KHL 3x3 Round 2: Ak Bars on top and the first 3x3 shut-outs

Round 2 of the KHL 3x3 Championship saw Ak Bars come out on top. After a 0-6 loss in the opening game, Kazan’s players learned first and rolled out five victories in a row to win the round. Then Ak Bars avenged that early defeat by beating Avangard 4-3 in the Supergame. Ak Bars jumps to the top of the Winline Division, ahead of Traktor, while Avangard moves second in the Fonbet Division, two points back from Metallurg.

Hero of the Round – Dmitry Drozhzhin (Ak Bars)

After winning the Supergame, Ak Bars captain Ilya Ivanov was asked who he thought was the MVP for this round. He replied: “It’s not a player of the round, but a team of the round. Everyone on our team played his part, everyone gave 100%.”

It’s hard to disagree: Ak Bars looked very consistent and succeeded due to their teamworks. Even so, Dmitry Drozhzhin stood out. He picked up 12 points to lead the round in scoring. He also netted two game-winners, plus the decisive goal in the Supergame.

Game of the Round – Supergame: Ak Bars 4 Avangard 3

This round produced the highest scoring game so far (Salavat Yulaev’s 9-7 win over Dinamo Minsk) and some rollercoaster battles (such as Ufa’s 5-4 win over Avangard). But the teams saved the best for the Supergame.

After some tough results on Friday and Saturday, Avangard went into the final day with a point to prove. It started with a comprehensive 6-1 win over Salavat Yulaev and that impressive form continued into the start of the Supergame. Captain Igor Makarov hit a hat-trick to put the Hawks up 3-0.

And it wasn’t just the score. For two periods, Ak Bars could do nothing to stop Avangard, despite its success in the previous games. However, it all changed in the third. Kazan found its game at last to turn things around, not just fighting back but managing to grab the win.

Figure of the Round – 2

2 — in this round we saw two goalies produce shut-outs. In 3x3 that’s much harder than scoring three or four goals in a game. Oddly enough, both shut-outs came in games between Ak Bars and Avangard. Omsk netminder Eduard Reizvikh was first, stopping 26 shots in a 6-0 win. In the second match-up, Alexander Lazushin backstopped a revenge 5-0 verdict, making 15 saves.