Good day for goalies. January 7 round-up

Tuesday’s KHL program saw five shut-outs in seven games. The most surprising of these, perhaps, was in Minsk where Dinamo beat CSKA 2-0. Traktor and Kunlun had 5-0 wins, while Lokomotiv and Dynamo Moscow left it late to overcome dogged resistance from Vityaz and Sochi respectively. If it wasn’t a shut-out, it was OT. Metallurg came from behind three time before beating Admiral in the extras, while Barys picked up a rare point before losing a shoot-out at home to Avtomobilist.

Fucale claims back-to-back shut-outs

Traktor Chelyabinsk 5 Lada Togliatti 0 (2-0, 2-0, 1-0)

Past form is no guarantee of future results. Two days after an impressive 5-0 win in Astana, Lada slumped to a 0-5 loss in Chelyabinsk. Traktor goalie Zach Fucale celebrated a second successive shut-out while new signing Logan Day enjoyed a winning debut.

It didn’t take long for Traktor to get on top. Vitaly Kravtsov was moved to a new line, but opened the scoring with a one-timer in the seventh minute. That injected more pace into the game and the home team looked the stronger. It wasn’t long before Vladimir Zharkov doubled the lead, reacting smartly to put away a rebound.

Traktor was in complete control of the game and extended its lead at the start of the second. A great feed from Alexander Rykov set up Steven Kampfer, who found the open corner to make it 3-0. That’s a third goal in four games for the American defenseman. At the halfway point, Grigory Dronov added a fourth and shortly after there was a small fight between Charles Robinson and Danila Moiseyev.

Alexander Trushkov had his first KHL shut-out in Lada’s previous game but today he was replaced by Maxim Tretiak during the second intermission. The incoming goalie was beaten after three minutes by Vasily Glotov’s power play goal. That’s a first tally for Glotov since his arrival from SKA, and it completed the scoring in this one. 

Magnitka maintains hot streak

Metallurg Magnitogorsk 4 Admiral Vladivostok 3 OT (1-1, 1-1, 1-1, 1-0)

Despite trailing three times, Metallurg recovered to claim a seventh successive victory. The overtime win over Admiral puts the defending champion up to third in the Eastern Conference, while the Sailors sank to a fifth straight loss in their first game of 2025.

After a cautious start, Admiral got the first power play of the game midway through the first period and Daniil Gutik wired home a wrister to open the scoring.

Metallurg’s problems continued when defenseman Makar Khabarov left the game with an injury, but managed to tie the game when Alexei Maklyukov found the net on his return to the team. Troy Josephs’ assist gave him his first point for his new club.

The home team finished the frame with just three skaters. The penalty carried into the second period, giving Admiral the initiative from the get-go. Metallurg got back to full strength, but then saw Jack Rodewald restore the visitor’s lead. This time, there was a swift response as Luke Johnson batted home a looping puck following Robin Press’s effort.

And the third period again saw the teams trade goals. Yegor Petukhov put Admiral in front once more with yet another power play goal. However, a tripping call on Vyacheslav Osnovin gave Metallurg its own PP in the 57th minute. Andrei Razin went six-on-four, and Daniil Vovchenko quickly found a tying goal.

In a game of many penalties, Georgy Solyannikov’s trip during overtime was almost fatal for Admiral. Although the Sailors managed to kill the penalty, the effort took its toll. In the final second of play, three seconds after Solyannikov returned, Valery Orekhov won it for Magnitka.

Small improvement for Barys, but Avto ends its skid

Barys Astana 2 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 3 SO (0-1, 1-1, 1-0, 0-0, 0-1)

For the first time in eight games, Barys picked up a point. However, it wasn’t enough to escape a shoot-out loss against Avtomobilist.

A heavy loss in the previous game persuaded Galym Mambetaliyev to make changes. Almost every partnership was reshaped, and there was a KHL debut for 21-year-old Nikolai Shulga. This time last year, he was helping Nomad Astana to victory in the IIHF Continental Cup.

Both teams have faced problems with scoring this season. Avto is the only team currently in a playoff place with less than 100 goals, while Barys is in danger of finishing the season with an all-time low for KHL goals. Today, the Motormen made a great start and went in front off the first chance of the game. Jesse Blacker, once a Barys player, fired in a shot that cannoned back off the boards for Alexei Byvaltsev to score.

However, that proved to be not only the solitary goal in the opening frame; it was almost the only scoring chance of note. Both teams were cautious, awaiting counterattacking chances.

At the start of the second, the visitor had a couple of decent looks and that helped to bring the game to life. For a time, the teams ignored center ice and attacks flowed from one end to the other. Midway through the frame, Adil Beketayev tied the game for Barys. For Avtomobilist, this was a worrying passage of play. The visitor would have expected a fairly straightforward win, but was getting dragged into a battle. A needless penalty on Darren Dietz – another one-time Barys favorite – didn’t help matters. However, late in the frame Avtomobilist regained the lead. Another power play saw Semyon Kizimov make it 2-1.

That prompted Barys to start on the front foot in the third period, stringing together several spells of attacking possession and forcing Vladimir Galkin into several saves. The tying goal came just as Barys killed a penalty. Back at full strength, the host launched a counter and Nikita Setdikov converted a rebound to make it 2-2.

With some momentum behind them, the Kazakhs looked better in overtime. Galkin made at least two big saves, while Avtomobilist was unable to get a shot on goal. But that wasn’t enough to end the long wait for a Barys win. The Motormen took it to a shoot-out, where Byvaltsev, Anatoly Golyshev and Brooks Macek were all on target to snap their team’s three-game skid. 

Vityaz resistance ends too soon

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 3 Vityaz Moscow Region 0 (0-0, 0-0, 3-0)

It took some time, but Lokomotiv managed to shut out Vityaz and record its fifth win in six games. The league leader now holds a 13-point lead over CSKA in the west, and is 11 points clear of Eastern Conference leader Traktor.

Vityaz, meanwhile, is battling to make the playoffs. A costly loss against Kunlun pushed Pavel Desyatkov’s team down to 10th and today’s disciplined display threatened, at least for a time, to retrieve some of that ground via an unlikely result in Yaroslavl. While the home team always had the better of the play, some inspired goaltending from Maxim Dorozhko kept the game goalless through two periods.

The breakthrough came after 45 minutes, and from an unexpected source. Denis Alexeyev had not scored since Dec. 2, and his effort today was only his third of the season. But this was a vital breakthrough as time was just beginning to run out for the home team.

Once in front, Loko consolidated. Maxim Shalunov converted a power play, with recent signing Richard Panik among the assists. Then, within 30 seconds, Alexander Polunin made it 3-0. Daniil Isayev made 18 saves for his seventh shut-out of the season.

Sikura’s first goal, Podyapolsky’s first shut-out

HC Sochi 0 Dynamo Moscow 2 (0-0, 0-0, 0-2)

Dynamo won beside the Black Sea for the second time in three days. But this was a closer game than last time, decided only in the third period.

Sochi improved greatly on the previous 1-5 loss. The first period turned out evenly matched, albeit with few big chances. The teams had seven shots apiece but could not find a goal.

Early in the second, Cedric Paquette hit the post as Dynamo looked for a power play goal. Moments after that, Paquette found himself in the box as well, neutralizing the numerical advantage his team briefly held. The game remained even, and late in the middle frame Sochi had the puck in the net. However, Artyom Volkov’s effort was whistled off following a bench challenge for interference on goaltender Vladislav Podyapolsky.

After that reprieve, Dynamo went on to win it in the third. It took some time to force a breakthrough, but a power play goal in the 53rd minute saw Dylan Sikura open the scoring. His wrist shot following Jordan Weal’s face-off win was also his first since joining Dynamo last month.

Sochi still believed it could save the game, but the killer blow came late. Dmitry Rashevsky’s empty net goal wrapped up the points. Dynamo makes it three wins from three this year, and Podyapolsky celebrated his first shut-out since arriving from Lada.

Dragons equal club record

Kunlun Red Star 5 Amur Khabarovsk 0 (0-0, 3-0, 2-0)

The Dragons continue their pursuit of a playoff place. Today, Red Star equalled a club record by posting a fifth successive victory. Kunlun remains ninth, but moves three points clear of Vityaz and four behind eighth-placed Torpedo.

After a goalless first period, the home team took control with two quick goals at the start of the second. Tomas Jurco opened the scoring on 20:52, and 15 seconds later it was 2-0. Parker Foo was involved to set up his brother Spencer, who beat former Dragons’ goalie Matt Jurusik to claim his fourth goal in four games.

Amur’s problems were not helped by Yakov Rylov’s tendency to take penalties. His third visit to the box saw Jayden Halbgewachs add a third goal midway through the second period, putting the game out of the Tigers’ reach.

At the start of the fourth period, Halbgewachs and Jurco combined for Adam Clendening to make it 4-0. After that, it was largely a question of helping Jeremy Smith secure his 11th KHL shut-out. Clendening also got into a fight with Devin Brosseau, another former Dragon, midway through the third period.

Doyle Somerby had the final say when he made it 5-0, Smith finished with 25 saves and Brosseau got involved in another fight just before the hooter.

Minsk sends CSKA to third straight loss

Dinamo Minsk 2 CSKA Moscow 0 (0-0, 2-0, 0-0)

Whatever tradition should be fulfilled to bring good fortune in the new year, CSKA apparently forgot to observe it last week. Today’s game saw the Muscovites slip to a third loss in 2025. That would be a notable slump at any time for this team, but after an 11-game hot streak to finish 2024, the contrast is even more notable.

Dinamo Minsk was the beneficiary today. Dmitry Kvartalnov’s team is looking good for a playoff spot, despite a bump in the road yesterday with defeat to Torpedo. Back in action right away, the Belarusians produced the ideal response, blanking CSKA and claiming a fifth win in six games.

The first period was goalless. Dinamo made the brighter start but ran into penalty trouble. After Timofei Kovgorenya went to the box, CSKA fashioned the best chance of the opening frame when Maxim Sorkin fired a shot into Vasily Demchenko’s helmet. However, the teams could not find an opening before the intermission.

Dinamo changed things after the break when Chris Tierney opened the scoring. Vitaly Pinchuk stretched Ivan Prosvetov with an attempt on the wrap-around and the rebound fell kindly for the Canadian forward to pot his fourth goal of the season.

CSKA responded by upping the pace, but Demchenko kept his goal intact. And, as the visitor got frustrated, a Dinamo power play brought a second goal late in the second period. Alexander Volkov almost redirected a Vadim Shipachyov shot into the net, and moments later Vadim Moroz claimed the second goal. Jordan Gross got the puck on the point, shaped to shoot but instead delivered a pass for Moroz to thunder home an angled shot. Prosvetov was screened by Andrei Stas and had no chance of stopping it.

In the third period, Dinamo did a good job of closing out the game. The visitor struggled to get its offense going. When Maxim Mamin took a major penalty for a check to the head in the 56th minute, that was effectively game over: CSKA would finish shorthanded and never had a chance to launch any game-saving surge.