NHL October 11th, 2014

Full slate of games, with every team playing tonight. We begin in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Tuukka Rask are the masked men. Washington led off with an Alexander Ovechkin power play goal, powered by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on with another Ovechkin goal, courtesy of Backstrom and Karl Alzner. Washington extended the lead on a second period Mike Green power play goal, made possible by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky. The Capitals padded the lead in the third period on a Joel Ward goal, coming off of Carlson and Burakovsky. This was good for a 4-0 win, with the three stars going to Ovechkin, Holtby (29 save shutout), and Backstrom, while Carlson and Burakovsky get the honorable mentions.

West to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot and Sergei Bobrovsky receive the starting nods in goal. Columbus began in the first period with an Artem Anisimov goal, his second of the season, assisted by Scott Hartnell and Marko Dano. The Blue Jackets added on with a Nick Foligno goal, passed from Ryan Johansen and David Savard. New York got on the board in the second period as Lee Stempniak scored, thanks to Anthony Duclair and Marc Staal. Columbus answered with a Cam Atkinson goal, his second of the year, coming off of Foligno and Johansen. The Blue Jackets extended the lead in the second period with a Dano goal, via Dalton Prout and Michael Chaput. The Rangers replied with a Rick Nash goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Duclair. Columbus finished it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Atkinson, his second of the game and third of the year, set up by Hartnell. The three stars went to Atkinson, Dano, and Duclair, while Hartnell, Johansen, and Foligno get the honorable mentions.

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning bring in the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Ben Bishop are the former teammates in net. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Victor Hedman power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Valtteri Filppula. Ottawa tied it in the third period on an Erik Karlsson goal, courtesy of Alex Chiasson and Bobby Ryan. The Senators took the lead on a Mark Stone goal, with a lone assist by Kyle Turris. The Lightning retied it on a Brett Connolly goal, guided in by Brian Boyle. The tie went to a shootout, where Turris and Mika Zibanejad lifted Ottawa to a 3-2 win over a lone tally from Nikita Kucherov. The three stars were handed to Turris, Lehner (38 for 40 in saves), and Bishop (32 for 34 in saves).

Way north in Toronto, the Maple Leafs host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jonathan Bernier guard the cages. Pittsburgh was first to score in the first period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his second of the season, assisted by Christian Ehrhoff. The Penguins added on as Sidney Crosby scored a power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Hornqvist and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh extended the lead with a power play goal from Chris Kunitz, guided in by Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Toronto got on the board in the second period with a power play goal by Joffrey Lupul, via Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner. The Penguins shot back on a Malkin power play goal, passed from Letang and Crosby. Pittsburgh padded the lead on a Brandon Sutter goal in the third period, his second of the season, coming off of Paul Martin and Malkin. The Maple Leafs got one back with a power play goal by Tyler Bozak, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Stuart Percy. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars belonging to Crosby, Malkin, and Hornqvist, while Letang gets the honorable mention.

A little to the south, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Jimmy Howard are in the blue paint. Anaheim got going in the second period on a Ryan Getzlaf goal, courtesy of Corey Perry and Patrick Maroon. Detroit tied it with a Luke Glendening goal, helped along by Justin Abdelkader and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings took the lead in the third period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his second of the season, made possible by Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen. The Ducks tied it with a Matt Beleskey goal, via Ryan Kesler. Anaheim took the lead again on an unassisted Getzlaf goal. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Getzlaf, Beleskey, and Andersen (27 for 29 in saves).

Back to Florida, where the Panthers bring in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider faces his former mentor, Roberto Luongo, in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Tuomo Ruutu goal, assisted by Eric Gelinas and Jon Merrill. The Devils added on with a power play goal by Martin Havlat, powered by Gelinas and Patrik Elias. New Jersey extended the lead on a Michael Cammalleri power play goal, his third of the season, guided in by Marek Zidlicky and Damon Severson. The Devils padded the lead on an unassisted Severson goal. New Jersey kept going in the second period, chasing Luongo with a Ryane Clowe goal, fueled by Michael Ryder and Adam Henrique. Al Montoya came on in relief. Florida got on the board with a Derek MacKenzie goal, helped along by Scottie Upshall and Brian Campbell on the power play. The final stood at 5-1 from here on, with the three stars named as Severson, Gelinas, and Schneider (28 for 29 in saves).

North once again to Philadelphia, where the Flyers host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Ray Emery have the green light to start in goal. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Michael Raffl goal, passed from Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers added on as Wayne Simmonds scored his third of the season, thanks to Brayden Schenn and Michael Del Zotto. Philadelphia extended the lead with a second period power play goal by Simmonds, his second of the game and fourth of the year, powered by Vincent Lecavalier and Mark Streit. Montreal got on the board in the third period with an Andrei Markov goal, assisted by Brendan Gallagher and P.K. Subban. The Canadiens pulled closer with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by P.A. Parenteau and Markov. Montreal tied it on an Alex Galchenyuk goal, fueled by Plekanec and Markov. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Parenteau had the only tally to complete the Canadiens comeback to a 4-3 win. The three stars were handed to Markov, Plekanec, and Simmonds.

A little east to New York, where the Islanders welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Backups Anton Khudobin and Chad Johnson are called on to start. New York dented the scoreboard with a John Tavares power play goal in the first period, powered by Brock Nelson and Johnny Boychuk. Carolina tied it on a Jiri Tlusty power play goal, guided in by John-Michael Liles and Alexander Semin. The Islanders retook the lead on a Cory Conacher goal fueled by Tavares and Kyle Okposo. The Hurricanes pulled even as Tlusty scored again, thanks to Eric Staal and Semin on the power play. New York retook the lead in the second period with a Nelson power play goal, his third of the season, assisted by Boychuk and Okposo. The Islanders added on with a Josh Bailey goal, helped along by Frans Nielsen and Nikolay Kulemin. Carolina got one back in the third period with an unassisted Tlusty goal. They failed to tie it, losing 4-3, with the three stars going to Tlusty, Tavares, and Nelson, while Boychuk, Okposo, and Semin get the honorable mentions.

Out to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Brian Elliott are the veteran goalies. St. Louis quickly opened in the first period with a Joakim Lindstrom goal, assisted by Paul Stastny and Alexander Steen. The Blues added on as David Backes scored a power play goal, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Stastny. St. Louis extended the lead in the second period on an Alex Pietrangelo power play goal, made possible by Shatternkirk and Stastny, the latter getting a sock trick. The Blues padded the lead on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, fueled by Jaden Schwartz and Shattenkirk, the latter getting a sock trick. Calgary got on the board in the third period with a Curtis Glencross goal, coming off of Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie on the power play. The final was 4-1, and the three stars were given to Stastny, Shattenkirk, and Elliott (23 for 24 in saves).

A tad east to Nashville, where the Predators host the Dallas Stars. Anders Lindback faces a former teammate in Pekka Rinne in goal. Dallas was first to score in the first period with an Antoine Roussel goal, via Trevor Daley and Ryan Garbutt. Nashville tied it with a Shea Weber goal in the second period, his second of the season, fueled by Filip Forsberg and Derek Roy. The Predators took the lead in the third period on a Paul Gaustad goal, coming off of Taylor Beck and Eric Nystrom. Nashville added on with a Nystrom goal, his second of the year, guided in by Gaustad. The Predators iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Roman Josi, set up by Nystrom and Weber. The three stars went to Nystrom, Gaustad, and Weber.

Southwest to Arizona, where the Coyotes welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick faces a lesser foe in Devan Dubnyk in goal. Los Angeles started in the first period with an unassisted Tanner Pearson goal. The Kings added on with a Jeff Carter goal, via Tyler Toffoli. Arizona got on the board with a power play goal by Antoine Vermette, powered by Keith Yandle. The Coyotes tied it in the second period as Mikkel Boedker scored, thanks to Yandle and Michael Stone for his second of the season. Arizona ended up winning 3-2 in overtime with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, assisted by Vermette and Yandle, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were given to Vermette, Yandle, and Ekman-Larsson.

Up to Colorado, where the Avalanche bring in the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Semyon Varlamov are between the pipes. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Charlie Coyle goal, made possible by Jonas Brodin and Ryan Suter. The Wild added on with a second period Jason Zucker goal, via Thomas Vanek and Matt Dumba. Minnesota iced it at 3-0 with a Zach Parise empty net goal, his second of the season, set up by Matt Cooke and Jared Spurgeon. The three stars were Kuemper (30 save shutout), Coyle, and Zucker.

Eastward again to Chicago, where the Blackhawks host the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Corey Crawford are given the starting nods. Chicago led off in the first period with an Andrew Shaw goal, via Niklas Hjalmarsson and Brandon Saad. The Blackhawks added on as Duncan Keith scored his second of the season, going in unassisted. Buffalo got on the board with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his second of the year, guided in by Andrej Meszaros and Drew Stafford. The Sabres tied it on a shorthanded goal by Tyler Ennis, set up by Stafford. Chicago retook the lead in the third period on a Patrick Kane goal, assisted by Shaw and Saad. The Blackhawks extended the lead with a Marian Hossa shorthanded goal, fueled by Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook. Chicago padded the lead as Patrick Sharp scored his second of the season, a power play goal powered by Toews and Kane. The Blackhawks finished it at 6-2 on a Dan Carcillo goal, with a lone assist by Saad, who got a sock trick. The three stars were Saad, Kane, and Shaw, while Stafford and Toews get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Vancouver, where the Canucks welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth is mismatched with Ryan Miller in goal. Edmonton began in the first period with a Brad Hunt power play goal, powered by Teddy Purcell and David Perron. The Oilers added on as Mark Arcobello scored, with the help of Purcell and Perron. Vancouver got on the board with a Henrik Sedin goal, his second of the season, thanks to Daniel Sedin and Alexander Edler. Edmonton shot back in the second period with a Nail Yakupov goal, with a lone assist by Benoit Pouliot. The Canucks pulled back on a Nick Bonino goal, made possible by Dan Hamhuis and Alexandre Burrows. The Oilers replied with a shorthanded goal by Jesse Joensuu, set up by Arcobello and Mark Fayne. Vancouver answered with a power play goal by Radim Vrbata, his second of the year, assisted by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks tied it in the third period on a Linden Vey power play goal, with helpers from Daniel Sedin, who got a sock trick, and Vrbata. The tie went to a shootout, where a Chris Higgins tally put Vancouver in the win column with the 5-4 decision. The three stars were handed to Daniel Sedin, Vrbata, and Henrik Sedin, while Arcobello, Purcell, and Perron get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the fifteenth and final game of the day has the San Jose Sharks bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Alex Stalock are the unappreciated goalies. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, made possible by Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau. The Sharks added on as Tomas Hertl scored, thanks to Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. San Jose extended the lead in the second period on a Marleau goal, his second of the season, fueled by Matthew Nieto and Brent Burns. This was good for a 3-0 win, with the three stars being Marleau, Stalock (30 save shutout), and Vlasic.

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KHL October 11th, 2014

Five games on today, beginning in...

Yekaterinburg, as Avtomobilist hosts Admiral Vladivostok. Ilya Proskuryakov and Jakub Kovar are in the blue paint. Yekaterinburg led off in the first period on a Sami Lepisto power play goal, powered by Alexei Simakov and Jakub Petruzalek. Vladivostok tied it on a Niclas Bergfors goal, via Richard Gynge and Alexander Goroshansky. Avtomobilist took the lead back with a Petruzalek goal, with a lone helper from Sergei Yemelin. Yekaterinburg added on with an Andrei Antonov goal, courtesy of Eduard Lewandowski and Anatoly Golyshev. Avtomobilist extended the lead as Alexander Bumagin scored a power play goal in the second period, thanks to Filipp Metlyuk and Anton Krysanov. Yekaterinburg padded the lead with a shorthanded goal by Dmitry Megalinsky in the third period, set up by Gilbert Brule. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars going to Petruzalek, Kovar (26 for 27 in saves), and Antonov.

Moving along to Magnitogorsk, as Metallurg welcomes Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Mikhail Biryukov and Vasily Koshechkin are the masked men. Khanty-Mansiysk was first to score in the first period with an Ivan Yatsenko goal, via Andrei Sergeyev and Andrei Chibisov. Magnitogorsk tied it on a Jan Kovar power play goal, with a lone assist by Sergei Mozyakin. Yugra shot back with a power play goal by Sergeyev, helped along by Vitaly Sitnikov. Metallurg tied it again with a Danis Zaripov goal, assisted by Chris Lee and Kovar. Khanty-Mansiysk retook the lead in the second period with an Igor Bortnikov goal, made possible by Igor Magogin and Sitnikov. Yugra added on as Ben Maxwell scored, thanks to Sergeyev and Lukas Kaspar. Magnitogorsk pulled back on an Oskar Osala goal, fueled by Vladislav Kaletnik. Metallurg tied it again with a Kovar power play goal, powered by Mozyakin. Magnitogorsk took the lead in the third period on a Mozyakin goal, guided in by Kovar and Evgeny Biryukov. This held up for a 5-4 win, with the three stars going to Kovar, Mozyakin, and Sergeyev, while Sitnikov gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Nizhnekamsk, as Neftekhimik hosts Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Ville Kolppanen are between the pipes. Togliatti struck first in the first period on an Alexander Sharov power play goal, powered by Alexei Mastryukov and Stanislav Bocharov. Lada added on as Andrei Nikitenko scored, thanks to Vitaly Shulakov and Jiri Hunkes on the power play. Nizhnekamsk got on the board in the second period with a goal by Igor Polygalov, coming off of Pavel Kulikov and Teemu Eronen. Togliatti shot back as Hunkes scored, with a lone assist by Yury Petrov. Lada iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal in the third period from Peter Podhradsky. The three stars went to Hunkes, Ezhov (36 for 37 in saves), and Nikitenko.

Into Moscow, where CSKA brings in Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Kevin Lalande have the green light to start in goal. Moscow got going in the second period on an Igor Grigorenko goal, assisted by Alexander Radulov. This was the only goal, so CSKA won 1-0. The three stars went to Lalande (16 save shutout), Grigorenko, and Sateri (28 for 29 in saves).

Finally, Ak Bars Kazan hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vasily Demchenko and Anders Nilsson protect the nets. Kazan began in the first period with an Alexander Svitov goal, assisted by Evgeny Bodrov and Yakov Rylov. Ak Bars added on in the second period with a power play goal by Ilya Nikulin, powered by Igor Mirnov and Justin Azevedo. Kazan extended the lead in the third period as Sergei Kostitsyn scored, thanks to Azevedo and Konstantin Korneyev. This was good for a 3-0 win, with the three stars handed to Azevedo, Svitov, and Nilsson (19 save shutout).

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. Also, don't worry about tonight's MLS and NHL posts being late. I will get them done by tomorrow at noon.

NHL October 10th, 2014

One game tonight, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Cam Ward are the veteran goalies. New York began in the first period with a Johnny Boychuk power play goal, powered by Kyle Okposo and John Tavares. The Islanders added on with a Brock Nelson goal, assisted by Tavares and Boychuk. New York extended the lead with another Nelson goal in the second period, a power play goal via Boychuk and Tavares, the latter getting a sock trick. Carolina got on the board in the third period with a Nathan Gerbe power play goal, guided in by Justin Faulk and Andrej Sekera. The Islanders shot back with a Mikhail Grabovski goal, passed from Ryan Strome and Nelson. New York padded the lead on a Travis Hamonic goal, thanks to Nelson and Strome. The Hurricanes pulled back on a Chris Terry goal, fueled by Sekera and Riley Nash. Carolina chipped closer as Eric Staal scored a power play goal, with the help of Elias Lindholm and Jiri Tlusty. This was as close as it got, with the final being 5-3, and the three stars went to Nelson, Tavares, and Boychuk, while Sekera and Strome get the honorable mentions.

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KHL October 10th, 2014

Six more games for today as the schedule balances for a little bit. We begin in...

Omsk, where Avangard hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Rafael Khakimov is mismatched with Konstantin Barulin in goal. Novokuznetsk led off in the first period with a power play goal by Sergei Sentyurin, powered by Mikhail Kuklev and James O'Brien. Metallurg added on in the third period on a Mikhail Plotnikov goal, assisted by O'Brien. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars being Khakimov (37 save shutout), O'Brien, and Sentyurin.

Up to Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev welcomes Amur Khabarovsk. Sergei Borisov and Vitaly Koval draw the starts in goal. Ufa started in the first period with an Antti Pihlstrom goal, via Kirill Koltsov and Alexei Kaigorodov on the power play. Khabarovsk tied it with a Rastislav Spirko goal, courtesy of Dmitry Tarasov and Dmitry Lugin. Amur took the lead in the second period on an Alexander Ryazantsev goal, made possible by Tarasov and Lugin. Salavat Yulaev tied it with an Ivan Vishnevsky power play goal, powered by Koltsov and Kaigorodov. Ufa took the lead on a Denis Khlystov goal, assisted by Alexander Kutuzov and Denis Tolpeko. Salavat Yulaev added on as Anton Slepyshev scored, thanks to Denis Bodrov. Ufa extended the lead in the third period on a Kaigorodov power play goal, coming off of Koltsov, who got a sock trick, and Vishnevsky. Salavat Yulaev padded the lead with an unassisted power play goal by Ilkka Heikkinen. Ufa iced it at 7-2 with an Andrei Zubarev goal, passed from Alexei Glukhov and Slepyshev. The three stars went to Kaigorodov, Koltsov, and Vishnevsky, while Tarasov, Lugin, and Slepyshev get honorable mentions.

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana brings in Sibir Novosibirsk. Mikko Koskinen and Jan Laco are the masked men. Astana opened in the first period with a Dmitry Upper penalty shot goal, coming from a Sergei Gimayev hook on a breakaway. Barys added on with a Brandon Bochenski power play goal, powered by Nigel Dawes and Dustin Boyd. Astana extended the lead in the second period with a Dawes goal, made possible by Boyd and Bochenski. Barys padded the lead with a Mike Lundin power play goal, with a lone assist by Bochenski. Astana kept going with a power play goal by Boyd, coming off of Bochenski, who got a sock trick, and Lundin. Novosibirsk got on the board with a power play goal by Alexei Kopeikin, assisted by Viktor Bobrov and Dmitry Kugryshev. Barys answered with a Kevin Dallman power play goal, with assists provided by Boyd and Lundin. Sibir replied in the third period with an Igor Ozhiganov power play goal, helped along by Vyacheslav Belov and Dmitry Monya. Novosibirsk pulled closer on a Kugryshev power play goal, guided in by Patrik Hersley and Belov. This only made it 6-3, with the three stars going to Bochenski, Boyd, and Lundin, while Dawes, Kugryshev, and Belov get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to St. Petersburg, as SKA hosts Jokerit Helsinki. Riku Helenius and Evgeny Ivannikov are in the blue paint. St. Petersburg dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, assisted by the goalie Ivannikov and Dmitry Yudin. SKA added on with an unassisted Kovalchuk goal. St. Petersburg extended the lead in the third period with a Viktor Tikhonov goal, passed from Dmitry Kalinin and Kovalchuk. Helsinki got on the board with a Steve Moses goal, with a lone assist by Daine Todd on the power play. SKA shot back with a power play goal by Artemy Panarin, powered by Vadim Shipachyov and Kovalchuk. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Kovalchuk, Ivannikov (26 for 27 in saves), and Tikhonov.

Out in Minsk, Dinamo welcomes Slovan Bratislava. Johan Backlund and Lars Haugen receive the starting nods. Minsk began in the second period with an Oleg Goroshko goal, with a lone assist by Lukas Krajicek. Dinamo added on with a Charles Linglet goal, passed from Ryan Vesce. Minsk extended the lead with an Alexei Kalyuzhny goal, assisted by Jonathan Cheechoo and Paul Szczechura. Bratislava got on the board in the third with a Michal Sersen goal, with a lone assist from Milan Bartovic. Dinamo finished it at 4-1 with a Vesce goal, made possible by Matt Ellison and Linglet. The three stars were handed to Linglet, Haugen (29 for 30 in saves), and Vesce.

Finally, Dinamo Riga brings in Medvescak Zagreb. Mark Dekanich and Edgars Masalskis protect the nets. Riga got going in the second period with a Pyotr Schastlivy goal, assisted by Kaspars Saulietis. Dinamo added on with a Maris Bicevskis goal, fueled by Lauris Darzins and Andris Dzerins. Zagreb got on the board with a Matt Anderson goal, coming off of Aaron Polushaj and Andrew Hutchinson. Medvescak tied it with a Patrick Bjorkstrand goal, guided in by Mike Glumac and Andrew Murray. Riga took the lead with a shorthanded goal by Darzins, set up by Miks Indrasis and Kristaps Sotnieks. Zagreb retied it on a power play goal by Martin St. Pierre, powered by Mark Katic and Pascal Pelletier. Dinamo retook the lead as Darzins scored, with a lone assist by Indrasis. This held up for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Darzins, Indrasis, and Bicevskis.

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NHL October 9th, 2014

Twelve games on for the second day of the season, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jhonas Enroth are the goalies. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jack Skille goal, coming off of Jared Boll and Michael Chaput. Buffalo tied it with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, courtesy of Marcus Foligno. The Blue Jackets reclaimed the lead on a Cam Atkinson power play goal in the third period, powered by Ryan Johansen and Nick Foligno. Columbus added on with an Artem Anisimov goal, helped along by Scott Hartnell and Alexander Wennberg. The final was 3-1, with the three stars being Atkinson, Bobrovsky (21 for 22 in saves), and Anisimov.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Steve Mason are the young goalies. New Jersey struck first in the first period on a Michael Ryder goal, via Ryane Clowe and Andy Greene. The Devils added on in the second period as Adam Henrique scored, with a lone assist by Ryder. New Jersey extended the lead as Michael Cammalleri scored, thanks to Jaromir Jagr and Marek Zidlicky. Philadelphia got on the board with a Claude Giroux goal, assisted by Mark Streit and Jakub Voracek on the power play. The Flyers pulled closer with a Wayne Simmonds goal, coming off of Matt Read and Andrew MacDonald. Philadelphia tied it with another Simmonds goal, courtesy of Vincent Lecavalier and Giroux on the power play. The Devils retook the lead in the third period with a Patrik Elias goal, helped along by Zidlicky and Martin Havlat. The Flyers retied it with a Lecavalier goal, made possible by Simmonds and Streit. New Jersey pulled ahead again on a Dainius Zubrus goal, guided in by Henrique and Ryder. The Devils iced it at 6-4 with a Cammalleri empty net goal, set up by Jagr. The three stars belonged to Cammalleri, Ryder, and Simmonds, while the honorable mentions include Henrique, Jagr, Zidlicky, Giroux, Streit, and Lecavalier.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Pittsburgh led off with a Patric Hornqvist goal in the first period, going in unassisted. The Penguins added on with a Sidney Crosby goal, courtesy of Chris Kunitz and Olli Maatta. Pittsburgh extended the lead on a Pascal Dupuis goal, assisted by Maatta and Evgeni Malkin. Anaheim got on the board with a Ryan Kesler power play goal, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Sami Vatanen. The Ducks pulled closer on a Corey Perry goal in the second period, with a lone assist by Patrick Maroon. Anaheim tied it on a power play goal from Perry, with helpers from Kesler and Vatanen. The Penguins regained the lead with another Crosby goal, helped along by Dupuis and Hornqvist on the power play. Pittsburgh padded their lead on a Blake Comeau goal, made possible by Maatta, who got a sock trick with his three assists, and Dupuis. The Penguins kept going in the third period with a shorthanded Brandon Sutter goal, set up by Dupuis, who got a sock trick. The Ducks got one back as Perry finished his hat trick with another power play goal, with helpers from Getzlaf and Kesler. This was as close as it got, with the final being 6-4. The three stars were awarded to Dupuis, Perry, and Crosby, while Hornqvist, Maatta, Kesler, Getzlaf, and Vatanen get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Montreal Canadiens. Dustin Tokarski and Braden Holtby receive the starting nods. Washington started in the first period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, courtesy of Troy Brouwer. Montreal tied it in the third period with Tomas Plekanec's third of the season, via Alex Galchenyuk and Tom Gilbert. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Nicklas Backstrom was matched by Galchenyuk, Eric Fehr cancelled out David Desharnais, and then Brendan Gallagher scored to lift the Canadiens to a 2-1 win. The three stars went to Tokarski (29 for 30 in saves), Holtby (23 for 24 in saves), and Galchenyuk.

West to Detroit, as the Red Wings welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Jimmy Howard are between the pipes. Boston opened in the first period with an unassisted goal by Patrice Bergeron. Detroit tied it on a Justin Abdelkader goal, passed from Johan Franzen and Danny DeKeyser in the second period. The Red Wings took the lead with a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, powered by Darren Helm and Franzen. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Howard (16 for 17 in saves), Franzen, and Nyquist.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Ben Bishop guard the cages. Florida got going in the second period on an Erik Gudbranson goal, assisted by Dylan Olsen and Derek MacKenzie. Tampa Bay tied it with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, powered by Valtteri Filppula and Anton Stralman. The Lightning took the lead in the third period on a Ryan Callahan power play goal, coming off of Filppula and Victor Hedman. The Panthers retied it as Jonathan Huberdeau scored, thanks to Brian Campbell and Aaron Ekblad. Tampa Bay won 3-2 in overtime with a Hedman power play goal, with a lone assist by the goalie Bishop. The three stars went to Hedman, Filppula, and Johnson.

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Brian Elliott are set to start in goal. New York began in the first period with a Rick Nash goal, with a lone assist by Chris Kreider. St. Louis tied it in the third period with a Jaden Schwartz goal, via David Backes and Alex Pietrangelo. The Rangers retook the lead on a Kreider goal, coming off of Nash and Martin St. Louis. The Blues tied it again as Paul Stastny scored, thanks to Vladimir Tarasenko and Schwartz. New York pulled ahead with Nash's second of the game, assisted by St. Louis. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars handed to Nash, Schwartz, and Kreider, while St. Louis gets an honorable mention.

Down in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Pekka Rinne are in the creases. Ottawa was first to score in the second period with a Kyle Turris goal, fueled by Clarke MacArthur and Mark Borowiecki. Nashville tied it in the third period with a Craig Smith power play goal, powered by Filip Forsberg and Derek Roy. The Predators took the lead on a Shea Weber goal, courtesy of Ryan Ellis and Paul Gaustad. Nashville added on with an Eric Nystrom goal, guided in by Gaustad and Forsberg. The Senators got one back with an Alex Chiasson power play goal, helped along by Cody Ceci and Chris Phillips. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Forsberg, Gaustad, and Nystrom.

Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Kari Lehtonen protect the nets. Chicago started in the first period with a Duncan Keith goal, assisted by Brent Seabrook and Patrick Sharp. Dallas tied it in the second period as Trevor Daley scored a power play goal, powered by Ales Hemsky and Jason Spezza. The Stars took the lead with a Cody Eakin goal, made possible by Ryan Garbutt and Antoine Roussel. The Blackhawks tied it in the third period with a Sharp power play goal, assisted by Keith and Patrick Kane. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Chicago won 3-2 with a Kane tally. The three stars were Keith, Sharp, and Kane.

North to Minnesota, where the Wild host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Darcy Kuemper are the inconsistent goalies. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Jason Pominville goal, assisted by Mikael Granlund and Ryan Suter. The Wild added on in the second period with a Jared Spurgeon goal, made possible by Zach Parise and Pominville. Minnesota extended the lead on a Parise goal, with a lone assist by Granlund. The Wild padded the lead with an unassisted Nino Neiderreiter goal. Minnesota kept going with a Suter goal, courtesy of Parise and Charlie Coyle. This was all they needed to win 5-0, with the three stars going to Pominville, Parise, and Suter, while Kuemper (16 save shutout) and Granlund get the honorable mentions.

Into Canada for the first Battle of Alberta, as the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo and Ben Scrivens are the weak goalies. Calgary led off in the first period with a Mason Raymond goal, coming off of Mark Giordano and Joe Colborne. The Flames added on as Jiri Hudler scored his second of the season, with the help of Sean Monahan and Paul Byron. Edmonton got on the board with a Teddy Purcell power play goal, powered by David Perron and Nail Yakupov. The Oilers tied it in the second period with a power play goal by Taylor Hall, guided in by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Justin Schultz. Calgary retook the lead on another Raymond goal in the third period, assisted by Lance Bouma and Colborne. The Flames extended the lead as Raymond finished his hat trick, thanks to Colborne, who got a sock trick, and Hudler. Calgary padded the lead on a T.J. Brodie power play goal, via Curtis Glencross and Mikael Backlund. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Raymond, Colborne, and Hudler.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Mike Smith are the masked men. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Bryan Little goal, with a lone assist by Andrew Ladd. Arizona tied it on a Mikkel Boedker goal, via Shane Doan and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Jets took the lead back with a Blake Wheeler goal, courtesy of Tobias Enstrom and Zach Bogosian. Winnipeg added on with another Wheeler goal, assisted by Bogosian and Enstrom. The Jets extended the lead on a Mark Stuart goal, guided in by Mark Scheifele and Mathieu Perreault. Winnipeg padded the lead with a second period Dustin Byfuglien goal, made possible by Wheeler. The Jets struck again with a third period shorthanded Little goal, set up by Adam Pardy. The Coyotes took one back on a Martin Hanzal goal, with assists provided by Zbynek Michalek and Martin Erat. The final was 6-2, and the three stars belonged to Wheeler, Little, and Enstrom, while Bogosian gets an honorable mention.

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KHL October 9th, 2014

Six games on for today, beginning in...

Yekaterinburg, as Avtomobilist hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vasily Demchenko and Jakub Kovar are between the pipes. Yekaterinburg began with a first period Alexei Simakov power play goal, powered by Tobias Viklund. Avtomobilist added on in the third period with a Jakub Petruzalek power play goal, via Simakov and Sami Lepisto. Chelyabinsk got on the board with a Jan Bulis goal, with a lone assist by Martin Ruzicka. Traktor tied it on an Andrei Popov goal, guided in by Stanislav Chistov and Semyon Kokuyov. The tie went to a shootout, where Anatoly Golyshev and Petruzalek topped a Chistov tally to secure a 3-2 win for Avtomobilist. Petruzalek, Simakov, and Chistov received the three stars.

Down in Magnitogorsk, Metallurg welcomes Admiral Vladivostok. Ilya Proskuryakov and Vasily Koshechkin draw the starts in goal. Magnitogorsk started in the first period with a Denis Platonov goal, guided in by Chris Lee and the goalie Koshechkin. Vladivostok tied it with an Enver Lisin goal, passed from Vladislav Ushenin and Vyacheslav Ushenin. Admiral took the lead in the second period as Richard Gynge scored, thanks to Niclas Bergfors and Alexei Byvaltsev. Vladivostok added on with an unassisted Ilya Zubov goal. Metallurg got one back with a Maxim Yakutsenya goal, coming off of Francis Pare and Oskar Osala. Alexander Pechursky relieved Koshechkin for the third period. Admiral answered with a penalty shot goal by Vyacheslav Ushenin, which he received after a slash from Yaroslav Khabarov. Magnitogorsk pulled back on a penalty shot goal from Evgeny Grigorenko, after Jan Kolar held him on a scoring chance. This was as close as it got, with the final at 4-3. the three stars went to Vyacheslav Ushenin, Zubov, and Gynge.

West to Moscow, as CSKA brings in the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Stanislav Galimov are in the creases. Moscow opened in the first period with a power play goal by Stephane Da Costa, powered by Nikita Zaitsev and Denis Denisov. CSKA added on with a Vladimir Zharkov goal, fueled by Georgy Misharin and Alexei Bondarev. Moscow extended the lead in the second period on an Igor Grigorenko goal, assisted by Da Costa and Alexander Radulov. CSKA padded the lead as Sergei Andronov scored, with the help of Evgeny Artyukhin and Jan Mursak. Andrei Gavrilov replaced Popperle in goal. Sochi got on the board with an unassisted Cory Emmerton goal in the third period. Moscow shot back with an Andronov power play goal, coming off of Mursak. CSKA kept going with a Da Costa goal, with assists provided by Bogdan Kiselevich and Radulov on the power play. The Leopards got one back as Emmerton scored a power play goal, with a lone assist by Roman Lyuduchin. The final stood at 6-2, with the three stars going to Da costa, Andronov, and Emmerton, while Radulov and Mursak get the honorable mentions.

Back to Cherepovets, where Severstal hosts Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Jakub Stepanek are the masked men. Cherepovets struck first in the first period with a Gennady Stolyarov goal, assisted by Pavel Buchnevich. Severstal added on with a Vadim Berdnikov goal, passed from Marek Kvapil and Adam Almqvist. Cherepovets extended the lead on an Evgeny Mons goal, helped along by Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Pavel Chernov. Podolsk got on the board with a shorthanded and unassisted Roman Horak goal. Vityaz chipped closer with a Dmitry Shitikov goal, courtesy of Mikhail Yakubov and Alexei Grishin. Podolsk tied it in the second period on a Robert Kousal goal, coming off of Konstantin Klimontov and Shitikov. Vityaz took the lead in the third period as Klimontov scored a power play goal, powered by Maxim Afinogenov. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Klimontov, Shitikov, and Horak.

Continuing to Togliatti, where Lada welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Ilya Ezhov are the veteran goalies. Kazan was first to score in the first period with an Alexander Burmistrov goal, fueled by Ilya Nikulin. Ak Bars added on as Janne Pesonen scored in the second period, thanks to Shaun Heshka. Togliatti got on the board with an Alexei Mastryukov goal, via Alexander Sharov. Lada tied it in the third period on a Stanislav Romanov goal, courtesy of Denis Barantsev. Kazan won 3-2 in overtime as Burmistrov scored his second of the game, with a lone assist by Kirill Petrov. The three stars went to Burmistrov, Romanov, and Pesonen.

Finally, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Ivan Kasutin guard the cages. Nizhny Novgorod led off in the first period with a Vladimir Galuzin power play goal, powered by Pavel Valentenko and Juuso Hietanen. Torpedo added on with a power play goal by Wojtek Wolski, assisted by Sakari Salminen and Jarkko Immonen. Moscow got on the board in the second period with an unassisted Dmitry Pestunov power play goal. Nizhny Novgorod iced it at 3-1 in the third period with an empty net goal by Sergei Bernatsky, set up by Wolski and Salminen. The three stars were given to Wolski, Kasutin (22 for 23 in saves), and Salminen.

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MLS Wednesday October 8, 2014

Two games on tonight, with the first coming from...

Toronto, as Toronto FC hosts the Houston Dynamo. Tyler Deric and Joe Bendik man the nets. Houston struck first in the thirty-fifth minute on a Giles Barnes goal, coming off of Kofi Sarkodie. The Dynamo went down to ten men in the fifty-fifth minute, as A.J. Cochran was sent off on a straight red card for his foul. Toronto took a yellow card for a Daniel Lovitz foul in stoppage time. Houston held on for a 1-0 win, and the man of the match was Deric with his clean sheet and six saves.

The other game has the Portland Timbers hosting the San Jose Earthquakes. Jon Busch and Donovan Ricketts are the keepers. The teams traded yellow cards in the first half, with Portland's Ben Zemanski getting on in the twentieth minute, followed by Shaun Francis of San Jose getting the other in the thirtieth minute. The Timbers led off with a forty-first minute Rodney Wallace goal, via Darlington Nagbe. Portland added on with a fifty-first minute penalty kick conversion by Diego Valeri. The Timbers took a yellow card in the sixty-fifth minute as Norberto Paparatto committed a foul. Portland extended their lead with another Valeri goal in the seventy-third minute. This made it 3-0, with the man of the match being Valeri for his brace. Interestingly, the Earthquakes failed to put a shot on goal against the Timbers, leading to a clean sheet with no saves for Ricketts in what is like one of his easiest games of all time.

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