Russia wins 3x3 tournament

For the first time at the Channel 1 Cup, fans got to see 3x3 hockey. The four teams played a knock-out tournament, whetting the appetite for the start of the KHL 3x3 championship next week. Russia 25 and Belarus progressed to the final, with the host nation taking a 4-2 verdict in that gold medal game. Kazakhstan defeated the KHL World Team in the battle for bronze.

Semi-finals

The day started with Russia playing Kazakhstan. The roster came from players who were not involved in Thursday’s win over the KHL World Team, with Artemy Pleshkov in goal and Maxim Sokolov serving as head coach.

Ivan Demidov, who celebrated his 19th birthday earlier this week, highlighted how this new hockey format is a hit with the next generation. He opened the scoring in the third minute and, 12 seconds later, added an assist as Danil Aimurzin doubled the lead. Kazakhstan pulled a goal back late in the game but when Demidov scored into an empty net the verdict was clear.

In the second game, the KHL World Team had an early chance to open the scoring on Belarus. Pavel Denisov’s cross check after 35 seconds brought a penalty shot – there are no penalties in 3x3 – but Arnaud Durandeau could not convert. 3x3 hockey is a fast-moving game and nine seconds after that miss, Stepan Zvyagin put Belarus in front.

Durandeau tied the game in the fourth minute, setting up a game that ebbed and flowed before Belarus grabbed a 4-3 win. 

Third-place playoff

That meant the KHL World Team had to play back-to-back games and coach Mikhail Kravets had prepared a second roster for this eventuality. In the bronze medal game against Kazakhstan, a new-look World fell to a goal 12 seconds from the hooter

Despite finishing fourth in the competition, Kravets enjoyed his first experience of 3x3 action.

“Playing is always more fun than practice,” he said. “In 3x3, just as in 5x5, you need skill, vision, speed and the strength to win your battles, even if there’s no checking here. When I was a player, we had 3x3 as part of the coaching process, but not as a tournament. It helped enhance our skills and improve our hockey vision.”

Gold medal game

The final saw Russia 25 take on Belarus. Like the third-place playoff, this was a close-fought battle settled in the closing moments. The early exchanges saw Valentin Demchenko put Belarus in front before Aimurzin responded. That made it 1-1 at the end of the second period. But the final frame brought four more goals, three of them scored on Belarus to give Russia 25 a 4-2 verdict and overall victory in the tournament.

The Channel 1 Cup continues Saturday with a rematch of today’s final in 5x5 format, followed by the KHL World Team looking for its first victory when it takes on Kazakhstan.