Shipachyov gives Ak Bars victory, Salavat Yulaev hits Traktor. December 2
Vadim Shipachyov has not enjoyed the best of seasons in Kazan, but today he got the game winner as Ak Bars edged Lokomotiv 3-2. Salavat Yulaev was the day’s highest scorer, defeating Traktor 6-4, while Dynamo Moscow was the biggest winner thanks to a 5-1 verdict against Kunlun. Metallurg defeated CSKA 2-1 but could not make ground on Eastern leader Avtomobilist, which won 2-0 at Barys. At the other end of the table, Amur was the big winner as it climbed into the top eight with a 4-2 success at home to Torpedo. Sochi lost for the seventh game in a row, going down 1-2 at home to Dinamo Minsk.
Amur moves into playoff position
Amur Khabarovsk 4 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 2 (2-0, 0-1, 2-1)
Amur moved into the top eight in the Eastern Conference thanks to a victory over Torpedo. The Tigers handed a debut to Stanislav Bocharov after the forward arrived from Salavat Yulaev. He slotted into the second line in the only change to Vadim Yepanchintsev’s line-up.
Torpedo arrived on the back of a hard-fought win in Vladivostok, where a 2-1 verdict halted Admiral’s seven-game streak. After that gruelling encounter, there were changes on three of the team’s four lines.
The home team was out for revenge after a 1-6 drubbing in Nizhny Novgorod at the start of the season and made a bright start to the game. Amur skated better than its visitor and steadily increased the pressure on Ivan Kulbakov’s net. He was beaten in the fifth minute when Cam Lee opened the scoring. Soon afterwards, more home pressure saw Ivan Nikolishin double that lead and Torpedo was saved by the piping before the end of the first period.
After the intermission, Igor Larionov’s team looked noticeably sharper. That trademark passing game was back in evidence and it led to a goal in the 26th minute. Igor Larionov Jr was the scorer, firing in a shot from behind the net that bounced off goalie Janis Kalnins and into the net. Throughout the middle frame, Amur struggled to recreate the attacking threat it offered in the opening stanza. Not even four minutes on the power play could generate serious danger for Kulbakov and his colleagues.
By the third period, the tempo had dropped a little. However, that did not stop Nikita Grebyonkin adding two more goals to Amur’s total. The first came on the rebound, the second from a classic counterattack as Torpedo chased the game. There was still time for a consolation effort as Denis Yan scored for the visitors, but Grebyonkin’s double and three assists from Artur Gizdatullin proved good enough to give the home team the verdict.
Avto blanks Barys, stays on top in the East
Barys Astana 0 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 2 (0-0, 0-1, 0-1)
These two teams met in Yekaterinburg at the start of this week, with the Motormen taking a 4-3 verdict in overtime. Nick Ebert scored twice in that game, helping him finish November as the month’s top KHL defenseman.
Today’s match-up was rather different, though. After some gung-ho hockey in Yekaterinburg, the teams played a cautious game in Astana. In the opening stanza it was impossible to separate the two. Barys spent more time in the opposition’s zone, but Avtomobilist had more shots on target.
Things opened up a little in the second period. Barys created some good chances on the power play after Sergei Shirokov went to the box early in the session, but Avtomobilist weathered that storm. The visitor managed to get in front in the 35th minute with a classic defense-to-offense transition. Sergei Zborovsky’s stretch pass from behind his own net released Pavel Kulikov, who sprinted to Julius Hudacek’s net to open the scoring.
The final frame saw Andrei Skabelka’s team show a bit more attacking intent as it looked to get back into the game. Finally, the host was able to give Johan Mattsson some work to do in the Avtomobilist net. However, there was no way past the Swede. Four minutes from the end, Brooks Macek put the result beyond doubt when he produced a perfect snipe after Curtis Valk won an attacking face-off. That was goal number 25 of the season for Macek, who remains the leading goalscorer in the KHL this season.
Steelmen edge CSKA in Gagarin Cup final rematch
Metallurg Magnitogorsk 2 CSKA Moscow 1 (1-0, 1-1, 0-0)
After a wobble in mid-November, Metallurg finished the month with four straight victories to resume its push for top spot in the East. Today’s game against CSKA was the first of four before the December pause – and three of them are against Conference leaders.
In Magnitka’s previous game at Kunlun Red Star, Ilya Vorobyov rested several key players. Today he brought back goalie Eddie Pasquale, defenseman Yaroslav Khabarov and forwards Denis Zernov, Andrei Chibisov and Maxim Karpov. The Muscovites were starting their last road trip before the All-Star break but have a long injury list to contend with. Darren Dietz, Vitaly Abramov, Vladislav Kamenev, Danil Yurtaikin and Maxim Mamin are all unavailable.
In the first period, the two goalies took top billing. Pasquale was slightly the busier of the two, but he completed the opening frame without giving up a goal from the 13 CSKA shots he faced. At the other end, Adam Reideborn found himself beaten just once when Denis Zernov scored on the rebound seconds before the hooter. In fairness to the Swedish netminder, there was little he could do about that one.
After conceding right before the intermission, CSKA responded by scoring straight after. Konstantin Okulov tied the scores within two minutes of the restart, getting his stick on to Fredrik Claesson’s shot and stretching his productive streak to four games.
Metallurg had a chance on the power play and spent plenty of time carefully building its offense in the CSKA zone. However, it struggled to turn that pressure into shots on goal. The Muscovites killed the penalty and, within a few shifts, took the initiative in the game. It wasn’t until Magnitka got another power play that the home team began to pose a threat once again. CSKA again survived shorthanded, but at the end of the middle frame Danila Yurov and Arkhip Nekolenko combined to restore the home lead. Yurov was out by the boards, but deflected the puck back to the slot where Nekolenko was unmarked as he made it 2-1. Yurov was named as the 13th forward on Metallurg’s roster and that was his first shift of the game. Maybe this represents the most productive 19 seconds of KHL play for any player!
Yurov’s reward was more ice time in the final frame. Metallurg played out the remaining 20 minutes carefully, shutting down the game when the teams were at equal strength and defending in depth when CSKA got on the power play. As a result, the home team was able to finish the job and record a fifth successive win.
Ufa enjoys a goal glut
Salavat Yulaev Ufa 6 Traktor Chelyabinsk 4 (2-1, 1-1, 3-2)
Amur’s win earlier in the day meant that Traktor needed victory in Ufa to return to the top eight. However, after an exciting clash with Salavat Yulaev, the home team took the verdict to leave Anvar Gatiyatullin’s men outside the playoff places.
Gatiyatullin had some new colleagues among his coaching staff. During the week, Alexei Chikalin and Alexei Tertyshny both left the club, with Andrei Sokolov and Igor Yefimov replacing them.
The visitor also changed up its roster. Ilya Proskuryakov returned as starting goalie, and forward Nikita Tertyshny joined the second line. Ufa merely swapped goaltenders, bringing back veteran Ilya Ezhov.
In the opening frame, the teams traded three goals. Pavel Koledov put Salavat Yulaev in front with a shot to the far corner that surprised Proskuryakov. A power play goal brought Traktor level, with a big screen in front of Ezhov enabled Alexei Byvaltsev’s slap shot to find the net. However, 18 seconds before the hooter, Salavat Yulaev won an attacking face-off and Sergei Shmelyov took advantage to fire home the 2-1 goal.
However, the home team was unable to build on that and eventually Traktor managed to wipe out the advantage. The goal came from Tertyshny, whose father left the coaching staff this week. Tertyshny Jr had gone 35 games without a goal this season but finally broke the drought to tie the game. However, that merely spurred the home offense into action and Danil Aimurzin quickly restored Ufa’s lead.
Five goals after 40 minutes, and five more in the final frame. Visiting D-man Albert Yarullin tied the scores, only for Viktor Antipin to get his first for Salavat Yulaev and make it 4-3. After falling behind, Traktor surged down the ice in a bid to save the game. However, the visitor largely forgot about its defense. Stepan Sannikov and Danil Bashkirov were the beneficiaries as gaps appeared in front of Proskuryakov. Ilya Karpukhin potted a late consolation for Traktor, but it was too late to save the game.
Shipachyov strike gives Ak Bars the edge
Ak Bars Kazan 3 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 2 (1-0, 1-1, 1-1)
With just 20 points so far this season, Ak Bars forward Vadim Shipachyov has not looked close to the form that brought him four successive 60-point KHL campaigns. Today, though, his sixth goal of the season was enough to give his team a tight verdict against Lokomotiv.
The visitor, meanwhile, may feel it blew its best chance of winning the game when it failed to get in front in the first period. Lokomotiv had the better of the play in opening frame but found Amir Miftakhov in impressive form. The home goalie stopped everything that came his way in a session when the Railwaymen featured on quality rather than quantity when it came to scoring chances.
Ak Bars got its reward for resolute defense late in the frame, however. The home team had offered relatively little going forward, but Nikita Yevseyev opened the scoring with a wrister from the blue line that went past Ivan Bocharov in the visitor’s net. Dmitry Voronkov, who screened the goalie, deserves credit for his ‘invisible’ contribution.
However, Ak Bars ended the first period with a penalty on Kirill Panyukov and Lokomotiv took advantage to tie the game after the restart. Artyom Ilyenko was credited with the goal after he touched home Denis Alexeyev’s point shot. Immediately after that, Ak Bars got its first power play of the game. It took time for the home team to get its game flowing with the extra man, but the two minutes ended with a flurry of shots at Bocharov’s net. The pressure continued after Lokomotiv got back to full strength, and Artyom Galimov restored the home lead in the 25th minute.
That sudden goal rush did not change the pattern of the game. Lokomotiv still had a slight edge in terms of scoring chances, but neither team was clearly dominating the play. It wasn’t until midway through the third period of an absorbing struggle that Shipachyov scored what would prove to be the winner. This time, it came on the power play. Slava Voynov hammered in a slap shot, Bocharov gave up a big rebound and, under pressure, Voronkov got the puck to Shipachyov for a close range finish.
Lokomotiv did not give up and got a lifeline when Kristian Khenkel took a minor for cross checking in the 52nd minute. The Railwaymen grabbed their chance. Ilyenko generated traffic in front of Miftakhov, Andrei Sergeyev fired in a one-timer from the blue line and it was a one-goal game with seven minutes to play. However, despite a fiery finish from the visitor, Ak Bars held on to take a narrow victory.
Lilja leads Dynamo to victory
Kunlun Red Star 1 Dynamo Moscow 5 (1-1, 0-1, 0-3)
Two goals from Jakob Lilja helped Dynamo to victory at Kunlun. The home team got an early lead in this game but was ultimately unable to take advantage as the Blue-and-Whites skated to a comfortable win.
Brandon Yip will be representing Red Star at the All-Star Game next weekend, and he showed why after 27 seconds. Yip got into position on the slot and deftly redirected a Zac Leslie point shot past Konstantin Volkov to open the scoring with the first meaningful attack of the game. However, Dynamo got the game’s first power play in the seventh minute and took the initiative. The tying goal came just eight seconds after Tyler Wong returned to the game. Vladislav Kodola was the scorer, squeezing the puck inside Jeremy Smith’s near post.
With the scores level, Dynamo began to assert itself. The visitor had the better of the game in the remainder of the first period and continued to apply the pressure in the second. Another power play saw Lilja put his team in front midway through the game when he converted Alexander Skorenov’s feed to the slot.
Red Star began the third period on the power play, but could not find a way to tie the game. Back at full strength, Dynamo increased its lead when Pavel Kudryavtsev’s wrister flew over Smith’s shoulder. A couple of minutes later Lilja got his second of the game when he found far too much space in the Kunlun zone and punished the Dragons’ wayward defense. That took the score to 4-1 and ended any hopes of a home fightback. There was still time for Skorenov to add a power play goal to his earlier assists as Dynamo eased to victory.
Struggling Sochi loses seventh in a row
HC Sochi 1 Dinamo Minsk 2 (1-2, 0-0, 0-0)
Dinamo posted a third win in four games, but Sochi’s misery continues. The league’s basement club suffered a seventh straight loss, despite taking the lead in this one.
That opening goal came in the sixth minute. Dmitry Utkin brought the play down the ice and sent a pass back for Tigran Yarulin to score. However, it says much about Sochi’s plight that two young players – with just 22 KHL games between prior to today – find themselves getting so much game time. Youth development is important, but the departure of more experienced players like Vasily Glotov and Nikita Popugayev puts the Leopards in deep trouble.
Dinamo was not about to make life any easier for Sergei Svetlov’s team. Even before the opening goal, Minsk looked the livelier of the teams. After falling behind, the Bison redoubled their efforts and two quick tallies turned the score around. Valentin Demchenko tied it up before Sergei Sapego made it 2-1 on 16 minutes.
That was the end of the scoring. The middle frame featured few chances at either end, while in the third Alexei Kolosov did a good job of dealing with Sochi’s attempts to get back on level terms. The visiting netminder stopped 14 shots in the third period to backstop his team to victory.
