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Metallurg, Torpedo to playoffs, SKA to the top of the table. January 26 round-up
Two more teams clinched playoff places on Friday. Metallurg’s 4-2 win over Admiral made them the first team to qualify from the Eastern Conference. Then Torpedo became the fifth in the West to get there, despite a shoot-out loss at Avtomobilist. Vityaz lost to Sochi, meaning one point was enough for Igor Larionov’s team. SKA thumped CSKA 5-1 and moved to the top of the Western Conference after Lokomotiv lost 3-5 at home to Dinamo Minsk. The highest-scoring game of the day was in Nizhnekamsk, where Traktor took a shoot-out win after a 5-5 tie. Neftekhimik’s point prevented Avangard from securing its playoff spot despite a 4-2 win over Ak Bars. There were also victories for Salavat Yulaev, Severstal and Lada on a busy day of KHL action.
Kulemin treble tames the Tigers
Amur Khabarovsk 0 Salavat Yulaev Ufa 3 (0-0, 0-1, 0-2)
Nikolai Kulemin returned to action for Salavat Yulaev and scored a hat-trick to defeat Amur. That completed a third victory over the Tigers this week, and the first in regulation after two 3-2 successes went beyond the standard 60 minutes.
Having played two close games, the teams had little to choose between them again at the start of this one. Salavat Yulaev kept possession a bit better and had more shots, but Amur looked dangerous on the counter and laid 10 hits on Ufa in the opening frame.
In the second period, the visitor came close to opening the scoring with a shorthanded goal when Danil Bashkirov sprinted down the ice but failed to beat Igor Bobkov. However, a power play chance in the 32nd minute saw Kulemin break the deadlock, deftly converting Ivan Drozdov’s feed. Sergei Shmelyov, playing his 600th KHL game, had a secondary assist.
Amur had another chance to get back into the game in the third after Mikhail Naumenkov went to the box. However, the home team could not find a way past Alexander Samonov in the Ufa net. At the other end, Kulemin clearly had the keys to Bobkov, potting two more in the closing stages for his first KHL hat-trick since Sep. 2021.
The Tigers had no answer and fell to an eighth successive loss. Salavat Yulaev posted a fourth straight win.
Magnitka books playoff ticket
Admiral Vladivostok 2 Metallurg Magnitogorsk 4 (0-1, 2-3, 0-0)
Metallurg became the first team from the Eastern Conference to secure its playoff place thanks to Friday’s win in Vladivostok. After losing to Admiral two days earlier, Andrei Razin sent out something approaching his strongest roster this time. Nikita Mikhailis and Alexander Petunin returned to the attack, while Danila Palivko and Vladislav Yeryomenko strengthened the defense. The Sailors continued unchanged.
The visitor began the game determined to put the record straight. In the first period, Magnitka outshot the home team. Constant attacking pressure got a deserved reward after 16 minutes when Maxim Karpov converted a rebound off a home skate.
Early in the second, Admiral got on the power play and after almost two minutes with the puck at Metallurg’s end, the home team tied the scores. Libor Sulak scored for the second game in a row, beating Ilya Nabokov with a long-range effort. However, when Sulak went to the box, Magnitka restored its lead through Luke Johnson as the midway point approached. Johnson was close to a second soon afterwards, but he fired against the post.
The pressure kept coming, and Danila Yurov finished off a swift counterattack to make it 3-1. Admiral head coach Leonids Tambijevs called a time-out and the home team gained some impetus from that, with Dmitry Buchelnikov reducing the deficit. Razin challenged the play, claiming interference on his goalie, but received nothing more than a delay of game penalty for his pains. Nabokov protected his team’s lead during that penalty kill with a big save from Kirill Petkov. Then, back at full strength, Metallurg made it 4-2 thanks to Pavel Akolzin.
That was the end of the scoring, thanks largely to a good third period from Nabokov. He robbed Giovanni Fiore of a certain goal and denying the same player on a solo rush. Gradually, though, Admiral ran out of energy and the final storm was more of a breeze than a hurricane.
Late surge sees off Ak Bars
Avangard Omsk 4 Ak Bars Kazan 2 (0-2, 1-0, 3-0)
The Hawks rallied from 0-2 to beat Ak Bars. However, victory in this game was not quite enough to secure Avangard’s playoff spot after Neftekhimik took a point from its shoot-out loss against Traktor.
However, this was far from straightforward for the home team. Ak Bars, on a three-game winning streak of its own, made a strong start and led 2-0 at the first intermission. Nikita Dynyak opened the scoring midway through the opening frame, and Ilya Safonov doubled the lead after 16 minutes.
There was some consolation for the home team in the first-period stats, which showed more shots on Timur Bilyalov’s net and more attacking possession for Avangard. A penalty on Dmitry Yudin just before the intermission gave another reason for optimism but the first power play of the game came to nothing. Back at full strength, though, Ak Bars iced the puck and the subsequent passage of play saw Sergei Boikov pull a goal back.
However, there was more adversity to come for the home team. Avangard was reduced to three skaters midway through the session when Nikita Kholodilin took a major penalty for boarding, only to be joined in the box by Damir Sharipzyanov. The Hawks had to dig deep to withstand the pressure, but made it through without sustaining any further damage.
The turnaround came at the start of the third period. Semyon Chistyakov tied the game in the 43rd minute, then Ilya Reingardt potted the winner in the 46th. The 20-year-old forward impressed back in pre-season but has featured sparingly in the championship this season. Today he got his first KHL goal in only his 10th appearance for Avangard.
After falling behind, Ak Bars injected more urgency into its game in a bid to salvage at least a point. However, the home defense held firm and the visitor was unable to play without a goalie after Stanislav Galiyev sat for hooking on 58:08. The power play saw Damir Zhafyarov set up Ryan Spooner to make it 4-2 and wrap up the win.
Torpedo joins playoff party
Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 2 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 1 SO (0-0, 1-1, 0-0, 0-0, 1-0)
Despite a shoot-out loss in Yekaterinburg, Torpedo secured its place in this year’s playoffs. The point from a 1-1 tie in regulation was sufficient after Vityaz lost at home to HC Sochi later on Friday.
The opening exchanges were hard-hitting and in one incident Nikita Tryamkin sent Madison Bowey head over heels onto the bench with a powerful check. However, neither team could find a goal in the opening frame.
Torpedo made a lively start to the second period. The visitor had a three-on-one break where Nikita Shavin failed to beat Vladimir Galkin. A couple of shifts later, Galkin allowed the opening goal after Kirill Voronin drew the defense towards him before setting up Maxim Letunov at the back door.
It took some time for Avto to respond. However, midway through the session, Curtis Valk hunted down Vladislav Firstov on the boards, forcing a turnover and setting up Brooks Macek, perfectly placed on the slot, for the tying goal.
Scoring chances remained hard to come by at both ends for the rest of the game and it was little surprise that the game went all the way to a shoot-out. The Motormen took the verdict thanks to Macek’s successful attempt, maintaining their grip on fourth place in the East.
Barys fires blanks again
Lada Togliatti 2 Barys Astana 0 (1-0, 0-0, 1-0)
Barys again failed to score, falling to a 0-2 loss at Lada. The Kazakhs were blanked in their previous game, a 0-7 drubbing at SKA, and also could not find the net on their most recent encounter with Lada on Jan. 15. A rough season in Astana is in danger of falling away in the final weeks.
For Lada, meanwhile, this season’s return to KHL action continues to go well. Today’s result makes it four wins from the last six and keeps the Motormen in fifth place in the East. A playoff spot seems all but certain and Oleg Bratash’s team would probably fancy its chances in a first round series against the likes of Avtomobilist or Salavat Yulaev.
Today’s game brought a third shut-out of the season for Vladislav Podyapolsky. He stopped 35 shots, most of them in the third period as Barys tried to save the game. By that time, the visitor was trailing to a goal late in the first from Nikolai Demidov. The defenseman is not exactly prolific – this was his first goal of the season, having failed to score last term – but he bagged a power play tally to open the deadlock in the 18th minute.
In the second period, both Podyapolsky and his opposite number Andrei Shutov made some striking saves to keep the game at 1-0. The final frame saw Barys attack more and get three power play chances. However, the third of those saw Ostap Safin get on the breakaway, only to be fouled by Adil Beketayev. A penalty shot was the verdict, and Safin picked himself up to double the home lead. Immediately after that, Lada took another penalty and Barys had a five-on-three chance but failed to capitalize. That effectively ended the visitor’s hopes and Lada handed its opponent a fourth successive loss.
Bison snatch late win
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 3 Dinamo Minsk 5 (0-1, 1-1, 2-3)
Two goals in the last three minutes saw Dinamo grab an exciting win at Lokomotiv. The home team rallied from 1-3 down to tie the game in the final frame, but those two quick goals proved to be in vain after Tanner Fritz and Alexander Volkov secured the points for the Belarusians. Dinamo now has a 13-point cushion over ninth-placed Sochi and – barring a dramatic collapse – should be confident of making the playoffs.
The game picked up pace as it went. The first period saw few scoring chances, although Rob Hamilton opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a shot through traffic. In the second, Loko tied it up thanks to Artur Kayumov, but allowed a power play goal to Nick Merkley as Dinamo regained the lead.
But it all happened in the third. Volkov got a third for visitor after 25 seconds. That ushered in a spell of Lokomotiv dominance. Over the course of the final frame, the home team would outshoot Dinamo 20-7. In the 54th minute, that produced two goals. A long spell of pressure saw Daniil Tesanov take matters into his own hands, stepping up to fire home for 2-3. Fifty seconds later, Kayumov was first to a rebound to get his second and Lokomotiv’s third.
The momentum seemed to favor the Railwaymen as the game entered the final stages and when Merkley was called for tripping, the stage was set for a home winner. Dinamo had other ideas. The visitor had offered almost no attacking threat, but suddenly Fritz popped up with a shorty to restore Minsk’s lead. Neither he, nor Dinamo, were done. Another Loko power play, this time with goalie Daniil Isayev going to the bench, saw Fritz involved again to set up Volkov to make it 5-3.
Leopards leapfrog Vityaz with fourth win in five
Vityaz Moscow Region 2 HC Sochi 3 (1-1, 0-2, 1-0)
It’s probably too late to launch a serious bid for a playoff spot, but Sochi’s upturn in form moved the Leopards up to ninth in the West. A 3-2 win at Vityaz makes it four wins from five games, with back-to-back meetings to come against Kunlun Red Star, another Western Conference struggler. Vityaz, meanwhile, suffered a third straight loss to leave its own playoff prospects looking bleak.
The home team struck early in this one. Alexander Yaremchuk opened the scoring after 32 seconds. Vityaz almost took that lead to the intermission, but just before the hooter Sochi’s top scorer Artur Tyanulin tied it up.
In the second period, the visitor achieved some control. Artyom Volkov put Sochi in front in the 33rd minute and Matvei Michkov made it 3-1 as the second intermission approached.
However, Vityaz consistently outshot Sochi through this game and ensured the contest remained live until the last. A power play tally from Vladislav Tsitsyura with eight minutes left raised hopes of a home revival, but Sochi closed out the win.
Traktor recovers to win a thriller
Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 5 Traktor Chelyabinsk 6 SO (2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 0-0, 0-1)
A 10-goal thriller needed a shoot-out to separate the teams after Anton Burdasov’s last-minute goal denied Neftekhimik of victory in regulation.
Burdasov struck on 59:14, completing a fightback from Traktor. Overtime could not settle the outcome, and Maxim Shabanov got the shoot-out winner at the end of a pulsating clash.
The tone was established early in the game. Artyom Blazhiyevsky put Traktor ahead in the sixth minute, but the lead had already changed hands by the 10th. German Tochilkin and Jean-Sebastien Dea struck to give Neftekhimik a lead that it carried to the intermission.
Midway through the second, the teams traded goals: Vladimir Bryukvin and Alexander Rykov found the net 15 seconds apart. Later in the session, Artyom Serikov restored the host’s two-goal advantage before Burdasov’s first of the game kept it tight going to the break.
Early in the third Dmitry Zhukenov made it 5-3 for Neftekhimik and the Wolves looked to be heading to a valuable victory in their playoff push. However, a shorthanded goal from Charles Robinson kept Traktor in contention, and Burdasov’s late strike paved the way for a shoot-out win for the visitor.
Steelmen outshine Sibir
Severstal Cherepovets 4 Sibir Novosibirsk 0 (2-0, 2-0, 0-0)
A dominant performance from Severstal was too much for Sibir. The Eastern Conference visitor was limited to just 17 shots at Alexander Samoilov and slipped to a fourth loss in five games. After seeing four points deducted last week, the Siberians can ill-afford a slump in form as the race for the playoff spots intensifies.
Severstal, meanwhile, has few concerns about its post season destiny. The Steelmen are not mathematically assured of a top-eight place, but this win moves then ahead of CSKA to sixth in the standings, 21 points clear of ninth-placed Sochi.
Andrei Kozyrev’s team took control of this one with a strong first-period display. Timur Mukhanov and Kirill Pilipenko scored twice in a minute to open a 2-0 lead while Sibir struggled to generate chances at the other end.
The second period brought more Severstal dominance, and two more unanswered goals. This time, Ilya Ivantsov made it 3-0 before Pilipenko converted a five-on-three power play just before the second intermission.
There was no further scoring. Sibir looked slightly more competitive in the final frame but never seriously threatened to jeopardize Severstal’s win.
SKA thrashes defending champ, reaches Western summit
SKA St. Petersburg 5 CSKA Moscow 1 (2-0, 0-0, 3-1)
Remember that point early in the season when there was talk of a crisis at SKA? Suggestions that Petersburg might be left without playoff hockey? An unprecedented five-game skid in September set alarm bells ringing, but since then SKA has been in impressive form. Tonight’s 5-1 win over defending champion CSKA puts the team on top of the Western Conference, a point clear of Lokomotiv.
True, CSKA might argue that the 5-1 scoreline flatters the home team a little. SKA took the lead midway through the first period, Valentin Zykov and Arseny Gritsyuk scoring a minute apart. After that, though, the Muscovites came into the game and posed a significant threat in the goalless middle frame.
That momentum carried on for the visitor, and a power play goal from Vitaly Abramov after 27 seconds of the third suggested the game was very much alive. Another power play for CSKA midway through the final stanza could have led us to a very different outcome, but SKA survived that scare.
Once back at full strength, the home team took the game away. Gritsyuk got his second of the night, then Zykov followed suit four minutes later. A last-minute blast from Alexander Nikishin wrapped up the scoring as SKA celebrated scaling the summit.
