KHL - Results - Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Traktor v Slovan 1-2 SO
Slovan earned their second shoot-out win in succession, edging Traktor after a 1-1 tie. Lukas Kaspar got the decider following first period goals from Martin Ruzicka and Francis Pare. The latter scored against the Traktor team where he began this season.
Neftekhimik v Medvescak 2-4
Medvescak’s 4-2 win at Neftekhimik completed a good day for away teams. Third-period goals from Edwin Hedberg and Tomas Mertl snapped a 2-2 tie to give the Croatians the points. Earlier Neftekhimik led twice on goals from Nikita Shchitov and Igor Polygalov; Simon Gysbers and Colby Genoway replied for Medvescak.Vityaz v Spartak 3-6

The game between Vityaz and Spartak was overshadowed by news that Spartak legend Fyodor Kanareikin was in urgent need of surgery after being diagnosed with cancer. In support of a man who helped Spartak win the Soviet championship as a player and who returned to Sokolniki to coach the team, money raised from Wednesday night’s game was donated to a fund to support Kanareikin. And on the ice the teams did their bit, serving up an absorbing game of hockey that ended in a Spartak win. Although the final margin was a comfortable one, the outcome was always in doubt until the closing stages. Vityaz took the lead through Roman Horak in the 12th minute, but Spartak turned it around on a power play goal from Sergei Shmelyov and a short-handed marker from Vyacheslav Leshchenko. Yury Koksharov tied it up in the 20th minute. In the second stanza Charles Genoway put Spartak 3-2 up but Koksharov got his second of the night to level the scores once more. However, Shmelyov’s second goal right before the second intermission gave the Red-and-Whites an advantage that they would not relinquish. Vityaz tried to find a way back in the third, but Alexander Vasilyev made it 5-3 for Spartak in the 52nd minute and Alexander Mereskin’s empty-netter completed the win.

NHL - Nashville Predators @ St Louis Blues 3-4 OT - Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Alexander Steen scored with 58.2 seconds remaining in overtime to give the St. Louis Blues a 4-3 win against the Predators at Scottrade Center. Steen got a breakout pass through the Nashville zone from Paul Stastny and took a wrist shot past Nashville goalie Carter Hutton.
Dmitrij Jaskin had a goal and an assist, Kevin Shattenkirk and Robby Fabbri scored, and Jori Lehtera and Pietrangelo each had two assists for the Blues. Goalie Jake Allen made 30 saves to defeat the Predators for the third time this season, though the Predators got a point after trailing 3-1 with four minutes left in the third period. St. Louis, which has won six of eight, is an NHL-best 17-5-0 against the Western Conference.
St. Louis defeated Nashville 2-1 here on Dec. 17, but according to coach Ken Hitchcock, the Blues got too comfortable in this game. Mattias Ekholm had a goal and an assist, and Shea Weber and Colin Wilson scored for the Predators. Hutton made 21 saves; he is 0-2-3 lifetime against St. Louis. The Predators are 0-6 in overtime this season but were pleased to battle back and get a point being down two goals on the road on the second of back-to-back games.
Weber's 11th of the season cut the lead to 3-2 on a quick shot from the high slot after taking Roman Josi's feed with 3:52 remaining. Wilson collected a rebound and beat Allen with 1:32 remaining after the Predators pulled Hutton for an extra attacker.
Fabbri broke a 1-1 tie on a give-and-go play with Lehtera. Fabbri skated toward the slot and pulled the puck around sliding Seth Jones before beating Hutton five-hole 12:04 into the second period to give the Blues a 2-1 lead.
Shattenkirk gave the Blues a 3-1 lead when he took a breakout pass from Lehtera and beat Hutton with a slap shot from the top of the right circle 1:55 into the third period. Jaskin's first goal in 20 games put the Blues ahead 1-0. He was able to tip Jay Bouwmeester's shot on goal, then collect the rebound and backhand it past Hutton 9:38 into the first period.
The Predators tied it 1-1 on Ekholm's shorthanded goal, his first goal in 21 games. Fisher won an offensive-zone faceoff back to Ekholm, who seemed to catch Allen off-guard with a quick shot inside the near post at 14:00. Things looked good for the Blues after Shattenkirk's goal, but they caught themselves fending off a late Nashville push and had to refocus to get the second point. The Blues outshot the Predators 6-0 in overtime and had the majority of zone time.

Blues Quotes

Alexander Steen: "Yes, and a good first pass by [Alex Pietrangelo] to go to [Stastny] as opposed to me. And [Stastny], I knew he was coming to me. Nice play. We started with the puck, which is huge in OT and kind of waited for our chance to shoot, We didn't waste anything. For the most part, we were pretty good in OT. It's all puck possession."
Ken Hitchcock: "If you're sitting on the bench, you're hoping you get to the end of the buzzer because we weren't really in control of anything. Other than the first two-thirds of the first period, which was exceptional, we weren't in control of anything. We were trying to keep up to them and they were trying to keep up to us, but neither team was checking very well. Both teams looked like they were a little bit tired for whatever reason. When you come off your checking against that team, you're going to get beat."
"We had a great start and the first goal was exceptional, and then when we got scored on, we sagged, and it took us a whole [period] to catch it back up. Then when we started to play again, we started to play, but we were vulnerable defensively. We had too many just-abouts. We were vulnerable back there, so I think we became hesitant and when you become hesitant defensively, that's usually when you get in trouble."
Jake Allen: "The win's the win at the end of the day but to give up with five minutes left a two-goal lead and let them back in the game and give them hope, it's not the right thing to do and we all know that. You can't really say anything about it now, but we wish we could take those five minutes back and do it a little differently, but we got the win, we found a way, and move on to the next game."

Preds Quotes

Shea Weber: "It was good. It's a huge character [point], especially against a team that defends so well usually as a team. This team, when they get a lead, it's so hard because they collapse and they block a lot of shots. The way Allen's played against us this year too. I think that was the first time we've scored even strength on them this year, so to get two late, that's a big deal for us here and to get one point in a division game is big."
Mike Fisher: "I think we were just pressing. We felt good about our game and we were getting pucks and getting chances. We felt like it was just a matter of time that we were going to get our break and we did. ... We ended up with those last two goals, which were key."

NHL - Dallas Stars @ Columbus Blue Jackets 3-6 - Tuesday, December 29, 2015

The Columbus Blue Jackets were bound to have a breakout game at some point, but it was not expected to be against the NHL's first-place team. But that's what happened at Nationwide Arena when Curtis McElhinney made 39 saves in a 6-3 win against the Dallas Stars.
Scott Hartnell scored on a giveaway by Stars goalie Antti Niemi, and Boone Jenner, Kevin Connauton, Matt Calvert, Brandon Saad and Rene Bourque scored for Columbus, which ended a three-game losing streak. Brandon Dubinsky and Nick Foligno, returning after missing three games with a lower-body injury, each tied his NHL career high with three assists for the Blue Jackets, who have the worst record in the League. Cotton Sceviour, Tyler Seguin and Patrick Sharp scored for Dallas, who had a five-game point streak ended. The Stars have the most points (57) in the NHL.

After his latest whine, Columbus coach John Tortorella challenged his players to be more accountable and to show better leadership. The Blue Jackets started with a goal by Jenner 35 seconds into the game and ended with Bourque's empty-netter with 15 seconds to play.
A gaffe by Niemi enabled Hartnell to score into an open net at 9:55 of the third period for a 5-3 lead. Niemi skated between the circles to clear the puck but put it on Hartnell's stick; he went to his forehand and shot past the diving goalie for his Columbus-leading 15th goal. McElhinney preserved the two-goal lead 13 seconds later by stopping a Sharp breakaway.

The turning point came late in the second period with the Blue Jackets holding a 3-2 lead but shorthanded against the League's third-best power play. Columbus survived thanks to several saves by McElhinney before pinning Dallas in its zone for more than a minute. The diligence paid off when Saad capped a scramble in front of the net with his 14th goal, second in as many games, with 1:17 remaining in the second for a 4-2 lead. Sharp extended his point streak to six games with his 14th goal at 1:12 of the third period, making it 4-3 off a backhand pass from Jason Spezza.
The Blue Jackets killed another penalty before Hartnell scored the insurance goal. Columbus allowed three power-play opportunities Tuesday; it allowed 18 in the previous three games.

The Blue Jackets led 3-1 in the first period on goals by Jenner, former Stars defenseman Connauton, and Calvert to counter Sceviour's goal. Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen, who made 22 saves defeating the St. Louis Blues 3-0 on Sunday, was pulled after allowing three goals on 14 shots in the first period. Niemi made 18 saves.
Foligno, in his first season as Blue Jackets captain, was the target of some of Tortorella's comments about the leaders and responded by reaching 301 points in the NHL with his third three-assist game. Tortorella was happy to see the players smiling again. Dallas right wing Ales Hemsky left with a lower-body injury after blocking a shot in the second period.

Stars Quotes

Lindy Ruff: "It was everything about our team defense. It was probably our worst on the year. We started off not defending. We had pocket of good defending. It was a team loss. Everybody was in on it. We haven't defended well against weaker teams. That's on my shoulders. [Hemsky] could be out a little while but we're not sure."
Jamie Benn: "We're going against a team that was desperate. We knew their coach challenged them today. We knew they were going to come out hard. It started with the first shift. It was a bad shift. We made it too easy for them."
Kari Lehtonen: "There were some good things but too many bad things in a short period of time."

NHL - Central - Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Detroit Red Wings @ Winnipeg Jets 1-4

Jacob Trouba scored twice and Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves to help the Jets to a 4-1 win against the Red Wings at MTS Centre. Andrew Ladd and Alexander Burmistrov scored for Winnipeg, which won its third consecutive home game and has victories in six of the past seven games at MTS Centre. Bryan Little had three assists and Blake Wheeler had two assists. The Jets remain in last place in the Central Division but moved within two points of the sixth-place Colorado Avalanche. Winnipeg begins a five-game road trip Thursday at the Coyotes. Pavel Datsyuk scored for the Red Wings, who have lost back-to-back games. Goaltender Jimmy Howard made 10 saves on 14 shots before being pulled for Petr Mrazek with Winnipeg ahead 4-0. Mrazek had 11 saves. An issue for the Jets all season, special teams helped them take a 2-0 lead by 10:29 of the first period. Trouba's shorthanded goal at 4:27 opened the scoring. While killing off Adam Lowry's double-minor for high sticking, Trouba broke loose on a pass from Drew Stafford before beating Howard with a high shot. Trouba's third goal gave the Jets’ 26th-ranked penalty kill six shorthanded goals this year, third-most in the NHL. Detroit went 0-for-4 on the power play in the first period. Ladd capitalized during a 5-on-3 man-advantage for his 10th goal.

After Detroit took penalties 41 seconds apart, Ladd moved into the left circle, took a pass from Wheeler and put a shot past Howard for the Jets' first 5-on-3 goal this season. Burmistrov's goal, his first since Nov. 4, extended Winnipeg's lead to 3-0 at 4:13 of the second. Trouba's second goal of the game at 11:43 made it 4-0. It was his first two-goal game since Jan. 18, 2014. Little assisted on the Jets' final three goals. He has four goals and four assists in his past five games. Datsyuk scored Detroit's only goal on the power play 1:52 into the third period. It was his fifth goal of the season and moved his point streak to four games (two goals, two assists). Datsyuk played his 909th game with the Red Wings, moving him past Sergei Fedorov and Kirk Maltby into eighth place in franchise history. Blashill pulled Howard in a 4-3 home loss against the New Jersey Devils on Dec. 22 after he allowed three goals on six first-period shots.
Blashill and Howard's teammates rallied around the goaltender after the game.
The Red Wings, who are in a stretch of nine of 10 games on the road, face the Pittsburgh Penguins at home Thursday before starting a six-game road trip. Hellebuyck has stopped 63 of 64 shots in his past two games.

Jacob Trouba: "To get back in this thing, we need to get rolling here and get on a streak. This road trip coming up is very important, and we're going to need a lot of the same style of game."
Connor Hellebuyck: "I thought the team played really well in front of me. Getting that early lead is huge. We set the pace from there."

Chicago Blackhawks @ Phoenix Coyotes 7-5

After scoring one goal in back-to-back losses, the Blackhawks relied on their power play to get their offense back on track. Patrick Kane scored his 22nd goal of the season and assisted on two of Chicago's power-play goals in the first period, helping the Blackhawks to a 7-5 win against the Coyotes at Gila River Arena. The Blackhawks have 14 power-play goals in 51 attempts on the road this season (27.5 percent). Their success with the extra man helped them put the Coyotes in a quick hole early. Kane is one goal behind League leader Benn of the Dallas Stars. Duncan Keith, Artem Anisimov and Artemi Panarin all scored power-play goals in the first period for the Blackhawks. Andrew Desjardins scored two goals, double his output over the first 32 games, and Jonathan Toews had an empty-netter. Chicago won for the seventh time in their past eight trips to Phoenix, including the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Corey Crawford made 32 saves to win for the 19th time this season. Zbynek Michalek and Connor Murphy also scored for the Coyotes. Anders Lindback allowed three goals on five shots in the first period before giving way to backup Louis Domingue, who made 19 saves in relief. It's the seventh time in the past 13 games that the Coyotes have allowed at least five goals, and the second time they have allowed seven.
The Blackhawks had one even-strength shot and were outshot 12-5 in the first period, but the power play was sharp right away. Kane was hooked down by Anthony Duclair for the first of 12 penalties in the game. With the man advantage, he gained the line with speed and dropped a backhand pass to Keith, who put a one-timer past Lindback's glove from the left circle for his sixth goal at 6:21. Keith had a goal and two assists. Murphy went to the box 33 seconds later and the Blackhawks needed two shots to double their lead. Kane fed Brent Seabrook in the high slot; his shot was deflected in front by Anisimov and went past Lindback at 7:36 to make it 2-0. But Phoenix got back into the game at 10:18 with the help of a friendly bounce. Doan flipped a shot from the blue line that took one big hop and went over Crawford's glove to start his big night. The Coyotes tied the game 1:49 later. Oliver Ekman-Larsson made a pass from behind the net and Michalek put the shot off the far post and past Crawford at 12:07. Ekman-Larsson, who left the game in the final minute with a lower-body injury. But another penalty opened the door for Chicago. With Michalek in the box, Panarin whacked a Seabrook feed from the high slot past Lindback and under the crossbar at 19:08 to put Chicago ahead to stay. It was the seventh goal allowed by the Coyotes' penalty kill in its past 14 chances. Domingue replaced Lindback to start the second period. Chicago needed two minutes of the second period to stretch the lead. Teuvo Teravainen dropped a pass to Desjardins for an innocent-looking wrist shot from the top of the right circle that squeezed under Domingue's glove and pad. Kane gave Chicago a three-goal lead at 7:08 when he took a pass from Andrew Shaw and hit a wide-open net. Desjardins made it 6-2 at 5:04 of the third period. Domingue made the save on his shot but the rebound bounded off of Nicklas Grossmann and into the net for his third goal of the year and second of the night. Doan got his second of the night on the power play at 7:17 and Murphy made it 6-4 just after another power play expired with a shot off the post at 13:03. But Toews put the game away with his empty-netter before Doan scored his record-tying goal. Kane leads the NHL in scoring with 53 points.

Patrick Kane: "We were three for our first three power plays, and that's nice to rely on if you are struggling to score. It's been inconsistent over the years, but we have two good units right now and a lot of depth. If one unit doesn't get it started, the other one wants to get out there for a chance to cash in."
Joel Quenneville: "We made it exciting in the end. Our power play was great. We haven't had a lead like that all year but we have to play the right way when we get it. Hopefully it will happen again. I don't know if those were called goal-scorers' goals but I'll take them."
Andrew Desjardins: "I was trying to get pucks to the net and good things happened."

NHL - Results - Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Ottawa @ Boston 3-7

A fortuitous bounce helped Hayes open the scoring. Kevan Miller pinched down the right wall and tried to shoot the puck around the boards, but it hit something after leaving the corner and squirted out to Hayes in front of the net. Hayes tucked it between Anderson's left pad and the post at 8:01 of the first period. The Senators tied it 1-1 on Neil's first goal in 30 games at 12:31. But Bergeron got the Bruins back in the lead at 2-1 during a power play before the period was through. Boston started the second period on a power play, but it almost turned into a disaster. Rask had to stop Dave Dziurzynski on a 2-on-1 at 00:59. After the big save, the Bruins cashed in when Beleskey beat Anderson with a one-timer at 1:21 for a 3-1 lead. Anderson made his own big save on a Brad Marchand breakaway at 10:32, and that set the stage for the Senators to get back within one goal. Zibanejad beat Rask from the slot to cut the Bruins lead to 3-2 at 17:51. Bergeron's second goal was a tip of a Krug shot at 2:38 of the third period to put the Bruins ahead 4-2. Ottawa answered back to cut the lead to 4-3 when Hoffman took a sharp-angled shot that deflected off Dennis Seidenberg's skate out wide and eluded Rask at 4:22. Hayes scored his second goal on a 2-on-1 with Max Talbot at 15:49. Beleskey scored his second goal 51 seconds later on a one-timer from the left circle for a 6-3 lead. Hayes scored with 0.2 seconds left to complete his hat trick.

Chris Neil in Familiar pose.
NY Islanders @ Toronto 6-3

The Islanders took the lead two minutes into the game when Nelson beat Peter Holland to a loose puck in the Maple Leafs zone and then with only Joffrey Lupul back, headed to the net and beat Bernier with a low shot. It was Nelson's 13th goal of the season. The Maple Leafs tied it 39 seconds later. Greiss denied Jake Gardiner's shot from the point, but Boyes scooped the rebound and put home his third goal of the season. The assist for Gardiner was the 100th point of his NHL career. The Islanders regained the lead at 11:51 when Tavares redirected Josh Bailey's pass to the slot past Bernier. Nielsen split the Maple Leafs' defensive pair of Gardiner and Dion Phaneuf and then slipped a backhand shot between Bernier's legs to make it 3-1 at 17:45. It was Nielsen's 13th goal of the season. Parenteau made it 3-2 at 10:57 of the second period for his ninth of the season. But Kulemin, a former Maple Leafs forward, restored New York's two-goal lead when he caught Bernier down and out for his fourth of the season and second in as many games at 11:25. Martin extended the Islanders lead when he scored his fifth goal of the season at 18:06 to make it 5-2. The Islanders scored again 1:14 later when Lee tipped Calvin de Haan's shot for his fifth goal of the season. The Maple Leafs challenged the goal hoping for a goalie interference call, but the goal stood. Matthias made it 6-3 at 16:00 of the third period when he one-timed Boyes' pass from behind the net past Greiss.

Carolina @ New Jersey 2-3

David Schlemko scored the go-ahead goal with 3:05 remaining in the third period to give the Devils a 3-2 victory. Schlemko took a pass from Travis Zajac, skated into the left circle and lost his edge along the left wing half-wall before driving a wide-angled shot that banked off Justin Faulk and past goaltender Cam Ward with 3:05 remaining to break a 2-2 tie. Kyle Palmieri pulled the Devils into a 2-2 tie when a shot from the point by Jon Merrill deflected off his right skate and went past Ward 7:14 into the third period. The goal was challenged by Hurricanes coach Bill Peters, who claimed goalie interference. The goal was upheld following a review and the Hurricanes lost their timeout. Staal scored two goals on two shots in the second to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead. He scored for the first time in 10 games at 2:51 when his slap shot from low in the right circle beat Kinkaid just inside the right post for a 1-0 lead. The Devils tied the game at 6:06 when Farnham, who had missed the previous eight games with a shoulder strain, scored on a wraparound. Staal put Carolina back in front when he scored his seventh of the season at 9:46 by jamming the puck past Kinkaid after gaining possession from behind the goal line. Kris Versteeg assisted on each goal.

Montreal @ Florida 1-3

The line of Aleksander Barkov, Jaromir Jagr and Jonathan Huberdeau combined for six points against Montreal. Jagr broke a 1-1 tie at 1:16 of the second period with the 733rd goal of his NHL career, moving him within eight of Brett Hull for third place on the League's all-time list. Huberdeau, whose 15-year-old sister Josiane sang Canada's national anthem before the game, had two assists. Barkov tied the score at 1-1 at 16:28 of the first period with one second left on a Florida power play. He beat Scrivens with a one-timer inside the red dot with Jagr screening the Montreal goalie. Barkov scored at 8:53 of the third period to make it 3-1. He got the puck next to the net after Erik Gudbranson's pass to Huberdeau went just beyond his reach, and then deked Scrivens to his backhand. Pacioretty opened the scoring at 12:39 of the first period with a power-play goal. After P.K. Subban's cross-ice pass was deflected by a Florida player, Pacioretty picked up the loose puck in the slot, made a quick move to his forehand and took a wrist shot high to the glove side. Jagr broke the tie after taking a cross-ice pass from Huberdeau, making a quick deke to his forehand and then flipping a short shot over Scrivens' left shoulder.

Anaheim @ Calgary 1-0

Shawn Horcoff scored at 12:36 of the second period to put Anaheim up 1-0. From below the goal line, Rickard Rakell passed the puck to Horcoff, who one-timed a sharp-angled shot over Ramo's glove. The Flames went 13:01 between Russell's 62-foot slap shot at 11:13 of the second and TJ Brodie's 54-foot wrist shot 4:14 into the third, and Sam Bennett hit the crossbar at 11:47 after going inside-out around Kevin Bieksa. The Flames had two shots on a power play that started with 5:54 remaining, but they couldn't beat Gibson, and with Ramo on the bench for the extra attacker in the final 1:30 and a power play for the last 17.2 seconds, they couldn't generate a shot. On his second shift of the game, Johnny Gaudreau faked a drop pass when crossing with Sean Monahan in the slot and sent a shot that Gibson got a shoulder on at 2:52. Ryan Kesler intercepted a Giordano outlet pass in front of Ramo less than two minutes later, but the Flames goaltender stopped him from nine feet out.

Los Angeles @ Edmonton 5-2

King gave Los Angeles the lead at 4:22 of the second, winning a puck battle behind the net against Justin Schultz and beating Talbot from a sharp angle at the near post. King broke his foot in training camp blocking a shot and missed the first 35 games. Mersch scored at 5:42 of the second period, coming out of the corner to the front of the net and jamming the puck past Talbot. Toffoli extended the Kings' lead to 3-0 at 5:58, taking a pass from Anze Kopitar on an odd-man rush and putting a shot over Talbot's shoulder just under the crossbar.

Talbot was pulled and replaced by Nilsson following Toffoli's goal. The Oilers cut the lead to 3-1 at 9:56 on an odd-man rush after Pouliot took a pass from Nugent-Hopkins on the left wing and put a shot between Quick's pads. But Lewis restored the Kings' three-goal lead at 14:18, taking a cross-crease pass from Brown and beating Nilsson. Letestu scored at 1:59 of the third period to cut the lead to 4-2, getting positioning in front on Drew Doughty and converting a centering feed from Lauri Korpikoski. Brown scored on the power play at 11:58 to give the Kings a 5-2 lead, getting to the puck on a scramble in front and lifting a shot over Nilsson.

KHL - Results - Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Avangard v Severstal 4-0
Avangard eased to a 4-0 win over Severstal to move to 81 points. The first period was goalless but Maxim Kazakov finally broke the deadlock with a power play marker just after midway. The final session saw Pyotr Khokhryakov’s first goal of the season double the home team’s lead before Michal Kempny and Ilya Mikheyev added extra gloss late on. Dominik Furch had 15 saves for his shut-out.
Barys Astana v CSKA 4-3
Stephane da Costa scored for the first time since September 13 but CSKA still suffered defeat in Astana. Barys tore into the table-topping team from the start, opening up a 3-0 lead thanks to goals from Roman Savchenko and Roman Starchenko in the first nine minutes. That saw Viktor Fasth out of the game in favor of Ilya Sorokin and the incoming goalie kept Barys at bay for almost half-an-hour before Martin St-Pierre got a third. However, CSKA was having trouble solving Pavel Poluektov at the other end until late in the second period. Then quick-fire goals from Sergei Andronov and Jan Mursak hauled it back to a one-goal game going into the final stanza. A 5-on-3 power play for Barys paid off as Mike Lundin made it 4-2 before da Costa found the net with just over two minutes left to set up an anxious finale. But Barys hung on and CSKA was forced to relinquish top spot to Lokomotiv.
Lada v Admiral 1-5
Admiral won 5-1 at Lada thanks to a strong third-period performance. The Sailors led 2-1 thanks to second-period goals from Mikhail Fisenko and David Booth but took complete control in the closing stages. Konstantin Makarov extended the lead in the 43rd minute before goals in the 58th minute from Artyom Podshendyalov and Alexander Gorshkov added extra luster to the final score.

Ak Bars v Amur 1-0
Stepan Zakharchuk’s 19th-minute goal was the only difference between Ak Bars and Amur. The Kazan team claimed a narrow win on the strength of 24 saves from Stanislav Galimov, while visiting goalie Alexander Pechursky made 35 stops at the other end.Lokomotiv v Metallurg Nk 3-2
A hard-fought victory over Metallurg was enough to put Loko back on top of the KHL table at the end of 2015. Wednesday’s 3-2 success, coupled with CSKA’s defeat in Astana, gave the Railwaymen a one-point advantage in the rankings.
However, it was no routine triumph over a struggling Metallurg team. The visitor twice took the lead on goals from Mikhail Plotnikov in the first period and Vadim Mitryakov in the second. Each time, though, Loko made its extra pressure count, tying the game through Daniil Apalkov and Andrei Loktionov. The winning goal arrived in the 46th minute through Petri Kontiola. The Finnish international roofed it from a tight angle to put Loko up for the first time in the game and return the team to #1 spot ahead of the short New Year break.HC Sochi v Sibir 3-2
There was also a change of leader in the East with Avangard overhauling Severstal. This morning’s leader, Sibir, went down to a late defeat in Sochi when Ilya Krikunov got the vital goal with just five seconds left to play. That was the third time Sochi led on the night: Andre Petersson and Ziyat Paigin scored power play goals in the first period as the home side made a strong start in pursuit of a return to fourth place in the West. Vladimir Butuzov and Maxim Ignatovich twice hauled Sibir level, but Krikunov’s late strike left the Siberians with no opportunity to launch a third recovery and force overtime.

KHL - Results - Monday, December 28, 2015

Metallurg Magnitogorsk v Dynamo Moscow 2-1
Wojtek Wolski was the architect of Metallurg’s win at home to Dynamo. The forward had a hand in both his team’s goals, opening the scoring after just 12 seconds of play, before assisting on Danis Zaripov’s game-winner in the 47th minute. Dynamo tied the game with Vladimir Bryukvin’s goal midway through the first period but was unable to escape a fifth defeat in six games, a run that has seen one of the traditional favorites in the Western Conference slip down into midtable. The Blue-and-Whites currently lie in seventh place and could be drawn into a battle to clinch a play-off place. Magnitka, meanwhile, holds second place in the Eastern Conference by virtue of topping its division.

Salavat Yulaev v Vityaz 3-0
Thirty-two saves from Niklas Svedberg and a freakish empty-net goal from Alexander Loginov helped Salavat Yulaev to victory over Vityaz. Loginov’s moment came in the last minute as Vityaz, on the power play, launched a last, desperate attempt to salvage something from the game. The home defenseman got the puck in his own zone, fired it against the boards and watched as it flew the length of the ice and into the unguarded net to make it 3-0. Earlier second-period goals from Zakhar Arzamastsev and Maxim Mayorov, both assisted by Teemu Hartikainen, put Salavat in control after a scoreless opening stanza.
Traktor v Medvescak 2-1 SO
Maxim Yakutsenya’s shoot-out winner gave Traktor the verdict over Medvescak following a 1-1 tie. Deron Quint opened the scoring here in the eighth minute but the Croatian team claimed a point thanks to Tuukka Mantyla’s 56th-minute equalizer.

Neftekhimik v Slovan 0-1 SO
Goalies Alexander Sudnitsin and Barry Brust were on top form as Neftekhimik met Slovan. The teams failed to score in regulation, with Sudnitsin denying Slovan 40 times and Brust turning away 27 shots on his net. Overtime did not produce a single shot on goal, meaning Ziga Jeglic finally decided it in Slovan’s favor after a prolonged shoot-out.
SKA v Spartak
Game Played December 2.
Dinamo Riga v Torpedo 1-4
Torpedo’s comfortable win in Latvia returns Peteris Skudra’s team to a seeded position in the play-off race, lifting it ahead of HC Sochi into fourth place. It didn’t take the visitor long to assume control: Alexander Frolov opened the scoring in the fifth minute and Artyom Alyayev added a second in the 18th. That was all the scoring for a long period, but a final flurry of goal action saw Maxim Osipov make it 3-0 before Gunars Skvorcovs got the home team on the scoresheet at last. Dmitry Semin added to his earlier assists to complete the scoring, while Latvian international Kaspars Daugavins claimed two assists on his latest trip home.

KHL - Results - Sunday, December 27, 2015

Avangard v CSKA 0-3
CSKA’s defense was the key as the KHL leader picked up three more points against Eastern Conference high-flyer Avangard. The home team was limited to just 13 shots on Viktor Fasth’s net as Dmitry Kvartalnov’s men executed a rigorous defensive gameplan to perfection. At the other end it took time for CSKA to capitalize on that platform, but a trio of goals in the final stanza ensured that the Army Men took the points. Dmitry Kugryshev broke the deadlock with a power play goal in the 48th minute; Nikita Zaitsev and Mikhail Naumenkov extended that advantage.

Barys Astana v Severstal 4-3 OT
Barys let a 3-0 lead slip at home to Severstal before Brandon Bochenski’s second goal of the night gave the Kazakhs an overtime win. Maxim Semyonov and Konstantin Pushkaryov scored either side of Bochenski’s first, but Dmitry Kagarlitsky got one back for Severstal just before the second intermission. In the third, power play goals for Daniil Vovchenko and Anatoly Nikontsev tied the game at 3-3.
Lada v Amur 4-1
Lada picked up its second successive win, overcoming Amur 4-1. Alexei Byvaltsev put the visitor ahead with his first ever KHL goal, but Lada tied it up in the second period through Alexander Bumagin. Third-period markers from Stanislav Romanov, Martin Zatovic and Anton Shenfeld secured the win.

Ak Bars v Admiral 2-3
Admiral claimed its second win of the season over Ak Bars after edging a five-goal thriller in Kazan. Mikhail Fisenko settled the outcome with his 54th-minute strike to snap a 2-2 tie and send the points way out East. Earlier there was a breathless start to the action as Stepan Zakharchuk put Ak Bars 1-0 up in the fifth minute, only for Yegor Dugin to tie the scores in the ninth. Then Alexander Kuznetsov fired Admiral in front as the midway point came into view. Albert Yarullin’s power play goal tied the scores in the 52nd minute but Ak Bars was unable to build on that momentum and lost out to Fisenko’s goal two minutes later.
Lokomotiv v Sibir 2-0
Lokomotiv is CSKA’s closest rival in the West, and today it produced a similar performance to the league leader, frustrating Eastern Conference leader Sibir to claim a 2-0 victory. Western supremacy was once again built on solid defense: Loko allowed just 16 shots on Alexei Murygin’s net as the goalie extended his record-breaking season between the piping. Murygin now has 11 shut-outs, more than any other netminder has achieved in a KHL campaign. But while CSKA left its scoring until the closing stages, Loko preferred to get on the board early. Petri Kontiola made it 1-0 in the 10th minute and Denis Mosalyov snatched a short-handed goal in the 20th to double the advantage. It was a lead that the Railwaymen never looked like relinquishing.

HC Sochi v Metallurg Nk 2-3 OT
Metallurg Novokuznetsk snapped a five-game losing streak thanks to Robert Kousal’s overtime winner at HC Sochi. Earlier Andrei Kostitsyn saved Sochi in regulation, tying the scores at 2-2 in the 56th minute. Kuznya had led twice, with Ilya Musin and Kirill Lebedev scoring; Igor Ignatushkin was the other Sochi scorer. 

KHL - Results - Saturday, December 26, 2015

Metallurg Magnitogorsk v Spartak 4-0
Alexander Semin potted his first goal for Metallurg following his recent move from Montreal. The 31-year-old forward arrived in Russia during the international break and the double World Champion got on the scoresheet for the first time in his third appearance for Magnitka. Semin got the fourth goal in a comfortable win, but most of the damage was done in the opening session. Danis Zaripov scored two in the first 10 minutes to get things moving and Chris Lee added a third before the intermission. Vasily Koshechkin made 20 saves for his shut-out.
Salavat Yulaev v SKA 2-1 OT
Igor Zakharkin helped SKA to lift the Gagarin Cup last season, but this time around he is behind the bench at Salavat Yulaev. On Saturday he plotted the downfall of his former club, claiming an overtime win. The Ufa team recovered from a surprise defeat against Spartak thanks to Enver Lisin’s game winner on 63:15. That snapped a 1-1 tie and sent SKA spinning to a second defeat in three games since the teams returned from the international break. Earlier Salavat Yulaev took a 35th-minute lead through Artyom Chernov before Sergei Shirokov picked up his first point since joining SKA from Avangard. The forward assisted on Steve Moses’ power play goal to tie the scores in the 49th minute. Ilya Kovalchuk also made an assist on that goal: his productive streak now extends to 21 points from his last 13 games, with only one blank in that time.

Ugra v Dynamo Moscow 2-5
Dynamo snapped a four-game losing streak with a comfortable win over Ugra.

Alexei Tsvetkov broke the deadlock late in the first period but a trio of unanswered goals in the second period really wrapped up the game. Alexei Tereshchenko, Daniil Tarasov and Maxim Pestushko found the net as Ugra wilted. The fifth goal came from Jakub Petruzalek, the 2012 Gagarin Cup winner’s first marker since returning to the club earlier this month. Vitaly Sitnikov and Konstantin Panov scored late on to make the final score slightly more respectable for Ugra.

Neftekhimik v Vityaz 5-3
Neftekhimik beat Vityaz 5-3 in a topsy-tuvy game. The first period went the way of the home team, with Ryan Stoa, Alexander Kitarov and Igor Polyganov opening up a 3-0 lead. But Vityaz tied it up in the second through Alexander Shibayev, Mario Kempe and Denis Abdullin. Neftekhimik won it in the third on goals from Stoa and Jeff Taffe.
Slovan v Torpedo 3-0

KHL - Results - Friday, December 25, 2015

Severstal v Ak Bars 3-4 OT
Vasily Tokranov scored his first KHL goal since the 2010-11 season to give Ak Bars an overtime win after a 3-3 tie at Severstal. The defenseman struck on the power play three minutes into the extras to get the visitor back to winning ways after Wednesday’s defeat at CSKA. Earlier Severstal rocked Ak Bars with two goals in a minute at the start of the game as Nikolai Kazakovtsev and Anatoly Nikontsev made it 2-0 to the host. But Ak Bars rallied strongly as Alexander Svitov, Justin Azevedo and Mikhail Varnakov turned the scoreline around to give the visitor a 3-2 advantage by the halfway point. Maxim Trunyov tied it up in the 34th minute, but after a goal-rich start to the game the remaining action went scoreless.
Lokomotiv v Admiral 3-0
Yet another Alexei Murygin shut-out backstopped Lokomotiv to a 3-0 win over Admiral. The goalie made 21 saves to record his 10th blank of a record-breaking season and help Loko close the gap on CSKA at the top of the KHL table to two points. Andrei Loktionov opened the scoring in the 15th minute, converting Staffan Kronwall’s inch-perfect pass to the slot as the home team dominated the first period. But it wasn’t until the second that Loko really assumed control of the game. Stanislav Chistov’s 26th-minute goal and Vladislav Gavrikov’s marker in the 39th minute stretched the lead to 3-0 and gave Admiral too much to do to save the game. In the third period there were relatively few scoring chances but the closing stages were enlivened by a fight between Ilya Lyubushkin of Lokomotiv and Admiral’s David Booth: the former was ejected from the game for his contribution to the skirmish.
 
HC Sochi v Amur 6-4
HC Sochi recovered from a poor first period to beat Amur 6-4. Ben Maxwell put the home team ahead, but Amur recovered to lead 3-1 on goals from Vyacheslav Ushenin, Vitaly Shulakov and Mikhail Zheleznov. Ziyat Paigin pulled one back for Sochi before a goalless second period, but the final session saw the game turn around. Evgeny Skachkov, Andrei Kostitsyn and Mikhail Anisin scored in the space of eight minutes to give the home team a decisive lead. 
CSKA v Lada 1-2
KHL leader CSKA suffered a surprise defeat against lowly Lada. The visitor is languishing near the foot of the Eastern Conference table, but found top gear to frustrate the Army Men. Goalie Ivan Kasutin played a huge role in the win: he turned away 34 shots to defuse CSKA’s potent offense. At the other end, Lada created few clear scoring opportunities but still found a way to score on Ilya Sorokin twice: Alexander Bolshakov broke the deadlock in the seventh minute, only for an Alexander Radulov power play goal to restore parity two minutes later. If that seemed to pave the way for a routine home win, Kasutin had other ideas. He continued to impress to ensure the scores remained level at the first intermission, and the middle stanza saw Lada have its best offensive play of the game, outshooting CSKA and grabbing the only goal of the period when Martin Zatovic found the net in the 39th minute. The final act belonged once again to Kasutin: CSKA led the shot count 11-4, but found no way past the goalie as Lada snatched a valuable win.

KHL - Results - Thursday, December 24, 2015

Metallurg Nk v Avangard 3-4 SO
Struggling Metallurg came from behind three times to take a point from the Eastern Conference high-flyer, but Vladimir Sobotka’s composure in the shoot-out took the win to Omsk. Yury Alexandrov put Avangard ahead in the tenth minute, but Roman Manukhov tied the scores a couple of minutes later. Sergei Gusev then reinstated the lead, which the visitor held until the intermission.
The middle stanza saw just one goal as Kirill Lebedev tied it up early on, and the teams traded markers once again in the third. Maxim Kazakov thought he’d won it for Avangard, but with barely a minute to play Ignat Zemchenko made it 3-3 and took the game to overtime.Metallurg Magnitogorsk v SKA 4-5
After losing out by the odd goal in 11 at Torpedo last time out, SKA returned to winning ways with a 5-4 win in Magnitogorsk. This clash of the heavyweights served up a pre-Christmas cracker as Magnitka roared back in the final stanza to come close to salvaging a game that seemed lost when Jarno Koskiranta put SKA 5-1 up at the midway stage. Danis Zaripov, Jan Kovar and Sergei Mozyakin clawed the deficit back and for the last three-and-a-half minutes it was a nervy one-goal game, but SKA held on. It seemed much easier for the Gagarin Cup holder early on, with Ilya Kovalchuk and Nikita Gusev opening up a 2-0 lead inside seven minutes. Zaripov got one back, but Steve Moses and a second for Gusev seemed to have the visitor cruising to victory before the home team launched its brave, but unsuccessful, fightback.

Salavat Yulaev v Spartak 1-2
Two goals from Charles Genoway gave Spartak an unexpected win at Salavat Yulaev. The Canadian defenseman opened up a two-goal lead for the Red-and-Whites in the first two periods. The game was then disrupted by a brawl in the 28th minute as Salavat’s Maxim Goncharov and Spartak’s Vyacheslav Leshchenko came to blows. Salavat got a goal back through Sami Lepisto early in the third but could not salvage anything from the game.
Sibir v Barys Astana 5-1
A comfortable home victory returned Sibir to the top of the Eastern Conference table on the strength of two goals apiece from Maxim Shalunov and Sergei Shumakov. The first period was even, with Sibir getting ahead early on through Calle Ridderwall, only for Brandon Bochenski to tie the game in the 15th minute.
But after that there was only one team in it. Shalunov scored midway through the second period and Shumakov added a third five minutes later to put Sibir in command. Then the final stanza saw the duo repeat that double act to wrap up a convincing win.Traktor v Dynamo Moscow 4-3 OT
An overtime goal from Filip Novak saw Traktor defeat Dynamo Moscow in Chelyabinsk. The Czech defenseman scored on his former club on 60:35 to snap a 3-3 tie. Earlier Dynamo defenseman Ilya Nikulin posted 1+1 while Alexander Sharov’s 47th-minute goal tied the game for Traktor.

Ugra v Vityaz 2-3
Vityaz earned a 3-2 victory at Ugra thanks to Dmitry Shitikov’s third-period penalty shot. He scored on 46:50 after being fouled by Alexander Ugolnikov. Earlier Vityaz led twice through Alexei Makeyev and Denis Abdullin, but Ugra twice levelled with goals from Konstantin Panov and Vitaly Sitnikov.
Medvescak v Dinamo Minsk 3-2 OT
Gilbert Brule started Zagreb’s Christmas party with an overtime winner for Medvescak at home to Dinamo Minsk. He snapped a 2-2 tie on 60:53. Dinamo led twice in regulation on goals from Alexei Kalyuzhny and Ryan Vesce; Medvescak responded through Patrick Bjorkstrand and Tomas Mertl.

KHL - Results - Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Severstal v Lada 4-3 SO
It took a shoot-out to separate Severstal and Lada after a 3-3 tie in Cherepovets. The home team led 2-0 through Sergei Demagin and Pavel Chernov, but had to rely on Daniil Vovchenko’s equalizer after Dmitry Vorobyov, Martin Zatovic and Anton Shenfeld turned the game upside down. The shoot-out saw nine failures before Chernov finally found the net to give Severstal the win.Lokomotiv v Amur 4-1
Loko made it three wins on the spin to maintain its pursuit of KHL leader CSKA.
The early stages suggested a routine win for the Western Conference high flyer with Vladislav Gavrikov firing home the opening goal from the blue line midway through the first period and the home team enjoying the better of the play until the second intermission. However, Loko could not find a second goal to take control of the game and Amur capitalized early in the third when Vladislav Ushenin tied the scores. So there was great relief in the 49th minute when the host got back in front, even if Ilya Lyubushkin’s shot from the point looked to be going wide of the net until it deflected inside the post off an Amur skate. Loko made the final scoreline more comfortable with two late goals. Yegor Averin made it 3-1 with a close-range backhand following Daniil Apalkov’s shot before Petri Kontiola wrapped it up with an empty-netter. 
HC Sochi v Admiral 1-4
Admiral picked up a big win at HC Sochi, but there was little sign of that success early on. The game remained goalless until the midway point when Evgeny Skachkov’s shorthanded goal put Sochi ahead. But it all went wrong for the home team soon after: two goals in 30 seconds saw Alexander Kuznetsov and Yegor Yakovlev turn the game around. Artyom Zemchyonok and David completed a 4-1 win for the visitors.
CSKA v Ak Bars 2-1
CSKA’s serene progress at the top of the table continued with a narrow win over Ak Bars. The Army Men now have just one loss in 10 games, and that was in a shoot-out at local rival Dynamo. This time Dmitry Kvartalnov’s team was out to avenge a 6-3 loss in Kazan earlier in the season and it got the verdict thanks to a bright start. Young Ivan Telegin opened the scoring in the ninth minute, getting a simple tap-in at the far post as a reward for his scintillating rush on Emil Garipov’s net seconds earlier. Then Jan Mursak doubled the advantage five minutes later, lifting the puck under the bar after Alexander Kutuzov’s shot from the point sewed confusion on Garipov’s crease. Ak Bars hit back through Mikhail Varnakov on the power play to make it 2-1 before the first intermission, but could not find a way to recover the rest of the deficit. There was more positive news for CSKA with French forward Stephane da Costa returning to the ice after a long lay-off following his injury in September in that game in Kazan.

KHL - Results - Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Metallurg Nk v Barys Astana 2-6
Nigel Dawes scored his 24th goal of the season to help Barys overpower Metallurg Novokuznetsk 6-2. The Kazakhs opened up a 5-0 advantage with Dawes on the scoresheet, Brandon Bochenski delivering a trio of assists and Alexander Lipin potting his first of the season. Kuznya got a couple back late in the second period thanks to Robert Kousal and Ilya Musin but Maxim Khudyakov’s second of the game completed the scoring.
Metallurg Magnitogorsk v Vityaz 4-2
mMetallurg Magnitogorsk twice came from behind before beating Vityaz 4-2. Dmitry Shitikov and Anton Korolyov gave Vityaz the early initiative. Magnitka replied with two goals from Danis Zaripov and one each from Viktor Antipin and Chris Lee; Sergei Mozyakin weighed in with two more assists.
Salavat Yulaev v Dynamo Moscow 2-0
Salavat Yulaev’s Nordic combination defeated Dynamo Moscow in Ufa. Sweden’s Andreas Engqvist opened the scoring off an assist from his compatriot Linus Omark in the second period. Then the same pair combined to create a goal for Finland’s Sami Lepisto in the third. Another Swede, Niklas Svedberg, made 29 saves as Salavat won it 2-0.
Sibir v Avangard Omsk 0-3
The international break seemed to sharpen Avangard’s reflexes: the team stormed out of the blocks with two goals in three minutes, dispelling any fears of rustiness after the short lay-off. Maxim Kazakov opened the scoring after just 93 seconds, and Vladimir Sobotka added a second on 2:56. Sibir didn’t panic and began to generate some offense of its own, ultimately firing in 33 shots on Dominik Furch’s net. However, the goalie was in no mood to allow the opponent back into the game and Alexander Perezhogin’s empty netter wrapped up a 3-0 victory. Success on the night also saw Avangard overtake Sibir at the top of the Eastern Conference table. The Omsk team has the edge, but the two are level on 76 points.

Ugra v Avtomobilist 3-2
Ugra edged Avtomobilist 3-2 thanks to Alexander Ugolnikov’s game-winner in the second period. Avto twice led early on through Artyom Gareyev and Pavel Turbin, but Igor Bortnikov and Andrei Ankudinov kept Ugra in the game.
Slovan v Dinamo Minsk 4-2
Slovan enjoyed a 4-2 victory at home to Dinamo Minsk. The early stages turned into an individual shoot-out between Marek Viedensky and Jonathan Cheechoo, with both players scoring twice to tie the scores at 2-2 after 40 minutes. But third-period markers from Vaclav Nedorost and Tomas Kundratek saw the Slovaks take the win.
Spartak v Jokerit 1-3
Torpedo v SKA 6-5 OT

While Jokerit were in Moscow proving that clinical finishing is often decisive, SKA was demonstrating that it is not always enough on its own. The men from Petersburg scored five goals from 20 shots at Torpedo, but still came away on the losing side. The decisive blow was struck by Dmitry Syomin in overtime, taking advantage of a penalty on SKA’s Mikko Koskinen for delaying the game.
That snapped a 5-5 tie after a pulsating game in which SKA generally had the upper hand. Evgeny Dadonov and Vadim Shipachyov gave the visitor the edge in the first period, sandwiching Vyacheslav Kulyomin’s reply for Torpedo. The second period followed a similar pattern, with SKA’s Evgeny Ketov (shorthanded) and Alexander Barabanov scoring on either side of Carter Ashton’s power play goal for the host. But the third stanza had a new script. Two goals in a minute saw Daniil Ilin and Artyom Alyayev tie the scores before Shipachyov’s second of the game put SKA back ahead. Alexei Sopin cancelled out that lead, though, and took the game to overtime.

Medvescak v Dinamo Riga 0-3
Dinamo Riga also posted a shut-out, winning 3-0 at Medvescak. The game was scoreless until the 35th minute when Tim Sestito put Dinamo ahead. Two quick goals early in the third period from Mikelis Redlihs and Edgars Kulda completed the scoring. Joacim Eriksson had 24 saves.

NHL - Colorado Avalanche @ San Jose Sharks 6-3 - Monday, December 28, 2015

Nathan MacKinnon ended his 14-game goal drought with his second career hat trick, leading the Colorado Avalanche to a 6-3 victory against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center. MacKinnon scored two of Colorado's season-high four power play goals; Carl Soderberg and Blake Comeau also scored on the man-advantage for Colorado, which went 4-for-6. Matt Duchene had an even-strength goal.

Patrick Marleau, Melker Karlsson and Tomas Hertl scored for the Sharks. Goaltender Martin Jones allowed five goals on 25 shots. MacKinnon scored an empty-net goal with 1:28 left for the hat trick. He had his first three-goal game on Feb. 22 against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Pepsi Center.

The Avalanche defeated the Sharks in San Jose for the first time since Feb. 6, 2008, ending a 13-game streak, one that Colorado coach Patrick Roy was well aware of. The four power play goals allowed were a season-high for San Jose, which fell to 4-10-0 at home. Avalanche backup goaltender Calvin Pickard made 35 saves in his first NHL start of the season. Pickard was recalled Friday from San Antonio of the American Hockey League and replaced the injured Reto Berra (ankle) on the active roster. Jarome Iginla, who scored his 599th career goal Sunday against the Coyotes, had an assist but did not score Monday.
Colorado took a 3-2 lead into the third period, and Comeau made it 4-2 at 7:09 with a power-play goal at 7:09, but Hertl answered with his fourth goal of the season at 8:07. MacKinnon quickly gave Colorado another two-goal lead. With Tommy Wingels in the penalty box for hooking, MacKinnon scored from the left circle at 8:44.

The Sharks had four penalties in the first period to none for Colorado, and the Avalanche capitalized, scoring two power-play goals to take a 2-1 lead. After San Jose killed their 21st straight penalty, MacKinnon scored a power-play goal at 8:46 on a 3-on-2 rush with Joe Thornton in the box for tripping Duchene.
Iginla sent the puck ahead to Soderberg, who passed it to MacKinnon in the right circle where he beat Jones with a wrist shot.
The Sharks pulled even 81 seconds later on Marleau's 14th goal of the season. Jack Skille turned the puck over along the boards, and Joel Ward sent it to Marleau, who skated past Francois Beauchemin, cut to the middle and sent a wrist shot that bounced off of Pickard's glove and over the goal line at 10:07.
Colorado made it 2-1 at 14:28 of the first period when Soderberg redirected Beauchemin's shot from the point past Jones on the power play with Brenden Dillon in the penalty box for hooking.
Duchene extended Colorado's lead to 3-1 at 11:19 of the second with his team-high 17th goal of the season. He got the puck along the left boards, skated along the goal line toward the post, spun and beat Jones with a backhand shot through traffic.
The goal was Duchene's 143rd of his career and moved him past Dale Hunter into sole possession of 10th place on the franchise's all-time list. Hunter played for the Quebec Nordiques from 1980-87 and 12 games for the Avalanche during the 1998-99 season.

Karlsson cut Colorado's lead to 3-2 at 13:58 of the second with his fourth goal of the season and first since Nov. 19 against the Philadelphia Flyers. Thornton sent a pass from below the goal line to Karlsson in the slot, where he beat Pickard with a wrist shot.
Gabriel Landeskog was hit in the face with the puck on a shot by Dylan DeMelo and went to the dressing room with 7:17 left in the second period, but he returned for the start of the third.

Sharks Bites

Peter DeBoer: "I don't have a reason. Hooking, holding … we took six (penalties). You're playing with fire any time you take that many penalties. They had four power-play goals. That was the difference in the game. Our penalty kill has been arguably the best in the League over the last two months. It wasn't good tonight. They were making plays through us. Their goalie was better than ours too. That's a bad formula."
Patrick Marleau: "We were just putting our sticks in the wrong spots and the refs were calling it. We took certain players out of the game because we were killing too much. They have some highly skilled players and they zip it around pretty good. If you give them enough chances they have that extra burst."

Avs Quotes

Nathan MacKinnon: "I think we have so many different options [on the power play]. I think all of our goals were from a different variety. A tip, off the rush, back door. We've been struggling a little bit in that department. Hopefully it gives us some confidence. Tough slump obviously with 14 games. They come in bunches sometimes and obviously it's nice to get on the board and get the win."
Patrick Roy: "Yeah, yeah, but I love this building. As a player, I always played well here. I didn't lose that many games. I hope it's going to be the same as a coach. Calvin made some great saves early in the game, kept us in the game and helped us to play with the lead."
Calvin Pickard: "It was nice. It wasn't an easy task coming in here back-to-back, but it's pretty nice when your team scores six goals for you. That gives you a lot of breathing room. I was able to get into it early with a few shots right off the bat. I felt pretty good all the way through, minus that third goal. It was a big game for us, a lot of great efforts. Power play was huge, penalty kill was huge. It was a big win."

NHL - Central - Monday, December 28, 2015

NY Rangers @ Nashville Predators 3-5
James Neal scored two goals in the Predators' 5-3 win against the Rangers at Bridgestone Arena. Filip Forsberg extended his point streak to five games when he scored a power-play goal to give the Predators a 1-0 lead with 1:04 left in the first period. Roman Josi made a cross-ice feed through traffic that Forsberg one-timed past Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist for his 10th goal. The Predators have won three of their past four games. Jesper Fast tied it 1-1 at 6:59 of the second period when he tipped Dan Girardi's point shot past Pekka Rinne for his sixth goal. Girardi returned to the lineup after missing five games because of swelling in his knee. Neal gave the Predators a 2-1 lead at 13:48 of the second when his wrist shot from the slot beat Lundqvist. He was trailing the play, and Mike Ribeiro hit him with a pass on the rush. Ribeiro had three assists to extend his point streak to four games. Forsberg scored an apparent goal at 5:18 of the third period, but Rangers coach Alain Vigneault challenged, and it was disallowed after video review determined Craig Smith interfered with Lundqvist. Nashville responded with three goals in the next 5:55. Smith put the Predators up 3-1 at 7:34 when he redirected Josi's shot from the point past Lundqvist for his eighth goal. The goal was upheld after video review determined Smith's stick was not above the crossbar when it contacted the puck. Ryan Ellis gave Nashville a 4-1 lead at 9:52 with a power-play goal. Ellis one-timed Seth Jones' pass from the right point past Lundqvist for his fourth of the season. Neal scored his second of the game and 15th of the season at 11:13 to give the Predators a 5-1 lead. Calle Jarnkrok passed the puck to Neal, who was able to direct the puck past Lundqvist. Lundqvist, who made 30 saves on 35 shots, was replaced by Antti Raanta at that point; Raanta did not face a shot in 5:19. The Rangers have lost four of their past five games. Rick Nash's 11th goal made it 5-2 at 13:20. Rinne attempted to clear the puck, but Nash intercepted it and scored into an open net. J.T. Miller scored to make it 5-3 with 3:58 remaining on a wrist shot from the slot for his eighth goal. Mike Fisher returned after missing 11 games with a lower-body injury. Kevin Klein returned after missing 11 games with an oblique injury.

Filip Forsberg: "I think we did a really good job with being in front of the net. Obviously, a lot of the goals were with traffic involved. If he can't see the puck, he can't stop it, so obviously I think that's the biggest thing."
James Neal: "It's 60 minutes. Something we've put emphasis on is having better second periods. Tonight, we slipped a little bit, but I think we played a good, solid game. You have to be on your toes when you're playing against them. They're going to come at you with skill all the time, so great win. That's a big difference. It was still a 2-1 game. That would have been a huge goal from [Forsberg]. I didn't really see that contact, but it got ruled over. We kept on the gas and finished it off with a huge win. That's a great team over there, and we played well after that and gave ourselves a big two points."
Mike Ribeiro: "I think when we're a team that brings emotion to the game, we're a different team. We play with more energy to our game, and we're just faster at getting pucks, we're forechecking, we're creating turnovers. It's just hard to bring that every night, so you have to find a way to motivate yourself."
Mike Fisher: "It was a good [third period]. We didn't want to keep them hanging around too long. They did make a push, obviously, at the end, but our third was in general pretty good. Overall, I thought we played hard."
Detroit Red Wings @ Minnesota Wild 1-3
Devan Dubnyk overcame a minor injury to make 28 saves in a 3-1 win against the Red Wings at Xcel Energy Center. Dubnyk sustained his injury during practice on Sunday when a puck hit him between his blocker and arm pads attached to his shoulder armor, opening a deep cut that required six stitches to close. As of Monday morning, Dubnyk's injury was expected to limit him to backup duties, at most. But an upper-body injury to announced starter Darcy Kuemper forced Dubnyk into action and he responded, making 11 saves in the first period and falling fewer than two minutes shy of his fifth shutout this season. Charlie Coyle scored the game's first goal and Mikko Koivu scored twice late in the game for Minnesota, which finished a four-game homestand 2-2-0.
Pavel Datsyuk scored his fourth goal and the Red Wings got 32 saves from goaltender Petr Mrazek, who was outstanding despite the loss. Detroit got 29 shots on goal, but few were of the grade-A variety; Dubnyk's glove save on Tomas Jurco that shut down a 2-on-1 break might have been his best save of the game. Yeo was pleased with the Wild's overall game after a 3-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. Minnesota blocked 23 shots, led by Jared Spurgeon's six. The Red Wings finished with five blocks total. Mrazek made several big saves, especially during a two-minute stretch during the middle of the third period. The first was on Jason Zucker, who tried to use a backhanded shot while on a breakaway. Mrazek flipped it aside with a glove save. On the next shift, Zach Parise's shot from the low slot was swept away on a pad save. Nino Niederreiter was denied on a point-blank chance moments later. Niederreiter was whistled for a cross-checking penalty shortly thereafter, but Detroit was unable to capitalize. Coyle went around Brendan Smith at the right circle and chipped the puck over Mrazek's glove for his ninth goal at 11:42 of the first period to make it 1-0. Nobody scored again until Koivu made it 2-0 at 17:42 of the third, following a paddle save by Mrazek on Matt Dumba by putting the rebound into an open net. Datsyuk scored from the slot 21 seconds later but Koivu corralled the puck and scored from the left circle at 18:56 for his 10th goal with Mrazek on the bench.

Devan Dubnyk: "When you've played as many games as [Wild coach Mike Yeo] has allowed me to play over the last little while, it's easy to just get into game-day routine. Nothing really changes. It's not a big deal. [The wrist] didn't feel real good this morning, but it felt a lot better tonight than I expected it to."
Mike Yeo: "We knew this homestand was going to be a test. We can't classify it as a good one, but certainly a win tonight doesn't make it so bad. Win, lose, whatever, I just wanted to see us play the right way. I saw a lot more pace to our game tonight and a huge part of that is the execution. That's been our concentration over the last couple of days."