Saturday, March 5, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 142

It's a big day of games with eleven to play, including four matinees, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Robin Lehner are the goalies. Minnesota led off in the first period with a David Jones goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Ryan Carter and Marco Scandella. Buffalo tied it on a Johan Larsson power play goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Jack Eichel. The Sabres took the lead with an Eichel power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, with assists provided by Sam Reinhart and Cal O'Reilly. The Wild tied it in the third period with a Mikko Koivu power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Matt Dumba and Ryan Suter. In the shootout, Eichel was topped by Charlie Coyle and Jason Pominville as the Wild won 3-2. The three stars were Eichel, Koivu, and Dubnyk (30 for 32 in saves).

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Calgary Flames. Joni Ortio and Marc-Andre Fleury are set to start. Pittsburgh started with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, helped along by Patric Hornqvist and Carl Hagelin. Calgary tied it on a Joe Colborne goal, his eleventh of the year, via Sam Bennett and Jyrki Jokipakka. The Penguins took the lead with a second period Crosby goal, his twenty-eighth of the season and second of the game, Hornqvist and Brian Dumoulin. The Flames tied it as Mark Giordano scored his sixteenth of the year, thanks to Mikael Backlund and Josh Jooris. Calgary took the lead with a Backlund goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Dougie Hamilton. The Flames iced it at 4-2 with a Lance Bouma goal, his second of the year, coming off of Colborne and Deryk Engelland. The three stars went to Backlund, Colborne, and Crosby, while Hornqvist gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne faces a lesser foe in Calvin Pickard in goal. Colorado began in the first period with a Blake Comeau goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Carl Soderberg and Shawn Matthias. Nashville tied it with a Filip Forsberg goal in the second period, his twenty-eighth of the year, via Craig Smith and Mike Ribeiro. The Avalanche retook the lead on a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Nathan MacKinnon and Francois Beauchemin. The Predators tied it on a James Neal goal, his twenty-third of the year, with a lone assist by Ryan Johansen. Nashville took the lead with a Mike Fisher goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Predators added on with a Shea Weber empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Forsberg and Austin Watson. Nashville capped it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Miikka Salomaki, his fifth of the campaign, with helpers from Calle Jarnkrok and Mattias Ekholm. The three stars were Forsberg, Fisher, and Rinne (34 for 36 in saves).

The last matinee is the Los Angeles Kings hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Jonathan Quick protect the nets. Anaheim got going in the second period with a Ryan Kesler goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Jakob Silfverberg. Los Angeles tied it on a Milan Lucic power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Vincent Lecavalier and the goalie Quick. The Ducks took the lead back with a David Perron power play goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen. Anaheim added on in the third period with a Silfverberg power play goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Rickard Rakell and Hampus Lindholm. The Kings got one back with a Drew Doughty power play goal, his twelfth of the campaign, fueled by Lucic and Anze Kopitar. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Silfverberg, Lucic, and Andersen (32 for 34 in saves).

At the usual times, the Boston Bruins welcome the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Boston opened in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Brad Marchand and Lee Stempniak. Washington tied it in the second period with a Karl Alzner goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals won 2-1 in overtime with a Matt Niskanen goal, his fifth of the campaign, via Andre Burakovsky and Marcus Johansson. The three stars went to Niskanen, Alzner, and Grubauer (33 for 34 in saves).

Along to Philadelphia, where the Flyers bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Steve Mason are the uninspiring goalies. Philadelphia struck first in the first period with a Michael Raffl goal, his ninth of the season, via Radko Gudas and Sean Couturier. The Flyers added on with a Gudas goal, coming off of Brandon Manning and Chris VandeVelde. Philadelphia extended the lead as Sam Gagner scored his sixth of the year in the second period, thanks to Andrew MacDonald and Gudas. The Flyers padded the lead with a Claude Giroux goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn. Philadelphia kept going in the third period on a Nick Cousins goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Matt Read. The Flyers iced it at 6-0 with a Gudas goal, his second of the game, made possible by Manning and Raffl. The three stars were awarded to Gudas, Raffl, and Manning.

South to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack and Ben Bishop are in the blue paint. Tampa Bay was first to score in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Tyler Johnson. Carolina tied it in the second period with a Victor Rask goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Phillip Di Giuseppe and Jeff Skinner. The Lightning retook the lead with a Palat goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, coming off of Nikita Kucherov. The Hurricanes tied it on a power play goal by Jordan Staal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Elias Lindholm and Rask. Carolina took the lead on a Skinner goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Di Giuseppe and Ryan Murphy. Tampa Bay tied it again with a Johnson goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov. The Lightning won 4-3 in overtime on an Alex Killorn goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, with a lone helper by Valtteri Filppula. The three stars were Johnson, Palat, and Skinner, while Kucherov, Di Giuseppe, and Rask receive the honorable mentions.

Up north, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Ottawa Senators in a Battle of Ontario. Andrew Hammond and Jonathan Bernier are the overrated goalies. Ottawa drew first blood in the first period on an unassisted Bobby Ryan goal, his twenty-second of the season. Toronto tied it with a William Nylander goal, with a lone assist by Brooks Laich. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period on a Nikita Soshnikov power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Brendan Leipsic. The Senators tied it in the third period on a Marc Methot goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Alex Chiasson and Ryan Dzingel. Ottawa took the lead again with a Zack Smith goal, his seventeenth of the year, with a lone helper from Mark Stone. This made it a 3-2 game, with the three stars going to Smith, Methot, and Ryan.

Over in Manitoba, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Mike Condon and Ondrej Pavelec are the mediocre goalies. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Montreal tied it with a goal from Alex Galchenyuk, his twentieth of the year, passed from Max Pacioretty and Mark Barberio. The Jets took the lead again with an Andrew Copp goal, his third of the campaign, helped along by Ben Chiarot and J.C. Lipon. The Canadiens tied it again with another Galchenyuk goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, via Greg Pateryn and Pacioretty. Winnipeg took the lead again with Scheifele's second of the game and nineteenth of the year, assisted by Drew Stafford and Toby Enstrom. The Jets iced it at 4-2 with a Scheifele empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his twentieth of the campaign, set up by Dustin Byfuglien. The three stars belonged to Scheifele, Galchenyuk, and Pacioretty.

Way to the southwest, the Arizona Coyotes host the Florida Panthers. Al Montoya and Louis Domingue are the lesser-known goalies. Arizona got going in the second period with a Jordan Martinook shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Coyotes added on with an Alex Tanguay goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Antoine Vermette. Florida got on the board with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Jussi Jokinen and Aleksander Barkov. Arizona replied in the third period with a Shane Doan power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Vermette and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes extended the lead as Tanguay scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Vermette, who got a sock trick, and Anthony Duclair. Arizona iced it at 5-1 with a Vermette goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Tanguay and Duclair. The three stars went to Tanguay, Vermette, and Domingue (29 for 30 in saves), while Duclair gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and James Reimer are the backups in goal. San Jose opened in the first period with an unassisted Micheal Haley goal. Vancouver tied it on a Linden Vey power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Sven Baertschi and Ben Hutton. The Canucks took the lead with a Daniel Sedin power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Baertschi and Hutton. The Sharks tied it in the third period with a Brent Burns goal, his twenty-third of the season, guided in by Joe Thornton and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Vancouver regained the lead with a Dan Hamhuis power play goal, assisted by Bo Horvat and Jared McCann. The Canucks iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Alexandre Burrows, his eighth of the year, set up by Luca Sbisa and Horvat. The three stars were handed to Baertschi, Horvat, and Hutton.

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2015/16 KHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: 4) Salavat Yulaev Ufa VS. 5) Ak Bars Kazan

As is standard procedure for the playoffs, this post will cover the entire series.

Game 1: Ufa Arena, Ufa, Russia. In goal: Stanislav Galimov for Kazan and Niklas Svedberg for Ufa. Ufa led off in the first period with an Igor Grigorenko goal, coming off of Andreas Engqvist and Linus Omark. Salavat Yulaev added on with a Grigorenko power play goal in the second period, his second of the game, powered by Engqvist and Omark. Ufa extended the lead as Teemu Hartikainen scored an empty net goal in the third period, set up by Zakhar Arzamastsev and Nikolai Prokhorkin. Salavat Yulaev padded the lead as Denis Khlystov scored, thanks to Stepan Khripunov. Kazan got on the board with a Dmitry Obukhov goal, made possible by Vasily Tokranov and Mikhail Varnakov. This only made it 4-1, with the three stars being Grigorenko, Engqvist, and Omark.

Game 2: Ufa Arena, Ufa, Russia. In goal: Stanislav Galimov for Kazan and Niklas Svedberg for Ufa. Ufa began in the first period with an Alexander Loginov goal, passed from Linus Omark on the power play. Salavat Yulaev added on with a Denis Bodrov goal, courtesy of Omark. Kazan got on the board in the second period with an Artyom Lukoyanov goal, via Vladimir Tkachyov. Ufa replied with an Oleg Saprykin goal, with a lone helper from Bodrov. Ak Bars shot back with a Ryan Wilson goal, assisted by Stepan Zakharchuk and Tkachyov. Salavat Yulaev countered with a Nikolai Prokhorkin goal, made possible by Enver Lisin and Sami Lepisto. Ufa iced it at 5-2 with a Denis Khlystov goal, with helpers from Loginov and Lisin. The three stars went to Loginov, Bodrov, and Omark, while Lisin and Tkachyov get the honorable mentions. Salavat Yulaev owns a 2-0 series lead as the series heads west.

Game 3: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Niklas Svedberg for Ufa and Stanislav Galimov for Kazan. Kazan opened in the first period with a Vladimir Tkachyov goal, helped along by Marek Daloga and Artyom Lukoyanov. Ak Bars added on with a Dmitry Arkhipov goal in the second period, going in unassisted. Kazan extended the lead as Lukoyanov scored, thanks to Andrei Chibisov and Tkachyov. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars given to Tkachyov, Lukoyanov, and Galimov (34 save shutout). Ak Bars cut their deficit to 2-1 in the series.

Game 4: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Niklas Svedberg for Ufa and Stanislav Galimov for Kazan. Ufa started in the first period with a Linus Omark power play goal, powered by Sami Lepisto and Alexander Loginov. Salavat Yulaev added on with a Sergei Soin goal, fueled by Dmitry Makarov and Alexander Nesterov. Ufa extended the lead in the third period as Andreas Engqvist scored a power play goal, thanks to Omark and Maxim Goncharov. Kazan got on the board with an unassisted Albert Yarullin power play goal in the third period. Salavat Yulaev iced it at 4-1 with an Anton Lazarev power play goal into an empty net, set up by Nesterov. The three stars were handed to Omark, Svedberg (32 for 33 in saves), and Nesterov. Salavat Yulaev heads home with a 3-1 lead and a chance to advance.

Game 5: Ufa Arena, Ufa, Russia. In goal: Emil Garipov for Kazan and Niklas Svedberg for Ufa. Ufa struck first in the first period with a Linus Omark goal, helped along by Ivan Vishnevsky and Andreas Engqvist. Kazan tied it on a Denis Golubev goal, assisted by Dmitry Arkhipov and Vasily Tokranov. Ak Bars took the lead with an Albert Yarullin power play goal, powered by Mattias Sjogren and Justin Azevedo. Salavat Yulaev tied it on an Omark power play goal in the second period, with assists provided by Alexander Loginov and Sami Lepisto. Kazan took the lead again with an Azevedo power play goal, with a lone helper by Mikhail Varnakov. Ak Bars added on with a third period goal by Vladimir Tkachyov on the power play, courtesy of Oscar Moller. Ufa pulled back with an Anton Lazarev goal, fueled by Alexander Nesterov and Loginov. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Azevedo, Omark, and Loginov. Ak Bars has made it a closer series, but they return home trailing Salavat Yulaev 3-2 in that regard.

Game 6: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Niklas Svedberg for Ufa and Emil Garipov for Kazan. Kazan was first to score in the first period with a Vladimir Tkachyov goal, helped along by Albert Yarullin and Nikolai Belov. Ak Bars added on in the second period with an unassisted Tkachyov goal. Kazan extended the lead as Artyom Lukoyanov scored, thanks to Yarullin. Ak Bars padded the lead with another Lukoyanov goal, with a lone assist by Tkachyov. Vladimir Sokhatsky replaced Svedberg in goal. Kazan kept going with a Ryan Wilson power play goal, powered by Denis Golubev and Dmitry Obukhov. Ak Bars continued with a Tkachyov goal in the third period, completing his hat trick on the power play, helped along by Vasily Tokranov. Kazan struck again with a Golubev goal, guided in by Dmitry Arkhipov and Alexander Svitov. Ak Bars finished it at 8-0 with a Fyodor Malykhin goal, made possible by Obukhov and Mikhail Varnakov. The three stars were awarded to Tkachyov, Lukoyanov, and Golubev, while Yarullin and Obukhov get the honorable mentions. The thrashing here earns Ak Bars a decisive game back in Ufa, with the series currently tied at 3. 

Game 7: Ufa Arena, Ufa, Russia. In goal: Emil Garipov for Kazan and Niklas Svedberg for Ufa. Kazan drew first blood in the first period with a Dmitry Arkhipov goal, assisted by Albert Yarullin. Ufa tied it on an Enver Lisin goal, passed from Denis Khlystov and Dmitry Makarov. Salavat Yulaev took the lead with a Maxim Goncharov goal, guided in by Teemu Hartikainen and Lisin. Ufa added on in the second period with a Makarov goal, made possible by Maxim Mayorov. Ak Bars got one back in the third period with a Dmitry Obukhov goal, fueled by Stepan Zakharchuk and Fyodor Malykhin. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Makarov, Lisin, and Svedberg (28 for 30 in saves). Salavat Yulaev finally capped the series, winning 4-3 to advance to face Avangard Omsk in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

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2015-16 NHL Season - Day 141

Three games on for a calm Friday night, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta is mismatched with Braden Holtby in goal. New York opened with a first period goal by Jesper Fast, his ninth of the season, assisted by Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh. The Rangers added on with a Keith Yandle power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Derick Brassard and Derek Stepan. Washington got on the board in the second period with a Jay Beagle goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Capitals tied it with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. New York took the lead in the third period on a Stepan goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, helped along by McDonagh. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Stepan, McDonagh, and Raanta (32 for 34 in saves).

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Laurent Brossoit and Joonas Korpisalo are the unknown goalies. Columbus started with a Cam Atkinson goal, his twenty-first of the season, guided in by Brandon Dubinsky and Boone Jenner. The Blue Jackets added on with a David Savard goal, his second of the year, via Brandon Saad and Matt Calvert. Edmonton got on the board with a second period Leon Draisaitl goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Adam Pardy and Patrick Maroon. Columbus replied with a Fedor Tyutin goal, assisted by Scott Hartnell and Nick Foligno. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Jenner scored his twenty-third of the year on the power play, with the help of Ryan Murray and Seth Jones. The Oilers shot back with a Taylor Hall power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Andrej Sekera and Connor McDavid. Columbus replied with a Hartnell goal, his twenty-first of the year, with a lone assist by Alexander Wennberg. Edmonton countered in the third period with a McDavid goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Maroon and Sekera. The Blue Jackets capped it at 6-3 with a Savard goal, his second of the game and third of the year, made possible by William Karlsson and David Clarkson. The three stars were handed to Savard, Jenner, and McDavid, while Hartnell, Maroon, and Sekera receive the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Dallas Stars bring in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Kari Lehtonen are between the pipes. Dallas drew first blood in the first period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his ninth of the season, via Mattias Janmark. New Jersey tied it in the second period on an Adam Henrique goal, his twenty-third of the year, passed from Adam Larsson and Sergey Kalinin. The Stars took the lead back with a Jason Spezza goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Janmark and Nichushkin. Dallas added on with a Colton Sceviour goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Alex Goligoski and Radek Faksa. The Devils pulled back in the third period on a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Damon Severson and John Moore. The Stars iced it at 4-2 with a Vernon Fiddler shorthanded empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Sceviour and Goligoski. The three stars went to Sceviour, Nichushkin, and Janmark, while Goligoski gets an honorable mention.

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Thursday, March 3, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 140

Twelve games for a packed schedule, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Brad Marchand and Lee Stempniak. Chicago tied it on a Jonathan Toews power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Andrew Ladd and Christian Ehrhoff. The Bruins took the lead with a Marchand goal, his thirty-third of the season, passed from Torey Krug and Stempniak. Boston added on in the second period with a Ryan Spooner goal, his twelfth of the year, coming on the power play from Krug and Bergeron. The Bruins extended the lead as Loui Eriksson scored his twenty-fourth of the season, helped along by John-Michael Liles and David Krejci. The Blackhawks got one back on a Tomas Fleischmann goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Teuvo Teravainen and Niklas Hjalmarsson. This held up for a 4-2 win, with the three stars going to Marchand, Bergeron, and Krug, while Stempniak gets an honorable mention.

Into Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Robin Lehner get the starts in goal. Calgary got going in the second period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Garnet Hathaway and Lance Bouma. Buffalo tied it with a Rasmus Ristolainen goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Brian Gionta and Marcus Foligno. The Sabres took the lead on a Foligno shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, set up Zach Bogosian. The Flames tied it again with a Dougie Hamilton power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Sean Monahan and Mark Giordano. Buffalo retook the lead with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Bogosian. Calgary tied it in the third period with a Monahan goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along Hathaway and Hamilton. The Sabres took the lead back with a Johan Larsson goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Gionta and Foligno. Buffalo added on with Jack Eichel power play, his eighteenth of the year, via Evander Kane. The Sabres iced it at 6-3 with a Kane empty net goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Gionta, Foligno, and Monahan, while Kane, Bogosian, Hathaway, and Hamilton get the honorable mentions.

Back south, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Michal Neuvirth are the weak goalies. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with a Nail Yakupov goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Connor McDavid and Jordan Eberle. The Oilers added on with a Taylor Hall goal, his twenty-first of the year, going in unassisted. Edmonton extended the lead as Patrick Maroon scored, his fifth of the season, thanks to Adam Pardy and Brandon Davidson. The Oilers iced it at 4-0 with a shorthanded Lauri Korpikoski goal in the third period, his seventh of the year, set up by Mark Letestu. The three stars went to Talbot (35 save shutout), Yakupov, and Hall.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. New York dented the scoreboard with a second period goal by Chris Kreider, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Mats Zuccarello and Ryan McDonagh. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Carl Hagelin and Kris Letang. The Penguins took the lead with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, coming off of Chris Kunitz and Trevor Daley. Pittsburgh added on with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Phil Kessel and Malkin. Antti Raanta replaced Lundqvist in goal. The Penguins extended the lead in the third period as Kessel scored his twentieth of the campaign in the third period, an empty net goal set up by Malkin. The three stars of the 4-1 game were Malkin, Kessel, and Fleury (27 for 28 in saves).

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop faces a lesser foe in Andrew Hammond in goal. Tampa Bay drew first blood in the second period on a Cedric Paquette goal, his fifth of the season, via J.T. Brown and Victor Hedman. The Lightning added on in with an Ondrej Palat goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Tyler Johnson. Ottawa got on the board with a Marc Methot goal, his third of the season, passed from Zack Smith. Tampa Bay replied with an unassisted Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-fifth of the year. The Lightning iced it at 4-1 with a Steven Stamkos empty net goal, his twenty-ninth of the campaign, set up by Anton Stralman. The three stars belonged to Bishop (33 for 34 in saves), Palat, and Kucherov.

Staying in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Garret Sparks are in the blue paint. Toronto cracked the scoresheet with a second period Jake Gardiner, his sixth of the season, passed from Brooks Laich and Colin Greening. Minnesota tied it with a Mikko Koivu power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Wild took the lead on a Mikael Granlund power play goal in the third period, his eighth of the campaign, powered by Thomas Vanek and Ryan Suter. The final stood from here at 2-1, with the three stars being Dubnyk (21 for 22 in saves), Granlund, and Koivu.

Down in Nashville, the Predators host the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Pekka Rinne make the starts in goal. Nashville started in the first period with a Craig Smith power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Shea Weber and Filip Forsberg. New Jersey tied it with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his twenty-fourth of year, assisted by Jacob Josefson and David Schlemko. The Predators took the lead back with a Mike Ribeiro power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Roman Josi and Forsberg. Nashville added on in the second period with a Paul Gaustad his second of the year, helped along by Austin Watson and Miikka Salomaki. The Devils got one back with a Devante Smith-Pelly, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Jon Merrill and Sergey Kalinin. New Jersey tied it in the third period with a Travis Zajac power play goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Schlemko and Palmieri. The Predators gained the lead with a Forsberg goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, guided in by Smith and Ribeiro. The Devils tied it as Adam Henrique scored his twenty-first of the year, thanks to Smith-Pelly and Palmieri. New Jersey won 5-4 in overtime on a Henrique power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, fueled by Zajac and John Moore. The three stars were handed to Henrique, Forsberg, and Palmieri, while Zajac, Smith-Pelly, Schlemko, Ribeiro, and Smith receive the honorable mentions.

North again to Winnipeg, where the Jets welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Michael Hutchinson are the backups in goal. Winnipeg opened in the first period on a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Mathieu Perreault and Dustin Byfuglien. New York tied it on a second period Calvin de Haan goal, his second of the year, via Travis Hamonic and Anders Lee. The Islanders took the lead in the third period on a Shane Prince goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Kyle Okposo and Thomas Hickey. The Jets tied it on a Tyler Myers goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Alex Burmistrov and Drew Stafford. Winnipeg took the lead with a Scheifele goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, assisted by Blake Wheeler and Perreault. New York tied it again with a Lee goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Nick Leddy and Frans Nielsen. The Islanders won 4-3 in overtime with an Okposo goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, made possible by Nielsen. The three stars went to Scheifele, Okposo, and Nielsen, while Perreault and Lee get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Colorado, where the Avalanche bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Calvin Pickard are between the pipes. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Tyson Barrie and the goalie Pickard. Florida tied it on an Erik Gudbranson goal, his second of the year, fueled by Aleksander Barkov and Jaromir Jagr. The Avalanche retook the lead with a Mikkel Boedker goal, his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Barrie and Landeskog. Colorado added on with a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, coming in the second period from Jarome Iginla. The Panthers got one back with a Brian Campbell goal, his sixth of the season, via Jussi Jokinen and Reilly Smith. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars given to Landeskog, Barrie, and Duchene.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes host the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Niklas Treutle are the goalies. Anaheim began in the first period with a Jamie McGinn goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Corey Perry. The Ducks added on with a Rickard Rakell power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Perry and Sami Vatanen. Anaheim extended the lead in the second period as Cam Fowler scored his fourth of the season on the power play, with the help of Vatanen and Ryan Kesler. Arizona got on the board with an Anthony Duclair power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Max Domi and Connor Murphy. The Ducks replied with a Josh Manson goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Kesler and McGinn. Anaheim padded the lead with a Perry power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, with helpers provided by Kevin Bieksa and Hampus Lindholm. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars going to Perry, McGinn, and Kesler, while Vatanen gets an honorable mention.

Up to Vancouver, the Canucks welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Ryan Miller are given the starting nods. Vancouver opened in the first period with a Jake Virtanen goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Dan Hamhuis and Christopher Tanev. The Canucks added on with a Sven Baertschi goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Hamhuis and Virtanen. San Jose got on the board in the second period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. The Sharks tied it in the third period with a Burns goal, his twenty-second of the year, a power play goal powered by Hertl. San Jose took the lead with a Patrick Marleau goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, helped along by Joonas Donskoi and Logan Couture. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Burns, Hertl, and Virtanen, while Hamhuis gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Ben Scrivens and Jonathan Quick are all padded up. Los Angeles started in the first period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Alec Martinez and Milan Lucic. The Kings added on with a Tanner Pearson goal, his twelfth of the year, with a lone assist by Jeff Carter. Montreal got on the board with a P.K. Subban goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Andrei Markov. Los Angeles shot back in the third period with an unassisted Dwight King goal, his seventh of the year. The Canadiens replied on a Lars Eller goal, his eleventh of the year, via Subban and Markov. This only made it 3-2, with the three stars going to King, Subban, and Markov.

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2015/16 KHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: 2) Metallurg Magnitogorsk VS. 7) Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg

As is standard procedure for the playoffs, this post will cover the entire series.

Game 1: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Jakub Kovar for Yekaterinburg and Ilya Samsonov for Magnitogorsk. Magnitogorsk was first to score in the first period with an Alexander Semin power play goal, powered by Jan Kovar. Yekaterinburg tied it with an Alexander Pankov goal, via Vitaly Popov. Avtomobilist took the lead in the second period with another Pankov goal, fueled by Andrei Alexeyev and Alexei Simakov. The final stood from here at 2-1, with the three stars handed to Pankov, Kovar (27 for 28 in saves), and Semin.

Game 2: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Igor Ustinsky for Yekaterinburg and Vasily Koshechkin for Magnitogorsk. Magnitogorsk dented the scoreboard in the third period with an Oskar Osala goal, fueled by Wojtek Wolski and Yaroslav Kosov. Metallurg iced it at 2-0 with a Jan Kovar empty net goal, set up by Evgeny Biryukov. The three stars went to Koshechkin (20 save shutout), Osala, and Ustinsky (36 for 37 in saves). The series is tied at 1 as the action shifts to Yekaterinburg.

Game 3: KRK Uralets, Yekaterinburg, Russia. In goal: Vasily Koshechkin for Magnitogorsk and Jakub Kovar for Yekaterinburg. Magnitogorsk struck first in the first period with an Alexander Semin goal, via Denis Osipov and Tomas Filippi. Metallurg added on with a Yaroslav Kosov goal, helped along by Wojtek Wolski and Viktor Antipin. Magnitogorsk extended the lead as Oskar Osala scored, thanks to Kosov. Igor Ustinsky relieved Kovar. Metallurg padded the lead in the second period with another Kosov goal, assisted by Alexei Bereglazov and Osala. Magnitogorsk kept going with a Denis Platonov goal, made possible by Evgeny Timkin. Metallurg finished it at 6-0 with a third period goal by Osala, going shorthanded into the empty net, set up by Platonov. The three stars went to Kosov, Osala, and Koshechkin (29 save shutout), while Platonov gets an honorable mention. Metallurg takes a 2-1 series lead with this win.

Game 4: KRK Uralets, Yekaterinburg, Russia. In goal: Ilya Samsonov for Magnitogorsk and Igor Ustinsky for Yekaterinburg. Magnitogorsk got going in the second period with an Alexander Semin power play goal, powered by Chris Lee and Sergei Mozyakin. Yekaterinburg tied it on an Alexei Vasilevskiy goal, coming off of Nikolai Timashov and Petr Koukal on the power play. Avtomobilist took the lead with an unassisted Artyom Gareyev power play goal. Yekaterinburg added on with a Vasilevskiy power play goal, with a lone assist by Timashov. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Vasilevskiy, Ustinsky (33 for 34 in saves), and Timashov. The series heads back to Magnitogorsk tied at 2.

Game 5: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Igor Ustinsky for Yekaterinburg and Ilya Samsonov for Magnitogorsk. Yekaterinburg led off in the first period with a Yegor Zhuravlyov goal, coming off of Petr Koukal and Alexander Pankov. Magnitogorsk tied it on a Viktor Antipin goal, helped along by Chris Lee and Danis Zaripov on the power play. Metallurg took the lead in the second period with a Sergei Mozyakin goal, via Lee and Zaripov. Magnitogorsk added on in the third period with a Zaripov goal, assisted by Mozyakin and Jan Kovar. Avtomobilist got one back with a power play goal by Alexei Vasilevsky, powered by Alexei Simakov. Metallurg iced it at 4-2 with a Denis Platonov empty net goal, set up by Tomas Filippi. The three stars went to Zaripov, Mozyakin, and Lee. Metallurg travels with a 3-2 lead now in what has been a grueling series. 

Game 6:  KRK Uralets, Yekaterinburg, Russia. In goal: Ilya Samsonov for Magnitogorsk and Igor Ustinsky for Yekaterinburg. Yekaterinburg began in the first period with an Anatoly Golyshev power play goal, powered by Nikita Tryamkin and Alexei Vasilevsky. Avtomobilist added on with a Sergei Yemelin goal, via Tommi Kivisto and Dmitry Megalinsky. Magnitogorsk got on the board with a second period goal from Sergei Tereshchenko, assisted by Alexei Kaigorodov. Metallurg tied it in the third period with a Bogdan Potekhin goal, fueled by Yaroslav Khabarov. Magnitogorsk took the lead with a Jan Kovar power play goal, helped along by Chris Lee and Sergei Mozyakin. Metallurg extended the lead as Tomas Filippi scored, thanks to Alexander Semin. Magnitogorsk iced it at 5-2 with a Filippi empty net goal, set up by Wolski. The three stars went to Filippi, Kovar, and Potekhin. Metallurg gets a gritty 4-2 series win, and they are going to face Sibir Novosibirsk in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. 

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 139

Just three games on tonight, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Philipp Grubauer are in the blue paint. Washington opened in the first period with a Taylor Chorney goal, assisted by T.J. Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals added on with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-first of the season, coming off of Nicklas Backstrom and Oshie. Toronto got on the board in the second period with a Nikita Soshnikov goal, passed from Nazem Kadri and Matt Hunwick. The Maple Leafs tied it in the third period with a Colin Greening goal, his second of the year, made possible by Peter Holland and Connor Carrick. Washington regained the lead with a Matt Niskanen power play goal, his fifth of the campaign, powered by Backstrom and Oshie, the latter earning a sock trick. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Oshie, Backstrom, and Niskanen.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Petr Mrazek tend the twines. Chicago started in the first period with a Brent Seabrook goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Erik Gustafsson and Teuvo Teravainen. The Blackhawks added on in the second period with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Patrick Kane and Seabrook. Chicago extended the lead as Kane scored on the power play, his thirty-seventh of the season, assisted by Seabrook and Duncan Keith. Detroit got on the board with a Brad Richards power play goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, via Mike Green and Tomas Tatar. The Blackhawks fired back with an Andrew Ladd goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Keith and Seabrook, the latter getting a sock trick. Chicago padded the lead on a Panarin goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, with a lone helper by Kane. The Red Wings pulled back with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Jonathan Ericsson and Riley Sheahan. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Seabrook, Panarin, and Kane, while Keith gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Mike Condon and John Gibson are the inexperienced goalies. Montreal got going in the second period with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Andrei Markov and Lars Eller. Anaheim tied it with a Jamie McGinn goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson. The Canadiens took the lead back in the third period with a Galchenyuk goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, made possible by P.K. Subban and Alexei Emelin. The Ducks tied it with a Corey Perry power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by David Perron and Cam Fowler. Jakob Silfverberg had the only tally in the shootout, giving the Ducks a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Perry, Silfverberg, and Galchenyuk.

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2015/16 Premier League Week 28

It's a full slate of league action in the middle of the week. We begin with five games on Tuesday, the first being...

Aston Villa hosting Everton. Joel Robles and Brad Guzan make the starts in goal. Everton began with a Ramiro Funes Mori goal in the fifth minute, via Kevin Mirallas. Aston Villa had yellow cards go to Ciaran Clark in the thirteenth minute, Idrissa Gueye in the twentieth minute, and Leandro Bacuna in the twenty-seventh minute, the first two for fouls and the last one for a handball. Everton added on with a thirtieth minute Aaron Lennon goal, made possible by Mirallas. Everton's Romelu Lukaku took a yellow card for a forty-fourth minute foul. Everton extended the lead as Lukaku scored in the sixtieth minute, assisted by Funes Mori. Aston Villa got on the board with a Rudy Gestede goal in the seventy-ninth minute, passed from Jordan Veretout. This made it a 3-1 win for Everton.

Next up, Bournemouth welcomes Southampton. Fraser Forster and Artur Boruc draw the starts in goal. Bournemouth opened in the thirty-first minute on a Steve Cook goal. Bournemouth added on in the seventy-ninth minute with a Benik Afobe goal, coming off of Matt Ritchie. Bournemouth took the game 2-0.

Up to Leicester City bringing in West Bromwich Albion. Ben Foster and Kasper Schmeichel are the gloved men. West Bromwich led off in the eleventh minute on a Salomon Rondon goal, courtesy of Darren Fletcher. Leicester City tied it with a thirtieth minute Daniel Drinkwater goal, via Andy King. Stephane Sessegnon of West Bromwich Albion took a yellow card for a thirty-second minute foul. Leicester City took the lead in first half stoppage time on a King goal, coming off of Riyad Mahrez. West Bromwich Albion retied it on a fiftieth minute goal by Craig Gardner. West Bromwich Albion saw a yellow card for a foul by Claudio Yacob at the eighty-eight minute mark. The game ended in a 2-2 draw.

Backtracking to Norwich City hosting Chelsea. Thibaut Courtois and John Ruddy man the nets. Chelsea started with a Kenedy goal in the first minute, assisted by Eden Hazard. Norwich City saw yellow cards given to Jonny Howson in the thirteenth minute and Ryan Bennett in the thirty-ninth minute, both for fouls. Chelsea's Oscar had a yellow card for a forty-fourth minute foul. Chelsea added on with a Diego Costa goal in first half stoppage time, set up by Bertrand Traore. In the sixty-eighth minute, Nathan Redmond put Norwich City on the board with his goal, helped along by Wes Hoolahan. In the seventy-third minute, Cesc Fabregas of Chelsea had a yellow card for a foul. Norwich City received a yellow card for a Timm Klose foul in the seventy-sixth minute. The game ended 2-1 in Chelsea's favor.

Ending the day, Sunderland welcomes Crystal Palace. Wayne Hennessey and Vito Mannone are the goalies. Sunderland saw an eighteenth minute yellow card for a Jack Rodwell foul. Sunderland got going in the thirty-sixth minute on a Dame N'Doye goal, via Jermain Defoe. Crystal Palace's Scott Dann received a yellow card for his foul in first half stoppage time. In the sixty-first minute, a Connor Wickham goal set up by Yannick Bolasie tied the game for Crystal Palace. In the sixty-seventh minute, Crystal Palace took the lead as Wickham scored again. Sunderland tied it in the ninetieth minute on a Fabio Borini goal, passed from DeAndre Yedlin. The final stood at 2-2.

On Wednesday, Arsenal brings in Swansea City for the first of five games. Lukasz Fabianski and Petr Cech are the keepers. Arsenal struck first in the fifteenth minute with a Joel Campbell goal, via Alexis Sanchez. Swansea City tied it with a Wayne Routledge goal in the thirty-second minute, coming off of Jack Cork. In the fortieth minute, Andre Ayew received a yellow card for his foul for Swansea City. Swansea City took the lead in the seventy-fourth minute with an Ashley Williams goal. Swansea City's Routledge received a yellow card in the seventy-seventh minute. Swansea City took the game 2-1.

Along to Stoke City hosting Newcastle United. Robert Elliot and Jack Butland are between the posts. Stoke City saw a yellow card go to Marc Muniesa in first half stoppage time for a foul. Stoke City dented the scoreboard at the eighty minute mark with a Xherdan Shaqiri goal, helped along by Mame Biram Diouf. This stood for a 1-0 win.

Next up, West Ham United welcomes Tottenham Hotspur. Hugo Lloris and Adrian are the veteran keepers. West Ham United drew first blood in the seventh minute with a Michail Antonio goal, assisted by Dimitri Payet. Tottenham Hotspur had yellow cards for Toby Alderweireld in the thirtieth minute and Kevin Wimmer in the forty-first minute, both for fouls. Tottenham Hotspur's Ben Davies took a yellow card for a sixty-fifth minute foul. West Ham United held on for a 1-0 win.

Up to Liverpool bringing in Manchester City. Joe Hart and Simon Mignolet are the gloved men. Liverpool was first to score in the thirty-fourth minute with an Adam Lallana goal, via James Milner. In the forty-first minute, Milner scored to add to the Liverpool lead, with the help of Roberto Firmino. The team came full circle in the fifty-seventh minute, as Liverpool extended the lead with a Firmino goal set up by Lallana. In the sixty-eighth minute, Jesus Navas of Manchester City received a yellow card for his foul.

Finally, Manchester United hosts Watford. Heurelho Gomes and David de Gea draw the starts in goal. Manchester United saw a yellow card for Timothy Fosu-Mensah in the twenty-third minute for his foul. Watford's Miguel Britos had a yellow card for an eighty-second minute foul. In the eighty-third minute, Juan Mata put Manchester United on the board with his free kick goal. Watford saw a stoppage time yellow card for Nordin Amrabat for a foul. Manchester United won 1-0.

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