Avtomobilist lifts Puchkov Cup, Metallurg loses at home again

The latest summer trophy was awarded Wednesday with Avtomobilist edging a 1-0 victory over SKA to claim the Puchkov Cup in St. Petersburg. The day’s other action was at the Romazan Memorial in Magnitogorsk, while VHL team Magnitka is the unlikely leader. Metallurg’s farm club defeated the senior team in a shoot-out – albeit in a game with two experimental rosters. Earlier, Barys edged Salavat Yulaev in OT.

Puchkov Cup

Motormen win Petersburg tourney

SKA St. Petersburg 0 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 1 (0-0, 0-1, 0-0)

In the end, a solitary goal was enough. After hitting Ak Bars for six yesterday, Avtomobilist eked a 1-0 verdict over SKA to win the Puchkov Cup.

The host team, adjusting to life under new head coach Igor Larionov, finished third out of the three competing teams following its opening day OT loss to Ak Bars.

Although Wednesday’s final game was low-scoring, it wasn’t short of interest. SKA handed a debut to Rocco Grimaldi, who promptly carved out the first big chance of the game in the fourth minute. The American forward went around the net before setting up 20-year-old Ignat Lutfullin, but Evgeny Alikin got his pads down to block the shot.

Prior to that, Lutfullin took a penalty 25 seconds into the game. Later, SKA would get its chance on the power play, but neither side could force a breakthrough in an even first period.

In the second period SKA had some decent chances again before running out of steam. Grimaldi forced a turnover but his shot found the side netting. Then another new signing, Trevor Murphy, flashed a shot narrowly wide midway through the session. However, Avtomobilist was asking more questions at the other end and got in front in the 37th minute. Nikita Shashkov did it all himself, battling for the puck in the corner and emerging to snap an unexpected shot on the turn to beat Sergei Ivanov via a deflection off Markus Phillips’s skate.

Just before the intermission, home forward Valentin Zykov got into a scuffle with Sergei Zborovsky. That set the tone for a scrappy start to the third period. SKA killed an early too many men penalty, then Avtomobilist was reduced to three skaters after Roman Gorbunov and Nikita Tryamkin went to the box.

However, the visitor’s PK was resolute and, despite SKA pressure in the closing stages, there was no way past Alikin. The final moments brought another rush of penalties but Avtomobilist closed out 1-0 verdict to lift the cup. 

Romazan Memorial

Magnitka on top in in-house battle

Metallurg Magnitogorsk 2 Magnitka (VHL) 3 SO (0-1, 0-0, 2-1, 0-0, 0-1)

Day two of the Romazan Memorial saw Metallurg take on its farm club, Magnitka, in an internal battle in Magnitogorsk.

On paper, the result was a shock: the VHL team recorded a second victory in as many days against KHL opposition. However, a closer look at the line-ups told a different story.

Andrei Razin left most of his senior players on the sidelines, with only Derek Barach, Danila Palivko and Andrei Kozlov involved. Goalie Ilya Nabokov was back-up for junior prospect Yegor Kramzin. That had a knock-on effect for Magnitka, which saw several of its regular players drafted into the Metallurg team for today.

It was hard to identify a pre-game favorite, given the experimental rosters on both sides. And the game was closely contested as well. Magnitka opened the scoring when Alexei Fursa potted a rebound. Metallurg’s defense was guilty of not getting tight enough to the opposition, but going forward a counterattack saw Nikita Kurichev test Dzhelal-ad-Din Amirbekov in the Magnitka net.

After a goalless second period, Alexei Mastryukov extended Magnitka’s lead with a power play goal early in the third. Soon after, Artur Boltanov went close to a third goal but failed to convert his one-on-one chance.

However, in the 48th minute, Metallurg got back in the game when Mikhail Grass set up Kurichev in a great position. Chances kept coming at both ends, and Mikhail Fedorov was denied a tying goal by the post. Then, when Metallurg got on the power play, Pavel Tyutnev produced the tying goal.

This was Magnitka’s second overtime in as many games, but after beating Barys in the extras the VHL team had to rely on a shoot-out here. Fursa was the only player to convert his attempt, securing back-to-back wins for his team and setting up a title decider against Salavat Yulaev on Friday. 

Kazakhs hold off Ufa rally

Barys Astana 4 Salavat Yulaev Ufa 3 OT (1-1, 2-1, 0-1, 1-0)

Salavat Yulaev rallied from 1-3 to force overtime, but lost out to a goal from Barys forward Dinmukhamed Kaiyrzhan.

The Kazakhs’ head coach Mikhail Kravets handed newcomer Michael Veccione a debut in the second game of the Romazan Memorial. The Canadian joined Emil Galimov and Alikhan Omirbekov on the front line.

Salavat Yulaev rested Alexander Zharovsky, Gleb Kuzmin and the star of yesterday’s game against Metallurg, goalie Alexander Samonov. Semyon Vyazovoi got the start and Alexander Chmelevski, Maxim Kuznetsov and Ilya Fedotov formed the first line.

After dropping its opening game of the tournament to VHL team Magnitka, Barys responded with a lively start today. However, Salavat Yulaev got the opening goal. Prokhor Korbit converted a power play in the 11th minute, but the lead lasted less than 35 seconds before Veccione potted his first for his new club. He received a stretch pass from Beybarys Orazov and beat Vyazovoi with a shot from mid-range.

The second session began with Barys on top. It took just 97 seconds to conjure another goal when Alikhan Asetov was given time and space to beat Vyazoi at the second attempt. And Asetov found space again to claim his second of the game in similar style midway through the frame. However, Ufa hit back before the break when Danil Alalykin converted a power play in the 35th minute.

Then came another power play goal midway through the third as Chmelevsky brought Salavat Yulaev level. All three goals came with a man advantage; Barys paid a heavy price for seven penalties during the game.

That steered the play into overtime. Barys began by forcing two good saves from Vyazovoi, but it was third time lucky when Kaiyrzhan fired a wrist shot past the goalie to seal the win.