Spartak season review: Coaching merry-go-round and VHL success
For the first time since 2017, Spartak missed the playoffs. KHL.ru continues its club-by-club review of the season with a look at what happened to the Red-and-Whites in 2022-2023.
Over the past five campaigns, Spartak consistently reached the playoffs. However, in that time the club won just one series — and that was by default when Jokerit withdrew from the competition. In total, there were five wins and 20 losses in post-season play. This time, though, Spartak struggled throughout, not helped by two changes behind the bench. The highlight of the season came in the VHL, where farm club Khimik won the cup. The winning coach was Igor Grishin, who spent several months as head coach in the KHL.
The team was in contention for a playoff spot until the very end, but finished four points adrift. The final week proved costly as Spartak, now under the guidance of Alexei Zavarukhin, lost 7-1 at home to CSKA then suffered a 2-4 reverse at Dynamo.
Best players
55 (19+36) points in 65 games
Spartak through and through, Khokhlachyov finished the season as the club’s all-time leader in the KHL for goals, assists and points. After six seasons in Red-and-White, he has 226 (92+134) points from 320 games. This season, he was seventh in the league for scoring and ended just two points behind third place. In the coming campaign he and Dmitry Vishnevsky (328 games) are likely to overhaul Anatoly Nikontsev’s club record of 358 KHL games.
17 wins in 45 games, 2.43 GAA, 92.4% saves
At first glance, this goalie’s stats weren’t so impressive. However, adding in extra figures like xG, Rybar emerged as one of the most effective goalies in the league. According to xG he robbed the opposition of 34.19 goals. His reward was a contract extension, agreed even before the end of the season.
18 (7+11) points from 53 games
Kvartalnov was nobody’s idea of a lock for Spartak’s first team when he arrived. The forward had gone a long time without a goal, but here he found the net for the first time in two years and also became a true engine of the team. He formed a key part of the PK as well. That caught the eye of Metallurg’s management, who last week agreed to sign him in a move that could see Nikolai Goldobin head the other way.
Coaching
Boris Mironov returned after taking the team to the second round of the playoffs in 2022 (albeit with an asterix next to that achievement, as mentioned above). This time, Mironov lasted 29 games before he was replaced by Igor Grishin. The new coach made a good start, but could not sustain that early impetus and was replaced after a further 29 games. Alexei Zavarukhin oversaw the final 10 games.
Best game
There were several memorable games, including a road win at CSKA and a comeback from 0-3 to beat Torpedo at home. However, the best performance came in a 3-1 victory in Omsk. Igor Grishin’s team took the game to Avangard from the start and opened a 2-0 lead in the second period. Late in the day, Maxim Chudinov marked his Spartak debut with a goal and the only blot came in the final second when Reid Boucher robbed Alexei Krasikov of a shut-out.
Youngsters
Spartak iced 20 players born in the 2000s last season. Yegor Savikov saw the most action, and also got a call-up to the 2022 Fonbet KHL All-Star Game in Chelyabinsk. He was the team’s second most productive defenseman with 12 (2+10) points. Daniel Usmanov was the most productive of the young forwards, finishing with 4 (3+1) points. Notably, many of these youngsters used their KHL experience to help Khimik win the VHL. Although forwards Nikita Chibrikov and Fyodor Svechkov have moved out, Spartak still has a solid core of young talent looking to hit new heights next season.
Summer activity
Spartak was quick to get busy in the transfer market. Pavel Poryadin arrived from Neftekhimik, Michal Cajkovsky adds scoring power from the blue line and incoming goalie Andrei Kareyev provides depth alongside Rybar. In addition, Spartak signed Alexander Burmistrov, a battling bottom-six forward, and acquired the rights to Nikolai Goldobin, one of the most skilled players to feature in the KHL in recent seasons. Alexei Zhamnov, head coach of Team Russia, will take charge for the coming campaign.
