Ak Bars Kazan 4 CSKA Moscow 1 (1-1, 1-0, 2-0)
(Ak Bars leads the series 1-0)
After all the build-up, the 15th Gagarin Cup final got underway in familiar surroundings in Kazan. It’s the fifth time the season’s culmination has come to the Tatarstan capital, and Ak Bars’ fans were ready to make the most of another tilt at title glory.
Their team, meanwhile, let nobody down. An assured performance stifled the early threat from CSKA and took control of the game with some clinical finishing to grab the psychological boost of victory in the opening game.
The first goal of the final came during the first power play. However, it didn’t go to the team with the man advantage. Dmitry Voronkov sat out a delay of game call for Ak Bars, but the CSKA power play got into a mess. The home team had already created one presentable opportunity on the PK when Mikhail Grigorenko’s wayward pass gifted the puck to Artyom Lukoyanov on the halfway line. The forward advanced into the danger zone and found the top shelf to open the scoring.
Undermined on its first power play, the Muscovites did better on the second. True, technically the tying goal came when the teams were back at full strength. However, the puck hit Timur Bilyalov’s net just two seconds after Daniil Zhuravlyov was allowed back into the game. Grigorenko was the scorer, atoning for his earlier blunder when he took on a Darren Dietz pass and found the far corner with a wrist shot.
The visitor came close to getting in front before the intermission, but Bilyalov stopped Prokhor Poltapov’s breakaway and recovered to deny Takhir Mingachyov on the rebound.
Although CSKA had a 17-9 lead in shots after the first period, the second session began with Ak Bars regaining the lead. Pavel Karnaukhov’s trip on Kirill Panyukov gave the home power play a chance, and 10 seconds later Stanislav Galimov fired home a cross-ice pass from Vadim Shipachyov to make it 2-1.
The home team might have extended its advantage in a strong showing in the middle frame. Alexander Radulov set up Ilya Safonov in a good position, but the youngster’s shot hit the bar. Then, on another power play, a fine passing play saw Dmitry Kagarlitsky all alone in front of Adam Reideborn’s net. The forward, playing in his first Gagarin Cup final, was unable to take advantage as the Swede pulled off a vital save.
Those missed chances began to look costly at the start of the third period, with CSKA pushing hard to tie the game. Karnaukhov’s sharp turn behind the net opened a chance on the wraparound, but Bilyalov was quick to respond and block the corner of the net. Then Konstantin Okulov came off the boards to set up Maxim Mamin with a gilt-edged opportunity. Once again, Bilyalov had the answer, but the home goalie was facing ever more penetrating questions.
At the other end, though, Radulov’s rapid counter opened up the CSKA rearguard and led to a third Ak Bars goal. Reideborn did well to stop Radulov’s initial shot, then Vladislav Provolnev performed wonders to slide across the crease and get his stick behind Voronkov’s backhand effort on the rebound. But it was all for naught: the puck went straight back to Voronkov, whose second attempt evaded both goalie and defenseman on its way to the net.
After that, the defending champion’s evening failed to improve. Mamin left the ice with a knock sustained after an unfortunate collision with his own team-mate. Then Ak Bars added a fourth goal when Panyukov deftly redirected a Kirill Adamchuk shot past Reideborn. That gave the visitor six minutes to try to claw back a three-goal deficit, a task that never seemed to be within reach. Ak Bars closed out the game comfortably to open the 2023 Gagarin Cup final with a win.