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Spartak hits the top. December 7 round-up
The last gameday before the KHL breaks for the All-Star Game and Channel 1 Cup saw Spartak go to the top of the standings thanks to a 4-3 win over Sochi. Metallurg drops from first place after blowing a 2-0 lead and losing to Torpedo. Dynamo’s shoot-out win at Severstal keeps the Blue-and-Whites level on points with Spartak. Sibir won its first game after sacking David Nemirovsky, sending Barys to the foot of the standings. There were also wins for Admiral, Avtomobilist, Lokomotiv, Lada, SKA and CSKA.
Revenge win for Admiral
Admiral Vladivostok 1 Amur Khabarovsk 0 (0-0, 0-0, 1-0)
It was quick revenge for Admiral after yesterday’s shoot-out loss to Amur. The fifth edition of this Far East rivalry followed 24 hours later and ended with the Sailors grabbing a 1-0 victory. A debut goal from Dmitry Zavgorodny late in the game made all the difference, lifting the home team from the foot of the Eastern Conference standings.
Zavgorodny’s appearance following his arrival from Sochi was not the only change head coach Leonids Tambijevs made to his team. Vasily Demchenko got the start in goal, Daniil Gutik and Giovanni Fiore changed lines and Kirill Petkov, another arrival from Sochi, also made his first appearance for his new club. The defense also saw changes, with Maxim Chudinov and Evgeny Lisovets making way for Mark Yanchevsky and Yury Pautov. By contrast, Amur selected the same roster as Wednesday’s game.
Both teams got early power play chances, but neither could take advantage. In the first period, Admiral enjoyed a significant lead in shots on goal (17-7) and had substantially more time on the attack (7:13 vs 3:20). However, Igor Bobkov did well in the Amur net to keep it goalless through 20 minutes.
After the intermission, the Tigers came into the game far more. Andrei Martemyanov’s team was lifted by another power play, giving it a chance to spend time around Demchenko’s net. Kirill Panyukov, Stanislav Bocharov and Alexander Khokhlachyov all generated promising opportunities, but once again nobody could make the breakthrough.
The visitor had a great chance in the third period when Alexander Gorshkov and Denis Golubev received penalties just seven seconds apart. But the long five-on-three power play saw Demchenko and his defense in fine form, fighting fires all over the danger zone as Amur tried to capitalize. Panyukov got the puck in the net, but a bench challenge overturned that one: Kirill collided with the goalie in the process and the play was whistled off.
Panyukov’s day got worse. He took a penalty in the closing stages, and the power play saw Zavgorodny pot the winning goal with four minutes left on the clock.
Winning start for Krivokrasov
Sibir Novosibirsk 5 Barys Astana 1 (4-0, 1-1, 0-0)
Sibir’s four-game skid spelled the end for head coach David Nemirovsky, who was fired on Wednesday. His interim replacement was Sergei Krivokrasov, once a right-winger for the Blackhawks and then the Predators in their expansion season. More recently, Krivokrasov has coached on his hometown team Yermak Angarsk and, since the start of last system, with Sibir.
It wasn’t long before he made his first big call in his new role. A fourth-minute power play goal from Taylor Beck was initially ruled out due to contact between Andy Andreoff and Barys goalie Andrei Shutov. The Sibir coaching staff challenged the call, and the video review found that Andreoff was shoved into the goalie by a defenseman. The home team was up 1-0.
And Krivokrasov’s debut got better with a rush of three goals at the end of the first period. Vladimir Butuzov doubled the lead, assisted by exciting youngster Vladimir Mikhalyov, then Nikolai Prokhorkin and Artyom Mikheyev extended it to 4-0.
At the intermission, Barys swapped goalies and Eddie Pasquale came out for the second period. He was beaten by Andreoff on the power play before Anthony Camara pulled one back for the visitor. Pasquale returned to the bench for the third period, with Shutov resuming his role between the piping. The third period was goalless, with Barys slipping to the foot of the Eastern Conference while Sibir opened a four-point gap over ninth-placed Amur.
SKA wears down Mylnikov’s resistance
Traktor Chelyabinsk 1 SKA St. Petersburg 3 (0-0, 1-2, 0-1)
SKA bounced back from the end of its 11-game hot streak with an impressive performance at Traktor. The home team was in decent form, with three wins from its last four, but struggled to get into this game.
The visitor dominated the first period, outshooting Traktor 15-2. Borna Rendulic and Nikolai Polyakov had the best chances of the opening frame, but Sergei Mylnikov kept his team in the game.
The breakthrough had to wait until midway through the game. Alexander Nikishin thumped in a point shot and Rendulic was first to react to the rebound. Five minutes later, the visitor converted its second power play of the game. Traktor cleared its lines but Nikita Serebryakov returned the puck with interest through the whole opposition as Vladimir Alistrov went through on Mylnikov’s net to double the lead. Nonetheless, Traktor recovered with a goal from Artyom Blazhiyevsky to stay in touch at the second intermission.
That persuaded the host to commit to more offense at the start of the final frame. Vitaly Kravtsov was denied a tying goal by Serebryakov, but gradually SKA regained control of the play. Were it not for a foul by Alex Galchenyuk, the visitor would surely have eased to victory, but instead Traktor got a chance to get back into the battle in the closing stages. As a result, the game was live until the final seconds, when Alexander Nikishin found the empty net to take the result for the visitor.
Late show ends Ufa’s winning streak
Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 3 Salavat Yulaev Ufa 2 OT (1-1, 0-0, 1-1, 1-0)
A late Curtis Valk goal saved Avtomoblist from defeat here, and denied Salavat Yulaev a sixth consecutive win. The visitor led twice, but could not hold on and fell to an overtime loss.
Salavat Yulaev made a bright start and got the opening goal after five minutes through Alexander Sharov. He got onto a great pass from Dinar Khafizullin and emerged from behind a defenseman to shoot home.
That didn’t much change the pattern of play, with the visitor posing a greater attacking threat. But Avto’s forwards have a touch of class about them and that produced a tying goal. Stephane Da Costa drew the defense out of position and got behind the net before putting the puck back to the slot for Anatoly Golyshev to score.
The second period saw Avtomobilist start on the power play. Golyshev had a great chance from close range and Brooks Macek went close after the teams were back at full strength. However, his effort was ruled out for offside. At the other end, Ufa came back into contention and Yegor Suchkov had a good chance before the intermission.
In the third, Salavat Yulaev regained the lead. Sergei Shmelyov sent Sharov clear on a breakaway in the 47th minute and he potted his second of the game to make it 2-1. The same man was close to a hat-trick, but lost out from close range. Josh Leivo had a great shooting position but Vladimir Galkin kept the home team in the game. Late on, though, Avto managed to save themselves: Macek forced an error from the opposition, Sergei Shirokov got behind the net and set up Valk for a tying goal that closely resembled the first.
In OT, Valk lost his stick and Viktor Kozlov withdrew his goalie to try and make the most of his opponent’s weakness. However, that did not come off. Then a second attempt at playing with an empty net led to da Costa winning possession and scoring from his own zone to win it for Avto.
Torpedo rallies from 0-2 to beat Metallurg
Metallurg Magnitogorsk 2 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 3 (2-0, 0-2, 0-1)
Magnitka’s status as Eastern Conference leader took a battering during its current home stand. Andrei Razin’s team returned to Magnitogorsk after its 11-game winning streak came to an end and today lost on home ice for the third time.
In response to that slump, Razin handed Daniil Vovchenko a debut following his recent arrival. The newcomer played his part in a flying start for the home team, assisting on Nikita Grebyonkin’s goal after three minutes. That made it 2-0 after Alexander Petunin opened the scoring in the first minute. Visiting goalie Adam Huska left the game on 3:01, replaced by Ivan Kulbakov.
Vovchenko was close to scoring himself at the start of the second period, but Kulbakov made a huge save to keep Torpedo in the game. After that, the visitor began its journey back into contention. Mikhail Orlov got the first goal in the 26th minute, then Vladislav Firstov tied the scores during a passage of four-on-four play as the second intermission approached. Now it was Metallurg’s turn to swap goalies, with Artyom Zagidulin replaced by Ilya Nabokov.
Suddenly, this was anybody’s game. Both teams had chances to go ahead, but the decisive moment came after Firstov took a penalty. Just 18 seconds after he went to the box, Torpedo forced a turnover and Vasily Atanasov raced down the ice for a trademark finish on Nabokov. That proved to be the gamewinner: neither team could add to the scoring in the remaining minutes despite Metallurg’s late surge.
Lada blanks Wolves
Lada Togliatti 3 Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 0 (0-0, 1-0, 2-0)
Neftekhimik suffered a seventh successive loss as Lada improved to two wins from three as its recent slump seems to be coming to an end. The home team made changes after a 2-4 loss to Torpedo, keeping only the first line intact. Neftekhimik, meanwhile, was largely unchanged after a 1-4 reverse in Chelyabinsk but did welcome back Mikhail Sidorov and Rafael Bikmullin.
Bikmullin drew the first foul of the game in the fifth minute. However, the visitor could not convert that power play and continued to struggle for goals throughout the game. In the first period, the visitor had the better of the play, outshooting Lada 15-4 but failing to make the breakthrough.
The pattern of play did not change in the early stages of the second period. But Lada began to gain control after Vladislav Syomin scored a power play goal to give the home team a somewhat undeserved lead. That goal handed the Motormen a big lift, helping them seize the initiative for the remainder of the game.
The host continued to press in the third period and got its rewards midway through the frame when Mikhail Fisenko added a second power play goal. After that, there was no way back for Neftekhimik and Ivan Romanov’s empty net marker wrapped up the final score.
Loko comeback downs Ak Bars
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 3 Ak Bars Kazan 1 (0-1, 0-0, 3-0)
The Railwaymen remained on track after coming from behind to beat Ak Bars. The visitor slipped to a second loss after dropping a 1-4 verdict at Severstal, suggesting that the Kazan team may have something to think about during the upcoming break.
That said, if Ak Bars can recreate their performance from the first period, the team’s form will surely improve. Home goalie Daniil Isayev was all that kept Loko in the game. Stanislav Galieyev and Alexander Radulov both had great chances, but Isayev made the saves. Midway through the frame, Dmitry Yudin’s shot came off the boards for Ilya Safonov to open the scoring.
Igor Nikitin had plenty to talk about at the intermission and the message seemed to get through. Lokomotiv enjoyed far more puck possession, and did more with it. Martin Gernat was denied by the post but there was no scoring until the final frame.
At the start of the third, Pavel Kraskovsky’s power play goal marked his 500th KHL appearance. He was assisted by Daniil But, who soon put the home team in front. Having turned things around, Loko continued to press. Andrei Sergeyev and Nikita Kiryanov had chances, but it took another power play to bring a third goal. Yaroslav Likhachyov finished that one off to complete the scoring and seal Loko’s win.
Defending champion eases past Vityaz
Vityaz Moscow Region 1 CSKA Moscow 4 (0-2, 1-0, 0-2)
Vityaz came into the game on the back of three defeats, prompting Dmitry Ryabykin to make changes. Vitaly Popov returned to the offense, Igor Golovkov was back on the blue line and Dmitry Shikin got the start in goal. CSKA brought back Yaroslav Dyblenko, plus forwards Andrei Svetlakov and Mikhail Grigorenko.
The Muscovites dominated the first period. Outshooting the home team 13-3, the visitor took a 2-0 lead into the intermission thanks to goals from Prokhor Poltapov and Grigorenko – his first goal since Nov. 5.
Late in the opening frame, Jeremy Roy decided to give the home team a lift: a few seconds before the intermission he fought Sergei Plotnikov, knocking his opponent to the ice and bringing the crowd it its feet. Then, in the second period he had an assist as Scott Wilson got it back to 2-1. Alexander Yaremchuk was close to a tying goal, but the post saved CSKA.
Early in the third, Vityaz continued to test Ivan Fedotov in the CSKA net. Gradually, though, the defending champion’s class wrested control of the game. Svetlakov made it 3-1 in the 49th minute and Vladislav Provolnev’s empty-netter wrapped up the win.
Severstal Cherepovets 1 Dynamo Moscow 2 SO (0-0, 0-1, 1-0, 0-0, 0-1)
After a crazy 15-goal battle with Spartak last time out, this game could hardly have been more different for Dynamo. Instead of scoring freely, the teams struggled to find the net and finished the 60 minutes tied a 1-1. Maxim Motorygin took the starting goaltender role for the Blue-and-Whites, and the 20-year-old justified his role with 26 saves through 65 minutes. He was also unbeaten in the shoot-out to give his team a tight verdict.
It wasn’t the first time we’d seen this. The teams’ first meeting this season produced no goals in regulation, and midway through this one it was entirely possible they would produce a repeat. Then, in the 36th minute, Dynamo got in front when Brennan Menell’s power play goal broke the deadlock. Nikita Gusev’s assist stretched his productive streak to eight games; he has 11 (1+10) points in that run.
The lead did not last. Severstal raised its game after the break and Ruslan Abrosimov tied it up in the 48th minute. Neither team could win it in regulation, nor in OT. The shoot-out went to Dynamo thanks to Gusev’s successful attempt.
Red-and-Whites out in front
Spartak Moscow 4 HC Sochi 3 (0-1, 1-1, 3-1)
Spartak moved to the top of the KHL standings after a hard-fought win over Sochi. There was no role for Ilya Kovalchuk, who agreed a return to Spartak during the week, but he saw his team take the verdict in the third period.
Sochi handed a debut to its new forward, Nikolai Chebykin. He made a bright start with an assist as Danila Galenyuk opened the scoring after seven minutes.
In the middle frame, Spartak turned the play around. The shot count was 13-2 in the host’s favor, but in terms of goals it was 1-1. Pavel Poryadin tied it up in the 30th minute, only for Amir Garayev to restore Sochi’s lead late in the session.
But the third period saw the home team take control. Joey Keane tied the scores midway through the game, then the last five minutes brought goals from Alexander Belyayev and Andrei Loktionov, the latter into an empty net. It wasn’t quite the end; Danil Avershin pulled one back for Sochi with 45 seconds to play. But Spartak held on and goes top of the table as we head into the first break of the season.
