Closure after Opening Cup loss. October 11 round-up

Traktor claimed a psychologically important 3-1 win over Lokomotiv, snapping an unhappy streak against the team that defeated it in last season’s Gagarin Cup final. In Saturday’s other game, Ryan Spooner shot down his former Dinamo Minsk clubmates with a goal and an assist in Shanghai Dragons’ 2-1 victory. 

Fast start puts Traktor in command

Traktor Chelyabinsk 3 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 1 (3-0, 0-0, 0-1)

This was something of a revenge mission for Traktor. After losing to Lokomotiv in the Gagarin Cup final last season, then again in this term’s Opening Cup, Benoit Groulx’s men needed to shift the narrative and prove that it could beat the defending champion.



The home team reshuffled its offensive options for this game. All four lines were altered and today’s top troika featured Gorbunov, Nikonov and Der-Arguchintsev. Loko, meanwhile, had to re-jig its defense after Andrei Sergeyev sustained a long-term injury. Among the changes, Mark Ulyev came into the team as a seventh d-man.

And in the opening frame, a new-look attack trumped an unfamiliar defense. For the first time in six games, Traktor opened the scoring and went into the intermission with the lead. Moreover, that lead was a commanding 3-0 scoreline.

The opener went to Josh Leivo in the seventh minute, reacting fastest on the slot to steer Yegor Korshkov’s feed into the net. Lokomotiv had a chance to tie it up on the power play, but while Logan Day sat it out, Andrei Svetlakov got on the breakaway and beat Daniil Isayev to double the lead midway through the session. The visitor responded with some serious pressure on Sergei Mylnikov’s net but could not reduce the deficit. Instead, Traktor finished the period with a third goal when Semyon Der-Arguchintsev claimed his first of the season after Grigory Dronov fired the puck into the danger zone.

That persuaded Lokomotiv to send Alexei Melnichuk into the net in place of Isayev, who allowed three goals on seven first-period shots. Melnichuk went unbeaten through his 40 minutes and, at the other end, the Loko offense created regular chances. Alexander Radulov was prominent but could not finish any of the opportunities that came his way. Eventually, the pressure got a reward when Alexander Polunin converted a counterattack on 36 minutes to make it 1-3 at the second break.

In the third, Daniil Misyul was agonizingly close to a second Lokomotiv goal; his shot rolled along the goal line but did not make it into the net. In the closing moments, Lokomotiv got on the power play but again failed to make the extra man count. In the end, Traktor closed out the win and halted a seven-game losing streak at home to the Railwaymen.

Dragons down Dinamo again

Shanghai Dragons 2 Dinamo Minsk 1 (0-0, 0-1, 2-0)

For the second time in three days, the Dragons got the better of Dinamo. And, for the second time in a row, it took a late goal to win it for Gerard Gallant’s team. Today, Ryan Spooner was the last-gasp hero, potting the winner in the 58th minute. Like Borna Rendulic two days ago, he got a power play goal to snatch a one-goal verdict at the SKA Arena.



The victory lifts the Dragons up to second in the West, one point clear of Spartak, Torpedo and Dynamo Moscow. It’s unfamiliar territory for the Chinese franchise, which only once made the playoffs since joining the league as Kunlun Red Star in 2016.

After these two teams produced a close-fought battle on Thursday, today’s encounter began with a very even first period. Neither side could make the breakthrough, and the shot count was tied at 10-10. Dinamo had a slight edge in terms of attacking possession but could not beat goalie Andrei Kareyev as he lined up against the club where he began last season.

In the second period, the Belarusians stepped up the pace. Dinamo outshot Shanghai 20-10 and had more than twice as much time in the home zone. Sam Anas opened the scoring with a close-range snipe in the 34th minute, and the visitor was close to a second goal after 37 minutes. However, the latter was denied when a video review upheld the on-ice decision that the shot did not cross the line.

That forced the Dragons to raise their game in the third. The home team offered far more going forward, but for a long time it looked as though Dinamo’s lead would hold. However, Spooner had other ideas. Another former Minsk man, he had an assist as Spencer Foo tied the game on 51:15. Then, as the pressure forced the Belarusians into penalty trouble, Spooner popped up with the power play winner, tucking away the loose puck after Adam Clendening’s point shot caused confusion on the Minsk crease.

That was enough to make it five wins from six for the Dragons, while Dinamo now has just one victory from its last four games.