CSKA on cloud nine. December 3 round-up

Playing Severstal clearly suits CSKA: not long after an 8-2 home win over the Cherepovets team, the men from Moscow delivered a 9-1 thrashing of the same opponent. The orchestrator of the previous rout, Alexander Radulov, was suspended for this game – but in his place came Stephane da Costa, back from injury and ready to get back on the goal trail. He marked his return with a hat-trick and two assists in a powerful performance from the league leader. Da Costa opened the scoring in the fifth minute, but Severstal’s Evgeny Mons tied it up almost immediately. That was the last of the competitive action, though: CSKA rolled out to a 4-1 lead by the first intermission thanks to Maxim Mamin, Damir Zhafyarov and Simon Hjalmarsson. Mamin’s strike was the first of his KHL career, Hjalmarsson’s power play goal came off a da Costa assist. The second period only had one goal, Hjalmarsson off da Costa again but CSKA ran up four more in the third. Da Costa had two of them, Jan Mursak added a goal ...