Minsk completes playoff line-up. February 25 round-up
Dinamo Minsk left it until its final game of the regular season, but a 2-1 victory at Vityaz finally confirmed a playoff spot for the Bison. The result was bad news for Spartak, which is now eliminated. Earlier in the day, Amur finished its season with a derby win over Admiral.
Tigers take bragging rights in final Far East derby
Amur Khabarovsk 3 Admiral Vladivostok 2 (1-1, 2-1, 0-0)
The Tigers could not make the playoffs regardless of today’s result, but there was local pride at stake in the 10th and final Far East derby of the season.
That local rivalry ensured that the two teams started the game with plenty of energy, creating chances at both ends. Sergei Dubakin put the home team in front in the eighth minute, but Admiral found a response through Rudolf Cerveny to send the game to the intermission locked at 1-1.
There was more action in the middle frame. Admiral got a surprise lead in the 33rd minute when Anton Berlyov skated clear to pot a short-handed goal. After the home power play failed, Amur redeemed itself with a pair of quick goals to regain the lead. First, Dubakin got his second of the night, then Ivan Nikolishin made it 3-2.
That turned out to be the winning goal as the Tigers collected a sixth victory of the season against its near neighbor. Amur finishes the season in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, while Admiral is in seventh. The Sailors must wait until tomorrow to discover who will finish second in the East and provide the opposition for the opening playoff action.
Duszak sends Dinamo to playoffs
Vityaz Moscow Region 1 Dinamo Minsk 2 (1-1, 0-0, 0-1)
Dinamo’s task was simple: get at least a point from Balashikha and guarantee itself a playoff place. Defeats at home to Torpedo and Traktor had presented Spartak with an outside chance of stealing eighth place prior to Saturday’s action.
Given the circumstances, it was no surprise that Dinamo tried to force the early pace. The visitor had an early power play, which came to naught, then took the lead in the eighth minute. Nick Merkley’s counterattack saw his initial shot saved by Maxim Dorozhko. However, the puck rebounded off Kirill Rasskazov and into the net.
That stroke of look inspired Minsk to further dominance, but there was no further scoring until a bizarre defensive error enabled Stepan Starkov to tie the game. Dinamo inexplicably made a mess of starting an attack from behind its own net and Vityaz took full advantage.
Dorozhko was the key figure in the first period, but in the middle frame the focus switched to his opposite number Konstantin Shostak. He made 18 saves to keep his team level, and on course for the point it needed.
In the second intermission, Woodcroft had to find the words to see his team over the line. And the head coach did his job, with Joe Duszak restoring Dinamo’s lead in the 46th minute. That proved to be the winner, and it was fitting that Duszak, one of the best players on his team, potted the goal that sends Minsk to a playoff series against table-topping SKA. The opening game is on March 1 in Petersburg.
