Groundhog day, for better or worse. November 26 round-up

It was a day of repetitions in the KHL. Avangard was happy enough to repeat its last-gasp tying goal to grab a shoot-out win, this time at Metallurg. Others were less keen on seeing a scenario unfold again: Lokomotiv repeated its failure to score at home to Torpedo and lost at Dynamo Moscow to the same 0-3 scoreline. And Dinamo Minsk went to overtime for the second time in three days, ultimately falling to Traktor just as it lost out to Avtomobilist on Sunday.

Another late escape for Avangard

Metallurg Magnitogorsk 1 Avangard Omsk 2 SO (1-0, 0-0, 0-1, 0-0, 0-1)

The Hawks made it three wins in a row, but produced another dramatic finish to snatch the verdict here. For Omsk goalie Nikita Serebryakov, it was a second successive shoot-out victory, and the second time in three days that he saw his team-mates tie the game after he went to the bench.

Avangard also handed debuts to a pair of new signings on defense. Ryan Merkley and Yegor Voronkov came into the team. Metallurg brought back Robin Press and Nikita Mikhailis, while Luke Johnson was available again after missing 10 days through injury. Vladislav Yeryomenko, Danil Bashkirov and Boris Osipovich made way.

The Steelmen rode their luck early on. Home goalie Ilya Nabokov could not hold onto a long-range effort and the rebound was twice cleared off the line. After that, the teams exchanged dangerous attacks and Metallurg got in front thanks to a Dmitry Silantyev effort, putting away the rebound from his own shot.

In the second, Magnitka had more of the game. Silantyev and Andrei Kozlov caused frequent problems, while Merkley was often guilty of losing the puck in dangerous spots. Serebryakov came up big to save his team after Denis Zernov’s line forced another defensive error.

After surviving a tough session, Avangard improved in the third. Reid Boucher missed a good early chance but otherwise Metallurg’s defense did a good job at neutralizing the Hawks’ forwards. There were even chances to pad the lead: Danila Yurov got clean through and shot wide.

It all came down to the final seconds. Yurov took an untimely penalty and, with 75 seconds to play, Serebryakov went to the bench. Playing six-on-four, Nail Yakupov’s good work on the slot sent the game into overtime.

The extras livened up after Nikolai Prokhorkin’s foul handed Metallurg another power play, but the home team continues to struggle with an extra man and could not take advantage. The shoot-out started as a duel between Prokhorkin and Yegor Yakovlev, who scored two each, but the decisive attempt was converted by Boucher to win it for Avangard.

Lokomotiv misfires for the second game in a row

Dynamo Moscow 3 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 0 (1-0, 2-0, 0-0)

In form Dynamo reeled off a sixth successive win, while Lokomotiv suffered back-to-back losses for the first time this season. After Saturday’s loss at home to Torpedo, the Railwaymen continued to fire blanks here, failing to score for the second night in a row.

The first period saw Lokomotiv look every inch a top-of-the-table team – except for one detail. Despite dominating play and leading the shot count 13-3, the visitor could not score. Hunter Miska did well in the Dynamo net and, on a rare counter, the Blue-and-Whites made one of those three attempts stick at the other end. Jordan Weal broke the deadlock in the 17th minute, capitalizing on Kirill Gotovets’ advance from defense to beat Daniil Isayev.

In the second period, Dynamo continued to frustrate the Lokomotiv offense and added to its lead. Dmitry Rashevsky doubled the lead four minutes into the session, flying into the zone and firing a wrister to Isayev’s short side. By now, home counterattacks were producing the greater danger and in the 33rd minute Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi added a third goal. This time, a defensive error cost Lokomotiv, with Nikita Cherepanov leaving the puck behind for the Dynamo forward to pounce.

After that, the visiting offense was noticeably subdued and Dynamo protected its lead to the intermission with little alarm.

It rather summed up Loko’s day when the visitor got the game’s first power play early in the third – and immediately took a penalty of its own to even up the teams. Dynamo held its three-goal lead and killed another penalty midway through the frame. Loko came closest to scoring in the 55th minute when Alexander Yelesin’s point shot deflected onto the bar.

That was the last moment of real danger for Miska and Dynamo as Alexei Kudashov’s men produced something of a statement performance.

Kadeikin’s latest double  leads Traktor past Minsk

Dinamo Minsk 3 Traktor Chelyabinsk 4 OT (0-1, 2-1, 1-1, 0-1)

Two goals from Alexander Kadeikin helped Traktor to a hard-fought OT win in Minsk. The Eastern Conference leader recovered from a home loss to Kunlun, while the Belarusians fell in the extras for the second game in a row.

In the first period, Dinamo looked the better team. The Bison outshot Traktor 11-3 and created the more promising opportunities at equal strength. However, the home team also took the first penalty of the night, and Arseny Kovgorenya’s double minor for high-sticking invited Maxim Shabanov to open the scoring on the power play.

Dinamo continued to push at the start of the second period and tied the game in the fifth minute thanks to Josh Brook. Vadim Shipachyov led a swift attack and set up Roman Gorbunov with a good chance. Sergei Mylnikov stopped that shot, but the rebound fell kindly for Brook and the defenseman followed up to score.

Traktor regained the lead in the 35th minute through Dylan Sikura. The 29-year-old Canadian forward only had one goal from 18 games prior to today, but after the home team lost possession in center ice, he was on hand to convert a Semyon Der-Arguchintsev feed. The lead lasted three minutes before the host’s power play tied it up on a goal from Alexander Volkov. Shipachyov claimed his second assist of the night.

Penalties continued to shape this game. Early in the third, Dinamo’s Kristian Khenkel sat for a high stick that caught Vitaly Kravtsov. That gave Traktor the initiative and, just as Khenkel left the box, Alexander Kadeikin stuffed home the rebound from Kravtsov’s shot to make it 3-2. However, that was not enough to win it. Dmitry Kvartalnov sent out a sixth skater and Volkov struck again after Mylnikov was unable to freeze the puck following a shot from out wide.

That took the game to overtime – Dinamo’s second in three days – but after Sam Anas tested the visiting goalie right at the start, Traktor took the win. Kadeikin, who tends to get his goals in pairs this season, did it again; his second of the night secured a 4-3 verdict.