KHL 3x3 Round 13: Shakirov stars on Ak Bars debut, Sibir hits new level
Overall tournament leader Ak Bars won the latest round at the KHL 3x3 – but did it with a substantially new roster drawing on players from the organization’s VHL team. And Sibir also had a good weekend, powered in part by its own recruit from the VHL.
Story of the Round – reinforcements for Ak Bars, improvements for Sibir
Ak Bars sprang a surprise for this round, updating more than half its roster. The team was reinforced with players from Bars, which had failed to reach the VHL playoffs. The first gameday was an acclimatization process for the newbies but after that nothing could stop Kazan: they never scored fewer than six goals in a game! The most experienced 3x3 players, Pavel Gorokhov, Yury Muravyov and Dmitry Drozhkin led the way, the guys from Bars were happy to join in. In Saturday’s two games, Ak Bars plundered 17 goals! In recent rounds the team hadn’t been quite as impressive as at the start of the season, but now it was getting back to those highs. There was no doubt about the victors of this round, and the Supergame brought additional success.
It wasn’t just scoring. The Ak Bars defense was also solid. Rookie goalie Bulat Mukhamov managed to do something that many goalies have failed to achieve in half a season when he produced a shut-out.
While Ak Bars led the way, Sibir’s performance also deserves a mention. The team was boosted by newcomer Gleb Zyryanov, a 32-year-old who played in the VHL this season. The powerful forward adapted fast to the new format and had a great round, scoring eight goals in six games. Sibir won all four of its games against Avangard and Barys, but was unable to match Ak Bars. On Sunday, the Siberians lost twice to the leader – in the game for first place, then again in the Supergame. Even there, things might have been different had Sibir not been left without Artyom Mishkin, one of the leading players on the team.
Hero of the Round – Rasim Shakirov (Ak Bars)
The brightest of the Ak Bars rookies was Rasim Shakirov, who led the VHL team in scoring last season. He scored four in the first game against Sibir and finished with 14 (8+6) points. This guy has everything needed in 3x3: speed, technique and game IQ.
“My team-mates helped me,” Rasim said. “We’re used to playing together, so we quietly picked up points. I’m friend swiht Ravil Yakupov off the ice. It’s the third year we’ve played together, so we know what to expect from each other.”
Shakirov and Yakupov put on a great display in the Supergame, with a hand in all four Ak Bars goals. Head coach Daniel Nasybullin was certain that the Bars players would continue in 3x3, helping to strengthen the tournament leader down the stretch.
Game of the Round – Barys 3 Sibir 5
Barys had reason to hope for a good round: this time, the team had put together a strong roster. And the start went well, winning the opening game against Ak Bars. Saturday’s game against Sibir had plenty riding on it and everything looked good for the Kazakhs when they led 3-1 after the first period. However, Sibir hit back with three goals in 90 seconds to turn the game upside down. That collapse in the third period knocked Barys off its game. The team could’t recover in time for the next game and suffered a painful 0-9 loss against Ak Bars.
Debut of the Round – Maxim Rybin in the commentary box
Players behind the commentators’ mic – it’s already a happy tradition at the KHL 3x3. The latest budding journalist was Avangard’s Maxim Rybin. Don’t forget that Maxim is already working as a coach, so in his work alongside Andrei Yurtayev there was plenty of discussion of the tactical quirks of 3x3 play. “I can play and commentate. It’s fun, and helpful, to combine the two,” Rybin said of his experience in the press box.
