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Radulov finds the target at last. October 5 round-up
Alexander Radulov ended an 11-game wait for a goal by scoring twice, including the OT winner over Avangard in Kazan. Admiral also needed the extras to edge a 2-1 verdict against Lada. In the West, Torpedo moves into second with a 4-2 win at Kunlun Red Star, while HC Sochi remains close behind thanks to a 4-3 verdict against Severstal.
Sailors edge Motormen in OT
Admiral Vladivostok 2 Lada Togliatti 1 OT (1-0, 0-1, 0-0, 1-0)
The Sailors moved away from the foot of the Eastern Conference thanks to an OT success against high-flying Lada. The visitor arrived in Vladivostok in second place in the East, but was unable to close the gap on Metallurg by more than a single point.
Lada had the puck in the net in the first minute, but the play was whistled off after Andrei Altybarmakyan collided with Pavel Khomchenko in the home net, preventing him from reaching Ivan Romanov’s shot. The visiting bench challenged that call, arguing there was no interference on the goalie, but the officials did not change their minds. The goal was disallowed, Altybarmakyan took a minor and there was a further bench penalty for delay of game.
It took Admiral less than 30 seconds to convert the two-man advantage into a one-goal lead through Prokhor Korbit. However, the home team was unable to build on its bright start and gradually Lada came back into the game.
By the middle of the second period, the visitor was enjoying the better of the game. That bore fruit when Dmitry Kugryshev tied the game. Subsequently, both teams played cautiously and the action moved into overtime. In the closing stages, Lada had to cope without Altybarmakyan, who suffered an injury after he was fouled by Alexei Solovyov. That incident also brought the first Lada power play of the game.
However, the decisive power play went to Admiral after the action went into overtime. The Sailors responded by stepping up the offense, and in the 63rd minute Anton Berlyov took advantage of a great feed from Nikolai Chebykin to score the winning goal.
Radulov double gives Ak Bars the edge
Ak Bars Kazan 5 Avangard Omsk 4 OT (0-1, 2-2, 2-1, 1-0)
Thursday’s blockbuster battle lived up to its billing. These two Eastern Conference heavyweights went toe-to-toe in a nine-goal thriller, with Ak Bars edging the verdict in overtime thanks to Alexander Radulov’s second goal of the game.
Radulov bounced back to form at the perfect time for his team. The explosive forward had gone 11 games without a goal prior to tonight and his uncharacteristic lack of scoring – albeit tempered by eight assists in that time – was becoming a KHL talking point.
For Avangard, meanwhile, this narrow defeat halted a two-game winning streak. However, after a late September nadir that brought painful losses at Avtomobilist (1-5) and Dynamo (0-6), things are looking up for the Hawks. In the context of not-too-distant form, this still feels like a point gained, even if the visitor led three times in the game.
The first period saw Ak Bars continue in similar vein to its lackluster home loss against Severstal last time out. The home team struggled to get its game started, and Avangard enjoyed superiority all over the ice. That translated into the only goal of the opening stanza, scored by Igor Martynov halfway through.
After the intermission, the home team found some bite at last. The pace of the game accelerated and there were big moments at both ends. Two goals in a minute early on set the tone: Daniil Zhuravlyov blasted Ak Bars level, but only for a matter of seconds before Reid Boucher restored the visitor’s lead.
Radulov came close to ending his goal drought when Ak Bars got on the power play for the first time that evening. On that occasion the piping saved Avangard, but there was no reprieve in the 37th minute. Vadim Shipachyov surged down the left wing and fed a cross-ice feed to Radulov. His one-timer wrong-footed Vasily Demchenko to snap that 11-game wait for a goal and tie the game.
Once again, Avangard hit back as Vladimir Tkachyov struck close to the intermission. But in the third period, the host got in front for the first time in the game. First, Radulov turned provider, returning the favor to set up Shipachyov for the tying goal on the power play. He was also involved early in the play that put Ak Bars in front: his feed to the blue line found Dmitry Yudin before Dmitrij Jaskin stuffed the puck home amid a crowd scene on the slot.
With five to play, that felt like a game-winner. Avangard felt differently. When Nikita Lyamkin’s stick caught Valentin Pyanov in the face, the Hawks’ power play tied the game. Tkachyov collected his fourth point of the game to set up Libor Sulak for the 4-4 marker.
That meant overtime. Damir Sharipzyanov might have won it for Avangard, but Artur Akhtyamov made a big save to deny the visiting captain. Then Radulov had the final word, exchanging passes with Kirill Semyonov before wrapping up the game.
Leopards up to third
HC Sochi 4 Severstal Cherepovets 3 (2-1, 1-2, 1-0)
Sochi’s strong start to the season continues. A hard-fought win over Severstal pushes the Leopards up to third in the West. Dmitry Kokorev’s team has nine wins from 10, its record spoiled by a 1-7 drubbing at CSKA in the midst of that surge.
Severstal, meanwhile, remains eighth. Under Andrei Kozyrev, the Steelmen lack some of the potency they enjoyed under Andrei Razin, but there are signs that the rebuilt team is responding. Today, though, despite an early lead, Severstal could not finish the job.
The fast start brought a goal from Nikita Makeyev on 83 seconds. However, home captain Kirill Rasskazov tied it up on with a shorty in the ninth minute and Matvei Michkov continued his streak to make it 2-1 before the intermission. Michkov has a goal in each of his last three games, and six points in that time.
The second period saw the teams trade goals in the 29th minute. Nikita Korostelyov brought Severstal level, but just 10 seconds later Sergei Popov restored Sochi’s lead. Another shorthanded tally, this time for Severstal’s Adam Liska, sent the teams into the final frame locked at 3-3.
It stayed deadlocked until the last minute. Then Sochi’s Croatian forward Borna Rendulic had his say. His ninth goal of the season settled the outcome in the home team’s favor. Incidentally, games between these teams tend to be high scoring. This was their fourth meeting of the season, and the seven goals shared was the lowest total so far.
Brosseau’s hot streak can’t help Kunlun
Kunlun Red Star 2 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 4 (1-0, 0-2, 1-2)
Torpedo bounced back from two losses with a battling win at Kunlun. The result puts the team up to second in the West, while the Dragons remain just outside the playoff places.
Red Star came into the game with just one win in six. Despite that unimpressive form, forward Devin Brosseau has been hot. Today he opened the scoring midway through the first period to stretch his current goal streak to four games. It was also his third goal of the season on Torpedo after he found the net twice in Nizhny Novgorod last month.
Brosseau’s effort separated the teams at the intermission, but Torpedo responded after the break. Alexei Kruchinin, who briefly played for KRS, tied the scores in the 25th minute. Then Denis Yan made it 2-1 with his first goal of the season.
The final frame saw Maxim Letunov continue tormenting the Dragons. He hit a hat-trick when Torpedo won 5-2 at home to Red Star and extended the lead to 3-1 with a 54th minute power play goal. Far from finishing the game, that inspired the home team to fight back. Jake Chelios immediately reduced the deficit and Torpedo faced an anxious finish. It took an empty net tally from Anton Sizov to finish the job.
