First finalist set
Last week confirmed the first of this year’s Gagarin Cup finalists, while the second series remains tight. Elsewhere, another KHL player celebrated a move to the NHL.
Ak Bars equals finals record, chases title achievement
An overtime victory over Metallurg in game five sent Ak Bars to its sixth Gagarin Cup final. That ties CSKA’s record for appearances in the final. The Kazan team was unstoppable in the early years of the KHL, winning the title in the first two seasons. It added a third crown, also under legendary head coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov, in 2018. Ak Bars’ last appearance was in 2023 when it lost to Sergei Fedorov’s CSKA. Victory this season would bring a record fourth cup to the Tatar capital.
Barabanov gets hot, Lyamkin keeps contributing
The overtime goal went to Alexander Barabanov, who now has 3 (2+1) in his last two games to help settle the semi-final series against Metallurg. He was assisted by defenseman Nikita Lyamkin, who continues his dominant scoring form in post season. Lyamkin’s current streak is 0+3 in his last three games, but he has only failed to contribute in two playoff games so far with 14 (2+12) from 14 games en route to the final.
Record bid ends
Metallurg, which took this year’s regular season crown, was also pursuing a record fourth Gagarin Cup win. Similarly, Andrei Razin’s team was looking for a record-equalling sixth trip to the grand final. But in a clash of the Eastern Conference heavyweights, the Steelmen came up short, unable to match the counterattacking hockey of Anvar Gatiyatulin’s men.
Avangard ahead in second semi
The second semifinal series continues Monday, with defending champion Lokomotiv down 2-3 to Avangard. The Railwaymen are bidding for a third successive final and could produce a repeat of the inaugural 2009 Gagarin Cup pairing against Ak Bars if they can win through. Meanwhile, Avangard is hoping to get back to the big game for the first time it won the cup in 2021. Bob Hartley, Hawks’ head coach that year, is now behind the Lokomotiv bench.
Five shut-outs for Isayev
Loko goaltender Daniil Isayev had his fifth playoff shut-out of the season in Saturday’s 4-0 victory in Yaroslavl. His flawless display helped his team prolong the series. And if he can continue to extend Lokomotiv’s season, he has a chance of overtaking Lars Johansson’s record of seven blanks in a single playoff, set in 2021 with CSKA. Daniil also moved up to fifth for all-time playoff shut-outs with 12. Ilya Sorokin leads the way with 16.
Okulov continues to lead scoring race
Konstantin Okulov moved up to 20 points in this year’s playoffs. He currently has nine goals and 11 assists. His goal in game five helped Avangard to a 2-0 win and opened a 3-1 lead in the series. It also concluded a five-game hot streak worth 7 (1+6) points. He is one point behind Czech legend Roman Cervenka, who has held a club record 21 playoff points for Avangard since the Hawks’ run to the 2012 final.
Pinchuk becomes a Predator
Dinamo Minsk forward Vitaly Pinchuk is the latest KHL player to progress to the NHL. The 24-year-old Zhlobin native made his KHL debut in 2020/2021, but did not establish himself as a regular until 2022/2023. He went undrafted, but gained attention thanks to his impressive form in the league. This season he had 65 points in 66 games, helped Dinamo to second place in the Western Conference and finishing sixth in overall KHL scoring. He agreed a one-year deal with the Nashville Predators.
