CSKA wins Moscow tourney, Dragons thrash Dynamo for bronze

It was finals day at the Mayor of Moscow Cup, and CSKA claimed the trophy for the second year in a row thanks to a 3-2 win over Dinamo Minsk. Shanghai Dragons took third with a 6-1 drubbing of Dynamo Moscow, and Spartak edged Torpedo into sixth place. In two warm-up games, Sochi beat Amur and Severstal spoiled Bob Hartley’s first game with Lokomotiv on home ice.

Mayor of Moscow Cup

Kovalenko fires CSKA to gold

CSKA Moscow 3 Dinamo Minsk 2 (1-1, 1-0, 1-1)

Two goals from Nikolai Kovalenko, including a decisive penalty shot in the third period, secured gold for CSKA at the Mayor of Moscow Cup. Last year’s champion defended its crown after a tough battle against Dinamo Minsk in Sunday’s final.

These teams met in last year’s playoffs, with the Belarusians advancing in some style. But this is a new-look CSKA under Igor Nikitin and after a busy summer the Muscovites are hoping to be in contention for top honors in the coming campaign. Today’s win suggests that progress has been made in pre-season, which began with a 1-4 loss to Minsk in a warm-up game.

Today’s difference-maker was Kovalenko, one of the new arrivals at the club this season. He opened the scoring with a power play goal in the 16th minute, albeit enjoying some good fortune when his pass towards Denis Zernov bounced kindly off a Dinamo skate and into the net. But a power play soon brought a tying goal when Vadim Shipachyov produced a trademark one-timer in the 18th minute.

That lifted Dinamo, and the middle frame saw Dmitry Kvartalnov’s men pose more questions of the opposition. However, it did not produce any goals and there was a sucker punch three seconds before the hooter when Denis Guryanov restored CSKA’s lead.

All three goals came on the power play in a game littered with penalties and it was perhaps not surprising that Dinamo’s second tying marker also arrived when the Bison had a man advantage. Vitaly Pinchuk continues to impress and the 23-year-old was on target again here early in the third.

But in a game dominated by fouls, Ty Smith’s infringement brought a penalty shot for CSKA and Kovalenko stepped up to convert the chance. That wasn’t quite the end: a late penalty (what else?) on Nikita Nesterov gave Dinamo a chance of salvation; Zach Fucale made way for a sixth skater, but CSKA held on to lift the trophy. 

Dragons down Dynamo to clinch bronze

Dynamo Moscow 1 Shanghai Dragons 6 (0-1, 1-4, 0-1)

Shanghai Dragons, playing only their third game since the franchise was taken over and rebranded, wrapped up its Moscow Cup campaign with a comfortable win over Dynamo. The 6-1 scoreline gives the Dragons third place in the tournament, while the Muscovites’ second-period performance with a strong roster will give Alexei Kudashov plenty to think about.

However, one obvious change for Dynamo came between the piping: youngster Dmitry Kulikov got the start, backed up by the similarly inexperienced Vladimir Selivanov, aged just 17.

It turned into a rough day for Kulikov. He gave up the only goal of the first period when a Max Ellis shot got past him. The netminder’s view was partially obscured by his team-mate Kirill Gotovets.

But the second period saw Shanghai take control. Ellis struck again within a minute of the restart, then Ryan Spooner potted his first for his new club in the 25th minute. Max Comtois pulled one back, but used his foot to put the puck into Patrik Rybar’s net so it remained 3-0.

Midway through the game, Dynamo failed to convert the first power play of the day. Shanghai got its chance, and Adam Clendening took advantage to make it four. Forty seconds later, Parker Foo added a fifth to chase Kulikov from the net in favor of rookie Selivanov.

Just before the second intermission, Comtois scored a legitimate goal but there was no chance of a fightback. Instead Shanghai got the only goal of the final frame thanks to Alexander Burmistrov.

Spartak leaves Torpedo still seeking a win

Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 0 Spartak Moscow 4 (0-1, 0-1, 0-2)

Spartak blanked Torpedo to avoid finishing in last place at the Mayor of Moscow Cup. Meanwhile, Alexei Isakov is still awaiting his first victory as head coach in Nizhny Novgorod, where fans will be hoping that pre-season isn’t much of an indicator of what is to come when the action starts in earnest next weekend.

Spartak made the brighter start and got its reward in the fifth minute when Stanislav Yarovoi and Nathan Todd set up Daniil Orlov for the opening goal. Although Torpedo tried to step up a the physical game and get back into contention, the Red-and-Whites continued to enjoy the bulk of the play, outshooting Torpedo and looking the more likely to score again.

That second goal arrived in the second period. Torpedo made a better start to the session but Spartak stood up to the challenge before Nikita Kholodilin’s diagonal feed presented Veniamin Korolyov with a scoring chance.

There was more to come in the third when Yegor Filin made it 3-0. He profited from some great work by Alexander Belyayev to force a turnover and set up an odd-man rush. Finally, with six minutes left, Ivan Morozov completed the scoring. 

Warm-up games

Leopards beat Tigers, Loko stumbles at home

HC Sochi 5 Amur Khabarovsk 3 (2-2, 2-0, 1-1)

After meeting in the Chelyabinsk Governor’s Cup, Sochi and Amur staged a rematch on Sunday. Leopards head coach Vladimir Krikunov continued to experiment with his younger players, while Alexander Galchenyuk Sr went with something close to a full-strength line-up for the Tigers.

And he saw Amur make the brighter start, including a spell on the power play, before allowing the first goal. Igor Shvyrov opened the scoring in the 10th minute, then Zakhar Mits doubled the in the 17th minute, but Amur rallied with two late goals from Artyr Gizdatullin.

Sochi regained the lead at the start of the third thanks to a kind bounce off the board that led to a goal for Daniil Seroukh. Then Matvei Guskov, who had an assist on the opener, circled behind the net before making it 4-2.

Amur tried to get back into the game in the third period but struggled to take its chances. Midway through the session Denis Vengryzhanovsky extended Sochi’s lead and Kirill Urakov’s 56th-minute goal for the Tigers was only a consolation effort.

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 2 Severstal Cherepovets 3 OT (0-0, 2-0, 0-2, 0-1)

Bob Hartley sent out a Lokomotiv team at Arena 2000 for the first time as the defending champion wrapped up its pre-season schedule. Hartley selected a roster close to the one we can expect to see in Friday’s Opening Cup curtain-raiser, although injuries to Artur Kayumov, Nikita Kiryanov and Daniil Tesanov mean the line-up is someway short of full strength.

In a goalless first period, Severstal looked the likelier to score. There were good chances for Ilya Ivantsov, Yanni Kaldis and Alexander Skorenov, but Daniil Isayev came up with the answers in the Lokomotiv net.

After the intermission, penalty trouble undermined the visitor. Lokomotiv potted two power play goals through Maxim Shalunov and Stepan Nikulin, seemingly taking control of the game.

But the third saw the pattern reversed. Severstal was more consistent and better disciplined, scoring two PP goals of its own. Skorenov reduced the arrears, then Nikolai Chebykin tied it up in the 48th minute. That sent the game into overtime, where Vladimir Grudinin completed the fightback to give the Lynx the edge.