Stepanov steps up

Two second period goals from Andrei Stepanov saved Amur Khabarovsk from a damaging defeat to Metallurg Novokuznetsk - and all but booked the home side's ticket to the play-offs. Amur now enjoys a nine-point cushion over its Siberian rival in the race for eighth place in the Eastern Conference, and there are just eight games left for Metallurg to make up the difference. It could have been very different if the visitors had held on to record a second win in two days in Khabarovsk, but goals from Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Randy Robitaille were cancelled out by Stepanov and Dmitry Tarasov got the shoot-out winner.