Traktor seeking first win as playoff pressure mounts
The Eastern Conference’s leader was surprised by Admiral in the first game and will be looking to tie things up in the second clash. Salavat Yulaev will be seeking a second triumph after thumping Sibir two days ago. In the West, the leading teams started strong, but while Lokomotiv looked like too much to handle for Torpedo, the series between Dynamo Moscow and SKA seems to be more open to different outcomes after the first contest.
14:30: Traktor vs Admiral
Series stand
0-1 (4:5).
About the game
The first sensation of this year’s Gagarin Cup playoffs occurred in Chelyabinsk, where eighth-seeded Admiral got away with a win in the first game of the series against conference-topping Traktor. The guests were off to a fast start and the Black-and-Whites found themselves chasing for the rest of the game, with the Sailors claiming the first game. Moreover, goaltending was strangely an issue for Traktor, with Zach Fucale allowing four goals in a bit more than thirty minutes. Libor Sulak had a hat-trick of assists for Admiral.
Traktor’s forward Vitaly Kravtsov is on a seven-game scoring streak, with 10 (5+5) points over that span.
Traktor’s forward Alexander Kadeikin is on a four-game scoring streak, with 4 (2+2) points.
Traktor’s forward Charles Robinson scored a goal in each of his previous three matches.
Admiral’s forward Daniil Gutik is on an eight-game scoring streak, with 11 (6+5) points over that stretch.
Injury list
Traktor: Steven Kampfer, Yegor Popov.
Admiral: Leonid Metalikov, Artyom Nikolayev.
Milestone alert
Today’s game will be a milestone for several players from both teams: Traktor’s Sergei Telegin lines up for his 300th KHL game, while his teammate Arseny Koromyslov reaches 100. It’ll be the 400th league appearance for Admiral’s forward Yegor Petukhov, with Artyom Chmykhov having a chance to record his 200th game.
14:30: Salavat Yulaev vs Sibir
Series stand
1-0 (7:0)
About the game
Salavat Yulaev left no chances to Sibir as the Ufa side sent seven unanswered goals to the guests’ crease, and perhaps the biggest news of the game was that top-scoring forward Joshua Leivo didn’t score. Samonov recorded 22 saves and his first shutout of this season’s elimination stage, repeatedly denying Sibir a consolation goal. Forward Nathan Todd completed a four-point performance and was the best player on the ice. Sibir will have to improve its discipline if the team will want to give Ufa a real challenge in game two.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Joshua Leivo is on an eleven-game scoring streak, with 17 (8+9) points over that span.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Scott Wilson is on a four-game scoring streak, with 6 (2+4) points.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Alexander Chmelevsky is on a five-game scoring streak, with 8 (3+5) points.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Sheldon Rempal is on a three-game scoring streak, with 6 (3+3) points.
Injury list
Salavat Yulaev: Gleb Kuzmin.
Sibir: Vladimir Butuzov, Fyodor Gordeyev.
Milestone alert
Sibir’s goalie Anton Krasotkin may line up for his 250th career game.
16:30: Lokomotiv vs Torpedo
Series stand
1-0 (3:1).
About the game
Lokomotiv locked down Torpedo with a dominant performance, catching the first game and continuing their strong play that saw them end the regular season on the first place in the league. However, despite a solid game and only two shots on goal allowed in the first period, the game was tied at one at the midway mark, with goals coming from Maxim Beryozkin and Bobby Lynch. The Railwaymen pushed the gas and found two second-period goals with Denis Alexeyev and Martin Gernat, just to wrap up the game with a superb defensive performance in the closing frame. Breaking the code will be hard for Torpedo, and supposedly for everyone else in the league.
Lokomotiv’s defenseman Rushan Rafikov is on an eight-game scoring streak, having produced ten assists for the Railwaymen during that span.
Lokomotiv’s forward Maxim Beryozkin is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points over that stretch.
Lokomotiv’s forward Denis Alexeyev is also on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (1+2) points.
Injury list
Lokomotiv: Stepan Nikulin.
Torpedo: Vasily Atanasov.
Milestone alert
Lokomotiv’s goalie Alexei Melnichuk may record his tenth KHL shutout.
19:30: Dynamo Moscow vs SKA
Series stand
1-0 (3:1).
About the game
Power play made the difference for the Dynamo men in game one, with the game being disrupted by penalties, especially in the first couple of periods, and the Blue-and-Whites scoring two goals out of three with the man advantage. Dylan Sikura opened the scoring for the Muscovites, with Nikita Gusev and Jordan Weal ending the game with two points each. Maxim Motorygin performed 32 saves for the Blue-and-Whites, while Yegor Zavragin had 33 – goaltending was excellent for both sides, despite the expectations before the series.
Dynamo Moscow’s forward Jordan Weal is now on a six-game scoring streak, with 8 (1+7) points over that span.
Dynamo Moscow’s top scorer, forward Nikita Gusev, is on a four-game scoring streak, with 8 (3+5) points.
SKA’s forward Arseny Gritsyuk is on a nine-game scoring streak, with 12 (4+8) points over that stretch.
Injury list
SKA: Alexander Nikishin.
