Gusev tops Kovalchuk, Gilmour changes roles — the KHL week in review
Nikita Gusev’s return to SKA was the big story of the week, and the 2018 Olympic champion made an instant impact. His first game saw him emerge as his club’s all-time KHL leading scorer. Defenseman John Gilmour has joined the forward line for Dinamo Minsk, where he helped to continue Sochi’s 12-game losing streak.
Gusev’s record-breaking return
SKA confirmed the signing of Nikita Gusev during the week, and the forward immediately showed what he can do. His latest ‘debut’ for the Petersburg team saw him pick up a goal and an assist. In doing so, he reached 371 (122+249) points for the club in the KHL, overtaking Ilya Kovalchuk’s record of 370.
“It’s nice, this was quite a big thing for me,” Gusev said after the game. “It’s good that I got it done on my first game back. Now we’ll keep going forward.”
Gusev goal helps SKA sink Sochi. November 2 round-up
Sochi’s struggles continue
Gusev’s return was against Sochi. His points sent the league’s basement club to another defeat. Recently-appointed head coach Sergei Svetlov is still awaiting his first win in his new role, and the Leopards are now on the wrong end of a 12-game skid. There are some bright spots: in its last two games, Sochi has gone to overtime and secured Svetlov his first points at the club. However, those losses – at Severstal and Dinamo Minsk – saw the Black Sea club twice blow 3-1 leads in the third period.
Late drama in Cherepovets. November 4 round-up
CSKA’s hot streak ends
Sochi’s losing run continues, but other streaks came to an end last week. CSKA’s 11-game winning sequence was halted in Nizhnekamsk, where Neftekhimik edged a 4-3 verdict in OT. Meanwhile, in Vladivostok, Admiral secured a home win over Dynamo Moscow for the first time since joining the KHL in 2013-2014. Sunday’s 2-1 victory broke that hoodoo at the ninth attempt.
Signs of recovery at Ak Bars
CSKA’s 11th win in that streak was at Ak Bars. The result pushed the Kazan team out of the playoff places – a rare low for a club that has never failed to make post-season in the KHL era. It might prove to be the jolt that Oleg Znarok’s team needed. Since that loss, Ak Bars has picked up two wins – a Green Derby triumph over Salavat Yulaev and an overtime win at Severstal. Both were tough, gritty performances and the latter saw Alexander Radulov score for the first time since Oct. 4. Seventh place is still below expectations, but the team can at least point to some positive signs.
Radulov returns, but Ak Bars loses. November 1 round-up
New role for Gilmour
Dinamo Minsk defenseman John Gilmour has been used as a forward in recent – despite the fact that there are other, healthy options available to head coach Craig Woodcroft. So far, the former CSKA man has yet to add to his points tally for this season, but Woodcroft is happy with the Canadian’s contribution as an impromptu attacking player.
“Speed is the determining factor,” Woodcroft told Dinamo’s website. “He skates really quick. And he presses his opponents. It’s tough to play against someone like that. He’s partnered with Martynov, who is a quick player. Pyshkailo is solid as a center with them. A trio like that can play against any line on any team. They will always be fast, reliable and play with structure. It’s great that we can have such a line on this team.”
Lada plots return
Lada Togliatti, one of the KHL’s founder members back in 2008, could be returning to the league. The club, which famously ended Moscow’s monopoly on national championships in the 1990s, submitted a letter formally announcing its intention to enter the 2023-2024 competition. The club also supplied several of the supporting documents required for its application. The league’s board of directors will make the final decision about next season’s contestant at a meeting in March 2023. Lada previously played in the KHL from 2008-2010, then against from 2014-18 after moving to a new arena.
Bigras leave Barys
Canadian defenseman Chris Bigras is leaving Barys after struggling to settle with the Kazakh club. The 27-year-old’s contrast was terminated after he played 23 games, contributing one assist and posting a -8 ranking.
Agidel tops women’s league
The Women’s Hockey League has a new leader. Agidel Ufa had back-to-back 4-0 home wins over Beliye Medveditsy of Chelyabinsk, moving four points clear of Biryusa Krasnoyarsk. Agidel is the only undefeated team in the competition, winning 11 of its 12 games to date in regulation. Elsewhere, 7.62 beat KRS Shenzhen for the first time in the club’s history. A 3-2 success in Voskresensk on Friday prompted an immediate sequel: 24 hours later, the teams produced the exact same scoreline, and even the exact same scoring sequence.
