KHL 3x3 Round 4: Dinamo’s streak and Ufa’s million

Round four of the KHL 3x3 Championship saw Dinamo Minsk take top spot in the group stage ahead of Salavat Yulaev. With four wins in six games, Dinamo moves to second in the Winline Division, albeit some way behind a dominant Ak Bars team. Ufa is second in the Fonbet Division, just four points behind Metallurg. And Salavat Yulaev also celebrated victory in the Supergame to earn that million-ruble bonus.

Story of the Round – Dinamo’s hot streak

The Belarusians started this round with two losses, but Friday’s big win over Salavat Yulaev (9-3) proved to be the turning point. After that, Dinamo defeated Avangard and Sibir, with the latter game producing a memorable battle. The teams were locked at 1-1 – an unusually low-scoring affair in this format – until 45-year-old Maxim Slysh potted the winner seconds before the hooter. That opened the way for Dinamo to reach the Supergame and, after defeating Salavat Yulaev again in the final game, Minsk finished on top of the standings for this round. In the Supergame, Dinamo faced Salavat Yulaev again and almost managed to fightback from 0-3 before falling just short at the end. Despite that loss, there were many positives from this stage. Moreover, Dinamo is straight back at it, returning to battle in round five this weekend.

Game of the Round – Sibir 5 Salavat Yulaev 6 SO

Sibir and Salavat Yulaev produced a roller-coaster of a game. The lead kept on changing hands and, at the end of it all, the teams were locked at 5-5. That sent the game to a shoot-out, something of a rarity in the first weeks of the KHL 3x3 Championship. Suddenly, the goals dried up! Even Matvei Babenko, who converted two penalty shots in the game, could not find the net. The teams had 10 attempts between them, but only Ilya Krikunov managed to score.

Hero of the Round – Ilya Krikunov (Salavat Yulaev)

Krikunov has been consistently impressive since the start of the season: this is already the second time he contributed a solid 11 points. Last time, he and his team-mates were unfortunate to face a powerful Ak Bars team, whose achievements overwhelmed everyone else. But this time the competition was more equal and Salavat Yulaev not only booked its placed in the Supergame but went on to win the Million. Krikunov made a huge contribution: several great assists and important goals, including the winner in the Supergame.