KHL press office
exclusive for khl.ru
Quickfire scoring settles Monday’s games. November 13 round-up
Two KHL games on Monday, and two battles decided by teams scoring twice in little over 30 seconds. CSKA came from 0-1 down at home to Neftekhimik thanks to a couple of goals in the 37th minute. But Vityaz trumped that at Sochi: two tallies in 35 seconds, both of them shorthanded, to seal a 3-2 verdict.
Short-handed double makes the difference for Vityaz
HC Sochi 2 Vityaz Moscow Region 3 (0-0, 2-3, 0-0)
Vityaz scored two short-handed goals in 35 seconds to grab a hard-fought victory in Sochi. The visitor managed to build on Friday’s win over Severstal to record back-to-back successes for only the third time this season. However, Dmitry Ryabykin’s team remains adrift at the foot of the Western Conference.
Sochi came into this game on a seven-game losing run. However, the home team looked competitive in the first, goalless period and outshot Vityaz. The Leopards were helped by a couple of power plays in the opening frame and may feel they should have been ahead at the intermission.
At the start of the second, things went astray for the home team. Ivan Vorobyov scored 32 seconds after the restart to put Vityaz in front. However, Sochi did not panic. Instead Matvei Michkov set up Marat Khusnutdinov for a tying goal in the 24th minute and Danil Avershin made it 2-1 after 35 minutes.
The game turned upside down late in the second period. Sochi got on the power play after Vladimir Galuzin sat for boarding. However, the home offense got it all wrong with the extra man. On 37:16, Scott Wilson tied the scores after a wayward shot from Daniil Seroukh cannoned off the boards and set up a Vityaz counterattack. Then, on 37:51, Ivan Savchik put the visitor in front after Garayev’s shot hit the post at one end and Ivan Yezhov’s clearance sent his team-mate clear of the defense to make it 3-2. That was two short-handed goals in 35 seconds to sent Vityaz to the intermission with the lead.
Two goals in a minute give CSKA the edge
CSKA Moscow 2 Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 1 (0-1, 2-0, 0-0)
The defending champion halted a three-game losing streak – but had to come from behind to down Neftekhimik. Two goals in a minute late in the second period put the home team on the way to victory, but the Wolves will feel they had a chance to end their own skid and return to the top eight in the East.
After losing the last three at home, and allowing 14 goals in the process, Sergei Fedorov’s team had a point to prove tonight. CSKA came out and attacked the game from the start, having the better of the first period in most areas. The home team outshot Neftekhimik 11-5, with the visitor blocking a further 11 attempts. And the Muscovites were almost four times as likely to be on the attack during the opening stanza.
However, the only goal of that session went to Neftekhimik. A home attack broke down and Bulat Shafigullin produced a terrific stretch pass to send Nail Yakupov away. He opted for an early shot, but his effort from the top of the circle was so powerful that Ivan Fedotov had no answer.
In the second period, CSKA continued to press and Neftekhimik was again forced onto the back foot. The visiting defense blocked another 15 attempts on Andrei Tikhomirov’s net and was eventually breached in the 37th minute. Vladislav Kamenev tied the scores, then 32 seconds later Maxim Mamin put the home team in front.
After falling behind, Neftekhimik tried to generate more offense in the third period and managed to make it an anxious finale for the host. Fedotov now found himself the busier of the goalies, particularly in the closing stages. The Wolves withdrew Tikhomirov on 57:47 and that late surge drew a penalty from Pavel Karnaukhov in the last minute. However, CSKA held on despite finishing the game playing four-on-six.
