Hockey Feburary 14th, 2015

To celebrate Valentine's Day, we have eleven hockey games to love. Also, Canada is showing its love for its sport by celebrating Hockey Day in Canada. We begin with a single game from Russia, as...

Atlant Mytishchi hosts Dinamo Minsk. Danny Taylor and Atte Engren draw the starts in goal. Mytishchi led off in the first period on an Artyom Chernov power play goal, powered by Maxim Potapov and Sergei Shmelyov. Minsk tied it on a Charles Linglet goal, via Matt Ellison and Paul Szczechura. Dinamo took the lead with a second period power play goal by Alexander Kulakov, assisted by Lukas Krajicek and Andrei Stepanov. Atlant tied it on a Chernov power play goal, guided in by Potapov and Shmelyov. Minsk regained the lead on an unassisted Linglet goal, his second of the game. Mytishchi tied it in the third period as Mikhail Tyulyapkin scored an unassisted goal. Atlant took the lead on an Andrei Taratukhin goal, fueled by Vyacheslav Leshchenko and Chernov. The three stars were Chernov, Linglet, and Taratukhin, while Potapov and Shmelyov are given the honorable mentions.

In the NHL, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth and Robin Lehner are the unknown goalies. Ottawa was first to score in the first period on a Milan Michalek power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson. Edmonton tied it on a Derek Roy goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Ryan Hamilton and Nail Yakupov. The Senators took the lead back on a Cody Ceci goal, his fourth of the season, via Erik Condra and Alex Chiasson. Ottawa chased Fasth on a Kyle Turris goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Mark Stone and Michalek. Richard Bachman came on in relief. The Oilers got one back on a Mark Fayne goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jeff Petry and Andrew Ference. The Senators shot back on a Michalek goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, guided in by Turris and Stone. Ottawa extended the lead on a Chiasson goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Condra and Karlsson. The Senators padded the lead in the third period on a Hoffman goal, his nineteenth of the year, fueled by Mika Zibanejad and Bobby Ryan. Ottawa iced it at 7-2 on a David Legwand power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, with assists provided by Patrick Wiercioch and Ryan. The three stars were Michalek, Turris, and Chiasson, while Hoffman, Stone, Condra, Karlsson, and Ryan all get honorable mentions.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Jimmy Howard are the masked men. Winnipeg struck first in the first period on a Chris Thorburn goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jacob Trouba and Dustin Byfuglien. Detroit tied it on a Niklas Kronwall power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist. The Red Wings took the lead in the second period on a Darren Helm power play goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Tomas Tatar and Pavel Datsyuk. Detroit added on with a Datsyuk goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Helm and Tatar. The Jets pulled back on a Blake Wheeler goal, his sixteenth of the season, with helpers provided by Tyler Myers and Bryan Little. Winnipeg tied it on a Drew Stafford goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Myers and Michael Frolik on the power play. The Jets took the lead on a power play goal by Andrew Ladd in the third period, his nineteenth of the season, with assists from Little and Byfuglien. The Red Wings tied it as Datsyuk scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, thanks to Brendan Smith and Danny DeKeyser. Winnipeg won with a lone tally by Stafford in the shootout. The three stars went to Stafford, Datsyuk, and Byfuglien, while Little, Myers, Helm, and Tatar get the honorable mentions.

Back into Canada, where the Montreal Canadiens host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Carey Price guard the cages. Toronto began in the first period on a Daniel Winnik goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Richard Panik and Roman Polak. Montreal tied it on a Brendan Gallagher goal, his thirteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Tomas Plekanec and P.K. Subban. The Canadiens took the game 2-1 in the shootout with goals by Alex Galchenyuk and David Desharnais, topping a Mike Santorelli tally. The three stars went to Price (28 for 29 in saves), Bernier (31 for 32 in saves), and Desharnais.

Back stateside, the New York Islanders welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Anton Forsberg and Jaroslav Halak are called on to start in goal. New York opened in the first period with a Josh Bailey goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Anders Lee and John Tavares. The Islanders added on as Bailey scored his second of the game and eleventh of the year, thanks to Tavares and Nick Leddy. Columbus got on the board with a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Matt Calvert and Fedor Tyutin. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Cam Atkinson goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. New York took the lead in the second period on a Ryan Strome goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Lubomir Visnovsky and Frans Nielsen. Columbus tied it again with a Nick Foligno goal, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Scott Hartnell and James Wisniewski. The Islanders regained the lead in the third period with a Nielsen goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Thomas Hickey and Mikhail Grabovski. New York extended the lead with a Tavares goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with helped provided by Lee and Brian Strait. The Islanders padded the lead on another Tavares goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, driven in by Bailey and Travis Hamonic. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars going to Tavares, Bailey, and Nielsen, while Lee gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Arizona, where the Coyotes bring in the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot and Mike Smith occupy the creases. New York got going in the second period on a Chris Kreider goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Derek Stepan and Kevin Klein. Arizona tied it on an Antoine Vermette goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Lucas Lessio. The Rangers took the lead back in the third period on a Rick Nash goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, passed from Klein and Derick Brassard. New York added on with a Kevin Hayes shorthanded goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Rangers extended the lead on a Marc Staal goal, his fourth of the season, via Stepan and Martin St. Louis. New York finished it at 5-1 with a Lee Stempniak goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Dan Girardi and Dominic Moore. The three stars went to Talbot (34 for 35 in saves), Klein, and Stepan.

Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Nashville started in the first period on a Matt Cullen goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Craig Smith and Shea Weber. New Jersey tied it on a second period Steve Bernier power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Eric Gelinas and Scott Gomez. The Predators retook the lead in the third period on a Colin Wilson goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Victor Bartley and Mike Ribeiro. Nashville iced it at 3-1 with a Smith goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Cullen and Mike Fisher. The three stars went to Rinne (21 for 22 in saves), Smith, and Cullen.

Northward to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Devan Dubnyk are the inconsistent goalies. Minnesota led off in the first period on a Thomas Vanek goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Mikael Granlund and Justin Fontaine. The Wild added on with another Vanek goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, passed from Fontaine and Ryan Suter. Minnesota extended the lead as Jordan Schroeder scored his second of the season, with the help of Marco Scandella and Jared Spurgeon. Carolina got on the board with an Andrej Nestrasil goal, his third of the year, via Jay McClement and Justin Faulk. The Wild shot back in the second period with a Nate Prosser goal, his second of the season, made possible by Vanek and Granlund. The Hurricanes got one back with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Jordan Staal and Michal Jordan. Carolina pulled closer on an Elias Lindholm goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Faulk and McClement. Minnesota shot back in the third period on an Erik Haula goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Kyle Brodziak and Stephane Veilleux. The Wild made it 6-3 with a Zach Parise empty net goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, set up by Spurgeon and Mikko Koivu. This was a final, with the three stars going to Vanek, Fontaine, and Granlund, while Spurgeon, Faulk, and McClement get the honorable mentions.

Continuing to Colorado, where the Avalanche bring in the Dallas Stars. Jhonas Enroth and Semyon Varlamov are between the pipes. Colorado began in the first period on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Ryan O'Reilly and Nick Holden. The Avalanche added on in the second period with an Alex Tanguay goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Dennis Everberg and Nate Guenin. Colorado extended the lead in the third period on a Jarome Iginla goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Brad Stuart and Matt Duchene. Dallas got on the board with a Jason Spezza shorthanded goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Jamie Benn and Jyrki Jokipakka. The Avalanche ended it at 4-1 with an Everberg goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Tanguay and John Mitchell. The three stars went to Tanguay, Varlamov (24 for 25 in saves), and Everberg.

Up in Calgary, the Flames host the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller faces a lesser foe in Karri Ramo in goal. Vancouver struck first in the first period on a Ronalds Kenins goal, his third of the season, guided in by Jannik Hansen and Bo Horvat. Calgary tied it on a Sean Monahan goal in the second period, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Jiri Hudler. The Flames gained the lead on another Monahan goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, passed from Hudler and Deryk Engelland. The Canucks tied it on a Linden Vey goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Chris Higgins. Calgary took the lead on a third period Lance Bouma goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of David Jones and Dennis Wideman. The final stood at 3-2, and the three stars went to Monahan, Hudler, and Bouma.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jonathan Quick protect the nets. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Dwight King goal, his tenth of the season, via Tyler Toffoli and Jeff Carter. The Kings added on in the third period on a Trevor Lewis goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Marian Gaborik and Anze Kopitar. Washington got on the board with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov. Los Angeles shot back on a Jarret Stoll goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Dustin Brown and Justin Williams. This held up for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Quick (27 for 28 in saves), Lewis, and Stoll.

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NHL February 13th, 2015

Five games on tonight, with the first from...

Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Curtis McElhinney make the starts for injured starters. Philadelphia opened in the first period on a Wayne Simmonds goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Matt Read. Columbus tied it on a second period goal by Brandon Dubinsky, his fourth of the year, made possible by Kevin Connauton. The Flyers retook the lead as Sean Couturier scored his twelfth of the season, with the help of Simmonds. Philadelphia added on in the third period with a Simmonds power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Jared Boll goal, helped along by Corey Tropp and Mark Letestu. Columbus tied it on a Cam Atkinson goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Scott Hartnell and Dubinsky. The Blue Jackets won 4-3 in overtime with an Artem Anisimov goal, his third of the year, set up by James Wisniewski and Connauton. The three stars were Simmonds, Dubinsky, and Connauton.

Over in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Corey Crawford protect the nets. New Jersey began in the first period on a Peter Harrold goal, his second of the season, via Scott Gomez and Jon Merrill. Chicago tied it in the third period on a Marian Hossa power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Brandon Saad and Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks added on with a Jonathan Toews goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Hossa and Seabrook. Chicago iced it at 3-1 with a Kris Versteeg empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. The three stars were awarded to Hossa, Crawford (25 for 26 in saves), and Seabrook.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Florida Panthers. Al Montoya is mismatched with Kari Lehtonen in goal. Dallas started in the first period on a Jamie Benn goal, his nineteenth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Vernon Fiddler. The Stars added on as Jason Spezza scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Erik Cole and Jason Demers. This was all they needed for a 2-0 win, with the three stars given to Lehtonen (37 save shutout), Benn, and Spezza.

Westward to Arizona, where the Coyotes bring the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. Arizona led off in the first period with a Mark Arcobello goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Michael Stone. The Coyotes added on with a Martin Erat power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Sam Gagner and Keith Yandle. San Jose got on the board with a Joe Pavelski goal in the second period, his twenty-ninth of the season, passed from Joe Thornton and Scott Hannan. The Sharks tied it with another Pavelski goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, a power play goal made possible by Logan Couture and Thornton. San Jose took the lead on a third period goal by Barclay Goodrow, his fourth of the season, coming off of Brent Burns and the goalie Niemi. The Sharks ended it at 4-2 with a Pavelski empty net goal, securing his hat trick on his thirty-first of the year, set up by Thornton, who got a sock trick. The three stars were handed to Pavelski, Thornton, and Niemi (32 for 34 in saves).

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Ryan Miller tend the twines. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Shawn Matthias goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Zack Kassian and Derek Dorsett. The Canucks added on with another Matthias goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. Boston got on the board with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his sixteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. Vancouver shot back in the second period as Radim Vrbata scored his twenty-first of the year, thanks to Chris Higgins and Linden Vey. The Bruins got one back on a Chris Kelly goal, his seventh of the season, an unassisted goal. The Canucks replied as Matthias finished his hat trick on his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Kassian. Vancouver iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Jannik Hansen, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Bo Horvat and Christopher Tanev. The three stars were Matthias, Kassian, and Vrbata.

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KHL February 13th, 2015

Ten games for Friday the 13th in the Russian league. We begin in the far east as...

Admiral Vladivostok hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Vladimir Sokhatsky and Ivan Nalimov are in the creases. Vladivostok opened in the first period on an Ilya Zubov goal, coming off of Niclas Bergfors. Ufa tied it on a Dmitry Semin goal, passed from Alexander Kutuzov and Andrei Zubarev. Admiral took the lead back in the second period on a goal by Jan Kolar, made possible by Zubov and Shaun Heshka. Salavat Yulaev tied it again with a power play goal by Kirill Koltsov, powered by Semin and Evgeny Skachkov. Vladivostok retook the lead in the third period on an Enver Lisin goal, assisted by Tom Wandell and Ivan Glazkov on the power play. Admiral added on with a Richard Gynge goal, with assists provided by Vyacheslav Ushenin and Vladislav Ushenin. Vladivostok extended the lead as Alexei Ugarov scored an unassisted goal. Admiral finished it at 6-2 with a Zubov goal, with a lone helper from Bergfors. The three stars were Zubov, Bergfors, and Semin.

Over to Metallurg Novokuznetsk welcoming Avangard Omsk. Konstantin Barulin faces a lesser foe in Rafael Khakimov in goal. Omsk struck first with a Vadim Khomitsky goal in the first period, courtesy of Denis Parshin. Avangard added on with an Erik Gustafsson goal, via Alexander Perezhogin. Nikita Lozhkin relieved Khakimov. Novokuznetsk got on the board with a Cade Fairchild goal, fueled by Vladimir Malinovsky. Metallurg tied it on a Ryan Stoa power play goal in the second period, powered by Malinovsky. Omsk regained the lead in the third period with a Parshin goal, with a lone assist by Sergei Shirokov. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars going to Parshin, Malinovsky, and Gustafsson.

Nearby, Sibir Novosibirsk brings in Barys Astana. Jan Laco and Alexander Salak are the reliable goalies. Novosibirsk began in the first period on a Jarno Koskiranta goal, assisted by Dmitry Monya and Alexei Kopeikin. Sibir added on with a Sergei Shumakov goal, guided in by Oleg Gubin. Laco was pulled for Pavel Poluektov. Novosibirsk extended the lead with a third period power play goal by Kopeikin, powered by Patrik Hersley and Koskiranta. Sibir iced it at 4-0 with a Kopiekin power play goal, his second of the game, coming off of Monya and Koskiranta. The three stars were Kopeikin, Salak (40 save shutout), and Koskiranta, while Monya gets an honorable mention.

Heading west, Metallurg Magnitogorsk hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Vasily Koshechkin tend the twines. Magnitogorsk started in the first period with a Denis Platonov goal, coming off of Mikhail Yunkov. Chelyabinsk tied it on an unassisted Stanislav Chistov goal. The tie lasted to overtime, where Rafael Batyrshin scored with the help of Chris Lee and Danis Zaripov to give Metallurg a 2-1 win. The three stars went to Batyrshin, Koshechkin (28 for 29 in saves), and Platonov.

Up in Yekaterinburg, Avtomobilist welcomes Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Jakub Kovar are the talented goalies. Nizhnekamsk was first to score in the first period on a Yegor Milovzorov power play goal, powered by Maxim Rybin and Andrei Ivanov. Yekaterinburg tied it on an Alexander Nesterov power play goal, courtesy of Sergei Gusev and Dmitry Megalinsky. Neftekhimik took the lead in the second period on an Evgeny Grigorenko goal, passed from Stanislav Kalashnikov. Avtomobilist tied it again in the third period on a Vitaly Popov goal, with a lone assist by Pavel Zykov. Nizhnekamsk retook the lead as Mikhail Zhukov scored, thanks to Pavel Kulikov. This produced the 3-2 final, with the three stars given to Zhukov, Grigorenko, and Milovzorov.

Out in Moscow, CSKA brings in Medvescak Zagreb. Mark Owuya and Kevin Lalande are the goalies. Zagreb led off in the first period on a Pascal Pelletier goal, going in unassisted. Medvescak added on with an Edwin Hedberg goal, courtesy of Mark Flood. Ilya Sorokin relieved Lalande after the rough start. Moscow got on the board with a Stephane Da Costa power play goal in the second period, powered by Alexander Radulov and Denis Denisov. CSKA tied it on a Roman Lyubimov goal, fueled by Mikhail Naumenkov and Maxim Mamin. Moscow took the lead as Jan Mursak scored, with the help of Andreas Engqvist and Alexei Bondarev. CSKA extended their lead on an Igor Grigorenko power play goal, with a lone assist by Da Costa. Moscow secured a 5-2 win on a Da Costa power play goal in the third period, his second of the game, guided in by Grigorenko and Nikita Zaitsev. The three stars were handed to Da Costa, Grigorenko, and Mursak.

Back east, Ak Bars Kazan hosts Lada Togliatti. Evgeny Ivannikov and Emil Garipov receive the starting nods in goal. Kazan got going in the second period on a Sergei Kostitsyn goal, guided in by Yakov Rylov and Justin Azevedo. Togliatti tied it on a shorthanded goal by Denis Golubev, set up by Peter Podhradsky and Alexander Streltsov. Lada took the lead in the third period on a Vasily Streltsov goal, courtesy of Fedor Fedorov and Dmitry Ogurtsov. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Ivannikov (35 for 36 in saves), Vasily Streltsov, and Golubev.

Up in Nizhny Novgorod, Torpedo welcomes Slovan Bratislava. Johan Backlund and Mikhail Biryukov are between the pipes. Nizhny Novgorod dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Veli-Matti Savinainen goal, passed from Nikita Dvurechensky. Torpedo added on with a Nikita Filatov goal, with a lone helper by Vladimir Galuzin. Nizhny Novgorod extended the lead as Denis Kazionov scored, thanks to Gennady Stolyarov. Bratislava got on the board in the third period with a Michal Sersen goal, coming off of Rok Ticar and Tomas Netik. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Biryukov (25 for 26 in saves), Filatov, and Kazionov.

Back to the Moscow area, as Vityaz Podolsk brings in the Sochi Leopards. Andrei Gavrilov and Ivan Lisutin are called on to start. Sochi struck first in the first period on a Mikhail Anisin goal, assisted by Max Warn and Clay Wilson. The Leopards added on with an Andrei Kostitsyn goal, guided in by Ilya Krikunov and Igor Ignatushkin. Sochi extended the lead as Krikunov scored, thanks to Kostitsyn and Andre Petersson on the power play. The Leopards padded the lead in the second period on a Petersson goal, made possible by Andrei Pervyshin and Evgeny Lapenkov. Sochi got another with a Pyotr Schastlivy goal, coming off of Roman Derlyuk and Anisin. Podolsk avoided the shutout with a Maxim Afinogenov shorthaned and unassisted goal in the third period, making the final 5-1. The three stars went to Kostitsyn, Krikunov, and Petersson, while Anisin gets an honorable mention.

Finally, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Lazushin and Vitaly Kolesnik are the backups in goal. Yaroslavl was first to score in the first period on a Jonas Holos goal, courtesy of Alexei Vasilyev and Andrei Loktionov. Lokomotiv added on with a Martin Thornberg goal, passed from Petri Kontiola. Moscow tied it on an Alexander Budkin goal in the second period, going in unassisted. Yaroslavl shot back with an Emil Galimov goal, coming off of Staffan Kronwall. Lokomotiv extended the lead in the third period on a Yegor Averin goal, assisted by Jiri Novotny and Sergei Plotnikov. Dynamo pulled back with a power play goal by Denis Kokarev, powered by Mat Robinson. Moscow chipped away with a Denis Mosalyov goal, with a lone assist by Budkin. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Averin, Galimov, and Budkin.

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NHL February 12th, 2015

Nine games today, beginning in...

Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Cam Ward are in the blue paint. Carolina got going in the second period on a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by John-Michael Liles and Alexander Semin. Anaheim tied it on a Francois Beauchemin goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Matt Beleskey and Corey Perry. The Ducks took the lead on an unassisted goal by Beleskey, his twenty-first of the campaign. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Beleskey, Gibson (35 for 36 in saves), and Beauchemin.

Up to New York, where the Islanders welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Jaroslav Halak are the reliable goalies. New York struck first in the first period on an Anders Lee goal, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Islanders added on with a Casey Cizikas goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Colin McDonald and Matt Martin. Toronto got on the board in the second period with a Richard Panik goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Korbinian Holzer and Leo Komarov. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Trevor Smith goal, his second of the year, fueled by Panik and Tyler Bozak. New York retook the lead on Lee's second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, made possible by Josh Bailey and Travis Hamonic. This produced the eventual 3-2 final, with the three stars given to Lee, Panik, and Cizikas.

North to Montreal, where the Canadiens bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth and Dustin Tokarski are the unknown goalies. Montreal was first to score in the first period on a Christian Thomas goal, with a lone assist by Jacob De La Rose. The Canadiens added on in the second period as Alex Galchenyuk scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to P.K. Subban and Tomas Plekanec. Edmonton got on the board with a Matt Hendricks goal, his seventh of the year, via Jeff Petry and Andrew Ference. The Oilers tied it on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Jordan Eberle. Montreal retook the lead on a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, fueled by Subban and Andrei Markov. Edmonton tied it again with another Nugent-Hopkins goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, made possible by Oscar Klefbom and Teddy Purcell. The Oilers won 4-3 in overtime on an Anton Lander goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Klefbom and Nail Yakupov. The three stars belonged to Nugent-Hopkins, Klefboma, nd Subban.

Over in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Thomas Greiss and Robin Lehner are the backup-level goalies. Pittsburgh opened in the first period on a Kris Letang goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Beau Bennett and Brandon Sutter. The Penguins added on with a Sidney Crosby goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Rob Scuderi. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the second period as Evgeni Malkin scored his twenty-first of the season, with the help of Blake Comeau and Letang. Ottawa got on the board in the third period on a power play goal by Mika Zibanejad, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Bobby Ryan and Cody Ceci. The Senators pulled closer on a Mike Hoffman goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Ryan and Erik Karlsson. The Penguins shot back on a Crosby goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Chris Kunitz. Ottawa answered on a Mark Stone goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Kyle Turris and Karlsson. The Senators tied it as Turris scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Eric Gryba and Mark Borowiecki. In the shootout, Pittsburgh won with a lone tally by David Perron for a 5-4 final. The three stars went to Crosby, Letang, and Turris, while Ryan and Karlsson receive the honorable mentions.

Way to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Ben Bishop are set to start in goal. St. Louis started in the first period on a T.J. Oshie goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Alexander Steen. The Blues added on with a Dmitrij Jaskin power play goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Steen. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Tyler Johnson power play goal in the second period, his twentieth of the season, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Anton Stralman. St. Louis shot back on a Steen goal, his nineteenth of the year, via David Backes. The Blues extended the lead as Backes potted his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Oshie and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis padded the lead on a Paul Stastny goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Patrik Berglund and Ian Cole. The Lightning pulled back with a Brett Connolly goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Valtteri Filppula. Tampa Bay got closer on a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, helped along by Alex Killorn and Stralman in the third period. The Blues iced it at 6-3 on an empty net goal by Vladimir Tarasenko, his twenty-ninth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Steen, Backes, and Oshie, while Stralman gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. Nashville led off in the first period on a Shea Weber goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg on the power play. Winnipeg tied it on a power play goal by Michael Frolik, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Dustin Byfuglien and Mark Scheifele. The Predators retook the lead on a power play goal by Forsberg in the second period, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Josi and Weber. Nashville wrapped it up at 3-1 in the third period on a James Neal goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Mike Fisher and Weber. The three stars were awarded to Weber, Forsberg, and Rinne (32 for 33 in saves), and Josi.

Further north, the Minnesota Wild host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Jason Pominville goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Mikko Koivu and Ryan Suter. The Wild added on in the second period with a Zach Parise goal, his twenty-second of the year, a power play goal powered by Thomas Vanek and Koivu. Florida got on the board with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, assisted by Jussi Jokinen and Jimmy Hayes. This was as close as it got, with the final at 2-1, and the three stars went to Dubnyk (26 for 27 in saves), Parise, and Koivu.

Westward to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot and Semyon Varlamov are in the inconsistent goalies. New York began in the first period on a Dan Boyle goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Kevin Hayes and Ryan McDonagh. The Rangers added on with a Hayes goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Colorado got on the board with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from John Mitchell and Nathan MacKinnon. New York responded with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Rick Nash and Derick Brassard. The Avalanche pulled back on a Jarome Iginla goal, his seventeenth of the season, with a lone helper by Max Talbot in the third period. Colorado tied it with a Jan Hejda goal, made possible by Iginla and Matt Duchene. The Rangers regained the lead on a Carl Hagelin goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Hayes and Kevin Klein. New York extended the lead with a Nash goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, with a lone assist from J.T. Miller. The Rangers finished it at 6-3 on a McDonagh power play goal into an empty net, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Hayes, Nash, and McDonagh, while Iginla gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. Los Angeles opened in the first period on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Jeff Carter. Calgary tied it in the second period as David Jones scored his tenth of the year, a power play goal powered by T.J. Brodie and Dennis Wideman. The Flames took the lead with a Mason Raymond goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Matt Stajan and Wideman. The Kings retied it on a Toffoli goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Jake Muzzin and Carter. Los Angeles took the lead in the third period on a Dwight King goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Carter, who got a sock trick, and Toffoli. The Kings added on with a Jordan Nolan goal, his third of the year, assisted by Drew Doughty. Los Angeles extended the lead as Toffoli finished his hat trick on his eighteenth of the season, thanks to King and Brayden McNabb. Calgary got one back with Raymond's second of the game and eleventh of the year, helped along by Johnny Gaudreau. The three stars of the 5-3 game were Toffoli, Carter, and Raymond, while King and Wideman get the honorable mentions.

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KHL February 12th, 2015

Two games from Russia today, beginning in...

Vladivostok, as Admiral hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Vladimir Sokhatsky and Ilya Proskuryakov are in goal. Ufa led off in the first period with a power play goal by Teemy Hartikainen, powered by Ilkka Heikkinen and Andrei Zubarev. Salavat Yulaev added on in the second period with a Dmitry Makarov goal, guided in by Hartikainen and Anton Slepyshev. Vladivostok got on the board with a third period power play goal by Tom Wandell, coming off of Ivan Glazkov. Ufa iced it at 3-1 with a Stanislav Golovanov goal, passed from Andrei Ankudinov and Alexei Glukhov. The three stars went to Sokhatsky (28 for 29 in saves), Makarov, and Golovanov.

The other game is Dinamo Minsk hosting Atlant Mytishchi. Atte Engren faces a lesser foe in Dmitry Milchakov in goal. Mytischi began in the first period on an Evgeny Bodrov goal, passed from Oleg Yashin. Minsk tied it on a second period goal by Alexander Materukhin, via Artyom Demkov and Charles Linglet. Atlant took the lead with an Igor Levitsky goal, guided in by Artyom Voronin and Alexander Yunkov. Mytishchi added on in the third period as Anton Babchuk scored a power play goal, with a lone assist by Levitsky. Dinamo got one back on a Matt Ellison goal, assisted by Paul Szczechura and Linglet. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Levitsky, Linglet, and Babchuk.

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NHL February 11th, 2015

Three games tonight, beginning in...

Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Corey Crawford man the nets. Chicago got going in the second period on an unassisted Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-seventh of the season. Vancouver tied it on a Linden Vey goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Chris Higgins and Radim Vrbata. The Canucks took the lead on a Bo Horvat goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Ronalds Kenins and Christopher Tanev. Vancouver added on with a Zack Kassian goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Luca Sbisa and Higgins. The Blackhawks got one back in the third period on a power play goal by Marian Hossa, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Brandon Saad and Jonathan Toews. The Canucks answered with a Daniel Sedin goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Alexandre Burrows and Henrik Sedin. Chicago pulled back with a Saad power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Duncan Keith and Kane. The Blackhawks tied it on a Hossa goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Kane and Michal Rozsival. Vancouver won 5-4 in overtime on a Daniel Sedin goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, made possible by Henrik Sedin and Sbisa. The three stars were Daniel Sedin, Hossa, and Kane, while Saad, Henrik Sedin, Higgins, and Sbisa got the honorable mentions.

East to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Marc-Andre Fleury are in the creases. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period on a Patric Hornqvist, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Kris Letang and Blake Comeau. The Penguins added on with a Comeau goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Hornqvist. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the second period as David Perron scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Maxim Lapierre and Paul Martin. The Penguins padded the lead on a Nick Spaling goal, his eighth of the year, via Rob Scuderi and Simon Despres. Detroit got on the board with a Stephen Weiss power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. Jimmy Howard relieved Mrazek for the third period. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars going to Fleury (23 for 24 in saves), Comeau, and Hornqvist.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Antti Niemi guard the cages. Washington was first to score in the first period on a Jay Beagle goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Brooks Orpik and Michael Latta. San Jose tied it on a Brent Burns power play goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Joe Thornton and Logan Couture. The Sharks took the lead on another Burns goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Patrick Marleau and Matthew Nieto. The Capitals tied it on a Troy Brouwer power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. San Jose regained the lead on a Couture goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Nieto and Marleau. Washington tied it on another Beagle goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, via John Carlson and Orpik. The Capitals pulled ahead with a Carlson goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Marcus Johansson and Backstrom. The Sharks tied it again with a Thornton goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Joe Pavelski and Melker Karlsson. Washington won 5-4 on a Joel Ward goal in overtime, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Mike Green and Beagle. The three stars went to Beagle, Burns, and Carlson, while Orpik, Thornton, Couture, Marleau, Nieto, and Backstrom get the honorable mentions.

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Premier League Week 25

Ten games in the middle of the week instead of on the weekend. We begin with four games on Tuesday, including...

Our leadoff game, Arsenal hosting Leicester City. Mark Schwarzer and David Ospina are set to start in goal. Arsenal began in the twenty-seventh minute on a Laurent Koscielny goal, courtesy of Mesut Ozil on a cross after a corner kick. Arsenal added on in the forty-first minute with a Theo Walcott goal. In the sixty-first minute, Andrej Kramaric put Leicester City on the board with his goal. In the sixty-fifth minute, Leicester City's Marcin Wasilewski took a yellow card for a foul. Tomas Rosicky of Arsenal received a yellow card for his sixty-seventh minute foul. Danny Simpson of Leicester City took a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-ninth minute. Leicester City had a yellow card for Ben Hamer's offense in stoppage time, as did Arsenal's Olivier Giroud. The final favored Arsenal 2-1.

Over to Hull City welcoming Aston Villa. Brad Guzan and Allan McGregor are the goalies. Hull City opened in the twenty-second minute on a Nikica Jelavic goal, coming off of Dame N'Doye. Aston Villa's Alan Hutton received a yellow card for his forty-first minute offense. Aston Villa took another yellow card in the fifty-sixth minute for a Gabriel Agbonlahor foul. Hull City added on in the seventy-fourth minute with an N'Doye goal. Hull City's Michael Dawson received a yellow card for an eighty-fifth minute foul. Hull City held on to win 2-0.

Next up, Sunderland brings in the Queens Park Rangers. Robert Green and Costel Pantilimon are the gloved men. QPR was first to score in the seventeenth minute on a Leroy Fer header goal, made possible by a Matthew Phillips cross. In the thirty-fifth minute, Bobby Zamora of QPR took a yellow card for a foul. Sunderland had a yellow card go to Sebastian Larsson for his forty-first minute foul. QPR added on in first half stoppage time with a Zamora goal, fueled by Phillips on a cross. QPR saw yellow cards go to Rio Ferdinand in the seventieth minute and Joey Barton in the seventy-eighth minute for a foul. Sunderland took a yellow card for Ricardo Alvarez's violation in the eighty-third minute. QPR took the game 2-0.

Closing out Tuesday, Liverpool hosts Tottenham Hotspur. Hugo Lloris and Simon Mignolet are the keepers. Liverpool struck first in the fifteenth minute on a Lazar Markovic goal, coming off of Daniel Sturridge. In the twenty-fourth minute, Ryan Mason of Tottenham Hotspur took a yellow card for a foul. Tottenham Hotspur tied it on a twenty-sixth minute Harry Kane goal, via Erik Lamela. Tottenham Hotspur had a yellow card for a twenty-eighth minute foul by Christian Eriksen. Liverpool's Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho received yellow cards for fouls in the fortieth minute and first half stoppage time, respectively. Liverpool retook the lead on a Steven Gerrard penalty kick goal in the fifty-third minute. Gerrard received a yellow card in the sixtieth minute for a foul. Tottenham Hotspur tied it again as Mousa Dembele scored, thanks to Kane's cross after a set piece. Tottenham Hotspur's Dembele and Kyle Walker had yellow cards assessed for fouls in the sixty-third minute and seventy-third minute, respectively. In the eighty-third minute, Mario Balotelli gave Liverpool the lead with a goal, assisted by Adam Lallana. Tottenham Hotspur had two more yellow cards for an eighty-eighth minute Paulinho foul and a Kane offense in stoppage time. The final stood at 3-2 for Liverpool.

Leading off Wednesday, Chelsea welcomes Everton. Tim Howard and Petr Cech are the goalies that haven't made an appearance recently. Everton's Muhamed Besic took a yellow card for his foul in the fifth minute. Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta took a yellow card for a fifteenth minute foul. Everton took another yellow card for a Gareth Barry foul in the twenty-fourth minute. Seamus Coleman of Everton received a yellow card for his foul in the fifty-eighth minute. The referee was busy late, with Barry picking up a second yellow card for a foul to put Everton at ten men, while Cesc Fabregas also received a yellow card for Chelsea in the eighty-eighth minute. In the eighty-ninth minute, Everton's James McCarthy was given a yellow card in the spillover from the previous kerfuffle, as did Chelsea's Ramires. Chelsea struck late on a Willian goal later that minute, and made that stand for a 1-0 win.

Over in Manchester, United bring in Burnley. Tom Heaton and David de Gea are called on to start in goal. Manchester United started in the sixth minute on a Chris Smalling header goal, coming off of Falcao on a headed pass after a corner kick. Burnley tied it in the twelfth minute on a Danny Ings header, set up by Kieran Trippier. Michael Kightly of Burnley took a yellow card for his twenty-sixth minute foul. Manchester United took the lead on another Smalling header in first half stoppage time, passed from Angel Di Maria on a cross after a corner kick. In the fifty-third minute, Burnley's Ben Mee received a yellow card for his foul. Wayne Rooney of Manchester United had a yellow card in the fifty-ninth minute for a foul. Burnley saw a yellow card go to Scott Arfield for his foul in the sixty-seventh minute. Manchester United had another yellow card for a sixty-eighth minute foul by Falcao. Manchester United added on in the eighty-second minute with a Robin van Persie penalty kick goal. Manchester United had two more yellow cards for James Wilson in the eighty-fourth minute and Di Maria in the eighty-sixth minute for fouls. Manchester United cruised to a 3-1 victory.

Moving along to Southampton hosting West Ham United. Adrian and Fraser Forster are in the six-yard boxes. Southampton took yellow cards for a thirty-ninth minute foul by Sadio Mane and a Jose Fonte foul in the forty-second minute. West Ham United took a yellow card for a Carlton Cole foul in the fiftieth minute. West Ham United's plight got much worse in the sixty-first minute when the keeper Adrian handled the ball outside of his area, earning him a straight red card. A couple minutes later, Cole was substituted off to make room for Adrian's replacement, Jussi Jaaskelainen. The backup proved solid in maintaining the 0-0 draw to the very end.

Next up, Stoke City welcomes Manchester City. Joe Hart and Asmir Begovic are the goalies. Manchester City led off in the thirty-third minute with a Sergio Aguero goal, set up by James Milner after a fast break. Stoke City tied it in the thirty-eighth minute on a Peter Crouch goal, via Marko Arnautovic on a cross. In first half stoppage time, Manchester City's Aguero received a yellow card for a handball. Manchester City saw another yellow card assessed to Milner his fifty-second minute foul. Manchester City took the lead back on a fifty-fifth minute Milner header, coming off of Samir Nasri's cross. In the sixty-fourth minute, Arnautovic of Stoke City received a yellow card for a foul. Manchester City added on in the seventieth minute with a penalty kick goal by Aguero. In the seventy-sixth minute, Nasri scored for Manchester City, with the help of Edin Dzeko. This produced the 4-1 final.

Back in London, Crystal Palace brings in Newcastle United. Tim Krul and Julian Speroni guard the woodwork. Newcastle United began in the forty-second minute on a Papiss Demba Cisse header goal, set up by Daryl Janmaat on the cross. Crystal Palace had a yellow card go to James McArthur for his foul in the forty-ninth minute. Newcastle United had two yellow cards, given to Janmaat in the fifty-fourth minute and Jack Colback a minute later, both for fouls. Crystal Palace tied it on a Frazier Campbell goal in the seventy-first minute, passed from Yannick Bolasie on a cross. The tie lasted to make it a 1-1 final.

Finally, West Bromwich Albion hosts Swansea City. Lukasz Fabianski and Ben Foster are the gloved men. West Brom had a yellow card for a twenty-third minute foul by Callum McManaman. In the thirty-fourth minute, Neil Taylor of Swansea City took a yellow card for a foul. West Brom had another yellow card given to Brown Ideye in the forty-first minute. West Brom opened with Ideye's redeeming goal in the sixtieth minute. West Brom added on with a seventy-fourth minute goal by Saido Berahino, passed from Ideye. This was good for a 2-0 win for West Brom.

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