CSKA moves into second, Dynamo fires blanks again. December 27 round-up

A shoot-out at Neftekhimik gave CSKA a 10th successive win and moved the Muscovites up to second in the standings. Spartak lost ground with a 2-4 loss at Kunlun Red Star, while Dynamo Moscow again failed to score, this time losing 1-0 in Minsk. Table-topping Lokomotiv won 5-3 at Vityaz, and SKA scored three goals to overcome Sochi.

SKA fightback sinks Sochi

HC Sochi 4 SKA St. Petersburg 5 (2-2, 1-0, 1-3)

SKA scored three times in the last eight minutes, rallying from 2-4 to win in Sochi. The Leopards snapped their losing streak at Lada on Tuesday and came close to making it back-to-back wins today, but SKA found a way to save the game and post a third victory in four games.

The visitor was without Evgeny Kuznetsov, who picked up a serious injury in the 5-6 loss to CSKA two days earlier. Sergei Tolchinsky replaced him on the roster.

Sochi made the better start and opened the scoring after seven minutes of pressure on the SKA net. Sergei Popov was the scorer, setting a new personal best for scoring this season with 17 (10+7) points. The lead lasted barely a minute before Zakhar Bardakov tied the game, then Mikhal Grigorenko’s power play goal had SKA up 2-1 in the 13th minute. However, the home team tied the game before the intermission: Will Bitten made it two goals in two games since joining Sochi from Spartak.

In the second period Sochi again made a good start, consistently outshooting SKA. Midway through the session Timur Khafizov made it 3-2. That lead endured to the second intermission, and the final frame saw Artemy Kuznetsov make it 4-2 in the 47th minute.

But the winning position was not strong enough. SKA worked diligently to play its way back into the game. Ivan Demidov pulled a goal back in the 53rd minute and Alexander Nikishin tied the game in the 56th. The decisive blow came on 58 minutes when Tony DeAngelo released Arseny Gritsyuk at high speed and the forward potted the winner.

Loko hits five again

Vityaz Moscow Region 3 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 5 (1-1, 0-3, 2-1)

The Railwaymen scored five goals on the road for the second game in a row, this time downing Vityaz. The visitor was on top throughout this game and a rush of goals midway through the second period turned the outcome decisively in the league leader’s favor.

Maxim Shalunov opened the scoring for Lokomotiv, extending his productive streak to three games. He moves to 6 (2+4) points in that span. Loko had more of the play, but could not extend its lead and was pegged back by a goal from Dmitry Buchelnikov just before the intermission.

The opening frame ended with a skirmish involving the home team’s Ruslan Pedan and Frederik Gauthier against Martin Gernat and Georgy Ivanov for the visitor. That kept the penalty box full but there was no change in the scoring until everyone was back in the game.

Lokomotiv took control with three quick goals. Artur Kayumov scored twice, in the 26th and 30th minutes (the latter on the power play), then Pavel Kraskovsky made it 4-1 in the 32nd. That took the game away from Vityaz.

The home team was not completely done. The third period brought goals from Gaulthier and Pedan midway through the session. But in between, Daniil Tesanov added a fifth goal for Lokomotiv to seal a third successive victory. 

Blue-and-White attack blunted again

Dinamo Minsk  1 Dynamo Moscow 0 (0-0, 0-0, 1-0)

For the second game in a row Dynamo failed to score – and fell to a late goal. After seeing Maxim Dorozhko make 43 saves for Vityaz on Wednesday, the Blue-and-Whites had an equally tough time against Vasily Demchenko in Minsk. Dinamo’s goalie made saves to backstop a 1-0 verdict.

This time the Muscovites did get the puck in the net. A power play early in the third saw Dmitry Rashevsky stuff home from close range after Max Comtois’ shot was too hot for Demchenko to handle. However, the Minsk bench spotted interference on the goalie and launched a successful challenge.

The only goal of the game arrived on 52 minutes. The teams were playing four-on-four when Vadim Shipachyov got away from two opponents and released Rob Hamilton. The Minsk defenseman stepped up to the face-off circle and fired over Vladislav Podyapolsky’s glove.

Earlier in the game Podyapolsky pulled off a double save to keep the teams tied at the first intermission. Then midway through the second Sergei Kuznetov fired against the crossbar. Dynamo’s best chance came in the 35th minute when Nikita Gusev found Cedric Paquette on the slot but the former Minsk man could not get his shot under Demchenko’s pad. 

CSKA secures 10th straight win

Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 1 CSKA Moscow 2 SO (0-0, 0-1, 1-0, 0-0, 0-1)

In-form CSKA had to work hard to get the verdict at Neftekhimik. The home team moved up to second in the standings thanks to a shoot-out win over the Wolves.

The first period was goalless, but produced some intriguing hockey. Neftekhimik tirelessly closed down the space for CSKA, and the home team led the shot count 9-7.

At the start of the second, there was a great chance for Andrei Belozyorov to open the scoring when he got a one-on-one breakaway. However, CSKA goalie Dmitry Gamzin shut the door.

The breakthrough came in the 27th minute. CSKA got a five-on-three power play and set up camp in the Neftekhimik zone. Maxim Sorkin’s powerful shot from the right-hand circle clipped goalie Filipp Dolganov’s pad but found its way into the net. A few minutes later, Dolganov robbed Ruslan Iskhakov of a goal at the back with a big stretch save.

Early in the third there was another big chance for the visitor to increase its lead. Once again, Dolganov made a big save before Galiyev fired the rebound against the post. Those missed chances proved costly when Gamzin was assessed a minor penalty for throwing the stick. It didn’t take long for Neftekhimik to tie the game: Belozyorov got the puck to Jean-Sebastien Dea, Dea fed Evgeny Mityakin and he gleefully converted from close range to take the game to overtime.

The extras did not produce a winner but CSKA took the verdict when Denis Guryanov was the only player to score in the shoot-out. That makes it 10 wins in a row for the Muscovites.

Foo flourish floors Spartak

Kunlun Red Star 4 Spartak Moscow 2 (1-1, 0-1, 3-0)

The Dragons’ Foo brothers combined to turn this game around and defeat Spartak. The Red-and-Whites led until the 52nd minute but could not finish the job.

Pavel Poryadin opened the scoring in the third minute, racing onto Ivan Morozov’s pass to beat Jeremy Smith. However, Red Star responded quickly and Yaroslav Likhachyov beat Dmitry Nikolayev at the second attempt to tie the scores in the sixth minute. Morozov was close to restoring Spartak’s lead in the first period but his effort hit the crossbar.

There were more chances for the visitor in the second period, but it wasn’t until Spartak had a five-on-three power play that Dmitry Vishnevsky restored the lead. Despite falling behind, Kunlun created a few presentable chances and remained very much in the game.

It all changed in the 52nd minute. Spencer Foo tied the game after Colin Campbell drew the attentions of two players and got the puck into space on the slot. Foo got there first and put it beyond Nikolayev.

Inspired, Kunlun pushed forward in search of a winner. And that pressure produced its reward when Joey Duszak fired in a shot from the right and Parker Foo redirected it into the net. And the game was settled when Spencer Foo blocked a Vishnevsky shot in the last minute and went off on the counterattack. He was fouled on his way to the empty net, bringing an automatic goal to make it 4-2.