Defenseman sets record, forward closes on all-time points tally
It’s been a good week for individual milestones. We saw the first defenseman score four goals in a KHL game, and the second player in history reach 850 points in the league. We were also close to the first ever encounter of a father and son on opposing teams. On top of all that, the battle for position at both ends of the Eastern Conference is turning into a classic.
Four-goal salvo for Grant
Barys defenseman Alex Grant made history on Sunday when he scored four goals in his team’s 5-1 win at Admiral. Grant, 33, became the first blue liner in KHL history to get four tallies in a game. That puts him top of a list comprising 1,134 D-men who have played in the league. Not surprisingly, Grant was delighted with his day’s work.
“There have been so many players in the KHL over the last 15 years, so to be the first defenseman to score four goals in a game is great,” he said. “It’s always cool to be the first to do something, my kids will be so happy.”
The Canadian is in his fifth season in the KHL. He played four years with Jokerit before moving to SKA in the summer. During this season, he went to Barys. Previously, Grant made a handful of NHL appearances for Anaheim and Arizona.
Grant sets scoring record, Avtomobilist loses yet again. January 8 round-up
Father and Son
When Metallurg entertained Lokomotiv last week, all eyes were on the goalies. The home team selected Vasily Koshechkin as its starter – nothing unusual there, the veteran remains a big part of Ilya Vorobyov’s team. The visitor, meanwhile, had teenager Maxim Mayorov understudying Eddie Pasquale for the first time in the KHL. The intrigue lay in the fact that Mayorov is Koshechkin’s son. Suddenly, there was the potential for a unique family battle. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. Koshechkin had to leave the game in the third period after suffering an injury, while Mayorov – who joined Lokomotiv from Lada in the summer – never made it onto the ice.
SKA stunned in Ufa, Metallurg edges Lokomotiv. January 6 round-up
Shipachyov closing on Mozyakin’s record
Vadim Shipachyov posted his 850th KHL point with an assist in Ak Bars’ overtime win against Severstal. He’s already securely established in second place in all-time KHL scoring, but now the 35-year-old is beginning to approach Sergei Mozyakin’s record. Mozyakin, the all-time leading scorer in Russian domestic hockey, has 928 points in the KHL; Shipachyov needs another 77 to reach him. However, Shipachyov, who briefly played for the Golden Knights in the NHL, is a long way short of Mozyakin’s overall tally. The former Metallurg man had 1,212 points from 20 seasons in Russian top-flight hockey.
Gusev’s 400th point for SKA
Nikita Gusev had 4 (1+3) points as SKA thrashed Traktor 9-3. That took him past 400 points for the Petersburg club and puts him on a distinguished list of players to score so heavily for one team. Sergei Mozyakin is top of the charts, with 693 points for Metallurg. However, two others – Brandon Bochenski (444 points for Barys) and Teemu Hartikainen (419 points for Salavat Yulaev).
SKA hits nine past Traktor. January 4 round-up
Tight in the East
This season’s Eastern Conference could hardly be any more competitive. At the top of the standings, just two points separate the top five. Avtomobilist leads the way, despite a nine-game losing streak. The Motormen are on 63 points, with Avangard and Metallurg on 62. Just behind, Sibir and Salavat Yulaev each have 61. While those teams jockey for position, they can be more or less certain of making the playoffs. At the other end, things are a bit different. Eight-placed Barys is holding onto its post-season ticket. However, the Kazakhs are just two points ahead of Amur and Traktor, with basement club Neftekhimik a further point adrift. With most teams having 20 games to play, each of the 11 Eastern Conference rivals has a legitimate chance of making this year’s playoffs.
Sibir moves into top three. January 7 round-up
Sochi close to unwanted record
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the Western Conference. Basement club HC Sochi suffered a 19th consecutive loss on Sunday, going down 3-6 at home to table-topping SKA. Defeat in the next game, at home to Vityaz on Tuesday, would establish a new league record losing streak. Currently the Leopards are tied with Spartak, which suffered 19 successive losses in 2013-2014 after its major sponsor went out of business. Spartak missed the following KHL season, returning to action in 2015-2016.
