Dizel pushes Dynamo all the way

Dynamo played back-to-back games against VHL opposition, taking on Dizel Penza on Sunday to wrap up the first phase of its summer preparations. After a convincing 5-0 success against AKM Tula on Saturday, the Blue-and-Whites shuffled the pack.

Dynamo Moscow 2 Dizel Penza 1 SO (1-0, 0-0, 0-1, 0-0, 1-0)

That meant first appearances for the likes of Dmitry Rashevsky, Brennan Menell and Ilya Konovalov. Nikita Gusev and Jordan Weal were among the players rested from yesterday’s game.

However, the opening goal went to another of Dynamo’s emerging stars. Andrei Nikonov, 20, had something of a breakthrough season last term, making 55 KHL appearances. Today he put the Muscovites in front after great work from Nikita Buruyanov, who was also on yesterday’s scoresheet.

That was not the trigger for another high-scoring game from the Blue-and-Whites. Indeed, Dizel managed to limit its higher-ranked opponent to just one goal in regulation. Moreover, with five to play, Anton Kovalyov tied it up and took the game into overtime.

The teams played the usual five minutes of 3-on-3, but could not produce a winning goal. Dynamo finished the extras with 49 seconds on the power play after a foul on Menell, but Dizel held on to take the game to a shoot-out.

Rashevsky converted Dynamo’s first attempt to give the Blue-and-Whites an early advantage in the shoot-out. Dizel had to wait until its fifth effort before solving Konovalov, but Yegor Rimashevsky immediately responded with the winner for Dynamo.