Russians on Cloud Nine at Channel 1 Cup

Russia-25 9 Kazakhstan 0 (4-0, 3-0, 2-0)

Russia-25 powered to victory in the Channel 1 Cup with an emphatic demolition of Kazakhstan. Prokhor Poltapov and Yegor Surin led the way with two goals apiece, and Danil Aimurzin was on the scoresheet again after notching twice against Belarus on Saturday.

For the Kazakhs, under head coach Talgat Zhailauev, it was a difficult afternoon. The team was built largely on players from the national championship, plus nine from Barys. Kazakh players from elsewhere in the KHL opted to stay with their clubs and prepare for the resumption of the season on Tuesday.

And that weakened roster never really threatened an upset against the Russians. Kazakhstan kept the scores level for 12 minutes, but once Ruslan Abrosimov opened the scoring on 12:06, the floodgates opened. Surin scored two in 67 seconds, including one on a power play. Then Poltapov’s first of the game made it 4-0 at the first intermission.

In the second period, Kazakhstan again managed to put up some resistance. However, when Poltapov got his second in the 29th minute, Russia-25 again found cracks in the defense. Late in the frame, Aimurzin and Dmitry Silantyev scored 41 seconds apart as the scoreline turned into a rout.
Both teams replaced their goaltenders during the second period. For Russia, Maxim Motorygin made way for Alexander Samoilov, then Silantyev’s goal saw Vladislav Pestov replaced by Roman Kalmykov.

Kalmykov, who plays his club hockey with Nomad Astana, was beaten at the start of the third period when Poltapov turned provider and Nikita Lyamkin made it 8-0. But he then kept the Russians at bay until the final seconds when Artyom Ilyenko completed the scoring.

Russia-25 finished the three-team tournament with two wins from two games. Belarus took second place thanks to a 4-1 win over Kazakhstan, which was left at the foot of the standings. It was a similar story in the 3x3 competition that opened the event, with Russia winning both its games and Belarus taking second place ahead of Kazakhstan.