Gorovikov’s winning return. January 17 round-up

Dynamo welcomed Konstantin Gorovikov back to the team and was able once again to name its ever-reliable Komarov-Gorovikov-Pestushko troika. And, not for the first time this season, that line came up trumps. Maxim Pestushko scored twice in a 3-1 win at Atlant, with one assist from Gorovikov along the way.

Those goals sandwiched Yegor Dugin’s first for the Moscow team since his move from Traktor, and proved sufficient to out-strip Rafael Batyrshin’s goal for the hosts. Dynamo stays out in front; Atlant now has a seven-point gap to make up on eighth-placed Lokomotiv.

SKA secures play-off spot
A comfortable 4-1 win at home to Vityaz – coupled with Atlant’s defeat against Dynamo Moscow – confirmed SKA’s post-season place.

Kevin Dallman led the way for the home team, grabbing two power play goals inside a minute in the third period – both off assists from Artemy Panarin and Patrick Thoresen. Penalties proved to be Vityaz’ undoing; the opening goal from Dmitry Kalinin also came on a SKA power play. However, it was goalie Ilya Ezhov who was rated SKA’s MVP, making 29 saves and only missing out on a shut-out due to Robert Kousal’s late consolation strike.

Loko eases past Ak Bars
Goals are a rare commodity for Lokomotiv this season, with Pyotr Vorobyov’s team playing a solid defensive game rather than relying on attacking verve. But it took just 125 seconds to grab a decisive stranglehold on Ak Bars, with two early goals setting up a 4-0 win against the Eastern Conference high-flyer. In less than three minutes, Loko had scored more than its average goals-per-game return this season.

Yegor Averin found the net on Loko’s first attack, and Yegor Yakovlev soon doubled the lead. Hopes of a fightback from Ak Bars were squashed early in the third when Igor Musatov made it 3-0, and a power play goal from Jonas Holos completed the scoring. Vitaly Kolesnik made 29 saves for his shut-out as Loko strengthened its grip on a play-off spot.

Quint’s instant impact
Deron Quint scored on his CSKA debut to help the Army Men to a 4-1 home win over Metallurg Novokuznetsk. He cancelled out Semyon Valuisky's’opener, and then chipped in an assist as Yakov Rylov snatched the lead for the home team 10 seconds before the hooter.

Once on top, CSKA extended its lead through further goals from regular marksmen Alexander Radulov and Nikolai Prokhorkin. Defeat ends Metallurg’s theoretical hopes of a play-off spot.

Around the league
Lev remains third in the West thanks to a comfortable 3-0 win over Amur in Prague. After a scoreless first session, Petr Taticek opened the scoring in the 27th minute, before Jiri Novotny and former Amur forward Petr Vrana extended the lead midway through the third.

Vladimir Galuzin’s overtime goal gave Torpedo victory over Severstal following a topsy-turvy 4-4 tie. Torpedo took a 2-0 lead early in the second period, but Severstal, led by two goals from Linus Videll, turned it around to lead 4-2. But Galuzin and Jarkko Immonen squared it in the last 10 minutes.

Oleg Gubin got Sibir’s game-winner at Dinamo Riga, giving the visitor a 3-2 win in a game where the home team led twice. The close scoreline, though, was not reflected in the shot count – Sibir outshot Dinamo 38-11.

Admiral powered to a 6-1 win at Slovan, with Richard Gynge and Igor Bortnikov both scoring twice. Miroslav Satan missed a penalty shot in the third minute for Slovan, and the visitor took full advantage of its reprieve. The win lifts Admiral to within one point of a play-off spot, but the Vladivostok team has played one game more than Traktor.