NHL Day 162 2013-2014

Nine games on tonight, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton and Jhonas Enroth are set to start. Buffalo was first to score in the first period with a Drew Stafford power play goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Cody Hodgson and Tyler Ennis. Nashville tied it on a power play goal by Nick Spaling, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Shea Weber and Roman Josi. The Predators took the lead in the second period as Weber scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Colin Wilson and Craig Smith. Nashville added on with a Smith goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Wilson and Gabriel Bourque. The Predators iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Paul Gaustad, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Spaling and Mike Fisher. The three stars were Weber, Smith, and Hutton (24 for 25 in saves), while Spaling and Wilson get the honorable mentions.

Down in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Steve Mason are in the blue paint. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Travis Zajac goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Jaromir Jagr and Tuomo Ruutu. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Nicklas Grossman goal, coming off of Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. The Devils retook the lead on a third period Jagr goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Marek Zidlicky and Ruutu. This was good for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Jagr, Brodeur (30 for 31 in saves), and Ruutu.

Further south to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Cam Ward are the veteran goalies. Carolina got going in the second period with a Jiri Tlusty goal, his eleventh of the season, via Jordan Staal and Andrej Sekera. New York tied it on a Kevin Klein goal, his second of the year, passed from Mats Zuccarello and Benoit Pouliot. The Hurricanes retook the lead with a Jordan Staal goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Tlusty and Alexander Semin. Carolina added on in the third period as Elias Lindholm scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Jeff Skinner and Eric Staal. This made it a 3-1 game, and the three stars went to Jordan Staal, Tlusty, and Ward (24 for 25 in saves).

Backtracking to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Detroit began in the first period with a Danny DeKeyser goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by David Legwand. Columbus tied it with a Nick Foligno goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Nick Schultz and Nathan Horton. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the third period with an unassisted goal by Boone Jenner, his twelfth of the season. Columbus added on with a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Matt Calvert and Horton. The Blue Jackets extended the lead on Derek MacKenzie's seventh of the campaign, fueled by Mark Letestu and Blake Comeau. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 4-1, and the three stars went to Bobrovsky (39 for 40 in saves), Jenner, and Horton.

South again to Florida, where the Panthers welcome the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Roberto Luongo are in the creases. Phoenix struck first in the first period on a Mike Ribeiro power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Keith Yandle and Radim Vrbata. The Coyotes added on in the second period with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Vrbata and Lauri Korpikoski. Phoenix extended the lead in the third period on a Vrbata goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Antoine Vermette and Mikkel Boedker. Florida got on the board with a Brandon Pirri goal, his seventh of the year, a power play goal made possible by Dmitry Kulikov and Nick Bjugstad. This only made it 3-1, with the three stars going to Vrbata, Smith (31 for 32 in saves), and Ekman-Larsson.

Back in Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Washington Capitals. Jaroslav Halak and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Jussi Jokinen goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Matt Niskanen and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins added on in the third period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirty-first of the year, guided in by Lee Stempniak. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars going to Fleury (32 save shutout), Jokinen, and Stempniak.

Southwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Dallas Stars. Tim Thomas and Ryan Miller have the green light to start. St. Louis started in the first period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Magnus Paajarvi and Maxim Lapierre. Dallas tied it on a Colton Sceviour power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Alex Goligoski and Ray Whitney. The Stars took the lead in the third period with an Antoine Roussel goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Jamie Benn. The Blues tied it on a Roman Polak goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrik Berglund. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, with assists provided by Trevor Daley and Tyler Seguin. The three stars were Jamie Benn, Roussel, and Sceviour.

North to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth and Darcy Kuemper are the relatively unknown goalies. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Zach Parise power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Mikael Granlund and Jason Pominville. The Wild added on with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his third of the year, guided in by Erik Haula and Dany Heatley. Minnesota extended the lead as Pominville scored his twenty-fourth of the season, courtesy of Granlund and Parise. Edmonton got on the board with a Jeff Petry goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers pulled closer in the third period with a David Perron goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Andrew Ference and Sam Gagner. Edmonton tied it with an Eberle goal, his twenty-first of the year, passed from Ference and Oscar Klefborn. In the shootout, Parise and Eberle traded goals, followed by Mikko Koivu doing the same with Perron, and then Taylor Hall scored the game winner. The three stars of the 4-3 Oilers victory were Eberle, Ference, and Parise, while Pominville and Granlund get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Antti Niemi are in goal. San Jose led off in the first period with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Matthew Nieto. Toronto tied it on a Jake Gardiner goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone helper by Mason Raymond. The Sharks retook the lead on a Brent Burns goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. San Jose added on in the second period with a Tommy Wingels goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Justin Braun and James Sheppard. The Sharks extended the lead on a Pavelski goal, his thirty-third of the season, fueled by Thornton and Dan Boyle. San Jose padded the lead in the third period with Pavelski's second of the game and thirty-fourth of the year, coming off of Jason Demers and Thornton, the latter getting a sock trick. The Maple Leafs got one back as Gardiner scored his second of the game and eighth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Raymond and James van Riemsdyk. The Sharks shot back on a Martin Havlat goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Sheppard and Wingels. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 6-2. The three stars were given to Pavelski, Thornton, and Wingels, while Gardiner, Sheppard, and Raymond get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Western Conference Quarterfinals Day 4 2014

Today is the last day of guaranteed games out west. We begin in...

Moscow, as CSKA hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Jeff Glass protect the nets. Moscow led off in the first period with a power play goal by Nikita Zaitsev, powered by Andrei Pervyshin and Jan Mursak. CSKA added on in the second period as Yakov Rylov scored, with a lone assist by Igor Fefelov. St. Petersburg got on the board with a power play goal by Patrick Thoresen, assisted by Kevin Dallman and Roman Cervenka. SKA tied it on a Tony Martensson goal, via Thoresen and Cervenka on the power play. Moscow retook the lead on Zaitsev's second power play goal of the game, coming off of Deron Quint. CSKA extended the lead with a Nikolai Prokhorkin third period goal, courtesy of Enver Lisin and Igor Grigorenko. St. Petersburg got one back with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, with a lone helper by Maxim Chudinov. SKA tied it on a Cervenka goal, guided in by Dallman and Dmitry Kalinin. St. Petersburg won 5-4 in overtime with an unassisted goal by Alexei Ponikarovsky. The three stars were Cervenka, Zaitsev, and Dallman, while Thoresen gets an honorable mention. SKA completes the 4-0 series sweep and advances to the Conference Semifinals.

Northeast to Yaroslavl, where Lokomotiv welcomes Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Curtis Sanford are between the pipes. Moscow got going in the second period with a Maxim Pestushko goal, assisted by Leo Komarov. Yaroslavl tied it on a Geoff Platt power play goal, powered by Ilya Gorokhov. Dynamo took the lead back on a Marek Kvapil power play goal, via Dmitry Pestunov and Maxim Solovyov. Lokomotiv tied it again in the third period with a power play goal from Staffan Kronwall, fueled by Sergei Plotnikov and Daniil Apalkov. Yaroslavl won 3-2 in overtime with a Mikelis Redlihs goal, coming off of Gorokhov and Janis Sprukts. The three stars went to Redlihs, Gorokhov, and Kronwall. The series is now tied at 2 as it heads back to Moscow.

Out in Riga, Dinamo brings in Donbass Donetsk. Jan Laco and Jakub Sedlacek are the backups making spot starts. Donetsk began in the first period with a Teemu Laine goal, fueled by Tuomas Kiiskinen and Clay Wilson. Donbass added on in the second period with a Maxim Yakutsenya goal, with a lone assist by Evgeny Dadonov. Donetsk extended the lead in the third period as Sergei Varlamov scored, thanks to Lukas Kaspar. Riga got on the board with a Gints Meija goal, coming off of Maris Bicevskis and Georgijs Pujacs. Donbass iced it at 4-1 with a Kiiskinen empty net goal, set up by Laine. The three stars were Laine, Laco (24 for 25 in saves), and Kiiskinen. Donbass leads the series 3-1 as they head back home.

Finally, in Zagreb, Medvescak hosts Lev Prague. Petri Vehanen and Mark Dekanich draw the starts. Prague dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Jakub Matai goal, via Lukas Cingel and Jakub Nakladal. Lev added on with a power play goal by Mikko Maenpaa goal, powered by Nathan Oystrick and Martin Thornberg. Zagreb got on the board in the third period with an Alan Letang goal, guided in by Boyd Kane. Prague shot back on a David Ullstrom goal, coming off of Jiri Novotny. Medvescak got one back with a Matt Ellison goal, coming off of Charles Linglet. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Ullstrom, Maenpaa, and Matai. Lev won the series 4-0, sweeping Medvescak out of the playoffs.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Day 3 2014

Four more quarterfinals today for the Eastern Conference, beginning in...

Vladivostok, as Admiral hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Evgeny Ivannikov protect the nets. Vladivostok was first to score in the first period on a Felix Schutz goal, assisted by Niclas Bergfors and Richard Gynge. Magnitogorsk tied it with a Danis Zaripov power play goal, powered by Sergei Mozyakin and Jan Kovar. Admiral retook the lead in the second period with a power play goal by Ilya Zubov, coming off of Igor Bortnikov and Justin Hodgman. Metallurg tied it on a Mikhail Yunkov goal, passed from Oskar Osala. Vladivostok pulled ahead on another Schutz goal, with a lone assist by Gynge. Magnitogorsk tied it once again in the third period with a Chris Lee goal, made possible by Zaripov and Kovar. Admiral won 4-3 in the second overtime with Zubov's second of the game, via Bortnikov. The three stars were given to Zubov, Schutz, and Zaripov, while Gynge, Bortnikov, and Kovar get the honorable mentions. Metallurg has a 2-1 series lead.

Over in Novosibirsk, Sibir welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Konstantin Barulin and Mikko Koskinen are the masked men. Novosibirsk struck first in the first period with a Jonas Enlund power play goal, powered by Vyacheslav Belov and Dmitry Monya. Sibir added on with another Enlund power play goal, guided in by Ivan Lekomtsev and Belov. Novosibirsk extended the lead in the second period as Enlund finished his natural hat trick, with a lone assist by Yegor Martynov. Sibir padded the lead with a Monya goal, helped along by Jori Lehtera. Emil Garipov relieved Barulin at this time. Novosibirsk kept going on an Igor Ignatushkin goal, passed from Alexander Romanov. Sibir struck again as Alexei Kopeikin scored, thanks to Lehtera. Kazan got on the board with a power play goal by Mikhail Varnakov, made possible by Ilya Nikulin. Novosibirsk finished it at 7-1 with an Oleg Gubin power play goal, courtesy of Alexander Kutuzov and Sergei Shumakov. The three stars were Enlund, Monya, and Lehtera. Sibir takes a 2-1 series lead.

Westward to Yekaterinburg, where Avtomobilist brings in Barys Astana. Vitaly Yeremeyev and Jakub Kovar are in the creases. Yekaterinburg opened in the first period with an Artyom Chernov goal, guided in by Anton Lazarev. Astana tied it on a Konstantin Romanov goal in the second period, passed from Konstantin Rudenko. Barys took the lead in the third period with a Rudenko goal, fueled by Brandon Bochenski. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Rudenko, Yeremeyev (26 for 27 in saves), and Romanov. Barys has a 3-0 series lead, leaving Avtomobilist on the brink.

Finally, in Nizhny Novgorod, Torpedo hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Andrei Vasilevsky and Ivan Kasutin draw the starts. Ufa started in the first period with a Igor Mirnov goal, passed from Kirill Koltsov and Alexei Kaigorodov. Nizhny Novgorod tied it in the third period as Mikhail Grigoryev scored, thanks to Alexei Potapov and Roman Konkov. Salavat Yulaev won 2-1 in the third overtime with an Alexander Stepanov goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Stepanov, Vasilevsky (52 for 53), and Kasutin (50 for 52 in saves). Torpedo still has a 2-1 series lead.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL Day 161 2013-2014

We have an unusual eight games on this Monday evening, beginning in...

Washington, as the Capitals host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jeff Zatkoff and Jaroslav Halak are in the creases. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Chris Kunitz goal, his thirtieth of the season, guided in by Sidney Crosby and Lee Stempniak. Washington tied it on an Eric Fehr goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Jason Chimera and Joel Ward. The Penguins retook the lead on a Crosby power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Olli Maatta. The Capitals tied it in the second period on a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Brooks Laich and John Carlson. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Kunitz goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, made possible by Stempniak and Crosby. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Kunitz, Crosby, and Stempniak.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Craig Anderson are the veteran goalies. Nashville got going in the second period with a Nick Spaling goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Michael Del Zotto and Colin Wilson. The Predators added on as Craig Smith scored his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Mattias Ekholm and Seth Jones. Nashville extended the lead with an Eric Nystrom goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. Ottawa got on the board in the third period with a Jared Cowen goal, his fifth of the year, via Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky. The Senators pulled closer with the sixth of the season by Marc Methot, guided in by Spezza and Hemsky. Ottawa tied it on a Spezza goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Hemsky, who got a sock trick, and Erik Karlsson. The Predators won 4-3 in overtime on a Jones goal, his sixth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Ryan Ellis. The three stars were Spezza, Hemsky, and Jones.

Back stateside, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Ben Bishop are between the pipes. Tampa Bay was first to score in the first period with a Tyler Johnson shorthanded goal, his twentieth of the season, set up by Ondrej Palat and Eric Brewer. Phoenix tied it in the second period with a Brandon McMillan goal, his second of the year, guided in by Keith Yandle and Shane Doan. The Lightning retook the lead on a Palat goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Ryan Callahan and Keith Aulie. The Coyotes tied it again in the third period with a Martin Erat goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Phoenix took the lead on a Mikkel Boedker goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Antoine Vermette and Zbynek Michalek. Tampa Bay pulled even again on another Palat goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, helped along by Valtteri Filppula and Matthew Carle. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Radim Vrbata gave the Coyotes a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Palat, Vrbata, and Boedker.

West to Dallas, where Stars host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Tim Thomas make the starts. The game has been postponed due to Rich Peverley's collapse on the bench. It is suspected to stem from his heart condition. Please send your prayers to Peverley and his family.

Northwest to Colorado, where the Avalanche host the Winnipeg Jets. Al Montoya is mismatched with Semyon Varlamov in goal. Colorado dented the scoreboard with a second period John Mitchell goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Tyson Barrie and Erik Johnson. Winnipeg tied it on a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming on the power play from Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler. The Jets took the lead on another Byfuglien goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, passed from Michael Frolik and Little. The Avalanche tied it on a Andre Benoit goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Mitchell. Colorado won 3-2 in overtime on a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, assisted by Nick Holden and Barrie. The three stars were handed to Byfuglien, Mitchell, Barrie, while Little gets an honorable mention.

Up in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Martin Jones and Joni Ortio are the relatively unknown goalies. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Justin Williams goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Anze Kopitar and Alec Martinez. The Kings added on with a Trevor Lewis goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Slava Voynov and Kyle Clifford. Los Angeles extended the lead in the third period on a Kopitar goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin. Calgary got on the board with a Michael Cammalleri power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Mark Giordano and Mikael Backlund. The Flames pulled closer on a Brian McGrattan goal, his third of the campaign, with assists provided by Chris Butler and Max Reinhart. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Kopitar, Lewis, and Williams.

Over in Vancouver, the Canucks bring in the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Eddie Lack are the masked men. Vancouver led off in the first period with a Chris Higgins power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Yannick Weber and Jason Garrison. The Canucks added on in the second period on a Henrik Sedin goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Nicklas Jensen and Tom Sestito. Vancouver extended the lead on a power play goal by Ryan Kesler, his twenty-second of the season, guided in by Alexandre Burrows and Kevin Bieksa. New York got on the board in the third period with a Josh Bailey power play goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Brock Nelson and Matt Donovan. The Islanders pulled closer on a Ryan Strome goal, his third of the season, coming on the power play from Kyle Okposo and Lubomir Visnovsky. New York tied it on a Calvin de Haan power play goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Travis Hamonic. The Islanders took the lead on a Frans Nielsen goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Anders Lee and Okposo. The Canucks retied it with a Chris Tanev goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Higgins and Jannik Hansen. New York pulled ahead again with a Matt Martin goal, his fifth of the season, via Colin McDonald. The Islanders padded the lead with a Lee goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers provided by Okposo, who got a sock trick, and Nielsen. New York finished it at 7-4 with an empty net goal by Cal Clutterbuck, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Bailey and Hamonic. The three stars went to Okposo, Bailey, and Nielsen, while Lee, Higgins, and Hamonic get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in Anaheim, the Ducks host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Frederik Andersen man the creases. Toronto opened in the first period with a Tyler Bozak power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Dion Phaneuf and Phil Kessel. The Maple Leafs added on as Kessel scored his thirty-fourth of the year, guided in by James van Riemsdyk and Bozak. Toronto extended the lead in the second period on a Paul Ranger goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Kessel and Bozak. Anaheim got on the board with a Corey Perry goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, coming off of Pat Maroon and Ryan Getzlaf. This only made it 3-1, the eventual final, with Kessel, Bozak, and Bernier (43 for 44 in saves) get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion and #PrayForPeverley.

KHL Western Conference Quarterfinals Day 3 2014

Four more games on today, as the series shift to the lower-seeded teams. We begin in...

Yaroslavl, as Lokomotiv hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Curtis Sanford are between the pipes. Yaroslavl opened in the first period with a Geoff Platt power play goal, powered by Sergei Konkov and Ilya Gorokhov. Moscow tied it in the third period when Leo Komarov scored on a penalty shot he received after Gorokhov held him on a breakaway. Lokomotiv retook the lead on a Yury Petrov goal, with a lone assist by Jonas Holos. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Petrov, Sanford (32 for 33 in saves), and Yeryomenko (33 for 35 in saves). Dynamo still leads 2-1 in the series.

Into Moscow, where CSKA welcomes SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Jeff Glass protect the nets. Moscow began in the first period with a power play goal by Igor Grigorenko, powered by Enver Lisin and Nikolai Prokhorkin. St. Petersburg tied it in the second period with a power play goal by Patrick Thoresen, helped along by Roman Cervenka. SKA won 2-1 in overtime with a Cervenka goal, made possible by Dmitry Kalinin and Kevin Dallman. The three stars went to Cervenka, Salak (43 for 44 in saves), and Thoresen. SKA pushes CSKA to the brink with a 3-0 series lead.

Out to Riga, where Dinamo brings in Donbass Donetsk. Michael Leighton and Mikael Tellqvist are set to start. Donetsk started in the first period with a Maxim Yakutsenya goal, via Ruslan Fedotenko. Riga tied it with a Marcel Hossa power play goal, powered by Roberts Bukarts and Sandis Ozolins. Donbass retook the lead in the second period on an Evgeny Dadonov goal, fueled by Yakutsenya and Fedotenko. Dinamo retied it as Maris Bicevskis scored, with a lone assist by Mat Robinson. Donetsk pulled ahead again with a Lukas Kaspar goal, coming off of Clay Wilson. Riga tied it again on a Gints Meija goal, going in unassisted. Dinamo took the lead with a Hossa goal, courtesy of Aleksandrs Nizivijs and Krisjanis Redlihs. Riga added on in the third period with an Andris Dzerins goal, assisted by Hossa and Nizivijs. Dinamo extended the lead with a Kristaps Sotnieks goal, passed from Nizivijs, who got a sock trick, and Hossa. Riga padded the lead as Lauris Darzins scored, thanks to Sotnieks and Bukarts. This was good for a 7-3 win, with the three stars being Hossa, Nizivijs, and Yakutsenya, while Bukarts, Fedotenko, and Sotnieks get the honorable mentions. Donbass holds a 2-1 series lead.

Finally in Zagreb, Medvescak hosts Lev Prague. Petri Vehanen and Barry Brust receive the starting nods. Prague dented the scoreboard in the second period with a shorthanded goal by Martin Thornberg, set up by Patrik Zackrisson. Lev added on with an unassisted goal by Michal Repik. Zagreb got on the board with a Boyd Kane goal, coming off of Ivan Svarny. Medvescak tied it on a Sasa Martinovic penalty shot goal, which he received after Martin Sevc tripped him. Prague picked up the lead in the third period with a David Ullstrom goal, with a lone helper by Sevc. Lev added on as Thornberg scored his second of the game, with the help of Mikko Maenpaa and Nathan Oystrick. Prague finished it at 5-2 with an unassisted power play goal by Petr Vrana. The three stars were Thornberg, Ullstrom, and Vrana. Lev takes a dominating 3-0 series lead.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL Day 160 2013-2014

Five games on today, beginning in...

New York City, as the Rangers host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Henrik Lundqvist guard the cages. New York began in the first period with a Brian Boyle goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by John Moore and Dominic Moore. The Rangers added on with a third period goal by Chris Kreider, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan. New York extended the lead on another Kreider goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, via Stepan and McDonagh. This was good for a 3-0 win, with the three stars belonging to Lundqvist (30 save shutout), Kreider, and McDonagh, while Stepan gets an honorable mention.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Boston Bruins. Chad Johnson is mismatched with Roberto Luongo in goal. Florida got going in the second period with a Jimmy Hayes goal, his sixth of the season, via Nick Bjugstad and Sean Bergenheim. Boston tied it on a Carl Soderberg goal, his twelfth of the year, coming on the power play from Andrej Meszaros and Reilly Smith. The Bruins took the lead in the third period with a Torey Krug goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Boston added on with a Bergeron power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Loui Eriksson and Soderberg. The Panthers got one back with Hayes' second of the game and seventh of the season, coming off of Jonathan Huberdeau. The Bruins replied with a Jarome Iginla goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara. Boston iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Chris Kelly, his sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Soderberg, Bergeron, and Hayes.

North again to Buffalo, where the Sabres host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford faces a lesser foe in Jhonas Enroth in goal. Chicago opened in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, coming off of Patrick Sharp and Johnny Oduya. Buffalo tied it on a Drew Stafford goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Cory Conacher and Tyler Ennis. The Blackhawks retook the lead in the third period on a Jonathan Toews goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, guided in by Brandon Saad and Andrew Shaw. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Crawford (20 for 21 in saves), Toews, and Kane.

Westward to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Ilya Bryzgalov are the backups making spot starts. St. Louis started in the first period with a power play goal by T.J. Oshie, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Alexander Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues added on with a Carlo Colaiacovo goal, guided in by Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. Minnesota got on the board in the second period as Jason Pominville scored his twenty-third of the year, thanks to Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. The Wild tied it with a Matt Moulson goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Mikko Koivu. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Oshie and Steen each scored to give the Blues the 3-2 win. The three stars were Oshie, Steen, and Colaiacovo.

Finally, in Edmonton, the Oilers host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick faces former backup Ben Scrivens in goal. Los Angeles led off in the first period with a Jeff Carter goal, his twenty-third of the season, guided in by Tyler Toffoli. Edmonton tied it on a Taylor Hall goal, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by David Perron and Sam Gagner. The Kings took the lead back in the second period with an Alec Martinez goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Robyn Regehr and Dustin Brown. Los Angeles added on as Carter scored a power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Anze Kopitar and Slava Voynov. The Kings extended the lead on a Trevor Lewis goal, his third of the season, coming off of Carter. The Oilers got one back with a third period goal by Gagner, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Hall. This was as close as it got, with the final being 4-2, and the three stars went to Carter, Gagner, and Hall.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Day 2 2014

Four games on again, as is the norm for the first half of the round. We begin with...

Salavat Yulaev Ufa hosting Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ivan Kasutin and Andrei Vasilevsky are set to start. Nizhny Novgorod got going in the second period with a Krystofer Kolanos goal, assisted by Denis Parshin and Sergei Bernatsky. This was it for the scoring, with the three stars being Kasutin (34 save shutout), Kolanos, and Vasilevsky (17 for 18 in saves) in the 1-0 game. Torpedo will head home with a dominating 2-0 series lead.

Down in Astana, Barys welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Vitaly Yeremeyev are the solid goalies. Astana was first to score in the first period with a Mikhail Rakhmanov goal, assisted by Dmitry Upper. Yekaterinburg tied it on an Andre Deveaux goal, fueled by Eduard Lewandowski and Igor Yemeleyev. Barys took the lead in the second period on a Roman Starchenko goal, guided in by Konstantin Rudenko and Nikolai Antropov. Avtomobilist tied it on an Artyom Chernov goal, passed from Fyodor Malykhin and Tobias Viklund. Yekaterinburg pulled ahead on a power play goal by Malykhin, powered by Sami Lepisto and Anton Lazarev. Astana retied it on another Starchenko goal, via Kristian Kudroc and Rudenko. Barys pulled ahead in the third period with a Brandon Bochenski goal, with a lone assist by Mike Lundin. Avtomobilist retied it as Dmitry Megalinsky scored a power play goal, thanks to Sergei Demagin and Alexei Simakov. Astana won 5-4 in overtime on an unassisted power play goal by Lundin. The three stars were awarded to Lundin, Starchenko, and Rudenko, while Malykhin gets an honorable mention. Barys will head on the road with a 2-0 series lead.

Back in Russia, Metallurg Magnitogorsk brings in Admiral Vladivostok. Evgeny Ivannikov and Vasily Koshechkin are the masked men. Magnitogorsk struck first in the first period with a Viktor Antipin power play goal, powered by Oskar Osala and Mikhail Yunkov. Vladivostok tied it in the second period with an unassisted goal by Niclas Bergfors. Metallurg retook the lead with a Yaroslav Kosov goal, fueled by Rinat Ibragimov. Magnitogorsk added on with a Tim Brent goal, assisted by Denis Platonov and Sergei Tereshchenko. Admiral got one back with a power play goal by Dmitry Vorobyov, with a lone assist from Michael Commodore. Metallurg shot back on a Francis Pare goal, passed from Osala and Ibragimov. Vladivostok pulled back on an Evgeny Grachyov goal, coming off of Justin Hodgman and Ilya Zubov. Magnitogorsk finished it at 5-3 in the third period with a power play goal by Chris Lee, courtesy of Sergei Mozyakin and Jan Kovar. The three stars were Ibragimov, Osala, and Pare.

Finally, in Kazan, Ak Bars hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Mikko Koskinen faces a lesser foe in Emil Garipov in goal. Novosibirsk led off just fifteen seconds into the game with a Dmitry Monya goal, assisted by Jori Lehtera and Jonas Enlund. Sibir added on in the second period with a power play goal by Dmitry Kugryshev, powered by Ivan Lekomtsev. Kazan got on the board in the third period as Alexander Osipov scored a power play goal, guided in by Kirill Petrov and Ilya Nikulin. Ak Bars tied it on a Mikhail Varnakov goal, coming off of Tim Stapleton and Alexander Burmistrov. Kazan won 3-2 in overtime on another Osipov goal, with a lone helper from Alexander Svitov. The three stars were Osipov, Varnakov, and Garipov (25 for 27 in saves). The series heads east tied it at 1.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.