Wednesday, February 3, 2016

2015/16 Premier League Week 24

It's a midweek set of games, beginning with...

Arsenal hosting Southampton. Petr Cech and Fraser Forster make the starts in goal. Southampton saw a yellow card for Cedric Soares' foul in the sixty-first minute. Arsenal had yellow cards for Francis Coquelin in the eighty-seventh minute and Gabriel Paulista in the eighty-ninth minute, both for fouls. The game ended in a 0-0 draw.

Staying in London, we have Crystal Palace welcoming Bournemouth. Artur Boruc and Wayne Hennessey are in goal. In the twenty-seventh minute, Crystal Palace led off with a Scott Dann goal, via Wilfried Zaha. Bournemouth tied it on a Marc Pugh goal in the thirty-fourth minute, courtesy of Charlie Daniels. In the forty-third minute, Crystal Palace saw a yellow card for Zaha. Dann of Crystal Palace had a yellow card for his fifty-first minute foul. Bournemouth took the lead in the fifty-seventh minute with a Benik Afobe goal. Bournemouth received a yellow card for a Simon Francis foul in the sixty-fifth minute. Mile Jedinak of Crystal Palace had a yellow card in the sixty-eighth minute. Bournemouth had three late yellow cards, given to Steve Cook in the seventy-sixth minute, Adam Smith for a foul in the eighty-first minute, and Lewis Grabban in the ninetieth minute. Bournemouth held on for a 2-1 win.

Over to West Ham United bringing in Aston Villa. Mark Bunn is mismatched with Adrian in goal. Aston Villa went down to ten men early with a red card for Jordan Ayew in the seventeenth minute for violent conduct. Alexandre Song of West Ham United took a yellow card for his forty-eighth minute foul. Michail Antonio scored to get things going for West Ham United in the fifty-eighth minute, thanks to Mark Noble. West Ham United had yellow cards given to James Collins for his sixty-seventh minute foul and Noble for a foul in the sixty-ninth minute. West Ham United added on with a Cheikhou Kouyate in the eighty-fifth minute, coming off of Enner Valencia. They cruised to a 2-0 win.

Down to Sunderland hosting Manchester City. Joe Hart and Vito Mannone are set to start in goal. In the sixteenth minute, Manchester City began with a Sergio Aguero. Sunderland had a yellow card for a Billy Jones foul in the fifty-ninth minute. Manchester City took yellow cards for Nicolas Otamendi's eightieth minute foul, Aguero's foul early in stoppage time, Fernandinho's foul about two minutes later, and Bacary Sagna for time wasting near the five minute mark in stoppage time. Manchester City didn't let the discipline spoil a 1-0 win.

Up to West Bromwich Albion welcoming Swansea City. Lukasz Fabianski and Ben Foster are in the six-yard boxes. Swansea City dented the scoreboard in the sixty-fourth minute with a Gylfi Sigurdsson goal. In stoppage time, West Bromwich Albion got the equalizer with a Salomon Rondon goal. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Next up, Norwich City brings in Tottenham Hotspur. Hugo Lloris and Declan Rudd are the gloved men. Totteham Hotspur opened in the second minute with a Dele Alli goal. Norwich City had a yellow card for Sebastien Bassong in the twenty-ninth minute. Tottenham Hotspur added on with a Harry Kane penalty kick goal in the thirtieth minute as a response for the card. Tottenham Hotspur saw yellow cards for Toby Alderweireld in the fifty-eighth minute and Danny Rose in the eighty-eighth minute for fouls. Norwich City had a yellow card given to Alexander Tettey for an eighty-ninth minute foul. Tottenham Hotspur iced it at 3-0 with a ninetieth minute Kane goal, passed from Christian Eriksen.

North to Leicester City hosting Liverpool. Simon Mignolet and Kasper Schmeichel are the experienced keepers. Leicester City drew first blood in the sixtieth minute on a Jamie Vardy goal, assisted by Riyad Mahrez. Leicester City added on with a Vardy goal in the seventy-first minute. Liverpool had a yellow card on an eighty-sixth minute Lucas Leiva foul.

Ending Tuesday's eight games, Manchester United welcomes Stoke City. Jack Butland and David de Gea man the nets. Manchester United started in the fourteenth minute with a Jesse Lingard goal, guided in by Cameron Borthwick-Jackson. Manchester United added on in the twenty-third minute with an Anthony Martial goal, courtesy of Wayne Rooney. Manchester United extended the lead as Rooney scored in the fifty-third minute, thanks to Martial. Manchester United had yellow cards for Matteo Darmian in the fifty-fifth minute and Martial in the sixtieth minute, both for fouls. Stoke City had a yellow card go to Stephen Ireland in the eighty-fifth minute for a foul. The final held at 3-0 for Manchester United.

On Wednesday, Everton brings in Newcastle United. Robert Elliot and Joel Robles are the keepers. Everton was first to score in the twenty-third minute with an Aaron Lennon goal, via Tom Cleverley. In the sixty-first minute, Newcastle United had a yellow card for a Jonjo Shelvey foul. Seamus Coleman of Everton took a yellow card for his seventy-fourth minute foul. In the eighty-eighth minute, Jamaal Lascelles of Newcastle United had a yellow card, and Ross Barkley of Everton buried the ensuing penalty kick. About four minutes into stoppage time, those two did the same things again, putting Newcastle United at ten men and Everton ahead 3-0, which stood as the final.

Finally, Watford hosts Chelsea. Thibaut Courtois and Heurelho Gomes are in the six-yard boxes. Watford had yellow cards for Sebastian Prodl in the nineteenth minute and Juan Carlos Paredes in first half stoppage time, for a foul and dissent, while Chelsea's Diego Costa also took a yellow card in the added time for a foul. The game ended in a 0-0 draw after an uneventful second half.

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2015/16 KHL Season - Day 137

Things are winding down for the KHL regular season. It's a big day with twelve games on, beginning in...

Chelyabinsk, as Traktor hosts Dinamo Minsk. Jeff Glass and Vasily Demchenko are the goalies. Minsk was first to score in the first period with an Alexander Pavlovich goal, assisted by Konstantin Koltsov and Evgeny Lisovets. Chelyabinsk tied it on a Vyacheslav Osnovin goal, courtesy of Artyom Borodkin and Anton Glinkin in the second period. Traktor took the lead with a Semyon Afonasyevsky goal, with a lone assist by Alexander Shinin. Dinamo retied it on a Dmitry Meleshko goal, passed from Sergei Drozd and Andrei Stepanov. Chelyabinsk took the lead with a third period Nikit Zhuldaikov goal, fueled by Alexei Petrov and Alexander Sharov. Minsk tied it again on a Matt Ellison goal, guided in by Alexei Kalyuzhny and Jonathan Cheechoo. Traktor took the lead back with a Glinkin goal, made possible by Dmitry Pestunov and Osnovin. Chelyabinsk added on with an Alexander Rybakov goal, via Danil Gubarev and Semyon Kokuyov. Traktor iced it at 6-3 with an unassisted Gubarev empty net goal. The three stars went to Glinkin, Osnovin, and Gubarev.

Into Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev welcomes Severstal Cherepovets. Stepan Goryachevskikh and Niklas Svedberg are given the starting nods. Ufa led off with a first period goal by Sergei Soin, courtesy of Sami Lepisto and Igor Grigorenko on the power play. Salavat Yulaev added on in the second period with a Lepisto goal, made possible by Grigorenko and Linus Omark. Ufa extended the lead as Maxim Mayorov scored, thanks to Maxim Goncharov and Nikolai Prokhorkin. This made it a 3-0 win, with the three stars going to Lepisto, Svedberg (33 save shutout), and Grigorenko.

Along to Magnitogorsk, where Metallurg brings in CSKA Moscow. Ilya Sorokin and Vasily Koshechkin guard the cages. Magnitogorsk dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Viktor Antipin goal, coming off of Evgeny Timkin. Moscow tied it on a Denis Denisov power play goal, powered by Igor Ozhiganov. CSKA took the lead with a Stephane Da Costa goal, via Jan Mursak and Bogdan Kiselevich. Moscow iced it at 3-1 with an Alexander Radulov empty net goal, set up by Geoff Platt. The three stars were Da Costa, Sorokin (21 for 22 in saves), and Denisov.

Over in Togliatti, Lada hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Vladislav Podyapolsky and Ivan Kasutin are in the blue paint. Togliatti struck first in the first period with an Anton Shenfeld goal, via Alexei Mastryukov. Novokuznetsk tied it in the second period with an Ilya Musin shorthanded goal, set up by Alexander Romanov. Lada took the lead back with a Viktor Komarov power play goal, powered by Mastryukov and Shenfeld. Metallurg tied it in the third period on a Kirill Lebedev goal, with a lone assist by Ignat Zemchenko. Novokuznetsk took the lead on a Lebedev goal, helped along by Zemchenko and Robert Kousal. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Lebedev, Shenfeld, and Zemchenko, while Mastryukov gets an honorable mention.

Next up, Ak Bars Kazan welcomes Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Stanislav Galimov tend the twines. Kazan got going in the second period with an Oscar Moller power play goal, courtesy of Dmitry Obukhov and Mikhail Varnakov. Ak Bars added on with an Artyom Lukoyanov goal, assisted by Andrei Chibisov and Mattias Sjogren. Novosibirsk got on the board in the third period with an Andrej Meszaros goal, passed from Calle Ridderwall and Vitaly Menshikov. They failed to tie it, losing 2-1, with the three stars handed to Galimov (33 for 34 in saves), Lukoyanov, and Moller.

Continuing along, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk brings in Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Mikhail Biryukov and Alexander Sudnitsin return to the creases after long layoffs. Nizhny Novgorod began in the first period with a Vladimir Galuzin goal, guided in by Kirill Koltsov and Linus Videll. Torpedo added on in the second period with a Dmitry Semin goal, via Kaspars Daugavins and Carl Klingberg. Nizhny Novgorod extended the lead as Alexei Sopin scored, thanks to Galuzin. Torpedo padded the lead with a third period Videll power play goal, powered by Koltsov and Galuzin. Nizhnekamsk avoided the shutout with a Kirill Lyamin power play goal, with a lone assist by Alexander Yevseyenkov. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars going to Galuzin, Videll, and Biryukov (24 for 25 in saves), while Koltsov gets an honorable mention.

Into Moscow, with Spartak hosting Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Vladislav Fokin and Evgeny Ivannikov draw the starts in goal. Khanty-Mansiysk opened in the first period with an Ivan Yatsenko goal, guided in by the goalie Fokin and Vitaly Sitnikov. Yugra added on in the third period with a Pavel Medvedev goal, going in unassisted. Khanty-Mansiysk extended the lead as Evgeny Lapenkov scored, thanks to Kirill Rasskazov and Grigory Zheldakov. The final stood from here at 3-0, with the three stars being Fokin (23 save shutout), Yatsenko, and Medvedev.

To the south, the Sochi Leopards welcome Barys Astana. Pavel Poluektov and Konstantin Barulin are between the pipes. Sochi started in the first period with a Denis Kazionov goal, coming off of Janne Jalasvaara and Vadim Shchegolkov. The Leopards added on with an Ilya Krikunov goal, fueled by Andrei Kostitsyn and Ziyat Paigin. These quick goals sent Poluektov to the pines, as Jan Laco came on in relief. Astana got on the board with a Roman Starchenko goal, passed from Maxim Khudyakov. Sochi replied on a Shchegolkov goal, helped along by Denis Kazionov. Barys chipped back in the second period with a Konstantin Romanov goal, with a lone helper from Mikhail Panshin. The Leopards countered with a Denis Kazionov goal in the third period, made possible by Dmitry Kazionov. Sochi extended the lead as Kostitsyn scored an empty net goal, with the help of Krikunov and Igor Ignatushkin. The Leopards capped it at 6-2 with an Andre Petersson goal, set up by Mikhail Anisin and Ben Maxwell. The three stars went to Denis Kazionov, Shchegolkov, and Kostitsyn, while Krikunov gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to St. Petersburg, as SKA brings in Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Igor Ustinsky and Mikko Koskinen are the goalies. Yekaterinburg led off in the first period with an Alexei Mikhnov power play goal, powered by Dmitry Megalinsky and Anatoly Golyshev. St. Petersburg tied it in the second period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, fueled by Sergei Shirkov and Nikita Gusev. SKA took the lead in the third period with a Joakim Lindstrom goal, helped along by Jarno Koskiranta and Steve Moses. Avtomobilist tied it again on a Mikhnov goal, his second of the game, courtesy of Nikolai Timashov and Alexei Vasilevsky. In the shootout, goals from Mikhnov, Andrei Alexeyev, and Petr Koukal lifted Avtomobilist 3-2 over SKA's Moses and Ilya Kovalchuk. The three stars were Mikhnov, Moses, and Ustinsky (41 for 43 in saves).

East to Yaroslavl, with Lokomotiv hosting Avangard Omsk. Dominik Furch and Alexei Murygin protect the nets. Yaroslavl began in the first period with a Stanislav Chistov power play goal, powered by Mikhail Pashnin and Dmitry Maltsev. Omsk tied it on a Yury Alexandrov goal, via Denis Parshin and Ilya Zubov. Lokomotiv took the lead with another Chistov goal, assisted by Mikhail Pashnin and Dmitry Maltsev. Yaroslavl added on with a Daniil Apalkov goal, passed from Patrik Hersley and Yegor Averin. Avangard shot back on a Martin Erat goal, courtesy of Ilya Zubov and Andrei Pervyshin. This only made it 3-2, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Chistov, Apalkov, and Murygin (33 for 35 in saves).

Southwest to Podolsk, where Vityaz welcomes Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko faces a lesser foe in Igor Saprykin in goal. Moscow struck first in the first period with a Maxim Karpov goal, fueled by Denis Barantsev and Juuso Hietanen. Dynamo added on with an unassisted Barantsev power play goal. Podolsk got on the board with a Georgy Berdyukov goal in the third period, helped along by Roman Kudinov. They couldn't find an equalizer, losing 2-1. The three stars were named as Barantsev, Yeryomenko (25 for 26 in saves), and Karpov.

Finally, in Latvia, Dinamo Riga brings in Jokerit Helsinki. Riku Helenius and Joacim Eriksson man the nets. Helsinki was first to score in the first period with a Pascal Pelletier goal, via Niko Kapanen and Jani Rita. Jokerit added on with a Brandon Kozun goal, made possible by Jesse Joensuu and Peter Regin. Helsinki extended the lead as Tim Kennedy scored a power play goal, thanks to Topi Jaakola and Ville Lajunen. Jakub Sedlacek replaced Eriksson for the second period. Jokerit padded the lead on a Regin power play goal, powered by Kozun and Daine Todd. Helsinki kept going with a Miro Makinen goal, with a lone helper from Atte Makinen. Jokerit continued in the third period on a Todd goal, with a lone assist by Juhamatti Aaltonen. Helsinki iced it at 7-0 with a Joensuu power play goal, helped along by Kozun and Todd. The three stars went to Kozun, Regin, and Todd, while Helenius (22 save shutout) gets an honorable mention.

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Tuesday, February 2, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 110

Twelve games today, as the NHL returns to action from its All-Star break. We begin in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Tuukka Rask are in goal. Boston began in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Jimmy Hayes and Matt Beleskey. Toronto tied it on a Daniel Winnik goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, via Roman Polak and Shawn Matthias. The Bruins retook the lead with Marchand's second of the game and twenty-second of the season in the third period, helped along by David Krejci and David Pastrnak. Boston added on with a Krejci goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Torey Krug and Pastrnak. The Maple Leafs answered with a Leo Komarov goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Morgan Rielly and Polak. Toronto tied it on a Nazem Kadri goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Matt Hunwick and Komarov. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 in overtime with a P.A. Parenteau power play goal, his twelfth of the campaign, powered by Jake Gardiner and Kadri. The three stars went to Kadri, Marchand, and Komarov, while Krejci, Polak, and Pastrnak get the honorable mentions.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Cory Schneider tend the twines. New York was first to score in the first period with a J.T. Miller goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Derick Brassard and Jesper Fast. New Jersey tied it in the second period on a Lee Stempniak power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Eric Gelinas and Adam Henrique. The Rangers took the lead back in the third period on a Miller goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, via Keith Yandle and Dan Boyle. The Devils tied it again with a Joseph Blandisi goal, his second of the year, fueled by Andy Greene and Damon Severson. New Jersey took the lead with a David Schlemko power play goal, his fifth of the campaign, with helpers from Stempniak and Tyler Kennedy. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Stempniak, Miller, and Schneider (31 for 33 in saves).

Over in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk faces a lesser foe in Jean-Francois Berube in goal. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Matt Dumba and Nino Niederreiter. New York tied it in the second period on a Mikhail Grabovski goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of John Tavares and Ryan Strome. The Islanders took the lead on an Anders Lee goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Travis Hamonic and Josh Bailey. The Wild tied it again with a Jason Pominville goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Jason Zucker and Jarret Stoll. New York regained the lead with a Brock Nelson goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Calvin de Haan. The Islanders added on with a Frans Nielsen power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Nick Leddy and Kyle Okposo. New York extended the lead as Tavares scored his seventeenth of the season, with the help of Grabovski. Minnesota got one back with a Niederreiter power play goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Dumba and Jared Spurgeon. This produced the 5-3 final, with the three stars going to Tavares, Grabovski, and Niederreiter, while Dumba gets an honorable mention.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers host the Montreal Canadiens. Mike Condon and Steve Mason get the starting nods in goal. Philadelphia struck first in the first period with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Brayden Schenn and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers added on with a Schenn power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Voracek and Shayne Gostisbehere. Montreal got on the board with an Andrei Markov power play goal, his third of the campaign, assisted by Alex Galchenyuk and P.K. Subban. The Canadiens tied it in the second period with a Jeff Petry goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Nathan Beaulieu and Devante Smith-Pelly. Philadelphia answered with a third period Simmonds goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, guided in by Voracek, who got a sock trick, and Claude Giroux. The Flyers iced it at 4-2 with a Matt Read empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Sean Couturier and Chris VandeVelde. The three stars went to Simmonds, Voracek, and Schenn.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Marc-Andre Fleury are the veteran goalies. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Matt Cullen goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Carl Hagelin and Brian Dumoulin. The Penguins added on with a Kris Letang goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz. Ottawa got on the board with a Mark Stone goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Zack Smith and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Pittsburgh replied with a Kunitz goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Senators pulled back on a Chris Wideman goal, his fifth of the season, via Stone. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Pageau goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Erik Karlsson and Patrick Wiercioch. The Senators gained the lead on a Cody Ceci goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Smith and Mike Hoffman. The Penguins tied it again with a Crosby goal, his eighteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Letang and Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh took the lead with another Crosby goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, made possible by Phil Kessel and Malkin. The Penguins extended the lead as Crosby finished the natural hat trick in the third period on his twentieth of the year, with the help of Kunitz and Patric Hornqvist. Ottawa got one back on a Dave Dziurzynski goal, with helpers by Ceci and Curtis Lazar. The three stars were awarded to Crosby, Letang, and Kunitz, while Pageau, Ceci, Stone, Malkin, and Smith get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Washington Capitals bring in the Florida Panthers. Al Montoya and Phillip Grubauer are the backups in goal. Florida started in the first period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jaromir Jagr and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers added on with a Barkov power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Nick Bjugstad and Huberdeau. Florida extended the lead with an unassisted Vincent Trocheck goal in the second period, his fifteenth of the season. The Panthers padded the lead on a Huberdeau power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, via Reilly Smith and Bjugstad. Washington got on the board in the third period with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Evgeny Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie. The Capitals got closer with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Kuznetsov. Florida iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal from Quinton Howden, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Jussi Jokinen and Trocheck. The three stars were handed to Huberdeau, Barkov, and Trocheck, while Bjugstad and Kuznetsov get the honorable mentions.

West to Nashville, with the Predators hosting the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliot and Pekka Rinne protect the nets. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Troy Brouwer goal, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Alex Pietrangelo and Robby Fabbri. This produced the 1-0 final, with the three stars given to Brouwer, Elliott (16 save shutout), and Rinne (22 for 23 in saves).

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Dallas Stars. Antti Niemi and Connor Hellebuyck occupy the blue paint. Winnipeg led off in the first period with an Andrew Ladd goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Drew Stafford and Jacob Trouba on the power play. Dallas tied it with a Tyler Seguin goal in the second period, his twenty-sixth of the year, made possible by John Klingberg and Alex Goligoski. The Jets retook the lead as Adam Lowry scored his fourth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Stars tied it again with a Klingberg goal, his seventh of the year, via Jason Demers and Cody Eakin. Dallas took the lead with a Vernon Fiddler goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Ales Hemsky and Valeri Nichushkin. The Stars added on with Seguin's second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted on the power play in the third period. Winnipeg pulled back with a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Scheifele. Dallas iced it at 5-3 with an Antoine Roussel empty net goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Seguin, Klingberg, and Fiddler.

Over to Alberta, where the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Cam Talbot are the mediocre goalies. Columbus began in the first period with a Matt Calvert goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Scott Hartnell. Edmonton tied it with an Eric Gryba goal in the second period, helped along by Zack Kassian and Mark Letestu. The Oilers took the lead with a Connor McDavid goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Benoit Pouliot and Jordan Eberle. Edmonton added on with a Pouliot power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Andrej Sekera and McDavid. The Oilers extended the lead as Leon Draisaitl scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Taylor Hall and Adam Clendening. Edmonton padded the lead in the third period with an Eberle power play goal, his twelfth of the campaign, with helpers from McDavid and Sekera. The three stars of the 5-1 game were McDavid, Pouliot, and Talbot (36 for 37 in saves), while Eberle and Sekera get the honorable mentions.

Down in Denver, the Colorado Avalanche host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford faces a lesser foe in Calvin Pickard in goal. Chicago drew first blood in the first period with a Richard Panik goal, his third of the season, assisted by Andrew Shaw and Viktor Svedberg. The Blackhawks added on with an Artemi Panarin goal, his eighteenth of the year, helped along by Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. Colorado got on the board with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, via Blake Comeau and Erik Johnson. The scoring ended here at 2-1, with the three stars going to Crawford (22 for 23 in saves), Panarin, and Panik.

Further south, the Arizona Coyotes welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Louis Domingue are in the creases. Arizona opened in the first period with a Jordan Martinook goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles tied it on a second period Jake Muzzin power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. The Coyotes retook the lead on an Anthony Duclair goal, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Max Domi. The Kings tied it again with an Alec Martinez power play goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Doughty and Kopitar. Los Angeles took the lead with a Marian Gaborik goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Dwight King. The Kings added on with a Dustin Brown goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Milan Lucic and Luke Schenn. Los Angeles extended the lead in the third period as Brown scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, thanks to Muzzin and Nick Shore. The Kings padded the lead with a Vincent Lecavalier power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Martinez and Jamie McBain. This produced the 6-2 final, with the three stars going to Brown, Muzzin, and Martinez, while Doughty and Kopitar get the honorable mentions.

Finally, a Battle of California as the Anaheim Ducks bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Frederik Anderson are called on to start in goal. Anaheim started in the first period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Patrick Maroon and Corey Perry. San Jose tied it in the second period with a Dainius Zubrus goal, his second of the year, coming off of Brent Burns and Paul Martin. The Ducks took the lead back with a Hampus Lindholm shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Ryan Getzlaf. Anaheim added on with a Ryan Garbutt goal, his third of the year, via Chris Stewart and Josh Manson. The Sharks got one back with a Tommy Wingels goal, his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Joonas Donskoi and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. This only made it 3-2, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Garbutt, Lindholm, and Rakell.

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2015/16 KHL Season - Day 136

Just two games on today, a day where the NHL is back in full force. We begin with...

Admiral Vladivostok hosting Slovan Bratislava. Michael Garnett and Ivan Nalimov make the starts in goal. Vladivostok opened in the first period with an Alexei Ugarov goal, passed from Oskars Bartulis. Bratislava tied it on an Andrej Stastny goal, made possible by Rok Ticar and Ziga Jeglic. Slovan took the lead with a Michel Miklik goal, with a lone assist by Tomas Surovy. Bratislava added on with another Miklik goal in the third period, assisted by Milan Bartovic and Ivan Svarny. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Miklik, Garnett (26 for 27 in saves), and Stastny.

The other game is up in Khabarovsk, where Amur hosts Medvescak Zagreb. Joakim Lundstrom and Juha Metsola draw the starts. Zagreb started with a Patrick Bjorkstrand goal, via Alexandre Bolduc. Khabarovsk tied it on a Mikhail Zheleznov shorthanded goal, set up by Daniil Stalnov and Evgeny Grachyov. Medvascak took the lead back with a Mike Glumac goal, passed from Stefano Giliati. Evgeny Alikin replaced an injured Metsola shortly after this goal. Amur tied it in the second period with a Grachyov goal, guided in by Vitaly Shulakov. Zagreb took the lead back with a Giliati power play goal, powered by Gilbert Brule. Medvescak added on with a Radek Smolenak power play goal, with a lone assist by Tuukka Mantyla. Zagreb extended the lead as Glumac scored a shorthanded goal in the third period, thanks to Blake Parlett. Khabarovsk pulled back with a Vladislav Ushenin power play goal, helped along by Vyacheslav Ushenin. Gasper Kroselj took over in goal for Lundstrom late in the game. Medvescak answered with an empty net goal by Edwin Hedberg, coming off of Jesse Saarinen. The three stars went to Glumac, Giliati, and Smolenak.

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Monday, February 1, 2016

2015/16 KHL Season - Day 135

Seven more games today, with a week to go before another break for the league. The games begin in...

Omsk, as Avangard hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ilya Proskuryakov and Dominik Furch are the reliable goalies. Omsk got going in the second period with an Artur Lauta power play goal, powered by Vladimir Sobotka and Martin Erat. Nizhny Novgorod tied it with a Nikolai Zherdev goal, passed from Carter Ashton on the power play. Avangard took the lead back with a Pyotr Khokhryakov goal in the third period, assisted by Yury Alexandrov and Ilya Mikheyev. Omsk added on as Nikolai Lemtyugov scored, thanks to Sobotka and Erat on the power play. Avangard iced it at 4-1 with a Khokhryakov goal, his second of the game, courtesy of Anton Burdasov and Denis Parshin on the power play. The three stars went to Khokhryakov, Sobotka, and Erat.

Over to Chelyabinsk, where Traktor welcomes Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Georgy Gelashvili is mismatched with Vasily Demchenko in goal. Khanty-Mansiysk opened in the first period with a Stanislav Kalasnikov power play goal, powered by Kirill Rasskazov and Evgeny Lapenkov. Chelyabinsk tied it in the second period on an Alexei Kruchinin power play goal, assisted by Andrei Popov and Alexei Petrov. Yugra retook the lead in the third period on a Pavel Medvedev goal, with a lone helper from Oleg Yashin. Traktor tied it again as Popov scored, with the help of Alexander Shinin. Khanty-Mansiysk pulled ahead with an Ivan Yatsenko power play goal, guided in by Vitaly Sitnikov and Igor Bortnikov. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Popov, Yatsenko, and Medvedev.

Back into Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev brings in Barys Astana. Pavel Poluektov and Niklas Svedberg man the nets. Ufa led off in the first period with an Enver Lisin power play goal, powered by Maxim Goncharov and Maxim Mayorov. Salavat Yulaev added on with a Linus Omark power play goal, fueled by Alexander Loginov and Igor Grigorenko. Astana got one back with a Dustin Boyd power play goal, with a lone assist by Brandon Bochenski. Ufa replied on a Teemu Hartikainen goal, assisted by Sami Lepisto and Mayorov. Barys pulled back on a power play goal in the second period from Mike Lundin, courtesy of Kevin Dallman. Astana tied it as Konstantin Pushkaryov scored, thanks to Maxim Khudyakov and Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev. Salavat Yulaev regained the lead with a Stepan Khripunov goal, coming off of Hartikainen. Barys retied it in the third period on a Nigel Dawes goal, passed from Boyd and Roman Starchenko. Ufa took the lead back on an Oleg Saprykin goal, with a lone helper from Hartikainen. This made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars being Hartikainen, Mayorov, and Boyd.

West a bit to Togliatti, where Lada hosts Dinamo Minsk. Jeff Glass and Edgars Masalskis draw the starts in goal. Togliatti began in the first period with a Viktor Komarov goal, coming off of Ramil Suleimanov. Lada added on with an Alexander Bumagin goal, fueled by Martin Zatovic and Alexei Mastryukov. Minsk got on the board with a Matt Ellison goal, guided in by Alexei Kalyuzhny. Dinamo tied it in the second period with another Ellison goal, made possible by Jonathan Cheechoo and Paul Szczechura. Minsk won 3-2 in overtime on a Kalyuzhny goal, passed from Cheechoo and Dmitry Znakharenko. The three stars were awarded to Ellison, Kalyuzhny, and Cheechoo.

Next up, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk brings in Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Igor Ustinsky and Ivan Lisutin are the goalies. Nizhnekamsk started in the first period with an Igor Volkov power play goal, powered by Evgeny Ryasensky and Andrei Sergeyev. Yekaterinburg tied it with a Tommi Kivisto power play goal, with assists provided by Alexander Torchenyuk and Artyom Gareyev. Neftekhimik retook the lead with a Mikhail Zhukov goal, helped along by Ryan Stoa and Marek Kvapil. Avtomobilist tied it again in the second period on a Petr Koukal goal, guided in by Anatoly Golyshev. Yekaterinburg took the lead with an unassisted Eero Elo goal. Nizhnekamsk tied it with Zhukov's second of the game, coming off of Stoa. Avtomobilist took the win with a seventh round shootout tally from Koukal for the 4-3 win. The three stars were Koukal, Zhukov, and Stoa.

Out to St. Petersburg, where SKA welcomes Jokerit Helsinki. Henrik Karlsson and Mikko Koskinen tend the twines. Helsinki struck first in the first period with a Philip Larsen goal, via Tomi Maki and Jani Rita. St. Petersburg tied it on a Steve Moses goal, fueled by Jarno Koskiranta and Sergei Shirokov on a second period power play. SKA took the lead with a Koskiranta goal in the third period, assisted by Alexander Barabanov and Ilya Kovalchuk. The game ended 2-1 in SKA's favor. The three stars went to Koskiranta, Koskinen (21 for 22 in saves), and Moses.

Back east, we end in Cherepovets, with Severstal hosting Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Roman Smiryagin are the masked men. Riga dented the scoreboard with a Mikelis Redlihs power play goal in the second period, powered by Lauris Darzins and Guntis Galvins. Cherepovets tied it on an Igor Skorokhodov goal, passed from Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Mattias Karlsson on the power play. Dinamo took the lead back in the third period with a Miks Indrasis goal, assisted by Andris Dzerins and Gunars Skvorcovs. Riga added on with another Indrasis goal, going into the empty net set up by Skvorcovs and Galvins. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Indrasis, Skvorcovs, and Sedlacek (34 for 35 in saves), while Galvins gets an honorable mention.

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Sunday, January 31, 2016

The 2015-16 NHL All-Star Game(s)

After a month and a half of John Scott controversies, fan voting, and drawn battle lines, we're finally here, collectively, to celebrate the NHL. Regardless of where we respectively stand, this event is for all of us, the fans. Let us put aside our differences and enjoy the chaos that is to follow in the three 20-minute sessions of All-Star fun. First up...

The Metropolitan and Atlantic Divisions do battle. Roberto Luongo and Braden Holtby tend the twines at first. Metropolitan struck first with a Kris Letang goal, via Evgeni Malkin. Atlantic tied it at with an Erik Karlsson goal, helped along by Dylan Larkin. Metropolitan took the lead back with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, passed from Justin Faulk. Atlantic tied it again as Jaromir Jagr scored, thanks to Larkin. The first half ended tied at 2. Ben Bishop and Cory Schneider will play in the second half in goal. Metropolitan retook the lead in the second half with a Malkin goal, courtesy of Letang and the goalie Schneider. Atlantic tied it again with an Aaron Ekblad goal, set up by Ryan O'Reilly and Leo Komarov. Atlantic took the lead as P.K. Subban scored, with the help of Larkin, who got a sock trick for his efforts, and the goalie Bishop. This stood for a 4-3 Atlantic win, sending them through to the final. The three stars here were Larkin, Malkin, and Bishop (11 for 12 in saves).

The other semifinals is the Pacific and Central Divisions sparring. Pekka Rinne and Jonathan Quick man the nets to begin. Central was first to score with a James Neal goal, via Matt Duchene and Shea Weber. Pacific tied it on a John Scott goal, assisted by Brent Burns. Pacific gained the lead with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, powered by Daniel Sedin and Corey Perry. Central retied it on Neal's second of the game, coming off of Duchene and Weber. Pacific pulled ahead again with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, made possible by Mark Giordano and Taylor Hall. Central pulled even with a Patrick Kane, helped along by Jamie Benn and the goalie Rinne. The first half comes to a close, tied at 3. In the second half, Devan Dubnyk and John Gibson take over in goal. Pacific took the lead in the second half on a Sedin goal, with a lone assist by the goalie Gibson. Pacific added on with Scott's second of the game, guided in by Burns. Pacific extended the lead as Hall scored, with the help of Gaudreau. Pacific padded the lead with Sedin's second of the game, fueled by Perry and Drew Doughty. Central chipped back on a Dustin Byfuglien goal, with helpers provided by Tyler Seguin and Vladimir Tarasenko. Central edged closer with a Seguin goal, with assists from Byfuglien and Tarasenko. Pacific stopped the bleeding with a Hall goal, his second of the game, set up by Gaudreau and Burns, the latter getting a sock trick. Pacific countered with a Doughty empty net goal, with an assist from Pavelski. Central answered on a Roman Josi goal, dished from Seguin and Neal. The Pacific held on for a 9-6 win in this one, with the three stars given to Hall, Scott, and Sedin.

In the final, the Pacific and Atlantic Divisions have the right to fight for $1 million. Roberto Luongo and Jonathan Quick make the starts here. The first half ends without a goal, tied at 0. Ben Bishop and John Gibson will close out the festivities in net. Pacific got going with a Perry goal in the second half, via Sedin and Burns. They held on for a 1-0 win, with the three stars here being Perry, Quick (10 for 10 in saves), and Gibson (6 for 6 in saves).

The overall MVP for the day is John Scott, with his two goals. Regular action returns on Tuesday. As always, follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

2015/16 KHL Season - Day 134

Seven games on for today, beginning with...

Amur Khabarovsk hosting Vityaz Podolsk. Igor Saprykin and Juha Metsola are in goal. Podolsk began in the first period with a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, made possible by Georgy Berdyukov. Vityaz added on with a Maxim Afinogenov goal, assisted by Alexander Nikulin and Alexei Makeyev. Podolsk extended the lead as Solodukhin scored his second of the game in the second period, a power play goal powered by Berdyukov. Khabarovsk got on the board in the third period with an Evgeny Grachyov goal, passed from Pavel Dedunov and Vitaly Atyushov. Vityaz replied with a Roman Horak power play goal, with a lone assist by Teemu Eronen. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Solodukhin, Saprykin (51 for 52 in saves), and Berdyukov.

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Igor Bobkov draw the starts in goal. Vladivostok led off in the first period on a Dmitry Lugin power play goal, powered by Oskars Bartulis and Mikhail Fisenko. Moscow tied it with a second period Artyom Fyodorov power play goal, guided in by Alexei Tsvetkov and Ansel Galimov. Admiral retook the lead on a shorthanded Artyom Podshendyalov goal, set up by Alexander Kuznetsov. Dynamo tied it on a Galimov goal, going in unassisted. Moscow took the lead on a Maxim Karpov goal, helped along by Dmitry Sinitsyn and Andrei Alexeyev. Dynamo added on with a Fyodorov power play goal, with assists provided by Tsvetkov and Dmitry Vishnevsky in the third period. Moscow made it 5-2 with an Ilya Shipov empty net goal, courtesy of Alexei Tereshchenko. The three stars were handed to Fyodorov, Galimov, and Tsvetkov.

A bit west, Metallurg Novokuznetsk brings in Medvescak Zagreb. Gasper Kroselj and Vladislav Podyapolsky are in the blue paint. Novokuznetsk started in the first period on a Robert Kousal power play goal, powered by Roman Manukhov and Cade Fairchild. Zagreb tied it on an Adam Deutsch goal, via Alexandre Bolduc and Mark Katic. Metallurg retook the lead in the second period as Ilya Musin scored, with the help of Kousal and Fairchild on the power play. Novokuznetsk added on with a Manukhov goal, fueled by Fairchild, who got a sock trick. Metallurg extended the lead in the third period with a Mikhail Plotnikov goal, passed from Anton Kapotov and Pavel Makarenko. Novokuznetsk closed with a 5-1 win on a Fairchild goal, coming off of Makarenko and Kirill Semyonov shorthanded into the empty net. The three stars went to Fairchild, Kousal, and Manukhov, while Makarenko and Podyapolsky (28 for 29 in saves).

Nearby in Novosibirsk, Sibir hosts Slovan Bratislava. Barry Brust and Alexander Salak are between the pipes. Novosibirsk opened in the first period on a David Ullstrom power play goal, powered by Georgy Misharin. Bratislava tied it on a Lukas Kaspar power play goal in the second period, with a lone helper from Cam Barker. Slovan took the lead with an Andrej Stastny goal, assisted by Tomas Surovy. Sibir tied it on a Maxim Shalunov goal, passed from Maxim Ignatovich. Novosibirsk retook the lead on a shorthanded Shalunov goal in the third period, his second of the game, set up by Vitaly Menshikov and Stepan Sannikov. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars awarded to Shalunov, Salak (42 for 44 in saves), and Ullstrom.

Way out to Moscow, with Spartak bringing in cross-town rivals CSKA. Viktor Fasth and Denis Sinyagin are the backups in goal. Spartak was first to score in the first period on a Sergei Shmelyov goal, assisted by Casey Wellman and Alexander Mereskin. CSKA tied it with an Andrei Svetlakov goal in the second period, guided in by Geoff Platt and Alexander Radulov. Spartak took the lead back with an Evgeny Bodrov goal, passed from Charles Genoway and Gleb Klimenko. CSKA tied it again as Nikita Zaitsev scored a power play goal, thanks to Radulov. CSKA gained the lead with another Svetlakov power play goal, with a lone assist by Radulov, who got a sock trick. CSKA made it 4-2, the final, on a Radulov power play goal, made possible by Stephane Da Costa. The three stars went to Radulov, Svetlakov, and Zaitsev.

Back to Yaroslavl, where Lokomotiv welcomes the Sochi Leopards. Konstantin Barulin and Vitaly Kolesnik are starting in goal. Sochi struck first with a Mikhail Anisin goal, fueled by Dmitry Kazionov. Yaroslavl tied it on a Yegor Averin power play goal, helped along by Jiri Novotny. Lokomotiv pulled ahead on an Averin goal in the second period, coming off of Daniil Apalkov. The Leopards tied it with an Andre Petersson goal, via Janne Jalasvaara and Ben Maxwell. Sochi pulled ahead again with a Maxwell goal, made possible by Petersson and Evgeny Skachkov. Yaroslavl tied it again with a shorthanded goal by Mikhail Grigoryev, set up by Kirill Kapustin. The Leopards took the lead in the third period with a Skachkov power play goal, assisted by Ziyat Paigin. Sochi added on with a Renat Mamashev goal, guided in by Skachkov. The Leopards closed with a 6-3 win on a Paigin power play goal, helped along by Andrei Kostitsyn and Mamashev. The three stars went to Skachkov, Petersson, and Averin, while Maxwell, Paigin, and Mamashev get the honorable mentions.

Finally, Ak Bars Kazan hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Emil Garipov guard the cages. Magnitogorsk drew first blood in the first period with a Wojtek Wolski goal, assisted by Sergei Tereshchenko and Oskar Osala. This lasted for a 1-0 Metallurg win. The three stars belonged to Koshechkin (31 save shutout), Wolski, and Garipov (31 for 32 in saves).

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