NHL January 17th, 2015

Twelve games on today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Columbus opened in the first period on a Ryan Johansen goal, his seventeenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Jack Johnson and Scott Hartnell. Boston tied it on a Carl Soderberg goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Loui Eriksson and Chris Kelly. The Blue Jackets took the lead back with a Matt Calvert goal in the third period, his fifth of the season, assisted by Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky. Columbus iced it at 3-1 with a Calvert empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, set up by Johansen and James Wisniewski. The three stars went to McElhinney (34 for 35 in saves), Calvert, and Johansen.

Over to Buffalo, where the Sabres welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Rob Zepp and Michal Neuvirth are the little-known goalies. Buffalo struck first in the first period on a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Chris Stewart and Brian Flynn. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with an R.J. Umberger power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Matt Read and Michael Del Zotto. The Flyers took the lead on a power play goal by Mark Streit, his sixth of the season, via Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. The Sabres retied it on a Tyler Ennis goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Matt Moulson and Rasmus Ristolainen. Philadelphia took the lead again in the third period on a Chris VandeVelde goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Vincent Lecavalier and Carlo Colaiacovo. The Flyers added on with a Michael Raffl goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Del Zotto and Luke Schenn. Buffalo got one back on Girgensons' second of the night and thirteenth of the campaign, helped along by Moulson and Stewart. This only made it 4-3, with the three stars going to Girgensons, Moulson, and Del Zotto, while Stewart gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Detroit, as the Red Wings bring in the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton and Petr Mrazek are the unknown goalies. Detroit quickly started in the first period on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Riley Sheahan and Tomas Tatar. The Red Wings added on with a Kyle Quincey goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Pavel Datsyuk. Detroit extended the lead with a Tatar goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Nyquist and Niklas Kronwall. Hutton was pulled for Marek Mazanec. Nashville got on the board with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Colin Wilson. The Red Wings answered on a Henrik Zetterberg power play goal in the second period, his eleventh of the season, powered by Datsyuk and Kronwall. Detroit padded the lead as Tatar scored his second of the game and twentieth of the year, with the help of Sheahan and Stephen Weiss. The Predators got one back in the third period on a Mike Fisher goal, his ninth of the campaign, driven in by Roman Josi and Shea Weber on the power play. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Tatar, Nyquist, and Datsyuk, while Sheahan and Kronwall get the honorable mentions.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Dustin Tokarski are called on to start. Montreal was first to score in the first period on a P.K. Subban power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Andrei Markov and Tomas Plekanec. The Canadiens added on in the second period on a Dale Weise goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Plekanec and Max Pacioretty. New York got on the board with a Kyle Okposo goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by John Tavares and Josh Bailey. Montreal shot back on a Plekanec power play goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Markov and Pacioretty. The Islanders replied on a Nikolai Kulemin goal, his ninth of the season, via Brock Nelson and Bailey. The Canadiens answered with a third period Alex Galchenyuk goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Brendan Gallagher and David Desharnais. Montreal padded the lead on a Desharnais goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens extended the lead on a Plekanec goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, fueled by Markov, who got a sock trick, and the goalie Tokarski. Chad Johnson replaced Halak in goal. New York countered with an Anders Lee goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Ryan Strome. The Islanders edged closer with a Tavares power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with helpers provided by Frans Nielsen and Okposo. The final stood from here at 6-4, with the three stars going to Plekanec, Markov, and Desharnais, while Okposo, Tavares, Pacioretty, and Bailey get the honorable mentions.

Over to Ontario, as the Ottawa Senators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Craig Anderson occupy the creases. Carolina led off in the first period on a Brad Malone goal, his second of the season, fueled by Patrick Dwyer and Jay McClement. Ottawa tied it on a Cody Ceci goal in the second period, his third of the year, coming off of Erik Condra and David Legwand. The Senators took the lead in the third period on a Mark Stone goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes tied it with a Justin Faulk goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Nathan Gerbe and Victor Rask. Carolina took the lead on a Gerbe goal, his fourth of the campaign, guided in by Faulk and Tim Gleason. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Gerbe, Faulk, and Khudobin (30 for 32 in saves).

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Brian Elliott are between the pipes. St. Louis began in the first period on a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Ryan Reaves and Maxim Lapierre. The Blues added on in the third period on an Alexander Steen goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of David Backes and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis made it 3-0, the final, with a T.J. Oshie goal, his twelfth of the campaign, with helpers by Steen and Backes. The three stars were Elliott (27 save shutout), Steen, and Backes.

Southeast to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Ben Bishop are the talented goalies. Tampa Bay was first to score in the first period on a Ryan Callahan power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Alex Killorn and Anton Stralman. Colorado tied it in the second period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his eighth of the year, via Nathan MacKinnon and Jan Hejda. The Lightning took the lead back in the third period on a Stralman goal, his third of the season, passed from Valtteri Filppula. The Avalanche tied it again on a MacKinnon goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Gabriel Landeskog and Erik Johnson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Nikita Kucherov and Callahan topped Matt Duchene to give Tampa Bay the 3-2 win. The three stars went to Stralman, Callahan, and MacKinnon.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth and Roberto Luongo are in the blue paint. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Jordan Eberle goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone assist by Matt Fraser. Florida tied it on an Erik Gudbranson goal, his second of the year, fueled by Jussi Jokinen and Nick Bjugstad. The Panthers took the lead on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Dmitry Kulikov. The Oilers tied it in the third period as Matt Hendricks scored his sixth of the year, a shorthanded goal, set up by Boyd Gordon and Mark Fayne. In the shootout, Nail Yakupov had the only tally so Edmonton won 3-2. The three stars went to Fasth (35 for 37 in saves), Luongo (32 for 34 in saves), and Hendricks.

Westward to Dallas, where the Stars bring in the Washington Capitals. Justin Peters and Kari Lehtonen will play in goal. Dallas opened in the first period on a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Jason Spezza and Cody Eakin. The Stars added on with an Erik Cole, his eleventh of the year, via Jyrki Jokipakka and Ales Hemsky. Dallas extended the lead in the second period on a Spezza goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Cole and Jokipakka. Washington got on the board with an Eric Fehr goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Joel Ward and Brooks Laich. The Capitals pulled closer on an Andre Burakovsky goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Matt Niskanen and John Carlson. Washington tied it in the third period on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Nicklas Backstrom. The Stars regained the lead on an Antoine Roussel goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Ryan Garbutt and John Klingberg. Dallas padded the lead with a Jamie Benn goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Seguin and Colton Sceviour. The Capitals chipped back on a Backstrom goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, helped along by Ovechkin and Karl Alzner. This made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars going to Seguin, Spezza, and Cole, while Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Jokipakka getting the honorable mentions.

Way north to Minnesota, where the Wild host the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith faces former job-stealer Devan Dubnyk in goal. Minnesota started in the first period on a Charlie Coyle goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Nino Niederreiter and Christian Folin. The Wild added on in the second period with a Jason Zucker goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Justin Fontaine and the goalie Dubnyk. Arizona got on the board with an Antoine Vermette goal, his eleventh of the season, a power play goal powered by David Moss and Keith Yandle. Minnesota iced it at 3-1 with a third period empty net goal by Zach Parise, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Mikko Koivu. The three stars were handed to Dubnyk (25 for 26 in saves), Zucker, and Coyle.

Southwest to Los Angeles, as the Kings welcome the Anaheim Ducks for a Battle of California. Frederik Andersen and Jonathan Quick tend twines. Los Angeles got going on an Alec Martinez goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Jeff Schultz and Kyle Clifford. Anaheim tied it on a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Patrick Maroon and Corey Perry. The Kings took the lead back on an Anze Kopitar goal, his eleventh of the season, a power play goal powered by Marian Gaborik and Jake Muzzin. The Ducks tied it in the third period on a Sami Vatanen power play goal, guided in by Cam Fowler and Maroon. Anaheim won 3-2 in the shootout on a Jakob Silfverberg goal. The three stars went to Maroon, Vatanen, and Getzlaf.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Calgary Flames. Joni Ortio and Antti Niemi are the Finnish goalies. Calgary struck first in the first period on a Dennis Wideman goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Joe Colborne and Mason Raymond. The Flames added on with a Colborne shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Matt Stajan. San Jose got on the board in the second period as Logan Couture scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Patrick Marleau and Justin Braun. The Sharks tied it on a Joe Thornton power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Joe Pavelski and Marleau. San Jose took the lead on a Melker Karlsson goal, his seventh of the season, via Pavelski and Braun. Calgary retied it on a Jiri Hudler goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Mikael Backlund and Mark Giordano. The Flames won 4-3 in overtime on a Sean Monahan goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Giordano and Paul Byron. The three stars were given to Colborne, Giordano, and Pavelski, while Marleau and Braun get the honorable mentions.

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KHL January 17th, 2015

Six games on today, beginning in...

Omsk, as Avangard hosts Barys Astana. Dmitry Malgin and Denis Kostin are the goalies. Astana was first to score in the first period on an unassisted Talgat Zhailauov goal. Omsk tied it on a second period goal by Erik Gustafsson, passed from Ivan Fischenko and Vadim Khomitsky. Avangard added on with a Kirill Rasskazov goal, coming off of Denis Parshin. Omsk extended the lead on an empty net goal by Alexander Perezhogin, set up by Khomitsky. Avangard iced it at 4-1 on an Igor Musatov empty net goal, via Perezhogin and Vladimir Sobotka. The three stars were Kostin (33 for 34 in saves), Perezhogin, and Khomitsky.

Back east, Sibir Novosibirsk welcomes Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Vladimir Sokhatsky and Alexander Salak. Novosibirsk struck first in the first period on a Sergei Shumakov power play goal, powered by Ivan Vereshchagin. Ufa tied it on an Antti Pihlstrom goal, coming off of Evgeny Skachkov on the power play. Salavat Yulaev took the lead with a Teemu Hartikainen goal, via Alexander Kutuzov. Ufa added on with an Anton Slepyshev, guided in by Dmitry Makarov and Hartikainen. Salavat Yulaev iced it at 4-1 in the third period with an unassisted empty net goal from Slepyshev. The three stars were given to Sokhatsky (20 for 21 in saves), Hartikainen, and Slepyshev.

Way out west, Dinamo Minsk brings in Vityaz Podolsk. Ivan Lisutin and Lars Haugen are given the starting nods. Podolsk led off in the first period on a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, with a lone assist by Alexei Semenov. Vityaz added on with a power play goal by Alexei Makeyev, powered by Alexander Kucheryavenko and Georgy Berdyukov. Minsk got on the board in the second period with a Jonathan Cheechoo power play goal, assisted by Charles Linglet and Ryan Vesce. Podolsk got it back with a Maxim Mamin goal, fueled by Nikita Vyglazov and Maxim Afinogenov. Vityaz extended the lead as Afinogenov scored, thanks to Semenov. Dinamo replied with an unassisted Cheechoo goal. Podolsk won 5-2 in the third period with a shorthanded and empty net goal by Mario Kempe, going in unassisted. The three stars were handed to Afinogenov, Cheechoo, and Semenov.

Back in Russia, Atlant Mytishchi hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Vitaly Kolesnik and Atte Engren are the masked men. Yaroslavl began in the first period on a Yegor Yakovlev goal, assisted by Jiri Novotny. Lokomotiv added on in the second period on a Staffan Kronwall goal, with a lone helper from Yakovlev. Yaroslavl extended the lead on a shorthanded goal by Alexei Vasilyev, set up by Novotny. Lokomotiv padded the lead in the third period with a Martin Thornberg goal, fueled by Vladislav Gavrikov and Geoff Platt. Mytishchi got on the board as Nikita Soshnikov scored, thanks to Maxim Potapov. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kolesnik (22 for 23 in saves), Yakovlev, and Novotny.

Into Croatia, where Medvescak Zagreb welcomes the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Calvin Heeter are in the blue paint. Sochi started in the first period on an Andre Petersson power play goal, powered by Evgeny Lapenkov and Clay Wilson. Zagreb tied it on an Edwin Hedberg goal, guided in by Mark Flood and Shaone Morrisonn. Medvescak took the lead in the second period with a James Wright goal, courtesy of Brandon Segal and Kurtis McLean. The Leopards tied it on a Cory Emmerton power play goal, made possible by Lapenkov and Pavel Koledov. Zagreb won 3-2 in overtime with a Mark Popovic goal, passed from Bill Thomas and Mathieu Carle. The three stars were Lapenkov, Popovic, and Wright.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Lazushin and Denis Godla are the backups making spot starts. Moscow opened in the second period on a Denis Kokarev goal, courtesy of Konstantin Volkov. Dynamo added on as Mat Robinson scored a power play goal, powered by Maxim Pestushko and Volkov. This held up for a 2-0 win, with the three stars given to Lazushin (32 save shutout), Kokarev, and Volkov.

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NHL January 16th, 2015

Six games on today, beginning in...

Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Cam Ward are the veteran goalies. Vancouver got going in the second period on a Derek Dorsett goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Nick Bonino and Kevin Bieksa. The Canucks added on as Shawn Matthias scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Jannik Hansen and Christopher Tanev. Vancouver extended the lead on an Alexandre Burrows goal, his tenth of the campaign, via Ryan Stanton and Bieksa. Anton Khudobin relieved Ward for the third period. The final stood at 3-0, with the three stars going to Miller (28 save shutout), Dorsett, and Bieksa.

Up in New York, the Islanders welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jaroslav Halak are the All-Star replacement goalies. Pittsburgh opened in the first period on a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Chris Kunitz and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins added on with a David Perron goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Kris Letang and Crosby. New York got on the board with a Kyle Okposo goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by John Tavares and Josh Bailey. The Islanders tied it on a Ryan Strome goal, his eighth of the year, via Anders Lee and Frans Nielsen. Pittsburgh retook the lead on a Crosby goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, coming off of Paul Martin and Letang. New York tied it on an Okposo goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, passed from Tavares and Bailey. The Islanders pulled ahead on another Okposo goal, clinching his hat trick on his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Bailey, who got a sock trick, and Travis Hamonic. New York extended the lead with a fourth goal by Okposo (a natural hat trick clincher), and his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Brock Nelson and Tavares, the latter getting a sock trick. The Islanders iced it at 6-3 on a Michael Grabner empty net goal, his third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were given to Okposo, Bailey, and Tavares, while Crosby and Letang get the honorable mentions.

Out in Columbus, the Blue Jackets bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Marc Staal goal, his second of the season, guided in by Derek Stepan and Kevin Klein. The Rangers added on with a Chris Kreider goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Stepan and Martin St. Louis. Columbus got on the board in the third period with a Scott Hartnell goal, his ninth of the campaign, courtesy of Ryan Johansen and the goalie Bobrovsky. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Lundqvist (35 for 36 in saves), Stepan, and Kreider.

Down to Nashville, as the Predators host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby faces a lesser foe in Carter Hutton. Nashville started in the first period on a Seth Jones goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Calle Jarnkrok. The Predators added on in the second period on a James Neal goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Mike Fisher and Victor Bartley. Washington got on the board with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Karl Alzner and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals tied it on an Ovechkin power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Mike Green and Troy Brouwer. Washington took the lead in the third period on a Marcus Johansson goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming on the power play from Backstrom and Green. Nashville tied it again on a Mattias Ekholm goal, his fourth of the year, a power play goal, guided in by Jones and Craig Smith. The Predators won with a Neal goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The final was 4-3, and the three stars went to Neal, Ovechkin, and Jones, while Backstrom and Green get honorable mentions.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Corey Crawford are the masked men. Chicago was first to score in the first period on a Brandon Saad goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews. Winnipeg tied it on a Zach Bogosian, his third of the year, via Andrew Ladd and Bryan Little. The Jets took the lead in the third period on a Little power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Bogosian and Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg added on with a Chris Thorburn goal, his third of the year, coming off of Adam Lowry and Dustin Byfuglien. The Blackhawks got one back with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, with a lone assist by Michal Rozsival. The Jets iced it at 4-2 with a Ladd empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Wheeler and Byfuglien. The three stars were Little, Bogosian, and Ladd, while Wheeler and Byfuglien get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Ilya Bryzgalov are given the starting nods. Anaheim struck first in the first period on a Corey Perry goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Cam Fowler and Patrick Maroon. New Jersey tied it on a Martin Havlat goal, his fifth of the year, coming on the power play from Patrik Elias and Marek Zidlicky. The Ducks took the lead in the second period on a Hampus Lindholm goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Matt Beleskey and Rickard Rakell. Anaheim added on with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Andrew Cogliano. The Ducks extended the lead in the third period on a Maroon goal, his third of the season, via Ryan Getzlaf and Sami Vatanen. Anaheim padded the lead on a Silfverberg power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, powered by Lindholm and Francois Beauchemin. The three stars of the 5-1 game were Silfverberg, Lindholm, and Maroon.

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KHL January 16th, 2015

Two games today, with the first in...

Togliatti, as Lada hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Sergei Borisov and Evgeny Ivannikov are the goalies. Togliatti led off in the first period with a Martin Zatovic goal, passed from Semyon Valuisky and Alexander Sharov. Lada added on with a Dmitry Ogurtsov goal, assisted by Georgy Belousov. Togliatti extended the lead in the second period with an Alexander Streltsov goal, made possible by Fedor Fedorov and Alexander Barantsev. Khabarovsk got on the board as Dmitry Tarasov scored, thanks to Michel Miklik. Lada shot back with a Belousov power play goal, powered by Peter Podhradsky. Amur got one back in the third period with a Vyacheslav Litovchenko goal, coming off of Rafael Akhmetov and Evgeny Orlov. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Belousov, Streltsov, and Ivannikov (20 for 22 in saves).

The other game has Ak Bars Kazan host Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Emil Garipov protect the nets. Kazan began in the first period on a Vladimir Denisov goal, courtesy of Artyom Lukoyanov. Yekaterinburg tied it in the second period on an Anton Lazarev power play goal, powered by Sami Lepisto and Tobias Viklund. Avtomobilist took the lead on an Alexander Loginov goal, coming off of Sergei Gusev on the power play. Yekaterinburg iced it at 3-1 on an Alexei Mikhnov empty net goal, set up by Eduard Lewandowski. The three stars belonged to Kovar (38 for 39 in saves), Loginov, and Denisov.

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NHL January 15th, 2015

Ten games today, with the first in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot and Tuukka Rask are in the creases. Boston started in the first period on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Dougie Hamilton. The Bruins added on in the second period on a David Krejci goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Torey Krug and Adam McQuaid. Boston extended the lead in the third period on a Loui Eriksson goal, his tenth of the season, via Krug and Kevan Miller. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars going to Rask (30 save shutout), Krug, and Bergeron.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Jhonas Enroth are the underrated goalies. Minnesota struck first in the first period on a Zach Parise goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Mikko Koivu and Jason Pominville. The Wild added on with a Thomas Vanek goal, his eighth of the year, coming on the power play from Koivu and Pominville. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period on a Kyle Brodziak shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Erik Haula. The Wild padded the lead on a Matt Dumba goal, his second of the year, guided in by Pominville, who got a sock trick, and Parise. Minnesota continued with a Jared Spuregon goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jonathon Blum and Ryan Carter. The Wild kept going in the third period on a Matt Cooke goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist from Brodziak. Minnesota capped it at 7-0 with a Haula power play goal, his fourth of the campaign, with helpers from Vanek and Christian Folin. The three stars were Pominville, Parise, and Brodziak, while Koivu, Haula, and Vanek get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Ray Emery are the veteran goalies. Vancouver was first to score in the first period on a Nick Bonino goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Shawn Matthias and Ryan Stanton. The Canucks added on with a Henrik Sedin power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Daniel Sedin and Alexandre Burrows. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period with a Radim Vrbata power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. Rob Zepp relieved Emery. The Canucks padded the lead as Jannik Hansen scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Alexander Edler. This held up for a 4-0 win, with the three stars given to Miller (30 save shutout), Henrik Sedin, and Daniel Sedin.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators host the Montreal Canadiens. Dustin Tokarski is mismatched with Craig Anderson in goal. Ottawa opened in the first period on a Mika Zibanejad goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Mike Hoffman and Bobby Ryan. Montreal tied it on a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Plekanec. The Senators took the lead back with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, passed from Milan Michalek and Mark Stone. Ottawa added on in the second period on an Erik Karlsson goal, his eighth of the season, via Michalek and Pageau. The Senators finished it at 4-1 in the third period on an empty net goal by Erik Condra, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were handed to Pageau, Anderson (25 for 26 in saves), and Michalek.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Scrivens and Ben Bishop are the similarly-named goalies. Edmonton began in the first period on a Benoit Pouliot shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, coming off of Matthew Carle and Jason Garrison. The Oilers retook the lead on a Pouliot power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, powered by Taylor Hall and Nugent-Hopkins. The Lightning tied it on a third period goal by Ondrej Palat, his tenth of the year, helped along by Nikita Kucherov and Tyler Johnson. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Palat goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, fueled by Johnson and Nikita Nesterov. This made it a 3-2 final, with the three stars given to Palat, Pouliot, and Johnson, while Nugent-Hopkins gets an honorable mention.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Roberto Luongo are the streaky goalies. Colorado led off in the first period on a Tyson Barrie goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by John Mitchell and Nate Guenin. Florida tied it on an Aaron Ekblad power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Brian Campbell and Nick Bjugstad. The Avalanche took the lead in the second period on a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his ninth of the season, via Ryan O'Reilly. The Panthers tied it again on an Aleksander Barkov goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Brad Boyes and Jonathan Huberdeau. Colorado took the lead with a third period Nick Holden power play goal, his third of the season, assisted by Alex Tanguay and Barrie. The Avalanche iced it at 4-2 with a Jarome Iginla empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Tanguay. The three stars were Barrie, Holden, and Tanguay.

Up to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Brian Elliott occupy the blue paint. Detroit got going in the second period with a Joakim Andersson goal, assisted by Drew Miller and Luke Glendening. The Red Wings added on with a Tomas Tatar goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Jonathan Ericsson and Riley Sheahan. St. Louis got on the board in the third period with a David Backes goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Jay Bouwmeester and Kevin Shattenkirk on the power play. The Blues tied it in on an Alexander Steen goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Alex Pietrangelo and Vladimir Tarasenko. Detroit won 3-2 with an overtime goal by Pavel Datsyuk, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Kyle Quincey and Danny DeKeyser. The three stars were Datsyuk, Tatar, and Andersson.

South to Dallas, where the Stars welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Anders Lindback are the backups making spot starts. Winnipeg opened the scoring in the first period with a Michael Frolik goal, his ninth of the season, via Mathieu Perreault. The Jets added on in the third period on an Evander Kane shorthanded goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Mark Stuart. Dallas got on the board with a Trevor Daley goal, his eleventh of the campaign, made possible by Antoine Roussel and Jason Spezza. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Pavelec (46 for 47 in saves), Kane, and Frolik.

West to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the Calgary Flames. Joni Ortio and Mike Smith draw the starts in goal. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Mikael Backlund goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Johnny Gaudreau and Dennis Wideman. Arizona tied it on a Mikkel Boedker goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Keith Yandle and Kyle Chipchura. The Flames took the lead in the third period on a David Jones goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Sean Monahan and T.J. Brodie. Calgary added on with a Mark Giordano goal, his eleventh of the year, via Monahan and Lance Bouma. The Flames iced it at 4-1 on a Monahan empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Wideman and Jones. The three stars went to Monahan, Ortio (27 for 28 in saves), and Jones, while Wideman gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Antti Niemi are the goalies. San Jose started in the first period on a Tyler Kennedy goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Brenden Dillon and Justin Braun. The Sharks added on with a Patrick Marleau goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Matthew Nieto and Braun. Toronto got on the board with a Roman Polak goal, his fifth of the season, via Mike Santorelli and Daniel Winnik. San Jose iced it at 3-1 with a Tommy Wingels empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Tye McGinn and James Sheppard. The three stars belonged to Niemi (24 for 25 in saves), Braun, and Marleau.

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KHL January 15th, 2015

Six games on today, beginning in...

Moscow, as CSKA hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Mikhail Biryukov and Kevin Lalande are in goal. Moscow struck first in the first period on a Stephane Da Costa goal, made possible by Jan Mursak and Simon Hjalmarsson. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Lalande (17 save shutout), Da Costa, and Biryukov (26 for 27 in saves).

West to Minsk, where Dinamo welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Lars Haugen are the goalies. Minsk began in the first period on a Jonathan Cheechoo power play goal, powered by Charles Linglet and Ryan Vesce. Dinamo added on in the second period as Paul Szczechura scored, with a lone assist by Cheechoo. Minsk finished it at 3-0 in the third period on an Alexander Materukhin goal, passed from Dmitry Meleshko. The three stars were handed to Cheechoo, Haugen (29 save shutout), and Szczechura.

Back in Russia, Atlant Mytishchi brings in Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Atte Engren are between the pipes. Mytishchi led off in the first period with an Albert Yarullin power play goal, powered by Sergei Shmelyov. Atlant added on in the second period as Maxim Potapov scored a power play goal, with the help of Shmelyov and Nikita Soshnikov. Mytishchi extended the lead on a Shmelyov goal, coming off of Soshnikov and Yarullin. Podolsk got on the board with a Robert Kousal goal, with a lone assist by Mario Kempe. This only made it 3-1, the eventual final, with the three stars awarded to Shmelyov, Yarullin, and Soshnikov.

Westward again, as Dinamo Riga hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Igor Shestyorkin is mismatched with Jakub Sedlacek in goal. Riga was first to score in the second period on a Lauris Darzins goal, via Mikelis Redlihs. St. Petersburg tied it on an Evgeny Dadonov goal, passed from Vadim Shipachyov and Artemy Panarin. SKA took the lead with a third period Dadonov goal, again coming off of Shipachyov and Panarin. Dinamo retied it on a Redlihs goal, fueled by Roberts Bukarts. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Panarin won it 3-2 for SKA. The three stars were Dadonov, Panarin, and Redlihs, while Shipachyov gets an honorable mention.

Out to Zagreb, where Medvescak welcomes Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Sharychenkov and Calvin Heeter draw the starts. Zagreb opened in the first period on a Martin St. Pierre goal, guided in by Andrew Hutchinson and Mark Popovic. Moscow tied it on a Maxim Karpov goal, assisted by Gleb Koryagin and Martins Karsums. Dynamo took the lead with a Yury Babenko goal, fueled by Denis Kokarev and Dmitry Vishnevsky. Medvescak tied it again in the second period on an unassisted power play goal by Hutchinson. Zagreb pulled ahead with a Ville Leino goal, made possible by Mark Flood and Popovic. Moscow tied it again with a Karpov goal, with a lone assist by Karsums. Dynamo won 4-3 in overtime with an unassisted power play goal by Kaspars Daugavins. The three stars belonged to Karpov, Hutchinson, and Karsums, while Popovic gets an honorable mention.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava brings in the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Jaroslav Janus are the experienced goalies. Bratislava started in the first period on a Libor Hudacek goal, passed from Tomas Starosta and Patrik Luza. Sochi tied it on an Ilya Krikunov goal, coming off of Andrei Kostitsyn and Artyom Kryukov. The Leopards took the lead in the second period with an Andre Petersson goal, made possible by Cory Emmerton and Ryan Whitney. Sochi added on with an Igor Radulov goal, via Max Warn. The Leopards extended the lead in the third period on a Emmerton goal, with a lone helper by Petersson. Slovan got one back with a power play goal by Michal Vondrka, powered by Milan Bartovic and Michal Sersen. Bratislava pulled closer with a Rok Ticar goal, with a lone assist by Martin Stajnoch. Sochi iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Petersson, going in unassisted. The three stars were Petersson, Emmerton, and Radulov.

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NHL January 14th, 2015

Four games for the night, with the first coming from...

Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Columbus started in the first period on a Kevin Connauton goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Jeremy Morin. The Blue Jackets added on with a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by James Wisniewski and Nick Foligno. Montreal got on the board with a Max Pacioretty goal, his nineteenth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Andrei Markov and Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens tied it on a P.K. Subban power play goal, his ninth of the year, via Markov and Alex Galchenyuk. Montreal took the lead on another Pacioretty power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the campaign, guided in by Tomas Plekanec and Sergei Gonchar. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Pacioretty, Subban, and Markov.

Back east, the Washington Capitals welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Rob Zepp is mismatched with Braden Holtby in goal. Washington struck first in the first period on a Jason Chimera goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Matt Niskanen. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Holtby (21 save shutout), Chimera, and Zepp (25 for 26 in saves).

Way west to Anaheim, as the Ducks bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Frederik Andersen are the young goalies. Anaheim was first to score in the first period on a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Hampus Lindholm and Cam Fowler. The Ducks added on in the second period as Corey Perry scored his sixteenth of the year, thanks to Ryan Getzlaf and Ben Lovejoy. Anaheim extended the lead on a Perry goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, with a lone assist by Getzlaf. The Ducks iced it at 4-0 in the third period on a Perry empty net goal to finish his hat trick, his eighteenth of the year, set up by Clayton Stoner and the goalie Andersen. The three stars went to Perry, Andersen (28 save shutout), and Getzlaf.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Jonathan Quick protect the nets. New Jersey opened in the first period on a Steve Bernier goal, his fourth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Michael Cammalleri and Scott Gomez. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with a Dustin Brown goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Drew Doughty and Brayden McNabb. The Devils shot back on a Bernier power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, powered by Gomez and Jon Merrill. New Jersey added on with a Martin Havlat goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Patrik Elias and Travis Zajac. The Devils extended the lead as Cammalleri scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Michael Ryder and Dainius Zubrus. New Jersey padded the lead on a Ryder goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Andy Greene and Adam Larsson. The Kings got one back in the third period with a Marian Gaborik goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from McNabb and Justin Williams. Los Angeles drew closer on a Williams goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Mike Richards. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Bernier, Ryder, and Cammalleri, while Williams, Gomez, and McNabb get the honorable mentions.

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