Metallurg closes on top spot, Radulov achieves a milestone. November 27
The day’s big action came in the East. First, Metallurg won 3-1 at Salavat Yulaev to close to within a point of conference leader Avtomobilist. Then Alexander Radulov got his 400th KHL assist as Ak Bars thrashed Sochi 6-2. Spartak put its faith in youth at Traktor and was rewarded: the Red-and-Whites’ 5-3 success saw three players get their first goals in the KHL.
Magnitka on top in Eastern Conference showdown
Salavat Yulaev Ufa 1 Metallurg Magnitogorsk 3 (1-0, 0-1, 0-2)
This was a battle between two teams aiming for top spot in the East. However, Salavat Yulaev’s win over Avtomobilist on Friday was the home team’s first for a while. In addition, Metallurg came out on top in the two previous encounters between the clubs and was looking to move to within a point of the conference leader.
Part of Ufa’s recent problems stem from the lack of several experienced players. Today, once again, there was no sign of forward Ivan Drozdov or defenseman Ryan Murphy in an unchanged line-up. Metallurg brought back 18-year-old Danila Yurov and scratched Nikolai Goldobin, whose inconsistency continues to frustrate the coaching staff.
Salavat Yulaev had the better of the first period. Ufa’s players had plenty of time on the offensive and took the lead when Danil Aimurzin’s line converted one of the opportunities the team created. Gleb Kuzmin claimed that opening goal.
In the second period, Metallurg’s counterattacking game got its reward when Semyon Koshelev tied the scores. However, the home team finished the middle frame on the front foot and might have regained the lead before the intermission. Defenseman Mikhail Naumenkov had a particularly good opportunity but failed to score at the end of the stanza.
The final frame began with a blow for the home team. Pavel Akolzin brought the puck from the boards to the slot and, after Andrei Kareyev halted his advance, Yegor Korobkin was on home to stuff home the rebound. Ufa’s attempts to recover came to naught: the closing moments saw Kareyev replaced with a sixth skater but the gamble failed when Philippe Maillet scored into the empty net.
Spartak’s youngsters shoot down Traktor
Traktor Chelyabinsk 3 Spartak Moscow 5 (1-2, 1-3, 1-0)
After winning two of its past three home games, Traktor was not in the mood for wholesale changes to the line-up. Apart from bringing back goalie Ilya Proskuryakov, Anvar Gatiyatullin went with an unchanged team. Spartak, in fine form since Igor Grishin took over as head coach added Mark Verba to the fourth line following his recent arrival from Admiral.
One of the most striking things about Grishin’s tenure at Spartak to date has been his willingness to trust young players. Today, three Red-and-Whites got their first KHL goals. Nikita Susuyev was the first to show, opening the scoring in the seventh minute. The 17-year-old got his first taste of adult hockey earlier this season at Grishin’s Khimik Voskresensk team. Today, he marked only his fourth game in the KHL with a goal.
It didn’t take long for Traktor to respond, with Teemu Pulkkinen making an intercept in center ice and setting up Ilya Karpukhin. However, the visitor took the lead into the intermission thanks to a goal from another young player, Alexei Yegorov. Like Susuyev, the 20-year-old is benefitting from Grishin’s willingness to entrust less experienced players with a significant role on the team.
The value of the youngsters was underlined in the 26th minute when Susuyev got on a solo rush and beat Proskuryakov to make it 3-1. Although Mikhail Kotlyarevsky pulled one back for the home team, Spartak struck twice late in the middle frame. Matvei Zaseda made it 4-2 then, in the final action of the frame, Daniel Usmanov became the third player in Red-and-White to get his first KHL goal. However, it took some time to confirm Usmanov’s effort was valid. There was so much controversy about the play that the officials even called an early end to the second period while the video review took place, giving both teams a chance to cool down a little.
Although the third period was a few seconds longer than usual, Traktor was unable to take advantage of the extra time. Alexander Shepelev was the only scorer in the final stanza, making the score 5-3 to Spartak. Since Grishin’s arrival, the Muscovites have won six out of seven and, as today’s game showed, much of that is down to players emerging from the club’s system.
Radulov reaches milestone in emphatic win
Ak Bars Kazan 6 HC Sochi 2 (2-0, 3-2, 1-0)
Alexander Radulov became only the third player in the KHL era to complete 400 assists as Ak Bars proved too good for struggling Sochi.
Radulov had a helper as Dmitry Voronkov scored his team’s third goal, moving him to 400 career assists in the league. Only Sergei Mozyakin (509) and Ak Bars team-mate Vadim Shipachyov (569) have more. Shipachyov collected two of those in today’s game.
The home team enjoyed a short break after its 2-1 win at Barys on Wednesday. Sochi, meanwhile, seems to slipping back into it early season problems: the visitor lost its last four games and allowed 17 goals in the last three.
It did not take long for Ak Bars to add to the misery. With just 70 seconds played, Dmitry Kagarlitsky put the host in front, assisted by Shipachyov. Midway through the first period, the roles were reversed as Kagarlitsky assisted a Shipachyov goal.
At the start of the second period, Radulov got his milestone assist. Unable to convert a Slava Voynov shot as it bounced around the slot, Radulov steered the puck into the path of Voronkov to convert a 5-on-3 power play and make it 3-0.
The teams traded four further goals in the second period, but whenever Sochi thought it had a route back into the game, Ak Bars responded by extending its lead. Artur Tyanulin’s effort was matched by a reply from Artyom Galimov, then in the final minute Dmitry Utkin made it 2-4, only for Ilya Safonov to restore the three-goal cushion.
With little likelihood of the result changing in the third period, the tempo dropped a little. Voronkov got his second power play goal of the night to complete the scoring. Ak Bars celebrated back-to-back wins for the first time since Nov. 6.
