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Metallurg leads the way, hat-tricks for Weal and Plotnikov. January 9 round-up
With a 5-3 win over Western Conference leader Lokomotiv, Metallurg moves two points clear at the top of the overall KHL standings. Dynamo Moscow drew level with the Railwaymen thanks to a home win over Sochi, while Spartak suffered a 0-3 loss at Dinamo Minsk. Eastern high-flyer Salavat Yulaev also suffered a disappointing defeat, going down 1-2 at home to Kunlun Red Star. CSKA had a big home win against Torpedo, Avtomobilist beat Lada 4-1 and Traktor won 5-3 at home to Neftekhimik. In a day of high-scoring action, the exception was in Kazan where Ak Bars and Barys played 65 goalless minutes before the home team won the shoot-out.
Traktor ends Neftekhimik’s hot streak
Traktor Chelyabinsk 5 Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 3 (1-1, 0-1, 4-1)
Neftekhimik’s five-game winning run came to an abrupt halt after Traktor blasted four goals in the third period. The Wolves were up 2-1 at the second intermission, but could not survive that onslaught in the final frame.
The teams were full of energy for this game, and Ilya Karpukhin had Traktor in front inside four minutes. That was all that separated the teams through the opening frame, and right on the buzzer Neftekhimik tied it up through Evgeny Kashnikov. He was assisted by Dmitry Zhukenov, who made it four assists in his last four games.
The second session also saw plenty of bright, enterprising hockey and both teams had chances to get in front. Neftekhimik had better fortune, taking the lead midway through the session when Dmitry Sokolov finished off a slick move.
However, Traktor responded strongly at the start of the third. Semyon Der-Arguchintsev tied it up after a couple of minutes, then Maxim Shabanov added to his first-period assist with the go-ahead goal. There was more to come: Anton Burdasov converted a wonderful set-up from Kirill Kadyshev, who got his first KHL point in some style. In the closing stages, Alexander Rykov and Ilya Pastukhov traded goals to make the final score 5-3.
Magnitka moves out in front
Metallurg Magnitogorsk 5 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 3 (3-1, 1-1, 1-1)
With victory in this battle of the Conference leaders, Metallurg moves clear at the top of the overall KHL standings. The Steelmen have 70 points, with Lokomotiv on 68 alongside Dynamo Moscow.
Both teams produced surprises in their line-ups for the big game. Andrei Razin went with Nikita Podskrebalin as his starting goalie, giving him only his second appearance since moving from Traktor and just his 10th in the KHL. He also handed 17-year-old defenseman Alexander Siryatsky a KHL debut and even entrusted the youngster with time on the power play.
Lokomotiv also had big changes. Martin Gernat’s return on defense was a welcome boost, while young forwards Alexei Kozhevnikov, Yaroslav Likhachyov and Daniil But all featured. Goalie Daniil Isayev faced a top opponent for the third game in a row after previously encountering SKA (2-1) and Traktor (3-1).
Magnitka made a first start. Inside three minutes, Yegor Korobkin opened the scoring with his first goal since Nov. 11. Then came another goal on the home team’s first power play with Nikita Grebyonkin applying a deft touch to Igor Geraskin’s shot.
Lokomotiv hit back right before the intermission when a great pass from Nikita Kiryanov set up the experienced Sergei Andronov for a shot to the far corner. Had it stayed 2-1 until the break, the game may have played out differently. However, on 19:44, Metallurg restored its two-goal lead thanks to Yegor Yakovlev’s goal.
Although Loko was down 1-3, it was Metallurg that swapped goalies at the intermission. Ilya Nabokov replaced Podskrebalin, who received attention from the team doctor. On the ice, Grebyonkin returned Geraskin’s first period favor, assisting on another goal for the recent signing from Avangard. Lokomotiv replied through Gernat but could not make further inroads.
Geraskin scored his second goal of the game early in the final stanza. He now has three goals and six points in five games since reconnecting with Razin. Grebyonkin added another helper to complete his own three-point game. That sealed a convincing win that not even a late goal from one-time Metallurg prospect Alexei Bereglazov could spoil.
Dragons end losing streak
Salavat Yulaev Ufa 1 Kunlun Red Star 2 (1-1, 0-1, 0-0)
Kunlun snapped an eight-game skid and got its first victory in Ufa since August 2017 in a hard-fought game against Salavat Yulaev.
Although it took some time for the teams to open the scoring, there was no shortage of goalmouth incident in the first period. Home goalie Ilya Ezhov had a busy time of it: although Salavat Yulaev had a couple of power plays and plenty of possession, Red Star’s incisive counterattacks created the better chances.
Ezhov was eventually beaten on the Dragons’ first power play when Gemel Smith scored his first goal since joining the club. Ironically, his previously KHL marker came against Red Star while playing for Dinamo Minsk. Red Star could not preserve that lead until the intermission: Ivan Drozdov’s long-range effort deflected into the net off Doyle Somerby to tie the game. In the closing seconds of the frame, the visitor hit the post and saw good chances for Brandon Yip and Devin Brosseau, but could not regain the lead.
Early in the second, Kunlun got its second goal. Spencer Foo found space in front of the net and banged home a pass from his brother Parker to restore his team’s lead. Subsequently, Salavat Yulaev took control of the play, helped by three power play chances in the middle frame. However, the home forwards were wayward all night and did not test Matt Jurusik as much as they should have done.
That pattern continued into the third. Even a late spell of six-on-four play could not give Salavat Yulaev the breakthrough it needed. Viktor Kozlov’s team missed a chance to improve its position towards the top of the Eastern Conference, while Viktors Ignatjevs could celebrate a first win in 2024.
Avtomobilist wins battle of the Motormen
Lada Togliatti 1 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 4 (0-2, 0-1, 1-1)
In the early part of this season, Lada’s resurgence was one of the KHL’s big talking points. Today, though, the home team suffered a fourth successive loss and instead of pushing for a top-four finish looks to be more concerned with securing its playoff place as comfortably as possible. By contrast, Avtomobilist remains in fourth place after this win.
Lada welcomed back forward Scott Kosmachuk, injured back in November. However, that was only good news for Oleg Bratash’s team in the early stages of this game. Avtomobilist impressed at both ends of the ice in the first period, outshooting Lada 14-5 and blocking eight shots. That added up to a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Alexei Makeyev and Danil Romantsev.
That sparked Lada into belated life but there was little going right for the home team as it tried to retrieve the game. Avto looked quicker in thought and movement and eventually that brought a third goal, scored by Yegor Alexeyev via a deflection off a Lada player. Earlier in the game, Alexeyev got his first assist in the KHL; now he had his first goal.
Midway through the third, Lada got one back and Kosmachuk marked his return with an assist on Maxim Mineyev’s tally. But that was merely a consolation effort: Stephane Da Costa added a fourth to end any prospect of a late scare.
Spartak’s unhappy New Year continues
Dinamo Minsk 3 Spartak Moscow 1 (2-0, 0-0, 1-1)
After such an impressive 2023, Spartak is not enjoying the happiest of New Years. Today brought a third successive loss in 2024, and a fifth defeat in the last six games for Alexei Zhamnov’s men. The Red-and-Whites also dropped to third in the West behind Dynamo Moscow.
For Dinamo Minsk, meanwhile, this represents a third win in four. The Bison have a healthy nine-point lead over ninth-placed Kunlun in the standings and look well-placed to make the playoffs under Dmitry Kvartalnov.
The early stages saw Spartak look good. However, the visitor could not turn potential into measurable progress. Dinamo stuck to its gameplan and gradually wrestled control. Two goals from Alexander Volkov late in the session – the second on a power play after ex-Bison Shane Prince became the first Spartak man in the box – gave the home team a solid foundation at the intermission.
It might have been even better in the second period. A defensive collapse left Spartak wide open, but Patrik Rybar pulled off a huge save to deny Ignatenko a third goal for Dinamo. At the other end, Spartak struggled to get a good look at Dylan Ferguson and it remained 2-0 through 40 minutes.
At the start of the third, Vadim Moroz made it 3-0 and took the game away from the visitor. Spartak struggled to stay out of the box, although perhaps the best chance to start a fightback fell to Prince as he jumped back into the game and went clean through on Ferguson but couldn’t get a shot off. In the end, the home goalie missed out on a shut-out in the final minute when Alexander Belyayev potted a consolation effort. However, that could not deny Dinamo a good win.
Semyonov ends goaltending duel
Ak Bars Kazan 1 Barys Astana 0 SO (0-0, 0-0, 0-0, 0-0, 1-0)
This game was all about the goalies. Between them, Ak Bars’ Timur Bilyalov and Barys’ Andrei Shutov stopped 51 shots through 65 minutes. Then, in the shoot-out, eight out of nine attempts failed to find the target. Only Kirill Semyonov found the net all night to give Ak Bars the narrowest of wins.
It’s a result that does little to clarify claims that last year’s beaten finalist is over its recent slump. The positive take is that Zinetula Bilyaletdinov’s men secured a fourth successive victory, moving up to sixth in the East and having games in hand that could secure a top-four spot.
However, a more cautious view might warn that Barys has the second weakest defense in the Eastern Conference, is on its third head coach of the season and lost its previous two games. An in-form Ak Bars would surely have expected to brush aside such opposition more easily.
The home power play might also be cause for concern. Barys took six penalties in the game, but Ak Bars could not capitalize. Given the offensive power offered by the likes of Vadim Shipachyov and Alexander Radulov – second and third in all-time KHL scoring – that seems like an astonishing failure to deliver.
Nonetheless, whatever the shortcomings of the performance, this is a results business. Although the last four outings have been one-goal games, they have all been wins. And if that it what it takes to bring some confidence back to Kazan’s hockey, we can expect better things to follow.
Blue-and-Whites close on Western summit
Dynamo Moscow 5 HC Sochi 1 (1-1, 3-0, 1-0)
Jordan Weal hit a hat-trick as Dynamo moved level with Western Conference leader Lokomotiv. Tuesday’s big victory sees Sochi’s winless streak continue: it’s now 14 games since the Leopards last came out on top.
The home power play made the difference today, collecting four of Dynamo’s five goals. Weal got the first in the sixth minute, requiring just three seconds to punish Gleb Koryagin’s foul. Sochi recovered, stayed out of the box and tied the scores through Jesse Graham in the 15th minute.
In the second period, Dynamo scored twice more on the PP. Eric O’Dell restored the lead – assisted by Weal – then Jordan himself got his second of the game in the 40th minute. In between, Cedric Paquette scored at equal strength.
The final stanza brought another power play goal as Weal completed his hat-trick. Nikita Gusev had an assist on that play, claiming four helpers in the game and moving to 62 (17+45) points this season. He’s on a run of 10 points in three games.
Plotnikov’s hat-trick leads CSKA rout
CSKA Moscow 7 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 2 (4-0, 2-0, 1-2)
On the other side of Moscow, CSKA recorded a fourth straight win, thumping Torpedo in a manner that suggests the defending champion may be hitting its stride at last. Sergei Fedorov’s team remains sixth in the West, but is now just three points behind today’s opponent.
The game was done in the first period. CSKA rattled in four unanswered goals to leave Torpedo shellshocked. Andrei Svetlakov got things started when he converted the first power play of the night, then Konstantin Okulov doubled the lead in the 10th minute. Barely a minute later, Kirill Dolzhenkov made it 3-0 and Ivan Kulbakov made way for Adam Huska in the visitor’s net.
Huska didn’t fare all that much better. Sergei Plotnikov relished the Slovak’s arrival in goal and scored a hat-trick on him, finding the net in the 20th, 27th and 36th minutes.
That put the game out of reach, but there was still incident in the third. Svetlakov missed a penalty shot, hitting the post after he was hauled down on a shorthanded breakaway. In the closing stages, Vladislav Firstov potted two goals for Torpedo – scant consolation – while Vitaly Abramov got CSKA’s seventh.
