KHL Day 3 2013-2014

It's the first really big day for the KHL season, with ten games on in total. We begin in...

Khabarovsk, as Amur hosts Admiral Vladivostok. Joakim Lundstrom of Admiral and Alexei Murygin of Amur receive the starting nods. Vladivostok got going in the second period on a Niclas Bergfors goal, assisted by Richard Gynge and Felix Schutz on the power play. Admiral added on with another power play goal, scored by Vladimir Pervushin, powered by Sergei Lesnukhin and Viktor Drugov. Khabarovsk got on the board as Dmitry Tarasov scored, via Vladimir Loginov and Mikhail Fisenko. Amur tied it with a goal by Alexander Yunkov, passed from Tarasov. Vladivostok took the lead back in the third period on an Alexei Ugarov goal, courtesy of Schutz. Khabarovsk retied the game as Yunkov scored his second of the game, with assists provided by Brian Salcido and Timofei Shishkanov. The game lasted into a shootout, where Admiral prevailed on a lone goal by Enver Lisin. The three stars of the game belonged to Yunkov, Tarasov, and Schutz.

Westward to Omsk, where Avangard hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak of SKA and Teemu Lassila of Avangard are between the pipes. Omsk was first to score in the first period with a Kirill Lyamin goal, thanks to Denis Kazionov. St. Petersburg tied it with a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Viktor Tikhonov. SKA took the lead in the second period as Tikhonov scored another goal, with a lone assist from Alexander Kucheryavenko. St. Petersburg extended the lead with a power play goal by Kevin Dallman, powered by Roman Cervenka. SKA kept going with an unassisted goal by Kucheryavenko. St. Petersburg got another with an unassisted goal from Cervenka. The third period was scoreless, resulting in a 5-1 SKA victory. The three stars were Tikhonov, Kucheryavenko, and Cervenka, while Salak (27 for 28 in saves) gets an honorable mention.

Moving along to Yekaterinburg, where Avtomobilist hosts Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek of Severstal and Jakub Kovar of Avtomobilist protect the nets. Cherepovets led off in the second period as Nikolai Bushuyev scored, thanks to Ignat Zemchenko. Yekaterinburg tied it on an unassisted goal by Stanislav Zhmakin. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Severstal received three goals from Gleb Klimenko, Vadim Berdnikov, and Zemchenko to top a single goal from Avtomobilist's Filipp Toluzakov for a 3-1 win. The three stars went to Zemchenko, Stepanek (36 for 37 in saves), and Kovar (27 for 28 in saves).

Next up, Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford of Lokomotiv and Mikhail Biryukov of Yugra tend the twines. Khanty-Mansiysk started in the second period as Vitaly Sitnikov potted the puck, with a lone assist by Igor Skorokhodov. Yaroslavl tied it with a power play goal by Emil Galimov, powered by Sergei Plotnikov. Yugra took the lead back in the third period on an Alexei Pepelyaev goal, guided in by Mikhail Yakubov and Jonas Andersson on the power play. This stood up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Pepelyaev, Biryukov (35 for 36 in saves), and Sitnikov.

Onto Nizhnekamsk, where Neftekhimik brings in Ak Bars Kazan. Konstantin Barulin of Ak Bars and Alexander Sudnitsin of Neftekhimik are called upon to start. Kazan struck first in the first period with a Mikhail Varnakov goal, coming off of Tim Stapleton and Alexander Burmistrov. Nizhnekamsk tied it with a Branko Radivojevic power play goal, with a lone assist from Igor Polygalov. Neftekhimik took the lead in the third period on a Stanislav Romanov goal, guided in by Stanislv Alshevsky. Nizhnekamsk iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Mikhail Anisin, set up by Vitaly Shulakov. The three stars were Romanov, Sudnitsin (26 for 27 in saves), and Radivojevic.

West to Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Iiro Tarkki for Salavat Yulaev and Vitaly Koval for Torpedo are in the blue paint. Ufa opened with a first period goal by Stefan Ruzicka, going in unassisted. Salavat Yulaev extended the lead with an unassisted goal by Alexander Mereskin. Nizhny Novgorod got one back in the second period with an unassisted power play goal scored by Tim Brent. Torpedo tied it with a shorthanded goal Vyacheslav Kulyomin, set up by Jarkko Immonen. The tie lasted deep into the shootout, with a fourth round exchange of goals by Denis Parshin of Nizhny Novgorod and Denis Khlystov of Ufa before Dmitry Makarov put Salavat Yulaev ahead for good in the tenth round for a 3-2 victory. Makarov, Ruzicka, and Mereskin get the three stars.

Moving along to a new city with an old team, as Vityaz Podolsk hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett for Traktor and Johan Backlund for Vityaz are guarding the cages. Podolsk began in the first period with a Branislav Mezei goal, courtesy of Maxim Rybin and Alexander Korolyuk. Vityaz added on with a Mike Iggulden goal, going in unassisted. Podolsk extended the lead when Dmitry Shitikov potted an unassisted goal. Vityaz padded the lead in the second period on a Maxim Afinogenov goal, with a lone helper from Alexander Rybakov. Chelyabinsk got on the board with an Evgeny Katichev goal, assisted by Lauris Darzins and Petri Kontiola. Traktor got another one back with an unassisted goal by Andrei Popov. Podolsk replied in the third period when Korolyuk scored, thanks to Iggulden and Vladimir Malevich. Chelyabinsk shot back on a Konstantin Panov goal, via Jan Bulis. They got no closer, falling 5-3, with the three stars going to Korolyuk, Iggulden, and Afinogenov.

For the first time ever, we head to Croatia, where Medvescak Zagreb hosts CSKA Moscow in their first ever KHL game. Rastislav Stana of CSKA and Mark Dekanich of Medvescak are in the creases. Zagreb opened with a Jonathan Cheechoo goal in the first period, assisted by Alan Letang. Medvescak added on with a Mark Popovic power play goal, with a lone assist by Ryan Vesce. Zagreb extended the lead in the second period with a Kurtis Foster power play goal, powered by Steve Montador and Matt Murley. Moscow found the scoreboard as Alexei Morozov scored, thanks to Sergei Shirokov and Alexander Radulov on the power play. Medvescak replied with a Vesce power play goal, coming off of Mathieu Carle and Popovic. Zagreb padded the lead with a third period goal by Vesce, helped along by Charles Linglet and Letang. Medvescak kept going as Cheechoo scored his second of the game, via Andrew Murray. Zagreb wrapped it up as a 7-1 victory with a Linglet goal, dished from Vesce and Popovic on the power play. The three stars were Vesce, Cheechoo, and Popovic, while Linglet and Letang get the honorable mentions.

Speaking of Moscow, we head back there as Dynamo hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin of Metallurg and Alexander Yeryomenko of Dynamo will be the masked men. Magnitogorsk started with a first period power play goal by Jan Kovar, coming off of Justin Hodgman. Moscow tied it with a power play goal by Leo Komarov, powered by Maxim Pestushko. Dynamo took the lead as Pestushko scored a second period power play goal, via Dmitry Vishnevsky. Moscow added on in the third period with a Janne Jalasvaara goal, guided in by Marek Kvapil and Dmitry Pestunov. This stood up for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Petushko, Yeryomenko (28 for 29 in saves), and Komarov.

Finally, over in Donetsk, Donbass hosts Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus for Slovan and Jan Laco for Donbass are all padded up. Donetsk struck first in the first period on a Lukas Kaspar goal, courtesy of Oleg Piganovich and Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Donbass added on in the second period as Evgeny Belukhin scored, with the help of Clay Wilson. Bratislava got on the board with a Marko Dano goal, with a lone assist from Tomas Mikus. Slovan tied it in the third period when Milan Bartovic scored, thanks to Milan Kolena and Jonathan Sigalet. Donetsk took the lead back on a Maxim Yakutsenya goal coming off of Piganovich on the power play. Donbass iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Jan Kolar, an unassisted goal. Yakutsenya, Piganovich, and Kaspar get the three stars.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Thursday Night Football Week 1 2013

Welcome to NFL season everybody. I am back for another season, hopefully of equal quality as the years before. We begin this season with...

The Denver Broncos hosting the defending Super Bowl champions, the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore led off with a first quarter touchdown pass by Joe Flacco to Vonta Leach, a 2 yard connection, followed by a Justin Tucker extra point. Denver tied the game with a second quarter touchdown pass from Peyton Manning to Julius Thomas for 24 yards, and Matt Prater tied the game with the extra point. The Ravens took the lead back as Ray Rice ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Tucker knocked in the extra point. The Broncos retied the game as Manning found Julius Thomas again for a 23 yard touchdown pass, and Prater was true with the extra point. Baltimore got the lead back just before halftime with a field goal of 25 yards by Tucker. Denver regained the lead in the third quarter as Manning tossed a 28 yard touchdown pass to Andre Caldwell, setting up Prater for another extra point. The Broncos extended the lead when Manning found Wes Welker for a 5 yard touchdown connection, and Prater booted the PAT. Denver kept going as Manning and Welker connected for a 2 yard touchdown, and Prater once again supplied the extra point. The Broncos padded the lead in the fourth quarter as Manning sent Demaryius Thomas a 26 yard touchdown pass, and Prater again kicked the extra point. The Ravens got some back on a Flacco touchdown pass to Marlon Brown, good for 13 yards, and Tucker was there to make the extra point. Baltimore got some more with a Tucker 30 yard field goal. Denver added insult to injury as Manning threw his seventh touchdown pass of the game, caught by Demaryius Thomas, for 78 yards, and Prater did what he does best, kick the extra point. This produced the final score of 49-27, with the Broncos starting the season at 1-0 and the Ravens' title defense beginning at 0-1.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Day 2 2013-2014

We are starting to heat up a bit in terms of the number of games. Today, we have three, beginning in...

Novokuznetsk, as Metallurg hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Julius Hudacek of Sibir and Niko Hovinen of Metallurg are between the pipes. Novosibirsk started in the first period with a Jonas Enlund goal, coming off of Kristian Kudroc and Jori Lehtera. Novokuznetsk tied it on a power play goal by Tuukka Mantyla, powered by Rafael Akhmetov and Maxim Zyuzyakin. Metallurg took the lead in the second period with a Nikita Vyglazov goal, with helpers from Damir Zhafyarov. Novokuznetsk added on with a Yegor Martynov goal, passed from Kurtis McLean on the power play. Sibir got one back in the third period when Jarno Koskiranta put the puck away, with the help of Enlund on the power play. They failed to tie the game, losing 3-2. The three stars were Enlund, Hovinen (32 for 34 in saves), and Martynov.

To the west, where Atlant Mytishchi hosts their neighbors in the oblast, Spartak Moscow. Jeff Glass for Spartak and Stanislav Galimov for Atlant will be in the creases. Moscow got going in the second period with a Rastislav Spirko power play goal, powered by Matt Anderson. Spirko iced it at 2-0 with an empty net goal in the third period, going in unassisted. The three stars were Spirko, Glass (37 save shutout), and Anderson.

Finally, in Latvia, Dinamo Riga hosts the similarly named Dinamo Minsk. Kevin Lalande for Minsk and Mikael Tellqvist for Riga are in goal. Riga led off with a first period goal by Gints Meija, with a lone assist by Marcel Hossa. Riga added on when Kyle Wilson scored, thanks to Hossa and Krisjanis Redlihs on the power play. Minsk got on the board in the third period when Jacob Micflikier potted the puck, passed from Lukas Krajicek. They failed to get an equalizer, dropping the game 2-1. Wilson, Tellqvist (16 for 17 in saves), and Hossa get the three stars.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Day 1 2013-2014

It has been over a month since the last post. Never fear, as the long awaited return of the KHL is here. Before we dive in, I cannot promise that I will be able to provide the same level of coverage from previous seasons. I am busier now, but I will give it my best effort. If I'm not doing well enough, I won't keep putting this out there. With that, let's begin the KHL season with a single game from...

Moscow, as Dynamo hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk in a rematch of last year's Gagarin Cup final. Michael Garnett is in goal for Traktor while Alexander Yeryomenko does the same for Dynamo. Chelyabinsk began in the first period with a Yegor Dugin goal, with assists provided by Lauris Darzins and Konstantin Panov. Moscow tied the game with a second period goal by Maxim Pestushko, with a lone assist from Leo Komarov. Dynamo took the lead when Yury Babenko scored, via Sergei Soin. Moscow added on in the third period as Komarov notched a goal, thanks to Pestushko and Konstantin Gorovikov. Dynamo padded the lead when Soin scored, and Konstantin Glazachev had the only assist. Moscow wrapped it up at 5-1 with an Alexei Tsvetkov goal with only eleven seconds remaining, and his goal was unassisted. The three stars of the game were Komarov, Soin, and Pestushko.

Come back for more tomorrow, and as always, follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

From Cradle to Cup: The Story of the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks, Part 28

From Cradle to Cup will be a series running throughout July 2013 looking back at players on the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks roster for their Stanley Cup-winning campaign. Part 28 looks at the architect of the Blackhawks, General Manager Stan Bowman.

Stan Bowman was born on June 28th, 1973, in Montreal, Quebec. His father is Scotty Bowman, a Hockey Hall of Famer and current employee of his son. Scotty named his son Stan in honor of hockey's greatest prize, the Stanley Cup. Stan joined the Blackhawks organization in 2001 as a special assistant to the general manager, a position he held for four years. The following two years saw Bowman take the role of Director of Hockey Operations before a promotion to Assistant General Manager, hockey operations. Finally, he took the top job on July 14th, 2009, replacing Dale Tallon, who later went to the Florida Panthers. Bowman was able to bring in Marian Hossa as his first big acquisition. The shining moment in Bowman's career came in December 2009, when he signed captain and star center Jonathan Toews, winger and superstar forward Patrick Kane, and all-star defenseman Duncan Keith to long-term contracts, enabling him to keep the Blackhawks core together for many years. Later in the season, Bowman was at the helm of the 2010 Stanley Cup champions, although it was a team largely constructed by his predecessor, Tallon. The offseason proved rough for the Blackhawks, as approximately half of their roster was traded or went unsigned by the Blackhawks to shed salary. Bowman is also responsible for helping to draft Marcus Kruger, Brandon Saad, and Andrew Shaw, who all played roles in helping the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup again in 2013. Additionally, Bowman was able to bring in Michael Frolik from the Florida Panthers and shed the Brian Campbell contract to the Panthers in separate deals. Bowman again was put in a tough position regarding player personnel in 2013 after another championship, and this saw Dave Bolland go to Toronto as well as Frolik continue his journey to the Winnipeg Jets, while re-signing Bryan Bickell to a reasonable contract for his studly playoff efforts. As is often the case in investments, it will take time to see which of these recent moves ends up well and which may look sour in the rear-view mirror, but Blackhawks fans can have the comfort of knowing their general manager is competent at putting together a competitive team and can build a champion.

With that, From Cradle to Cup is over. I will be taking a month off to adjust to changes in life, but I will return in time for the Kontinental Hockey League season, beginning on September 4th. Thank you all very much for your support and I will see you in September.

From Cradle to Cup: The Story of the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks, Part 27

From Cradle to Cup will be a series running throughout July 2013 looking back at players on the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks roster for their Stanley Cup-winning campaign. Part 27 goes behind the bench to talk about Joel Quenneville.

Joel Quenneville, commonly known as Coach Q, was born on September 15th, 1958, in Windsor, Ontario. As a player, Quenneville was a defenseman. His career began in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League, predecessor to the modern Ontario Hockey League, where he accumulated sixty-one goals and 168 assists for the Windsor Spitfires over three seasons and 197 games from 1975-1978. He stepped up to the American Hockey League with the New Brunswick Hawks for 1978-1979, playing to a line of one goal and ten assists in sixteen games before another promotion. He joined the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the twenty-first overall selection from 1978 played in parts of two seasons with them, registering three goals and thirteen assists in ninety-three games before being traded to the Colorado Rockies. In that deal, Quenneville and Lanny McDonald, future Calgary Flames great, were exchanged for Pat Hickey and Wilf Paiement. From 1979-1983, Quenneville accumulated another twenty-five goals and fifty-three assists over 244 games in the Rockies, and later New Jersey Devils, organization. Quenneville's 1983 offseason featured significant instability, as the Devils traded him and future general manager Steve Tambellini to the Calgary Flames for Phil Russel and Mel Bridgman. Then, just fifteen days later, the Flames flipped him to the Hartford Whalers with Richie Dunn for Mickey Volcan. From 1983-1990, Quenneville remained with the Whalers, scoring twenty-five goals and dishing another seventy assists in 457 games. His career in obvious decline, the Whalers sent Quenneville to the Washington Capitals in exchange for money, and he was assigned to the AHL to play for the Baltimore Skipjacks. In fifty-nine games during 1990-1991, Quenneville scored six goals and thirteen assists in the AHL, and then in nine games with the Capitals, he had a single goal, the final one of his NHL career. His final season of professional playing came in 1991-1992, with the St. John's Maple Leafs of the AHL, where he had seven goals and twenty-three assists in seventy-three games. Over 803 total NHL games, Quenneville's career encompasses fifty-four goals and 136 assists. He returned to the NHL ranks in a coaching capacity in 1996-1997, joining the St. Louis Blues after working up through their system. Over parts of eight seasons, Quenneville was a largely effective coach for the Blues, keeping them well above .500 in terms of wins and losses. Quenneville coached Blues teams finished second in the division five times, but failed to ever reach the Stanley Cup finals, with the closest season being 2000-2001, when they lost to the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Finals. Quenneville went without work through the lockout, but returned to the NHL in 2005-2006 to coach the Avalanche for three seasons. While consistently producing ninety-five points in each of his three seasons, Quenneville's Avalanche never escaped the second round, and in his second season missed the playoffs altogether for the first time in his career. Quenneville was fired at the end of 2007-2008, but the Chicago Blackhawks quickly hired him as head coach, and he brought his winning ways with him. In the five seasons of work since then, Quenneville has guided the Blackhawks to two division championships, and two corresponding Stanley Cup victories, over the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 and the Boston Bruins in 2013. While at times he has been questioned while at the helm, the Blackhawks' choice to stay with their coach has brought them much success in the past five years and will likely do so in the years to come. Quenneville received a three-year contract extension this month to remain with the Blackhawks.

From Cradle to Cup: The Story of the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks, Part 26

From Cradle to Cup will be a series running throughout July 2013 looking back at players on the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks roster for their Stanley Cup-winning campaign. Part 26 looks at the colorful superstar forward Patrick Kane. 

Patrick Kane was born on November 19th, 1988, in Buffalo, New York. He began his career with Detroit Honeybaked in the MWEHL in the 2003-2004 season, scoring to a line of eighty-three goals and seventy-seven assists in seventy games. Kane moved along to play with the United States National Team Development Program in 2004-2005, playing in sixty-three games with the U17 team and registering thirty-eight goals and thirty-two assists. Kane joined the U18 team in 2005-2006, and ended up with fifty-two goals and fifty assists in fifty-eight games played. His performance in the program and the North American Hockey League earned him an invitation to the World U18 tournament as a United States representative. In six games at the tournament, Kane had seven goals and five assists, helping the United States win the gold medal. He was named to the U18 All-Star team for his efforts. Kane joined the junior hockey ranks in 2006-2007, playing with the London Knights, but it was clear he was playing in a league under his talent level when he put up sixty-two goals and eighty-three assists in fifty-eight games during the regular season, followed by another ten goals and twenty-one assists in sixteen playoff games. In 2007, he was named to the Ontario Hockey League All-Rookie Team and First All-Star Team, and then named OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year. He went on to represent the United States in the World Junior Championships, where his five goals and four assists in seven games helped guide the Americans to the bronze medal. His performance here earned him a nomination onto the World Junior All-Star Team. Then, to top it all off, Kane was selected first overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. Kane made an instant impact in the NHL and skipped the American Hockey League altogether, playing in all eighty-two games in the 2007-2008 season for the Blackhawks, while posting twenty-one goals and fifty-one assists. For his efforts, Kane was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team and also beat out teammate Jonathan Toews for the Calder Memorial Trophy as Rookie of the Year. He also represented the United States at the World Championships, scoring three goals and seven assists in seven games, but the United States failed to medal. Kane maintained a similar pace in his second NHL season, playing in eighty games to the tune of twenty-five goals and forty-five assists in 2008-2009, including his first All-Star Game selection. Kane added another nine goals and five assists in sixteen postseason games. Unfortunately, Kane was at the center of controversy during the offseason in 2009, when he was accused of punching a cab driver in the face in his hometown after not receiving proper change. He was eventually charged of minor crimes and pleaded guilty to them to get away with only having to behave himself so as not to be penalized. With this story receiving much time in the news, Kane could have struggled in the upcoming season. Instead, in 2009-2010, he got even better. He played in all eighty-two games during the regular season, with thirty goals and fifty-eight assists to his name. During the season, he was selected to play with the United States in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and here he had three goals and two assists in six games as the United States took the silver medal. Then, in the playoffs, Kane had ten goals and eighteen assists in twenty-two games. This is, in itself, an amazing performance, but the last of those ten goals came against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup finals, in overtime, and clinched the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup victory. Kane became the youngest person to score a Stanley Cup winner with the goal, ended the Blackhawks' championship drought, and had completely overcome his personal demons. Kane was also named to the First-Team NHL All-Stars for 2010. Now, in 2010-2011, Kane began a shiny, new, five-year contract worth $31.5 million. His first year under the deal saw him produce twenty-seven goals and forty-six assists in seventy-three games in the regular season, as well as one goal and five assists in seven playoff games. He appeared in his second Al-Star Game during the season as well. Kane's production dipped unusually low in 2011-2012, when he had only twenty-three goals and forty-three assists in eighty-two games, the third time in his career he played every game during the regular season. Again, Kane made the All-Star Game in 2012. In the playoffs, Kane managed just four assists in six games. With doubts looming both for Kane and the NHL season, Kane went over to HC Biel in the Swiss League during the 2012 lockout. He registered thirteen goals and ten assists in twenty games, and returned to North America at the conclusion of the lockout. During the truncated 2013 NHL season, Kane gave the Blackhawks twenty-three goals and thirty-two assists in forty-seven games, returning to the glory of previous years for his offensive numbers. Then, in the playoffs, two Kanes showed up. There was the one that struggled without linemate Jonathan Toews, and the one that was virtually unstoppable with him. Combining the two sides of Kane would result in nine goals and ten assists in twenty-three games as the Blackhawks won their second Stanley Cup in four years. Kane would also receive honors as playoff MVP in the form of the Conn Smythe Trophy. Most notably in this postseason was Kane's hat trick against the Los Angeles Kings that propelled the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup Finals. With a full season ahead, Kane looks to continue his superstar legacy in the NHL.