Two more book playoff places. February 25 round-up
Dynamo and Spartak are the latest teams to confirm their playoff participation. Dynamo got there with a 3-1 win over Lokomotiv in Yaroslavl, while Spartak thrashed SKA to seal their top-eight finish. CSKA’s win at Torpedo wasn’t quite enough for Ilya Vorobyov’s team to complete its mission, but it did spare Sochi from elimination from the race in the West. Earlier in the day, Sheldon Rempal scored twice in a comeback win for Salavat Yulaev over Lada.
Rempal’s double defeats Lada
Salavat Yulaev Ufa 3 Lada Togliatti 2 (1-2, 1-0, 1-0)
Sheldon Rempal scored twice as Salavat Yulaev came from behind to defeat Lada. The win halted a three-game skid for the home team before it sets out on a trip to the Far East.
That losing streak was Ufa’s worst of the season so far, prompting the coaching staff to continue the search for the most consistent lines. That including reuniting Dennis Yan and Scott Wilson on the same trio. The return of captain Grigory Panin from injury was another boost.
Although Salavat Yulaev made a lively start, Lada got the opening goal. A spell of pressure on Alexander Samonov’s net led to Artyom Manukyan scoring his first goal since 2021. In the 10th minute, Arkhip Nekolenko’s shot doubled the lead.
After that, the home team found the strength to get back into the game. Rempal’s backhand shot was blocked by Konstantin Volkov, and Yan was first to the rebound.
In the middle frame, Ufa’s leading scorer Josh Leivo had the puck in the net. However, the visiting bench challenged the call, claiming offside, and a video review upheld the appeal. That reprieve was only temporary, though. A short-handed goal from Rempal tied the game a few shifts later. Vladislav Yefremov played a big part in the goal, picking out a superb feed for his Canadian colleague.
After potting a shorty, Rempal added a power play goal in the third to put Ufa up for the first time in the game. Lada could not kill a five-on-three situation and, late in the game, was unable to save itself while playing six-on-four as Salavat held on for the win.
CSKA beats Torpedo for the fourth time this season
Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 2 CSKA Moscow 3 (0-2, 0-0, 2-1)
CSKA defeated Torpedo for the fourth time in five meetings this season but almost ran into trouble after a strong start to the game.
The visitor dealt with some early pressure from the home team, killing an early and rather unnecessary penalty inside the first five minutes. Then, after getting its first power play of the night, CSKA opened the scoring 11 seconds after Slava Voynov went to the box. A playbook move set up Vladislav Kamenev in a good shooting position while Prokhor Poltapov screened goalie Ivan Bocharov.
After that opening goal, CSKA enjoyed greater control of the play, with only intermittent danger from Torpedo. Late in the opening frame, the visitor doubled its lead thanks to Denis Guryanov’s shot. Nikita Nesterov’s feed brought his 200th assist in the KHL.
Torpedo switched goalies in the intermission, sending Ivan Kulbakov into the game in place of Ivan Bocharov. He was the busiest man on the ice at the start of the session, frequently forced into action to deny CSKA further goals. However, midway through the session the home team came into the game more, with Yegor Vinogradov’s line especially notable.
There was no reward for the home team in that middle frame, but early in the third Mikhail Orlov made it a one-goal game with a point shot that squirmed through Dmitry Gamzin’s defenses. Torpedo attacked with renewed optimism until a penalty for Vasily Atanasov slowed the host’s momentum. CSKA could not score on that power play, but changed the momentum of the game. When Kirill Dolzhenkov made it 3-1 in the 57th minute, it felt like game over, but there was a twist to come. Nikita Tertyshny pulled one back for Torpedo 24 seconds later, rekindling home hopes of salvation. And Tertyshny had a great chance to force overtime but, with just 10 seconds left to play, he fired straight at Gamzin when well placed to score.
Victory for CSKA means just one more win is needed to confirm a playoff spot. For Torpedo, meanwhile, the job isn’t done yet. Today’s loss denied Igor Larionov’s team the chance to move nine points clear of Kunlun Red Star with nine games to play.
Dynamo clinches playoff spot
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 1 Dynamo Moscow 3 (0-0, 0-2, 1-1)
Victory in Yaroslavl secured Dynamo’s playoff spot. The Muscovites survived a tricky first period before getting in front after the intermission and skating to a 3-1 verdict in head coach Alexei Kudashov’s 600th game behind the bench in the KHL.
However, it was Kudashov’s former club, Lokomotiv, that had the better of the first period. The Railwaymen looked more active and largely kept the visitor away from Alexei Melnichuk’s net in the opening frame. The Blue-and-Whites spent less than two minutes on the attack but defended strongly to ensure that Maxim Motorygin was not unduly troubled at the other end.
Indeed, it wasn’t until the 23rd minute that we saw the first shot from the slot in this game. It came from Loko’s Alexander Polunin, but he failed to beat Motorygin. Moments later, Dynamo opened the scoring. Daniil Pylenkov’s point shot got a redirect from Artyom Chernov and went past Melnichuk.
However, that did not much change the overall shape of the game. Lokomotiv continued to do more attacking but still struggled to really test Dynamo’s defense. At the other end, chances were intermittent. Nonetheless, the visitor doubled the lead in the 36th minute when Maxim Dzhioshvili outpaced Nikita Cherepanov to race onto a Pavel Kudryavtsev pass and make it 2-0.
Early in the third, Dynamo made it 3-0. Once again, a stretch pass undid Lokomotiv as Kirill Adamchuk released Max Comtois down the right. The Canadian finished it off to give Dynamo a commanding lead.
That wasn’t quite the end. Lokomotiv still had a bit more of the play and never gave up trying to unlock the visiting D. But the only response came too late when Byron Froese struck in the last minute to reduce the deficit. After four of the six games between these teams this season, both have two wins with the next instalment set for Moscow on March 7.
Pashin powers big win for Spartak
SKA St. Petersburg 2 Spartak Moscow 7 (2-4, 0-3, 0-0)
Alexander Pashin hit a hat-trick in an impressive performance from Spartak. The visitor secured its playoff spot in style with a crushing win over SKA, while the home team once again showed its defensive insecurity as the goals piled up in the first two periods.
Although this turned into a rout for Spartak, the early stages suggested anything but. SKA jumped into the lead after just 19 seconds through Alexander Nikishin, a goal that survived a bench challenge for interference on goalie Artyom Zagidulin. The home defenseman was on target again in the 14th minute. That second goal tied the game at 2-2 after an entertaining start saw Alexander Belyayev make it 1-1 before Pashin’s first of the night briefly gave Spartak the lead.
Pashin’s second, a minute after Nikishin’s equalizer, restored that Red-and-White advantage – and this time the Muscovites would not relinquish their grip. German Rubtsov finished off an odd-man rush to make it 4-2 at the intermission. After 20 minutes’ play, Spartak had four goals from 13 shots, yet spent just 1:48 with the puck in SKA’s zone.
The home team rather fell apart in the second period. Needing to chase the game, it instead allowed two goals in the 29th minute. Mikhail Maltsev redirected an Andrei Mironov shot to make it 5-2, then Pashin completed his hat-trick to chase Artemy Pleshkov from the SKA net. Yegor Zavragin replaced him but things went from bad to worse. Ilya Karpukhin took a major penalty for kneeing and Nikolai Goldobin added a seventh on the power play.
After that, the game was over. In previous games this season, SKA has pulled off some rousing fightbacks in the third period. Today, though, there was no further scoring in the final frame. Spartak closed out a comfortable win to remain second in the Western conference; SKA stays in seventh.
