Warm-up wins for Minsk, Loko, Neftekhimik

Three warm-up games on Friday brought a narrow win for Lokomotiv, a comfortable one for Dinamo Minsk, and a third successive victory for Neftekhimik against a Tatar neighbor.

Dinamo Minsk 4 Admiral Vladivostok 0 (2-0, 2-0, 0-0)

This was the Belarusians’ last warm-up game before heading to Moscow for next week’s tournament. And it ended in an emphatic victory over an Admiral team preparing for its own tournament engagement in St. Petersburg.

It didn’t take long for Dinamo to get in front, with Daniil Lipsky opening the scoring in the seventh minute. Just before the intermission, Josh Brook doubled the lead.

Home dominance continued in the middle frame with Niita Pyshkaylo making it 3-0 before Lipsky’s second of the game padded the lead. At the other end, 19-year-old goalie Evgeny Prokhorov made the most of his chance to impress head coach Sergei Brylin, securing a shut-out.

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 2 Severstal Cherepovets 1 (0-1, 2-0, 0-0)

This was Lokomotiv’s second game of the week and after a mixed roster defeated Torpedo, Dmitry Kvartalnov called on some of his big hitters for the visit of Severstal. Alexander Radulov and Maxim Shalunov led the offense, while Daniil Isayev took his accustomed place between the piping. Severstal, meanwhile, also brought something close to a full-strength line-up.

The teams created chances from the start, albeit deploying different tactics. Severstal was more inclined to keep possession, Loko favored pacy counterattacks. A pressure-based game proved successful: Ruslan Abrosimov won an attacking face-off and Yanni Kaldis fired Severstal in front from the blue line.

At the other end, Lokomotiv created chances but lacked precision in front of Vsevolod Skotnikov’s net. Things changed after the intermission with the defending champion making a powerful start. Shalunov won and converted a penalty shot in the first minute of the middle frame, and Artur Kayumov put the Railwaymen in front.

The third period produced few chances, but did present an opportunity for young Lokomotiv goalie Stepan Safonov to play 10 minutes. Last year’s Kharlamov Cup winner was not overstretched in that time as he helped secure a 2-1 scoreline.

Neftyanik Almetyevsk (VHL) 2 Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 4 (0-1, 1-2, 1-1)

Two goals from German Tochilkin and a three-point game for Nikita Khoruzhev preserved Neftekhimik’s status as the kings of Tatarstan this summer. Igor Grishin’s team had already defeated Chelny and Ak Bars, and landed the trifecta with today’s result.

Khoruzhev was involved as Tochilkin opened the scoring midway through the first period, and that lead lasted until midway through the second. Then Neftyanik suffered a disastrous power play. First, on 31:36, Khoruzhev potted a shorthanded goal. Then, 16 seconds later, Rafael Bikmullin did the same to make it 3-0 for the Wolves.

But the VHLers did not lack for spirit. Goals either side of the second intermission got it back to 2-3 and the result remained in doubt until the last minute when Khoruzhev set up an empty net goal for Tochilkin to make the game safe.