Tambijevs triumphs on Vladivostok return. September 17 round-up

Admiral Vladivostok 2 Dynamo Moscow 3 (2-0, 0-3, 0-0)

The Muscovites trailed by two after the first period, but turned the game around completely in the second. A goalless third session was tense, but was good enough to seal a 3-2 verdict for the visitor, helped by 19 saves from Vladislav Podyapolsky.

The Sailors’ home opener was a rematch of an earlier game in the capital. Dynamo won that 2-1 after a shoot-out to record a first win of the season. Since then the Blue-and-Whites have gone undefeated and after a 2-0 win at Severstal there were some minor changes to the team. Sergei Zborovsky and Artyom Sergeyev returned on defense, Bulat Shafigullin replaced Nikita Tertyshny on offense.

Admiral also reshuffled its lines after a 1-2 loss at Neftekhimik and went in search of only a second win of the campaign.

The opening frame was evenly contested, but Admiral made much the better of its opportunities. Anthony Camara got the better of Sergeyev on a counter attack and produced a fine finish past Podyapolsky. Three minutes later, Ivan Yanchenko increased the lead. Dynamo also had chances, including a power play late in the frame, but could not find the way to goal. Indeed, it took a big save from Podyapolsky just before the hooter to keep the score at 0-2.

Dynamo’s offense finally got it right in the second period – and did so in some style. Three goals in less than two minutes transformed the game. Igor Martynov opened the floodgates when he punished Ivan Kulbakov’s rash voyage out of his net. Within a minute former Admiral man Pavel Shen scored his first for Dynamo when he banged in a great cross-ice feed from Magomed Sharakanov.

Another minute passed, and Zborovsky potted his first since joining the Muscovites. His long-range shot made it 3-2, completing a remarkable turnaround.

Stunned, Admiral called a time-out and tried to get back into the game. Things improved somewhat. The home team picked up the pace and turned play away from its own net. Towards the end of the frame, Yegor Chezganov spurned a good chance for a tying goal, while Dynamo’s Nick Merkley fired over the bar when well placed.

Early in the third, Camara took issue with a hit and got into a fight with Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi, raising the temperature on the ice. Admiral enjoyed more possession through the final stanza, but struggled to create scoring chances. Dynamo played a smart positional defense and too many shots were harmless affairs from long range. In the closing stages the Sailors picked up the pace and finally began to test Podyapolsky. Daniel Usmanov and Mikhail Grass forced the goalie into big saves to stave off that final surge and seal the win.