Loko in the lead

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl stands top of the Western Conference after a 2-0 win at Vityaz Chekhov. The Railwaymen made it five wins from five with goals in the final period from Sergei Plotnikov and Yegor Averin, while Vitaly Kolesnik made 25 saves. Loko has 22 points from 10 games, two better than Lev Prague, and shares the overall KHL leadership with Ak Bars and Sibir.

Atlant pegged back in Minsk
Atlant Moscow Region wasted its chance to go top of the table, surrendering a 2-0 lead and losing 3-2 at Dinamo Minsk. Nikolai Lemtyugov and Igor Ignatushkin had Atlant in control by 12:13, but the tables soon turned. Dinamo pulled one back before the hooter, and in the second period Charles Linglet and Teemu Laine fired the Belarusians in front.

Goalies on top at Donbass
Spartak’s Sergei Borisov and Donbass’s Erik Ersberg proved to be the key men as their sides met in Donetsk – with both goalies returning a shut-out as regulation time ended 0-0. Borisov had the busier evening, making 34 saves to his opponent’s 23, and went on to save a Lukas Kaspar penalty shot in overtime. Even in the shoot-out, the first eight attempts were unsuccessful before Evgeny Dadonov finally found the net for Donbass. But that was not enough for his team, as Stefan Ruzicka and Mikhail Zhukov replied for Spartak to end a five-game losing streak.

Severstal’s late charge
Severstal Cherepovets got back to winning ways thanks to a late turnaround in its game with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. A short-handed goal from Denis Kazionov on 56:17 proved decisive in Severstal’s 4-2 win; Gennady Stolyarov scored twice and Vadim Shipachyov returned 1+2.