Saturday, February 20, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 128

Nine games on for today in a rather calm Saturday. We begin with a single matinee in...

Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop faces a lesser foe in Jeff Zatkoff in goal. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with an Anton Stralman goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Vladislav Namestnikov and Jonathan Marchessault. The Lightning added on with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Alex Killorn and Matthew Carle. Tampa Bay extended the lead on an unassisted Carle goal. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Tom Kuhnhackl shorthanded goal, going in unassisted. The Lightning countered with a Tyler Johnson goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Ondrej Palat and Marchessault. The Penguins answered with a Scott Wilson goal, his second of the year, via Bryan Rust and Kris Letang. This was it for the scoring, with a 4-2 final favoring the Lightning. The three stars went to Carle, Marchessault, and Kuhnhackl.

At the usual time, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Craig Anderson are the reliable goalies. Detroit got going in the second period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Ottawa tied it on a Zack Smith goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Red Wings regained the lead with an unassisted Brad Richards goal, his sixth of the season. The Senators tied it in the third period with a Dion Phaneuf goal, his fourth of the year, with no assists. Ottawa won with a Kyle Turris shootout goal for a 3-2 victory. The three stars went to Phaneuf, Turris, and Smith.

Staying in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Jonathan Bernier are the embattled goalies. Toronto struck first in the first period with a Shawn Matthias goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Nick Spaling. Philadelphia tied it on a Sam Gagner goal, his third of the year, coming off of Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds. The Flyers took the lead with a Jakub Voracek goal, his tenth of the season, via Scott Laughton and Michael Raffl. Philadelphia added on in the second period with a Schenn goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Radko Gudas and Simmonds. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Spaling goal, with helpers from Nazem Kadri and Roman Polak. Toronto tied it in the third period with a Peter Holland goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Kadri. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Byron Froese goal, his second of the year, guided in by Rich Clune and Brad Boyes. The Flyers tied it again with a Matt Read goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Raffl and Laughton. Philadelphia won 5-4 with a Shayne Gostisbehere goal in overtime, his twelfth of the year, with a lone helper from Voracek. The three stars went to Voracek, Raffl, and Spaling, while Schenn, Simmonds, Laughton, and Kadri get the honorable mentions.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Braden Holtby tend the twines. New Jersey began in the first period with a Travis Zajac goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Reid Boucher and Kyle Palmieri. Washington tied it on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, helped along by Dmitry Orlov. The Devils retook the lead on a Palmieri goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Boucher. The Capitals tied it again in the second period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Michael Latta and Brooks Laich. New Jersey took the lead in the third period with a Boucher goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Zajac and John Moore. Washington tied it again with a T.J. Oshie goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Orlov and Brooks Orpik. The Capitals took the lead with an Orpik goal, his second of the campaign, guided in by Kuznetsov and Ovechkin. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Orpik, Ovechkin, and Kuznetsov.

Further to the south, the Florida Panthers welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson is mismatched with Roberto Luongo in goal. Winnipeg started with a Nikolaj Ehlers power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Dustin Byfuglien and Mathieu Perreault. Florida tied it in the second period with a Jaromir Jagr goal, his nineteenth of the year, made possible by Dmitry Kulikov and Jussi Jokinen. The Panthers took the lead in the third period with a Reilly Smith power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Kulikov. Florida iced it at 3-1 with a Jagr goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, passed from Jokinen. The three stars went to Jagr, Kulikov, and Jokinen.

West to Dallas, with the Stars bringing in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Kari Lehtonen are the Finnish goalies. Dallas opened in the first period with an Ales Hemsky goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jason Demers and Jamie Benn. Boston tied it on a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, courtesy of Brett Connolly and Patrice Bergeron. The Stars took the lead back with an Antoine Roussel goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Johnny Oduya and Cody Eakin. Dallas added on with a Patrick Sharp goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Roussel and Demers. The Bruins got one back with a Marchand power play goal in the second period, his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, powered by Joe Morrow and Zdeno Chara. Boston tied it with a Kevan Miller goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Dennis Seidenberg. The Bruins pulled ahead with a Loui Eriksson goal, his twenty-first of the season, fueled by David Krejci and Seidenberg. Boston extended the lead as Krejci scored his fourteenth of the year on the power play, with the help of Torey Krug and Matt Beleskey. The Bruins padded the lead on an empty net goal by Connolly, his eighth of the season, set up by Bergeron and Marchand. Boston finished it at 7-3 with a Beleskey power play goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Morrow and Chara. The three stars went to Marchand, Krejci, and Roussel, while Demers, Bergeron, Connolly, Morrow, Chara, and Beleskey get the honorable mentions

Northeast to Nashville, where the Predators host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Pekka Rinne are the masked men. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Jake Muzzin goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Dwight King and Nick Shore. Nashville tied it on a Ryan Ellis power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by James Neal. The Kings won 2-1 in overtime with a Tanner Pearson goal, his eighth of the campaign, assisted by Alec Martinez. The three stars were Quick (33 for 34 in saves), Pearson, and Muzzin.

Out west, the Arizona Coyotes welcome the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Louis Domingue are the solid goalies. Arizona began in the first period with a Shane Doan goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Brad Richardson and Michael Stone. St. Louis tied it on a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Alexander Steen. The Blues took the lead with a Steen goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by David Backes and Joel Edmundson. St. Louis added on with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Tarasenko and Colton Parayko. The Blues extended the lead as Carl Gunnarsson scored his second of the season, thanks to Robby Fabbri and Troy Brouwer. The Coyotes got one back with a Kevin Connauton goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Arizona got closer in the third period with a Max Domi goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Connauton. St. Louis replied with a Patrick Berglund goal, his fifth of the year, via Scottie Upshall and Parayko. The Coyotes chipped back on a Domi goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Connauton and Stone. The Blues iced it at 6-4 with a Backes empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Tarasenko, Domi, and Connauton, while Stone, Steen, Backes, and Parayko get the honorable mentions.

Up in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Cam Talbot are the weak goalies. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Taylor Hall goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Leon Draisaitl and Teddy Purcell. Colorado tied it with a John Mitchell goal, his ninth of the year, via Blake Comeau and Tyson Barrie. The Avalanche took the lead in the second period with a Barrie goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Jarome Iginla and Matt Duchene. Colorado added on in the third period with a Barrie goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, assisted by Alex Tanguay and Gabriel Landeskog. The Oilers got one back with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, with assists from Jordan Eberle and Connor McDavid. The final was 3-2, with the three stars going to Barrie, Mitchell, and Pickard (25 for 27 in saves).

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2015-16 NHL Season - Day 127

Five games on today as America's weekend-long celebration of hockey begins. The first game is...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Cam Ward make the starts in goal. Carolina led off in the first period with a Chris Terry goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Noah Hanifin and Riley Nash. San Jose tied it on a Brent Burns goal, his nineteenth of the year, made possible by Joel Ward and Matt Nieto. The Hurricanes took the lead back in the second period with a Joakim Nordstrom goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Jordan Staal and Brett Pesce. Carolina added on with a Jeff Skinner power play goal in the third period, his twentieth of the year, powered by Eric Staal and Kris Versteeg. The Sharks got one back with a Tomas Hertl goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Patrick Marleau. The Hurricanes replied with another Skinner goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, with a lone helper by Jaccob Slavin. Carolina iced it at 5-2 with a Jordan Staal empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Skinner, Jordan Staal, and Nordstrom.

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Cory Schneider guard the cages. New York opened in the first period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Nick Leddy and Matt Martin. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars given to Halak (27 save shutout), Cizikas, and Schneider (23 for 24 in saves).

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets host the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Joonas Korpisalo are the underrated goalies. Buffalo began in the first period with a Jamie McGinn power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Jack Eichel and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres added on with a shorthanded David Legwand goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Buffalo extended the lead as McGinn scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, with the help of Zemgus Girgensons and Eichel in the third period. The Sabres padded the lead with a Sam Reinhart goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Evander Kane. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars being McGinn, Lehner (35 save shutout), and Eichel.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Mike Condon are given the starting nods. Montreal started in the first period with a Dale Weise goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Andrei Markov and P.K. Subban. Philadelphia tied it on a Nick Cousins goal, his third of the year, via R.J. Umberger and Evgeny Medvedev. The Flyers took the lead in the third period with a Michael Raffl goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Shayne Gostisbehere and Scott Laughton. The Canadiens retied it with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Subban and Weise. In the shootout, Cousins was matched by Pacioretty, and then a Paul Byron tally gave the Canadiens the 3-2 win. The three stars went to Pacioretty, Weise, and Subban, while Cousins gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Jonas Hiller are the mediocre goalies. Calgary drew first blood in the first period with a Joe Colborne goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Mikael Backlund and T.J. Brodie. Vancouver tied it on an Adam Cracknell goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Jannik Hansen. The Canucks took the lead with an unassisted Jake Virtanen goal, his fourth of the season. The Flames retied it in the second period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Colborne and Michael Frolik. Calgary took the lead on Frolik's tenth of the season, helped along by Brodie and Matt Stajan. The Flames added on with a Mark Giordano goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Brodie, who got a sock trick, and Johnny Gaudreau. Calgary iced it at 5-2 with a Josh Jooris goal in the third period, his fourth of the campaign, assisted by Lance Bouma and Jakub Nakladal. The three stars went to Frolik, Brodie, and Colborne, while Backlund gets an honorable mention.

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Thursday, February 18, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 126

Eleven games on for today, beginning in...

New York, as the Islanders host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Thomas Greiss are the goalies. New York began in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-second of the season, with a lone assist by Nick Leddy. Washington tied it in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, coming off of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Justin Williams. The Capitals took the lead with an Ovechkin power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-seventh of the season, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie. The Islanders tied it in the third period with a Frans Nielsen goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Kyle Okposo and Travis Hamonic. Washington won 3-2 with a Williams power play goal in overtime, his nineteenth of the campaign, helped along by John Carlson and Matt Niskanen. The three stars were Ovechkin, Williams, and Nielsen.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Ben Lovejoy goal, his third of the season, passed from Patric Hornqvist and Matt Cullen. Detroit tied it on a Tomas Jurco goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Gustav Nyquist and Andreas Athanasiou. The Penguins took the lead with a Cullen goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Hornqvist and Trevor Daley. The Red Wings retied it in the second period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Luke Glendening and Kyle Quincey. Pittsburgh retook the lead with a Phil Kessel goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz. The Penguins added on with a Scott Wilson goal, helped along by Conor Sheary and Derrick Pouliot. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Kessel scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, with helpers from Olli Maatta and Kunitz. Detroit got one back with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Justin Abdelkader and Pavel Datsyuk. The Penguins finished it at 6-3 with a Crosby empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, set up by Kris Letang. The three stars went to Kessel, Cullen, and Crosby, while Hornqvist and Kunitz get the honorable mentions.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack and Craig Anderson draw the starts in goal. Ottawa struck first in the first period with an Alex Chiasson goal, his fourth of the season, via Curtis Lazar and Nick Paul. Carolina tied it on a Jordan Staal goal, his fourteenth of the year, made possible by Joakim Nordstrom and John-Michael Liles. The Senators took the lead back with a Zack Smith goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, helped along by Chris Neil and Erik Karlsson. The Hurricanes tied it on a Riley Nash power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Victor Rask. Ottawa took the lead back with a Cody Ceci goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone helper of Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Senators iced it at 4-2 with a Mark Stone goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, an empty net goal set up by Karlsson and Anderson. The three stars belonged to Karlsson, Anderson (30 for 32 in saves), and Ceci.

South to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the mediocre goalies. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Victor Hedman goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by J.T. Brown. The Lightning added on with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Alex Killorn. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Steven Stamkos scored his twenty-third of the season, with the help of Ryan Callahan and Andrej Sustr. Winnipeg got on the board with a Tyler Myers goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, via Anthony Peluso and Adam Lowry. The Lightning replied with a Killorn goal in the third period, his tenth of the season, helped along by Callahan. The Jets got one back with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Jacob Trouba. Winnipeg pulled closer on a shorthanded goal from Andrew Ladd, his fourteenth of the season, set up by Joel Armia. The Jets tied it on a Ladd goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, coming off of Scheifele. Winnipeg gained the lead with a Mathieu Perreault power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. Tampa Bay retied it on an unassisted Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-fourth of the year. In the shootout, Callahan and Ladd exchanged goals, and then Stamkos won it for the Lightning, with a 6-5 final. The three stars went to Ladd, Stamkos, and Killorn, while Callahan and Scheifele get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and Jonathan Bernier are the backups in goal. Toronto started in the first period with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Martin Marincin and Viktor Loov. New York tied it on a Derick Brassard power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Keith Yandle and J.T. Miller in the second period. The Rangers took the lead with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Derek Stepan and Miller. The Maple Leafs retied it with a Colin Greening goal in the third period, assisted by Brad Boyes and Mark Arcobello. New York retook the lead with a Stepan goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Zuccarello and Miller, the latter getting a sock trick. The Rangers iced it at 4-2 with a Brassard empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, set up by Zuccarello. The three stars went to Zuccarello, Miller, and Stepan, while Brassard gets an honorable mention.

South again to Florida, where the Panthers bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Al Montoya are given the starting nods. Florida dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Jaromir Jagr goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Vincent Trocheck and Reilly Smith. San Jose tied it on a Logan Couture goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. In the shootout, Joonas Donskoi and Pavelski gave the Sharks a 2-1 win over a lone tally by Nick Bjugstad. The three stars were handed to Pavelski, Jones (19 for 20 in saves), and Montoya (17 for 18 in saves).

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Brian Elliott man the creases. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with a Robby Fabbri power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Jori Lehtera and Colton Parayko. Los Angeles tied it in the third period on a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty. The Blues won 2-1 in overtime with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Elliott (34 for 35 in saves), Schwartz, and Fabbri.

Back over in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Pekka Rinne are the Finnish goalies. Boston led off in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Filip Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro. The Predators added on with a Forsberg goal, his twentieth of the year, via Mattias Ekholm and Ribeiro. This was it for the scoring, with the three stars given to Forsberg, Rinne (29 save shutout), and Ribeiro.

Northwest to Edmonton, with the Oilers bringing in the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Cam Talbot are in the blue paint. Minnesota began in the first period with a Jason Pominville power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Mikael Granlund and Thomas Vanek. Edmonton tied it on a Connor McDavid goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Benoit Pouliot and Jordan Eberle. The Wild took the lead with a Matt Dumba power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu. The Oilers tied it again with an unassisted Nail Yakupov goal, his fifth of the year. Minnesota took the lead again in the second period with a Vanek goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Koivu and Mike Reilly. The Wild added on with a Granlund goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Dumba and Reilly. Minnesota finished it at 5-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Charlie Coyle, his eighteenth of the campaign. The three stars went to Vanek, Dumba, and Granlund, while Koivu and Reilly get the honorable mentions.

Far to the south, the Arizona Coyotes host the Dallas Stars. Antti Niemi and Louis Domingue receive the starts in goal. Dallas got started in the first period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by Patrick Sharp and Jamie Benn. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Max Domi goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Anthony Duclair and Martin Hanzal. The Stars retook the lead with a Benn power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Jason Spezza and Seguin. The Coyotes tied it again with a Michael Stone goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Domi and Duclair. Arizona took the lead with a Domi goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, made possible by Duclair, who got a sock trick. The Coyotes extended the lead in the second period as Hanzal scored his tenth of the year on the power play, with the help of Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Dallas responded with an Ales Hemsky goal, his eighth of the season, via Johnny Oduya and Spezza. Arizona answered with a Tyler Gaudet goal, helped along by Kyle Chipchura and Klas Dahlbeck. The Coyotes finished it at 6-3 with an Antoine Vermette empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Mikkel Boedker and Zbynek Michalek. The three stars went to Domi, Duclair, and Hanzal, while Seguin, Benn, and Spezza get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Ryan Miller are the American goalies. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Sami Vatanen and Mike Santorelli. The Ducks added on with a Vatanen power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. Anaheim extended the lead in the third period with an unassisted Getzlaf goal, his seventh of the season. The Ducks padded the lead as Josh Manson scored his third of the year, thanks to Rakell. Vancouver got on the board with a Jannik Hansen goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Daniel Sedin. The Canucks pulled closer with a Ben Hutton power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. Anaheim iced it at 5-2 with a Kevin Bieksa empty net goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Ryan Kesler. The three stars went to Rakell, Getzlaf, and Vatanen, while Daniel Sedin gets an honorable mention.

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201516 KHL Season - Day 143 (Regular Season Finale)

This is it on the regular season for the KHL. Starting soon, there will be playoffs. For today, every team is in action. We begin with...

Amur Khabarovsk hosting Admiral Vladivostok. Evgeny Alikin and Ivan Nalimov are the goalies. Vladivostok opened in the first period with a Konstantin Makarov goal, coming off of Alexander Kuznetsov and Artyom Podshendyalov. Admiral added on with an Alexander Gorshkov power play goal, powered by Geoffrey Kinrade and Artyom Zemchyonok. Khabarovsk got on the board in the second period with a Vyacheslav Ushenin goal, via Vladislav Ushenin. Vladivostok iced it at 3-1 in the third period with a David Booth empty net goal, set up by Makarov. The three stars went to Makarov, Nalimov (30 for 31 in saves), and Gorshkov.

West to Omsk, with Avangard welcoming Barys Astana. Jan Laco and Denis Kostin man the nets. Omsk led off in the first period with an Alexei Glukhov goal, via Ivan Fishchenko and Anton Burdasov. Avangard added on with an Artur Lauta power play goal, powered by Ilya Zubov and Andrei Pervyshin. Astana got on the board with a Roman Starchenko goal, coming off of Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev. Barys tied it in the second period on a Brandon Bochenski power play goal, guided in by Nigel Dawes and Kevin Dallman. In the shootout, Yury Petrov had Avangard's goal, but he was topped by two tallies from Starchenko for a 3-2 Barys win. The three stars went to Starchenko, Bochenski, and Kostin (33 for 35 in saves).

Back east, Sibir Novosibirsk brings in Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Ivan Starostin and Alexander Salak receive the starting nods. Novosibirsk began in the first period with an Oleg Gubin goal, assisted by Ivan Vereshchagin and Vladislav Naumov on the power play. Sibir added on in the third period with a Sergei Shumakov goal, courtesy of Stepan Sannikov. Novosibirsk extended the lead as Tomas Vincour scored, thanks to David Ullstrom and Calle Ridderwall. This made it a 3-0 final, with the three stars awarded to Salak (27 save shutout), Gubin, and Shumakov.

Westward to Khanty-Mansiysk, where Yugra hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Yegor Nazarov and Georgy Gelashvili make the starts in goal. Chelyabinsk started in the first period with a Vyacheslav Osnovin goal, passed from Dmitry Pestunov. Traktor added on in the second period with an Alexander Sharov goal, assisted by Semyon Afonasyevsky and Artyom Borodkin. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with a Mikhail Mamkin goal, made possible by Ivan Yatsenko and Grigory Zheldakov. Yugra tied it on a Konstantin Panov goal, fueled by Vitaly Sitnikov and Mamkin. Chelyabinsk took the lead back with a Filip Novak power play goal, powered by Alexei Kruchinin and Maxim Yakutsenya. Traktor extended the lead in the third period as Anton Glinkin scored an unassisted goal. Chelyabinsk padded the lead as Deron Quint scored, with the help of Yakutsenya and Andrei Popov. Khanty-Mansiysk pulled back with two Igor Bortnikov goals, both going in unassisted. Traktor replied with an Osnovin goal, helped along by Pestunov and Glinkin. Chelyabinsk iced it at 7-4 with a Popov empty net goal, set up by Novak. The three stars belonged to Osnovin, Glinkin, and Bortnikov, while Pestunov, Mamkin, Novak, Yakutsenya, and Popov get the honorable mentions.

Next up, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Ilya Samsonov and Jakub Kovar are in the blue paint. Yekaterinburg struck first in the first period with a Sergei Yemelin goal, guided in by Kirill Knyazev. Avtomobilist added on with an Alexei Mikhnov goal, passed from Alexei Simakov and Anatoly Golyshev. Magnitogorsk got on the board with a third period goal by Wojtek Wolski, assisted by Tomas Filippi and Alexei Bereglazov. Metallurg tied it on a Jan Kovar goal, helped along by Danis Zaripov and Alexander Semin on the power play. In the shootout, Zaripov's two tallies topped one from Kirill Polozov, putting Metallurg at a 3-2 win. The three stars belonged to Zaripov, Kovar, and Wolski.

Moving along, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk brings in Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg and Alexander Sudnitsin tend the twines. Nizhnekamsk was first to score in the first period with a Jeff Taffe power play goal, powered by Mikhail Zhukov and Marek Kvapil. Ufa tied it on a Zakhar Arzamastsev goal, via Linus Omark. Neftekhimik retook the lead with a Dan Sexton goal, assisted by Yegor Milovzorov and Igor Polygalov. Salavat Yulaev tied it again on a Maxim Mayorov, fueled by Denis Bodrov and Teemu Hartikainen. Ufa took the lead with a third period Igor Grigorenko goal, passed from Omark on the power play. Salavat Yulaev capped it at 4-2 with a shorthanded empty net goal from Anton Lazarev, set up by Maxim Goncharov. The three stars were handed to Grigorenko, Omark, and Svedberg (39 for 41 in saves).

A bit west, Ak Bars Kazan hosts Lada Togliatti. Ivan Kasutin is mismatched with Stanislav Galimov in goal. Kazan led off in the first period with an Oscar Moller power play goal, powered by Fyodor Malykhin and Mikhail Varnakov. Ak Bars added on with another Moller goal, coming off of Yakov Rylov and Justin Azevedo. Togliatti got on the board with a Stanislav Bocharov goal, helped along by Igor Magogin in the second period. Kazan replied in the third period with a power play goal by Igor Mirnov, with a lone assist from Rylov. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Moller, Galimov (16 for 17 in saves), and Rylov.

North to Yaroslavl, where Lokomotiv welcomes Slovan Bratislava. Michael Garnett and Alexei Murygin guard the cages. Yaroslavl drew first blood in the first period with a Denis Mosalyov goal, with a lone assist by Vladislav Kartayev. Bratislava tied it in the second period with a Michel Miklik power play goal, going in unassisted. Lokomotiv took the lead with an Alexander Polunin goal, passed from Ilya Lyubushkin and Yegor Korshkov. Yaroslavl added on with a Stanislav Chistov goal, assisted by Dmitry Maltsev. Lokomotiv extended the lead in the third period with a shorthanded Korshkov goal, set up by Pavel Kraskovsky. Yaroslavl padded the lead as Kraskovsky scored, thanks to Korshkov and Polunin. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars given to Korshkov, Kraskovsky, and Polunin.

Down in Sochi, the Leopards bring in Medvescak Zagreb. Gasper Kroselj and Konstantin Barulin occupy the creases. Zagreb began in the first period with a Nathan Perkovich goal, passed from Andreas Jamtin. Sochi tied it on an unassisted shorthanded goal by Evgeny Skachkov in the second period. Medvescak retook the lead with an Ilya Arkalov goal, coming off of Mike Glumac and Thomas Larkin. The Leopards tied it with another Skachkov goal, going in unassisted. Sochi took the lead with a Mikhail Anisin goal, made possible by Max Warn and Pyotr Schastlivy. The Leopards added on with an Igor Ignatushkin goal, via Ivan Glazkov and Andrei Kostitsyn. Sochi extended the lead in the third period with a Ziyat Paigin power play goal, powered by Renat Mamashev and Ilya Krikunov. Zagreb got one back as Jamtin scored a power play goal, with the help of Radek Smolenak and Blake Parlett. Medvescak pulled closer with an unassisted Simon Gysbers goal. The Leopards iced it at 6-4 on a Kostitsyn empty net goal, set up by Krikunov and Mamashev. The three stars went to Skachkov, Jamtin, and Kostitsyn, while Mamashev and Krikunov get the honorable mentions.

Into Moscow, where CSKA hosts crosstown rival Dynamo. Alexander Yeryomenko and Ilya Sorokin are the masked men. CSKA opened in the first period with an Alexander Radulov goal, courtesy of Andrei Svetlakov. Dynamo tied it with an Alexander Osipov power play goal, powered by Maxim Pestushko. Dynamo took the lead in the second period with an Ivan Igumnov goal, passed from Mat Robinson and Denis Barantsev. Dynamo added on in the third period with an Andrei Mironov power play goal, made possible by Artyom Fyodorov and Alexei Tsvetkov. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars named as Yeryomenko (33 for 34 in saves), Igumnov, and Mironov.

Continuing to Cherepovets, where Severstal welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Igor Saprykin and Stepan Goryachevskikh are the goalies. Cherepovets got going in the second period with a Pavel Chernov goal, assisted by Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Igor Skorokhodov. Podolsk tied it on a Roman Horak goal, via Dmitry Shitikov. Severstal took the lead with a Kagarlitsky power play goal, powered by Ilya Khokhlov and Chernov. Vityaz tied it with an Igor Musatov goal, guided in by Pavel Lukin and Maxim Afinogenov. Podolsk took the lead in the third period with an Anton Korolyov goal, passed from Viktor Drugov. Vityaz added on with an Afinogenov penalty shot goal, which he received after being tripped by Anton Sizov. The final rested at 4-2 for Vityaz, with the three stars going to Afinogenov, Chernov, and Kagarlitsky.

Into Finland, where Jokerit Helsinki brings in Spartak Moscow. Denis Sinyagin and Riku Helenius are backups in goal. Moscow started in the first period with a Sergei Shmelyov goal, assisted by Vyacheslav Leshchenko and Casey Wellman. Spartak added on with an Alexander Vasilyev goal, courtesy of Matthew Gilroy and Lukas Radil. Helsinki got on the board with a second period Pascal Pelletier power play goal, powered by Brandon Kozun and Peter Regin. Moscow replied with a Charles Genoway goal, made possible by Vasilyev and Radil. Jokerit answered in the third period with a Ville Lajunen goal, fueled by Niko Kapanen and Niklas Hagman. Spartak iced it at 4-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Vasilyev. The three stars went to Vasilyev, Radil, and Genoway.

Out to Belarus, with Dinamo Minsk welcoming Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ilya Proskuryakov and Dmitry Milchakov are between the pipes. Nizhny Novgorod struck first in the first period with a Linus Videll power play goal, powered by Vladimir Galuzin and Maxim Osipov. Minsk tied it on a Paul Szczechura goal in the second period, helped along by Evgeny Nogachyov and Konstantin Koltsov. Torpedo took the lead back in the third period with an Alexei Sopin goal, via Sergei Kostitsyn and Evgeny Mozer. Dinamo tied it again with a Jonathan Cheechoo power play goal, with assists provided by Charles Linglet and Matt Ellison. In the shootout, Kostitsyn was topped by Cheechoo and Ellison for a 3-2 Dinamo win. The three stars belonged to Cheechoo, Ellison, and Kostitsyn.

Finally, the regular season comes to a close with Dinamo Riga bringing in SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Jakub Sedlacek protect the nets. Riga was first to score in the first period with a Gints Meija power play goal, powered by Miks Indrasis and Gunars Skvorcovs. Dinamo added on with an Andris Dzerins shorthanded goal, set up by Mikelis Redlihs and Guntis Galvins. St. Petersburg got on board in the second period with a Vadim Shipachyov goal, with a lone assist by Maxim Chudinov on the power play. Riga replied with a Redlihs power play goal, coming off of Kristaps Sotnieks. SKA pulled back on a Pavel Buchnevich goal, helped along by Sergei Shirokov. Dinamo finished it at 4-2 with a Kaspars Saulietis empty net goal, made possible by Nikolajs Jelisejevs. The three stars went to Redlihs, Dzerins, and Sedlacek (43 for 45 in saves).

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Wednesday, February 17, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 125

Three games tonight, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. Chicago led off in the first period with an Andrew Desjardins goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Teuvo Teravainen and Niklas Hjalmarsson. The Blackhawks added on in the second period with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Erik Gustafsson and Michal Rozsival. New York got on the board with a Kevin Hayes goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone assist by Oscar Lindberg. The Rangers tied it in the third period with a Derick Brassard power play goal, his twentieth of the year, courtesy of Keith Yandle and Chris Kreider. New York took the lead with a Dan Boyle power play goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Hayes and J.T. Miller. Chicago retied it as Andrew Shaw scored a power play goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Teravainen and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Panarin power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by Patrick Kane and Brent Seabrook. Chicago iced it at 5-3 with a Panarin empty net goal, his twenty-second of the year, set up by Duncan Keith. The three stars went to Panarin, Hayes, and Teravainen.

Out in Colorado, the Avalanche welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Ben Scrivens is mismatched with Semyon Varlamov. Montreal began in the first period with an Andrei Markov goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Tomas Plekanec and Brendan Gallagher. Colorado tied it in the second period with a shorthanded Erik Johnson, his ninth of the year, set up by Gabriel Landeskog. The Canadiens retook the lead with a Lars Eller goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Max Pacioretty and Sven Andrighetto. The Avalanche tied it again with a Jarome Iginla power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Tyson Barrie and Matt Duchene. Colorado took the lead with another Iginla goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Mikhail Grigorenko and Duchene. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars belonging to Iginla, Duchene, and Varlamov (32 for 34 in saves).

Finally, the Calgary Flames bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Jonas Hiller are the struggling goalies. Minnesota drew first blood in the first period with an Erik Haula goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Jason Pominville and Nino Niederreiter. The Wild added on with a Jason Zucker shorthanded goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Nate Prosser. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period as Ryan Suter scored a power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Zach Parise and Mikael Granlund. Calgary got on the board with a Deryk Engelland goal, helped along by Johnny Gaudreau and T.J. Brodie. The Flames got closer with a David Jones goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Matt Stajan and Micheal Ferland. The Wild answered with a Pominville goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Haula and Niederreiter. Calgary pulled back with a Mikael Backlund goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, a power play goal helped along by Brodie and Sam Bennett. Minnesota iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Charlie Coyle, his seventeenth of the campaign, assisted by Parise and Mikko Koivu. The three stars went to Pominville, Haula, and Parise, while Niederreiter and Brodie get the honorable mentions.

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Tuesday, February 16, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 124

Eight games on for tonight, beginning in...

Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Eddie Lack receive the starts in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Jordan Staal power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Riley Nash. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Nash power play goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Noah Hanifin and Lindholm. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Jacob Trouba and Tyler Myers. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Nash, Lindholm, and Lack (20 for 21 in saves).

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Cory Schneider are the reliable goalies. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Tyler Kennedy power play goal, powered by John Moore and Reid Boucher. Philadelphia tied it on a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Brayden Schenn and Claude Giroux. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with a Schenn power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Wayne Simmonds and Giroux. The Devils tied it in the third period with a Jordin Tootoo goal, his fourth of the season, via Seth Helgeson. Philadelphia regained the lead with a Simmonds power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, with helpers from Schenn and Giroux, the latter getting a sock trick. The Flyers added on with a Nick Cousins goal, his second of the season, helped along by R.J. Umberger and Ryan White. Philadelphia extended the lead as Jakub Voracek scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Umberger. New Jersey countered with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-first of the season, with a lone assist by David Schlemko. The Flyers answered with a White empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The game ended 6-3 after this final flurry, with the three stars being Schenn, Giroux, and Simmonds, while Umberger gets an honorable mention.

Over in DC, the Washington Capitals host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Philipp Grubauer draw the starts. Los Angeles started in the first period with an Anze Kopitar shorthanded goal, his seventeenth of the season, set up by Dustin Brown and Drew Doughty. Washington tied it in the second period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Dmitry Orlov and Brooks Orpik. The Capitals took the lead in the third period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Justin Williams and Burakovsky. Washington iced it at 3-1 with a Jason Chimera empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Marcus Johansson and Karl Alzner. The three stars went to Burakovsky, Grubauer (39 for 40 in saves), and Kuznetsov.

West to Columbus, with the Blue Jackets bringing in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Joonas Korpisalo are the Finnish goalies. Columbus was first to score in the first period with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his sixth of the season, coming on a penalty shot resulting in a hooking call on Zdeno Chara. Boston tied it on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a Loui Eriksson goal, his twentieth of the campaign, assisted by Torey Krug and David Krejci. The three stars were Eriksson, Rask (28 for 29 in saves), and Chara.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators host the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Craig Anderson are the solid goalies. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Matt Moulson goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Jack Eichel and Zemgus Girgensons. Ottawa tied it with a Ryan Dzingel goal, courtesy of Patrick Wiercioch and Chris Wideman. The Senators won 2-1 in the shootout, with tallies by Kyle Turris and Bobby Ryan. The three stars went to Anderson (38 for 39 in saves), Dzingel, and Lehner (25 for 26 in saves).

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Ben Bishop are the masked men. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Ryan Callahan goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Alex Killorn and Andrej Sustr. San Jose tied it in the second period with a Joel Ward goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Matt Nieto. The Sharks took the lead with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Joe Thornton and Tomas Hertl. The Lightning tied it with a Cedric Paquette goal, his third of the year, via J.T. Brown. San Jose took the lead in the third period with a Nieto goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Patrick Marleau and Ward. The Sharks added on with a Melker Karlsson goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist from Thornton. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Nieto, Ward, and Thornton.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Brian Elliott are the veterans in goal. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his second of the season, via Colton Parayko and Carl Gunnarsson. Dallas tied it with a Mattias Janmark goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Valeri Nichushkin and Alex Goligoski. The Blues won 2-1 in overtime with a Kevin Shattenkirk power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, powered by Paul Stastny and Alexander Steen. The three stars belonged to Shattenkirk, Schwartz, and Elliott (21 for 22 in saves).

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Cam Talbot play in the blue paint. Anaheim drew first blood in the first period with a David Perron power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Sami Vatanen. Edmonton tied it on a second period goal by Leon Draisaitl, his fifteenth of the year, coming on the power play from Lauri Korpikoski and Justin Schultz. The Ducks took the lead on a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Ryan Kesler. The Oilers tied it again with a Taylor Hall goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Jordan Eberle and Connor McDavid. Anaheim took the lead in the third period with a Hampus Lindholm goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Rickard Rakell. The Ducks added on with a shorthanded empty net goal by Andrew Cogliano, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Edmonton got one back with a Benoit Pouliot power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Mark Letestu and Andrej Sekera. Anaheim iced it at 5-3 with a Corey Perry empty net goal, his twenty-third of the year, set up by the goalie Andersen. The three stars went to Lindholm, Cogliano, and Silfverberg.

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2015/16 KHL Season - Day 142

This is the first of the two days with all teams in action for the grand finale of the KHL regular season. The games end on Thursday. We start in...

The Far East, as Amur Khabarovsk hosts Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Alexander Pechursky man the nets. Khabarovsk was first to score in the first period with a Nikolai Skladnichenko power play goal, powered by Evgeny Kurbatov and Nikita Cherepanov. Amur added on with a Niclas Bergfors power play goal in the second period, assisted by Kurbatov and Vyacheslav Ushenin. Khabarovsk extended the lead as Rinat Ibragimov scored, thanks to Alexei Byvaltsev. Vladivostok got on the board with a Kirill Voronin goal, guided in by Alexander Gorshkov. This only made it 3-1, with the three stars going to Pechursky (45 for 46 in saves), Kurbatov, and Bergfors.

Over in Omsk, Avangard welcomes Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Dominik Furch guard the cages. Omsk got going in the third period with an Ilya Zubov goal, coming off of Alexander Perezhogin and Martin Erat. Avangard added on with a Zubov goal, his second of the game, with a lone assist by Erat. Novosibirsk got on the board with a Maxim Ignatovich goal, fueled by Stepan Sannikov. Sibir tied it with a Calle Ridderwall goal, via Oleg Gubin and Ignatovich. In the shootout, David Ullstrom scored to win it 3-2 for Sibir. The three stars went to Zubov, Ignatovich, and Erat.

Into Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev brings in Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Ivan Starostin and Vladimir Sokhatsky draw the starts in goal. Ufa began in the first period with a Nikolai Prokhorkin power play goal, powered by Ivan Vishnevsky. Novokuznetsk tied it on an Alexander Komaristy goal, fueled by Fyodor Polishchuk and Kirill Kaprizov. Salavat Yulaev took the lead back with a Maxim Mayorov goal, passed from Denis Bodrov and Teemu Hartikainen. Ufa got closer with a Prokhorkin goal in the second period, his second of the game, assisted by Vishnevsky and Hartikainen on the power play. Metallurg answered with a Pavel Makarenko goal, courtesy of Timur Fatkullin and Kirill Semyonov. Novokuznetsk tied it with a Semyonov goal in the third period, made possible by Grigory Glebov and Dmitry Starchenko. Metallurg took the lead with a Polishchuk power play goal, with a lone helper from Komaristy. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Polishchuk, Komaristy, and Prokhorkin, while Vishnevsky, Semyonov, and Hartikainen get the honorable mentions.

Next up, Metallurg Magnitogorsk hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vasily Demchenko faces a lesser foe in Ilya Samsonov in goal. Chelyabinsk struck first in the first period with an Alexander Rybakov, helped along by Danil Gubarev. This held up for a 1-0 win, with the three stars given to Rybakov, Demchenko (31 save shutout), and Samsonov (28 for 29 in saves).

Up in Yekaterinburg, Avtomobilist welcomes Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Vladislav Fokin and Igor Ustinsky are the goalies. Yekaterinburg led off in the first period with an Artyom Gareyev goal, passed from Dmitry Megalinsky. Avtomobilist added on with an Alexei Mikhnov goal, coming off of Petr Koukal and Alexei Vasilevsky on the power play. Yekaterinburg extended the lead in the second period with as Kirill Knyazev scored an unassisted goal. This made it 3-0, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Ustinsky (23 save shutout), Gareyev, and Mikhnov.

West a bit to Togliatti, where Lada brings in Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Edgars Masalskis are in goal. Nizhnekamsk opened in the first period with an Igor Volkov goal, coming off of Evgeny Ryasensky. Neftekhimik added on with a Dan Sexton power play goal, powered by Andrei Sergeyev and Igor Polygalov. Togliatti got on the board with a Dmitry Vorobyov goal, with a lone assist by Georgy Belousov. Lada tied it on an Alexei Mastryukov goal, helped along by Evgeny Belokhvostikov and Anton Shenfeld. Nizhnekamsk retook the lead with an unassisted Sexton goal in the second period. Neftekhimik extended the lead on Yegor Milozorov goal, going in unassisted. Togliatti got one back in the third period with a Stanislav Bocharov goal, guided in by Vasily Streltsov and Belokhvostikov. Nizhnekamsk padded their lead with a pair of similar goals, both scored by Bogdan Yakimov with assists provided by Ryasensky and Volkov, the former earning a sock trick. The three stars went to Yakimov, Volkov, and Ryasensky, while Belokhvostikov gets an honorable mention.

Continuing along, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod hosts Severstal Cherepovets. Roman Smiryagin and Mikhail Biryukov occupy the creases. Cherepovets started in the first period with an unassisted goal from Ondrej Nemec. Severstal added on with a Dmitry Moiseyev, coming off of Artyom Vorobyov. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board with an Alexander Budkin goal in the second period, passed from Kaspars Daugavins and Yury Sergiyenko. Torpedo tied it on an Artyom Alyayev power play goal, powered by Daugavins and Dmitry Semin. Cherepovets retook the lead with a Pavel Chernov power play goal, assisted by Igor Skorokhodov and Ilya Khokhlov. Severstal extended the lead as Maxim Trunyov scored in the third period, with the help of Anatoly Nikontsev. Nizhny Novgorod got one back with an Igor Rudenkov goal, made possible by Sergiyenko and Denis Shurakov. Torpedo tied it again with a Nikolai Zherdev goal, helped along by Daugavins, who got a sock trick, and Alexander Frolov. Cherepovets won 5-4 in overtime on a Nemec power play goal, his second of the game, fueled by Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Skorokhodov. The three stars went to Nemec, Daugavins, and Skorokhodov, while Sergiyenko gets an honorable mention.

A little west to Yaroslavl, with Lokomotiv welcoming Medvescak. Gasper Kroselj and Vitaly Kolesnik receive the starting nods in goal. Zagreb struck first in the first period with an Alexandre Bolduc goal, made possible by Patrick Bjorkstrand. Yaroslavl tied it on a Jiri Novotny goal, passed from Staffan Kronwall and Yegor Averin. Lokomotiv took the lead with a Stanislav Chistov goal, assisted by Pavel Koledov and Andrei Loktionov. Medvescak tied it in the third period with a Mike Glumac goal, helped along by Stefano Giliati. Yaroslavl retook the lead with a Denis Mosalyov goal, guided in by Patrik Hersley and Sergei Konkov. Lokomotiv added on with an Averin empty net goal, set up by Daniil Apalkov. This produced the 4-2 final, with the three stars handed to Averin, Mosalyov, and Chistov.

Down in Kazan, Ak Bars brings in Barys Astana. Pavel Poluektov and Stanislav Galimov protect the nets. Kazan led off in the first period with a Justin Azevedo shorthanded goal, going in unassisted. Ak Bars added on with a Fyodor Malykhin goal, guided in by Mikhail Varnakov and Mikhail Sidorov. Jan Laco replaced Poluektov in goal. Kazan extended the lead as Artyom Lukoyanov scored, thanks to Mattias Sjogren and Vladimir Tkachyov. Ak Bars padded the lead in the second period with another Malykhin goal, courtesy of Dmitry Obukhov and Ryan Wilson. Astana got on the board with a Dustin Boyd power play goal, powered by Nigel Dawes and Brandon Bochenski. Barys got closer with a Roman Starchenko goal, with a lone assist by Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev. Kazan shot back with a Vasily Tokranov goal, passed from Alexander Svitov. This made it 5-2, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Malykhin, Lukoyanov, and Galimov (36 for 38 in saves).

Into Moscow, where CSKA hosts Vityaz Podolsk. Igor Saprykin and Viktor Fasth man the nets. Podolsk opened in the first period with a Nikita Vyglazov goal, passed from Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi and Ilya Davydov. Moscow tied it on a Nikita Zaitsev power play goal, powered by Alexander Radulov and Bogdan Kiselevich. Vityaz took the lead with a Roman Horak power play goal in the second period, with a lone helper by Pavel Lukin. Podolsk added on with an Anton Korolyov goal, guided in by Yegor Voronkov. CSKA got one back in the third period with an Artyom Blazhiyevsky goal, assisted by Sergei Andronov and Vladimir Zharkov. Vityaz iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Dmitry Shitikov, going in unassisted. The three stars were Korolyov, Horak, and Vyglazov.

North to Helsinki, where Jokerit welcomes SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Henrik Karlsson. Helsinki began in the first period with a Philip Larsen goal, assisted by Jesse Joensuu and Brandon Kozun. Jokerit added on with an Arturs Kulda goal, coming off of Juhamatti Aaltonen and Ville Lajunen. St. Petersburg got on the board with a Jarno Koskiranta goal, made possible by Sergei Shirokov and Yegor Yakovlev. Helsinki replied in the third period with an Aaltonen goal, helped along by Lajunen and Tim Kennedy. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars being Aaltonen, Karlsson (24 for 25 in saves), and Lajunen.

South to Sochi, with the Leopards bringing in Slovan Bratislava. Michael Garnett and Konstantin Barulin are the veteran goalies. Bratislava started in the first period with a Ladislav Nagy power play goal, powered by Cam Barker and Michal Sersen. Sochi tied it on a Denis Kazionov shorthanded goal in the second period, going in unassisted. The Leopards took the lead with an Andre Petersson goal, assisted by Ben Maxwell on the power play. Sochi added on with another Petersson goal, made possible by Maxwell and Evgeny Skachkov. The Leopards extended the lead as Skachkov scored, with the help of Maxwell and Mikhail Anisin, the former getting a sock trick on the power play goal. Sochi padded the lead in the third period as Petersson finished his hat trick, thanks to Maxwell and Clay Wilson. Slovan got one back with a Pavol Skalicky goal, fueled by Sersen and Lukas Kaspar on the power play. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars being Petersson, Maxwell, and Skachkov, while Sersen receives an honorable mention.

Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk hosts Spartak Moscow. Denis Sinyagin and Jeff Glass have the green light to play goal. Moscow was first to score in the first period with a Dmitry Korobov goal, guided in by Evgeny Bodrov. Minsk tied it on a Matt Ellison goal, coming off of Jonathan Cheechoo and Alexei Kalyuzhny. Dinamo took the lead with a Sergei Drozd goal, with a lone assist by Charles Linglet. Spartak tied it on a Lukas Radil goal, made possible by Alexander Vasilyev. Moscow retook the lead with a Casey Wellman goal, via Vyacheslav Leshchenko and Sergei Shmelyov. Spartak added on in the second period with a Gleb Klimenko goal, fueled by Bodrov and Maxim Potapov. Dmitry Milchakov replaced Glass in goal. Moscow extended the lead as Korobov scored, thanks to Igor Levitsky and Artyom Voronin. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars handed to Korobov, Bodrov, and Wellman.

Finally, Dinamo Riga hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Jakub Sedlacek are the masked men. Riga dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Miks Indrasis goal, helped along by Oskars Cibulskis and Gunars Skvorcovs. This was the only goal in the game, carrying Dinamo to a 1-0 win. The three stars belonged to Indrasis, Sedlacek (25 save shutout), and Yeryomenko (16 for 17 in saves).

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