Admiral on top in Far East derby. December 29 round-up
Admiral moved up to fourth in the Eastern Conference after winning the latest edition of the Far East derby against Amur. The Tigers, meanwhile, remain ninth in the section, chasing Barys for the last playoff spot.
Admiral Vladivostok 2 Amur Khabarovsk 0 (0-0, 1-0, 1-0)
This was the fifth meeting between the teams this month – number six comes tomorrow in Vladivostok on the final gameday of 2022 – and it was perhaps no surprise that things started slowly. These opponents are now very familiar with each other’s game. In the early exchanges, goal attempts were at a premium and it wasn’t until the end of the first period that things began to liven up a little.
The opening goal came midway through the second period. Admiral launched a two-on-two breakaway and Anton Berlyov’s feed set up Libor Sulak for his ninth goal of the season. The Sailors’ captain moves to 26 points for the campaign, matching his previous best in the KHL. Later, the home team had two power play chances but was unable to add to its lead.
In the third period, Amur’s best opportunity to tie the game arrived, unexpectedly, on the penalty kill early in the session. However, Admiral’s defense held firm, with goalie Nikita Serebryakov stopping 29 shots to record his fourth shut-out of the season. In the final seconds, Alexander Gorshkov’s empty net goal sealed the win for the home team, who will hope to repeat that success tomorrow in the final home game of the year.
