Magnitka back in crisis

Leaders
SKS Saint Petersburg won all four of their games, although hopes of a 100% record were dashed when Yugra took them to overtime in Friday’s thriller.

However, Barys did achieve a perfect record for the week, winning three out of three and extending the team’s successful run to five straight victories. After the departure of Andrei Khomutov the mood seems to have lifted and the team has found a new freedom. Andrei Shayanov, in his second spell as Barys boss, says he has made no changes but there is clearly a different atmosphere within the team. The Astana men’s winning streak has lifted them up to fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

Underdogs
Metallurg Magnitogorsk lost four out of four and has just a single point from a shootout defeat to show for the week’s efforts. The club from the Urals has already replaced the coach, but new boss Fyodor Kanareikin (pictured, right) is far from happy with his players, the goaltenders in particular. Kanareikin has admitted the search is on for a new man between the pipes.

Sharpshooters
Avangard’s Roman Cervenka and Lev’s Vaclav Nedorost both hit five goals during the week.

Nedorost’s total includes three in one game against Vityaz, and another hat-trick hero of the week was Novokuznetsk’s Anton Lazarev, who scored three times from four shots against Torpedo.

Assistants
Ufa’s Alexander Radulov and Traktor captain Vladimir Antipov both provided five assists. Radulov needed only three games to notch his points, while his former team-mate Antipov needed four.

On the move
Salavat Yulaev recently let go two players from its foreign legion and has wasted no time in filling the vacancies. The Ufa men signed defenseman Jakub Nakladal, who has already made his debut, and also hired Finnish forward Antti Pihlstrom, who will make his start after the first break for the Eurotour.

Metallurg Magnitogorsk agreed an exchange with Ak Bars, sending Konstantin Glazachev and Maxim Spiridonov to Kazan and receiving Nikolai Lemtyugov and Dmitry Kazionov in return.

Quote of the week
“I’ll mention the goalkeeping. That is not the way to get results. Early shots at our net have found the target, and what’s more, they weren’t the toughest shots to save. And for the rest of the game we’re up against it because of these goalkeeping mistakes,” – Metallurg Magnitogorsk head coach Fyodor Kanareikin.

Alexei Shevchenko, special to khl.ru