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Goldobin’s latest record, Ufa’s latest derby win. February 10 round-up
Nikolai Goldobin moved to 72 points for the season as Spartak won 4-1 at Barys. In the process, the forward overtook Alexander Kozhevnikov’s club scoring record, which dates back to the 1980s. In Ufa, Salavat Yulaev came from behind to beat Ak Bars and complete this season’s Green Derby series with a winning record. Saturday’s other game saw Severstal edge past Lokomotiv in a shoot-out, with teenage goalie Grigory Ivanov enjoying a debut victory.
Goldobin sets club record
Barys Astana 1 Spartak Moscow 4 (0-2, 1-1, 0-1)
Nikolai Goldobin took his points tally to 72 for the season, establishing a Spartak club record in the process. With a goal and an assist he helped the Red-and-Whites to a 4-1 win that lifts them to third in the Western Conference.
For Barys, an unhappy season cannot end soon enough. Already out of playoff contention, the Kazakh team slipped to a 10th successive loss in the final engagement of a six-game home stand.
There was seldom any prospect of that record changing here. Spartak took the initiative from the start and got in front in the ninth minute when Alexander Pashin finished off a good move with a shot from the right-hand corner. A few shifts later, Pashin had a similar chance but could not grab his second of the game. However, when Spartak got a look on the power play, Goldobin assisted on Maxim Tsyplakov’s goal to move to 71 points for the season and equal Soviet-era star Alexander Kozhevnikov’s record.
Early in the second period the teams traded goals. Ansel Galimov made it 3-0 for Spartak, but Kirill Savitsky quickly pulled one back for Barys. The home team also swapped starting goalie Eddie Pasquale for Andrei Shutov after Galimov’s marker.
Shutov kept Spartak at bay until the third period, but Goldobin had the final say when he made it 4-1 in the 46th minute. In doing so, he overtook Kozhevnikov’s record and wrapped up a win that moves Spartak in front of city rival Dynamo.
Green derby success for Salavat Yulaev
Salavat Yulaev Ufa 2 Ak Bars Kazan 1 (0-1, 2-0, 0-0)
The sixth and final edition of the Green Derby for this regular season offered Ak Bars the chance to rubber-stamp its playoff spot with a victory. However, Salavat Yulaev was looking to complete the series with a fourth win and a further round of bragging rights against its biggest foe. The action unfolded in front of a capacity crowd at Ufa Arena, and the KHL’s official mascot, Krut, was among those in attendance for the big game.
In the opening frame, Salavat Yulaev’s game lacked the sophistication to trouble Ak Bars. There was little danger in front of Timur Bilyalov’s net. At the other end, Artyom Galimov produced a great shot to beat Alexander Samonov and send the visitor into the intermission with a slender lead.
In the second period, the home power play flexed its muscles. In the 29th minute, leading scorer Alexander Chmelevski tied the game while Daniil Zhuravlyov sat out a minor penalty. Then, with Evgeny Svechnikov in the box, Salavat Yulaev went ahead in the 37th minute on a goal from Daniil Ogirchuk.
The third period saw Ak Bars, predictably, place the emphasis on attacking play. The visitor outshot Salavat Yulaev 15-9 through the final frame, but could not find a tying goal. The home defense was composed and efficient throughout to close out a narrow victory.
Skorenov gives Severstal a shoot-out win
Severstal Cherepovets 3 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 2 SO (1-0, 1-2, 0-0, 0-0, 1-0)
Severstal prevented Lokomotiv from going top of the Western Conference after a shoot-out win in Cherepovets. The home team led twice in regulation, but needed the extras to take the verdict. Alexander Skorenov converted two attempts to see the Steelmen over the line.
For Severstal, there was less at stake. Andrei Kozyrev’s team is set for the playoffs, but realistically will finish somewhere between fifth and seventh and can expect to be the outsider in any potential post-season match-up. However, the Steelmen wanted to bounce back after an overtime loss at lowly Vityaz in the previous game. Although the first period was hardly packed with goalmouth incident, the home team took a 1-0 lead to the intermission thanks to Nikita Rozhkov’s effort in the 16th minute.
That lead lifted Severstal, and the home team went on to dominate the second period. Goalie Grigory Volkov, a 19-year-old making his KHL debut, faced just three shots on target. Unfortunately for him, two of them ended up in the net. Dmitry Simashev tied the game in the 30th minute, then Daniil But got his team’s second with 17 seconds left on the clock. The home bench challenged that call, citing interference on Volkov, but the review backed the on-ice decision: good goal, and a delay of game minor for Severstal. In between those two tallies, Severstal briefly led again on a marker from Mikhail Ilyin in the 39th minute.
The third stanza was closer in spirit to the first, with the teams largely cancelling each other out. With no further goals, the game went to overtime and ultimately to a shoot-out. Loko was close to winning it after Daniil Isayev stopped the first five attempts that came his way. However, Skorenov saved the game with his team’s final effort, then won it in sudden death.
