Big boost for Neftekhimik’s playoff hopes. January 30 round-up

With just two games on Tuesday’s card, Neftekhimik was the big winner. An overtime victory over Lada gives the Wolves a four-point gap to ninth-placed Amur. Meanwhile, another contender for eighth place, Sibir, suffered a 0-4 loss at home to Ak Bars.

Dominant Ak Bars leaves Sibir struggling

Sibir Novosibirsk 0 Ak Bars Kazan 4 (0-2, 0-1, 0-1)

Sibir’s playoff hopes took a hit with a 0-4 loss at home to Ak Bars. Sergei Krivokrasov’s team was hoping to keep up the pressure on Neftekhimik and Amur in the race for the top eight but fell to a third successive defeat. To make matters worse, this was the second time in three games that Sibir failed to score.

Krivokrasov was highly critical of his team’s performance in a 1-4 loss at Dinamo Minsk last week. However, he did not make substantial changes to his line up for the visit of Ak Bars. The opposition welcomed Slava Voynov and Artemy Knyazev back to the defense but had to do without Vadim Shipachyov, ruled out by injury for the second game in a row.

The home team made a decent start and there were chances for Vladimir Butuzov and Artyom Mikheyev early on. However, when Sibir’s defense was tested, it was found wanting. Ak Bars made it difficult for Sibir to clear its lines, and that contributed to Kirill Semyonov’s opening goal in the fifth minute. Then came a power play tally from Semyon Koshelev to double the lead midway through the opening stanza. That spelled the end for starting goalie Denis Kostin, with 37-year-old Anton Khudobin coming off the bench for his first action since Dec. 2.

After Ak Bars dominated the first period, Krivokrasov responded by reshuffling every line. However, his changes had little effect. The visitor continued to dictate the play, and even a couple of power play chances did nothing to help Sibir. Instead, Ak Bars showed how it should be done when Alexander Radulov needed just seven seconds to punish Pavel Gogolev’s high stick. Gogolev’s foul saw Dmitry Kagarlitsky suffer a minor injury, but the forward returned to the game in the third period to complete the scoring.

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Khlystov's special wins it in OT

Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 4 Lada Togliatti 3 OT (1-2, 1-0, 1-1, 1-0)

Lifted by news of Sibir’s latest loss, Neftekhimik snapped a three-game skid to open a four-point gap to ninth-placed Amur. In an entertaining encounter, both teams held the lead in regulation before Nikita Khlystov’s goal in overtime settled the outcome.

Neftekhimik was the first to show, opening the scoring through Bulat Shafigullin in the sixth minute. However, Lada responded 35 seconds later when Andrei Altybarmakyan tied it up, and Donat Stalnov put the visitor in front before the first intermission.

Midway through the second period, a power play goal from Andrei Belozyorov tied the scores. Early in the third, Belozyorov turned provider with an assist as Alexander Dergachyov’s PP tally made it 3-2 to the home team. However, that wasn’t enough to settle the game. In the 55th minute Evgeny Groshev tied it up, assisted by Stalnov.

That sent the game into overtime and after 73 seconds of play, Neftekhimik got the winner. Dergachyov and Belozyorov added to their points, but this was all about the defenseman Khlystov. He took the puck deep in his own territory and charged down the right wing to wrap up the win with a spectacular solo effort.