Four-star Shipachyov puts Ak Bars level with the leader. January 29
Vadim Shipachyov led the way for Ak Bars with four points in a 6-0 thrashing of Traktor. The win puts the Kazan team level on points with Eastern Conference leader Sibir. In a close race for the top, fifth-place Salavat Yulaev is just four points back following an OT win against Neftekhimik. That point keeps Neftekhimik in eighth, as Barys also lost at home to Dynamo Moscow. In the West, Severstal is back in the top eight after a 4-1 win at CSKA. Lokomotiv lost out at home to Avtomobilist, and Vityaz edged Metallurg in a shoot-out.
Ufa pulls goalie, grabs OT win
Salavat Yulaev Ufa 3 Neftekhimik Nizhenkamsk 2 OT (0-0, 1-1, 1-1, 1-0)
Can we regard Salavat Yulaev as a viable pretender for top spot in the Eastern Conference? The league standings, which have Viktor Kozlov’s team down in fifth place, suggest not. However, the points tally, with Ufa just four points off the leaders, indicates that there is every possibility of bridging the gap between now and the end of the regular season. Today brought a third successive victory, edging a spirited Neftekhimik in overtime, to keep that push for the top going.
Neftekhimik, too, is in decent form. Its last meeting with Salavat Yulaev ended in a 5-2 victory and Oleg Leontyev’s team is clinging onto eighth place in the East despite a tight battle to secure playoff hockey this term. Today’s OT loss was good enough to keep the Wolves in position with the single point ensuring that Barys could not overtake.
In today’s game, we had to wait until the second period to see the opening goal. Ryan Murphy eventually broke the deadlock in the 28th minute with a shot too powerful for Andrei Tikhomirov in the visitor’s net. Neftekhimik tied it up before the intermission thanks to Vyacheslav Leshchenko and went in front early in the third thanks to a short handed goal from Pavel Poryadin. However, 10 minutes later the home power play got it right: a too many men call on Neftekhimik saw Danil Alalykin tie it up.
That took the game to overtime and, as soon as his team won the opening face-off, Ilya Ezhov abandoned the Ufa net to make way for a fourth skater. The gamble paid off: Alexander Chmelevski scored on the ‘power play’ to give Salavat Yulaev the win.
Dynamo continues winning streak in Kazakhstan
Barys Astana 1 Dynamo Moscow 2 OT (1-1, 0-0, 0-0, 0-1)
In search of points to boost its playoff bid, Barys would have preferred to welcome almost any other opponent. Dynamo has not lost in Kazakhstan since 2016 and continued that streak with an overtime success today.
With everything to play for in a thrilling four-way race for eighth place in the East, Barys started hard. Nelson Nogier’s early hit set the tone, and the game continued with a series of bone-jarring collisions from start to finish. The game was so tough that three players – Dynamo’s Ivan Muranov and Sergei Boikov, plus Dmitry Gurkov from the home team – did not last the full 60 minutes.
But it wasn’t just about brute force. With seven minutes played, Barys put together a slick three-man combination involving Anthony Louis, Alexander Borisevich and goalscorer Jeremy Bracco. Dynamo responded late in the opening frame when Andrei Nikonov got to the doorstep and somehow squeezed the puck through Julius Hudacek’s defenses. It took a video review to confirm that the puck crossed the line, but on consulting the replay there could be no doubt.
The teams were level at the first intermission and after that Barys had the better of the play. However, neither side could find a winner in regulation. Dynamo’s Bogdan Trineyev came closest but saw his effort swept off the goal line by Adil Beketayev. Trineyev eventually played a part in the decisive action, setting up Maxim Dzhioshvili for the game winner in overtime.
Shipachyov stars in Ak Bars romp
Ak Bars Kazan 6 Traktor Chelyabinsk 0 (0-0, 2-0, 4-0)
Ak Bars has a share of the Eastern Conference lead after this emphatic home victory, while Chelyabinsk remains rooted to the foot of the table. The visitor failed to close a three-point gap to the playoff places after it was unable to cope with Vadim Shipachyov.
Shipachyov was the key man in this game, breaking the deadlock after a goalless first period and going on to add three assists as Ak Bars took control. Stanislav Galiyev was the key beneficiaries, potting two power play goals with the involvement of his team-mate.
Yet for 20 minutes, Traktor was right in the game. The opening frame was evenly matched and the visitor even enjoyed slightly more time on the attack. However, there were no goals in that first period and Traktor would regret failing to get in front while it had the chance.
Shipachyov broke the deadlock in the 25th minute, arriving at the back door to convert a backhand pass from Kirill Petrov. Midway through the game, the first Ak Bars power play of the night brought a second goal. This time, Shipachyov was the provider with a perfectly timed feed for Galiyev in the left-hand circle.
At this stage, Traktor was still in the game. However, an error early in the third saw Traktor ice the puck. The next play presented Petrov with the chance to make it 3-0 and put the result out of reach. Next came a 5-on-3 power play for the host, and Shipachyov set up Dmitry Kagarlitsky to make it 4-0.
The closing stages saw Ak Bars add more goals. Alexander Radulov potted a fifth before Galiyev’s second PP tally of the night completed the scoring. Home goalie Amir Miftakhov recorded his second shut-out of the season.
Ebert’s solitary strike sinks Lokomotiv
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 0 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 1 (0-0, 0-1, 0-0)
After a single goal proved sufficient for Lokomotiv to beat table-topping SKA last time out, the Railwaymen found themselves on the other side of that equation on Sunday. This time, a solitary marker cost Igor Nikitin’s team the game against Avtomobilist, which had Nick Ebert and Vladimir Galkin to thank for the win.
The first period demonstrated how you can prove anything with statistics. Shots on goal came out 6-5 in Loko’s favor, suggesting a close game. Time on attack, though, was 6:28 for the home team against 1:29 for Avtomobilist, implying a major advantage for the Railwaymen. The only numbers that matter, though, were unchanged: 0-0 at the first intermission.
The opening goal arrived at the start of the second. With 28 seconds played, Nick Ebert placed a wrister beyond the reach of Ivan Bocharovto give Avtomobilist the lead. Inspired by that start, the Motormen proceeded to dominate the middle frame, regularly testing the home netminder without adding to the lead.
The final stanza was almost a complete reverse, with Lokomotiv taking the initiative in its search for a tying goal. Vladimir Galkin stopped 13 shots in the third period, finishing the day with 22 saves. That secured his shut-out and preserved a 1-0 victory for his team. Notably, neither team took a penalty through 60 minutes of disciplined hockey.
In-form Vityaz edges past Magnitka
Vityaz Moscow Region 2 Metallurg Magnitogorsk 1 SO (1-0, 0-1, 0-0, 0-0, 1-0)
A good run of form at the business end of the season seems to be lifting Vityaz into the playoffs. Today’s win, the team’s third in a row and 11th from 14, maintains a solid grip on sixth place. The Moscow Region team is nine points ahead of Dinamo Minsk in ninth and can be quietly confident of taking part in the playoffs in its first season since moving to Balashikha.
That good run continued today at the expense of a Metallurg team that remains in the thick of the leadership battle in the East. However, Magnitka’s inconsistency since the turn of the year denied it a chance to move clear at the top of the standings and this was another frustrating outing for Ilya Vorobyov’s men.
The action was hard-fought throughout, and the teams shared two goals in regulation. Vladislav Kara opened the scoring late in the first period, finding the net for the third game running to put Vityaz in front. Metallurg responded at the start of the second when Danila Yurov hit the target. For the most part, though, goalies Dmitry Shikin and Eddie Pasquale were on top here. Pasquale, in particular, had to be alert in overtime with Vityaz enjoying a power play at the start of the extras.
In the shoot-out, though, both teams found their scoring form. After five attempts each, they were deadlocked at 3-3. In sudden death, Vitaly Popov got the decider to maintain the home team’s encouraging streak.
Severstal returns to top eight
CSKA Moscow 1 Severstal Cherepovets 4 (0-0, 1-1, 0-3)
A third win in four games moves Severstal back into the playoff spots. This time, it took a big third-period performance to sink CSKA and prevent the Muscovites from returning to second place in the Western Conference.
A goalless first period saw plenty of hard work from the visitor, albeit without much by way of an end product in front of Adam Reideborn’s net. CSKA continued to have the better of the play in the second period, and it was little surprise when the home team got in front midway through the frame on a goal from Vitaly Abramov.
However, Severstal found a swift response with Dmitry Moiseyev tying it up 65 seconds later. And that laid the foundations for a surprisingly lopsided final score. It was still level at the intermission, but Makar Khabarov broke that deadlock in the 44th minute to put the Steelmen in front. CSKA was unable to assert its usual control over the game and found itself sunk in the closing minutes. Twice, Reideborn left the game to make way for an extra skater, and twice Nikita Rozhkov scored into the net that the Swede vacated. The second of those goals brought an assist for visiting goalie Alexander Samonov and wrapped up a valuable win for the visitor.
