European Leagues

Sodertalje 2 @ Skelleftea 7
Riku Helenius, Sodetalje, DNP
Season totals: 7 GP, 2-2-2, 0 SO, 2.68 GAA, .914 sv%

Helenius must be relieved he avoided the bombing suffered by starter Pontus Sjogren in the match. Both teams managed 29 shots on goal, but the save percentages weren't.

Astana 3 @ Dynamo Riga 5
Martins Karsums, Dynamo Riga, 1-0-1, +1, 2 PIM, 2 SOG
Season totals: 11 GP, 4-3-7, +7, 16 PIM

Karsums played 14:35 in the match, and scored an empty net goal with 3 seconds left in the game to seal the deal for Riga.

Omsk 2 @ Dynamo Moscow 3 (SO)
Johan Harju, Dynamo Moscow, DNP
Season totals: 54 GP, 4-14-18, -10, 38 PIM

Karri Ramo, Omsk, Loss, 34/36, 1.85 GAA, .944 sv%
Season totals: 43 GP, 21-16-4, 4 SO, 2.09 GAA, .914 sv%

Ramo allowed 2 out of 3 shooters he faced in the shootout to convert as Omsk fell in the penalty shot session. Former Lightning forward Eric Perrin had a goal in the match for Omsk.

St. Petersburg 3 @ Magnitogorsk 2
Vasily Koshechkin, Magnitogorsk, Loss, 24/27, 3.01 GAA, .889 sv%
Season totals: 48 GP, 25-15-8, 8 SO, 1.92 GAA, .928 sv%

Former NHLers Sergei Zubov and Alexei Yashin each had 2 helpers for St. Petersburg.

Cherepovets 2 @ Ekaterinburg 3
Denis Kazionov, Ekaterinburg, 0-0-0, +1, 0 PIM, 1 SOG
Season totals: 50 GP, 5-3-8, -17, 18 PIM

Kazionov played 14:37 in the match.

KHK MVD 2 @ Kazan 3 (SO)
Dmitri Kazionov, Kazan, 0-1-1, -1, 2 PIM, 0 SOG
Season totals: 51 GP, 18-9-27, +8, 18 PIM

The elder Kazionov played 13:45 in the match and assisted on a third period goal by former Sharks draft pick Hannes Hyvonen. Former NHLer Alexei Morozov also had a goal in the match for Kazan.

Frolunda 4 @ Sodertalje 1
Riku Helenius, Sodertalje, Loss, 33/37, 4.00 GAA, .892 sv%
Season totals: 7 GP, 2-2-2, 0 SO, 2.68 GAA, .914 sv%

Helenius and Sodertalje were overwhelmed in the match by Frolunda, which outshot their opponent by a margin of 37-17. Former Lightning defenseman Janne Niskala had a helper in the match for Frolunda.

Back from the Olympic Break...

Omsk 3 @ Dynamo Riga 5
Martins Karsums, Dynamo Riga, 1-1-2, +4, 0 PIM, 3 SOG
Season totals: 10 GP, 3-3-6, +6, 14 PIM

Karri Ramo, Omsk, Loss, 20/24, 4.03 GAA, .833 sv%
Season totals: 42 GP, 21-16, 4 SO, 2.10 GAA, .913 sv%

Fresh off a solid performance for Latvia in the Olympics, Karsums had 1 goal and 1 assist in 20:26 in a solid drubbing on Avangard Omsk. KHL goal scoring leader Marcel Hossa scored his 33rd and 34th goal of the season in the match for Riga.

Yulaev 3 @ Dynamo Moscow 0
Johan Harju, Dynamo Moscow, 0-0-0, -2, 0 PIM, 7 SOG
Season totals: 54 GP, 4-14-18, -10, 38 PIM

Harju led Dynamo in shots on goal in 12:34 but could not crack former NHLer Vitaly Kolesnik in their 3-0 shutout loss to the East's first place team, Yulaev. Harju was 54% on draws in the match.

Cherepovets 1 @ Magnitogorsk 2
Vasily Koshechkin, Magnitogorsk, Win, 24/25, 1.00 GAA, .960 sv%
Season totals: 47 GP, 25-14, 8 SO, 1.89 GAA, .929 sv%

Former Coyotes first round pick Viktor Tikhonov scored his 14th goal of the season in support of Koshechkin in Magnitogorsk's 2-1 win.

Mytischi 3 @ Ekaterinburg 2 (SO)
Denis Kazionov, Ekaterinburg, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 4 SOG
Season totals: 49 GP, 5-3-8, -18, 18 PIM

The younger Kazionov brother played 16:04 in the match and had a team high 4 shots on goal for Ekaterinburg. Former Lightning draft pick Vadim Epanchintsev had an assist in the match for Mytischi.

Spartak Moscow 1 @ Kazan 3
Dmitri Kazionov, Kazan, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 1 SOG
Season totals: 50 GP, 18-8-26, +9, 16 PIM

The elder Kazionov played 15:17 in the match for Kazan.

Sodertalje 2 @ Rogle 1
Riku Helenius, Sodertalje, Win, 30/31, 1.00 GAA, .968 sv%
Season totals: 6 GP, 2-1-2, 0 SO, 2.46 GAA, .919 sv%

Former Lightning draft pick Eric Beaudoin had an assist on Rogle's only goal. There are 5 games remaining in the Elitserien regular season. Sodertalje is on the brink of elimination, 12 points behind 8th place Lulea. In the Elitserien, a regulation win is worth 3 points in the standings.

Last night...

Czech Republic 3 @ Latvia 2 (OT)
Martins Karsums, Latvia, 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM, 1 SOG
Season totals: 4 GP, 0-2-2, -2, 2 PIM

Karsums played 18:52 in Latvia's near upset of the Czech Republic, in an Olympics some may remember as the tournament where the world's smaller hockey nations started to close the gap on the world's big powers. Bruins forward David Krejci scored the winner for the Czechs.

The game marked the end of the road for Latvia at the Olympics. Karsums will head back to the KHL from Vancouver.

Latvia 0 @ Slovakia 6
Martins Karsums, Latvia, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 1 SOG
Tournament totals: 3 GP, 0-2-2, -1, 2 PIM

Karsums played 16:53 in the match.

On the other side of the ice, Andrej Meszaros had 3 shots on goal in 19:59 of ice time. The blueliner is scoreless and +1 in 3 tournament games so far.

Czech Republic 5 @ Latvia 2
Martins Karsums, Latvia, 0-1-1, E, 0 PIM, 2 SOG
Tournament totals: 2 GP, 0-2-2, -1, 2 PIM

Karsums played 16:15 in the match and assisted on another Girts Ankipans goal, this one a power play marker, in the 2nd period.

Elsewhere in the tournament, Ryan Malone had 1 goal and 1 assist in USA's 6-1 win over Norway on Thursday. He has 2 goals and 3 points in 2 games of group play.

Late last night...

Russia 8 @ Latvia 2
Martins Karsums, Latvia, 0-1-1, -1, 2 PIM, 0 SOG
Tournament totals: 1 GP, 0-1-1, -1, 2 PIM

Karsums played 12:21 in the match and assisted on a third period goal by Girts Ankipans. Russia was paced by 2 goals each by Alexander Ovechkin and Danis Zaripov.

Earlier in the day, Ryan Malone had a goal in Team USA's 3-1 win over Switzerland.

Timra 1 @ Sodertalje 1
Riku Helenius, Sodertalje, Tie, 26/27, 0.92 GAA, .963 sv%
Season totals: 1-1-2, 0 SO, 2.20 GAA, .921 sv%

Sodertalje surrendered a 1-0 lead in the third period, and in the process lost 2 crucial points in the standings in their quixotic attempt to make the Elitserien postseason. They're now 11 points back of 8th place Lulea with 7 games left in the regular season.