Avangard regains lead, Metallurg up 3-0

Two late goals from Dmitry Rashevsky could have a huge impact on the outcome of Avangard’s series against Neftekhimik. He turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 victory in Nizhnekamsk, putting the Hawks up 2-1 after three games. In Novosibirsk, Metallurg recorded a third straight win over Sibir and is just one game away from progressing to round two.

Third win for Magnitka

Sibir Novosibirsk 1 Metallurg Magnitogorsk 3 (0-1, 1-1, 0-1)
Metallurg leads the series 3-0

Regular season champion Metallurg is one game away from advancing to the second round of this year’s KHL Playoffs after Saturday’s win in Novosibirsk. Andrei Razin’s team is up 3-0 in the series, and can finish the job with victory on Monday.

After defeat in game two, Sibir’s head coach Yaroslav Lyuzenkov reverted to the line-up that started the playoffs, reversing almost all the rotation of players between games one and two. Mikhail Berdin returned as starting goalie and, unusually, Lyuzenkov named eight defensemen. But the big news was the absence of Taylor Beck, who sustained an injury in game two. Metallurg was without Daniil Vovchenko for the second game in a row.

The home team immediately served notice that it was looking to start a fightback today. Andy Andreoff went straight for young Mikhail Fyodorov, who scored in the two opening games, but mistimed his hit and took the youngster’s knee. Andreoff was assessed a major penalty, and the subsequent scuffle brought minor tariffs for Metallurg’s Sergei Tolchinsky and Derek Barach, as well as the home team’s Timur Akhiyarov.

Metallurg’s power play could not take advantage of that early chance and for a long time the teams seemed to be caught up in the emotion of the occasion. It wasn’t until late in the frame that scoring chances emerged. Nikita Korotkov, once a Sibir prospect, almost opened the scoring against his former club but instead it took an 18th-minute power play tally from Alexander Petunin to separate the teams at the intermission.

аAndreoff got Sibir level at the start of the second period and the next few shifts brought some presentable opportunities for the home team to get in front. But the momentum was lost when Sergei Shirokov picked up a penalty and it vanished completely when a too many men call reduced Sibir to three skaters for a minute.

After a long, draining penalty kill, the home team struggled to change its players once back at full strength and continued to face the pressure. An unexpected counterattack from Vyacheslav Leshchenko finally relieved some of the tension, but he could not take his chance and the next shift saw Metallurg regain the lead. Barach’s good work on the slot redirected Makar Khabarov’s effort from the blue line past Berdin.

With a 2-1 lead to defend in the third period, Metallurg was happy to play on the back foot. There was little interest in going forward, but equally there was no opportunity for Sibir to generate much danger in front of Alexander Smolin. Andreoff had one good chance, but otherwise there was little evidence of a fightback. With two-and-a-half minutes to play, Lyuzenkov went to six-on-five. However, the late surge was derailed by another penalty to Shirokov and Tolchinsky found the empty net to clinch the win.

Hawks get back in front

Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 1 Avangard Omsk 2 (0-0, 0-0, 1-2)
Avangard leads the series 2-1

Dmitry Rashevsky was the hero for the Hawks, scoring two late goals to turn game three around and restore Avangard’s lead in the series.

After grabbing an overtime win in Omsk to square the series on Thursday, the Wolves broke the deadlock in a tight game with a power play goal at the start of the third period. However, just as Igor Grishin’s men were beginning to believe they could get ahead of the second seed in this series, Rashevsky responded to keep the favorite in front.

The game began with penalties. Inside the first minute, both teams lost a player with just five seconds between minors for Bulat Shafigullin and Andrew Poturalski. Avangard then enjoyed two power plays in the first 10 minutes but could not find an opening goal. Nail Yakupov came closest, hitting the post against his hometown club. The visitor had the better of the first period, and Neftekhimik’s best chance went to Damir Zhafyarov late on.

The pattern didn’t change much after the intermission. Avangard still had more of the puck, Neftekhimik tended to play on the counter. Although the Hawks got plenty of shots away, there wasn’t enough energy on the slot and Filipp Dolganov had little difficulty stopping long-range efforts. Despite a lack of possession, Neftekhimik arguably had the more dangerous chances. Nikita Artamonov and Nikita Khoruzhev both forced Nikita Serebryakov into big saves. The visitor’s best chance also came on the counter when Mike McLeod got to the net and slipped the puck through Dolganov’s legs but wide of the target.

After absorbing 40 minutes’ worth of pressure, Neftekhimik could hardly have hoped for a better start to the third period. McLeod was assessed a double minor and soon after Damir Sharipzyanov fired the puck over the glass, reducing Avangard to three skaters. The Russian defenseman returned to the ice, but the power play continued and Luca Profaka produced a fantastic shot to beat Serebryakov and open the scoring.

It wasn’t long before another delay of game penalty put Neftekhimik back on the power play, but the home team could not build on its success. Back at equal strength, Avangard looked short of ideas until a cheap too many men penalty handed the Hawks a power play. Alexander Volkov set up Rashevsky, and his one-timer tied the game in the 52nd minute.

And the forward went one better in the 56th minute. He got to the slot as Max Lajoie unleashed a howitzer of a shot, and Rashevsky’s deflection was enough to take the puck past Dolganov and into the net. Neftekhimik’s hopes of a fightback were undermined by a penalty soon after: Omsk could not score, but ate two valuable minutes.

And it was the same story at the death. Dolganov made way for a sixth skater, but Profaka’s foul on Yakupov wiped out the man advantage. Avangard could not find a killer goal on the power play, but had enough to close out the win.