Both of Saturday’s games ended in away wins, with Dinamo Minsk overcoming Vityaz Chekhov and Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk winning at Severstal Cherepovets.
In Chekhov, Dinamo was rarely troubled, winning its third game on the spin. Andrei Stas, Peter Podgradsky and Alexander Kulakov put the visitors 3-0 up before Mikhail Anisin pulled one back on 31:02. The teams traded two late goals, but the outcome was never in doubt: Charles Linglet extended Dinamo’s lead on 54:36, 70 seconds later Evgeny Timkin got a consolation for Vityaz.
Meanwhile in Cherepovets it was a stellar display from goaltender Denis Franskevich and goals in each period which gave Neftekhimik a much-needed 3-1 win. The visitors had lost five of their last six, but goals from Nikita Shchitov, Oleg Kvasha and Igor Bortnikov sealed the points this time. Franskevich made 43 saves before Maxim Trunyov finally beat him on 57:30.
