MLS Western Conference Semifinal: FC Dallas VS. Seattle Sounders FC

In MLS, the conference semifinals and finals are played in two game, aggregate goal sets, with a road goals tiebreakers. Here is the Western Conference Semifinal.

In Frisco, Texas, the goalies are Raul Fernandez of Dallas and Stefan Frei of Seattle. In the thirty-fourth minute, Michel converted a penalty kick to give Dallas the lead. Seattle tied it in the fifty-fourth minute with an Osvaldo Alonso goal, with an assist by Marco Pappa. The Sounders took a yellow card for a Leonardo Gonzales foul in the seventy-fourth minute. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, and Alonso was man of the match for the equalizer. 

In Seattle, the goalies are Frei for Seattle and Chris Seitz for Dallas. Dallas took a yellow card in the fourteenth minute for a foul by Moises Hernandez. This was the only scorecard action, as the game ended in a scoreless draw. Zach Scott was the man of the match for his strong defensive play. The Sounders advance on the away goals tiebreaker to face the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Western Conference Final.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL November 10th, 2014

Two games tonight, beginning in...

Boston, with the Bruins hosting the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Tuukka Rask are the masked men. New Jersey began in the first period on a Travis Zajac goal, his second of the season, coming off of Michael Cammalleri and Andy Greene. Boston tied it with a Carl Soderberg goal, his fifth of the year, a power play goal powered by Reilly Smith and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on with an unassisted goal by Bergeron, his third of the season. The Devils retied it in the second period as Jaromir Jagr scored his third of the year, thanks to Zajac and Cammalleri. Boston pulled ahead on a Seth Griffith goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins extended the lead with a Smith goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Bergeron. This held up for a 4-2 win, with the three stars being Bergeron, Zajac, and Smith, while Cammalleri gets an honorable mention.

The other game has the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Cam Ward draw the starts. Calgary led off in the first period with a David Jones goal, his second of the season, a power play goal powered by Curtis Glencross and Mark Giordano. Carolina tied it on a Zach Boychuk goal, his third of the year, via Justin Faulk and Andrej Sekera. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period with a Faulk goal, his second of the season, assisted by Riley Nash on the power play. Carolina added on with a Jeff Skinner goal, his third of the year, passed from Alexander Semin and Faulk. The Hurricanes extended the lead in the third period when Tim Gleason scored, with the help of Skinner. This was good for a 4-1 win, with the three stars going to Faulk, Skinner, and Ward (22 for 23 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL November 9th, 2014

Five games on throughout the afternoon. We begin in...

Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. Detroit was first to score in the first period on a Johan Franzen power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Niklas Kronwall and Gustav Nyquist. Tampa Bay tied it on a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Valtteri Filppula and Ryan Callahan. The Lightning took the lead in the second period on a Stamkos goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, via Callahan. Tampa Bay added on with a Tyler Johnson goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone helper by Ondrej Palat. The Red Wings got one back on a power play goal by Darren Helm, powered by Franzen and Kronwall. Detroit tied it on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his eighth of the season, coming in the third period from Jonathan Ericsson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Callahan's tally gave the Lightning a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Stamkos, Callahan, and Franzen, while Kronwall gets an honorable mention.

Back east, the New York Rangers welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth is mismatched with Henrik Lundqvist in goal. Edmonton struck first with a first period goal by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Benoit Pouliot and Jordan Eberle. New York tied it with a Carl Hagelin goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Kevin Hayes and Lee Stempniak. The Oilers retook the lead in the second period on a Pouliot goal, his second of the season, assisted by Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton added on in the third period with a Teddy Purcell empty net goal to make it 3-1, his second of the year, set up by Matt Hendricks. The three stars went to Pouliot, Nugent-Hopkins, and Fasth (20 for 21 in saves).

Into Canada, as the Ottawa Senators host the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Battle of Ontario. James Reimer and Robin Lehner receive the starting nods. Ottawa began with a Mike Hoffman goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto tied it with a Peter Holland goal, his third of the year, passed from Roman Polak and Leo Komarov. The Senators retook the lead on a Kyle Turris goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jared Cowen and Bobby Ryan. The Maple Leafs tied it again with a James van Riemsdyk goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, via Cody Franson. Ottawa pulled ahead again as Mark Stone scored his fourth of the season, a power play goal powered by David Legwand and Erik Karlsson. Toronto pulled even with a Josh Leivo goal, made possible by Trevor Smith. The Maple Leafs gained the lead on a shorthanded goal by Mike Santorelli, his second of the year, set up by Holland. Toronto added on as David Clarkson scored his fourth of the campaign, thanks to Morgan Rielly and Stephane Robidas in the third period. They held on for a 5-3 win, with the three stars going to Holland, Santorelli, and Clarkson.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Chicago led off in the first period on a Trevor van Riemsdyk goal, passed from Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks added on with a Brent Seabrook goal, his third of the season, coming off of Brad Richards and Peter Regin. Chicago extended the lead on a Niklas Hjalmarsson goal, assisted by Marian Hossa and Marcus Kruger. San Jose got on the board with a Joe Pavelski goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Justin Braun and Joe Thornton. The Sharks pulled closer in the second period as Pavelski scored a power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, powered by Thornton and Patrick Marleau. The Blackhawks shot back in the third period with a Bryan Bickell goal, his second of the year, made possible by Johnny Oduya and Brandon Saad. Chicago iced it at 5-2 with a Toews empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. The three stars were Pavelski, Toews, and Thornton.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Frederik Andersen are set to start in goal. Anaheim got going with a Sami Vatanen power play goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, powered by Ryan Kesler. Vancouver tied it on an Alexandre Burrows goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Dan Hamhuis and Nick Bonino. In the shootout, Bonino scored to give the Canucks the win. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Lack (28 for 29 in saves), Andersen (34 for 35 in saves), and Bonino.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

MLS Western Conference Semifinal: Real Salt Lake VS. Los Angeles Galaxy

In MLS, the conference semifinals and finals are played in two game, aggregate goal sets, with a road goals tiebreakers. Here is the Western Conference Semifinal.

For game 1 in Salt Lake City, Nick Rimando of Salt Lake and Jaime Penedo of Los Angeles protect the nets. Los Angeles saw a yellow card go to Omar Gonzales in the fifty-third minute for a foul. salt Lake took a yellow card for a Tony Beltran foul in the sixty-third minute. Real's Chris Wingert was given a yellow card in the sixty-seventh minute for a foul. The Galaxy's Robbie Rogers also had a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-seventh minute. The final was 0-0 for the first leg of the series. The man of the match was Penedo for a clean sheet with six saves on the road.

The same goalies participated in game 2 in Carson, California. Los Angeles began in the tenth minute on a Landon Donovan goal, via A.J. DeLaGarza and Marcelo Sarvas. The Galaxy added on with a Robbie Keane goal in the twentieth minute, passed from Donovan and Juninho. In the fifty-fourth minute, Los Angeles extended the lead as Donovan scored his second of the game, thanks to Keane. The Galaxy padded the lead with a Sarvas goal in the sixty-third minute, assisted by Keane and Robbie Rogers. Los Angeles kept going on with Donovan completing his hat trick in the seventy-second minute, courtesy of Keane, who had what I call a sock trick, which is three assists. Salt Lake took a yellow card in the seventy-ninth minute for a foul by Alvaro Saborio. The Galaxy had their own yellow card for an eighty-first minute foul by Donovan. Real took another booking on a yellow card as Tony Beltran committed a foul in the eighty-sixth minute. The final was 5-0, and that was also the score of the aggregate series. The man of this match was Donovan with his hat trick and an assist.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

MLS Eastern Conference Semifinal: Columbus Crew VS. New England Revolution

In MLS, the conference semifinals and finals are played in two game, aggregate goal sets, with a road goals tiebreakers. Here is the Eastern Conference Semifinal.

In Columbus, Bobby Shuttleworth of New England and Steve Clark of Columbus man the nets. New England took a yellow card in the nineteenth minute on a Jose Goncalves foul. The Revolution began with a thirty-fourth minute Charlie Davies goal, passed from Kelyn Rowe. New England added on in the fifty-first minute with a Chris Tierney goal. Columbus got on the board as Justin Meram scored. The Revolution shot back with a Lee Nguyen goal in the seventieth minute, set up by Jermaine Jones, while the Crew's Waylon Francis received a yellow card for a foul around the same time. New England extended the lead on a seventy-eighth minute Davies goal, coming off of Scott Caldwell. In stoppage time, Columbus' Bernardo Anor received a yellow card for a foul, and the Crew got a goal back three minutes later on a Federico Higuain penalty kick conversion. The final was 4-2 in favor of the Revolution, who will look to close things out at home next weekend. The man of the match for game 1 was Davies for his brace.

In Foxboro, the same goalies take the field. New England struck first with a forty-third minute Lee Nguyen goal, via Teal Bunbury. The Revolution added on in the fifty-fifth minute as Jose Goncalves scored, with the help of Charlie Davies and Nguyen. Columbus' playoff hopes dimmed further in the sixty-first minute as Ethan Finlay was sent off on a straight red card for his contact with Shuttleworth in goal. In the sixty-sixth minute, the Crew's Justin Meram was given a yellow card for a foul. Columbus got on the board with a Tony Tchani goal in the sixty-ninth minute, made possible by Meram. New England shot back on a Bunbury goal in the seventy-seventh minute, coming off of Daigo Kobayashi. The Crew went to nine men as Meram was ejected for his second yellow card foul in the eighty-fifth minute. The Revolution won the game 3-1, with Nguyen being the man of the match. They win the series 7-3 on aggregate, and play the New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference Final.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

Premier League Week 11

Ten more games coming at you from Britain! We begin with...

Liverpool hosting Chelsea. Thibaut Courtois and Simon Mignolet tend the twines. Liverpool struck first in the ninth minute on an Emre Can goal, passed from Raheem Sterling. Chelsea tied it on a fourteenth minute goal by Gary Cahill, via Nemanja Matic after a corner kick. Sterling was given a yellow card for a foul in the forty-third minute for Liverpool. Chelsea had a yellow card on a Branislav Ivanovic foul in the forty-eighth minute. Liverpool's Mario Balotelli took a yellow card for his foul in the sixty-fifth minute. Chelsea took the lead on a Diego Costa goal in the sixty-seventh minute. Chelsea received another booking for a Matic foul in the sixty-ninth minute. Chelsea received three more yellow cards in the later minutes of the game, going to Oscar in the eighty-third minute, Costa for a foul in the eighty-seventh minute, and Courtois for time wasting in stoppage time. Chelsea held on for a 2-1 win anyway.

Moving along to Burnley welcoming Hull City. Steve Harper and Tom Heaton are the gloved men. Hull City had the first yellow card for a James Chester foul in the seventh minute. Burnley had a pair of first half yellow cards, going to Jason Shackell in the twenty-eighth minute and Stephen Ward in the forty-second minute, both for fouls. Burnley got going in the fiftieth minute on an Ashley Barnes header goal coming off of a Kieran Trippier cross. In the fifty-sixth minute, Michael Duff received a yellow card for his foul for Burnley. Hull City had the next yellow card in the seventy-second minute for an Abel Hernandez foul. Burnley saw yellow cards assessed to Dean Marney for an eighty-sixth minute foul and to Danny Ings for a ninetieth minute foul. Burnley still won 1-0.

Continuing to Manchester, where Manchester United brings in Crystal Palace. Julian Speroni and David de Gea receive the starting nods. Crystal Palace received two yellow cards in the first half, going to Joel Ward in the thirty-fifth minute and Damien Delaney in the thirty-eighth minute, both for fouls. Crystal Palace saw a booking on a yellow card for Yannick Bolasie in the sixty-fourth minute for his foul. Manchester United opened with a sixty-seventh minute Juan Mata goal, via Angel Di Maria. In the eighty-third minute, Manchester United's Antonio Valencia was shown a yellow card for a foul. Manchester United came out of it with a 1-0 victory.

South to Southampton hosting Leicester City. Kasper Schmeichel and Fraser Forster protect the nets. In the thirty-seventh minute, Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin received a yellow card for a foul. Southampton took another yellow card as Toby Alderweireld committed a foul in the fifty-fourth minute. Leicester City's Liam Moore was booked on a yellow card for his fifty-eighth minute foul. In the seventy-fifth minute, Shane Long scored to give Southampton the lead, with the help of Graziano Pelle. Leicester City took another yellow card in the seventy-eighth minute for a foul by Marcin Wasilewski. In the eightieth minute, Southampton added on with Long's second of the game, passed from Victor Wanyama. This produced the 2-0 final.

Next up, West Ham United welcomes Aston Villa. Brad Guzan and Adrian are in the six-yard boxes. Aston Villa took a yellow card in the sixty-ninth minute for a foul by Tom Cleverley. In the eighty-ninth minute, Aston Villa had another yellow card go to Gabriel Agbonlahor for a foul. The final score was 0-0.

Finally, in London, the Queens Park Rangers bring in Manchester City. Joe Hart and Robert Green are the keepers. QPR took a yellow card in the nineteenth minute for a foul by Sandro. QPR began in the twenty-first minute on a Charlie Austin goal, passed from Mauricio Isla. Manchester City tied it on a thirty-second minute goal by Sergio Aguero, assisted by Eliaquim Mangala on a through ball. QPR took three yellow cards to end the half: Isla in the thirty-seventh minute, Richard Dunne in the fortieth minute, and Eduardo Vargas in first half stoppage time, all for fouls. Manchester City saw a booking on a yellow card for Bacary Sagna's fifty-fifth minute foul. QPR took the lead in the seventy-sixth minute as Martin Demichelis put the ball in his own net for an own goal. Manchester City retied it on an Aguero goal in the eighty-third minute, via Yaya Toure on a through ball. This made it 2-2, the final.

On Sunday, we begin with Sunderland hosting Everton. Tim Howard and Costel Pantilimon are the goalies. At the ten minute mark, Jordi Gomez of Sunderland received a yellow card for a foul. In the thirtieth minute, Everton's James McCarthy received a yellow card. Everton had another yellow card for a fifty-seventh minute Aiden McGeady foul. In the sixty-seventh minute, Sunderland began with a Sebastian Larsson free kick goal. Everton tied it on a seventy-sixth minute Leighton Baines penalty kick goal. The final held at 1-1.

Next up, Tottenham Hotspur welcomes Stoke City. Asmir Begovic and Hugo Lloris protect the nets. Stoke City started in the sixth minute with a Bojan goal, passed from Steven N'Zonzi. Stoke City had a pair of yellow cards go to Geoff Cameron in the twenty-second minute and Begovic in the twenty-fourth minute. Stoke City added on with a Jonathan Walters goal, passed from Mame Biram Diouf. Tottenham Hotspur took a yellow card in first half stoppage time for an Etienne Capoue goal. Tottenham Hotspur had a pair of second half yellow cards go to Ryan Mason in the sixty-ninth minute and Younes Kaboul in the seventy-second minute, both for fouls. In the seventy-seventh minute, Tottenham Hotspur got on the board with a Nacer Chadli goal, coming off of a Danny Rose cross. Tottenham Hotspur's comeback attempt faced a hurdle in the eighty-fifth minute when Kyle Naughton's bad foul earned him a straight red card, putting his team at ten men.

Continuing to West Bromwich Albion bringing in Newcastle United. Tim Krul and Ben Foster are in the six-yard boxes. Newcastle United opened in the forty-fifth minute on an Ayoze Perez goal, passed from Daryl Janmaat. In the sixty-second minute, Newcastle Unite added on with a Fabricio Coloccini goal, made possible by a Janmaat cross. This made it 2-0, the final score.

Finally, Swansea City hosts Arsenal. Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski have the difficult to spell names. Swansea City had two bookings in the first half with a Neil Taylor foul in the thirty-seventh minute and Ki Sung-Yueng in the forty-first minute, both for yellow cards. Arsenal had a yellow card assessed to Aaron Ramsey in first half stoppage time. In the fiftieth minute, Ashley Williams of Swansea City received a yellow card for his foul. Arsenal took two more yellow cards for fouls by Per Mertesacker in the fifty-seventh minute and Calum Chambers in the sixty-second minute. Arsenal struck first in the sixty-third minute as Alexis Sanchez scored, with the help of Danny Welbeck on a fast break. Tom Carroll of Swansea City received a yellow card immediately after the goal. In the seventy-fourth minute, Kieran Gibbs of Arsenal was handed a yellow card. Swansea City tied it in the seventy-fifth minute with a Gylfi Sigurdsson free kick goal. Swansea City took the lead on a Bafetimbi Gomis goal in the seventy-eighth minute, set up by Jefferson Montero's cross. Arsenal's Sanchez received a yellow card in the eighty-sixth minute for his foul. Swansea City took a yellow card in the ninetieth minute with a Modou Barrow foul. The sloppy game ended favoring Swansea City 2-1.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

NHL November 8th, 2014

Twelve games on a busy day today, with the first coming as a matinee in...

Florida, with the Panthers hosting the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo and Al Montoya are the backups making spot starts. Florida began in the first period with a Scottie Upshall goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his second of the year, coming off of Willie Mitchell and Dmitry Kulikov. Calgary got on the board with a David Jones goal, via Johnny Gaudreau and Deryk Engelland. Florida shot back on Upshall's second of the game and third of the season, passed from Vincent Trocheck and Kulikov. The Flames replied on a shorthanded Mark Giordano goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Paul Byron and Lance Bouma. Calgary tied it with a Jiri Hudler goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Curtis Glencross and Markus Granlund. The Panthers regained the lead on a Jimmy Hayes goal, fueled by Upshall and Ekblad. The Flames tied it again on a Sean Monahan goal in the third period, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Gaudreau and Giordano. Calgary took the lead as Bouma scored his fourth of the season, with the help of Hudler and Giordano. The Flames iced it at 6-4 on a power play empty net goal by Gaudreau, his third of the year, powered by Monahan. The three stars went to Giordano, Bouma, and Gaudreau, while Upshall, Ekblad, Kulikov, Hudler, and Monahan get the honorable mentions.

Up in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jhonas Enroth are in goal. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period on a Kris Letang goal, his second of the season, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins added on with a power play goal by Hornqvist, his eighth of the year, powered by Letang and Crosby. Pittsburgh extended the lead on a Letang goal, his second of the game and third of the season, via Paul Martin and Crosby, the latter getting a natural sock trick. The Penguins padded the lead in the second period on another Hornqvist power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, courtesy of Chris Kunitz and Crosby. Pittsburgh kept going on a Robert Bortuzzo goal, coming off of Crosby and Kunitz. Buffalo got on the board with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his third of the season, made possible by Josh Gorges and Brian Gionta. The Penguins shot back on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Blake Comeau and Letang. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars going to Crosby, Hornqvist, and Letang, while Kunitz gets an honorable mention.

Into Philadelphia, where the Flyers bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Reto Berra is mismatched with Semyon Varlamov in goal. Philadelphia was first to score on a Claude Giroux power play goal in the first period, his third of the season, powered by Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers added on as Simmonds scored his seventh of the year in the second period, a power play goal made possible by Giroux and Voracek. Philadelphia extended the lead as Brayden Schenn scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Matt Read and Nick Schultz. The Flyers padded the lead on another Giroux power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, assisted by Vincent Lecavalier and Voracek. Colorado got on the board in the third period on a Max Talbot goal, going in unassisted. The Avalanche pulled closer on an Alex Tanguay goal, his sixth of the campaign, fueled by Tyson Barrie and Dennis Everberg. Colorado got another one back with a Zach Redmond goal, passed from Talbot and Cody McLeod. They failed to tie it, losing 4-3, with the three stars being Giroux, Voracek, and Simmonds, while Talbot gets an honorable mention.

North to Montreal, as the Canadiens host the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Carey Price are in the blue paint. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Brendan Gallagher goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Tomas Plekanec. Minnesota tied it with a Jason Pominville goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Thomas Vanek. The Canadiens retook the lead on a Lars Eller goal, his third of the season, coming off of Brandon Prust and Jiri Sekac. Montreal added on with a Sekac goal, his second of the year, made possible by Prust and Eller. The Canadiens extended the lead as Max Pacioretty scored his sixth of the campaign, thanks to P.A. Parenteau and David Desharnais. This produced the 4-1 final, with the three stars given to Price (30 for 31 in saves), Sekac, and Eller, while Prust gets an honorable mention.

West to Ontario, as the Ottawa Senators welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Craig Anderson are the weak goalies. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Chris Neil power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Mika Zibanejad and Milan Michalek. Winnipeg tied it with a power play goal by Toby Enstrom, courtesy of Mark Scheifele and Dustin Byfuglien. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Mathieu Perreault scored to give the Jets a 2-1 win. The three stars were awarded to Pavelec (37 for 38 in saves), Anderson (36 for 37 in saves), and Perreault.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Evgeni Nabokov and Anton Forsberg are the backups in goal. Tampa Bay opened in the first period on a J.T. Brown goal, assisted by Jason Garrison and Andrej Sustr. The Lightning added on with a Cedric Paquette goal, his third of the season, via Jonathan Drouin and Vladislav Namestnikov. Tampa Bay extended the lead on an Anton Stralman power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Ryan Callahan and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning padded the lead on a Brian Boyle goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Brenden Morrow and Brown. Curtis McElhinney replaced Forsberg in goal for the second period. Columbus got on the board with a Scott Hartnell goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by James Wisniewski and Tim Erixon on the power play. Tampa Bay shot back with a Callahan goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Valtteri Filppula and Radko Gudas. The Blue Jackets answered on another Hartnell power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, with helpers from Nick Foligno and Ryan Johansen. The Lightning struck back with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his third of the season, helped along by Nikita Kucherov and Drouin. Columbus replied on a Johansen goal in the third period, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Brian Gibbons and Wisniewski. The Blue Jackets pulled closer on a power play goal by Foligno, his seventh of the season, coming off of Wisniewski, who got a sock trick, and Erixon. Tampa Bay finished it at 7-4 with an empty net goal by Johnson, his second of the game and fourth of the year, set up by Callahan. The three stars were handed to Callahan, Brown, and Hartnell, while Drouin, Wisniewski, Erixon, Foligno, Johansen, and Johnson get the honorable mentions.

Into Canada again, as the Toronto Maple Leafs host the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot and Jonathan Bernier receive the green light to start. New York started in the first period on a Chris Kreider goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Kevin Klein and Mats Zuccarello. Toronto tied it on a Phil Kessel power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by James van Riemsdyk and Dion Phaneuf. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a shorthanded Peter Holland goal, his second of the season, set up by Leo Komarov. Toronto added on with a Richard Panik goal, his third of the year, passed from Cody Franson and Nazem Kadri. The Rangers got one back on a Zuccarello goal, his second of the season, assisted by Kreider and Derek Stepan. New York tied it in the second period on a Carl Hagelin goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Dominic Moore. The Rangers gained the lead in the third period on a Rick Nash goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Martin St. Louis and Derick Brassard. The Maple Leafs retied it on a Roman Polak goal, his second of the year, made possible by Kadri. Toronto took the lead on a Komarov goal, with a lone assist from Jake Gardiner. This held up for a 5-4 win, with the three stars given to Komarov, Zuccarello, and Kreider, while Kadri gets the honorable mention.

South to DC, where the Washington Capitals welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin faces former teammate Justin Peters in goal. Washington led off in the first period with a Troy Brouwer power play goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Capitals added on with a Jay Beagle goal, via John Carlson. Carolina got on the board with a Riley Nash power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Justin Faulk and Victor Rask. Washington shot back with a second period Eric Fehr goal, his second of the season, assisted by Carlson and Brooks Orpik. The Hurricanes got one back in the third period on an Eric Staal goal, his third of the year, coming off of Jeff Skinner and Alexander Semin. Carolina tied it as Elias Lindholm scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Faulk and Nash. The Capitals won 4-3 in overtime on a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green. The three stars belonged to Nash, Carlson, and Faulk.

Out west, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Brian Elliott protect the nets. St. Louis began in the first period on a Jori Lehtera goal, his third of the season, fueled by Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. Nashville tied it on a Filip Forsberg goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, guided in by Roman Josi and James Neal. The Predators took the lead in the third period as Neal potted his eighth of the campaign, thanks to Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Rinne (28 for 29 in saves), Neal, and Forsberg.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the San Jose Sharks. Alex Stalock and Anders Lindback receive the starting nods. Dallas struck first in the first period on a Tyler Seguin goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Sergei Gonchar and Kevin Connauton. The Stars added on as Seguin scored his second of the game and ninth of the year, fueled by Erik Cole and Jamie Benn. San Jose got on the board with a James Sheppard goal, his third of the season, guided in by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Tomas Hertl. Dallas shot back in the second period on a Seguin power play goal, completing his hat trick with his tenth of the year, powered by Antoine Roussel and Jason Spezza. The Sharks got one back in the third period as Patrick Marleau scored his fifth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture. San Jose tied it with a Brent Burns goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Couture and Marleau. The Sharks took the lead as Burns scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Sheppard and Hertl. San Jose finished it at 5-3 on a Joe Thornton empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Couture, who got a sock trick, and Justin Braun. The three stars went to Seguin, Marleau, and Burns, while Couture, Sheppard, and Hertl get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. New York got going in the third period with the fifth of the season for Frans Nielsen, assisted by Mikhail Grabovski and Thomas Hickey. This was the only goal, so the Islanders won 1-0. The three stars belonged to Halak (19 save shutout), Nielsen, and Smith (31 for 32 in saves).

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Jonathan Quick are the American goalies. Los Angeles was first to score with a first period goal by Marian Gaborik, via Alec Martinez and Anze Kopitar. The Kings added on with a Jake Muzzin goal, fueled by Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli. Los Angeles extended the lead on a Kopitar goal, his third of the season, assisted by Gaborik and Muzzin. The Kings padded the lead in the second period on a Toffoli goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Martinez and Jeff Carter. Eddie Lack replaced Miller for the third period. Los Angeles kept going in the third period on a Carter goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Toffoli and Martinez, the latter getting a sock trick. Vancouver got on the board with a Chris Higgins goal, his third of the year, coming off of Linden Vey and Ryan Stanton. This only made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Toffoli, Muzzin, and Gaborik, while Martinez, Kopitar, and Carter get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.