Grant sets scoring record, Avtomobilist loses yet again. January 8 round-up
Barys defenseman Alex Grant had a day to remember. His four goals for Barys in a win at Admiral made him the first blue liner to score a quartet in the KHL. Two losing streak continued, with Avangard handing a ninth straight loss to Eastern Conference leader Avtomobilist before SKA inflicted a 20th successive defeat on basement club Sochi. Severstal returned to the playoff places after a thrilling 6-5 win over Kunlun Red Star, CSKA moves up to second in the West thanks to a tight verdict over Traktor and Torpedo came from behind to defeat Dynamo and go third. Metallurg missed the chance to overtake Avtomobilist after losing 0-2 at home to Salavat Yulaev.
Grant stars in Barys win
Admiral Vladivostok 1 Barys Astana 5 (1-1, 0-3, 0-1)
A four-goal haul for any player is rare. A four-goal haul for a defenseman is unprecedented in the KHL. Until today. Alex Grant had the game of his life for Barys, putting Admiral to the sword with his quartet to lead the Kazakhs to a convincing victory.
However, Barys did not have everything its own way. Admiral opened the scoring in this game in the sixth minute through Valery Orekhov. The defenseman potted his first for his new club after arriving from Metallurg last month. It was also Orekhov’s first KHL goal since leaving Barys in the summer. He was assisted by Alexander Gorshkov, who collected his fifth point in the last five games. After that, the home team continued to press and seemed the more likely team to score. However, against the run of play Grant got his first of the game with an unstoppable slap shot.
The second period began with Admiral on the front foot, and a power play almost saw the home team restore its lead. After that, though, Leonids Tambijevs’ team ran into penalty trouble of its own, and Grant took full advantage. He added a trio of PP goals to his first-period effort to become the first defenseman to score four in a KHL game.
As if to prove that Barys is not a one-man team, Yegor Petukhov added a fifth goal at the start of the third period. That completed the scoring in this game; Admiral will look for quick revenge when the teams meet again tomorrow.
Torpedo claims big win in race for the top four
Dynamo Moscow 1 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 3 (1-0, 0-1, 0-2)
Torpedo came from behind to snap Dynamo’s run of collecting points from its last 12 games. The win also handed Igor Larionov’s team the edge in the race for a top-four finish between these two: Torpedo is now three points clear of the Blue-and-Whites.
In the first period, Dynamo was well on top. The home team was better in all areas, but only converted its supremacy into a single goal. That came from Bogdan Trineyev, who opened his account in the KHL midway through the opening stanza. For much of the game, meanwhile, Adam Huska performed heroically to keep Torpedo in the game.
The Slovak netminder was busy in the second as well, while Dynamo’s Ilya Konovalov was a spectator for long periods. That might have affected his concentration; certainly, he’ll be unhappy with the goal he allowed Alexei Kruchinin in the 33rd minute. Denis Yan’s helper stretched his productive streak to six games.
The tying goal instilled new urgency into Torpedo’s play, and the visitor enjoyed its greatest period of control in the game. As the clock ran down, both teams had chances to win it but Torpedo got in front in the 55th minute thanks to Maxim Fedotov’s long shot. That left little time for Dynamo to salvage anything, and the outcome was settled when Anton Sizov fired into the empty net to make it 3-1.
Mishurov hands Motormen a ninth straight loss
Avangard Omsk 2 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 1 (0-0, 2-1, 0-0)
Avtomobilist remains top of the Eastern Conference despite slipping to a ninth successive loss. Three of those defeats came at the hand of Avangard, which is now just one point behind with Metallurg also in close attendance.
Today’s game was all about Andrei Mishurov. Avangard’s young goalie made his first KHL start (previously, he came off the bench against Metallurg and Kunlun back in October) and stopped 22 shots to claim his first win as a starter in the league.
Mishurov, 21, got good support from his colleagues. In the first period, Avangard had the better of the game but could not find an opening goal. Right at the start of the second, though, the Hawks went ahead. With just 17 seconds played, Ivan Miroshnichenko’s superb past from behind the net set up Corban Knight on the slot. However, the lead was short-lived: barely a minute later, Daniil Tarasov’s deflected shot beat Mishurov.
That goal lifted the Motormen and for a time the visitor was on top of the game. However, Avtomobilist could not capitalize on that spell of pressure. Mishurov made some big saves, most notably to deny Nick Ebert's solo rush after Knight's error sent the Avto blue liner clear. And, in keeping with long-standing hockey tradition, failure to take chances at one end was punished with a goal at the other. Sergei Tolchinsky was the architect, dishing off a perfect feed for Arseny Gritsyuk to get around his defender and skilfully beat Igor Bobkov. Although it came against the run of play, that goal was enough to send Omsk into the intermission with a 2-1 advantage.
Moreover, Gritsyuk’s tally proved to be the game winner. Neither team could add to the scoring in the final frame. Avtomobilist, chasing the game, had more of the play and outshot Avangard 13-5. However, Mishurov stood firm to complete an assured debut with the victory. Avangard celebrated an eighth win in nine games, while Avto faces an unwanted 10-in-a-row when it hosts CSKA on Tuesday.
Kareyev frustrates Metallurg
Metallurg Magnitogorsk 0 Salavat Yulaev Ufa 2 (0-0, 0-1, 0-1)
Metallurg missed the chance to return to the top of the Eastern Conference after failing to solve Andrei Kareyev in the Salavat Yulaev net. The visiting goalie posted his fourth shut-out of the season to send the points to Ufa in a hard-fought battle.
Magnitka had goaltending concerns of its own ahead of this game. Vasily Koshechkin suffered an injury during Friday’s win over Lokomotiv. While Eddie Pasquale is an experienced replacement, cover came from Ilya Nabokov, who usually plays in the junior league.
The first period was goalless, although Metallurg had two power play chances. As a result, the home team had the better of the action in the opening frame but struggled to really test Kareyev in the visitor’s net. Brendan Leipsic’s pace created the best opportunity of the opening frame, but nothing could separate the teams at the break.
In the second session, Salavat Yulaev continued to protect its goaltender well. At the other end, Pasquale also produced a solid performance. However, he was beaten when Yegor Suchkov fired in a low shot and the Canadian could not get his pad down in time to make the save. That was Suchkov’s first KHL goal.
The key moment came a few minutes into the third when Evgeny Timkin was sent to the box. Metallurg used the power play to build some of its best attacking hockey of the game, but could not find a way past Kareyev. No sooner had Timkin returned to the ice than Salavat Yulaev showed how it should be done. Alexander Chmelevski was the first to react to the rebound from his own shot and he skated behind the net before stuffing the puck home.
CSKA makes it five straight wins
Traktor Chelyabinsk 1 CSKA Moscow 2 (0-0, 1-1, 0-1)
This was the final game of a long home stand for Traktor, stretching back into last year. That sequence yielded three wins from four games, helping Anvar Gatiyatulin’s team to remain in touch with the top eight in the East. CSKA, meanwhile, came to town buoyed by a four-game winning streak and looking to cement second place in the West.
When the teams met in Moscow earlier this season, CSKA won 5-2. Today, Sergei Fedorov’s in-form line-up tried to grab the early initiative. By the sixth minute of the game, the visitor had 11 shots at Sergei Mylnikov in the home net, but could not force the opening goal. Gradually, Traktor came into the game, but neither team could break the deadlock in the first period.
CSKA made a big start to the second period, but once again failed to solve Mylnikov. At the other end, Traktor also created chances, the best of which went to Vladimir Tkachyov when he broke clear but failed to outwit Alexander Sharychenkov. The breakthrough finally came in the 35th minute when Anton Burdasov converted a 5-on-3 power play. However, right at the end of the middle frame the Muscovites drew level when Andrei Svetlakov punished Traktor for a defensive error.
In the third period, it was the visitor’s turn to get a power play goal. Sergei Plotnikov made no mistake from close range to give CSKA the lead in the 44th minute. That proved to be the decider: in the closing stages Traktor struggled to get possession and CSKA created the better chances to add to the scoring.
Third-period fightback downs Lokomotiv
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 3 Spartak Moscow 5 (0-1, 2-0, 1-4)
Spartak pulled out a big performance in the third period to grab an impressive win at Lokomotiv. The home team slipped to a fourth successive defeat and lost its grip on second place in the West, while the visitor improved after a run of just one win in six. More importantly, the Red-and-Whites maintain some breathing space in their bid for a playoff spot: Spartak is now three points clear of ninth-placed Dinamo Minsk.
The first period went well for the visitor. Maxim Tsyplakov opened the scoring in the seventh minute, converting a 3-on-2 break. Late in the opening frame, Spartak was close to a second, but Shane Prince failed to convert his penalty shot.
The reprieve lifted Lokomotiv and the home team had the better of the second period. Maxim Shalunov tied the scores, then a power play goal from Ivan Chekhovich put the Railwaymen in front.
Loko held that lead until the 48th minute. But then everything changed. Spartak tied the scores through Joey Keane, and that was the start of a game-winning four-goal flurry. Lokomotiv failed to clear its lines, and that error invited Andrei Loktionov to make it 3-2. A couple of minutes later, Ilya Talaluyev added a fourth. Then, with the host in disarray, Fyodor Svechkov made it 5-2. Spartak scored four goals in less than eight minutes to transform the game. Lokomotiv had a chance on the power play immediately after, but could not score. Eventually, Chekhovich got his second in the last minute, but it was too late to change the outcome.
Kara scores twice in Vityaz victory
Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 2 Vityaz Moscow Region 5 (1-2, 1-1, 0-2)
Vityaz bounced back from Friday’s defeat at Ak Bars to post a fourth win in five games. Two goals from Vladislav Kara led the way as the Balashikha team tightened its grip on a playoff place.
Neftekhimik, at the foot of the Eastern Conference, still has playoff hopes of its own. The home team started well here with an early goal from Andrei Belozyorov. However, Vityaz tied it up when Daniel Butsayev potted his first goal for the club. Adding to Neftekhimik’s discomfort, Butsayev made his KHL debut when his father, Vyacheslav, was head coach in Nizhnekamsk two seasons ago. Late in the opening frame, Kara got his first to put the visitor ahead for the first time in the game.
The home team responded at the start of the third when Pavel Poryadin tied the scores, but that proved to be the last hurrah. Dmitry Kugryshev restored the Vityaz lead midway through the game, and Kara’s second of the game made it 4-2 in the 53rd minute. Late on, Ivan Yezhov put a shorthanded goal into an empty net to seal the verdict.
Goal glut in Cherepovets
Severstal Cherepovets 6 Kunlun Red Star 5 (3-1, 0-3, 3-1)
This game saw two opponents battling for stay in contact with the top eight in the Western Conference – and it turned into a goal fest.
The teams set the tone at the start, with Severstal’s Igor Geraskin opening the scoring after 46 seconds. Red Star replied at once, with German Tochilkin pulling off a neat piece of skill to grab his first KHL goal. However, the home team was back in front on six minutes thanks to Alexander Petunin’s first of the game and went to the intermission up 3-1 thanks to Maxim Kolmykov.
Then came a big fightback from Red Star. Tomas Jurco started the recovery, making it 2-3 early in the middle frame. Two goals in a minute from Parker Foo and Cliff Pu made it 4-3 to the visitor and, at the start of the third period, Luke Lockhart added a fifth.
However, just as Severstal’s two-goal lead evaporated, so the Dragons’ two-goal advantage disappeared. It took just 23 seconds for Daniil Vovchenko to pull one back, then Petunin’s second tied it up on 42:42. Adam Liska restored the Steelmen’s lead in the 47th minute and that proved to be decisive. The win moves Severstal into the top eight at the expense of Dinamo Minsk.
SKA too strong for battling Sochi
HC Sochi 3 SKA St. Petersburg 6 (2-0, 1-3, 0-3)
SKA scored three times in 57 seconds to turn this game around and send Sochi spinning to a 20th successive loss. Not even a goal from Matvei Michkov against the club that loaned him to the Leopards could change the outcome after that triple blast at the start of the second period as the league leader claimed the win.
Earlier, though, Sergei Svetlov’s team threatened a major upset. Sochi belied its lowly placing in the table with a committed first period display. The home team absorbed plenty of pressure, but starting goalie Mikhail Berdin acquitted himself well. At the other end, although chances were not so easy to come by, the Leopards jumped to a 2-0 lead. Michkov had an assist as Sergei Popov opened the scoring on his team’s first power play of the day. Then, in the 13th minute, Tigran Yarulin doubled the lead.
In truth, though, SKA was always an attacking threat. And once the visitor got its first goal, the game turned upside down in a flash. Vasily Glotov, Sochi’s captain earlier in the season, opened the floodgates when he pulled one back on 21:56. Stepan Falkovsky tied the scores, then Glotov had a helper as Mikhail Pashnin made it 3-2 on 22:53.
Despite that hammer blow, Sochi refused to fold. Michkov tied the game midway through the second period, assisted by Popov, and it remained 3-3 as the game went into the final 10 minutes.
However, SKA would not be denied. Marat Khairullin restored the lead on the power play, Nikita Gusev made the win safe and Valentin Zykov wrapped it up with an empty-netter.
