Yekaterinburg’s record

Result of the day
Lada - Avtomobilist 0-3. A clear example of how the management of some clubs do stay calm and trust the coach, expecting to see results at the end of the tournament rather than mid-October. In many other clubs, Marek Sykora would have been sacked long ago, not least for gathering just two points from his first eight games.

But here they kept their nerve, and kept faith in their specialist. The rebuilding has not been without mishaps, but far more successful clubs than this still make their share of mistakes. The team quietly improved, the players got the feel of the KHL and how it differs from the lower division, and the results started coming. It is still possible they will not make the play-offs this time around, but next season this will be a very decent side, and could rattle the nerves of any of the favorites.

In the day’s other matches, Amur edged Sibir in the shoot-out, 3-2, Barys overcame Avangard in overtime, 3-2, Ak Bars triumphed over Metallurg Magnitogorsk, 3-1, and Neftekhimik defeated Traktor in overtime, 4:3.

Fastest scorers
Danis Zaripov struck the twentieth goal to be scored inside the first minute this season, but the first for Ak Bars. SKA lead the way with 3 first-minute strikes so far - one more than Avtomobilist, although the Yekaterinburg men have the season’s two fastest, at 14 and 19 seconds.

Dark spell for Magnitogorsk
Metallurg Magnitogorsk have failed to win in regulation time for five games, equaling their worst run of results since joining the KHL. In this spell, as in last year’s, the Ural men have collected a meager two points.

Will to win
Neftekhimik, for the first time this season, recovered from being 0-2 down to win the match. On seven previous occasions when they trailed by such a score, they lost each time. Lokomotiv and HC MVD players seem the least troubled when facing a two-goal deficit, three times coming back to win from such a scoreline.

All for the first time
For Avtomobilist, this is a season of firsts, in this case their first clean sheet, and moreover in an away match. Apart from this, the Yekaterinburg men also posted their highest winning margin at top level in the club’s history. It is worth adding that they have extended to six matches their run of gaining points in every game.

There were also personal firsts: Ivan Lisutin (pictured) kept his first clean sheet in any national championship; however, when playing in the lower division, Ivan seldom kept his goal intact - only 5 times in 79 matches.

Figures of the day
27 minutes 47 seconds on the ice from Ak Bars defenceman Ilya Nikulin.

32 shots on the Avangard goal by Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

7 shots on goal from Ak Bars forward Alexei Morozov.

75 % of 20 face-offs won by Neftekhimik attacker Niklas Persson.

Key players
Ivan Lisutin (Avtomobilist). Claimed his first clean sheet of the season, making 18 saves.

Kevin Dallman (Barys). Featured in all three of his side’s goals, making two assists then striking the winning goal in overtime.

Andrei Pervyshin (Ak Bars). Scored one goal, and finished the match with a +2.

David Ling (Amur). Claimed not just an assist in regulation time, but also the decisive strike in the shoot-out.

Evgeny Lapenkov (Neftekhimik). Scored a goal in overtime.

Maxim Spiridonov (Barys). Scored one of his team’s goals and made the decisive pass for another.

Alexei Shevchenko,khl.ru

news list