Samsonov enjoys KHL return, Loko wins in Ufa. November 2 round-up
Ilya Samsonov played his first KHL game since 2018 and Sochi’s new goalie helped secure a 5-2 win over Spartak. The Leopards snapped a nine-game skid after Dmitry Mikhailov replaced Vladimir Krikunov as head coach. Another new head coach – albeit interim – snapped another skid as Alexander Andriyevsky earned Amur a 3-2 success over Admiral. Lokomotiv eased to a 4-1 win at Salavat Yulaev, Traktor spoiled Sergei Shirokov’s 900th KHL game with victory over Sibir and Torpedo blanked Avtomobilist in Yekaterinburg.
Tigers on top in Far East derby
Amur Khabarovsk 3 Admiral Vladivostok 2 (1-1, 1-1, 1-0)
The Tigers claimed the first victory in this season’s Far East derby, edging a 3-2 verdict over Admiral in Khabarovsk. That saw the home team snap its five-game skid, while sending the Sailors to a seventh successive loss.
Amid poor form, both teams made changes. Alexander Andriyevsky, acting head coach for Amur due to Alexander Galchenyuk Sr’s illness, brought back defenseman Ivan Mishchenko and front-line forward llya Talaluyev. For Admiral, Dmitry Shugayev replaced Adam Huska in goal.
Amur began the game well and opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Yaroslav Likhachyov’s shot found a way through Shugayev’s defenses. The Tigers continued to press and created more scoring chances but could not build on the early breakthrough. Instead, Admiral tied it up in 15th minute on its first power play of the game: a well-worked combination ended with a goal from Daniil Gutik. Just before the hooter, the Sailors thought they had another but it was ruled out for a high stick.
The middle frame started with another early goal from Amur. Matvei Zaseda’s one-timer finished off a swift attack from the home team. But this time, Admiral was quick to take the initiative. The visitor enjoyed the better of the play, only dropping the pace when it found itself on the penalty kill. And when Amur eventually took a penalty of its own, it wasn’t long before Yegor Petukhov’s redirect tied the game shortly before the second intermission.
After two periods of open hockey, the third was a tougher, harder-hitting affair. Much of the action was bogged down in center ice, but eventually penalties broke the pattern of play. First Admiral got a chance, but could not convert. Then, in the 57th minute, Talaluyev marked his 300th KHL appearance with a power play goal. That proved to be the winner and home goalie Maxim Dorozhko celebrated his 50th win in the KHL.
900 games for Shirokov but two points for Traktor
Traktor Chelyabinsk 4 Sibir Novosibirsk 3 (0-1, 3-1, 1-1)
Sergei Shirokov scored in his 900th KHL game, but it wasn’t enough to save Sibir from defeat at Traktor. The home team picked up a third win in four games – a run that started with a shoot-out verdict in Novosibirsk – while the visitor fell to a seventh successive loss.
In the previous game against Barys, Traktor got off to a flying start and seemingly resolved its first-period problems this season. Today, Benoit Groulx’s men tried to repeat that success and once again created plenty of early opportunities. However, Sibir kept the home offense at bay and grabbed the lead late on thanks to Shirokov’s power play goal. The captain redirected a Yegor Alanov shot as the defenseman extended his productive streak to five games.
But it all turned around after the intermission. Barely a minute after the restart a quick counterattack saw Vasily Glotov put away Yegor Korshkov’s feed. Then, midway through the frame, Jordan Gross put the home team in front when he got his stick onto Yegor Rykov’s feed. That assist was Rykov’s first point since joining Traktor, while Semyon Der-Arguchintsev’s helper took his hot streak to five games.
Sibir hit back to tie the game through former Traktor forward Vladimir Tkachyov, who took advantage of a mistake from Mikhail Grigorenko. But the home team took a lead into the second intermission thanks to 20-year-old defenseman Vladislav Yusupov. His deflected shot from the blue line brought him a first KHL goal.
The goals kept coming in the third. After veteran Shirokov got Sibir’s opening goal, 19-year-old Alexander Pershakov potted his first in the KHL after an impressive solo run. However, Traktor got back in front when Alexander Kadeikin grabbed the winner, putting away the rebound after his initial shot was blocked.
Kostin blanks Avto, lifts Torpedo back to second
Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 0 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 2 (0-0, 0-1, 0-1)
Denis Kostin’s shut-out blanked Avtomobilist as Torpedo defeated the Motormen for the second time this season. The home team broke with tradition and changed a winning team, welcoming Stephane da Costa back from the illness that ruled him out of Friday’s 7-1 rout of Sibir.
In the early stages, Torpedo’s extra pace caused problems. The best chances came on the counterattack and Evgeny Alikin did well to deny Yegor Vinogradov after a two-on-one rush. At the other end, defenseman Yaroslav Busygin was closest to upsetting Kostin when he roamed forward to the slot.
As the opening frame went on, Torpedo tightened the screws. Kostin was a virtual spectator as the visitor’s press forced regular errors and turnovers. At the other end, the home defense blocked 11 shots while Alikin stood up well to some close-range efforts.
The second period brought the opening goal, with Torpedo getting in front shortly after the intermission. Bobby Nardella joined the offense and pulled the home D out of position before setting up Vinogradov on the slot. His goal woke up Avtomobilist, and the home team immediately set about a spell of possession in front of Kostin’s net. That led to scoring chances: da Costa got away from the defense but could not find the target; later Reid Boucher was robbed at the last minute as he shaped to shoot at Kostin. Then Avto got its first power play of the day midway through the session but struggled to generate offense with the extra man. Towards the end of the frame, Torpedo got its power play and Vasily Atanasov forced Alikin into an acrobatic save.
In the third period the game proceeded with few whistles and even fewer scoring chances. Torpedo gradually switched to a more defensive game and Avtomobilist struggled to find a way through a congested zone. That meant Alikin made way for a sixth skater with 2:40 left on the clock, but the gamble came to naught. Kirill Voronin scored into the empty net with 41 seconds to play, sealing a fifth win in six for Alexei Isakov’s team. Torpedo moves into second in the Western Conference.
Loko snaps Salavat streak
Salavat Yulaev Ufa 1 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 4 (0-1, 1-1, 0-2)
Defending champion Lokomotiv halted Salavat’s five-game winning streak with an assured display in Ufa. An early power play goal from Maxim Shalunov set the Railwaymen on their way and he added two assists in a 4-1 scoreline.
The home team missed suspended forward Devin Brosseau, meaning Prokhor Korbit was promoted to the top line. Brosseau was later spotted cheering on his team-mates from the ultras’ sector. Injuries also affected the line-up: Maxim Kuznetsov missed out and defenseman Ildan Gazimov was pressed into service as a forward. Lokomotiv opted for Alexei Melnichuk as starting goalie ahead of Daniil Isayev, while Nikita Cherepanov returned to the defense.
Shalunov quickly put the visitor ahead, converting the first power play of the game with a shot from a dead angle that made it over Alexander Samonov’s shoulder. In response, Salavat Yulaev struggled to find the necessary incision going forward, and managed just six shots at Melnichuk’s net in the opening frame.
However, the home team tied it up at the start of the second period. Defenseman Yaroslav Busygin picked the right moment to join the attack and fired past the Loko goalie. After that, though, Viktor Kozlov’s team struggled to convert the chances it created. Lokomotiv gradually gained the upper hand and began to press Ufa back into its zone. Pavel Kraskovsky hit the post, and moments later Yegor Surin restored the visitor’s lead.
In the third period, Salavat Yulaev again failed to take its chances. At the other end, Lokomotiv added a third thanks to Martin Gernat on the counter. With a two-goal lead, the visitor was in control of the play and showed its class with a well-worked fourth goal for leading scorer Alexander Radulov.
Victory for new-look Sochi
HC Sochi 5 Spartak Moscow 2 (0-0, 3-1, 2-1)
Sochi’s recent struggles prompted a change in coaching – and a fresh approach was rewarded with victory over Spartak. Vladimir Krikunov moved upstairs to become the club’s coaching consultant, while Dmitry Mikhailov was promoted to the head coach role.
Mikhailov, who had previously worked within SKA and Team Russia’s coaching staff, took charge for the first time against Spartak and halted a nine-game skid with a 5-2 win.
The new head coach owes much to former Spartak forward Will Bitten. The Canadian, 27, left the Muscovites last season and immediately looked a stronger player in Sochi. Today he scored twice to pace the Leopards’ victory. Goaltender Samsonov, playing his first KHL game for seven seasons after 200 appearances in the NHL for Washington, Toronto and Vegas, backstopped a victory on his Sochi debut.
He was busier goaltender in a scoreless opening frame, with Spartak outshooting Sochi 11-7. But early in the second, Bitten got his first of the night after his partnership with Daniil Seroukh once again bore fruit. Things got even better for Sochi late in the frame as two quick goals pushed the lead to 3-0. Artur Tyanulin tucked away the rebound from Danil Mokryshev’s shot, then, 25 seconds later, Nikolai Polyakov’s tally chased starting goalie Dmitry Nikolayev from his net.
Spartak was shaken, but managed to get a goal back just before the intermission thanks to Nikita Korostelyov. Samsonov did not return after the intermission, having stopped 30 out of 31 shots through 40 minutes.
Incoming goalie Alexei Shchetilin was beaten after two minutes of the third period. In-form Nathan Todd moved to 13 (8+5) points from the last nine games when he made it 2-3. Given Sochi’s fragile recent form, it was tempting to assume that the game was moving away from the home team. However, any nerves were eased midway through the third when Bitten potted his second on the power play. And Timur Khafizov’s empty netter sealed the verdict in the final minute. Sochi snapped its skid, but remains two points adrift at the foot of the Western Conference.
