Struggles continue for SKA, Dynamo. February 1 round-up
Sunday’s play was all about the Western Conference, where two big names are finding life tough. SKA, currently in eighth place, suffered a seventh straight loss. A shoot-out defeat at CSKA at least brought a first point since Jan. 14. Dynamo Moscow, now down to seventh, suffered a third successive reverse and has just three wins this year after falling 1-4 at home to Avangard. Leader Lokomotiv moved three points clear with a 3-0 win over Sochi.
Shoot-out sinks SKA
CSKA Moscow 3 SKA St. Petersburg 2 SO (1-1, 1-0, 0-1, 0-0, 1-0)
SKA got its first point since Jan. 14, but still fell to a seventh successive loss after a shoot-out defeat at CSKA. The Muscovites recorded a fourth successive win and consolidated their grip on fifth place in the West.
Despite an upturn in form, CSKA head coach Igor Nikitin continues to adjust his line-up in search of the most effective formula. Today he reshuffled his forwards, elevating Vitaly Abramov to the first line in place of Klim Kostin, putting Alexei Churkin alongside Prokhor Poltapov and Maxim Sorkin, and bring Rhett Gardner back to the fourth line.
SKA made even more adjustments, with just one attacking trio and two defensive pairs going untouched. Sevastian Kapchuk, 20, made his KHL debut on the fourth line.
CSKA took the early initiative after Brennan Menell was assessed a hooking minor in the second minute. However, after five minutes without a break in play – much of it in front of SKA’s net – the visitor took a surprise lead. A turnover in center ice enabled Matvei Polyakov to bring Andrei Pedan into the attack and the defenseman beat Dmitry Gazmin from long range.
That was one goal from two shots for SKA, but CSKA continued to press. The home team was close to a shorthanded goal when Ivan Drozdov looked to finish a dangerous counter, but Artemy Pleshkov made the stop. However, he was powerless late in the frame after Denis Zernov beat defenseman Yegor Zelenov and got to the slot. He was unable to shoot, but recycled possession and screened Pleshkov as Denis Guryanov fired home from the boards for his 15th of the season.
Guryanov almost added an assist at the start of the second period, but Nikolai Kovalenko fired his feed against the post. After that, the home team struggled to get shots at Pleshkov. By the 36th minute, the visiting goalie had made just two saves in the session. However, the third effort proved successful: Nikita Nesterov scored from the blue line, with Prokhor Poltapov getting an assist on his 23rd birthday.
SKA wasn’t done. The visitor tied it up in the 45th minute when Rocco Grimaldi burst into the Muscovites’ zone, created space for a shot and found the far corner. For a team, Igor Larionov’s team looked the more aggressive, but Joseph Blandisi’s penalty halted the charge. In the closing stages, the teams traded scoring chances but neither could prevent the game going to overtime.
The extras began with a penalty for Zernov after he tangled with goaltender Pleshkov. That helped SKA create several good chances, but Gamzin held firm and the game went to a shoot-out. The home team secured the verdict thanks to Abramov’s successful effort.
Leader eases past struggling Sochi
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 3 HC Sochi 0 (0-0, 3-0, 0-0)
Western Conference leader Lokomotiv enjoyed a routine victory over lowly Sochi, moving three points clear of Severstal. Daniil Isayev made 17 saves for his shut-out, while second-period goals from Ilya Nikolayev, Artur Kayumov and Maxim Shalunov took the game away from the Leopards.
The game might have been over in the first period had it not been for a goaltending masterclass from Pavel Khomchenko. The visiting netminder made 19 saves to thwart a dominant Lokomotiv, with Byron Froese, Alexander Radulov and Georgy Ivanov among the more threatening home forwards.
After surviving that onslaught, Sochi managed to allow a goal on its first power play of the night. Nikolayev broke clear to pot a shorthanded goal. Then came a home power play and Kayumov potted his 119th goal for Lokomotiv to set a new club record. Shalunov added a third in the 37th minute, assisted by the ageless Radulov as he extends his own record-breaking season. The veteran is up to 44 points and stretched his current streak to three games (1+4).
The final stanza produced little drama. Lokomotiv played according to the scoreline and secured a fifth successive win. Isayev collected his fifth shut-out of the season.
In-form Hawks add to Dynamo’s woe
Dynamo Moscow 1 Avangard Omsk 4 (0-2, 1-1, 0-1)
Avangard handed Dynamo a third successive loss as the visitor returned to second place in the Eastern Conference. The visitor claimed its seventh consecutive victory with Mike McLeod scoring twice.
The home team made a busy start to proceedings and in the first minute Dylan Sikura hit Nikita Serebryakov’s post. Had that gone in, the game might have unfolded very differently. Instead, though, Avangard steadily worked its way into the game and opened the scoring in the eighth minute. Damir Sharipzyanov extended his productive streak to 11 games with a shot from the top of the right-hand circle that looked to be going over the top until a deflection off defenseman Roman Kalininchenko’s stick knocked into his own net.
McLeod assisted on that play, and he doubled the lead just before the intermission when he converted Avangard’s first power play of the game.
Dynamo had been competitive for much of the opening frame but could not find a way past Serebryakov. The home team seemed to have a way back into the game at the start of the second when Mikhail Kotlyarevsky was penalized for misconduct. However, the power play went wrong and Avangard increased its lead with a shorthanded goal on 23:41. Igor Martynov raced clear to score after Giovanni Fiore stole the puck from Igor Ozhiganov on the boards.
Midway through the second period, Max Comtois pulled one back to give Dynamo hope of a fightback. The Canadian moved to six points from six games when he gathered the rebound from Fredrik Claesson’s shot to beat Serebryakov at last. The home team continued to push and Sikura was again close to scoring when he redirected a Semyon Der-Arguchintsev feed towards an open corner. However, the Hawks’ goalie reacted sharply to make a big save and preserve the 3-1 lead until the intermission.
For much of the game, the Blue-and-Whites enjoyed plenty of attacking possession and consistently outshot Avangard. In the third, though, the visitor tightened up and offered fewer chances for the home team to attack. Frustrations spilled over, with Ivan Zinchenko getting into a fight with Artyom Blazhievsky in the 54th minute. Late on, Vladislav Podyapolsky made way for a sixth skater as Dynamo tried to find a way back. However, that merely led to McLeod scoring his second into the empty net to seal a good win for Avangard.
