On the final stretch

The 2024 Gagarin Cup final is underway, with two hard-fought battles already in the books. We’ve seen late drama and record-breaking goaltending in Magnitogorsk before the action moves to Yaroslavl today. Elsewhere, the Kharlamov Cup final is also on the boil, with the juniors of SKA-1946 up 2-1 in their series against Loko.

Metallurg takes control of final

Before the Gagarin Cup final started, most pundits favored Lokomotiv to go ahead and win its first championship in the KHL era. However, after two games, those predictions look hollow. Metallurg edged two tight verdicts on home ice and takes a 2-0 lead to Yaroslavl, where the action continues today. Goalie Ilya Nabokov, just 21, has been in inspirational form, allowing a solitary goal through 120 minutes. Meanwhile, both teams have defended superbly in an intriguing, nerve-jangling battle.

Petunin on the PP gives Metallurg opening win. April 18 playoffs

Late drama

In both games, fans have been treated to big moments in the final seconds. Game one saw Alexander Petunin grab the winning goal for Metallurg on 58:16. In game two, the only goal came at the start of the third period, but Denis Zernov’s marker was almost cancelled out with 0.2 seconds left to play. Lokomotiv had the puck in the net, but a video review wiped out the play after the officials spotted a hand pass before Georgy Ivanov put the puck in the home net. Whatever happens in the remaining games, don’t think about switching off before the buzzer sounds!

Zernov goal gives Magnitka the win. April 20 playoffs

Lokomotiv has to rewrite history

After dropping both games in Magnitogorsk, Lokomotiv is in an unenviable position. No team has recovered from 0-2 to win a Gagarin Cup final, and since MVD in 2010, no team has even managed to fight back and tie the series. Since then, five finals have seen the eventual champion jump to a 2-0 lead and go on to win it in no more six games. Can the Railwaymen change the script? There may be some encouragement from the record books, which show that two finals saw a team rally from 1-3 to win the cup: Dynamo Moscow against Avangard in 2012, and CSKA against Metallurg in 2022.

Nabokov takes Sorokin’s record

With 32 saves in game two, Ilya Nabokov recorded his first shut-out of the final, and his fifth of his rookie playoff campaign. The 21-year-old also broke Ilya Sorokin’s record as the youngest player to produce a shut-out in a Gagarin Cup final. Sorokin posted his first shut-out in the 2019 final at the age of 23 years, eight months and 11 days. On Saturday, Nabokov smashed that record, blanking Lokomotiv just 24 days after his 21^st birthday. Nabokov is still draft eligible, and is currently ranked second among European goalies, so his hot playoff form will surely be attracting attention in the NHL.

New attendance record

The opening games of the Gagarin Cup final attracted sell-out crowds to Magnitogorsk. That lifted the total KHL attendance for 2023-2024 to 736,129 spectators, improving last season’s record of 729,876. With at least two more games to play, this season is set to be the first to attract 750,000 people to KHL arenas.

SKA-1946 ahead in Kharlamov final

While the Gagarin Cup takes center stage, the Junior Hockey League’s Kharlamov Cup final is also underway. Again, Yaroslavl has plenty of interest with Loko up against SKA-1946. However, the Railwaymen are behind in this series as well. After winning the opening game, and leading 2-0 in the second, Loko suffered a 2-3 loss in game two then blew another lead in the third meeting. SKA currently leads the series 2-1, boosted by the presence of goalie Pavel Moisevich, who impressed in his first appearances in the KHL during the regular season.