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Six games, four shut-outs. October 16 round-up
Monday was a memorable day for KHL goalies. In the six games played, four ended in shut-outs. Neftekhimik, Severstal, CSKA and SKA all blanked their opposition. Only Spartak’s 5-1 win at Sochi and Dynamo’s hard-fought 2-1 verdict over Sibir produced games in which both teams found the net.
Dolganov blanks Lada
Lada Togliatti 0 Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 4 (0-2, 0-1, 0-1)
Neftekhimik’s Filipp Dolganov posted his second shut-out of the season, issuing a challenge to his new team-mate Dmitry Nikolayev. The 25-year-old forced his way into Neftekhimik’s KHL roster this season for the first time, but faces a battle for the starting role after Nikolayev arrived from SKA last week. Today, he stopped 22 shots to record his fourth victory in 10 games as the Wolves moved to within a point of the playoff places.
For Lada, there were hopes that victory over Admiral had halted the slide after four successive losses. Today, however, the Motormen were unable to build on that result and missed the chance to return to the top four in the East.
The opening goal came a few seconds after the end of Neftekhimik’s first power play of the game. Lada thought it had done enough to kill the penalty safely, getting the puck deep and sending the visiting PP back into its own territory. However, when Ilya Khokhlov gained possession in the D-zone, he set off down the ice. The home team, perhaps distracted by Danila Moiseyev’s emergence from the box, failed to close the defenseman down and he ripped home a wrister from the left-hand channel. Late in the first, Neftekhimik doubled its lead with a genuine power play goal, Andrei Belozyorov setting up Nikita Setdikov.
A two-goal lead was perhaps slightly flattering after a fairly even start. But there was no faulting the visitor’s commitment to this game. Over the course of the evening, Neftekhimik’s players blocked 23 shots to help protect Dolganov’s net. At the other end, Lada could not find the same effective resistance. Lukas Klok scored late in the second and third periods, the latter coming on another power play with an assist from Setdikov, to complete a comfortable win.
Kozyrev’s Severstal gets revenge win
Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 0 Severstal Cherepovets 4 (0-2, 0-1, 0-1)
The second instalment of the coaching duel between Igor Larionov and Andrei Kozyrev went to the junior of the pair. Last season, Kozyrev was an assistant to Larionov at Torpedo. On his return to Nizhny Novgorod today, he masterminded a victory and avenged last week’s 3-4 loss in Cherepovets.
The first encounter between these teams was characterized by open, offensive play. This was no different. Both sides had plenty of attacking possession, although the Steelmen were noticeably more willing to shoot the puck, and got more of their attempts on target.
That turned into a 2-0 lead with a couple of quick goals in the 13th minute. Mikhail Ilyin opened the scoring, and just 24 seconds later Nikita Korostelyov made it 2-0. Torpedo then lost Alexei Kruchinin on a high-sticking minor, but killed the penalty and sustained no further damage before the intermission.
In the second period, scoring chances were harder to come by. Severstal was able to play to the scoreboard, at least to some extent, and that meant the visitor was happy to absorb Torpedo pressure. The Severstal counterattack also packed a punch. Ivan Podshivanov added a third goal, and the visitor had the puck in Ivan Kulbakov’s net for a fourth time, only for the attempt to be called back due to a hand pass.
When the teams met in Cherepovets, Severstal blew a 3-1 lead. The disallowed goal may have encouraged Torpedo to believe that a repeat was possible. However, the visitor had learned from the experience and closed out the game in the third. Alexander Zhabreyev added a fourth goal midway through the final frame, assisted by Podshivalov. The 21-year-old’s two-point game saw him match the goal and assist he collected through 21 appearances in the KHL last season.
Michkov’s scoring return can’t save Sochi
HC Sochi 2 Spartak Moscow 5 (0-1, 0-2, 2-2)
With a sixth successive victory, Spartak moves to within a point of table topping Lokomotiv. Sochi, whose early-season rise to the upper reaches of the standings, slipped to a third loss in four. With leading scorer Borna Rendulic leaving the club, things are looking tough for the Leopards. However, there was some consolation in Matvei Michkov’s scoring return from injury.
Spartak opened the scoring in the ninth minute. Ansel Galimov, who spent the 2020-2021 season with Sochi, broke the deadlock with his fifth goal of the season. However, it was the second period that really swung the game in the visitor’s favor. The Red-and-Whites scored twice, with Nikolai Goldobin continuing his fine run of form and Ivan Morozov also finding the net. In between, Spartak went close again in the 38th minute when a video review ultimately ruled out another possible goal.
The 48th minute brought another video review, and this time the verdict went Spartak’s way. Maxim Tsyplakov’s stick was questionably high as he looked to redirect Michal Cajkovsky’s point shot, but the forward made no contact with the puck as it went into the net and the goal stood.
Shortly afterwards, Michkov announced his return with a power play goal, but Ilya Talaluyev quickly potted a fifth for Spartak. The final word went to Sochi’s Semyon Ibragimov, but his last-minute tally was far too late to affect the outcome.
Homecoming boost for Dynamo
Dynamo Moscow 2 Sibir Novosibirsk 1 (0-0, 2-0, 0-1)
Neither team arrived at this game in great form. Sibir suffered five successive losses, including an unsuccessful three-game home stand. Dynamo, meanwhile, dropped off the pace at the top of the Western Conference after faltering in its last two road games.
The change of scenery helped the Blue-and-Whites today, though. In the first period, the host had the better of the game without really managing to turn that into serious peril for Anton Krasotkin in the Sibir net.
In the middle frame, though, Dynamo edged in front. Pavel Kudryavtsev burst down the left and fired in a shot that rattled Krasotkin’s pads. The puck went straight to Eric O’Dell, who steered it to the slot where the on-rushing Kudryavtsev was on hand to finish the move he started.
Then, in the final seconds of the frame, Krasotkin was bamboozled by a crazy bounce. When Igor Ozhiganov got the puck in center ice, he clearly had nothing more than a dump and chase in mind. But this was a case where home ice literally helped out the home team: on the slot, the puck suddenly leapt off the playing surface and spun into the top corner, giving the goalie no chance to react as it bounced over his shoulder.
Dynamo began the third period in control of the play, but a Sibir power play brought the contest back to life. Vladimir Butuzov converted that chance in the 52nd minute to set up an anxious finale. A late penalty on Ozhiganov opened the door for one final storm from the visitor, but the Blue-and-Whites held firm to take an encouraging victory.
Kunlun’s skid continues
CSKA Moscow 7 Kunlun Red Star 0 (2-0, 2-0, 3-0)
The Dragons suffered a 10th successive loss after a toothless display at the defending champion. The difference between the teams was summed up in the first period, when the visitor managed just three shots on goal. At the other end, CSKA was far more active and jumped to a 2-0 lead.
In fairness, the home team got some help from Kunlun on both goals. The first came over Pavel Karnaukhov halted an attempt to bring the puck into center ice. He claimed possession and set up Vitaly Abramov in oceans of space. Then Vladislav Kamenev doubled the lead on the power play.
The second period saw CSKA extend its lead with goals from Takhir Mingachyov and Maxim Sorkin. Up by four at the second intermission, Sergei Fedorov’s team may have plotted a repeat of its crushing wins over Sochi and Vityaz a couple of weeks ago.
Sergei Plotnikov made it 5-0 at the start of the final frame before Matvei Shuravin claimed his first KHL goal. The 17-year-old struck midway through the session adding to the assist he collected two days ago against Sochi. Finally, another power play saw Mikhail Grigorenko complete the rout. Alexander Sharychenkov finished with 18 saves for his first shut-out of the season.
New-look SKA makes it four wins from five
SKA St Petersburg 5 Admiral Vladivostok 0 (1-0, 2-0, 2-0)
SKA opted to select Artemy Pleshkov as starting goalie, with fit again Johan Mattsson as back up. That meant no swift reunion for Nikita Serebryakov, who swapped Admiral for SKA little more than a week ago.
Pleshkov may find he is short of opportunities as a starter with two more senior partners available, but he did nothing to reduce his chances today. The 20-year-old recorded his third shut-out of the season, stopping 31 shots to backstop a comfortable home win.
The Sailors made a game of it in the first period, with Pavel Shen forcing Pleshkov into perhaps his biggest save of the night with the score still goalless. However, a power play goal for Alexander Kadeikin late in the first period tilted the scales in SKA’s favor.
After the intermission, the home team quickly increased its lead. Borna Rendulic has brought his scoring form with him from Sochi and made it three goals in three games when he converted the rebound from Vladimir Alistrov’s counterattack. A couple of minutes later, Alistrov was involved again during a slick combination play that set up Alexander Nikishin for 3-0. That forced Admiral head coach Leonids Tambijevs to call a time-out, although he kept goalie Pavel Khomchenko in the game.
Tambijevs managed to calm his troops during that pause, and there was no further scoring in the middle frame. However, the final stanza began with Semyon Sinyatkin scoring his first KHL goal to put SKA up 4-0 and banish any lingering doubts about the final outcome. Things got even better for the home team midway through the session when Arseny Gritsyuk’s power play tally made it five and completed the scoring.
