Shipachyov plots Traktor defeat, Ufa misses chance to go top. December 18 round-up

Three assists from Vadim Shipachyov led Dinamo Minsk to a 3-1 win at Eastern Conference leader Traktor. That opened the door for Salavat Yulaev to take the lead in the East, but a 2-3 loss at Ak Bars denied Viktor Kozlov’s team first place. Metallurg closed on the leading trio with a 4-2 win over Avtomobilist, while in the Western Conference Severstal defeated Sochi by the same scoreline.

Shipachyov torments Traktor again

Traktor Chelyabinsk 1 Dinamo Minsk 3 (1-1, 0-1, 0-1)

Vadim Shipachyov had a hand in all three goals as Dinamo defeated the Eastern Conference leader. The KHL’s all-time scoring leader moves to 948 (294+654) career points after three helpers in today’s game in Chelyabinsk.

It was Dinamo’s third win in four games, lifting the Belarusians up to seventh in the West ahead of Torpedo. Traktor failed to earn a point in back-to-back games for the first time this season but held on to first place in the East thanks to Salavat Yulaev’s defeat in Kazan.

The visitor handed a debut to goalie Vasily Demchenko, who arrived from Admiral during the international break. Demchenko’s first game for Minsk was in his hometown, against his first club, and it ended in success. His team-mates opened the scoring midway through the opening frame when Shipachyov set up a quick counter and Nikita Pishkailo finished the play. That looked like it would separate the teams at the intermission, but 31 seconds before the break Maxim Shabanov brought Traktor level.

However, Dinamo was right back on it at the start of the middle frame. Shipachyov played a key role again, setting up Vadim Moroz to make it 2-1. In response, Traktor found it hard to break down a well-drilled visiting defense and rarely gave Demchenko any serious work to do.

There was a similar story in the third, with Shipachyov again setting up a goal for Moroz. He might have had a goal of his own as well, but saw a dangerous shot come back off the crossbar. Traktor, meanwhile, had more possession and shots but could not find a way past Demchenko. For the second time this season, Shipachyov had a three-point game against Traktor; unlike last month’s OT loss in Minsk, this time he finished on the winning side.

Avto’s woe continues in Magnitogorsk

Metallurg Magnitogorsk 4 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 2 (0-0, 4-0, 0-2)

This was the first game of a home stand that will pit Metallurg against three of its traditional rivals at the top end of the Eastern Conference. After today’s win over Avtomobilist, the defending champion will face Salavat Yulaev and Avangard in the coming days – followed by road trips to Yekaterinburg and Omsk before the New Year.

The home team was boosted by the return of goalie Ilya Nabokov, who came through the Channel 1 Cup with a clean bill of health after missing the past few games through injury. Nabokov’s last KHL action was on Nov. 26. Yegor Yakovlev and Yegor Korobkin also returned to the fray.

Avtomobilist handed a debut to Nikita Shashkov, who had been gaining game fitness in the VHL after joining the Motormen at the start of the month. He joined Curtis Valk and Vladimir Kuznetsov on the fourth line.

The first period was even, with neither side able to break the deadlock. Metallurg had a slight edge, largely due to a couple of power plays, but the opening exchanges suggested both teams were rediscovering their rhythm after the international break.

Metallurg was the first get its groove on. The home team began the second period on the power paly and Alexander Petunin opened the scoring 32 seconds after the restart. Avto almost hit back right away: Magnitogorsk native Alexei Byvaltsev almost found a tying goal, but Nabokov protected his team’s lead.

The home goalie might have expected more work when the visitor got its first power play of the night. Instead, though, a counterattack saw Andrei Kozlov slice through the defense and fire in a backhand at an awkward height for Vladimir Galkin, making it 2-0 in the 28th minute. Then Magnitka scored twice in 45 seconds late in the period, with Nikita Mikhailis and Pavel Akolzin taking the game away from Avtomobilist.

There was a worrying moment at the start of the third period when home defenseman Vladislav Yeryomenko crashed into the boards after a challenge with Alexei Obidin. Yeryomenko had to be stretchered off the ice with the medics in close attendance. Avtomobilist then got a goal back thanks to good work from Stephane da Costa, but hopes of a fightback took a blow when Kirill Vorobyov was assessed a double minor for high sticks. Metallurg couldn’t score on that power play, but ate up a big chunk of the remaining time in the game.

With more than four minutes on the clock, Zavarukhin replaced Galkin with a sixth skater in the hope of making something happen on offense. His gambit got something of a result, as Anatoly Golyshev scored to make it 2-4. However, that was as close as Avtomobilist got to saving the game and escaping a fifth successive loss.

Host holds on for derby win

Ak Bars Kazan 3 Salavat Yulaev Ufa 2 (1-0, 2-1, 0-1)

After two Green Derby defeats, Ak Bars got the verdict over its big rival for the first time this season. Salavat Yulaev’s six-game hot streak came to a close, and Viktor Kozlov’s team missed the chance to go top of the Eastern Conference.

An action-packed first period brought just one goal. However, it was a huge moment for Artur Brovkin. The 23-year-old Kazan native has played most of his career to date in the VHL and hadn’t scored for his hometown club since opening his KHL account in September 2021. Today he put that right with the opening goal against Ak Bars’ biggest rival, blasting home a feed from Mitchell Miller to break the deadlock in the third minute. After that, both teams had chances but it remained 1-0 at the intermission.

At the start of the second period, Salavat Yulaev got its first power play of the game. However, not only was the visitor unable to take advantage, once Kirill Semyonov got out of the box he collected a pass in center ice and advanced to beat Alexander Samonov and double the home lead. The third goal arrived three minutes later, with Miller’s behind-the-back pass setting Nikita Dynyak away. The Ufa bench called a time-out, concerned that the game was slipping away.

However, home celebrations of a first Green Derby win of the season were somewhat premature. Viktor Kozlov used the time-out to calm his players, and suddenly there were chances in front of Amir Miftakhov’s net. In the 32nd minute, Salavat made one of them stick, Vladislav Yefremov following up to pot the rebound after Artyom Gorshkov’s venomous shot stung the home goaltender. The visitor outshot Ak Bars 20-9 in the second period and might have felt a little aggrieved to trail by two at the second intermission. Alexander Chmelevski and Josh Leivo had good chances to reduce the deficit late in the session but Miftakhov kept them out.

At the start of the third, though, Alexander Sharov made it a one-goal game. He got free after his team-mates won a puck battle and Dennis Yan’s feed set him up to beat Miftakhov and set up an intriguing third period. Once again, Ufa had significantly more goal attempts – 17 shots on goal, and eight more blocked. However, midway through the final stanza, Nikita Lyamkin and Nathan Todd sat for roughing and the disruption seemed to help Ak Bars. The home team had a couple of dangerous counterattacks, then a Kazan power play saw Mitchell close to getting a fourth goal for his team.

In the closing stages, Salavat Yulaev again upped the tempo. Leivo and Chmelevski had half chances and, in the closing moments, the latter set up Yan for a big chance to take the game to overtime. However, Miftakhov got his pad down to make the save and Ak Bars held on for its first win over Salavat this season. 

Aimurzin the architect for Severstal

Severstal Cherepovets 4 HC Sochi 2 (1-0, 2-0, 1-2)

The international break did little to help Sochi. After losing five in a row before the Channel 1 Cup, the Leopards suffered another defeat on their return to action in Cherepovets. Severstal, meanwhile, made it three wins on the spin and moved to within two points of fifth-placed SKA in the Western Conference standings.

Danil Aimurzin, who had his first international call-up for the Russian team at the recent Channel 1 Cup, moved onto 28 (15+13) points for the season with a hat-trick of helpers here. The 22-year-old set the Steelmen on the way with an assist on Yaroslav Dyblenko’s first-period opener. Then he combined with Kirill Pilipenko to set up Nikita Korostelyov for a power play goal in the 28th minute.

The home PP continued as Gleb Koryagin sat out the second part of his double minor, and Pilipenko added a third goal within a minute. That prompted Sochi to change goalie, bringing Evgeny Volokhin into the game in place of Sergei Ivanov. He kept his goal intact until the second intermission, but the 3-0 lead looked like a winning advantage for the home team.

To Sochi’s credit, the visitor made a game of it in the third. Andrei Novikov converted a penalty shot three minutes into the session getting the Leopards on the scoreboard. Aimurzin responded with his third assist of the night, helping Adam Liska to a power play goal. But Sochi still wasn’t done, and Denis Vengryzhanovsky quickly got it back to 2-4 with 11 minutes to play.

That was as close as the visitor got. Sochi scored its two goals off just four shots in the third period and never really threatened to close the gap in the closing stages.