Severstal hits the heights, wins for Avangard, Ak Bars. November 23 round-up

The Western Conference has a new leader, with unfancied Severstal moving to the top thanks to Sunday’s 2-0 win over Lada. In the East, Ak Bars and Avangard kept the pressure on Metallurg; the second-placed Tatars recovered from 0-2 to win at shoot-out at Shanghai Dragons, while the Hawks crushed Barys 5-2 in Kazakhstan. Alexander Zharvosky led the way as Salavat Yulaev took a 3-1 verdict at Neftekhimik.

Ufa gets back on track

Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 1 Salavat Yulaev Ufa 3 (1-0, 0-1, 0-2)

Salavat Yulaev halted a three-game skid, helped by a goal and an assist from Alexander Zharovsky.

The visitor made several changes for this fourth game of an extended road trip. Danil Alalykin made a long-awaited return after more than a month injured, and centered Zharovsky and Maxim Kuznetsov on the third line. In addition, there were multiple tweaks to the team’s four lines.

Neftekhimik, beaten by Ak Bars last time out, promoted Nikita Khoruzhev’s trio to the top line and added Danil Yurtaikin to Evgeny Mityakin’s line. New signing Nikita Artamonov, just arrived from Torpedo, played alongside Alexander Dergachyov and Nikita Popugayev. Leading defenseman Luka Profaca missed out, but Joey Duszak featured as a seventh D.

In the first period neither team was able to get many shots on the goal. The host blocked 10 efforts from Ufa but also had to kill two penalties. However, Salavat has not scored a power play goal this month and didn’t improve that record in today’s opening frame.

Gradually the Wolves gained the upper hand and Semyon Vyazovoi made a big save to deny Andrei Belozyorov in a one-on-one. However, he could do nothing to prevent the lively Khoruzhev opening the scoring in the 18th minute.

In the second period, Salavat’s power play problems continued. This time, Viktor Kozlov’s men were unable to capitalize on a major penalty for Matvei Nadvorny. Yet, on the PK, Ufa found the tying goal midway through the game. Zharovsky led a counterattack and Vladislav Yefremov beat Yaroslav Ozolin.

In the third period, the visitor finally ended its power play drought when Zharovsky’s wrister found the bottom corner. That play made the 18-year-old his team’s leading scorer this season, ahead of Kuznetsov. Within a minute, captain Grigory Panin doubled the lead with a shot from the blue line. Neftekhimik had chances to save the game in the closing stages but could not beat Vyazovoi as Salavat closed out the win.

Hawk ease past Barys

Barys Astana 2 Avangard Omsk 5 (0-1, 1-4, 1-0)

Avangard reeled off a fourth successive victory, halting a three-game hot streak for Barys in the process. Two goals apiece for Vasily Ponomaryov and Mikhail Kotlyarevsky led the way for the Hawks in Kazakhstan.

It was a successful return from injury for Ponomaryov, who replaced Nikolai Prokhorkin (illness). On defense, Slava Voynov returned in place of Semyon Chistyakov. Barys was unchanged from the previous game.

Ponomaryov, whose last game was here in Astana on Oct. 16, quickly made his mark. With two minutes played, he opened the scoring with a deflected shot from the slot. Avangard looked livelier at the start of the game, keeping possession better and creating more shooting chances. Barys was limited to counterattacks, but Semyon Simonov twice had chances to score.

The second period was littered with breaks in play before Avangard exploded to score three goals in 40 seconds.Kotlyarevsky redirected Artyom Blazhievsky’s shot, then Mikhail Gulyayev made a similar play to claim his first goal of the season off Max Lajoie’s set-up. Home goalie Adam Scheel made way for Andrei Shutov, but was immediately beaten by Ponomaryov’s second of the game as the Hawks set a club record for quickfire scoring.

Barys responded with a few good shifts at the other end, but could not score and Avangard soon reassumed control. Kotlyarevsky matched Ponomaryov’s double after converting a solo rush to pad the score to 5-0.

The game was effectively done, but late in the frame Barys at least managed to pull one back. A defensive error left Alikhan Omirbekov alone in front of Andrei Mishurov’s net and he made the most of his chance.

The third period brought a late consolation goal from Max Willman, but his first goal since joining the club attracted only lukewarm celebrations at the end of a difficult day at the office for the home team.

Barabanov secures fightback win for Ak Bars

Shanghai Dragons 2 Ak Bars Kazan 3 SO (1-0, 1-2, 0-0, 0-0, 0-1)

Ak Bars rallied from 0-2 to beat the Dragons in a shoot-out. The result sees Anvar Gatiyatulin’s men build on Friday’s derby success at Neftekhimik while Shanghai saw a two-game winning streak come to an end.

The pre-game entertainment came from the Imperial Orchestra, and their selection from the Kung-Fu Panda soundtrack inspired a hard-hitting opening frame.

The opening goal came in the 18th minute. Spencer Foo initially lost control of the puck but recovered well and spotted his team-mate Austin Wagner galloping towards the blue line. Foo picked out perhaps the assist of the season so far with an up-and-under that dropped into Wagner’s path and sent him clean through to beat Timur Bilyalov.

In the 27th minute, the Dragons doubled that lead. Vladimir Kuznetsov and Riley Sutter dashed away on the counter and the latter completed the play for his second goal of the season. At the time, it seemed that Shanghai was well-placed to maintain its current run of form.

But Ak Bars had other ideas. The visitor managed to tie the game in the second period. First, Ilya Safonov started a play that continued with Alexander Chmelevski setting up Artyom Galimov to score from the slot. Then, 20 seconds before the intermission, Alexander Barabanov made it a scoring return to his Petersburg hometown after an exchange of passes with Kirill Semyonov.

That was the end of the scoring. Neither time could find a winner in the third, and despite several good chances in overtime the game went to a shoot-out. Chmelevski and Barabanov scored for Ak Bars, while the Dragons failed to beat Bilyalov as the visitor took the verdict.

Lynx climb to Western summit

Severstal Cherepovets 2 Lada Togliatti 0 (0-0, 1-0, 1-0)

A fifth successive win put Severstal top of the Western Conference. Sunday’s 2-0 success over Lada moves Andrei Kozyrev’s team one point clear of Lokomotiv, Torpedo and Dinamo Minsk, all three tied on 41 points. Lada failed to score for the second game in a row.

Alexander Samoilov returned to the home net for the first time since November 10. Samoilov had been undisputed first choice at the start of the season but then lost his place despite no report of any injury, nor any reason to criticize his performance. The home coaching staff also scratched Danil Aimurzin and Kirill Pilipenko, two of last season’s scoring leaders. Timur Mukhanov returned after a two-week absence.

There wasn’t much between the teams in a goalless opening period. Severstal looked slightly better, but nobody could find a breakthrough until the 27th minute. Lada failed to clear its lines and Timofei Davydov was able to keep play in the visitor’s zone. He moved down the right and waited to pick out a pass for Nikolai Chebykin to rifle home from between the hash marks.

Midway through the third, Severstal got another chance on the power play but could not make the game safe. It wasn’t until the 56th minute that Ilya Ivantsov added a second, assisted by Samoilov. The forward extended his productive streak to three games; the goalie collected his first point since Jan. 2024.