See all events on December 31 at the Championship Match Center
The time in the material is in Moscow. The program in summary:
🏒 3:00: Washington Capitals – Nashville Predators, NHL regular season 🏒 3:00: Tampa Bay Lightning – New York Rangers, NHL regular season 🏀 3:00: Indiana Pacers – New York Knicks, NHL regular season NBA 🏀 4:00: Minnesota Timberwolves – Los Angeles Lakers, NBA regular season 🎾 4:00: Diana Schneider (Russia) – Mirra Andreeva (Russia), Brisbane, first round 🏀 4:30: Golden State Warriors – Dallas Mavericks , NBA regular season 🎾 7:00 : Luca Van Assche (France, SE) – Alexander Shevchenko (Russia), Brisbane, first round 🎿 14:15: “Tour de Ski” – 10 km race, classic, women 🏒 16:30: Sweden U20 – Finland U20, MFM -2024, group stage ⚽️ 17:00: Fulham – Arsenal, Premier League, 20th round ⚽️ 17:00: Tottenham Hotspur – Bournemouth, Premier League, round 20 🎿 17 :00: Tour de Ski – 10 km classic, men 🏒 22:00: Minnesota Wild – Winnipeg Jets”, NHL regular season 🕰️ 23:55: five minutes until the New Year!
You can add each match to “Favorites” in the Match Center; To do this, click the ★ to the left of the event name.
🏒 3:00: Washington Capitals – Nashville Predators, NHL regular season
Intrigue: Will Washington score?
Of course, Alexander Ovechkin’s historically bad season is now in the spotlight, but the entire capital team, which scores less than two goals per game, has gigantic problems in attack. The return of injured veteran sniper Max Pacioretty may help, but the player who scored 30 goals in a season on multiple occasions was limited to five games last year due to injury and his form remains a mystery. However, today’s Nashville plays alone and lets others play.
While Ovechkin’s team is not doing well, let’s delve into the story:
Super 8 Stories. Who wore the iconic number in Washington before Ovechkin?
🏒 3:00: Tampa Bay Lightning – New York Rangers, NHL regular season
Intrigue: Can Igor Shesterkin return to his previous form?
New York has a new king. The 37-year-old American, who arrived in the Big Apple as a substitute with a minimum contract, has 10 wins in 12 games in which he started this regular season. In this context, Igor Shesterkin, who previously could only lead a team with a rather boring defense, somehow gave in, although he has not yet lost his status as the Rangers’ number one. Tampa Bay remains extremely dependent on the form of Nikita Kucherov and a couple of other leaders – the core of the team has become much thinner after two Cups and the need to raise the salary cap. Will there be a battle between Russian stars of different roles and who will win?
Panarin also drags the most famous team in the NHL:
Panarin scored an incredible goal against Bobrovsky! But Florida beat the NHL leader in a brilliant game
🏀 3:00: Indiana Pacers – New York Knicks, NBA regular season
Intrigue: the first face-to-face confrontation between the teams this NBA season
The New York Knicks are in a kind of crisis: Tom Thibodeau’s boys suffered three defeats in their last five games. New York’s last defeat was against the Orlando Magic 117:108, where power forward Julius Randle scored 38 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. The 20 points from one of the leaders of the New York team, point guard Jalen Brunson, didn’t even help.
The Indiana Pacers rebounded from their recent four-game losing streak by winning three of their next five games, including two in a row. Previously, Indiana beat the Chicago Bulls 120:104, where the most productive player was Myles Turner (24 points), and Tyrese Haliburton scored a historic double-double of 21 points and 20 assists.
Pacers game moment:
Stories
25 thousand dollars in five seconds? Easily! The fan surprised everyone with an accurate shot from the center of the field
🏀 4:00: Minnesota Timberwolves – Los Angeles Lakers, NBA regular season
Intrigue: Will Minnesota continue to dominate on its home court?
Of course, the Minnesota Timberwolves are not the Boston Celtics in terms of playing on their home court, but nevertheless, the Wolves have 13 wins and one loss on their home court. It should be noted that Minnesota averages 113.4 points per game; It is not even in the top 15 this season, but this does not prevent the young team from taking first place in the West. All of the Timberwolves’ leaders are in action, but there is a possibility that center Karl-Anthony Towns will miss the game due to a knee injury.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers have won two of their last three games. Star forward LeBron James celebrates his 39th birthday. If he participates in the match, he will help the Californian team improve its away win-loss ratio, which is currently 6-11. Added to this is that the Lakers score an average of 114.7 points per game and allow an average of 114.5 points, respectively.
Will LeBron get crushed?
Something LeBron doesn’t want to remember. The worst defeats in the King’s career
🎾 4:00: Diana Schneider (Russia) – Mirra Andreeva (Russia), Brisbane, first round
Intrigue: how will the first Russian derby of the 2024 season end?
The tennis circuit, without waiting for the year 2024 to arrive, will begin regular matches of the new season on December 31. And the program of the women’s tournament in Brisbane will be opened by two Russians nominated for the WTA Rookie of the Year award: Mirra Andreeva and Diana Schneider. This award finally went to Mirra, 16 years old. Who will win their head-to-head showdown in Brisbane? It is curious that in the draw, designed for six rounds and 48 participants, there are eight representatives of Russia at once, and the winner of the match Schneider – Andreeva will play in the second round with the fourth racket of the tournament Lyudmila Samsonova, this means that At least the second Russian derby of the tournament is now guaranteed!
How the 16-year-old rising star was praised by rivals all season:
Mirra Andreeva is the winner of the WTA award! The young Russian was recognized as the revelation of the year
🏀 4:30: Golden State Warriors – Dallas Mavericks, NBA regular season
Intrigue: Both teams are going through difficulties, but who will be the less fortunate?
The Dallas Mavericks have suffered six losses in their last nine games. This is directly related to the injury of point guard Kyrie Irving, and it is very difficult for a team like Dallas to perform without such a star player. Yes, Luka Doncic can put up a 30-point triple-double, but that’s not enough to consistently win games. Still, Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic are one of the most dynamic duos in the NBA.
The Golden State Warriors, for their part, suffered two defeats in a row, although it seems that the Californians have finally turned the situation in their favor. Stephen Curry is doing the best he can, Klay Thompson continues to struggle with his shot. Draymond Green is also far from returning from his suspension, and the Warriors will have some serious questions to answer if his struggles continue. Every game is a test for the Warriors.
Warriors with Curry, but without Green:
Golden State started winning after Green was suspended. Is Curry better off without it?
🎾 7:00: Luca Van Assche (France, SE) – Alexander Shevchenko (Russia), Brisbane, first round
Intrigue: How will top 50 representative Alexander Shevchenko start the season?
Alexander Shevchenko finished last year in the top 50 and now has to find a place for himself in such a representative group. At the start of the tournament in Brisbane, the Russian faced one of the heroes of the NextGen ATP Finals tournament in Jeddah 2023, the Frenchman Luca Van Assche. The tennis players had never faced each other before. The future winner in the next round will play with the best tennis player of the Holger Rune pair (the first racket of the tournament): Max Purcell.
🎿 14:15: Tour de Ski – 10 km race, classic, women
Intrigue: can someone take leadership from the Swedes?
After the first day of the Tour de Ski, the Swedes Lynn Swan and Jonna Sundling took the lead in the general classification of the stage race. Will anyone be able to unseat the best sprinters from first place after the classic time trial? There isn’t much chance for this, as both Swan and Sundling are very good runners and distance runners. In addition, its difference with its main competitors is 30 seconds or more.
Natalya Nepryaeva defeated the Swedes and Norwegians two years ago:
The first Russian Tour de Ski champion! How Terentyeva made history
🏒 16:30: Sweden U20 – Finland U20, MFM-2024, group stage
Intrigue: who will win the eternal northern derby?
“Tre Krunur” very confidently eliminated the Canadian team, while being head and shoulders above his opponents both in terms of movement and team skills. Now, to secure first place in the group, the MFM hosts must defeat their beloved neighbors, who in this tournament have big problems, having lost to the German team, whose generation this year is significantly lower than that of their predecessors. However, the Finns always have a special attitude towards the Swedes, and even the starless Finnish team, which has lost its leaders due to injuries and scandals, will be ready to ruin the new year.
The Swedes’ last game was remembered for the refereeing scandal:
Video
Canada lost for the first time in the MFM! I met a huge phenomenon and a judge from Sweden.
⚽️ 17:00: Fulham – Arsenal, Premier League, matchday 20
Intrigue: will Arteta’s team improve in the last round?
On the last day, Arsenal lost the opportunity to regain first place in the Premier League. The Londoners lost to West Ham at home. Now Arteta has a new meeting with his roommates, Fulham. In the last three rounds the “dachas” lost, but the team was able to recover for the important match against Arsenal. Can the Gunners pick up three points and have a chance to return to the top (if Liverpool fail)?
In the last round, Arsenal missed the chance to regain the lead:
Sensation in the race for the Premier League title! Arsenal missed the most ridiculous goal and lost in the derby
⚽️ 17:00: Tottenham Hotspur – Bournemouth, Premier League, matchday 20
Intrigue: Will Tottenham end Bournemouth’s unbeaten streak?
Tottenham started the season strongly, but injuries caused Spurs to decline. Angelos Postecoglou’s team occupies fifth place, six points behind leader Liverpool. The chances of winning the Championship are not lost yet, but we must avoid defeats like in the match against Brighton (2-4). Tottenham have a home game with Bournemouth ahead of them. The Cherries haven’t lost in seven rounds and have already moved up to 12th place. Can you take points off the Spurs too?
In the match with Brighton, the Spurs almost staged a mega comeback:
The return of the year that didn’t happen. After the 0-4 defeat, Tottenham returned to the game
🎿 17:00: Tour de Ski – 10 km race, classic, men
Intrigue: when will Norwegian Amundsen lead the general classification?
The Norwegian Harald Amundsen, after withdrawing his compatriots Johannes Klebo and Simeon Kruger from the Tour de Ski, became the favorite of the stage race. He did a great sprint in skating, reached the final and now, in the classic time trial, he can easily take the lead from Frenchman Luc Chanave, winner of the first stage.
Why Klebo misses the Tour de Ski:
Klebo refused to compete in the Tour de Ski. Who will win the main tournament of the season without him?
🏒 22:00: Minnesota Wild – Winnipeg Jets, NHL regular season
Intrigue: who will win the last match of the calendar year for Russia?
In Kuzbass, Kirill Kaprizov’s native country, 2024 will already arrive and his team will close the calendar year. The momentum of the coaching change has not yet passed, John Hynes’ team won 11 of 14 games: however, in the Western Conference this is still not enough to reach the playoff zone. His rival is perhaps the main sleeper favorite of the entire season, who does not attract much media attention, but who in the summer kept his main stars and is now ready to do a farewell campaign in this lineup.
Kaprizov’s excellent game reinforces the position of the new coach:
Video
“Can’t be trained!” Kaprizov had a great game and scored five seconds before the siren sounded
🕰️ 23:55: Five minutes until the New Year!
Intrigue: will you have time to burn the piece of paper with your cherished wish while the chimes ring?
By the way, you can prepare for the New Year celebration with the help of our materials:
Related materials
