Wins for leading duo. January 27 round-up

Eastern Conference leader Metallurg celebrated confirmation of its playoff spot by defeating Traktor 3-2 in the South Ural derby. Then Western Conference top dog Lokomotiv travelled to SKA, where Maxim Shalunov and Alexander Radulov overpowered the home team in a 3-1 win.

Mikhailis gives Magnitka the edge in derby

Metallurg Magnitogorsk 3 Traktor Chelyabinsk 2 (1-1, 1-1, 1-0)

A Nikita Mikhailis goal midway through the third period brought Metallurg victory in the fourth South Ural derby of the season. Traktor has yet to get a win over its local rival.

The game was played with all the intensity of a derby from the opening shifts. Traktor had the first major opportunity, gaining a power play in the seventh minute when Sergei Tolchinsky slashed at Grigory Dronov. Josh Leivo tested Ilya Nabokov from mid-range, and Alexander Kadeikin unleashed a blast from the slot but Metallurg held on. Then, when Tolchinsky got out of the box, he raced clear but could not beat Sergei Mylnikov in the visitor’s net.

But the opening goal went to the home team in the 16th minute. Makar Khabarov was the scorer, and he brought up 200 goals for the most prolific offense in the league this season. Traktor tied it up before the intermission through Alexander Rykov, who redirected a point shot past Nabokov.

Metallurg started the second period strongly. Ruslan Iskhakov and Roman Kantserov both found promising shooting lanes, but Mylnikov twice made big saves to deny them.

At the other end, Dronov continued his habit of scoring on his former club in this fixture. The ex-Metallurg defenseman produced a solo move to make it 2-1 in the 25th minute. Magnitka continued to press and that pressure was rewarded midway through the session with a power play and a penalty shot.

However, Tolchinsky could not convert his attempt, and the power play saw the puck moving around the Traktor zone without falling into a dangerous position.

Closer to the second intermission, the home power play clicked and Derek Barach tied the scores. Then it was the home PK’s time to shine, killing Iskhakov’s interference minor.

The winning goal came midway through the third. Mikhailis battled in front of the net before outwitting Mylnikov with a low shot. Traktor’s hopes of forcing a late tying goal were hampered by a penalty for Vitaly Kravtsov. The visitor survived, but lost valuable time to save the game.

Shalunov and Radulov outclass SKA

SKA St. Petersburg 1 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 3 (0-1, 0-1, 1-1)

On the 82nd anniversary of the end of the Siege of Leningrad, SKA opted to remember its history. The Petersburg club switched the face-off time to 19:44, the year in which the blockade was lifted, and produced retro jerseys to mark the occasion.

However, the team could not snap its four-game skid and Maxim Shalunov dictated the outcome of Tuesday’s game with two goals and an assist in a 3-1 win for Lokomotiv. Alexander Radulov also had a three-point evening.

The Railwaymen got off to a perfect start, opening the scoring after 28 seconds. Radulov released Shalunov play down the left, tempting goalie Sergei Ivanov slightly too far off his crease. The visiting forward circled the net to score on the wraparound.

That did not trigger a rush of goals, nor even scoring chances. At the end of the first period, the shot count was a modest 8-5 in SKA’s favor. The best chance of a tying goal came in the 15th minute when new signing Scott Wilson joined Joseph Blandisi in an odd-man rush but failed to beat Daniil Isayev.

SKA made a lively start to the second period, but soon found Lokomotiv getting on top. The visitor went on to dominate the frame, outshooting Igor Larionov’s team by an incredible 19-5. That pressure brought one more goal: Shalunov again surged into SKA territory; this time Ivanov padded away his shot, but Radulov followed up to convert the rebound.

The third period play was more even, but Lokomotiv still did enough to keep SKA at arm’s length. The home team could not find the breakthrough it needed and with two to play, Ivanov made way for a sixth skater. That gave another opportunity for the day’s main men to score: Radulov won the puck deep in his own zone and set up Shalunov for a shot from halfway into the empty net on 59:20.

That wasn’t the end. Rocco Grimaldi scored 20 seconds later to revive SKA’s faint hopes. But Loko closed out the remaining minute with a minimum of fuss and opened a three-point gap at the top of the Western Conference.