thanks to Maxim Spiridonov and Ilya Solaryov. Barys took the lead with an Andrei Gavrilin goal, assisted by Talgat Zhailauov and Andrew Hutchinson. Astana struck again as Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev potted the puck, with the help of Zhailauov and Gavrilin on the power play. Barys padded the lead on an unassisted Roman Savchenko goal. Astana made it 5-1 as Krasnoslobodtsev scored again, with an unassisted goal. This was a final, with the three stars being Gavrilin, Krasnoslobodtsev, and Zhailauov.

In the west, Spartak Moscow hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Vitaly Koval and Jan Lasak are the masked men. Nizhny Novgorod was first to score in the second period as Martin Thornberg scored, with the help of Dmityr Makarov and Mikhail Tyulyapkin. Moscow tied it with a third period goal by Nikolai Bushuyev, assisted by Oleg Petrov and Jaroslav Obsut. Spartak won 2-1 in overtime as Stefan Ruzicka scored, with a lone assist from Denis Bodrov on the power play. The three stars were Ruzicka, Lasak (24 for 25 in saves), and Koval (30 for 32 in saves).

Into Latvia, as Dinamo Riga hosts Atlant Mytishchi. Stanislav Galimov and Maris Jucers are given the starting nods. Mytishchi began with a first period power play goal by Ilya Krikunov, powered by Ivan Vishnevsky and Nikita Tochitsky. Riga tied it in the second period on a Miks Indrasis goal, made possible by Krisjanis Redlihs and Paul Szczechura. Atlant took the lead back on an Andreas Engqvist goal, fueled by Maxim Mayorov and Alexander Shevchenko. Mytishchi extended the lead as Mayorov scored, with Engqvist getting the only assist. Atlant struck again as Mayorov potted a shorthanded goal, set up by Yaroslav Dyblenko. Mytishchi padded the lead in the third period on a Mikhail Glukhov goal, passed from Ilya Kablukov and Konstantin Koltsov. Dinamo got one back as Arvids Rekis scored an unassisted goal. Riga chipped away as Jekabs Redlihs scored, with assists provided by Martins Karsums and Szczechura. Dinamo got closer with a Karsums goal, helped along by Indrasis and Krisjanis Redlihs on the power play. They failed to tie the game, falling 5-4, with the three stars being Mayorov, Engqvist, and Indrasis, while Karsums, Szczechura and Krisjanis Redlihs get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in Donetsk, Donbass welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Christopher Holt are the North American goalies. Donetsk opened with a first period goal by Vaclav Nedorost, courtesy of Evgeny Dadonov and Tuomas Kiiskinen. Yaroslavl tied it on a power play goal by Daniil Apalkov, powered by Alexei Kalyuzhny and Mark Flood. Lokomotiv took the lead as Alexei Kruchinin scored, with a lone assist by Sergei Plotnikov. Donbass tied it again with a Denis Kochetkov goal, made possible by Sergei Varlamov and Petr Podhradsky. Yaroslavl gained the lead again on a power play goal by Staffan Kronwall, and Apalkov recorded the assist. Donetsk retied the game in the second period with a Randy Robitaille goal, fueled by Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Lukas Kaspar. Lokomotiv retook the lead with a Plotnikov goal, via Yegor Averin. This was all for the scoring, resulting in a 4-3 final, with Plotnikov, Apalkov, and Sanford (27 for 30 in saves) receiving the three stars.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.