Dinamo edges Lada in Day Two of Cup

The host club started its Fonbet Minsk Cup campaign with a shoot-out win over Lada in the Belarusian capital. 

Dinamo Minsk 3 Lada Togliatti 2 SO (2-0, 0-2, 0-0, 0-0, 1-0)

Day two of the Minsk Cup saw host club Dinamo begin its campaign. The Bison managed a victory over Lada, but needed a shoot-out to overcome the team that won yesterday’s tournament opener.

Lada strengthened its roster from the team that thumped Admiral 5-1 on Monday. The top line featured new import Riley Savchuk alongside experienced KHLers Alexander Khokhlachyov and Dmitry Kugryshev.

Dinamo began its summer schedule with a warm-up win over VHL opposition last week. That team was youthful and Dmitry Kvartalnov continued to lean into his roster’s depth – particularly on offense. However, it was the host team that took the early initiative with two unanswered goals in the first period.

The first went to Daniil Sotishvili, converting the rebound from Nikita Pyshkailo’s effort. Teenage defenseman Bogdan Popovsky also played a big part in the goal, keeping the puck inside Lada’s zone and producing a fine pass to set up Pyshkailo. Dinamo then squandered two power play chances but doubled the lead close to the intermission when Daniil Lipsky’s good work behind the net set up Vadim Moroz with a simple finish.

After the intermission, Lada hit back. Ilya Reingardt scored his second in as many games, then Danila Dyadenkin continued his impressive form in this tournament with an assist as Vyacheslav Osnovin converted an odd-man rush. Dinamo’s problems increased in the third period when Matvei Govorkov was ejected from the game for a foul on Karim Vafin but the Motormen’s power play was no more effective than the home team’s.

Neither side could find a winner in the third, nor in regulation, but Dinamo clinched it in the shoot-out. Josh Brook potted the decider to get the host off to a winning start.