Defending champ marches on

Despite falling two goals behind at home to Spartak in game five, Lokomotiv recovered to win 3-2 on the night and take it’s KHL playoff first round series 4-1. That means seven of the eight quarter-final spots are now filled, and Salavat Yulaev could complete the set with victory over Avtomobilist in Ufa tomorrow. Should the home team win, it would face Lokomotiv in the second round, starting on April 8. The other three pairings are confirmed: Avangard vs CSKA (April 8), Metallurg vs Torpedo and Dinamo Minsk vs Ak Bars (both April 9).

Ivanov goal wins series for Loko

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 3 Spartak Moscow 2 (0-1, 2-1, 1-0)
Lokomotiv wins the series 4-1

A fightback from 0-2 in game five saw Lokomotiv take the verdict – and the series – as Spartak was left to rue what might have been. The Red-and-Whites coped well with early pressure and made the most of its scoring chances in the first half of the game.

But two goals in three-and-a-half minutes brought the defending champion level and after that the home team was able to finish the job on home ice.

Spartak got off to a perfect start as it looked to keep its season alive. Inside the first three minutes, the Red-and-Whites got in front on a goal from Danil Pivchulin. The play started with Demid Mansurov’s shot, blocked by Daniil Misyul but only as far as Pavel Poryadin. He sent the puck back for Pivchulin to step up and shoot past Daniil Isayev.

Lokomotiv had an injury scare a few minutes later when Artur Kayumov stumbled and struggled to get off the ice. However, after some attention from the medics on the bench the home forward was able to continue. The Railwaymen took control of the play and outshot Spartak 12-4 in the opening frame, but could not find a way to turn that dominance into a tying goal.

After the intermission, Lokomotiv ran into penalty trouble. Nikita Kiryanov’s penalty came and went without consequence, but when Alexander Yelesin sat for tripping, Spartak doubled its lead within 13 seconds. The Muscovites used five forwards on the power play, with Mikhail Maltsev taking up position on the blue line. And his pass set up Nikita Korestelyov for a mighty one-timer from the left-hand circle to make it 2-0 on 27:28.

That pushed Lokomotiv to greater heights, and the home team quickly wiped out the deficit. Misyul’s point shot bounced around in front of Alexander Georgiyev’s net before Kiryanov got on the puck and smacked it home. And on 35:33 the game was tied. Ilya Nikolayev moved down the left and fed the puck to Denis Alexeyev in the center. Mansurov, pulled slightly out of position by Nikolayev’s advance, lunged back to attempt a poke check but succeeded merely in wrongfooting Georgiyev as the goalie allowed a low shot to sneak through his pads.

Spartak called a timeout and managed to complete the third period without falling behind. However, a 23-9 shot count in Lokomotiv’s favor suggested that the 2-2 scoreline flattered the visitor.

And at the start of the third frame, the home team got in front for the first time. Alexander Radulov used all of his strength and experience to hold off Daniil Orlov’s attentions behind the net, then sent a pass to the slot. Georgy Ivanov was racing towards goal and unerringly shot the defending champion into a 3-2 lead.

The Muscovites responded vigorously and Lokomotiv iced the puck three times in quick succession as pressure grew on Isayev’s net. That, in turn, led to a penalty for Byron Froese as Spartak sought a swift response. But Loko killed the penalty, and almost gained a five-minute power play when Maltsev was charged with spearing. However, a review determined that the Lokomotiv player skated into his opponent’s stick and the penalty was cancelled.

It was something of a reprieve for the visitor, and Spartak had another power play opportunity when Martin Gernat went to the box in the 52nd minute.
But Lokomotiv is a formidable opponent when it has a lead to defend in the closing stages. The home defense blocked 11 shots in the third period and when Isayev was called into action, he made a great reaction stop to get behind Mansurov’s close-range redirect.
Spartak continued to search for a saving goal but could not find it and saw its season come to an end.