KHL 3x3 Round 22: Sibir and Dinamo Minsk race to the finish
Story of the Round
The latest round saw the battle for the last Superfinal spot between Sibir and Dinamo Minsk hit new heights! The teams traded wins in two spectacular head-to-head battles, the Belarusians won all their other games, while the Siberians also dropped a verdict against Avangard. At the end of it all, Dinamo’s advantage in the race for the last playoff place increased to eight points. That was the main intrigue from this round.
Sibir is really in good form just now and claimed the moral victory by winning the Supergame, rallying from 0-3 to defeat Dinamo in a shoot-out. And it will be a pity if this team has to miss the Superfinal. The partnership between experienced forwards Sannikov and Zyryanov is working superbly, Artyom Mishkin was as good as ever, Ivan Samsonov showed off his playmaking skills and Alexei Rizhikh was the unsung hero of the team. If there were a couple more rounds added to the schedule, Sibir’s recent form would give it a great chance of closing the gap and pipping Dinamo to a post-season spot. As it stands, though, time might run out on the Siberians.
Meanwhile, Dinamo added some serious heft ahead of this round and almost immediately got rewards. We knew about Sergei Kuznetsov’s abilities, and Vitaly Pinchuk’s quality was never in doubt. It added up to five wins and top spot for this round.
Player of the Round
Vitaly Pinchuk (Dinamo)
Pinchuk was the headliner for this round and he lived up to expectations. Vitaly was named Dinamo’s captain and made an instant impact in 3x3 play. He quickly grasped the details of this format and his strengths – size, speed and quick hands – were a natural fit on the smaller ice. Add in his creativity, and he was destined for success
He showed off what will surely become known as the “Pinchuk penalty”: accelerate to the net, lure the goalie to one side, then go behind to score on the wraparound. It didn’t work the fast time, but when he nailed it in the Supergame, it looked great.
In six games, Pinchuk had 12 (7+5) points, scoring in every game before adding a double in the Supergame.
It’s worth congratulating the league for amending the rules to allow players on one-way contracts to play in the 3x3 Championship. Pinchuk’s performance shows why this was the right decision.
Game of the Round
Dinamo Minsk 4 Sibir 3
It’s possible that this game will prove crucial in the battle for the final ticket to the Superfinal. The tournament situation was such that, had Sibir won this game it would have caught up with Dinamo, albeit having played a game more.
And the game was as entertaining as it was important. It was a great advertisement for the quality of hockey we can look forward to in that Superfinal next month. The teams traded goals and after two periods they were locked at 2-2. In the third, Minsk got in front, Sibir replied through Sergei Gritsenko just 13 seconds later -–even though the officials did not immediately see that he had scored. But the final word went to Pinchuk, who restored Dinamo’s lead and claimed the 4-3 victory.
This win didn’t just keep Dinamo in front of Sibir. The Belarusians went on to increase the advantage, winning its two subsequent games in this round.
Rookie of the Round
Anton Kovalyov (Avangard)
By all logic, this prize should go to Pinchuk. But it would be unfair to overlook another newcomer, Avangard’s Anton Kovalyov. He had a great weekend, finishing with 14 (9+5) points and writing his name in KHL 3х3 history. In the game against Barys, he potted five goals – a feat that matches Ilya Chmelevski’s performance for Salavat Yulaev earlier in the season.
Photo of the Round
The chance to play high-level hockey in July is a privilege for any hockey player. And doesn’t Avangard's experienced Maxim Rybin know it? The hard-hitting forward retired from the KHL in 2019 but was tempted back at the age of 43 to try out a new hockey challenge.
