Highlights of the day
Firing blanks
Vityaz today failed to score the first time this season. The last time Alexei Yarushkin’s side was totally shut out was their 0-8 hammering by Torpedo in the previous championship. The men from Chekhov scored in the next 33 games before finishing goalless today, for the 12th time since they joined the KHL. Their fellow Moscow Region club Atlant also left the ice without a goal today and have now produced three toothless displays this season, an unwanted distinction they share only with Amur.
Two times two
Dmitry Monya of CSKA scored his first double in three seasons in the KHL. The attacker has been a far from prolific goalscorer: in the first championship he scored two goals in 25 appearances, and in the second he struck 6 in 50. Now his figures are looking better. Curiously, Monya has improved his scoring while spending less time in play, averaging less than 9 minutes on the ice.
Lokomotiv’s Alexander Kalyanin also struck his first double today, and has already set a new personal best: his total of four goals so far this season is more than he managed in either of the previous two campaigns.
Unable to hold on
It is the first time this championship and the fifth time in the KHL that Torpedo lost a game in which they boasted a 2-0 lead. The worst team on this showing is SKA, having scored the first two goals in three games but going on to win just one of them. We should note that five other teams have also thrown away such a lead to finish as losers.
On the contrary, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, Dinamo Riga and Lokomotiv are the most ruthless in such situations. All three have taken a 2-0 lead in five games, and each have won all five.
Figure of the day
7. The number of powerplay goals from Lokomotiv’s Josef Vasicek (pictured), more than any other player in the League this season.
Key players
Mikael Tellqvist (Dinamo Riga). His 34 saves helped his team stretch their winning run to three games.
Ondrej Nemec (Severstal). The most valuable of all defensemen at Severstal, earning a +2.
Sandis Ozolins (Dinamo Riga). Played a part in all three of his team’s goals, scoring one and supplying the assists for the others.
Alexei Tsvetkov (Severstal). In almost 19 minutes on the ice he scored the game-winner, added an assist and won 8 of 15 face-offs.
Andrei Kiryukhin (Lokomotiv). In his 13 minutes 42 seconds spent in play he gave the decisive passes for three goals and finished at a +2.
Konstantin Glazachev (Dinamo Minsk). One goal, one assist, and a +1.
Quotes of the day
“We had a talk with Badyukov after his sending off in the game with Torpedo. He was fined. It looks like there’ll be another talk tomorrow, and again the player will be fined,” CSKA head coach Sergei Nemchinov.
“To be honest, we’re already tired of losing,” Vityaz head coach Alexei Yarushkin.
“When the score was 0-2 everyone – the team, fans, coaches – seemed lifeless. But then our opponents made two mistakes and the team got moving,” Dinamo Minsk head coach Marek Sykora.
Alexei Shevchenko, special to khl.ru
