Second time for second OT. March 6 playoffs
Avangard demonstrated clinical finishing, scoring four times from 12 shots at goal to take a 4-3 verdict at Sibir and move ahead in the series. In Magnitogorsk, Metallurg and Avtomobilist again needed double overtime to settle the outcome, with the home team taking a 2-1 verdict in the game and a 2-1 lead in the series.
Precision and penalties see the Hawks take wing
Sibir Novosibirsk 3 Avangard Omsk 4 (1-2, 0-1, 2-1)
(Avangard leads the series 2-1)
Hockey is all about taking your chances. Sibir restricted Avangard to just 12 shots on goal in this game, yet the Hawks scored four goals – three on the power play – to emerge victorious. That’s some impressive scoring efficiency right there from the visiting team. The host, meanwhile, may be wondering how its 37 shots at Vasily Demchenko yielded just two markers, despite taking a third-minute lead.
The big difference came on the power play. Avangard had five spells with a man advantage and scored three goals. Although Sibir potted two PP markers of its own, it needed eight attempts to do so. On such margins are games decided.
Not that the home team’s problems were immediately apparent. The first penalty of the game was called against Alexei Bereglazov for tripping, and Yegor Alanov converted the power play to give Sibir the lead on 2:34. Then Sibir successfully killed its first penalty, only to stumble when Evgeny Chesalin went to the box. Avangard needed just six seconds to win the faceoff and set up Sergei Tolchinsky for the equalizer. Later in the first period, that pattern repeated. Sibir killed one penalty, took another one right away and the Hawks quickly found the net. This time it took 20 seconds, but the end result was broadly similar as Vladimir Tkachyov gave the visitor the lead for the first time in the game.
In the second period, Sibir began to take control of the play. A pair of parallel penalties saw the home team enjoy the extra space playing four-on-four. Later, on the power play, there was even more pressure including a shot against Demchenko’s post. At one point the shot count was 10-0 in the middle frame, but the tying goal was stubbornly elusive.
However, despite playing its best hockey of this series, Sibir fell to a sucker punch. Home captain Chesalin took his second penalty of the game and that clinical Avangard power play went about its business as usual. Corban Knight potted a third power play goal to extend the lead to 3-1.
Hopes of a home fightback were undermined two minutes into the final frame by something of a novelty: Avangard scored at equal strength, with Tolchinsky netting his second of the night. Already playing defensively, the visitor now had a three-goal lead and little incentive to risk anything on offense. The Hawks’ careful progress was only slightly ruffled when Nikita Shashkov, alert to an error from Demchenko, reduced the deficit. Then in the final minute, with Sibir playing six-on-four, Trevor Murphy made it a one-goal game. However, the 52 remaining seconds were not enough for the home team to save the game.
Zernov puts Magnitka ahead
Metallurg Magnitogorsk 2 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 1 2OT (0-0, 0-1, 1-0, 0-0, 1-0)
(Metallurg leads the series 2-1)
However this series ends, it’s clear that only the narrowest margins will separate the two teams. Today brought a fourth period of overtime in the last two games – Metallurg’s win on Saturday also came in the second spell of extras – before Denis Zernov got a 91st minute winner.
With two evenly matched teams, the game began somewhat cautiously. Both sides produced accurate, disciplined play in the first period but struggled to upgrade that into genuine scoring opportunities. One power play apiece did nothing to change the situation and the teams remained deadlocked at the first intermission.
Much of the game was taking place around the boards, where the players were quick to hurl themselves into a physical battle. That did little to generate meaningful offense, but eventually resulted in a flurry of penalties that brought about the opening goal. First, Mikhail Fisenko and Curtis Valk took roughing minors after a scuffle in front of the home net. Then Metallurg’s Grigory Dronov got a wholly unnecessary minor for unsportsmanlike conduct after snapping his stick against the ice in frustration. Playing four on three, Avtomobilist exploited the extra space and set up Nick Ebert for a slap shot that ripped into the net. Dronov’s flash of ill-temper put his team behind in the game, and potentially in the series.
The defenseman’s blushes were somewhat alleviated early in the third period when Metallurg tied the scores. Kodie Curran’s stretch pass unlocked the Avto defense and Semyon Koshelev dashed through to score from a de facto penalty shot with the opposition trailing in his wake.
In such a tight game, it was little surprise that there was no further scoring before the hooter. Avtomobilist came closest to winning it in regulation, but after Stephane Da Costa’s deflected feed fell perfectly onto Yefim Gurkin’s stick, Eddie Pasquale pulled off a big save to keep Metallurg level.
Last time, the extras ended in the cruellest possible fashion for Avtomobilist and Georgy Belousov. The Motormen’s forward was trying to block Yegor Yakovlev’s point shot, but instead a freakish deflection wrong-footed goalie Johan Mattsson and delivered the win for Magnitka. This time, both teams had chances when the first period of overtime brought one power play for each team. Brooks Macek went close to winning it for Avtomobilist, then Maxim Karpov had a great chance for Magnitka but neither team could settle in the first round of overtime.
Midway through the second session, Metallurg finally got the decisive goal. Yakovlev was involved again: his shot from the left-hand circle was turned away by Mattsson, but Zernov collected the rebound and fired in an effort from beyond the goal line to find the net via the goalie’s back.
