Unpredictable playoff battles continue in KHL
The first round of the 2024 KHL playoffs nears completion. It’s already proved unpredictable, with last year’s Gagarin Cup finalists dumped out in the opening stages, and the top seeds from each conference still looking to confirm their places in round two.
Finalists knocked out
Both of the 2023 Gagarin Cup finalists are out of the 2024 playoffs. Defending champion CSKA lost for the first time since 2021, falling to Lokomotiv in five games. That’s sweet revenge for Igor Nikitin’s Railwaymen, who twice fell to the Muscovites on their way to back-to-back championships. It’s also the first time Sergei Fedorov has lost a playoff series as a head coach. Ak Bars also fell in five against Avtomobilist. Although a 5-0 win in game four hinted at a big fightback, Zinetula Bilyaletdinov’s team tumbled out after losing game five on home ice.
Finalists fall at first hurdle. March 8 playoffs
Two series unresolved
Only two first-round match-ups are still live – and they feature the two Conference leaders. Metallurg is up 3-2 on Amur, and can finish the job on Monday when it visits the Far East. Nonetheless, Andrei Razin’s team has found the eighth seed a tough opponent, suffering a 2-5 loss in Khabarovsk last week. Dynamo Moscow is also engaged in a struggle with Dinamo Minsk. All five games to date have been close, with the Muscovites holding a 3-2 advantage ahead of game six on Tuesday.
Robinson’s knock-out blow downs Salavat Yulaev
Perhaps the biggest surprise so far is Traktor’s win over Salavat Yulaev. Chelyabinsk came sixth in the East, but unseated the third seed over six games. The series was marked by frequent fights, with Traktor’s American import Charles Robinson often in the thick of any bout. However, in the final game of the series, the power forward also grabbed two vital goals to secure a 4-2 win in both game and series. Ironically, Salavat Yulaev’s Josh Leivo and Ivan Drozdov currently lead the playoff scoring race with 17 points between them. However, they won’t be adding to that tally this season.
Traktor moves on, Minsk stays alive. March 10 playoffs
Second seeds advance
Neither SKA nor Avangard, second in their respective conferences, faced much difficulty in progressing. True, SKA dropped the opening game of its series against Torpedo. However, the Petersburg team rallied to win the next four and set attendance records at the all-new SKA Arena along the way. Up against Lada, Avangard was similarly impressive. Although the Motormen won a playoff game for the first time in the KHL era, they had no answer to Reid Boucher. The Hawks’ forward potted seven goals, more than anyone else in the first round of the playoffs.
SKA, Avangard advance, Metallurg moves ahead of Amur. March 9 playoffs
Spartak scores more
It’s always different in the playoffs. Except when it’s just like regular season. Spartak was the KHL’s top scoring team in from September through February. And now it’s the top-scoring team in the opening round of the playoffs. The Red-and-Whites scored 25 goals in five games against Severstal, including a 7-3 win and two five-goal performances, to move into the second round. The scoring has been shared around as well, with 13 different players finding the net.
Cross-conference pairings await
In a change from previous seasons, the second round of this year’s playoffs will see cross-conference pairings. The four teams to progress from each conference will be ranked one through four. Then the first seed from the West will face the fourth seed from the East, West #2 will play East #3, and so on. With two series to be completed, we cannot yet confirm any of the pairings for the next round. However, we can say that if Dynamo Moscow gets past Dinamo Minsk, it will face Traktor. Similarly, should Metallurg defeat Amur, it would take on Spartak.
Shipachyov’s 1,000th game
Vadim Shipachyov played the 1,000th top-flight game of his career on March 4. He becomes the 19th player to do this in all Russian and Soviet hockey, and made all but 15 of those appearances in the KHL. Shipachyov, a week shy of his 37th birthday on the day, made his pro debut for Severstal as an 18-year-old on Nov. 2, 2005 in a road game in Kazan. He went on to play eight seasons for his hometown team, establishing himself as a productive forward. Then he moved to SKA (five seasons), Dynamo Moscow (four seasons) and now Ak Bars (two seasons). Over that time, he has compiled 919 points in the KHL, including a league record 630 assists. However, his landmark 1,000th game was not a happy one: Shipachyov was overshadowed by Anatoly Golyshev’s hat-trick as Avtomobilist won the game 3-1.
Late turnaround in Moscow, Golyshev hat-trick in Yekaterinburg. March 4 playoffs
