NHL 2016/17 - Day 109

Thirteen games fill the schedule today, beginning with three matinees. The first is in...

Montreal, where the Canadiens host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Carey Price tend the twines. Washington led off in the first period with a Jay Beagle goal, his eleventh of the season, via Daniel Winnik and Tom Wilson. Montreal tied it on an Alexander Radulov goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Phillip Danault and Max Pacioretty. The Capitals took the lead in the second period on an Andre Burakovsky goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Brett Connolly and Lars Eller. Washington added on in the third period with a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Matt Niskanen. The Canadiens got one back with a Pacioretty goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with a lone helper by Radulov. The final stayed at 3-2, with the three stars going to Backstrom, Pacioretty, and Radulov.

Down in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Michal Neuvirth are the goalies. Los Angeles took the game 1-0 in overtime with a Jeff Carter goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty.

West to Colorado, where the Avalanche bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Calvin Pickard are the poor goalies. Colorado began in the first period with a Jarome Iginla power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Francois Beauchemin and Matt Duchene. Winnipeg tied it on an Adam Lowry goal, his eighth of the year, via Joel Armia. The Avalanche retook the lead with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. The Jets tied it again in the second period with Lowry's second of the game and ninth of the year, a power play goal made possible by Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. Colorado retook the lead with a Matt Nieto goal, his third of the season, helped along by Patrick Wiercioch and Duchene. The Avalanche added on with a Carl Soderberg goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, assisted by Iginla and Blake Comeau. Colorado iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Nieto, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, set up by Duchene, who got a sock trick, and Nikita Zadorov. The three stars were Iginla, Duchene, and Lowry, while Nieto gets an honorable mention.

At the usual time, the Boston Bruins host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Tuukka Rask draw the starts in goal. Boston opened in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara. Toronto tied it on a William Nylander goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Nazem Kadri and Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his eighteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Mitchell Marner. Toronto added on with a Nylander goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Nylander finished his hat trick with his thirteenth of the season, with the help of Connor Brown and Matthews on the power play. Zane McIntyre replaced Rask in goal. The Bruins got one back with Pastrnak's second of the game and twenty-second of the year, with helpers from Bergeron and Chara. Boston got closer with a Torey Krug power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Pastrnak and Ryan Spooner. The Bruins tied it in the third period with a Spooner goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Chara, who got a sock trick, and Dominic Moore. Toronto retook the lead with a Brown goal, his twelfth of the season, via Zach Hyman and Matthews, the latter earning a hat trick. Boston tied it again on a Bergeron goal, his thirteenth of the year, a power play goal made possible by Krug and Brad Marchand. The Maple Leafs won 6-5 with a van Riemsdyk goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, fueled by Tyler Bozak and Marner. The three stars were Nylander, van Riemsdyk, and Pastrnak, while Matthews, Brown, Marner, Bergeron, Chara, Spooner, and Krug receive the honorable mentions.

Down in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Robin Lehner are the solid goalies. Buffalo started in the first period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Justin Falk and Josh Gorges. The Sabres added on with a Ryan O'Reilly goal in the second period, his tenth of the year, via Rasmus Ristolainen and Tyler Ennis. Buffalo extended the lead as Sam Reinhart scored his eleventh of the season in the third period, thanks to Jack Eichel. The Sabres padded the lead as Marcus Foligno scored his ninth of the year, with the help of Eichel. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars being Lehner (37 save shutout), Okposo, and Eichel.

Across the state, the New York Islanders bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Jean-Francois Berube are in the blue paint. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Jaccob Slavin goal, his second of the season, made possible by Brett Pesce and Elias Lindholm. New York tied it on an Anders Lee goal, his eighteenth of the year, helped along by Dennis Seidenberg and Josh Bailey. The Islanders took the lead with a Casey Cizikas goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Ryan Strome and Shane Prince in the second period. The Hurricanes retied it on a Ron Hainsey goal, his third of the year, passed from Lindholm and Jordan Staal. Carolina took the lead with a Lee Stempniak goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone assist by Jeff Skinner. New York tied it on a Brock Nelson goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Strome and Adam Pelech. The Hurricanes retook the lead with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Brock McGinn. The Islanders tied it in the third period with a Bailey power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Lee. Carolina won 5-4 in overtime on Hainsey's second goal of the game and fourth of the campaign, with helpers from Justin Faulk and Staal. The three stars were handed to Hainsey, Bailey, and Lee, while Lindholm, Staal, and Strome get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonathan Bernier is mismatched with Ben Bishop in goal. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with a Brandon Montour goal, via Jakob Silfverberg and Ryan Kesler. Tampa Bay tied it on a Jonathan Drouin goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning took the lead in the second period with an Alex Killorn goal, his sixteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Kucherov. The Ducks retied it in the third period with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his eighth of the campaign, helped along by Kevin Bieksa and Kesler. The tie went to a shootout, where Brayden Point, Kucherov, and Brian Boyle topped Silfverberg and Getzlaf to give the Lightning a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Kucherov, Kesler, and Getzlaf, while Silfverberg gets an honorable mention.

Back to the north, where the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Taylor Hall goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri. The Devils added on in the second period with a Jacob Josefson goal, with a lone assist by Andy Greene. New Jersey extended the lead as Zajac scored a power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Adam Henrique and P.A. Parenteau. Columbus got on the board in the third period with a shorthanded Matt Calvert goal, his eighth of the season, set up by William Karlsson. The Devils shot back as Hall scored an empty net goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, thanks to Ben Lovejoy. New Jersey iced it at 5-1 with a Seth Helgeson goal, with helpers from Steven Santini and Henrique. The three stars belonged to Hall, Zajac, and Henrique, while Schneider (31 for 32 in saves) gets an honorable mention.

South to Dallas, with the Stars bringing in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Kari Lehtonen are called on to start in goal. Dallas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Radek Faksa goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Devin Shore and Dan Hamhuis. Chicago tied it on a Ryan Hartman goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Tanner Kero and Marian Hossa. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Gustav Forsling goal, his second of the season, coming off of Brent Seabrook and Marcus Kruger. The Stars retied it in the third period with a Jamie Benn goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Cody Eakin and John Klingberg. Dallas took the lead with an unassisted Tyler Seguin goal, his nineteenth of the season. Chicago retied it with a Patrick Kane goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Artem Anisimov. The Blackhawks regained the lead on a Trevor van Riemsdyk goal, his second of the season, fueled by Anisimov and Artemi Panarin. Chicago iced it at 5-3 with a Jonathan Toews power play goal into an empty net, his tenth of the year, set up by Hossa and Duncan Keith. The three stars went to Anisimov, Hossa, and van Riemsdyk.

Backtracking to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jake Allen are the solid goalies. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Chris Kunitz. The Penguins added on in the second period with a Kris Letang goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Carter Rowney and Bryan Rust. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Justin Schultz scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Crosby and Kunitz. St. Louis got on the board with a third period goal by Patrik Berglund, his twelfth of the year, via Colton Parayko and Joel Edmundson. The Penguins finished it at 4-1 with a Crosby empty net goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were awarded to Crosby, Kunitz, and Fleury (22 for 23 in saves).

In Nashville, the Predators welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Pekka Rinne protect the nets. Detroit opened in the first period with a Mike Green goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Henrik Zetterberg and Anthony Mantha. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Mrazek (42 save shutout), Green, and Rinne (18 for 19 in saves).

Northwest to Vancouver, where the Canucks bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Ryan Miller are the starting goalies. Minnesota started in the first period with a Mike Reilly goal, via Christian Folin and Jason Pominville. Vancouver tied it with a Brandon Sutter goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Jannik Hansen. The Wild retook the lead with a Mikael Granlund goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Jason Zucker and Matt Dumba. Minnesota added on in the second period with Granlund's second goal of the game and fourteenth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Dumba. The Canucks got one back with a Bo Horvat goal, his fifteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Sven Baertschi. The Wild replied with a Zach Parise goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Jared Spurgeon and Eric Staal. Minnesota extended the lead as Mikko Koivu scored his sixteenth of the year, with the help of Granlund and Spurgeon. Vancouver got one back with a Sutter power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, with helpers from Baertschi and Daniel Sedin. The Wild answered in the third period with Granlund completing his hat trick on his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Zucker and Koivu. The final held at 6-3, with the three stars being Granlund, Koivu, and Sutter, while Zucker, Spurgeon, and Dumba get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Martin Jones are between the pipes. Arizona drew first blood in the second period with a Shane Doan power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Jamie McGinn and Alex Goligoski. San Jose tied it on a Brenden Dillon goal, helped along by Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture. The Sharks took the lead with a Couture goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Marleau and Mikkel Boedker. The Coyotes retied it on a Ryan White goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The tie went to a shootout, where Brendan Perlini and Radim Vrbata topped Couture to give the Coyotes a 3-2 win. The three stars were Couture, Marleau, and White.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

KHL 2016/17 - Day 152

Four games today, beginning with...

Sibir Novosibirsk hosting Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Danny Taylor draw the starts in goal. Novosibirsk started in the first period with a Konstantin Okulov goal, passed from Maxim Ignatovich. Khabarovsk tied it on an Ilya Gorokhov goal, assisted by Alexei Byvaltsev and Tomas Zohorna. Amur took the lead with an Oleg Li goal, via Jan Kolar and Vyacheslav Ushenin. Khabarovsk iced it at 3-1 in the third period with an empty net goal by Vitaly Atyushov, going in unassisted. The three stars were Li, Metsola (42 for 43 in saves), and Gorokhov.

Over in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg welcomes Kunlun Red Star Beijing. Tomi Karhunen and Rafael Khakimov are the goalies. Novokuznetsk opened in the first period with a Kirill Semyonov power play goal, powered by Artyom Mikheyev. Beijing tied it in the second period with a Linus Videll goal, fueled by Chad Rau. Kunlun Red Star took the lead with a Tobias Viklund power play goal, powered by Tomi Sallinen. Beijing added on with a Max Warn power play goal, with a lone assist by Damien Fleury. Metallurg got one back with a Timur Fatkullin power play goal, passed from Semyonov and Mark Skutar. Kunlun Red Star answered with a Videll power play goal, his second of the game, made possible by Rau and Sean Collins. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Videll, Semyonov, and Rau.

West to Omsk, where Avangard brings in Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Dominik Furch protect the nets. Vladivostok led off in the first period with a Pavel Makarenko goal, assisted by James Wright and Ivan Gavrilenko. Omsk tied it in the second period with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, coming off of Ilya Zubov. Admiral retook the lead with an unassisted Mikhail Fisenko goal. Vladivostok iced it at 3-1 with a Damir Zhafyarov empty net goal in the third period, set up by the goalie Bobkov and Anton Volchenkov. The three stars went to Fisenko, Bobkov (16 for 17 in saves), and Makarenko.

Finally, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk hosts Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Andrei Kareyev play goal. Nizhnekamsk began in the first period with a Pavel Poryadin goal, via Pavel Zdunov. Neftekhimik added on with a Maxim Berezin goal, passed from Nikita Kvartalnov. Togliatti got on the board in the second period with a Nikita Filatov goal, with a lone assist by Dmitry Kostromitin. Nizhnekamsk replied with a Zdunov goal, going in unassisted. Lada got one back in the third period with a Georgy Belousov power play goal, powered by Yefim Gurkin and Viktor Komarov. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Zdunov, Berezin, and Poryadin.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2016/17 - Day 108

Five games on today, all hosted by Eastern Conference teams. We begin with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Matt Murray draw the starts in goal. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Phil Kessel goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Brian Dumoulin and Trevor Daley. The Penguins added on with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Matt Cullen and Kris Letang. Columbus got on the board in the second period with a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Boone Jenner and Jack Johnson. Pittsburgh replied with a Nick Bonino goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Jake Guentzel and Kessel. The Blue Jackets pulled back in the third period with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Brandon Saad and Seth Jones. Columbus tied it on a Cam Atkinson goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Dubinsky and Johnson. The Penguins won 4-3 in overtime with a Kessel power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Letang and Justin Schultz. The three stars were Kessel, Letang, and Dubinsky, while Johnson gets an honorable mention.

In New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott and Cory Schneider man the nets. Calgary started in the first period with a Sean Monahan goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Johnny Gaudreau and T.J. Brodie. The Flames added on in the second period with a Kris Versteeg power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Brodie and Gaudreau. New Jersey got on the board with an Adam Henrique goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Miles Wood. The Devils tied it on a Pavel Zacha power play goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Michael Cammalleri and Henrique. New Jersey took the lead with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with helpers from Wood and Taylor Hall. Calgary tied it in the third period with a Matt Stajan goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Brodie, who got a sock trick, and Micheal Ferland. The Flames won 4-3 in overtime with a Mikael Backlund goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Brodie and Michael Frolik. The three stars were awarded to Brodie, Henrique, and Gaudreau, while Wood gets an honorable mention.

West to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Petr Mrazek are in the blue paint. New York led off in the first period with a Josh Bailey goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by John Tavares and Anders Lee. Detroit tied it on a Luke Glendening goal, his second of the year, passed from Jonathan Ericsson and Justin Abdelkader. The Islanders retook the lead with an Andrew Ladd goal, his eleventh of the season, via Thomas Hickey and Alan Quine. The Red Wings tied it again in the second period with a Darren Helm goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Tomas Tatar and Thomas Vanek. Detroit took the lead with an Anthony Mantha goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Tatar. New York tied it again with a Tavares power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Ryan Strome and Lee. The Red Wings retook the lead with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Gustav Nyquist and Mantha. The Islanders tied it again with a Jason Chimera goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Brock Nelson. Detroit won 5-4 with a Danny DeKeyser goal, his third of the campaign, with a lone assist by Zetterberg. The three stars were Zetterberg, Mantha, and Tatar, while Tavares and Lee get the honorable mentions.

South to Raleigh, where the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Cam Ward are the similarly named goalies. Carolina began in the first period with a Jordan Staal goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Elias Lindholm and Jaccob Slavin. Edmonton tied it on a Connor McDavid goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson. The Hurricanes took the lead back in the third period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Justin Faulk and Teuvo Teravainen. The game ended at 2-1, with the three stars given to Aho, Staal, and Ward (24 for 25 in saves).

Finally, the Florida Panthers host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and James Reimer are set to start in goal. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Hampus Lindholm goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Antoine Vermette. Florida tied it on a Reilly Smith goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Jason Demers and Keith Yandle. The Panthers took the lead in the second period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, guided in by Aleksander Barkov and Yandle. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Huberdeau, Reimer (22 for 23 in saves), and Smith.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

KHL 2016/17 - Day 151

Eight games today, the last big day before a break that starts next week. We begin in...

Chelyabinsk, with Traktor hosting Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Pavel Francouz are in goal. Chelyabinsk started in the first period with a Jiri Novotny goal, assisted by Derek Roy and Alexander Tridchikov. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Francouz (26 save shutout), Novotny, and Kovar (23 for 24 in saves).

In Magnitogorsk, Metallurg welcomes SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Vasily Koshechkin guard the cages. St. Petersburg opened in the first period with a Pavel Datsyuk goal, passed from Ilya Kovalchuk and Anton Belov. Magnitogorsk tied it with a Chris Lee goal, via Alexander Semin and Tomas Filippi. SKA retook the lead with an Evgeny Dadonov power play goal in the second period, powered by Belov and Vadim Shipachyov. St. Petersburg added on with a Dadonov power play goal, his second of the game, with a lone assist by Nikita Gusev. Metallurg got one back with a Sergei Mozyakin goal in the third period, coming off of Lee. SKA replied with a shorthanded and unassisted Jarno Koskiranta goal. Magnitogorsk answered with a Mozyakin power play goal, with assists provided by Lee and Danis Zaripov. Metallurg tied it on a Mozyakin power play goal, completing his hat trick and Lee's sock trick as he produced the assist. In the shootout, three tallies by Zaripov and one more each from Lee and Mozyakin lifted Metallurg 5-4 over a pair of goals each from Gusev and Datsyuk. The three stars were Mozyakin, Lee, and Zaripov, while Dadonov, Datsyuk, Gusev, and Belov get the honorable mentions.

Next up, Salavat Yulaev Ufa hosts CSKA Moscow. Viktor Fasth and Niklas Svedberg draw the starts in goal. Moscow led off in the first period with an Alexander Popov goal, passed from Stephane Da Costa and Greg Scott. CSKA added on with a Vladimir Zharkov goal, via Popov. Ufa got on the board with a Dmitry Makarov goal, coming off of Zakhar Arzamastsev. Moscow replied with a Scott power play goal, powered by Jan Mursak and Denis Denisov. CSKA extended the lead in the second period as Valery Nichushkin scored, thanks to Da Costa and Kirill Petrov. Moscow padded the lead in the third period with an Ivan Telegin goal, guided in by Vyacheslav Osnovin and Nichushkin. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Scott, Popov, and Nichushkin, while Da Costa gets an honorable mention.

Continuing along, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg brings in Dinamo Riga. Janis Kalnins and Vladimir Sokhatsky are in the creases. Riga got going in the second period with a Guntis Galvins goal, assisted by Edgars Kulda. Yekaterinburg tied it on a Maxim Rasseikin goal, passed from Oleg Gubin. Avtomobilist took the lead with an unassisted goal by Petr Koukal. Yekaterinburg added on in the third period with an Alexei Simakov goal, via Niclas Andersen. Avtomobilist extended the lead as Alexei Mikhnov scored, with the help of Stanislav Chistov and Koukal. Dinamo got one back with a Miks Indrasis power play goal, powered by Lauris Darzins and Galvins. This only made it a 4-2 final, with the three stars given to Koukal, Galvins, and Simakov.

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana hosts Dinamo Minsk. Ben Scrivens and Henrik Karlsson are the former NHL goalies. Astana began in the first period with a Brandon Bochenski goal, coming off of Nigel Dawes. Minsk tied it on an Aaron Palushaj goal, via Roman Graborenko. Barys retook the lead in the second period with a Corey Trivino goal, made possible by Konstantin Pushkaryov. Astana added on with a Bochenski power play goal, going in unassisted. Barys extended the lead in the third period as Trivino scored his second of the game, a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Astana finished it at 5-1 with a Kirill Panyukov goal, set up by Pushkaryov. The three stars were Bochenski, Trivino, and Pushkaryov.

North to Khanty-Mansiysk, where Ugra welcomes Jokerit Helsinki. Ryan Zapolski and Alexander Sharychenkov are between the pipes. Khanty-Mansiysk struck first in the first period with a Kirill Belyayev goal, assisted by Alexander Akmaldinov and Nikita Dvurechensky. Helsinki tied it on a Mika Niemi goal, made possible by Arturs Kulda and Tommi Huhtala. Jokerit took the lead with a Peter Regin goal, courtesy of Brian O'Neill and Joonas Jalvanti. Ugra retied it on a Roman Lyuduchin goal in the third period with a lone assist by Evgeny Lapenkov. Helsinki took the lead back with a Marko Anttila goal, passed from Oliver Lauridsen and Topi Jaakola. This made it a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Anttila, Regin, and Niemi.

Out in Slovakia, Slovan Bratislava hosts Vityaz Podolsk. Igor Saprykin and Barry Brust are given the starting nods in goal. Podolsk was first to score in the first period with an Alexei Kopeikin goal, fueled by Ivan Yatsenko and Mario Kempe. Slovan tied it with a Patrik Lusnak power play goal, powered by Pavol Skalicky. Vityaz retook the lead in the second period on a Yatsenko goal, via Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi. Podolsk added on with another Yatsenko goal, helped along by Shvets-Rogovoi and Sergei Gimayev. Vityaz extended the lead in the third period as Maxim Afinogenov scored, with the help of Alexei Makeyev. Podolsk padded the lead with an Alexander Pankov goal, fueled by Shvets-Rogovoi, who earned a sock trick. Vityaz iced it at 6-1 with a Kempe power play goal, with assists provided by Miro Aaltonen and Roman Horak. The three stars were Yatsenko, Shvets-Rogovoi, and Kempe.

Finally, Spartak Moscow brings in the Sochi Leopards. Konstantin Barulin and Alexander Trushkov are set to start in goal. Sochi dented the scoreboard in the first period with a shorthanded Ilya Krikunov goal, set up by Eric O'Dell. Moscow tied it on a Viktor Bobrov goal, assisted by Vladislav Provolnev in the second period. The Leopards retook the lead with an Andre Petersson power play goal, powered by Pavel Padakin and Ben Maxwell. Sochi iced it at 3-1 with an O'Dell empty net goal, set up by Krikunov and Maxwell. The three stars were Krikunov, O'Dell, and Maxwell.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2016/17 - Day 107

Eight games tonight, beginning with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Michal Neuvirth make the starts in goal. Montreal led off in the first period with a Nikita Nesterov goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Alex Galchenyuk and Andrew Shaw. Philadelphia tied it on a Claude Giroux power play goal in the second period, his twelfth of the year, powered by Mark Streit and Brayden Schenn. The Flyers took the lead in the third period with a Matt Read goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Sean Couturier and Nick Cousins. Philadelphia iced it at 3-1 with a Couturier empty net goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Read, Couturier, and Giroux.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Robin Lehner protect the nets. New York got going in the second period with a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller. Buffalo tied it in the third period with a Cody Franson goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Ryan O'Reilly and Tyler Ennis. The Rangers won 2-1 in overtime with a Chris Kreider goal, his twentieth of the campaign, helped along by Miller and Mika Zibanejad. The three stars were Lundqvist (36 for 37 in saves), Miller, and Lehner (42 for 44 in saves).

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Andrei Vasilevskiy man the nets. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Nikita Kucherov. Ottawa tied it with a Mark Stone goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Zack Smith and Cody Ceci. The Senators took the lead with a Kyle Turris power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson. Ottawa added on in the third period with a Hoffman goal, his eighteenth of the year, a power play goal with assists provided by Turris and Stone. The Lightning got one back with a Brayden Point goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Brian Boyle and Ondrej Palat. The Senators shot back with a Stone goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, coming off of Karlsson and Derick Brassard. Ottawa iced it at 5-2 with a Chris Kelly empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Karlsson, who earned a sock trick. The three stars went to Stone, Hoffman, and Turris, while Karlsson gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Nashville Predators bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Pekka Rinne are the masked men. Nashville was first to score in the second period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Ryan Johansen. The Predators added on with a Johansen goal, his ninth of the year, via Arvidsson and Filip Forsberg. This produced a 2-0 final eventually, with the three stars awarded to Rinne (31 save shutout), Arvidsson, and Johansen.

In Texas, the Dallas Stars host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Kari Lehtonen are the mediocre goalies. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Bryan Little goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine. Dallas tied it on a John Klingberg power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Jamie Benn. The Stars took the lead with a Benn goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Patrik Nemeth and Patrick Eaves. The Jets retied it on a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg took the lead in the third period with Scheifele's second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Mathieu Perreault and Dustin Byfuglien on the power play. The Jets added on with an Ehlers goal, his nineteenth of the year, fueled by Laine. Dallas got one back with an Eaves goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Klingberg and Benn. This was as close as it got, with the three stars of the 4-3 Jets win being Scheifele, Ehlers, and Benn, while Laine, Eaves, and Klingberg get the honorable mentions.

Up in Missouri, the St. Louis Blues welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Jake Allen are given the starting nods in goal. Toronto started in the first period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. St. Louis tied it on an Alexander Steen goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk and Paul Stastny. The Blues took the lead in the second period with a Stastny goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Steen and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis added on with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Jori Lehtera and Colton Parayko. The Blues extended the lead as Parayko scored a power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Pietrangelo and Robby Fabbri. St. Louis padded the lead in the third period as Stastny scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, with the help of Parayko and Joel Edmundson. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars handed to Stastny, Parayko, and Steen, while Pietrangelo gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Arizona, where the Coyotes host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Mike Smith are the All-Star goalies. Chicago opened in the first period with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Duncan Keith and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks added on with a Ryan Hartman goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Keith and Andrew Desjardins. Chicago extended the lead as Marian Hossa scored his nineteenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Artemi Panarin and Brent Seabrook. Arizona got on the board in the second period with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Radim Vrbata and Michael Stone. The Blackhawks shot back with a Panarin goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Artem Anisimov and Kane. The Coyotes answered with a Christian Dvorak goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Shane Doan and Brendan Perlini. Arizona got closer with a Perlini goal, his eighth of the campaign, made possible by Dvorak and Alex Goligoski. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Panarin, Kane, and Keith, while Dvorak and Perlini get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Ryan Miller are between the pipes. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns. The Sharks added on with a Chris Tierney goal, his fifth of the year, via David Schlemko. San Jose extended the lead in the third period as Burns scored his twenty-second of the season, thanks to Tomas Hertl and Joe Thornton. Vancouver got on the board with a Philip Larsen goal, coming off of Brendan Gaunce and Nikita Tryamkin. The Sharks iced it at 4-1 with a Tierney power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, assisted by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Joel Ward. The three stars were Tierney, Burns, and Jones (32 for 33 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

KHL 2016/17 - Day 150

There are six games today for the Russian league, beginning with...

Sibir Novosibirsk hosting Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Danny Taylor make the starts in goal. Novosibirsk led off in the first period with a Stepan Sannikov goal, passed from Joonas Kemppainen and Maxim Shalunov. Sibir added on with an Alexei Glukhov goal in the second period, assisted by Georgy Misharin and Konstantin Sokolov. Novosibirsk extended the lead as Konstantin Okulov scored, thanks to Vladislav Naumov. Vladivostok got on the board with an unassisted goal by Denis Alexeyev. Sibir shot back in the third period with Glukhov's second goal of the game, via Sokolov and Fyodor Belyakov. Novosibirsk padded the lead with a Naumov power play goal, powered by Okulov and Zach Boychuk. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars given to Glukhov, Okulov, and Naumov, while Sokolov gets an honorable mention.

In Novokuznetsk, Metallurg welcomes Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Vladislav Podyapolsky are the goalies. Khabarovsk dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Kirill Kapustin goal, assisted by Igor Rudenkov and Anton Krysanov. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars given to Kapustin, Metsola (29 save shutout), and Podyapolsky (26 for 27 in saves).

West to Omsk, where Avangard brings in Kunlun Red Star Beijing. Tomi Karhunen and Dominik Furch man the nets. Omsk got going in the second period with a Pyotr Khokhyrakov goal, coming off of Anton Burdasov and Jonas Ahnelov. Avangard added on with a Burdasov goal, helped along by Yegor Martynov and Khokhryakov. Beijing got on the board with a Sean Collins power play goal, powered by Chad Rau and Linus Videll. Omsk iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Alexander Perezhogin, set up by Vladimir Sobotka and Valentin Pyanov. The three stars were Burdasov, Khokhryakov, and Furch (19 for 20 in saves).

Further west to Togliatti, where Lada hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Ilya Ezhov are the masked men. Togliatti began in the first period with an Andrei Ivanov goal, helped along by Nikita Filatov and Alexander Bumagin. Lada added on with an Anton Shenfeld goal, assisted by Alexei Mastryukov and Maxim Rybin. Togliatti extended the lead as Filatov scored, with the help of Ivanov. Lada iced it at 4-0 with an empty net goal by Georgy Belousov, set up by Dmitry Kostromitin and Viktor Komarov in the third period. The three stars belonged to Ivanov, Filatov, and Ezhov (37 save shutout).

In Europe, Slovan Bratislava welcomes Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Justin Pogge play goal. Moscow started in the first period with an Alexander Rybakov goal, coming off of Juuso Hietanen and Alexei Sopin. Dynamo added on with an Artyom Podshendyalov goal, via Maxim Solovyov and Denis Kokarev. Bratislava got on the board with a Patrik Lusnak goal, passed from Tomas Starosta in the second period. The game ended 2-1, with the three stars going to Yeryomenko (40 for 41 in saves), Podshendyalov, and Rybakov.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Sergei Gaiduchenko are in the blue paint. Yaroslavl opened in the first period with an Emil Galimov goal, passed from Mikhail Pashnin. Lokomotiv added on with a Petri Kontiola goal, courtesy of Maxime Talbot and Brandon Kozun on the power play. Yaroslavl extended the lead as Denis Osipov scored a power play goal, thanks to Kontiola and Kozun. Lokomotiv padded the lead on a Rushan Rafikov power play goal, powered by Daniil Apalkov and Alexander Kadeikin. Michael Garnett replaced Gaiduchenko in goal at the start of the second period. Yaroslavl continued in the second period with an Ilya Lyubushkin goal, via Galimov and Vladislav Kartayev. Zagreb got on the board with a Mike Glumac power play goal, with helpers from Nathan Perkovich and Mark Katic. Lokomotiv shot back on a Kozun goal, with a lone assist from Talbot. Medescak countered with a Kirill Voronin goal, fueled by Blake Parlett and Alexandre Giroux. Zagreb got closer in the third period with a Lukas Lessio power play goal, with assists provided by Perkovich and Derek Smith. Medvescak chipped closer with an unassisted Ilya Arkalov goal. Yaroslavl iced it at 7-4 with a Kozun empty net goal, set up by Talbot. The three stars were Kozun, Talbot, and Kontiola, while Galimov and Perkovich get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2016/17 - Day 106

Just three games on tonight, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington led off in the first period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on with a Backstrom goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Matt Niskanen and Oshie. Boston got on the board with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak. The Bruins tied it in the second period with another Marchand power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, via Ryan Spooner and Pastrnak. Washington retook the lead with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Niskanen and Backstrom. The Capitals extended the lead in the third period as Brett Connolly scored his ninth of the year, with the help of Dmitry Orlov and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington padded the lead on a Kuznetsov goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Tom Wilson. Boston got one back with a David Krejci goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Pastrnak, who got a sock trick, and Marchand. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Backstrom, Oshie, and Marchand, while Kuznetsov, Pastrnak, and Niskanen get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Calgary, where the Flames welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Brian Elliott draw the starts in goal. Calgary began in the first period with an Alex Chiasson goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Sam Bennett and Kris Versteeg. The Flames added on with a Sean Monahan goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming on the power play from Johnny Gaudreau and Troy Brouwer. Minnesota got on the board with a second period goal by Jason Zucker, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Mikael Granlund. Calgary answered in the third period with Monahan's second power play goal of the game, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Dennis Wideman and T.J. Brodie. The Flames extended the lead as Deryk Engelland scored his second of the season, with the help of Matt Stajan. Calgary iced it at 5-1 with a Micheal Ferland goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Engelland. The three stars were Monahan, Engelland, and Elliott (28 for 29 in saves.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Spencer Martin and Peter Budaj are the backups in goal. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Marian Gaborik goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. The Kings added on with a Jeff Carter goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, a power play goal powered by Jake Muzzin and Drew Doughty. Los Angeles extended the lead as Carter scored his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Devin Setoguchi. The Kings padded the lead in the third period with a Brown goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Nic Dowd and Kevin Gravel. Los Angeles continued with a Dwight King goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. This produced a 5-0 final, with the three stars given to Carter, Brown, and Budaj (22 save shutout).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.