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Review of the season: Spartak. A phenomenal first line and 263 goals scored
KHL.ru keeps on reporting on the results of the 2023-2024 season for the League’s clubs with a trip to Moscow. Spartak amazed everyone with the efficiency of their attacks, becoming the highest-scoring team in the regular season and reaching the second round of the elimination stage, where they lost to the eventual champion.
From the start of the season, it became clear that Spartak was going to surprise everyone. As early as the second game, Nikolai Goldobin scored the first hat-trick of the 2023-2024 season. In September, Spartak averaged 3.5 goals per game, and in October, they set a new club record for the longest winning streak with nine consecutive victories. Winter was also eventful. In December, Ilya Kovalchuk resumed his career with Spartak, and the team ended the calendar year at the top of the overall league standings.
However, winter also brought a slump for the Red-and-Whites, primarily due to injuries to key players (most notably Ivan Morozov, the team’s first-line center). Despite this, Spartak didn’t change its attacking style of hockey. As a result, they scored 233 goals in the regular season (the best in the League) and finished fourth in the Western Conference.
In the elimination stage, Spartak scored another 30 goals. In the first round, they defeated Severstal in five games. However, in the second round, they faced Metallurg, who managed to counter the Red-and-Whites’ high-flying offense. Spartak lost the series 2-4, including three shutouts, a stark contrast to the regular season where they were shut out only twice in 68 games.
Best players
Pavel Poryadin – Ivan Morozov – Nikolai Goldobin
Spartak’s success is directly linked to the outstanding performance of their top line, featuring Pavel Poryadin, Ivan Morozov, and Nikolai Goldobin. Spartak’s flamboyant forwards displayed truly magical play, showing an incredible level of chemistry and understanding on the ice.
Throughout the season, Morozov accumulated 46 points (14 goals and 32 assists) in 48 games, Poryadin scored 64 (30+34) points in 76 games, and Goldobin earned 87 (40+47) points in 78 games, breaking club records for points and goals in a KHL regular season along the way.
51 (33+18) points in 76 games
Maxim Tsyplakov became Spartak’s second-leading scorer of the season, netting 33 goals — 31 in the regular season and another two in the playoffs. This level of scoring is a true breakthrough for the 25-year-old forward, as he had scored just 32 in his entire career before this season (having debuted in the KHL in 2017). A powerful forward who can both battle for the puck and finish plays, Tsyplakov became a crucial player for Alexei Zhamnov’s Spartak. However, he will continue his career overseas.
37 (12+25) points in 71 games
An attacking team also needs a good offensive defenseman, right? Michal Cajkovsky fit perfectly into Spartak’s lineup and became the top-scoring defenseman for the Red-and-Whites this season. With 37 points (12 goals and 25 assists), many forwards would envy such numbers! Moreover, Cajkovsky boasts an impressive plus-12 differential. From every perspective, he had an excellent season.
Coaching
For Alexei Zhamnov, this season was his first as the head coach of a KHL club. Before the start of the championship, the primary goal for the specialist was not to win the Gagarin Cup but to build a team. “We didn’t discuss winning the Gagarin Cup with the management, to be honest. The task was to create a team, which was communicated to me when I signed the contract: to create a competitive team within two years that will make the playoffs and compete for the Gagarin Cup. This season, we made a small step forward,” Zhamnov explained.
Under Zhamnov’s leadership, Spartak played bright, attacking hockey where not only the top line was productive – every unit on the Red-and-Whites’ lineup posed a threat on the ice. “From the first training session, we tried to explain to the guys what needed to be done, where to strengthen their game, how to score more. Work was ongoing throughout the championship, but it’s tough to build a team in one year. Beating everyone and winning everything in one season – that’s not how it works; you need a balance in both offense and defense,” Zhamnov said after the playoffs.
Best game
The most spectacular match for Spartak in the 2023-2024 season took place on Dec 5, when the Red-and-Whites faced off against Dynamo in a derby at Megasport.
Spartak conceded a goal in the opening seconds, equalized, took the lead, then fell behind again. As the game progressed, they rallied from a 3-6 deficit, conceded another goal midway through the third frame while leading 7-6, but ultimately secured the victory in OT. Words can’t fully capture the excitement of the match — it’s much better to watch the highlights of this crazy Moscow derby.
Young players
During the KHL season, a dozen U23 players lined up in the Red-and-White uniform. In defense, 21-year-old Yegor Savikov had a phenomenal season. He scored a total of 20 points (5 goals and 15 assists) and achieved a plus-18 differential, averaging 17 minutes of ice time in the regular season and over 20 in the playoffs. Defenseman Daniil Orlov played 65 games this season, while his namesake Ivanov had 27.
Among the forwards, 21-year-old Alexander Pashin stood out. The forward made his full debut in the league and tallied 12 goals.
Other young players who got their chances include Nikita Susuyev (19 years old, 44 games, 3+3), Demid Mansurov (23 years old, 14 games, 1+5), Daniel Usmanov (22 years old, 36 games, 6+1), Maxim Kroyakov (22 years old, 31 games, 0+3), and Yegor Chezganov. Additionally, Yegor Varyushkin, a 19-year-old forward, debuted in the league, playing two games for Spartak and scoring a goal against Dynamo Moscow in his second overall appearance.
Summer work
Spartak cannot be described as a very active player in the market, but the Red-and-White management had a few interesting moves. Spartak has strengthened its defense by acquiring Andrei Mironov, the leader and captain of Dynamo’s defense, and has also signed forward Adam Ruzicka, who played in the NHL last season.
Among the notable losses are Maxim Tsyplakov, who moved to the Islanders, and Ilya Talaluyev, who was traded to Amur in exchange for young defenseman Yegor Martynov, who has yet to debut at the KHL level.
However, the main task for Spartak was to retain their leading trio, and the Red-and-White office excelled in this regard. Pavel Poryadin already had a long-term agreement with the club, and Nikolai Goldobin and Ivan Morozov received new contracts in the offseason. Additionally, it’s worth noting the new contract for Michal Cajkovsky — the Slovak was one of Spartak’s key players in the 2023-2024 season. Most recently, the Muscovites have renewed ties with leading forward Mikhail Maltsev.
