Thursday, January 26, 2017

NHL 2016/17 - Day 103

Thirteen games on for the last day before the All-Star break commences. We begin in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Tuukka Rask are the masked men. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Justin Schultz goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. The Penguins added on with a Phil Kessel power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Sidney Crosby and Schultz. Boston got on the board in the second period with a Brad Marchand shorthanded goal, his twentieth of the season, set up by Patrice Bergeron and Kevan Miller. The Bruins tied it on another Marchand goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, passed from David Pastrnak and Brandon Carlo. Boston took the lead with a Riley Nash goal, his third of the season, via Torey Krug and Dominic Moore. The Bruins extended the lead in the third period as Bergeron scored a power power play goal, his eleventh of the year, thanks to Pastrnak and Ryan Spooner. Pittsburgh pulled back with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone assist by Chris Kunitz. The game ended at 4-3, with the three stars given to Marchand, Bergeron, and Pastrnak, while Schultz gets an honorable mention.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Cam Ward are in the creases. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Marian Gaborik goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. The Kings added on with a Trevor Lewis goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Devin Setoguchi and Brayden McNabb. Los Angeles iced it at 3-0 with an empty net goal by Kyle Clifford, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Tanner Pearson and Alec Martinez. The three stars were Budaj (22 save shutout), Gaborik, and Lewis.

Back north to New Jersey, where the Devils bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Keith Kinkaid play goal. Washington opened in the first period with an unassisted Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-third of the season. The Capitals added on with a power play goal by Andre Burakovsky, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. New Jersey got on the board in the second period with a Stefan Noesen goal, his third of the season, helped along by Pavel Zacha and Jacob Josefson. Washington answered with a Lars Eller goal, his eighth of the year, via Dmitry Orlov and Burakovsky. The Capitals extended the lead on a power play goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov, his eighth of the season, powered by Orlov and Ovechkin. The Devils got one back with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Michael Cammalleri and P.A. Parenteau. Washington iced it at 5-2 in the third period with a Kuznetsov empty net goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Burakovsky, Ovechkin, and Kuznetsov, while Orlov gets an honorable mention.

In Brooklyn, the New York Islanders host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Thomas Greiss are set to start in goal. New York led off in the first period with an Andrew Ladd goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Calvin de Haan and Nick Leddy. Montreal tied it in the second period with a Shea Weber power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Andrew Shaw and Nathan Beaulieu. The Islanders retook the lead in the third period with another Ladd goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, assisted by John Tavares and Leddy. New York added on with a Josh Bailey power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Anders Lee and Tavares. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Ladd, Tavares, and Leddy.

Over to Philadelphia, where the Flyers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Curtis McElhinney and Michal Neuvirth are the backups in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Travis Konecny. Toronto tied it in the second period with a William Nylander goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Nazem Kadri and Leo Komarov. The Flyers took the lead in the third period with a Roman Lyubimov goal, his fourth of the season, via Mark Streit and Radko Gudas. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Lyubimov, Neuvirth 27 for 28 in saves), and Simmonds.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott and Mike Condon are called on to start in goal. Calgary got going in the second period with a Micheal Ferland goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Flames added on with a Sean Monahan goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Dougie Hamilton and Johnny Gaudreau. Ottawa got on the board in the third period with a Tommy Wingels goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Fredrik Claesson. The Senators tied it with a Chris Wideman goal, his second of the year, via Mike Hoffman and Zack Smith. Calgary won 3-2 in overtime with a Gaudreau goal, his eleventh of the campaign, helped along by Mikael Backlund. The three stars went to Gaudreau, Monahan, and Ferland.

South to Florida, where the Panthers host their cross-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and James Reimer protect the nets. Florida struck first in the first period with a shorthanded goal by Jussi Jokinen, his fifth of the season, set up by Vincent Trocheck and Keith Yandle. Tampa Bay tied it on a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Alex Killorn. The Panthers won 2-1 in overtime with a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Yandle and Jokinen. The three stars belonged to Jokinen, Yandle, and Marchessault.

Northwest to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Pekka Rinne are in the blue paint. Columbus was first to score in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Seth Jones and Nick Foligno. Nashville tied it on a Calle Jarnkrok power play goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, powered by Colin Wilson and Mike Fisher. The Predators took the lead with a Harry Zolnierczyk goal, passed from Colton Sissons and Cody McLeod. Nashville added on in the third period with a Craig Smith goal, his eighth of the season, via Mattias Ekholm and P.K. Subban. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Zach Werenski goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Brandon Dubinsky and Jones. The Predators replied with a Smith goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, helped along by Ekholm and Fisher. Columbus countered with a Ryan Murray goal, assisted by Werenski and William Karlsson. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Smith, Fisher, and Ekholm, while Werenski and Jones get the honorable mentions.

Further north to Minnesota, where the Wild bring in the St. Louis Blues. Carter Hutton and Devan Dubnyk are the goalies. Minnesota got going in the second period with an Erik Haula goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Zach Parise and Jason Pominville. St. Louis tied it on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Jaden Schwartz and Jori Lehtera. The Wild took the lead back with a Tyler Graovac goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Nino Niederreiter and Matt Dumba. Minnesota added on with a Mikko Koivu power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Mikael Granlund and Niederreiter. The Wild extended the lead in the third period as Niederreiter scored his fifteenth of the season, passed from Eric Staal and Charlie Coyle. Minnesota padded the lead with a Granlund goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Jared Spurgeon and Jason Zucker. Jake Allen replaced Hutton at this time. This produced the 5-1 final, with the three stars being Niederreiter, Granlund, and Dubnyk (24 for 25 in saves).

South to Chicago, where the Blackhawks host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Scott Darling are tabbed to start tonight. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Bryan Little and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets added on with a Shawn Matthias goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Jacob Trouba. Chicago got on the board with a Duncan Keith power play goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Brent Seabrook and Artem Anisimov. The Blackhawks tied it in the second period with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Chicago took the lead with a Tanner Kero goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Patrick Kane and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Winnipeg retied it in the third period with an Andrew Copp goal, his eighth of the year, via Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele. The Jets extended the lead as Little scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Trouba and Laine. Winnipeg iced it at 5-3 with a Scheifele empty net goal, his twenty-second of the year, set up by Copp and Blake Wheeler. The three stars belonged to Little, Laine, and Copp, while Scheifele and Trouba get the honorable mentions.

In Texas, the Dallas Stars welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Anders Nilsson and Antti Niemi are between the pipes. Buffalo started in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sabres added on with a Matt Moulson power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Kane and Brian Gionta. Dallas got on the board with a Patrick Sharp goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of John Klingberg and Lauri Korpikoski. The Stars tied it with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with helpers from Jason Spezza and Patrick Eaves. Dallas took the lead with a Sharp goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, via Devin Shore. The Stars extended the lead as Tyler Seguin scored his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Buffalo pulled back with an unassisted Kane goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season. This only made it 4-3, with the three stars given to Sharp, Kane, and Seguin.

West to Arizona, where the Coyotes bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Mike Smith are the experienced goalies. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Lawson Crouse goal, his third of the season, assisted by Ryan White and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes added on in the third period with an unassisted power play goal by Alex Burmistrov. Arizona iced it at 3-0 with an empty net goal by Tobias Rieder, his eleventh of the year, set up by Radim Vrbata and Martin Hanzal. The three stars went to Smith (19 save shutout), Crouse, and Burmistrov.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Martin Jones tend the twines. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Logan Couture goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Mikkel Boedker and Patrick Marleau. Edmonton tied it on an Andrej Sekera goal, his sixth of the year, via Connor McDavid. The Oilers took the lead in the second period with a Sekera power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, powered by Leon Draisaitl. Edmonton added on in the third period with a Drake Caggiula goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Oilers extended the lead in the third period as McDavid scored his seventeenth of the campaign, thanks to Draisaitl, an empty net goal. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars given to Sekera, McDavid, and Draisaitl.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 143

Five games for today, beginning with...

Amur Khabarovsk hosting Medvescak Zagreb. Sergei Gaiduchenko and Juha Metsola play goal. Khabarovsk opened in the first period with a Jan Kolar goal, passed from Anton Krysanov and Igor Rudenkov. Zagreb tied it on a Samson Mahbod goal in the second period, via Kirill Voronin and Jakub Krejcik. Amur retook the lead with a Rudenkov goal, coming off of Krysanov and Kolar. Medvescak retied it in the third period with a Mike Glumac goal, assisted by Mahbod. Khabarovsk took the lead with a Nikita Kamalov goal, guided in by Alexei Byvaltsev. Amur iced it at 4-2 with a Vyacheslav Litovchenko power play goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Rudenkov, Kolar, and Mahbod, while Krysanov gets an honorable mention.

In China, Kunlun Red Star Beijing welcomes Slovan Bratislava. Barry Brust and Tomi Karhunen draw the starts. Beijing started in the first period with a Sean Collins power play goal, powered by
Joonas Jarvinen and Tuukka Mantyla. Kunlun Red Star added on in the third period with an Alexei Ponikarovsky goal, fueled by Brett Bellemore and Tomas Marcinko. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars going to Karhunen (29 save shutout), Collins, and Ponikarovsky.

Way out west, Dinamo Minsk hosts Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Alexander Sharychenkov and Kevin Lalande are the goalies. Minsk led off in the first period with a Matt Ellison power play goal, powered by Fredrik Pettersson. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it in the second period on an unassisted goal by Nikita Dvurechensky. Dinamo took the lead with an Ellison goal in the third period, his second of the game, made possible by Pettersson and Aaron Palushaj. Minsk added on with a Roman Graborenko goal, guided in by Andrei Stas and Alexander Materukhin. Dinamo extended the lead as Kirill Gotovets scored, thanks to Sergei Kostitsyn and Evgeny Kovyrshin. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Ellison, Lalande (10 for 11 in saves), and Pettersson.

Up in Finland, Jokerit Helsinki brings in Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Vladimir Sokhatsky and Riku Helenius are in the creases. Yekaterinburg began in the first period with a Michal Cajkovsky goal, assisted by Stanislav Chistov and Rok Ticar. Avtomobilist added on with an Alexander Romanov goal, courtesy of Jan Buchtele and Maxim Rasseikin. Yekaterinburg extended the lead as Nikolai Timashov scored a power play goal, with the help of Cajkovsky. Helsinki got on the board with a Ville Lajunen goal, fueled by Mika Niemi and Jesse Joensuu. Jokerit got closer in the third period with a Peter Regin power play goal, powered by Jesper Jensen. Avtomobilist shot back with an Alexei Vasilevsky power play goal, with a lone assist by Timashov. Yekaterinburg padded the lead on an Anatoly Golyshev goal, helped along by Ticar and Chistov. Avtomobilist iced it at 6-2 with an Artyom Gareyev empty net goal, set up by Alexei Mikhnov. The three stars went to Cajkovsky, Timashov, while Chistov, while Ticar gets an honorable mention.

Finally, Dinamo Riga hosts Barys Astana. Kevin Poulin and Janis Kalnins are the backups in goal. Astana struck first in the first period with a Roman Starchenko power play goal, powered by Yegor Shalapov. Riga tied it on a Miks Indrasis goal in the second period, assisted by Roberts Lipsbergs and Maris Bicevskis. Barys retook the lead with a Nigel Dawes power play goal, via Brandon Bochenski. Astana added on with a Dustin Boyd goal in the third period, coming off of Dawes. Dinamo got one back with a Lauris Darzins goal, passed from Guntis Galvins and Oskars Cibulskis. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars going to Dawes, Boyd, and Starchenko.

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Wednesday, January 25, 2017

NHL 2016/17 - Day 102

Just four games on tonight, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Petr Mrazek are in the creases. Toronto led off in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-third of the season, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs added on with a Roman Polak goal in the second period, his third of the year, via Matt Hunwick and Nazem Kadri. Toronto extended the lead in the third period as James van Riemsdyk scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Nikita Zaitsev and Martin Marincin. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-0 with a Nikita Soshnikov goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by the goalie Andersen. The three stars went to Andersen (22 save shutout), Matthews, and Polak.

Over in New York, the Rangers welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Henrik Lundqvist are the veteran goalies. Philadelphia got going in the third period with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Brayden Schenn and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers added on with a Voracek goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars given to Mason (34 save shutout), Voracek, and Simmonds.

West to Denver, where the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Calvin Pickard are the backups in goal. Vancouver began in the first period with a Sven Baertschi goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Bo Horvat and Luca Sbisa. The Canucks added on in the second period with an unassisted Markus Granlund goal, his twelfth of the year. Colorado got on the board with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Nikita Zadorov and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche tied it in the third period with a Matt Nieto goal, his second of the year, passed from Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene. Vancouver retook the lead with another Baertschi goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Baertschi, Granlund, and Markstrom (30 for 32 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and John Gibson guard the cages. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Milan Lucic and Anton Slepyshev. Edmonton extended the lead as Zack Kassian scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Mark Letestu. The Oilers padded the lead with a third period goal by Draisaitl, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, via Patrick Maroon and Andrej Sekera. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars given to Draisaitl, Talbot (26 save shutout), and Nugent-Hopkins.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 142

Nine games today, beginning with...

Lada Togliatti hosting Avangard Omsk. Oleg Shilin and Ilya Ezhov man the nets. Togliatti began in the first period with a Vasily Streltsov goal, assisted by Denis Zernov and Stanislav Bocharov. Omsk tied it on a Nikolai Lemtyugov foal, fueled by Vladimir Sobotka in the second period. Lada retook the lead with a Bocharov goal, passed from Streltsov and Zernov. Togliatti added on with a Viktor Komarov power play goal, powered by Yefim Gurkin and Maxim Rybin. This made it 3-1, the eventual final, with the three stars being Bocharov, Streltsov, and Zernov.

Over in Nizhnekamsk, Neftekhimik welcomes Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Rafael Khakimov faces former teammate Andrei Kareyev in goal. Nizhnekamsk led off in the first period with a Richard Gynge goal, via Dan Sexton and Dmitry Ogurtsov. Novokuznetsk tied it on a Timur Fatkullin power play goal, powered by Denis Vikharev and Kirill Semyonov in the second period. Neftekhimik retook the lead on an Ogurtsov goal, coming off of Gynge and Sexton. Metallurg tied it again with a Semyonov power play goal, made possible by Igor Skorokhodov and Mark Skutar. In the shootout, Gynge and Sergei Konkov lifted Neftekhimik 3-2 over Kirill Lebedev's lone tally for Metallurg. The three stars were Gynge, Ogurtsov, and Sexton, while Semyonov gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Yaroslavl, where Lokomotiv brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Pavel Francouz and Alexander Sudnitsin play goal. Chelyabinsk opened in the first period with an Alexander Sharov goal, helped along by Dmitry Pestunov and Kirill Koltsov. Traktor added on with a Maxim Yakutsenya goal, assisted by Paul Szczechura and Koltsov. Chelyabinsk extended the lead as Yakutsenya scored again, thanks to Alexei Kruchinin. Alexei Murygin replaced Sudnitsin in goal. Yaroslavl got on the board in the second period with a Pavel Kraskovsky goal, via Denis Osipov and Alexander Polunin. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Yakutsenya, Koltsov, and Francouz (38 for 39 in saves).

In Moscow, Spartak hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Markus Svensson are in the blue paint. Moscow got going in the second period with a Vyacheslav Leshchenko goal, made possible by Vadim Berdnikov and Igor Mirnov. St. Petersburg tied it on a Vadim Shipachyov power play goal, powered by Evgeny Dadonov. SKA took the lead in the third period with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, assisted by Pavel Datsyuk and Dadonov. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Kovalchuk, Dadonov, and Shipachyov.

South to Podolsk, where Vityaz welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Ilya Samsonov and Igor Saprykin draw the starts in goal. Podolsk dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Nikita Vyglazov goal, via Sergei Gimayev and Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi. Magnitogorsk tied it on a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal, powered by Chris Lee and Danis Zaripov. Vityaz took the lead back on a Roman Horak power play goal, coming off of Maxim Afinogenov and Alexei Makeyev. Metallurg tied it again with an Alexander Semin goal, passed from Oskar Osala and Grigory Dronov. Podolsk took the lead in the third period with an Afinogenov goal, assisted by Pavel Lukin and Igor Golovkov. The game ended 3-2, with the three stars awarded to Afinogenov, Horak, and Vyglazov.

Back east, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod brings in CSKA Moscow. Ilya Sorokin and Mikhail Biryukov are the goalies. Moscow started in the first period with a Greg Scott power play goal, powered by Dmitry Kugryshev and Denis Denisov. CSKA added on in the third period with an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, coming off of Mikhail Naumenkov. Moscow extended the lead as Scott scored an unassisted goal, his second of the game. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board with a Dmitry Shulenin goal, made possible by Evgeny Mozer. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Scott, Sorokin (17 for 18 in saves), and Kuzmenko.

Next up, Ak Bars Kazan hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Danny Taylor and Emil Garipov are the masked men. Kazan drew first blood in the second period with a Mikhail Varnakov goal, assisted by Fyodor Malykhin and Dmitry Obukhov. Novosibirsk tied it in the third period with a Maxim Ignatovich power play goal, powered by Zach Boychuk and Vladislav Naumov. Sibir won 2-1 in overtime with a Yegor Milovzorov goal, passed from Konstantin Okulov. The three stars went to Milovzorov, Taylor (26 for 27 in saves), and Ignatovich.

Back in Moscow, Dynamo welcomes Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg and Alexander Yeryomenko tend the twines. Moscow struck first in the first period with a Lukas Kaspar goal, guided in by Dmitry Vishnevsky and Martins Karsums. Dynamo added on with an Ansel Galimov goal, fueled by Alexei Tsvetkov and Juuso Hietanen. Ufa got on the board with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, powered by Sami Lepisto and Linus Omark. Salavat Yulaev tied it on an Igor Grigorenko goal, passed from Kaprizov and Maxim Goncharov. Alexander Lazushin replaced Yeryomenko in goal. Moscow retook the lead on an Artyom Fyodorov goal, with a lone assist by Hietanen. Dynamo extended the lead in the second period as Kaspar scored his second of the game, with the help of Alexei Tereshchenko and Karsums. Moscow padded the lead with an unassisted Karsums goal in the third period. Dynamo iced it at 6-2 with a Fyodorov power play goal, his second of the game with a lone helper from Tsvetkov. The three stars were Kaspar, Karsums, and Fyodorov, while Hietanen, Tsvetkov, and Kaprizov get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Sochi Leopards bring in Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Konstantin Barulin guard the cages. Sochi was first to score in the first period with a shorthanded Ivan Zakharchuk goal, set up by Yury Alexandrov. Cherepovets tied it on a Daniil Vovchenko goal, made possible by Yury Trubachyov. The Leopards took the lead back in the third period with an Ilya Krikunov goal, helped along by Igor Ignatushkin. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars going to Barulin (26 for 27 in saves), Krikunov, and Zakharchuk.

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Tuesday, January 24, 2017

NHL 2016/17 - Day 101

Ten games for today, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Detroit Red Wings. Jared Coreau and Tuukka Rask man the nets. Boston opened with a Kevan Miller goal, fueled by Tim Schaller and Dominic Moore. Detroit tied it on an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Mike Green and Niklas Kronwall. The Bruins retook the lead with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Ryan Spooner and David Pastrnak. The Red Wings tied it again in the second period on a Green goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Henrik Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist. Detroit took the lead on a Tomas Tatar goal, his eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Zetterberg. Boston tied it with a Marchand goal in the third period, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, helped along by Patrice Bergeron and Torey Krug. The Bruins won 4-3 in overtime on a Pastrnak goal, his twentieth of the year, with helpers from David Krejci and Brandon Carlo. The three stars were Marchand, Pastrnak, and Green, while Zetterberg gets an honorable mention.

In New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Cory Schneider are in goal. Los Angeles led off in the first period with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty. The Kings added on with a Tanner Pearson power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Carter and Devin Setoguchi. Los Angeles extended the lead as Alec Martinez scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Marian Gaborik and Nick Shore. Keith Kinkaid replaced Schneider for the second period. New Jersey got on the board with a third period goal by Kyle Quincey, his fourth of the year, passed from Michael Cammalleri and Miles Wood. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Carter, Budaj (24 for 25 in saves), and Pearson.

Over in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky faces a lesser foe in Thomas Greiss in goal. Columbus started in the first period with a Nick Foligno goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Alexander Wennberg and Ryan Murray. New York tied it on a second period Josh Bailey goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of John Tavares. The Islanders took the lead with a Nikolay Kulemin goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Tavares and Calvin de Haan. New York added on with a Brock Nelson goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, via Nick Leddy and Adam Pelech. The Islanders extended the lead as Jason Chimera scored his tenth of the season, going unassisted. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Cam Atkinson goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, an unassisted goal. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Tavares, Nelson, and Chimera.

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins host the St. Louis Blues. Carter Hutton and Matt Murray are the goalies. St. Louis began in the first period with a Colton Parayko power play goal, his third of the season, powered by David Perron and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues added on with a Ryan Reaves goal, his third of the year, coming off of Kevin Shattenkirk and Robert Bortuzzo in the second period. St. Louis extended the lead in the third period as Scottie Upshall scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Perron. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars bestowed upon Hutton (34 save shutout), Perron, and Parayko.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Calgary Flames. Chad Johnson is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Montreal struck first in the first period with an Andrew Shaw goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Sven Andrighetto and Jeff Petry. The Canadiens added on with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his seventh of the year, going in shorthanded and unassisted in the second period. Montreal extended the lead as Alexander Radulov scored a power play goal, his eleventh of the season, thanks to Nathan Beaulieu and Shea Weber. The Canadiens padded the lead with a Daniel Carr goal, his second of the year, via Torrey Mitchell and the goalie Price. Montreal continued with a Radulov power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Plekanec and Shaw. Calgary got on the board with a Sam Bennett power play goal, his tenth of the year, with helpers from Matthew Tkachuk and Dougie Hamilton. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars going to Radulov, Shaw, and Plekanec.

Over in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Mike Condon draw the starts in goal. Ottawa was first to score in the first period with a Chris Kelly goal, his third of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Tom Pyatt and Fredrik Claesson. The Senators added on with a Bobby Ryan goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Claesson and Derick Brassard. Ottawa extended the lead as Zack Smith scored a power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Ryan Dzingel and Chris Wideman. The game ended at 3-0, with the three stars being Condon (30 save shutout), Claesson, and Kelly.

South to Nashville, where the Predators host the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Juuse Saros are the solid goalies. Nashville opened in the first period with a shorthanded Filip Forsberg goal, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Calle Jarnkrok and Matt Irwin. Buffalo tied it in the second period on a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his sixth of the year, via Evander Kane and Cody Franson. The Predators took the lead back with a Cody McLeod goal, his third of the season, assisted by Yannick Weber. The Sabres tied it with a Jack Eichel goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Franson and Zach Bogosian. Nashville regained the lead in the third period with a Viktor Arvidsson power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Ryan Johansen and James Neal. The Predators added on with a Neal goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Jarnkrok and Mike Ribeiro. Buffalo got one back with a Brian Gionta goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Girgensons. The Sabres tied it with a Kyle Okposo goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Sam Reinhart. Buffalo won 5-4 in overtime on an Eichel goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, made possible by Taylor Fedun and the goalie Lehner. The three stars went to Eichel, Girgensons, and Franson, while Neal and Jarnkrok get the honorable mentions.

Back in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Ondrej Pavelec are mediocre goalies. San Jose started in the first period with a Brent Burns goal, his twenty-first of the season, a power play goal powered by Logan Couture and Joe Thornton. Winnipeg tied it on a Bryan Little goal, his eleventh of the year, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Josh Morrissey and Dustin Byfuglien. The Sharks took the lead back with a Couture goal in the second period, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Mikkel Boedker and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Jets tied it again with an Andrew Copp goal, his seventh of the year, via Blake Wheeler and Byfuglien. Winnipeg took the lead in the third period with a Little goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, courtesy of Morrissey and Patrik Laine. San Jose tied it again with a Melker Karlsson penalty shot goal, his sixth of the year, coming while shorthanded. The Sharks took the lead with a Patrick Marleau goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, made possible by Ryan Carpenter and Brenden Dillon. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Couture, Little, and Byfuglien, while Morrissey gets an honorable mention.

Stateside again to Chicago, where the Blackhawks bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Corey Crawford are the masked men. Chicago led off in the first period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Richard Panik and Ryan Hartman. Tampa Bay tied it on a Brian Boyle goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Valtteri Filppula. The Blackhawks took the lead back in the second period with a Duncan Keith goal, his third of the season, via Artemi Panarin and Toews. The Lightning tied it in the third period with a Nikita Nesterov goal, his third of the year, helped along by Boyle. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Tyler Johnson goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Alex Killorn and Filppula. The Lightning added on with Johnson's second of the game and fifteenth of the year, via Killorn and Vasilevskiy. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-2 with a Nikita Kucherov empty net goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Johnson, Boyle, and Killorn, while Filppula and Toews earn honorable mentions.

Finally, the Dallas Stars host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Kari Lehtonen are between the pipes. Minnesota began in the first period with a Jason Pominville goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. The Wild added on in the second period with a Mikko Koivu power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Nino Niederreiter and Mikael Granlund. Dallas got on the board with a Tyler Seguin goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Antoine Roussel and Jason Spezza. The Stars tied it on a Patrick Eaves power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jamie Benn and Spezza. The tie went to a shootout, where Pominville, Koivu, and Chris Stewart topped Eaves and Benn for a 3-2 Wild win. The three stars were Koivu, Pominville, and Eaves, while Spezza and Benn get the honorable mentions.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 141

Only five games on today, beginning with...

Amur Khabarovsk hosting Slovan Bratislava. Barry Brust and Juha Metsola protect the nets. Bratislava opened in the first period with a Jeff Taffe goal, assisted by Michal Sersen and Jonathan Cheechoo. Slovan added on with a Lukas Vopelka goal in the third period, via Mislav Rosandic and Ivan Svarny. Khabarovsk got on the board with an Oleg Li goal, coming off of Vladislav Ushenin and Nikita Kamalov. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Brust (28 for 29 in saves), Vopelka, and Taffe.

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Medvescak Zagreb. Michael Garnett and Nikita Serebryakov man the nets. Vladivostok started in the first period with a Robert Sabolic power play goal, powered by Jonathon Blum and Vladimir Tkachyov. Zagreb tied it on a Lukas Lessio power play goal in the second period, helped along by Goran Bezina and Jakub Krejcik. Admiral retook the lead on a Sabolic goal, made possible by Tkachyov and Dmitry Sayustov. Vladivostok added on with a Pavel Makarenko goal, passed from Blum and Oskars Bartulis. Admiral extended the lead as Makarenko scored an unassisted goal, his second of the game. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars going to Sabolic, Makarenko, and Tkachyov, while Blum gets an honorable mention.

Way out west, Dinamo Minsk hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Ivan Lisutin and Ben Scrivens play goal. Minsk led off in the first period with an Evgeny Lisovets goal, courtesy of Fredrik Pettersson and Matt Ellison. Yekaterinburg tied it on an Artyom Gareyev goal, coming off of Yegor Zhuravlyov and Petr Koukal. Dinamo took the lead with an Ellison power play goal, with a lone assist by Pettersson. Avtomobilist tied it again in the second period on a Michal Cajkovsky power play goal, powered by Gareyev. Yekaterinburg took the lead back with an Alexei Mikhnov power play goal, with helpers from Dmitry Megalinsky and Cajkovsky. Minsk tied it again with an Aaron Palushaj power play goal, with assists provided by Ellison and Marc-Andre Gragnani. Vladimir Sokhatsky replaced Lisutin in goal. Dinamo took the lead with a Roman Graborenko goal, via Pettersson and Gragnani. Avtomobilist retied it in the third period with an Alexander Torchenyuk goal, helped along by Alexei Simakov. Minsk won 5-4 in overtime with a Gragnani goal, assisted by Pettersson. The three stars were Gragnani, Pettersson (sock trick), and Gareyev, while Ellison and Cajkovsky get the honorable mentions.

Up in Finland, Jokerit Helsinki brings in Barys Astana. Henrik Karlsson and Ryan Zapolski are the goalies. Helsinki began in the first period with a Brian O'Neill goal, made possible by Jesper Jensen. Jokerit added on with a Peter Regin goal, passed from O'Neill and Pekka Jormakka. Astana got on the board with a Dustin Boyd power play goal, powered by Nigel Dawes and Brandon Bochenski. Helsinki shot back in the second period with a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Mika Niemi. Barys took one back in the third period on a Dawes power play goal, with assists provided by Bochenski and Kevin Dallman. Astana tied it on an Ivan Kuchin goal, made possible by Konstantin Pushkryov. Barys won 4-3 in overtime on a Bochenski power play goal, with a lone assist by Dallman. The three stars were Bochenski, Dawes, and Dallman, while O'Neill gets an honorable mention.

Finally, Dinamo Riga hosts Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Alexander Sharychenkov and Janis Kalnins are in the blue paint. Riga got going in the third period with an Aleksandrs Jerofejevs goal, assisted by Filipp Toluzakov and Tim Sestito. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it on a Yegor Ivanov power play goal, powered by Evgeny Kulik and Anton Kuryanov. Dinamo won 2-1 in the shootout with a Toluzakov tally. The three stars were Toluzakov, Kalnins (30 for 31 in saves), and Jerofejevs.

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Monday, January 23, 2017

NHL 2016/17 - Day 100

Six games tonight as we'll just play half a week before the All-Star break. We begin in...

New York, where the Rangers host the Los Angeles Kings. Jeff Zatkoff and Henrik Lundqvist man the nets. New York started in the first period with an unassisted Brandon Pirri goal, his eighth of the season. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Matt Puempel goal, his sixth of the year, via Derek Stepan and Dan Girardi. Los Angeles got on the board with a Jordan Nolan goal, his third of the season, assisted by Andy Andreoff and Drew Doughty. New York answered in the third period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his ninth of the year, passed from J.T. Miller. The Kings got one back with a Kyle Clifford goal, his fourth of the campaign, helped along by Jake Muzzin and Nolan. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars going to Zuccarello, Nolan, and Lundqvist (36 for 38 in saves).

In DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Braden Holtby receive the starting nods in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Jordan Staal power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Sebastian Aho. Washington tied it with a Dmitry Orlov power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky. The Capitals took the lead on a Justin Williams goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Karl Alzner and Matt Niskanen. Washington added on with an Orlov goal in the second period, his second of the game and fourth of the year, via Brett Connolly and Burakovsky. The Capitals extended the lead as Kuznetsov scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Alzner and Williams. Washington padded the lead with a T.J. Oshie goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals continued with a Lars Eller goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Nate Schmidt and Burakovsky, the latter earning a sock trick. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars going to Orlov, Kuznetsov, and Williams, while Alzner and Burakovsky get the honorable mentions.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott and Frederik Andersen draw the starts in goal. Toronto began in the first period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Nikita Zaitsev. The Maple Leafs added on with a Nazem Kadri goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of William Nylander. Toronto extended the lead as Zach Hyman scored a shorthanded goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Martin Marincin. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-0 with a Kadri power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, powered by Marner and Nikita Zaitsev. The three stars were Kadri, Marner, and Andersen (26 save shutout), while Zaitsev gets an honorable mention.

West to Winnipeg, where the Jets host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonathan Bernier and Ondrej Pavelec are the overrated goalies. Winnipeg led off in the first period with an Andrew Copp goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Mark Scheifele and Jacob Trouba. Anaheim tied it on a Logan Shaw shorthanded goal, his second of the year, set up by Cam Fowler and Joseph Cramarossa. The Ducks took the lead in the second period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Ryan Getzlaf and Hampus Lindholm. Anaheim added on in the third period with a Getzlaf power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Shea Theodore and Corey Perry. The Jets got one back with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, coming off of Toby Enstrom and Bryan Little. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Getzlaf, Rakell, and Shaw.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Spencer Martin are in the creases. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Brent Burns goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by David Schlemko and Logan Couture. Colorado tied it in the second period on a Jarome Iginla power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Mikhail Grigorenko and Nikita Zadorov. The Sharks took the lead back with a Patrick Malreau goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Mikkel Boedker. San Jose added on with a Marleau goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, via Couture and Burns. The Sharks extended the lead as Marleau completed a natural hat trick in just under eight minutes with his fifteenth of the season, with the help of Joe Pavelski and Burns. The Avalanche got one back with an Andreas Martinsen goal, his second of the year, helped along by Zadorov and Blake Comeau. San Jose iced it at 5-2 with Marleau's fourth of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, with a lone helper by Vlasic. The three stars were Marleau, Burns, and Couture, while Vlasic and Zadorov get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. Florida struck first in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Jakub Kindl and Jonathan Marchessault. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Christian Fischer goal, his second of the year, helped along by Jakob Chychrun and Alex Burmistrov. The Coyotes took the lead with a Ryan White goal, his third of the season, assisted by Chychrun and Connor Murphy. The Panthers retied it on a Michael Sgarbossa goal, his second of the year, via Colton Sceviour and Derek MacKenzie. Arizona won 3-2 in overtime with a Tobias Rieder goal, his tenth of the campaign, made possible by Burmistrov and Alex Goligoski. The three stars went to Burmistrov, Chychrun, and Rieder.

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