Spartak bounce back

Humbled on Monday, triumphant on Wednesday: Spartak produced the perfect riposte to a 7-1 derby hammering by recovering to shoot down Atlant Moscow Region 5-3. But the Red-and-Whites had to do it the hard way, coming from behind twice before taking the spoils thanks to two goals from Roman Lyuduchin. He got the second equalizer and made the game safe with an empty net goal in the 59th minute after Alexander Komaristy put the hosts in front for the first time on 45:16. Earlier Konstantin Rudenko had given Atlant a first period lead after a fractious opening which saw major penalties handed to Spartak's Marcel Hossa and Atlant's Rafael Batyrshin. In the second period Stefan Ruzicka equalized, Jonas Anderson reinstated Atlant's lead, then Lyuduchin got in on the action.
Far from killing off Atlant, that prompted a frantic last minute, with Alexei Glukhov making it 4-3 on 59:33 before Denis Makarov finally put it beyond doubt on 59:59.

Around the league
Metallurg Magnitogorsk withstood a stirring comeback to beat Yugra 5-3 in Khanty Mansiysk, with Juhamatti Aaltonen scoring twice. The Finn put the visitors in front on 7:30, and his compatriot Lasse Kukkonen followed up on 14:17. Alexei Kaigorodov and Konstantin Glazachev stretched the advantage to 4-0 by 26:56, prompting the hosts to swap goaltenders. Thus inspired, Yugra began to claw their way back into the game with Ivan Khlyntsev and Artyom Bulyansky (2) making it 4-3 before Aaltonen finally ended home hopes with five seconds left.

Amur Khabarovsk enjoyed a second home win over Avangard Omsk in as many days, thanks in no small part to goaltender Alexei Murygin. He kept a clean sheet in the 2-0 success, including a penalty save to deny Roman Cervenka midway through the second period. By that time, however, goals from Igor Ignatushkin and Ilshat Bilalov had already given the hosts an advantage which would prove decisive.