An unexpected pacesetter

The first full week of KHL action sees an unlikely name at the top of the standings. Elsewhere, the first hat-trick of the season fires a new Spartak signing to the top of the scoring charts, while a veteran coach celebrates another career milestone.

Landmark for Bilyaletdinov

Ak Bars head coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov took charge of his 1,200^th game in Russia’s top division. And Traktor’s visit to Kazan on Monday was a memorable one in its own right. Coach Bill’s team allowed a first-minute goal, and had to rally from 1-3 before winning 5-3. Earlier that day, there was another milestone moment. However, Salavat Yulaev’s Grigory Panin might prefer to forget his 1,000^th game: his misplaced clearance handed Avtomobilist the opening goal in a 2-1 win.

Coach Bill wins in his 1,200th game. September 4 round-up

Dragons fly high

Not many people would have backed Kunlun Red Star to be the early pacesetter in the regular season standings. Yet, under rookie head coach Viktors Ignatjevs, the Chinese franchise was a point clear at the top of the table on Sunday evening. Sunday’s overtime win against defending champion CSKA made it four from five this season, lifting the Dragons a point clear of Metallurg and Avtomobilist.

Rodewald shoots down CSKA. September 10 round-up

Lada gets first win

After returning to the KHL, Lada had a tough start to the season. After losing its first three home games, the newcomer finally got off the mark with a 5-1 thrashing of Amur on Saturday. That ensures the Motormen head out on a road trip with points on the board before they return to Togliatti on Sep. 21. It’s worth noting that Lada’s first three opponents were challenging: Traktor, SKA and Salavat Yulaev were the first visitors this season.

Makeyev hits hat-trick, Lada gets first win. September 9 round-up

Sibir opens new arena

Fans in Novosibirsk attended the first KHL action at the Siberian city’s new 10,000-seater arena. However, the opening games proved mixed. Day one was a nervous affair against Barys, won by Sibir in a shoot-out after 65 goalless minutes. If that delivered the hoped-for housewarming party, game two was not at as expected. Home fans were leaving the building long before the end of the visit of Avtomobilist as the opposition powered to a 6-1 victory. Along the way, Alexei Makeyev scored a hat-trick in 7 minutes, 20 seconds, setting a new club record.

Sibir opens new arena with win. September 7 round-up

Quick O’Dell goal sets record

Dynamo’s Eric O’Dell needed just five seconds to score on HC Sochi in the third period of Saturday’s game in Moscow. That beat the previous quickest third-period KHL goal, scored by Makeyev after six seconds in 2018 (and matched by Teemu Hartikainen two years later). O’Dell’s effort, against his former club, was helped by a rule change: this season, teams beginning a period on the power play will start with a face-off in the offensive zone.

Hat-trick heroes

We’ve seen a few KHL hat-tricks this week. Nikolai Goldobin, once of the Canucks, got his first treble for Spartak in a 6-4 win over Severstal. Goldobin finished the week with 7 (6+1) points and leads the league in goals and points (the latter alongside Vasily Atanasov of Torpedo and Dinamo Minsk’s Vitaly Pinchuk). Later in the week, Alexander Chmelevski scored three for Salavat Yulaev at Lada, then Makeyev scored his speedy treble for Avtomobilist.