Motorygin’s shut-out streak ends, Salavat wins Green Derby. December 5 round-up

Dynamo goalie Maxim Motorygin completed the fourth longest shut-out streak in KHL history before he was beaten by Lada’s Andrei Altybarmakyan in the 27th minute of today’s game. Motorygin kept his goal intact for 252:04, and backstopped a 4-2 win in Togliatti. Sheldon Rempal’s four points lifted Salavat Yulaev to a first win over Ak Bars this season. The 4-1 scoreline in Ufa was repeated in Yekaterinburg, where Avtomobilist defeated Severstal. CSKA won 3-2 at Traktor, Shanghai Dragons grabbed a late goal to force overtime against Torpedo before Ilya Chefanov potted his second shoot-out winner in as many games. And there was also overtime in Nizhnekamsk, where Neftekhimik edged a 2-1 verdict over Metallurg.

Muscovites add to pressure on Traktor

Traktor Chelyabinsk 2 CSKA Moscow 3 (1-0, 1-2, 0-1)

CSKA handed Traktor a third successive defeat, coming from behind to take a 3-2 verdict in Chelyabinsk.

The home team switched up its goaltending options, with Dmitry Lozebnikov playing his first KHL game since Nov. 2024. Nikita Nesterov returned for CSKA, but Ivan Patrikhayev and Colby Williams both missed out.

Traktor made the better start. The home team had an early power play, then Josh Leivo found the net in the 12th minute. However, CSKA challenged the play and the goal was ruled out for offside. A few minutes later, Alexander Kadeikin scored a legitimate goal when he caught the opposition on the change, rolled forward and beat Dmitry Gamzin.

At the start of the second, Kadeikin took a delay of game minor and CSKA tied it up on the power play. After a rebound off the boards, Nikolai Kovalenko squeezed home a shot from a tight angle to claim his first goal since Oct. 22. Ninety seconds later, the visitor went in front: Jordan Gross gave up possession and a swift counter ended with Pavel Karnaukhov scoring. However, Kadeikin was still eager to influence events and midway through the game he tied the scores with a long-range effort.

The third period began with another penalty for Kadeikin, and another power play goal for CSKA. This time, Prokhor Poltapov’s shot through traffic beat Lozebnikov. That proved to be the winner, despite some good chances for the home team. Leivo went closest, but failed to convert a one-on-one as CSKA held on for the win. 

Derby delight for Ufa

Salavat Yulaev Ufa 4 Ak Bars Kazan 1 (1-0, 2-1, 1-0)

A four-point game from Sheldon Rempal secured victory for Salavat Yulaev in the third Green Derby of the season. The Canadian had a hand in all of his team’s goals to earn Ufa its first win of the season against Ak Bars.

The teams made a cautious start, feeling their way into the game and probing for weaknesses in the opposition. But Salavat Yulaev began to create the first meaningful chances and Rempal opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Yegor Arefyev – a surprise choice as starting goalie for the visitor – gave up a rebound. Later, visiting D-man Stepan Falkovsky was hurt when a shot ricocheted up into his face and he went straight to the locker room for treatment but returned to the game once he had been patched up.

The second period saw Ak Bars put the home team under pressure. Salavat Yulaev killed a penalty, then began to give the puck away cheaply, putting Semyon Vyazovoi’s net under pressure. In the 29th minute that brought a tying goal, scored by former Ufa favorite Alexander Chmelevski, who claimed his 100th KHL marker. But the home team responded with two impressive power plays, bringing goals for Rempal and Devin Brosseau to open a 3-1 lead.

The battle continued in the third period, with some big hits and – on occasion – a threat of aggression in the play. In the 58th minute, Ak Bars thought it had a lifeline when Artur Brovkin reacted fast to a loose puck in front of Vyazovoi’s net and found the target. However, the home bench challenged the play, citing interference on the goalie, and the video review called it back. A late, unnecessary penalty for the visitor ended its hopes of saving the game and Jack Rodewald’s power play goal made the final 4-1.

500th KHL win for Motormen

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 4 Severstal Cherepovets 1 (0-0, 2-1, 2-0)

The Motormen celebrated a 500th KHL victory with 21-year-old goalie Nikita Novosyolov enjoying a successful KHL debut after a strong campaign in this year’s VHL. The home team was without the injured Stephane da Costa and Maxim Denezhkin, but welcomed Curtis Valk back to action. Timur Mukhanov replaced Nikolai Chebykin in the Severstal line-up.

Both teams had early chances. Severstal’s defensive lapse forced goalie Konstantin Shostak to come a long way from his net, but the home team could not take advantage. Moments later, the visitor went close, but Novosyolov denied Ivan Podshivalov after a quick break.

Things settled down. Avtomobilist pressed hard on the visitor but struggled to create chances. Late in the frame, Shostak had to the leave the game, making way for Alexander Samoilov. And in the last minute, Avto had a great chance with 50 seconds of five-on-three hockey. However, a conservative power play did not seriously threaten the visitor.

Severstal made a good start to the middle frame, and looked especially threatening on the power play. However, the visitor could not take advantage and Avtomobilist got in front on a somewhat fortuitous goal. Nikita Tryamkin fired a hopeful effort as he entered the zone, and a deflection off Alexander Skorenov’s stick saw it fly into the net.

That encouraged the home team, which went on to spend a few lively shifts in front of Samoilov’s net. Anatoly Golyshev finished off something of a goalmouth scramble to double the home lead in the 36th minute.

Severstal needed a response and got one. With 20 seconds of five-on-three, the visitor pulled a goal back just before the intermission thanks to Danil Aimurzin’s shot. However, at the start of the third period, Danil Romantsev’s solo rush brought a penalty shot for Avtomobilist, which Reid Boucher converted to make it 3-1. A minute later, the home press forced a defensive error and Semyon Kizimov added a fourth, effectively ending the contest.

Severstal tried to find a way back but struggled to generate much danger. When it did, Novosyolov was up to the task and made a couple more good saves.

Birthday celebration for Barys

Barys Astana 4 Spartak Moscow 3 OT (1-2, 2-1, 0-0, 1-0)

An overtime win snapped a four-game skid as the club celebrated its 26th anniversary. After trailing 1-3 in the second period, the home team recovered and eventually took the verdict on Michael Vecchione’s goal.

Spartak welcomed back Nathan Todd after a three-game absence and joined Adam Ruzicka and German Rubtsov on the top line. Alexander Georgiyev, who started the previous two games in goal for the Muscovites, was not dressed for this one. Artyom Zagidulin got the start, backed up by 18-year-old Anton Kayris.

Boxer Roy Jones Jr made the starting puck drop, and his presence inspired the teams to an early fight. Right after the opening face-off, Spartak defenseman Veniamin Korolyov fouled Max Willman and Mason Morelli stepped up to defend his team-mate. The giant Spartak player had the better of the bout.

After that fight, the teams played almost five full minutes without a whistle before Ansar Shaikhmeddenov redirected Jake Massie’s point shot into the Spartak net. Spartak responded with a curious goal from Pavel Poryadin in the ninth minute when Massie’s attempt to close down the home forward led to the puck bouncing off him and past Adam Scheel. Then Danil Pivchulin gave the visitor a lead that it would take to the intermission.

The second period began with a power play goal from Luke Lockhart, and Spartak looked comfortable at 3-1. Ruzicka’s assist stretched the Slovak forward’s productive streak to four games.

Midway through the session, a Spartak power play did not go to plan and Barys managed to get some good looks on the counter. There was no short-handed goal, but when Reilly Walsh left the box he jumped right on the puck and beat Zagidulin. Soon after, Massie tied the game after winning possession on the boards and driving to the slot to score with a backhand shot.

The momentum swung back behind the home team, and Barys had good chances to get ahead before the intermission. In the third period, too, the home team looked the likelier winner but neither team could find a goal. It went to overtime, where Vecchione’s thunderbolt secured the points for Barys.

Lada snaps Motorygin’s streak but cannot beat Dynamo

Lada Togliatti 2 Dynamo Moscow 4 (0-0, 1-2, 1-2)

Dynamo recorded a fifth consecutive win, while Maxim Motorygin extended his shut-out streak to 252:04. That’s the fourth longest in KHL history, and it was halted in the 27th minute when Andrei Altybarmakyan scored on the Blue-and-White goalie for the first time since Alex Broadhurst for Amur on Nov. 24. Along the way, Motorygin, 22, overtook the likes of Curtis Sanford, Vasily Koshechkin, Pavel Moisevich, Ryan Zapolski and Ilya Sorokin.

Altybarmakyan’s marker cancelled out Dynamo’s opening goal. That came early in the second period when Lada’s recent signings Tyler Graovac and Tomas Jurco went to the box and Nikita Gusev converted a five-on-three power play. Late in the second period, Dynamo regained the lead when Gusev and Jordan Weal set up a counterattack that brought a goal for Dylan Sikura. That marker extended Sikura’s hot streak to six games.

Late in the middle frame, Max Comtois got a penalty and after the intermission Nikita Mikhailov took advantage to tie the game. Up to that point, Dynamo had enjoyed the better of the play but after tying the scores for a second time, Lada seized the initiative and threatened to get in front for the first time in the game. However, Andrei Chivilyov’s penalty gave Dynamo a lifeline and Sikura scored his second of the game to restore the visitor’s lead. Then, in the closing moments, Artyom Ilyenko made sure with a goal three minutes from time.

Rendulic hat-trick in a losing cause

Shanghai Dragons 3 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 4 SO (0-1, 1-0, 2-2, 0-0, 0-1)

A Borna Rendulic hat-trick saved Shanghai from defeat in regulation at home to Torpedo, but the visitor recovered to take a shoot-out verdict.

The visitor never trailed during the game. Vladimir Tkachyov opened the scoring after just three minutes, striking on a delayed penalty. After that, the visitor withstood some first-period pressure to preserve its lead, then got the first official power play of the night at the start of the second.

Midway through the second stanza, Shanghai got a five-on-three advantage for two full minutes; the home team could not find a tying goal, but eight seconds after the teams returned to equal strength, Rendulic potted his first of the night.

That was the only goal of the second period, but early in the third Torpedo got back in front thanks to Ilya Khokhlov. And midway through the session, a short-handed goal from Yegor Vinogradov survived a bench challenge to make it 3-1.

With the Dragons now killing a penalty of their own, it felt like time was running out for the home team as it looked to avoid a fifth loss in six games. But Rendulic had other ideas. Gerard Gallant went to a sixth skater early, and the Croatian grabbed a vital goal on 57:55 to make it 2-3. Then, with exactly 60 seconds left, Rendulic did it again to take the game to overtime.

Neither team could win it in the extras, but the shoot-out saw Torpedo take the verdict and maintain its place in the top four in the West. For the second game in a row, Ilya Chefanov potted the decider, leaving Rendulic’s hat-trick in vain.

Dergachyov gives Wolves OT win

Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 2 Metallurg Magnitogorsk 1 OT (1-0, 0-0, 0-1, 1-0)

It took overtime to settle the outcome in Nizhnekamsk, where Neftekhimik gave table-topping Metallurg a tough evening. The home team, seeking a third successive victory, led for a long time on Bulat Shafigullin’s early goal. Magnitka tied it up in the third, but with 12 seconds of the extras to play, the home team snatched a dramatic winner thanks to captain Alexander Dergachyov.

Overtime was played in a single, unbroken passage until Nikita Artamonov took play from one zone to the other. His shot went wide but he recovered and steered the puck back to Dergachyov, who had jumped off the bench into the play and strode into the Metallurg zone to drill a shot past Alexander Smolin.

Earlier, the Wolves made a bright start and Shafigullin opened the scoring on 5:20. Neftekhimik’s two previous home games produced a combined total of

23 goals, and the early start suggested another feast might be on the way.

However, today’s game was characterized by strong goaltending from Filipp Dolganov and Smolin. The home team shaded the play in the first period, but after the intermission Metallurg began to cause more problems.

However, it wasn’t until the third period that Magnitka began to play like the league’s most prolific team this season. Dolganov faced 19 shots in that frame, and was beaten midway through by Dmitry Silantyev to make it 1-1.

That was enough to take us to the extras, where Dergachyov delivered a memorable victory to move Neftekhimik two points clear of sixth-placed Traktor.