Plotnikov leads CSKA to victory. March 3 playoffs
Sergei Plotnikov had two goals and an assist as CSKA posted its second win of the playoffs. With a 4-1 verdict over Lokomotiv tonight, the Muscovites now head to Yaroslavl with a 2-0 lead in a series that many thought would be a real battle for Sergei Fedorov’s team against former head coach Ilya Nikitin.
CSKA Moscow 4 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 1 (1-1, 0-0, 3-0)
(CSKA leads the series 2-0)
Vitaly Abramov’s first goal for CSKA proved crucial in the second game of this Western Conference playoff first round series. The 24-year-old struck three minutes into the third period, snapping a 1-1 tie and setting the Army Men on course for a second successive come-from-behind victory.
When Abramov moved from Traktor to CSKA in December, it raised some eyebrows. The forward had 17 (8+9) points from 41 games in Chelyabinsk – a respectable return, but hardly an astounding one. With just four opportunities in his new colors before the Olympic pause, there was little chance to see what the Muscovites had got in return for defenseman Artyom Blazhiyevsky.
Today, though, we saw part of the answer to that question. Sergei Plotnikov found his team-mate in space between the hash marks, but there was still plenty for Abramov to do. He turned away from Daniil Tesanov to open a shooting lane and squeezed his effort through the narrow gap between Rushan Rafikov and goalie Eddie Pasquale to give the home team a 2-1 lead.
Earlier, Lokomotiv got off to a great start. An early foul by John Gilmour saw the visitor play more than a minute on the delayed penalty, then get the first ‘official’ power play of the game. The latter brought the opening goal, with Alexei Marchenko’s shot deflected into the net by Artyom Anisimov with Ivan Fedotov unable to intercede.
Lokomotiv had led twice in game one before falling in overtime and CSKA was able once again to tie things up quickly here. The visitor created another dangerous counter attack but when play returned to the other end, the Muscovites found the net. Plotnikov claimed the goal from a move that he started behind the net. His pass went out to Konstantin Okulov, who fired the puck to the crease where Vladislav Kamenev’s touch wasn’t enough but Plotnikov’s proved sufficient.
The remainder of the first period was evenly matched, but the middle stanza saw Lokomotiv boss the play. The Railwaymen topped the shot count 12-4 but could not make that advantage tell. Fedotov did well to deny Yegor Korshkov and Maxim Shalunov, but a flurry of good chances around the midway point saw both Korshkov and Anisimov miss the target when well placed.
Stung, CSKA responded in the third and grabbed that go-ahead goal from Abramov. Then, late in the game, Plotnikov wrapped it up with his second goal and third point of the evening. Okulov burst through the Lokomotiv defense but could not get his shot off. Instead, he turned to feed the puck back to the fast-arriving Plotnikov, who fired home with Pasquale out of position following the initial rush. In the last minute, Andrei Svetlakov found the empty net to complete the scoring as the Army Men march on Yaroslavl with a 2-0 lead in the series.
