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Trading places. December 22 round-up
After Thursday saw new leaders in both conferences, Friday restored the old regime. In the east, Metallurg went back in front of Avangard thanks to an OT victory over Amur. In the west, Spartak defeated Dinamo Minsk and edged back in front of crosstown rival Dynamo. Elsewhere, there were road wins for Admiral at Salavat Yulaev and Traktor at Kunlun.
Magnitka back on top in the East
Metallurg Magnitogorsk 4 Amur Khabarovsk 3 OT (1-0, 2-1, 0-2, 1-0)
The home team returned to action after the break later than most of its rivals and found itself overtaken by Avangard after yesterday’s game. However, the extended rest helped defensemen Vladislav Yeryomenko and Grigory Dronov return to the line-up after injury.
The pause also gave Andrei Razin’s team time to reflect on a four-game losing streak that saw its lead in the Eastern Conference overhauled by its rivals. Today, the host got off to a fast start with a goal after two minutes, Luke Johnson scoring after Cam Lee presented the puck to Magnitka forward Semyon Koshelev.
That was the only goal of the first period, with Amur proving resilient in the early stages of the game. The Tigers managed to tie it up in the 25th minute after home goalie Ilya Nabokov failed to deal with a routine effort from long range and Stanislav Bocharov pounced on the rebound to score.
Parity lasted barely a minute before Johnson, looking rejuvenated after the international break, restored the lead with his second of the game. And when Roman Kantserov made it 3-1 late in the second period it felt like Metallurg had the outcome under control.
However, there were nothing calm about the finale. Amur got a goal back midway through the third thanks to Evgeny Grachyov. That reinvigorated the visitor’s belief and in the final seconds Yefim Gurkin grabbed a dramatic tying goal.
In the extras, Amur created more chances but gave up the decisive goal in the 65th minute. Nikita Grebyonkin got on the breakaway and dummied a shot before setting up Robin Press for the winner.
Sailors continue improved run
Salavat Yulaev Ufa 1 Admiral Vladivostok 2 SO (1-0, 0-1, 0-0, 0-0, 0-1)
Struggling Admiral is showing signs of improvement. The Sailors had taken at least a point from its last three games and extended that run in Ufa. A shoot-out win over Salavat Yulaev opens a four-point gap to basement team Barys, albeit with 10 points to make up on eighth-placed Sibir.
For Salavat Yulaev, meanwhile, this was a chance to avenge last season’s shock playoff exit at the hands of Admiral. And, at the final home game of the calendar year, the host was also eager to hit the net and trigger the now traditional teddy bear toss, which this year is raising funds to help critically ill youngster Adelia Yusupova receive treatment.
The home team dictated the play in the opening frame and deservedly opened the scoring after 16 minutes. Alexander Sharov’s power play goal gave Salavat Yulaev a lead to take to the interval, amid a fusillade of plush toys that raised a record-breaking 4 million rubles.
However, Admiral took advantage of the first intermission to rebuild its game and made a strong start to the second stanza. Dmitry Buchelnikov’s goal tied the scores, and it stayed that way until the end. Goalies Vasily Demchenko and Alexander Samonov played a big part in keeping the scores level through 60 minutes. In overtime, Demchenko sat it out to enable Ufa to play four-on-three, but that did not force a breakthrough. Instead, it went to a shoot-out and Daniil Gutik settled the outcome in Admiral’s favor.
Spartak downs Dinamo, overtakes Dynamo
Spartak Moscow 4 Dinamo Minsk 2 (1-1, 1-0, 2-1)
The Red-and-Whites are back on top of the KHL standings. Friday’s 4-2 victory over Dinamo Minsk puts the Muscovites in front of city rival Dynamo by virtue of more regulation wins this season. The teams are tied on 60 points, although Spartak has played a game more.
Both teams came into the game after winning three in a row, and Dinamo’s confidence was rewarded in the 14th minute with the opening goal. Andrei Stas, not always noted as a prolific goalscorer, found the net for the second time in successive games as Spartak reminded everyone that its reputation as league’s leading scorer is balanced by one of the less effective defenses in the championship.
Indeed, Dinamo might have extended its lead were it not for a couple of big saves from Patrik Rybar to frustrate his former club. Then, at the other end, 20-year-old defenseman Daniil Orlov tied it up when his shot from the blue line was unluckily diverted into his own net by visiting D-man Ilya Shinkevich.
Early in the second stanza, Yegor Filin put Spartak in front for the first time in the game. With Dinamo trapped in its own territory, Michal Cajkovsky moved down the right-hand flank and fired the puck to the slot where Filin steered it past Alexei Kolosov. The teams continued to trade chances, but as the second period progressed it felt that the home team packed a greater punch.
However, Dinamo got the tying goal early in the third. Mikhail Maltsev, recently returned to Russia on loan to Spartak, took a penalty and Sam Anas scored on the power play. However, the Bison hit penalty trouble almost immediately and after Andrei Loktionov went close, Nikolai Goldobin made it 3-2.
The game was still alive, and Dinamo continued to push for another tying goal. Spartak could not build a more comfortable lead until the final seconds. But after Kolosov left the game in favor of an extra forward, the home team won possession and Pavel Poryadin scored into the unguarded net to finish the job.
Traktor rallies from 0-2
Kunlun Red Star 2 Traktor Chelyabinsk 5 (2-1, 0-2, 0-2)
Kunlun returned to action after the break and, for 15 minutes, looked refreshed and effective. However, Traktor recovered from its shoot-out loss at Dynamo to retrieve a two-goal deficit and move to fifth place in the East with a win.
The Dragons started well, opening the scoring through Kyle Wood after eight minutes. Then, on 15:08, Luke Lockhart doubled the home lead. That extended Lockhart’s productive streak to four games.
After that slow start, Traktor responded well. Maxim Shabanov, the visitor’s leading scorer this season, pulled a goal back before the intermission. Then, in the middle frame, Kunlun’s discipline let it down. Semyon Der-Arguchintsev tied it up on a power play after Brandon McMillan took a double minor for high sticks. Late in the stanza, another PP saw Anton Burdasov make it 3-2.
Once in front, Traktor never looked back. The visitor faced penalty troubles of its own, not least a spell of three-on-five play. But the PK was impressive and Red Star could not take advantage. At the other end, Danil Yurtaikin made it 4-2 early in the third, and Burdasov got his second power play goal of the game in the last minute to wrap up a big win.
