Loko, Spartak take control

After four games, Lokomotiv and Spartak are up 3-1 in their KHL playoff second round series. Loko took an overtime verdict at Avangard thanks to Alexander Radulov’s goal before Spartak’s power play paced a 6-2 thumping of Salavat Yulaev. Both teams will hope to complete the job on Saturday.

Radulov tally opens 3-1 lead for Loko

Avangard Omsk 1 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 2 OT (0-0, 1-1, 0-0, 0-1)

(Lokomotiv leads the series 3-1)

Alexander Radulov is no stranger to playoff drama and today his overtime winner moved Lokomotiv to within one game of progressing. Radulov, who moved to Yaroslavl in the summer, is still seeking a second Gagarin Cup after winning with Salavat Yulaev back in 2011. Today he claimed his third goal of the 2025 KHL playoffs to sink Avangard and make it two wins on the road for the Railwaymen.

The home team was without center Mike McLeod, who flew to Canada for personal reasons. That was enforced just one of several changes to Guy Boucher’s roster after losing two games. Ivan Igumnov moved to the center, with Igor Martynov taking his place on the wing. On defense Yegor Voronkov was scratched while Daniil Chayka and Evgeny Kulik returned. Igor Nikitin continued with an unchanged line-up.

The Hawks again looked to get on top from the start. Alexei Solovyov clipped the frame of the net with a shot early on, but Lokomotiv held on. The visitor was patient, as usual, and gradually created chances: a two-on-one rush, then two opportunities on a single shift for Artur Kayumov.

After the first commercial break, the play moved to the Avangard zone. The host withstood the pressure, but to the detriment of its attacking play. Loko steadily tightened the screws and earned the first power play of the night with four left in the first. Despite a flurry of shots at Nikita Serebryakov, there was no way through and it remained goalless to the intermission despite a 16-2 shot count in favor of the visitor.

Avangard began the second period on the power play – Alexei Bereglazov picked up a penalty right at the end of the first – and immediately opened the scoring. Reid Boucher’s one-timer off Konstantin Okukov’s cross-ice pass was too good for Daniil Isayev. Soon after, Ryan Spooner spurned a good chance on the rush and for a time Lokomotiv looked to be in trouble.

But in the sixth minute the visitor got play to the other end, established itself in the danger zone and Alexander Yelesin finished off a rebound into an open net.

Once level, Yaroslavl again took control of the game. The visitor continued to attack, shutting down Avangard in every part of the ice. By the midway stage, Omsk had just five shots on goal and added only a couple more in the latter half of the period. Just as play seemed to be moving Avangard’s way, Alex Grant fired the puck over the glass to collect a delay of game penalty and halt that tentative momentum.

The home team finally got things right at the start of the third. There was more control of the puck and more concerted offense. Even so, it was hard for the Hawks to get close to Isayev’s net. And the longer the game remained tied, the more cautious the players became as overtime seemed increasingly inevitable. A late push from Avangard saw the home team boost its shots but could do nothing to settle the game inside 60 minutes.

In the extras, Avangard continued to press and created chances to win it. However, the first serious threat to Serebryakov’s net brought the winning goal. Radulov used all his strength and wiles on the slot to get the puck into the net and give his team the chance to finish the series on home ice on Saturday. 

Ufa pays the penalty

Spartak Moscow 6 Salavat Yulaev Ufa 2 (3-0, 0-2, 3-0)

(Spartak leads the series 3-1)

Spartak’s power play produced three goals to set up a comfortable home win for the Muscovites. After Thursday’s six-goal romp, Alexei Zhamnov’s team can wrap up the series in Ufa at the weekend. But Salavat Yulaev will hope that home advantage can enable it to at least prolong the battle despite dropping three games in a row.

The first period could hardly have gone much better for Spartak. The Red-and-Whites rattled in three unanswered goals and seemed to have the game under complete control.

That home cause was helped by a five-on-three power play early in the game. Grigory Panin followed Ildan Gazimov to the box and Spartak took maximum advantage. Ivan Morozov converted the two-man advantage, then as the power play continued Mikhail Maltsev made it 2-0 on 8:47. And there was more when Yegor Filin’s shot from a dead angle surprised Alexander Samonov and made the score 3-0 midway through the first.

However, this round has not been short of big fightbacks, and Salavat Yulaev threatened to deliver another one in the second period. Josh Leivo reduced the deficit 37 seconds after the restart – surprisingly, only the second post-season goal after his record-breaking regular campaign. Then, midway through the session, an Ufa power play saw Dinar Khafizulin blast home a second goal to put the game right back in the balance.

However, that Spartak power play came to the fore again as the third period began with a rush of penalties. The home team had a four-on-three advantage and Maltsev got his second of the night in the 48th minute to ease the nerves a little.

After that, Salavat had to try and raise the tempo. The visitor managed to get one more PP chance when Daniil Ivanov was assessed an interference minor on 53:33. However, Spartak killed that successfully and, generally, the home team did a solid job of shutting down Ufa’s offense.

With 2:20 left to play, Viktor Kozlov called a time-out and switched to six skaters, but that didn’t go well for his team. Adam Ruzicka continued his productive series with an empty-net goal – he’s up to six goals in the four games to date – then Alexander Belyayev rubbed salt in the wound with a sixth late on.