Record-breaking start to 2023 playoffs — the KHL week in review
The first round of this season’s playoffs is almost done, and we’ve seen records tumbling. The 15th KHL post season brought more games, more goals and more overtime than ever before. It also brought one of the biggest upsets in KHL history as an underdog secured its first ever series win. And that’s not the end of the story. Two series go to game seven on Tuesday to finish off an exhilarating start to the race for the Gagarin Cup.
Two game sevens ahead
The first round of the playoffs is coming to an end, with two series set to conclude in game seven showdowns this week. On Tuesday, Avtomobilist hosts Metallurg in the Eastern Conference, while defending champion CSKA takes on Severstal. Both games are winner-takes-all battles. Meanwhile, six teams are already through the second round. In the east, Ak Bars will face Admiral in a series starting Thursday, while Avangard awaits the winner of the Avtomobilist vs Metallurg game. In the West, SKA, Lokomotiv and Torpedo will discover their pairings after CSKA plays Severstal.
Admiral makes history
The big story of the first round so far comes from Vladivostok. Admiral, which had never previously won a playoff series, sensationally took down Eastern Conference second seed Salavat Yulaev in six games. The decisive goal, two minutes from the end of game six, went to Anton Berlyov. The Sailors forward was carrying an injury, but showed his determination to fight for the team. For head coach Leonids Tambijevs, that was a key part of the successs.
“To be honest, before the start of the series I didn’t even believe that we could get past Salavat Yulaev,” Tambijevs said. “The guys got stronger, they pulled together and played for one another.
“Berlyov’s goal, when he was playing with an injury, highlighted the guys’ character. I’ve known Anton for a long time and it means a lot that he played to the end of the game and got the goal that sent Admiral to the next round.”
Salavat Yulaev becomes the first team to lose after starting the playoffs as second seed in the East. It’s another unwanted distinction for the Ufa club. Back in the league’s inaugural season Salavat Yulaev was the top seed in the KHL playoffs, but sensationally lost its opening series against 16th seed Avangard.
Admiral writes history, Ak Bars marches on. March 11 playoffs
The Professor progresses
Igor Larionov’s Torpedo advanced to the second round of the playoffs after seeing of Dynamo Moscow in six games. It’s the first time the team has made it this far since 2016, and the success is testament to the impact Larionov has made in his first season as a KHL head coach. One year ago, Larionov’s former Red Wings team-mate Sergei Fedorov led CSKA to the Gagarin Cup in his first season as head coach. Could The Professor repeat that feat? It’s a tall order, with Lokomotiv or SKA awaiting in the next round, but he has certainly exceeded expectations in Nizhny Novgorod this season.
Torpedo progresses, defending champ goes to game seven. March 12 playoffs
CSKA hits nine against Severstal
Fedorov’s CSKA is locked in a huge battle with Severstal. The Western Conference seventh seed has refused to be overawed by last year’s champion and the teams will settle their series on Tuesday. However, while it’s been a tight and unpredictable series, one game reflected expectations of the Muscovites’ dominance. In game four, down 1-2 in the series, CSKA won 9-3 in Cherepovets to tie it up. For the home team, it was a rare occasion – the Steelmen used three goalies in the course of the game, but failed to stem the flow of goals. CSKA set a new club record for goals in a KHL playoff game, and also managed the second biggest score in the league’s history. However, Ak Bars’ astonishing 11-1 win over Avangard remains the all-time leader.
CSKA on cloud nine, Torpedo edges nine-goal thriller. March 8 playoffs
First round sets multiple records
The 2022-2023 regular season had more games than any other KHL campaign – and the playoffs are heading the same way. In the first round the 16 competing teams have contested 46 games – with two more to come on Tuesday – to set a new record. Previously, four seasons had 44 first-round games. This year’s contenders also sailed past the record for goals in a playoff first round, beating the 237 scored in 2011. With two games to play, we’ve seen 261 goals in 46 games at an average of 5.67. In addition, this season has seen more first-round games go to overtime. Currently, 15 encounters were tied at 60 minutes, compared with the previous record of 13 in 2014.
WHL semi-finals start this week
In the Women’s Hockey League, we’re down to the final four. Each of the quarter-finals series went according to seeding, although last season’s runner-up, Tornado, took Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod to a game decider before bowing out. Torpedo’s reward is a semi-final match-up with regular season champion Agidel Ufa in a best-of-three series that starts Monday. Biryusa Krasnoyarsk faces Dynamo Neva in the other series, starting Tuesday. Both clubs are seeking their first ever national championship.
