Home ice disadvantage in SF

For the first time ever, the opening games in the Gagarin Cup semi-finals went to the visiting teams. Avangard and Ak Bars enjoyed 5-2 wins at Lokomotiv and Metallurg respectively. The Hawks followed up with a second victory in Yaroslavl – can Ak Bars do the same in Magnitogorsk today?

5-2x2

Throughout the season, Lokomotiv and Metallurg have been dominant. The teams topped their respective conferences by some margin and neither suffered anything that could be called a slump in form. In post season, similarly, the first two rounds offered little competition. That all changed at the weekend. Avangard went to Yaroslavl and opened a 4-0 lead, chasing Daniil Isayev from the home net. Then Ak Bars scored three unanswered first-period goals at Metallurg to take control of the opening game in that series.

Gone in 68 seconds

After jumping to a 4-0 lead in Game 1, Avangard found itself behind in Yaroslavl after the first period in Game 2. But that all changed midway through the second. A major confrontation filled the penalty boxes once again, and the Hawks tied it up playing four-on-four before getting ahead with a power play goal barely a minute later. Vasily Ponomaryov and Damir Sharipzyanov got the vital goals, the latter scoring his first in this year’s playoffs.

Power play leader

Going into the last four, Avangard’s seven power play goals was the best return in the playoffs. And they added four more in two games at Lokomotiv. Max Lajoie had two PP tallies in the opening 5-2 victory, then Damir Sharipzyanov and Andrew Poturalski lifted the Hawks to victory in game two with goals while Loko was shorthanded.

Second dirtiest game

Game 2 of the Lokomotiv vs Avangard series generated 144 penalty minutes – including a first-period confrontation that saw all 10 skaters assessed roughing minors. That’s the second highest penalty count ever in a KHL playoff game, but still a long way behind the 249 minutes Neftekhimik shared with Traktor in 2018.

Miller up to second in playoff scoring

Ak Bars defenseman Mitch Miller had three assists in the 5-2 win at Metallurg. That takes him to 13 (2+11) points in this year’s playoffs and places him second in the scoring race. Avangard’s Konstantin Okulov, who had a hat-trick of helpers in the 3-1 win at Loko on Sunday, is out in front on 18 (8+10).

Lyamkin’s hot streak

Miller’s fellow blue liner Nikita Lyamkin got hot at the perfect time. His playoff productive streak is up to nine games, with 2+9 points in that time. Previously, the 30-year-old’s best run was five games in Nov. 2025, where he delivered 8 (1+7) points.

Kovalchuk’s new role

Away from the playoffs, Olympic and World Champion Ilya Kovalchuk has a new job as president of Shanghai Dragons. The Chinese franchise, which rebranded and moved to St. Petersburg last summer, continues to make waves off the ice even as it struggles to return to the playoffs. Kovalchuk said: “I’m happy to be a part of the Dragons family. We have interesting times ahead. We’re making big changes in our sporting approach, and we’ll keep building an active relationship with our fans. We’re looking forward to seeing you all at the SKA Arena next season.”

Torpedo ready for new arena

The oldest arena in the KHL this season – Torpedo’s Nagorny Ice Palace – may have hosted its last game in the league. Nizhny Novgorod’s new 12,000-seater arena is due to be handed over to the club this summer and should be ready for the start of the season. It’s a big upgrade on Nagorny, which was opened in 1972 and holds just 5,500 spectators. As well as a bigger capacity, the new venue brings a big upgrade in facilities for players and spectators alike.

Isakov back for two more years

Torpedo confirmed that head coach Alexei Isakov will lead the team in its new home after signing a two-year extension to his contract. Isakov, 50, took charge in the summer following Igor Larionov’s departure and led the team to the playoffs in his first campaign as a KHL head coach. His team lost to Metallurg in round two, but the club’s management saw enough to believe that Isakov is the man to take Torpedo forward.