KHL back in China, Salavat Yulaev confirms playoffs. March 5 round-up

Amid the celebrations for the Chinese Year of the Horse, the Dragons returned home for the first time since 2020. Shanghai hosted the first of two KHL World Games encounters and a near-capacity crowd saw the Dragons fall to a narrow 1-2 loss against playoff-chasing Sibir. Elsewhere, Salavat Yulaev confirmed its post season spot with victory at Amur, while Admiral’s hopes were ended despite victory over Neftekhimik. In the Western Conference the only game of the day went to overtime before SKA took a 2-1 verdict at Dinamo Minsk.

Vital win for Sibir as KHL returns to China

Shanghai Dragons 1 Sibir Novosibirsk 2 (0-0, 0-1, 1-1)

The KHL returned to China, with a close to capacity crowd in Shanghai to welcome the Dragons back home. After the franchise’s summer rebrand, the long-term plan is to base the team in China’s second city and today’s visit, as part of the KHL World Games, was an important step along that path.
And for the Dragons’ team, the prospect of a move to the Far East is something to relish, based on today’s taster. Goalscorer Parker Foo, who previously played in China at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, gave the experience the thumbs-up – apart from the result.

“It was an even game and a tough one to lose,” he said. “By the end we managed to find our rhythm but it wasn’t enough.

“This is my first visit to Shanghai. It’s an incredible city and I’d be absolutely thrilled to come back and play full time here. It’s an honor to represent this team and play in Shanghai.”

Dragons head coach Mitch Love also found plenty of positives, despite the defeat. “This is my first time in China,” he said. “The city is incredible, the arena, the welcome. It’s a great experience for everyone.

“Of course I’d be happy to work here full time. I coach players, it doesn’t matter where we are.

“Anyone in hockey has a long journey to make it as a pro and there is always someone to look up to. I hope that we can be the ones to set an example to the kids here. It’s a great honor for us, we’re delighted to be part of developing hockey in China.”

This was the first KHL game in China for more than six years: Kunlun Red Star played Amur in Beijing 2,234 days ago, just before the pandemic changed everything. Even further back, Kunlun played a few games in Shanghai – the last of them against an Avangard team featuring Taylor Beck and Sergei Shirokov. Both of them were back today in Sibir’s colors, while Beck was the only player involved in the game to have featured for KRS during its time in Shanghai.

While this was a big day for the Dragons, it was also an important game for Sibir. Yaroslav Lyuzenkov’s team had seen its lead over ninth-placed Amur cut to just three points, and needed a win to strengthen its hand in the playoff race. Playing on a larger ice pad than usual, both teams took time to settle, but it was Sibir that got in front midway through the second period. Anton Kosolapov continued his remarkable turnaround this season, from touring the small towns of Russia’s second tier to scoring the opening goal of the KHL World Games in one of China’s biggest cities.

Shanghai responded in the third period. Fittingly, Parker Foo got the tying goal. Of the current players, only his brother Spencer has spent longer with the Chinese franchise but he was unable to return to Shanghai due to injury. Parker started the season by scoring the Shanghai Dragons’ first ever KHL goal; earlier he potted Team China’s first Olympic goal in Beijing in 2022. Today, he was the first Dragon to score in a KHL World Games encounter in Shanghai, tying the game in the 46th minute.

However, that wasn’t enough to save the Dragons from defeat. Instead, a lightning counterattack from Vyacheslav Leshchenko – a team-mate of Foo’s at KRS in 2020/2021 – restored Sibir’s lead and decided the outcome. The win ends any chance of Admiral or Barys making the playoffs; the Kazakhs will be the next team to come to Shanghai as Mitch Love and his Dragons look to produce a win for their homeland on Saturday. 

Admiral Vladivostok 7 Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 3 (2-1, 4-0, 1-2)

Despite scoring seven at home to Neftekhimik, Admiral’s faint playoff hopes were officially extinguished today. Sibir’s win in Shanghai means the gap to eighth place is now unbridgeable and the rest of the season is a matter of pride alone for the Sailors.

But they went down fighting against a Neftekhimik team that fell to a fourth successive loss. That slump for Igor Grishin’s team feels ill-timed: a playoff place is not yet secure, despite some impressive form earlier in the season.

The home team made a good start, opening the scoring early through Stepan Starkov and doubling the lead with an eight-minute power play goal from Yegor Chezganov. Libor Sulak’s assist on that goal extended his productive streak to seven games (3+7 points). But Neftekhimik stayed competitive and pulled one back before the intermission through German Tochilkin.

And the Sailors took complete control of the game in the middle frame, firing in four unanswered goals. Artyom Kudashov got his first for the Far East team in the 23rd minute. The young defenseman began the season with Neftekhimik, and opened his account against his former colleagues. A few minutes later, Dmitry Deryabin potted his first since Jan. 2024, chasing Filipp Dolganov from the net in favor of Yaroslav Ozolin. But the incoming goalie faced more pain as Starkov got his second on the power play before Daniel Usmanov took the score to 6-1.

Midway through the final stanza, Ivan Muranov padded the lead still further. However, Neftekhimik found some spirit in the closing stages and grabbed a couple of consolation efforts from Evgeny Mityakin and Nikita Popugayev.

Amur Khabarovsk 1 Salavat Yulaev Ufa 4 (1-1, 0-2, 0-1)

Salavat Yulaev clinched its playoff spot thanks to a decisive victory at Amur. The Tigers had hopes of moving to within a point of Sibir – at least until the Siberians played later in the day – but ran into a visiting offense that was clinical in front of goal and miserly in defense.

The visitor took a deserved lead in the 14th minute. Danil Alalykin spotted a corridor of opportunity through center ice and threaded a pass for Artyom Pimenov to surge down the right flank and fire home from a tight angle. Amur responded before the intermission when Yegor Voronkov drilled the puck across the Ufa zone, Andrei Krutov’s first-time pass went to the back door and Danil Yurtaikin banged it home.

Salavat Yulaev took the game away with two unanswered goals in the second period. In the 28th minute, visiting goalie Semyon Vyazovoi picked up an assist when his clearance around the boards enabled Sheldon Rempal to lead a counterattack finished by Yegor Suchkov. Then, 49 seconds before the intermission, Suchkov turned provider when his rush pulled the defense out of position to create a scoring chance for Evgeny Kuznetsov. That’s five goals and nine points in six games for Kuznetsov.

The final frame saw the visitor focus on protecting its lead and running down the clock with as little drama as possible. And that worked well: aside from a home power play in the 55th minute, there was little major threat to Salavat Yulaev’s lead. Devin Brosseau wrapped up a 4-1 scoreline with an empty net goal.

Sapego sinks former colleagues

Dinamo Minsk 1 SKA St. Petersburg 2 OT (0-0, 1-1, 0-0, 0-1)

Former Dinamo defenseman Sergei Sapego popped up with the overtime goal as SKA took a 2-1 verdict in Minsk.

The 26-year-old began his KHL career in his native Belarus, moving to Petersburg after two seasons with the Bison. He’s never been a prolific scorer – today’s was only his 17th goal in 274 games – but he had little trouble unlocking the home defense after just 18 seconds of the extras tonight. Sapego got goalside of his cover and collected a feed from Matvei Korotky before sliding the puck beyond Zach Fucale to settle the outcome.

The win lifts SKA back to sixth in the West, ahead of Dynamo Moscow. Minsk is eight points adrift of Western Conference leader Lokomotiv.

The visitor had the better of a goalless first period, outshooting Dinamo 11-7 and enjoying two power plays. The closest we came to a goal was in the 15th minute when Rocco Grimaldi battled his way out of the corner and a fired a shot against the crossbar during the second of those PPs.

However, after surviving that first-period pressure, the Belarusians responded by upping the tempo in the second stanza. The stats told much of the story: Dinamo had more than twice the attacking possession and outshot SKA 16-4. Yet amid that onslaught, the opening goal came at the other end when SKA launched a counterattack down the left. Ex-Dinamo man Brennan Menell fired the puck in from the boards and Marat Khairullin battled on the slot to set up Matvei Polyakov from close range.

The response was rapid. Exactly one minute later, Alex Limoges tied the game when he turned between the hash marks and fired a shot past Sergei Ivanov.

Dinamo continued to have the edge in the third period, although the play was now rather more even. The home team might have won it at the death when this season’s scoring leader Sam Anas was denied a glorious opportunity by Nikolai Goldobin’s stick in front of a wide open net. That intervention from the SKA forward sent the game to overtime, where Sapego shot down his former club.