(5) Salavat Yulaev Ufa 2
(4) Ak Bars Kazan 3
Ak Bars win the series 4-2
Last season’s Gagarin Cup winner Salavat Yulaev has sensationally been knocked out of the 2012 play-offs in the first stage. A 3-2 win for Ak Bars Kazan in Ufa has ended Salavat’s reign, and sees the winner of the inaugural KHL title continue its quest for a third crown in four seasons.
Konstantin Korneyev got the all-important goal on 48:10, clinching a 4-2 series success with a powerful effort from the blue line and avenging his team’s defeat to the same opponent a year earlier.
The game had started with Ak Bars opening up a 2-0 lead inside the first 10 minutes, only for Antti Pihlstrom and Andrei Taratukhin to tie the game in the second period. But Korneyev’s strike proved decisive in a series which produced just one home win in six games.
Down to the wire
(6) Barys Astana 3
(3) Metallurg Magnitogorsk 4 OT
Series tied 3-3
The series between Barys Astana and Metallurg Magnitogorsk will go to a game seven decider after Magnitka pulled off a second successive overtime victory to frustrate the Kazakhs.
Sergei Mozyakin got his third play-off goal of the season on 61:54, keeping Magnitka in a series where it had trailed 3-1 after the first games in Astana.
Friday’s visit to the Kazakh capital was a happier one for Metallurg, despite a slow start which saw Barys open up a 2-0 lead thanks to Talgat Zhailauov and Andrew Hutchinson before Pavel Zdunov reduced the deficit on 15:40.
Maxim Sushinsky tied the game with a penalty shot after he was tripped by Alexei Litvinenko, and Anton But thought he’d won it in regulation time when he put Magnitka 3-2 up on 54:59. But although it took barely a minute for Barys to hit back and force the extra session, the hosts could not end the series at this attempt and now we face a winner-takes-all decider on Sunday.
All rights to materials posted on the website www.khl.ru (hereinafter referred to as the Website) and which are the objects of exclusive rights, including the registered trademarks and symbolics of the “КХЛ”/“KHL”, “МХЛ” / “JHL”, “ЖХЛ” / “WHL” (hereinafter referred to as the Trademarks), as well as on photo and video images, articles, etc., which are owned by CHL LLC, are protected in compliance with the legislation of the Russian Federation. The placement and / or use of Trademarks and other intellectual property of CHL LLC without the direct consent of CHL LLC are considered and prosecuted as intellectual property rights violations of CHL LLC in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation. It is forbidden to automatically extract information from the Website by any services without the official permission of CHL LLC. Quoting from the Website and satellite projects of the official messages of the Kontinental Hockey League is allowed only with a direct link to the site www.khl.ru.
КХЛ 2008—2021
KHL 2008—2021
All rights to materials posted on the website www.khl.ru (hereinafter referred to as the Website) and which are the objects of exclusive rights, including the registered trademarks and symbolics of the “КХЛ”/“KHL”, “МХЛ” / “JHL”, “ЖХЛ” / “WHL” (hereinafter referred to as the Trademarks), as well as on photo and video images, articles, etc., which are owned by CHL LLC, are protected in compliance with the legislation of the Russian Federation. The placement and / or use of Trademarks and other intellectual property of CHL LLC without the direct consent of CHL LLC are considered and prosecuted as intellectual property rights violations of CHL LLC in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation. It is forbidden to automatically extract information from the Website by any services without the official permission of CHL LLC. Quoting from the Website and satellite projects of the official messages of the Kontinental Hockey League is allowed only with a direct link to the site www.khl.ru.