NHL 2016/17 - Day 151

Ten games today, including a pair of matinees, beginning in...

Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Jimmy Howard are the goalies. Detroit got going in the second period with a Justin Abdelkader power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. Colorado tied it on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Tyson Barrie and Sven Andrighetto in the third period. The Red Wings took the lead back with a Tomas Tatar goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Luke Glendening. Detroit added on with another Tatar goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, assisted by Gustav Nyquist and Dylan Larkin. The Red Wings extended the lead as Larkin scored his fifteenth of the season, a power play goal, courtesy of Andreas Athanasiou and Riley Sheahan. Detroit padded the lead with a Nyquist goal, his tenth of the year, with helpers from Zetterberg and Mike Green. The three stars went to Tatar, Zetterberg, and Nyquist, while Larkin gets an honorable mention.

East to New York, where the Islanders welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Thomas Greiss receive the starting nods in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Travis Hamonic goal, his third of the season, assisted by Jason Chimera and Anthony Beauvillier. Columbus tied it in the second period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Josh Anderson goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Nick Foligno and Zach Werenski. The Islanders retied it in the third period with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, helped along by Dennis Seidenberg and Scott Mayfield. Columbus won 3-2 in overtime with a Cam Atkinson goal, his thirty-third of the campaign, via Brandon Dubinsky and Werenski. The three stars went to Werenski, Atkinson, and Anderson.

At the usual time, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Craig Anderson guard the cages. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Andrew Shaw goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Phillip Danault and Shea Weber. Ottawa tied it on a Derick Brassard power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Kyle Turris and Mike Hoffman. The Senators took the lead with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Alexandre Burrows and Erik Karlsson. The Canadiens retied it in the third period with a Danault goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Artturi Lehkonen and Shaw. Montreal regained the lead on a Brendan Gallagher goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Andrei Markov. Ottawa tied it again with a Karlsson goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Marc Methot and Brassard. In the shootout, the Canadiens won with tallies by Paul Byron and Alexander Radulov. The three stars of the 4-3 game were Danault, Shaw, and Brassard, while Karlsson gets an honorable mention.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Washington began in the first period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, a power play goal powered by Marcus Johansson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on with an Oshie goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, guided in by Alex Ovechkin and Backstrom. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his thirty-second of the season, with assists provided by Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point. The Lightning tied it on an Alex Killorn goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Jonathan Drouin. Washington took the lead again in the third period with a Justin Williams goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Matt Niskanen and Andre Burakovsky. The Capitals extended the lead as John Carlson scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Oshie and Backstrom, the latter earning a sock trick. The Lightning got one back with a Kucherov goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the season, with a lone helper from Point. Washington iced it at 5-3 with an Oshie empty net goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, finishing his hat trick on a goal set up by Backstrom. The three stars were Oshie, Backstrom, and Kucherov, while Point gets an honorable mention.

Back up in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Eddie Lack are the backups in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Jordan Staal goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes added on with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by Lee Stempniak. Nashville got on the board in the second period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, passed from Ryan Ellis and Kevin Fiala. Carolina retook the lead with another Skinner goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, fueled by Slavin and Staal. The Predators got one back in the third period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, guided in by Calle Jarnkrok and Ellis. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Elias Lindholm, also shorthanded, his eighth of the year set up by Sebastian Aho. The three stars belonged to Skinner, Staal, and Slavin, while Ellis gets an honorable mention.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. Toronto started in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-second of the season, assisted by William Nylander and Zach Hyman. Chicago tied it in the second period on a John Hayden goal, via Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks took the lead in the third period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Artemi Panarin and the goalie Crawford. This made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Crawford (25 for 26 in saves), Hayden, and Hartman.

Along to Minnesota, where the Wild host the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and Devan Dubnyk Minnesota struck first in the first period with an Eric Staal goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, coming off of Martin Hanzal and Matt Dumba. New York tied it on a Brady Skjei goal, his fourth of the year, via Mats Zuccarello and Adam Clendening. The Rangers took the lead in the second period on an Oscar Lindberg goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by J.T. Miller. New York added on with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Lindberg and Pavel Buchnevich. The Wild got one back in the third period with a Dumba power play goal, his ninth of the campaign, powered by Zach Parise and Charlie Coyle. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Lindberg, Dumba, and Vesey.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Mike Smith draw the starts in goal. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his tenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Paul Stastny and Jay Bouwmeester. The Blues added on in the second period with a Scottie Upshall goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. St. Louis iced it at 3-0 with a shorthanded empty net goal by David Perron, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Colton Parayko. The three stars were Allen (31 save shutout), Pietrangelo, and Upshall.

In Canada, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Richard Bachman and Cam Talbot are in the blue paint. Edmonton cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, via Andrej Sekera and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers added on with a Mark Letestu power play goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Draisaitl and Oscar Klefbom. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars given to Draisaitl, Talbot (33 save shutout), and McDavid.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Anaheim Ducks. Martin Jones and Jonathan Bernier are in the creases. Anaheim drew first blood in the first period with a Patrick Eaves goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell. San Jose tied it on a Logan Couture power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. The Ducks took the lead back in the second period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his twentieth of the season, going in unassisted. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Bernier (33 for 34 in saves), Silfverberg, and Eaves.

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KHL Western Conference Semifinal: 1) CSKA Moscow VS. 4) Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

The second round of the 2017 KHL playoffs is now underway. This Western Conference Semifinal features CSKA Moscow and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

Game 1: CSKA Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Alexei Murygin for Lokomotiv and Ilya Sorokin for CSKA. Moscow opened in the first period with a Stephane Da Costa goal, via Artyom Sergeyev. CSKA added on with an Andrei Svetlakov power play goal, powered by Alexander Popov and Kirill Petrov. Yaroslavl got on the board with a Jakub Nakladal power play goal, coming off of Staffan Kronwall. Lokomotiv tied it on another Nakladal goal in the second period, helped along by Brandon Kozun. Moscow retook the lead with a Svetlakov power play goal, assisted by Bogdan Kiselevich and Petrov. CSKA iced it at 4-2 with a Sergei Andronov goal, passed from Ivan Telegin in the third period. The three stars were Svetlakov, Nakladal, and Petrov. CSKA leads the series 1-0 early on.

Game 2: CSKA Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Alexei Murygin for Lokomotiv and Ilya Sorokin for CSKA. Yaroslavl started in the first period with a Daniil Apalkov goal, going in unassisted. Moscow tied it with an Alexander Popov goal, passed from Valery Nichushkin. Lokomotiv took the lead back in the second period with a Yegor Averin goal, made possible by Andrei Loktionov. Yaroslavl added on in the third period with a Petri Kontiola power play goal, powered by Brandon Kozun and Jakub Nakladal. CSKA answered with a Geoff Platt goal, fueled by Grigory Panin and Dmitry Kugryshev. Lokomotiv replied with a Loktionov goal, with a lone assist by Averin. Moscow pulled back with a Nichushkin goal, passed from Bogdan Kiselevich and Stephane Da Costa. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Loktionov, Averin, and Nichushkin. The series is tied at 1 as the action heads east.

Game 3: Arena 2000, Yaroslavl, Russia. In goal: Viktor Fasth for CSKA and Alexei Murygin for Lokomotiv. Moscow led off in the first period with a Kirill Petrov power play goal, powered by Bogdan Kiselevich and Stephane Da Costa. Yaroslavl tied it on a Dmitry Lugin goal in the second period, made possible by Yegor Averin and Andrei Loktionov. CSKA retook the lead in the third period with a Da Costa power play goal, assisted by Kiselevich. The game ended 2-1, with the three stars going to Da Costa, Kiselevich, and Fasth (23 for 24 in saves). CSKA leads the series again at 2-1.

Game 4: Arena 2000, Yaroslavl, Russia. In goal: Viktor Fasth for CSKA and Alexei Murygin for Lokomotiv. Moscow began in the first period with a Geoff Platt goal, assisted by Artyom Voroshilo and Artyom Blazhiyevsky. Yaroslavl tied it on a Maxime Talbot power play goal in the second period, powered by Brandon Kozun and Jakub Nakladal. Lokomotiv took the lead in the third period with a Pavel Kraskovsky goal, courtesy of Yegor Korshkov. Yaroslavl added on with a Nakladal power play goal, guided in by Staffan Kronwall and Petri Kontiola. Lokomotiv extended the lead as Alexander Polunin scored, thanks to Vladislav Gavrikov. Yaroslavl padded the lead on a Kozun power play goal, with assists provided by Kronwall and Kontiola. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Nakladal, Kozun, and Murygin (26 for 27 in saves), while Kronwall and Kontiola get the honorable mentions. The series heads back to Moscow tied at 2.

Game 5: CSKA Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Alexander Sudnitsin for Lokomotiv and Viktor Fasth for CSKA. Yaroslavl struck first in the first period with a Yegor Averin goal, made possible by Vladislav Gavrikov and Andrei Loktionov. Lokomotiv added on with a Gavrikov power play goal, powered by Averin. Moscow got on the board with a Valery Nichushkin goal, coming off of Andrei Svetlakov. This only made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars being Gavrikov, Averin, and Sudnitsin (38 for 39 in saves). Lokomotiv takes the series lead at 3-2 as they head back home with a chance to advance. 

Game 6: Arena 2000, Yaroslavl, Russia. In goal: Ilya Sorokin for CSKA and Alexander Sudnitsin for Lokomotiv. Yaroslavl was first to score in the first period with a Pavel Kraskovsky goal, via Pavel Koledov and Yegor Korshkov. Lokomotiv added on in the second period with a Maxime Talbot power play goal, powered by Jakub Nakladal and Staffan Kronwall. Yaroslavl extended the lead in the third period as Andrei Loktionov scored a power play goal, with the help of Nakladal and Kronwall. Moscow got on the board with a Stephane Da Costa power play goal, with a lone assist by Jan Mursak. Lokomotiv held on to win 3-1, with the three stars going to Sudnitsin (44 for 45 in saves), Nakladal, and Kronwall. Lokomotiv advances to the Western Conference Final with a 4-2 series win, and they will face SKA St. Petersburg next round. 

NHL 2016/17 - Day 150

Just four games on tonight, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Antti Raanta man the nets. New York opened in the first period with a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan. The Rangers added on with a J.T. Miller goal, his twentieth of the year, coming off of Brendan Smith and Mika Zibanejad. Florida got on the board in the second period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jaromir Jagr and Alex Petrovic. The Panthers tied it on a Jussi Jokinen power play goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Thomas Vanek and Jason Demers. Florida took the lead in the third period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Jagr and Huberdeau. New York retied it on a Zuccarello goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, via Smith and Nick Holden. In the shootout, Barkov had the only tally for a 4-3 Panthers win. The three stars went to Barkov, Huberdeau, and Jagr, while Zuccarllo and Smith get the honorable mentions.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Matt Murray are the alliterative goalies. New Jersey started in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, coming off of Taylor Hall and John Moore. Pittsburgh tied it on a Phil Kessel goal, his twenty-second of the year, assisted by Patric Hornqvist and Matt Cullen. The Penguins took the lead with a Jake Guentzel goal, his eleventh of the season, via Brian Dumoulin and Sidney Crosby. The Devils retied it on a Stefan Noesen goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Pavel Zacha and John Quenneville. Pittsburgh retook the lead with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, powered by Mark Streit and Justin Schultz. The Penguins added on with a Nick Bonino goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the year, made possible by Carter Rowney and Tom Kuhnhackl. New Jersey pulled back with a Beau Bennett goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Adam Henrique and Jon Merrill. Pittsburgh answered with a Rowney goal, with helpers from Kuhnhackl and Tom Sestito. The Devils countered with a Palmieri power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Joseph Blandisi. The Penguins iced it at 6-4 with a Crosby empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-seventh of the campaign, set up by Conor Sheary. The three stars belonged to Rowney, Crosby, and Palmieri, while Kuhnhackl gets an honorable mention.

Out in Alberta, the Calgary Flames bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Brian Elliott draw the starts in goal. Calgary led off in the first period with a Michael Frolik goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Mikael Backlund and Mark Giordano. The Flames added on in the second period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Giordano and Dougie Hamilton. Calgary extended the lead as Giordano scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Tkachuk. Dallas got on the board in the third period with a Brett Ritchie goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Giordano, Tkachuk, and Frolik.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Buffalo Sabres. Anders Nilsson and Jonathan Bernier are the backups in goal. Anaheim began in the first period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his thirty-first of the season, passed from Cam Fowler and Brandon Montour. Buffalo tied it on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Jake McCabe and Jack Eichel. The tie went to a shootout, where O'Reilly, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Zemgus Girgensons topped Ryan Getzlaf and Montour for a 2-1 Sabres win. The three stars were O'Reilly, Montour, and Nilsson (39 for 40 in saves).

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 149

Twelve games on for a busy night, beginning in...

Raleigh, where the Carolina Hurricanes host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk faces a lesser foe in Eddie Lack in goal. Carolina began in the first period with a Derek Ryan power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Noah Hanifin and Lee Stempniak. Minnesota tied it on a shorthanded Mikael Granlund goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Mikko Koivu. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period with a Victor Rask goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Elias Lindholm and Brock McGinn. Carolina iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Teuvo Teravainen, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Jeff Skinner. The three stars went to Rask, Lack (31 for 32 in saves), and Ryan.

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Keith Kinkaid are in the creases. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. New Jersey tied it on a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-third of the year, helped along by Travis Zajac. The Devils took the lead in the second period with an Adam Henrique goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Beau Bennett and Dalton Prout. New Jersey added on with a Joseph Blandisi power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Damon Severson and Pavel Zacha. The Flyers replied with a Brayden Schenn goal, his twenty-first of the season, guided in by Radko Gudas and Del Zotto. The Devils replied in the third period with a Taylor Hall goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Zajac. Michal Neuvirth replaced Mason in goal. New Jersey extended the lead as Henrique scored his eighteenth of the season, thanks to John Moore and Palmieri. The Devils iced it at 6-2 with a Hall empty net goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Henrique, Hall, and Palmieri, while Del Zotto and Zajac get the honorable mentions.

Along to Brooklyn, where the New York Islanders bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Thomas Greiss are the average goalies. New York opened in the first period with an Adam Pelech goal, his second of the season, assisted by John Tavares and Nick Leddy. Winnipeg tied it on a Bryan Little goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Nikolaj Ehlers and Ben Chiarot. The Jets took the lead on another Little goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, a power play goal powered by Nic Petan and Ehlers. Winnipeg added on with a second period goal by Mathieu Perreault, his eighth of the year, helped along by Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. The Jets extended the lead as Adam Lowry scored his twelfth of the season, with the help of Joel Armia and Mark Stuart. The Islanders replied in the third period with an Anders Lee goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The final held at 4-2 with the three stars being Little, Ehlers, and Perreault.

Over in DC, the Washington Capitals host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Braden Holtby guard the cages. Washington started in the first period with a Brett Connolly goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Jakub Vrana. Nashville tied it on a James Neal goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Kevin Fiala in the second period. The Predators won 2-1 in overtime with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, assisted by Ryan Johansen and Roman Josi. The three stars went to Arvidsson, Neal, and Rinne (22 for 23 in saves).

West to Ohio, where the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Sergei Bobrovsky are called on to start in goal. Florida struck first in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Thomas Vanek and Alex Petrovic. Columbus tied it in the second period on a Zach Werenski goal, his eleventh of the year, via Josh Anderson and Matt Calvert. The Blue Jackets took the lead with an Anderson goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Jack Johnson and William Karlsson. The game ended at 2-1, with the three stars given to Anderson, Bobrovsky (33 for 34 in saves), and Werenski.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Mike Condon are the backups in goal. Chicago got going in the second period with a Duncan Keith goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Artemi Panarin and Nick Schmaltz. Ottawa tied it on a Kyle Turris power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Erik Karlsson and Mike Hoffman. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Richard Panik power play goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Panik, Keith, and Darling (33 for 34 in saves).

Back south, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Andrei Vasilevskiy make the starts in goal. Toronto was first to score in the first period with a Roman Polak goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Tyler Bozak. The Maple Leafs added on with a Morgan Rielly goal, his fifth of the year, via Nazem Kadri and Alexey Marchenko in the second period. Toronto extended the lead as Matt Martin scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Matt Hunwick and Nikita Soshnikov. The Maple Leafs chased Vasilevskiy on a Connor Brown power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Leo Komarov and William Nylander. Toronto padded the lead against Peter Budaj with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-second of the season, helped along by Rielly and Mitchell Marner. The final stood at 5-0, with the three stars being Rielly, Andersen (33 save shutout), and Polak.

Northwest to Edmonton, where the Oilers welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Cam Talbot protect the nets. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Patrick Maroon goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Jordan Eberle and Andrej Sekera on the power play. The Oilers added on with a Maroon goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, via Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Edmonton extended the lead as Benoit Pouliot scored his seventh of the season, thanks to David Desharnais and Darnell Nurse. Boston got on the board with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Brad Marchand and Ryan Spooner. The Bruins got closer with a Marchand goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, fueled by Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara. The Oilers answered with an Anton Slepyshev goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by McDavid and Nurse. Edmonton padded the lead in the second period with a Drake Caggiula power play goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Pouliot. Anton Khudobin replaced Rask in goal. Boston got one back with a Dominic Moore shorthanded goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Adam McQuaid. The Oilers answered with a Draisaitl goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Edmonton kept going with a Milan Lucic power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Draisaitl and McDavid, the latter earning a sock trick. The Bruins chipped back with a David Krejci goal, his twentieth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Marchand and Torey Krug. The game ended at 7-4, with the three stars awarded to Maroon, Marchand, and Draisaitl, while McDavid, Eberle, and Nurse get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Vancouver, where the Canucks bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Ryan Miller are the veteran goalies. Dallas started in the first period with an Ales Hemsky goal, assisted by Remi Elie and Patrik Nemeth. Vancouver tied it on a Sven Baertschi goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Nikita Tryamkin and Reid Boucher. The Stars took the lead back on an Esa Lindell goal, his sixth of the year, passed from John Klingberg and Jason Spezza. The Canucks tied it on a Ben Hutton power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Markus Granlund and Bo Horvat in the second period. Dallas took the lead in the third period on a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with assists provided by Klingberg and Spezza. The Stars iced it at 4-2 with a Radek Faksa goal, his eleventh of the campaign, guided in by Devin Shore. The three stars went to Klingberg, Spezza, and Seguin.

Down in Arizona Coyotes host the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Mike Smith are the goalies. Detroit opened in the first period with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Riley Sheahan and Andreas Athanasiou. Arizona tied it in the second period on a Radim Vrbata goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Christian Dvorak and Jakob Chychrun. The Coyotes took the lead with an Alex Goligoski goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Shane Doan and Josh Jooris. The Red Wings tied it again with a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Mike Green and Athanasiou. Detroit pulled ahead in the third period on a Green goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Henrik Zetterberg and Tatar. Arizona tied it again with a Lawson Crouse goal, his fifth of the year, coming shorthanded set up by Goligoski and Jooris. The Red Wings regained the lead with a Zetterberg goal, his fifteenth of the season, with a lone helper by Danny DeKeyser. The Coyotes tied it again with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Tobias Rieder. Detroit won 5-4 with a lone shootout tally by Gustav Nyquist. The three stars went to Zetterberg, Green, and Tatar, while Athanasiou, Jooris, and Goligoski get the honorable mentions.

In California, the Los Angeles Kings welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Jonathan Quick are in the blue paint. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Jarome Iginla goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. The Kings added on with an Adrian Kempe goal, his second of the year, helped along by Drew Doughty and Brown. This made it 2-0, with the three stars awarded to Quick (26 save shutout), Brown, and Iginla.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Carter Hutton and Aaron Dell received the green light to play goal. St. Louis began in the first period with a Scottie Upshall goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. San Jose tied it on a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his fifth of the year, via Dylan DeMelo and Logan Couture. The Blues took the lead with a Zach Sanford goal in the second period, his third of the season, helped along by Jay Bouwmeester and Ivan Barbashev. St. Louis added on in the third period with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, powered by Alexander Steen and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues iced it at 4-1 with a Tarasenko empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-fourth of the campaign, set up by Jaden Schwartz and Colton Parayko. The three stars went to Hutton (19 for 20 in saves), Tarasenko, and Sanford.

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KHL Western Conference Semifinal: 2) SKA St. Petersburg VS. 3) Dynamo Moscow

The second round of the 2017 KHL playoffs is now underway. This Western Conference Semifinal features SKA St. Petersburg and Dynamo Moscow.

Game 1: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko of Dynamo and Mikko Koskinen of SKA. Moscow led off with a Maxim Karpov goal in the first period, courtesy of Alexei Tereshchenko and Andrei Mironov. St. Petersburg tied it on a Nikita Gusev goal in the second period, made possible by Evgeny Dadonov and Vadim Shipachyov. Dynamo retook the lead on a Karpov goal, via Ilya Nikulin and Tereshchenko. SKA tied it on a Pavel Datsyuk goal in the third period, a power play goal powered by Maxim Chudinov and Sergei Shirokov. Moscow won 3-2 in overtime with a Karpov power play goal, with assists provided by Nikulin and Juuso Hietanen. The three stars went to Karpov, Nikulin, and Tereshchenko. Dynamo leads the series 1-0.

Game 2: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko of Dynamo and Mikko Koskinen of SKA. St. Petersburg began in the first period with an Evgeny Ketov power play goal, powered by Jarno Koskiranta and Anton Belov. SKA added on with a Vadim Shipachyov power play goal, with a lone assist by Nikita Gusev. Moscow got on the board with an unassisted Andrei Kuteikin goal in the third period. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Koskinen (17 for 18 in saves), Shipachyov, and Ketov. The series is tied at 1 as it heads to the east.

Game 3: VTB Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Mikko Koskinen of SKA and Alexander Yeryomenko of Dynamo. Moscow opened in the first period with a Yakov Rylov goal, helped along by Denis Kokarev and Konstantin Gorovikov. St. Petersburg tied it on a Jarno Koskiranta goal, via Sergei Plotnikov. Dynamo took the lead with an Andrei Kuteikin goal, going in unassisted in the second period. SKA retied it in the third period with a Vadim Shipachyov power play goal, powered by Evgeny Dadonov and Nikita Gusev. St. Petersburg pulled ahead on a Dadonov power play goal, with assists provided by Anton Belov and Gusev. SKA iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Ilya Kovalchuk, set up by Yegor Yakovlev. The three stars were Dadonov, Gusev, and Shipachyov. SKA leads the series 2-1.

Game 4: VTB Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Mikko Koskinen of SKA and Alexander Yeryomenko of Dynamo. St. Petersburg started in the first period with an Anton Belov goal, coming off of Jarno Koskiranta and Sergei Shirokov. Moscow tied it on a Denis Kokarev goal, via Artyom Podshendyalov and Andrei Mironov in the second period. SKA retook the lead with a Shirokov goal, passed from Dinar Khafizullin and Alexander Barabanov. St. Petersburg added on in the third period with a Patrik Hersley power play goal, powered by Shirokov and Belov. SKA iced it at 4-1 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Evgeny Ketov, set up by Hersley. The three stars were Shirokov, Hersley, and Belov. SKA heads home with a 3-1 series lead. 

Game 5: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko of Dynamo and Mikko Koskinen of SKA. St. Petersburg got going in the second period with a Nikita Gusev goal, helped along by Patrik Hersley. SKA added on with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, assisted by Ilya Kablukov and Artyom Zub. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars going to Koskinen (20 save shutout), Gusev, and Kovalchuk. SKA wins the series 4-1, advancing to the Western Conference Final.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 148

Four games for today, beginning in...

Philadelphia, as the Flyers host cross-state rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Steve Mason are the goalies. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Sean Couturier goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Dale Weise and Brayden Schenn. The Flyers added on with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov. Philadelphia extended the lead in the third period as Claude Giroux scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The Flyers iced it at 4-0 with a Weise goal, his third of the year, coming off of Schenn and Couturier. The three stars were Couturier, Weise, and Mason (23 save shutout), while Schenn gets an honorable mention.

Over in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Chad Johnson are the backups in goal. Calgary opened in the first period with an Alex Chiasson goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Lance Bouma and Matt Stajan. Boston tied it on a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, via Zdeno Chara. The Bruins took the lead in the second period with an unassisted Brad Marchand goal, his thirty-sixth of the season. The Flames retied it on a Dougie Hamilton goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. Boston took the lead again with a David Backes goal, his fifteenth of the season, with a lone assist by David Krejci. The Bruins added on in the third period with a Matt Beleskey goal, his third of the year, passed from Ryan Spooner and Drew Stafford. Boston won 5-2 with a Marchand empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Marchand, Backes, and Beleskey.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Calvin Pickard are in the blue paint. Detroit started in the first period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Justin Abdelkader and Dylan Larkin. Colorado tied it in the second period with a Matt Duchene goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Fedor Tyutin and Rene Bourque. The Avalanche took the lead in the third period with a J.T. Compher goal, assisted by Francois Beauchemin. Colorado added on with a Carl Soderberg goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Blake Comeau and John Mitchell. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Compher, Pickard (27 for 28 in saves), and Soderberg.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Jonathan Bernier are between the pipes. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his twentieth of the season, via Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks added on in the second period with a shorthanded Getzlaf goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Andrew Cogliano. St. Louis got on the board in the third period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his third of the season, coming off of Magnus Paajarvi. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars awarded to Getzlaf, Bernier (26 for 27 in saves), and Rakell.

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KHL Eastern Conference Semifinal: 1) Metallurg Magnitogorsk VS. 5) Barys Astana

The second round of the 2017 KHL playoffs is now underway. This Eastern Conference Semifinal features Metallurg Magnitogorsk and Barys Astana.

Game 1: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Henrik Karlsson of Barys and Vasily Koshechkin of Metallurg. Magnitogorsk opened in the first period with an Oskar Osala power play goal, powered by Alexander Semin. Metallurg added on in the third period with a Tomas Filippi goal, assisted by Danis Zaripov and Jan Kovar. Magnitogorsk extended the lead as Kovar scored, thanks to Evgeny Biryukov and Denis Kazionov. Metallurg padded the lead with a Zaripov power play goal, with assists provided by Filippi and Yaroslav Khabarov. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars being Koshechkin (30 save shutout), Filippi, and Kovar, while Zaripov gets an honorable mention. Metallurg leads the series 1-0.

Game 2: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Henrik Karlsson of Barys and Vasily Koshechkin of Metallurg. Magnitogorsk started in the first period with a Danis Zaripov goal, assisted by Jan Kovar. Astana tied it in the second period with a Roman Starchenko power play goal, with assists provided by Cam Barker and Nikita Ivanov. Metallurg retook the lead with a Viktor Antipin goal, guided in by Sergei Mozyakin and Kovar. Barys retied it with an unassisted Nigel Dawes goal. Astana took the lead with a Martin St. Pierre goal, via Maxim Semyonov. Magnitogorsk retied it in the third period on a Zaripov power play goal, powered by Antipin and Mozyakin. Metallurg took the lead with a Zaripov power play goal, made possible by Chris Lee and Mozyakin, the latter earning a sock trick. Barys tied it again with a Dawes goal, coming off of Barker. Magnitogorsk won 5-4 in overtime with a Yaroslav Kosov goal, fueled by Lee and Evgeny Timkin. The three stars went to Zaripov, Mozyakin, and Antipin, while Kovar, Lee, Dawes, and Barker get the honorable mentions. Metallurg heads south with a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3: Barys Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan. In goal: Vasily Koshechkin of Metallurg and Henrik Karlsson of Barys. Magnitogorsk got going in the second period with a Danis Zaripov goal, assisted by Alexei Bereglazov and Sergei Mozyakin. Metallurg added on with a power play goal by Zaripov, powered by Jan Kovar. Astana got on the board with a Dustin Boyd power play goal in the third period, with assists provided by Martin St. Pierre and Brandon Bochenski. Magnitogorsk answered on a Mozyakin power play goal, made possible by Kovar. Metallurg extended the lead as Kovar scored a power play goal, thanks to Mozyakin. Magnitogorsk padded the lead on a Zaripov goal, completing his hat trick with helpers from Denis Platonov and Grigory Dronov. Barys got closer with a Boyd power play goal, coming off of Bochenski and Nigel Dawes. Astana chipped closer on another Boyd power play goal, completing his hat trick with the help of St. Pierre and Kevin Dallman. The final held at 5-3, with the three stars going to Zaripov, Boyd, and Mozyakin, while Kovar, Bochenski, and St. Pierre get the honorable mentions. Metallurg owns a 3-0 series lead now, putting them on the brink of advancing. 

Game 4: Barys Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan. In goal: Vasily Koshechkin of Metallurg and Henrik Karlsson of Barys. Astana struck first in the first period with a Nigel Dawes goal, helped along by Brandon Bochenski. Magnitogorsk tied it in the third period with a Jan Kovar goal, via Sergei Mozyakin and Chris Lee on the power play. Metallurg took the lead with an unassisted Lee power play goal. Barys retied it on a Nikita Mikhailis goal, assisted by Maxim Khudyakov and Corey Trivino. Metallurg won 3-2 in overtime with a Kovar power play goal, powered by Mozyakin and Lee. The three stars were Kovar, Lee, and Mozyakin. The sweep sends Metallurg to the Eastern Conference Final on a 4-0 series.


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