Winning start for CSKA

Ivan Fedotov started in CSKA’s first game of the summer, and the goalie backstopped a 3-2 win at Dinamo Minsk. Elsewhere, Kunlun beat Vityaz 4-0 and Torpedo edged Dizel for the second time in 24 hours.

Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 3 Dizel Penza 2 (0-0, 1-1, 2-1)

For the second time in two days, Torpedo defeated its farm club in a warm-up game. After Friday’s 2-1 win, Igor Larionov changed up his offense. Only Nikita Shavin remained from the forwards who played 24 hours earlier as the home team tested some of its younger players. On defense, though, it was the same group of six experienced blue liners who featured before.

Dizel was boosted by a couple of ‘transfers’: goalie Lorens Zinaddin and defenseman Alexander Pelevin swapped sides overnight to join the VHL outfit.

After a goalless first period, the opening goal went to Dizel in the second. Alexei Mitrofanov, who scored Penza’s goal on Friday, was on target once again. However, the KHL team tied the game midway through the frame. Dmitry Breus scored his first for the club and, as head coach Larionov pointed out after the game, he becomes the first player with German and Kazakh ancestry to find the net for Torpedo.

Early in the third, the home team took control of the game with goals from Denis Yan and Yegor Vinogradov opening a commanding lead. Alexander Timiryov pulled one back for Dizel to keep the game alive until the end, but Torpedo held on for a second win.

Dinamo Minsk 2 CSKA Moscow 3 (0-0, 1-3, 1-0)

Ivan Fedotov’s contract saga has been making headlines on both sides of the Atlantic. While CSKA and the Flyers argue over the goalie’s future, the man himself made his first appearance for over a year as the defending champion played its first game of the summer.

Fedotov backstopped a youthful CSKA roster to a 3-2 win in Minsk. The Muscovites named Yegor Bryutov in the first defensive pair, and there were also roles for Ivan Yanchenko, Ivan Rogov, Kirill Dolzhnikov, Vasily Dronyk and Matvei Shuravin. Sergei Fedorov was clearly keen to test the club’s depth ahead of its title defense.

For Dinamo, 24-year-old goalie Dylan Ferguson made his first appearance. He made his NHL debut for the Senators last season but spent most of the campaign in the AHL. Canadian defenseman Yanni Kaldis and American forward Sam Anas also featured in the starting line-up for Dmitry Kvartalnov’s team.

Kvartalnov saw his new team make a bright start against one of his former clubs. However, despite some lively play in the early exchanges, there was no quick goal and steadily CSKA grew into the game.

After a goalless first period, the visitor stepped up a gear in the second to score three goals in 90 seconds. Konstantin Okulov and Pavel Karnaukhov got the first two before young Yanchenko added a third.

Dinamo refused to back down, and a one-timer from Nikita Pyshkailo beat Fedotov to bring the contest back to life. Then, in the third, Nikita Smirnov’s tally made it a one-goal game and gave the Bison real hope of salvaging a result. However, that was as close as Minsk got: CSKA’s second-period lead was big enough to decide the outcome.

Vityaz Moscow Region 0 Kunlun Red Star 4 (0-0, 0-1, 0-3)

Later this week, both these teams will take part in the Mayor of Moscow Cup. Today they met in warm-up action, and the Dragons came out on top.

It took time for a breakthrough in Balashikha, but after a goalless half-hour Red Star broke the deadlock. A double minor for Ilya Anufriyev proved to be the turning point, inviting KRS onto the attack and getting the lead through Devin Brosseau. At the other end, goalie Matt Jurusik pulled off a big save to halt a two-man rush during a Vityaz power play and protect Kunlun’s lead until the intermission.

After the break, the Dragons extended their lead. Brosseau got his second of the game, Zac Leslie scored on the power play and Spencer Foo’s assist maintained his record of scoring in every game so far this summer. Jurusik continued to repel all that came his way, finishing with 22 saves for his shut-out, and Brosseau wrapped up a good day with an assist on Doyle Somerby’s empty net goal.