Saturday, December 12, 2015

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 66

Ten games on today, led by a single matinee from...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Tuukka Rask guard the cages. Boston was first to score in the first period on a Ryan Spooner goal, his sixth of the season, via Torey Krug. The Bruins added on with another Spooner goal in the second period, his second of the game and seventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Florida got on the board with a Reilly Smith goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Pirri. Boston iced it at 3-1 with a Brad Marchand empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Bergeron. The three stars went to Spooner, Rask (26 for 27 in saves), and Bergeron.

At the usual time, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jhonas Enroth faces his former team and Linus Ullmark in goal. Los Angeles began in the first period on a Marian Gaborik goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Anze Kopitar and Tanner Pearson. Buffalo tied it on a Jamie McGinn power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres won 2-1 in overtime on an O'Reilly goal, his tenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Jake McCabe. The three stars were handed to O'Reilly, Ullmark (20 for 21 in saves), and McGinn.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Dustin Tokarski draw the starts. Montreal led off in the first period on a Brian Flynn goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Nathan Beaulieu and Charles Hudon. The Canadiens added on with a Max Pacioretty goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Tomas Plekanec and Dale Weise. Montreal extended the lead in the second period as Jeff Petry scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Weise and Alex Galchenyuk. Chris Driedger replaced Anderson midway through the period. Ottawa got on the board with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Alex Chiasson and Dave Dzuirzynski. This only made it 3-1, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Pacioretty, Tokarski (25 for 26 in saves), and Weise.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Ben Bishop protect the nets. Washington opened in the first period on a Jay Beagle goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Stanislav Galiev. The Capitals added on with a second period goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov, his ninth of the year, via John Carlson. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period as Nikita Kucherov scored his eleventh of the season, a power play goal helped along by Anton Stralman and Steven Stamkos. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars belonging to Holtby (35 for 36 in saves), Kuznetsov, and Beagle.

Back north to Columbus, with the Blue Jackets welcoming the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak faces a lesser foe in Curtis McElhinney in goal. New York struck first in the first period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. Columbus tied it on a Brandon Saad goal, his tenth of the year, via Boone Jenner and Brandon Dubinsky in the second period. The Islanders took the lead back on a Frans Nielsen power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Okposo and Nick Leddy. The Blue Jackets tied it in the third period on a Cam Atkinson goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by David Savard and Scott Hartnell. New York won 3-2 in overtime on an Okposo goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, helped along by Josh Bailey. The three stars went to Okposo, Nielsen, and Halak (28 for 30 in saves).

Over in St. Louis, the Blues bring in the Dallas Stars. Antti Niemi and Jake Allen are the reliable goalies. St. Louis started in the first period on an David Backes power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Alexander Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues added on with a third period goal by Vladimir Tarasenko, his seventeenth of the year, with a lone assist by Backes. St. Louis extended the lead as Ryan Reaves scored, thanks to Scottie Upshall. The final stood at 3-0, with the three stars being Allen (26 save shutout), Backes, and Tarasenko.

Back east, the Nashville Predators host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Pekka Rinne are the veteran goalies. Colorado struck first in the first period on a Francois Beauchemin power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Duchene. The Avalanche added on with a Nick Holden goal, his second of the year, fueled by Alex Tanguay and John Mitchell. Nashville got on the board with a Miikka Salomaki goal, his second of the season, coming off of Ryan Ellis and Colton Sissons. The Predators tied it in the third period on a Craig Smith goal, his seventh of the year, via Ellis and Mattias Ekholm. Colorado retook the lead on an Andreas Martinsen goal, his second of the season, made possible by Carl Soderberg and Beauchemin. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Beauchemin, Ellis, and Martinsen.

Southwest to Arizona, with the Coyotes welcoming the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack and Anders Lindback are given the starting nods. Carolina led off in the first period on a Kris Versteeg goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Justin Faulk and Elias Lindholm. The Hurricanes added on with an Andrej Nestrasil power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Jordan Staal and Brett Pesce. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Phillip Di Giuseppe scored his second of the season, thanks to Jeff Skinner and Jaccob Slavin. Arizona got on the board with an Anthony Duclair goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Max Domi. The Hurricanes shot back in the third period on a Faulk power play goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Lindholm and Victor Rask. The Coyotes pulled back on a Duclair goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, assisted by Viktor Tikhonov and Domi. Arizona got closer on a Kyle Chipchura goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone helper from Nicklas Grossmann. The Coyotes tied it on a Connor Murphy goal, his second of the year, driven in by Duclair. Carolina won on a Rask goal in overtime, his ninth of the campaign, set up by the goalie Lack and Lindholm, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars went to Duclair, Lindholm, and Rask, while Faulk and Domi get the honorable mentions.

Up in Alberta, the Calgary Flames bring in the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and Jonas Hiller are in the blue paint. New York opened in the first period on a J.T. Miller goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Viktor Stalberg and Kevin Hayes. Calgary tied it on an unassisted Johnny Gaudreau goal, his eleventh of the year. The Flames took the lead on a Mason Raymond goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Michael Frolik. Calgary added on with another Gaudreau goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, assisted by David Jones and Sean Monahan. The Flames extended the lead as Joe Colborne scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Matt Stajan and Kris Russell. The Rangers got one back on a Tanner Glass goal, via Dominic Moore. New York pulled closer on a Dan Boyle goal, his second of the year, made possible by Chris Kreider and Miller. The Rangers tied it on a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Boyle and Derick Brassard. Calgary won 5-4 in overtime on a T.J. Brodie goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Russell and Gaudreau. The three stars went to Gaudreau, Boyle, and Miller, while Russell gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Martin Jones are the inconsistent goalies. Minnesota got going in the third period on a Zach Parise goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Mikael Granlund and Jason Pominville. The Wild iced it at 2-0 with an empty net goal by Mikko Koivu, his fifth of the year, set up by Parise and Jared Spurgeon. The three stars went to Parise, Kuemper (25 save shutout), and Jones (28 for 29 in saves).

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2015-16 NHL Season - Day 65

Seven games again tonight, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Cory Schneider guard the cages. Detroit got going in the second period on a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings added on with a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Brad Richards and Mike Green. New Jersey got on the board with a Damon Severson goal in the third period, coming off of Jordin Tootoo and Stephen Gionta. The Devils tied it on a Sergey Kalinin power play goal, his third of the season, assisted by Kyle Palmieri and Tootoo. New Jersey won 3-2 in overtime with a Palmieri goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Lee Stempniak. The three stars went to Palmieri, Kalinin, and Tootoo.

West to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Los Angeles led off in the first period on a Tanner Pearson goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Alec Martinez and Jake Muzzin. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period on an Eric Fehr shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Matt Cullen and Brian Dumoulin. The Kings took the lead on a third period Muzzin goal, his third of the season, via Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. The Penguins tied it on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Chris Kunitz and David Perron. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Perron was topped by Kopitar and Marian Gaborik as the Kings won 3-2. The three stars went to Muzzin, Kopitar, and Perron.

Over in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Corey Crawford are the masked men. Chicago was first to score in the first period on a Jonathan Toews power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Marian Hossa and Andrew Shaw. The Blackhawks added on with a Patrick Kane power play goal in the second period, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Teuvo Teravainen and David Rundblad. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars going to Crawford (25 save shutout), Kane, and Toews.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Antti Niemi draw the starts in goal. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. Dallas tied it on a Mattias Janmark goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Jason Spezza and Johnny Oduya. The Stars took the lead on an Antoine Roussel goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Cody Eakin and Jason Demers. Dallas iced it at 3-1 in the third period on a Jamie Benn empty net goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Tyler Seguin. The three stars were handed to Niemi (19 for 20 in saves), Roussel, and Janmark.

Out to Arizona, with the Coyotes bringing in the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Anders Lindback are the backups in goal. Minnesota drew first blood in the second period on a Jared Spurgeon goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Zach Parise and Jason Pominville. Arizona tied it on a Mikkel Boedker goal, his tenth of the year, via Tobias Rieder. The Coyotes won 2-1 in overtime on a Boedker power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, set up by Antoine Vermette and Michael Stone. The three stars belonged to Boedker, Lindback (27 for 28 in saves), and Spurgeon.

North to Edmonton, where the Oilers welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Anders Nilsson are the Scandinavian goalies. Edmonton struck first in the first period on a Lauri Korpikoski power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Iiro Pakarinen and Mark Letestu. New York tied it on a Mats Zuccarello goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Chris Kreider and Dylan McIlrath. The Oilers took the lead back on Korpikoski's second of the game and fifth of the campaign, made possible by Matt Hendricks and Justin Schultz. Edmonton added on with a Teddy Purcell, his sixth of the season, passed from Taylor Hall and Leon Draisaitl. The Rangers got one back in the second period on a Kreider goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Zuccarello and the goalie Lundqvist. New York tied it on a Derick Brassard goal, his tenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Rick Nash and Marc Staal. The Oilers retook the lead in the third period on a Hall goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Purcell and Draisaitl. Edmonton extended the lead as Darnell Nurse scored his second of the year, thanks to Hall and Draisaitl, the latter getting a sock trick. Antti Raanta replaced Lundqvist at this time. The Rangers edged back on a Brassard goal, his eleventh of the campaign and second of the game, guided in by Nash and Keith Yandle. New York tied it as Nash scored a power play goal, his ninth of the season, with helpers from Dan Boyle and Ryan McDonagh. The Oilers took the lead back on Hall's second of the game and fourteenth of the year, with the help of Draisaitl and Purcell. Edmonton finished it at 7-5 on a Korpikoski empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Hall, Korpikoski, and Draisaitl, while Purcell, Brassard, Nash, Kreider, and Zuccarello get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack and John Gibson are the young goalies. Carolina began in the first period on a Jeff Skinner goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Ron Hainsey. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Skinner goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, coming off of Victor Rask and Phillip Di Giuseppe. Carolina extended the lead as Elias Lindholm scored his fourth of the campaign, a power play goal powered by Eric Staal and Justin Faulk. Frederik Andersen replaced Gibson in goal for the third period. Anaheim got on the board with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his third of the season, passed from Sami Vatanen and Rickard Rakell. The Hurricanes shot back on a Jordan Staal goal, his sixth of the year, via Andrej Nestrasil and Faulk. Carolina iced it at 5-1 with a Skinner empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Brett Pesce and the goalie Lack. The three stars were handed to Skinner, Faulk, and Lack (31 for 32 in saves).

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Friday, December 11, 2015

2015/16 KHL Season - Day 99

This is the last big day before the break. There is a single game on each of Sunday and Monday before the league takes a week off. We begin today's ten game slate in...

Vladivostok, with Admiral hosting Barys Astana. Pavel Poluektov and Ivan Nalimov make the starts. Vladivostok was first to score in the first period on an Alexander Gorshkov goal, passed from Dmitry Lugin. Admiral added on with a Jonathon Blum goal, via Konstantin Makarov and Artyom Podshendyalov on the power play. Vladivostok extended the lead in the second period as Lugin scored, thanks to Kirill Voronin and Nikita Lisov. Astana got on the board with a Brandon Bochenski goal, coming off of Dustin Boyd. Admiral shot back with a Yegor Dugin goal, with a lone assist by David Booth. Vladivostok padded the lead on a Booth power play goal, powered by Blum and Rushan Rafikov. Barys got one back in the third period on a Martin St. Pierre goal, courtesy of Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev and Vyacheslav Tryasunov. Astana pulled closer on a Roman Starchenko goal, fueled by Maxim Khudyakov. Admiral finished it at 6-3 with a Dugin goal, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Lugin, Dugin, and Booth, while Blum gets an honorable mention.

Up in Khabarovsk, Amur welcomes Avangard Omsk. Dominik Furch and Juha Metsola protect the nets. Omsk got going in the second period on an Alexander Popov goal, passed from Ilya Mikheyev. Avangard added on with a shorthanded Valentin Pyanov goal, set up by Evgeny Kulik and Ivan Lekomtsev. Omsk extended the lead as Popov scored again, with the help of Denis Kulyash and Martin Erat. Avangard padded the lead in the third period on an Ilya Zubov power play goal, powered by Alexander Perezhogin. Khabarovsk got on the board with a Vladislav Ushenin goal, assisted by Vyacheslav Ushenin and Oleg Li. Amur pulled closer on a Vitaly Shulakov goal, made possible by Denis Tolpeko. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Popov, Pyanov, and Zubov.

West to Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo brings in CSKA Moscow. Ilya Sorokin and Ilya Proskuryakov are in goal. Moscow struck first in the first period on a Grigory Panin goal, via Jan Mursak. CSKA added on with an Igor Ozhiganov power play goal in the third period, powered by Geoff Platt and Gennady Stolyarov. Moscow extended the lead on a Platt empty net goal, set up by Mursak and Alexander Radulov. The three stars of the 3-0 game were Platt, Sorokin (15 save shutout), and Mursak.

Out in St. Petersburg, SKA hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Igor Shestyorkin man the nets. St. Petersburg led off in the first period with an Andrei Kuteikin power play goal, powered by Vadim Shipachyov and Nikita Gusev. Magnitogorsk tied it in the second period with a Bogdan Potekhin goal, coming off of Tomas Filippi and Danis Zaripov. SKA took the lead back with an Evgeny Dadonov goal, assisted by Shipachyov and Gusev. Metallurg tied it again with a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal, with a lone helper by Zaripov. St. Petersburg regained the lead on a Steve Moses penalty shot, received after he was tripped by Zaripov. Magnitogorsk tied it again in the third period on a Mozyakin goal, his second of the game, via Chris Lee and Jan Kovar. SKA took the lead once more with a Kuteikin power play goal, passed from Moses and Anton Burdasov. St. Petersburg iced it at 5-3 on an Ilya Kovalchuk empty net goal, set up by Andrei Zubarev and Burdasov. The three stars went to Kuteikin, Mozyakin, and Shipachyov, while Gusev, Zaripov, and Burdasov get the honorable mentions.

Into Moscow, where Spartak welcomes Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg and Evgeny Ivannikov are between the pipes. Ufa dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Maxim Goncharov goal, coming off of Enver Lisin and Stepan Khripunov. Moscow tied it with an Alexander Mereskin goal in the third period, helped along by Konstantin Glazachev and Lukas Radil. Spartak took the lead on a Vyacheslav Leshchenko goal, assisted by Evgeny Bodrov and Alexander Vasilyev. Moscow added on with another Leshchenko goal, with a lone assist by Vasilyev. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars going to Leshchenko, Ivannikov (15 for 16 in saves), and Vasilyev.

Staying in the city, Dynamo Moscow brings in Lada Togliatti. Edgars Masalskis and Alexander Lazushin are the masked men. Moscow began in the first period on an Alexei Tereshchenko power play goal, powered by Maxim Pestushko and Mat Robinson. Togliatti tied it on a Denis Guryanov goal, assisted by Yefim Gurkin and Andrei Nikitenko. Lada won 2-1 in the shootout with a lone tally by Nikitenko. The three stars went to Nikitenko, Masalskis (35 for 36 in saves), and Lazushin (13 for 14 in saves).

Back to Cherepovets, where Severstal hosts Dinamo Minsk. Jeff Glass and Jakub Stepanek are the veterans in goal. Minsk started in the first period on an Andrei Materukhin goal, coming off of Alexander Pavlovich and Andrei Filichkin. Dinamo added on with another Materukhin goal, via Andrei Stepanov and Alexei Kalyuzhny. Minsk extended the lead as Jonathan Cheechoo scored, thanks to Ryan Gunderson and Ryan Vesce. Dinamo padded the lead in the second period on another Cheechoo goal, passed from Vesce and Lukas Krajicek. Roman Smiryagin replaced Stepanek in goal. Minsk finished it at 5-0 with a Matt Ellison power play goal in the third period, powered by Cheechoo and Vesce, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were Cheechoo, Materukhin, and Vesce, while Glass (35 save shutout) gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Podolsk, with Vityaz welcoming Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Harri Sateri tend the twines. Podolsk opened in the first period on a Mario Kempe goal, passed from Teemu Eronen and Alexei Makeyev. Kazan tied it on an Oscar Moller power play goal in the second period, powered by Justin Azevedo and Mikhail Varnakov. Ak Bars took the lead on a Mikhail Glukhov goal, via Stepan Zakharchuk and Azevedo. Vityaz tied it on a shorthanded Makeyev goal in the third period, set up by Nikita Vyglazov. Podolsk took the lead as Vyacheslav Solodukhin scored, thanks to Ilya Davydov and Pavel Lukin on the power play. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Makeyev, Solodukhin, and Azevedo.

Out in Croatia, Medvescak Zagreb brings in the Sochi Leopards. Konstantin Barulin and Danny Taylor are in the creases. Sochi got started in the second period on a Vladimir Malevich power play goal, powered by Ilya Krikunov and Andrei Kostitsyn. The Leopards added on with a Pyotr Schastlivy goal in the third period, coming off of Mikhail Anisin. Zagreb got on the board with an Edwin Hedberg goal, assisted by Marek Kvapil and Patrick Bjorkstrand. Medvescak tied it on a Bjorkstrand goal, passed from Colby Genoway and Kvapil. In the shootout, Kvapil and Genoway took the game with tallies to give Zagreb the 3-2 win. The three stars went to Bjorkstrand, Kvapil, and Genoway.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Barry Brust are all padded up. Yaroslavl drew first blood in the first period on an Ilya Gorokhov goal, assisted by Jonas Enlund and Jiri Novotny. This was the only goal in the game, with the final at 1-0. The three stars were awarded to Murygin (38 save shutout), Gorokhov, and Brust (28 for 29 in saves).

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Thursday, December 10, 2015

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 64

Seven games for the day, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Dustin Tokarski and Petr Mrazek are the young goalies. Detroit got going with a Darren Helm goal in the second period, his second of the season, fueled by Luke Glendening and Joakim Andersson. Montreal tied it on a Sven Andrighetto goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Charles Hudon and Andrei Markov. The Canadiens took the lead on a Tomas Fleischmann goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, assisted by David Desharnais and Daniel Carr. The Red Wings tied it on a Justin Abdelkader power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. Detroit took the lead on a Helm goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, set up by Pavel Datsyuk. The final was 3-2, with the three stars given to Helm, Abdelkader, and Fleischmann.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Ben Bishop are the underrated goalies. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. The Lightning added on in the third period on a Valtteri Filppula goal, his third of the year, guided in by J.T. Brown and Ryan Callahan. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Kucherov scored his second of the game and tenth of the season, an unassisted goal. Ottawa got on the board with a Cody Ceci goal, his third of the year, via Bobby Ryan and Mark Stone. The Lightning iced it at 4-1 with a Brown empty net goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Callahan. The three stars went to Kucherov, Brown, and Bishop (30 for 31 in saves), while Callahan gets an honorable mention.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers bring in the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Al Montoya are the backups in goal. The start of the game was delayed due to the absence of paramedics at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. Once things got going, Florida led off with a Jaromir Jagr goal in the first period, his ninth of the season, assisted by Dmitry Kulikov and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers added on with a Brandon Pirri power play goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, powered by Brian Campbell and Vincent Trocheck. Florida extended the lead on an Aaron Ekblad goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Huberdeau and Willie Mitchell. Washington got on the board with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with a Logan Shaw goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Jussi Jokinen. The three stars were handed to Huberdeau, Montoya (19 for 20 in saves), and Pirri.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Brian Elliott are the solid backups. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Robby Fabbri goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Dmitrij Jaskin. Philadelphia tied it on a Michael Raffl goal, his third of the year, via Brayden Schenn and Claude Giroux. The Flyers took the lead on a Matt Read goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Michael Del Zotto and Wayne Simmonds. Philadelphia added on with a Giroux goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Schenn and Nick Schultz. The Blues got one back in the third period on a David Backes power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Alexander Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Flyers finished it at 4-2 with a Ryan White empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Giroux. The three stars went to Giroux, Schenn, and Neuvirth (35 for 37 in saves).

Over to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. Nashville started in the first period on a James Neal goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Shea Weber and Mike Ribeiro. The Predators added on with a Craig Smith goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Viktor Arvidsson. Nashville extended the lead as Filip Forsberg scored his sixth of the season, a power play goal powered by Roman Josi and Calle Jarnkrok. Chicago got on the board with a Patrick Kane goal, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by Duncan Keith. The Predators replied on a Neal goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. Nashville finished it at 5-1 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Eric Nystrom, his fifth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Neal, Rinne (35 for 36 in saves), and Smith.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Connor Hellebuyck are the little-known goalies. Winnipeg began in the first period on a Mark Scheifele goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Drew Stafford and Mathieu Perreault. The Jets added on with an Adam Lowry goal, via Dustin Byfuglien and Anthony Peluso. Winnipeg extended the lead on a Byfuglien power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Perreault and Bryan Little. Columbus got on the board with a Boone Jenner goal, his twelfth of the campaign, guided in by David Savard and Ryan Johansen. The Blue Jackets got closer in the second period on a Scott Hartnell power play goal in the third period, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Alexander Wennberg and Johansen. The Jets shot back in the third period on a Stafford goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Byfuglien and Perreault, the latter getting a sock trick. Winnipeg padded the lead on a Perreault goal, his fourth of the campaign, coming off of Scheifele and Stafford. Columbus got one back with a Cam Atkinson goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Wennberg. The Blue Jackets pulled closer with another Atkinson goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, passed from Wennberg, who got a sock trick, and Ryan Murray. The Jets iced it at 6-4 on a Blake Wheeler goal, his tenth of the campaign, an empty net goal set up by Little. The three stars went to Perreault, Byfuglien, and Stafford, while Atkinson, Wennberg, Scheifele, Little, and Johansen get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson and Jonas Hiller are the goalies. Calgary drew first blood in the second period on a Sean Monahan goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Dennis Wideman and Brandon Bollig. The Flames added on with a Markus Granlund goal, his third of the year, via Dougie Hamilton and Joe Colborne. Buffalo got on the board with a Rasmus Ristolainen power play goal in the third period, his fifth of the season, powered by Sam Reinhart and Ryan O'Reilly. The Sabres tied it on another Ristolainen power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with assists provided by O'Reilly. Calgary regained the lead on a Monahan goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, made possible by Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano. Buffalo tied it again as Ristolainen completed his hat trick on his seventh of the year, assisted by Matt Moulson and Zach Bogosian. The Flames took the lead on a Gaudreau goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Monahan and T.J. Brodie. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Ristolainen, Monahan, and Gaudreau, while O'Reilly gets an honorable mention.

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2015/16 KHL Season - Day 98

Six games on today, beginning in the far east, with...

Admiral Vladivostok hosting Barys Astana. Jan Laco and Ivan Nalimov are the goalies. Vladivostok began in the first period with a Dmitry Sayustov goal, going in unassisted. Admiral added on with a David Booth power play goal in the second period, powered by Alexander Gorshkov. Vladivostok extended the lead as Alexei Ugarov scored a power play goal, via Rushan Rafikov and Jonathon Blum. Astana got on the board in the third period with a Dustin Boyd power play goal, assisted by Brandon Bochenski and Nigel Dawes. Barys got closer with a Dawes power play goal, helped along by Kevin Dallman and Mike Lundin. Admiral iced it at 4-2 on a Yegor Dugin empty net goal, set up by Ugarov and Blum. The three stars went to Ugarov, Dawes, and Blum.

Up in Khabarovsk, Amur welcomes Avangard Omsk. Dominik Furch and Alexander Pechursky are set to start in goal. Khabarovsk got going in the third period on a Mikhail Zheleznov goal, passed from the goalie Pechursky and Denis Tolpeko. Amur iced it at 2-0 on a Vladislav Ushenin goal, via Oleg Li. The three stars were awarded to Pechursky (23 save shutout), Zheleznov, and Ushenin.

West to Novokuznetsk, where Metallurg brings Avtomobilist. Jakub Kovar and Andrei Kareyev are the masked men. Yekaterinburg opened in the first period on a Pavel Turbin goal, made possible by Alexei Mikhnov. Avtomobilist added on with a Mikhnov goal, going in unassisted. Novokuznetsk got on the board with a Kirill Lebedev goal, fueled by Kirill Kaprizov and Roman Manukhov. Yekaterinburg answered on an Alexander Torchenyuk goal, assisted by Vitaly Popov. Metallurg pulled back with a Kaprizov power play goal in the third period, powered by Manukhov. This only made it 3-2, with the three stars going to Mikhnov, Kaprizov, and Manukhov.

Over to Novosibirsk, where Sibir hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Georgy Gelashvili and Nikita Bespalov. Novosibirsk led off in the first period on a Sergei Shumakov goal, guided in by Vitaly Menshikov. Sibir added on with a Shumakov power play goal, powered by David Ullstrom. Novosibirsk extended the lead on an unassisted Ullstrom power play goal. Sibir padded the lead in the second period on a Tomas Vincour goal, passed from Ullstrom and Menshikov. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with an Artyom Bulyansky goal, courtesy of Andrei Taratukhin and Pavel Medvedev. Yugra got closer on a Medvedev goal, coming off of Oleg Pogorishny on the power play. Novosibirsk replied in the third period on a Konstantin Okulov goal, assisted by Alexei Kopeikin and Artyom Voroshilo. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Ullstrom, Shumakov, and Menshikov, while Medvedev gets an honorable mention.

Out in Finland, Jokerit Helsinki welcomes Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vasily Demchenko and Riku Helenius are in the blue paint. Chelyabinsk started in the first period on a Semyon Afonasyevsky goal, going in unassisted. Helsinki tied it on a Philip Larsen goal, fueled by Petteri Wirtanen. Jokerit took the lead on a Wirtanen goal, made possible by Larsen and Daine Todd. Traktor tied it on a Danil Gubarev goal, coming off of Nikita Zhuldikov. Helsinki took the lead again in the second period on a Peter Regin goal, passed from Niko Kapanen and Jesse Joensuu. Chelyabinsk tied it on a Vyacheslav Osnovin goal, assisted by Afonasyevsky. Traktor took the lead on a Semyon Kokuyov power play goal, powered by Zhuldikov and Gubarev. Jokerit tied it in the third period on a Juhamatti Aaltonen goal, helped along by Atte Ohtamaa and Larsen. The tie went to the shootout, where Brandon Kozun, Jere Sallinen, and Larsen all scored for Jokerit to win over Anton Glinkin and Maxim Yakutsenya of Traktor for a 5-4 final. The three stars went to Larsen, Wirtanen, and Afonasyevsky, while Gubarev and Zhuldikov get the honorable mentions.

Finally, Dinamo Riga brings in Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ivan Lisutin and Joacim Eriksson are the goalies. Nizhnekamsk struck first in the first period on an Andrei Sergeyev goal, courtesy of Dan Sexton and Jeff Taffe. Riga tied it in the second period on an Edgars Kulda goal, via Maris Bicevskis and Kristaps Sotnieks. Dinamo took the lead on a Ville Leino goal, fueled by Krisjanis Redlihs and Gints Meija. Riga added on in the third period with a Sotnieks goal, assisted by Kulda and Maris Jass. Dinamo made it 4-1 with a Gunars Skvorcovs goal, coming off of Miks Indrasis. The three stars were Sotnieks, Kulda, and Eriksson (27 for 28 in saves).

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Wednesday, December 9, 2015

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 63

Four games tonight, beginning with...

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces a lesser foe in Mike Condon in goal. Montreal was first to score in the first period on a Paul Byron goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone helper by Tomas Plekanec. Boston tied it in the third period on a Loui Eriksson shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Zdeno Chara. The Bruins took the lead on a Landon Ferraro goal, his third of the season, via Ryan Spooner and Torey Krug. Boston added on with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Brad Marchand and Matt Beleskey. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars going to Rask (32 for 33 in saves), Ferraro, and Bergeron.

Out in Edmonton, the Oilers welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Anders Nilsson are in the blue paint. Edmonton got going in the second period on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Teddy Purcell and Taylor Hall. San Jose tied it on a Justin Braun goal in the third period, made possible by Patrick Marleau and Joel Ward. The Oilers retook the lead with a Jordan Eberle goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Jujhar Khaira and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Sharks tied it again with a Marleau goal, his eleventh of the season, via Tomas Hertl and Braun. San Jose took the lead with a Joe Pavelski goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Joonas Donskoi and Brent Burns. Edmonton tied it again with an Iiro Pakarinen goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers won 4-3 in overtime with a Hall goal, his twelfth of the year, with a lone helper by Draisaitl. The three stars went to Hall, Eberle, and Draisaitl, while Marleau, Braun, and Nugent-Hopkins get the honorable mentions.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Reto Berra get the starting nods. Colorado struck first in the first period on a Matt Duchene goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Mikhail Grigorenko. Pittsburgh tied it on a Matt Cullen goal, his third of the year, via Patric Hornqvist and Olli Maatta. The Avalanche retook the lead with an Erik Johnson goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Carl Soderberg and Francois Beauchemin. The Penguins tied it in the third period on a Beau Bennett goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Chris Kunitz and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh took the lead on a Hornqvist goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Maatta and Nick Bonino. The Penguins added on with a Bennett goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, made possible by Brian Dumoulin. This held for a 4-2 win, with the three stars being Bennett, Hornqvist, and Maatta.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Ryan Miller guard the cages. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the third period on an Alexander Edler power play goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. New York tied it on a Dan Boyle penalty shot goal, coming after Christopher Tanev fell on the puck in the crease. The Canucks took the lead back on a Daniel Sedin goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Edler and Henrik Sedin. The three stars went to Daniel Sedin, Edler, and Miller (32 for 33 in saves), while Henrik Sedin gets an honorable mention.

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2015/16 KHL Season - Day 97

Eight games on today as the schedule picks up some steam approaching an international break starting next Tuesday. The first game today is...

Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod hosting Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Ilya Proskuryakov get the starting nods. Nizhny Novgorod started with an unassisted Sergei Kostitsyn power play goal in the first period. Torpedo added on with an Artyom Alyayev power play goal, powered by Dmitry Semin and Kaspars Daugavins. Nizhny Novgorod extended the lead as Daugavins scored a power play goal, with the help of Semin and Alyayev. Cherepovets got on the board with a Daniil Vovchenko power play goal in the third period, helped along by Yury Trubachyov and Pavel Buchnevich. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Alyayev, Daugavins, and Semin.

West to Moscow, where Spartak welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Evgeny Ivannikov are the goalies. Magnitogorsk opened in the first period on a Danis Zaripov power play goal, powered by Wojtek Wolski and Jan Kovar. Metallurg added on with a Yaroslav Kosov goal, via Alexei Bereglazov. Moscow got on the board with a Lukas Radil power play goal, made possible by Charles Genoway and Vyacheslav Belov. Spartak tied it in the third period as Evgeny Bodrov scored, with the help of Genoway and Matthew Gilroy in the last second of regulation. In the shootout, Igor Levitsky and Casey Wellman won it for Spartak for a 3-2 final score. The three stars were Genoway, Bodrov, and Wellman.

Down in Podolsk, Vityaz hosts Lada Togliatti. Edgars Masalskis and Harri Sateri guard the cages. Togliatti dented the scoreboard in the third period on an Igor Magogin goal, fueled by Martin Zatovic and Alexander Bumagin. Lada iced it at 2-0 with a Georgy Belousov empty net goal, set up by Yefim Gurkin and Anton Shenfeld. The three stars went to Masalskis (31 save shutout), Magogin, and Sateri (27 for 28 in saves).

Northwest to St. Petersburg, where SKA brings in Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg and Mikko Koskinen are the masked men. St. Petersburg was first to score in the first period on an Andrei Kuteikin power play goal, coming off of Vadim Shipachyov and Nikita Gusev. SKA added on with a power play goal by Evgeny Dadonov, powered by Shipachyov and Gusev. Ufa got on the board with a Maxim Mayorov goal, passed from Nikolai Prokhorkin. Salavat Yulaev tied it in the second period on a Teemu Hartikainen goal, assisted by Alexander Loginov and Prokhorkin. Ufa took the lead as Igor Grigorenko scored, thanks to Andreas Engqvist. St. Petersburg tied it again in the third period on an Anton Burdasov goal, fueled by Ilya Kovalchuk. SKA took the lead on an Alexander Kadeikin goal, with a lone assist by Kovalchuk. St. Petersburg iced it at 5-3 with a Steve Moses empty net goal, set up by Jarno Koskiranta. The three stars went to Kovalchuk, Shipachyov, and Prokhorkin, while Gusev gets an honorable mention.

Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk hosts CSKA Moscow. Viktor Fasth and Dmitry Milchakov are in the creases. Moscow struck first in the first period on a Geoff Platt goal, via Alexander Kutuzov and Dmitry Kugryshev. CSKA added on in the second period with another Platt goal, with a lone assist by Alexander Radulov. Minsk got on the board in the third period on a power play goal by Jonathan Cheechoo, powered by Alexei Kalyuzhny and Nick Bailen. Moscow finished it at 3-1 on a Radulov empty net goal, set up by Nikita Zaitsev. The three stars were awarded to Platt, Fasth (15 for 16 in saves), and Radulov.

Back in Russia, Dynamo Moscow welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Jussi Rynnas and Alexander Lazushin are set to start in goal. Kazan led off in the first period on an Alexander Svitov goal, going in unassisted. Ak Bars added on with an unassisted power play goal by Mattias Sjogren. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars being Rynnas (26 save shutout), Svitov, and Sjogren.

In Slovakia, Slovan Bratislava hosts the Sochi Leopards. Dmitry Shikin and Michael Garnett are called on to start. Bratislava began in the first period on a Michel Miklik goal, via Milan Bartovic and Tomas Surovy. Sochi tied it on a Denis Kazionov goal, guided in by Sergei Kuznetsov. Slovan took the lead back on a Bartovic goal, fueled by Miklik and Ivan Svarny. The Leopards tied it again in the second period on an unassisted goal by Vadim Shchegolkov. Sochi took the lead as Igor Ignatushkin scored, with a lone assist by Andrei Kostitsyn. Barry Brust replaced Garnett in goal. Bratislava tied it again on a Lukas Kaspar power play goal, powered by Cam Barker. The Leopards pulled ahead on a Ben Maxwell power play goal, courtesy of Ziyat Paigin and Andre Petersson. Slovan tied it again in the third period on a Marek Viedensky goal, made possible by Vladimir Mihalik and Vaclav Nedorost. Sochi gained the lead on an Ilya Krikunov goal, passed from Kostitsyn and Ignatushkin. The three stars went to Ignatushkin, Kostitsyn, and Bartovic, while Miklik gets an honorable mention.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Danny Taylor protect the nets. Yaroslavl got going in the third period on a Kirill Kapustin goal, guided in by Emil Galimov. Zagreb tied it on a Jesse Saarinen goal, via Tomas Mertl and Tuukka Mantyla. Lokomotiv won 2-1 in overtime on a Pavel Koledov goal, fueled by Petri Kontiola and Vladislav Kartayev. The three stars went to Koledov, Murygin (18 for 19 in saves), and Kapustin.

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