CSKA loses again, Loko edges struggling Dynamo. October 23 round-up

That 12-game hot streak for CSKA is definitely buried. A 1-5 loss at Avtomobilist made it back-to-back defeats for Igor Nikitin’s team. Lokomotiv managed without injured Alexander Radulov to claim an overtime win that leaves Dynamo Moscow outside the playoff spots. Spartak made it six-in-a-row with a 3-1 success at home to Severstal, Traktor won by the same scoreline against Ak Bars. Shanghai Dragons enjoyed a second shut-out of the season in Togliatti.

Legare strikes twice for Traktor

Traktor Chelyabinsk 3 Ak Bars Kazan 1 (0-0, 2-0, 1-1)

Sergei Telegin made a welcome return to Traktor’s defense after injury and helped his team to victory over Ak Bars. The host’s form had not been good coming into this one, with just one in the last five games. However, that victory was an impressive 6-2 verdict at Dragons.

Ak Bars hit a bump in its previous game, losing at home to Torpedo in a shoot-out after back-to-back road wins. And the visitor could not return to form when it resumed its travels in Chelyabinsk.

The first period was littered with penalties, but neither power play could take advantage. Traktor outshot Ak Bars 17-6, and Vladimir Zharkov had the best chance of the opening exchanges.

But the second period saw the home team turn pressure into goals. Mikhail Grigorenko went behind the net to set up Nathan Legare for the opener from the slot. And midway through the session, Ivan Vydrenkov doubled the lead with a wrister from the blue line. Ak Bars killed a three-on-five penalty, keeping the game alive.

The visitor pulled a goal back in the third when Andrei Stas won a face-off and Ravil Yakupov seized possession and scored his first goal in the KHL. But the final word went to Legare, who potted an empty netter, claiming his seventh goal of the season to seal the win.

Karpukhin’s double too much for CSKA

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 5 CSKA Moscow 1 (0-1,1-0, 4-0)

After the end of its 12-game winning streak, CSKA suffered a second successive loss – and this was a heft loss after Avtomobilist stormed away in the third period. Two goals from Ilya Karpukhin at the start of that final frame turned the game decisively in the home team’s favor.

After a rare failure to score in Wednesday’s loss at Spartak, Igor Nikitin’s team stepped up its attacking efforts in the first period. Avtomobilist never got into gear, managing just one shot in the opening frame. At the other end, CSKA scored with its first chance of the game, Dmitry Buchelnikov started and finished the move, eventually putting home the rebound from Riley Sawchuk’s shot.

That first period was also disrupted when part of the glass needed replacing, but that enforced time-out could not revive the home team. By the end of the opening frame, the Motormen were perhaps fortunate to be just one behind.

But they made the most of the situation and struck back to tie the game at the start of the second. Karpukhin’s point shot found the net thanks to a deflection off his team-mate Artyom Kashtanov. Moments later, Daniil Gushchin got clean through on goal but squandered a great opportunity for his first KHL goal.

Karpukhin then came to the fore at the start of the third period. After Alexander Samonov beat away Adam Ruzicka’s shot, denied Alexander Kadeikin from the first rebound but could do nothing when the defenseman rolled forward to join the attack. Then, another spell of pressure saw Karpukhin quarterbacking the play: he started with a pass from the blue line, then advanced to the slot to collect the return and make it 3-1.

CSKA thought it had a lifeline when Prokhor Poltapov scored with a redirect from close range, but a video review found his stick was too high and the goal was whistled off. The visitor continued to press, but lacked conviction going forward. A late attempt with six skaters went badly awry: first Anatoly Golyshev ended his long wait for a goal, then Jesse Blacker added another empty net goal to make the final score 5-1. Avtomobilist maintains its flawless record in the First Clubs’ Cup, closing on CSKA in that mini-tournament

Dragons blank Lada again

Lada Togliatti 0 Shanghai Dragons 2 (0-2, 0-0, 0-0)

Amir Miftakhov made it two shut-outs from two visits to Togliatti as Shanghai claimed a third straight win. He stopped 30 shots to protect a lead that the Dragons built in the first period, and the team followed up its 5-0 win here on Oct. 5 with another victory.

The first goal came early. The Dragons got on the power play in the second minute and took full advantage. Brett Murray sprayed an excellent feed into space on the left, from where Vladislav Barulin fired home an impressive wrister to celebrate his 100th game in the KHL. Murray’s hot streak stretched to 5 games (4+2).

It wasn’t long before Mitch Love’s men doubled the lead. Barulin did well again, bringing the puck down the left boards to start an attack that ended with Calen Addison firing home off the body of goalie Andrei Mishurov. Addison’s productive run moves to 6 games (2+4).

After that, Lada began to come into the game as it tried to reduce the deficit. Ostap Safin and Vladislav Chervonenko had a great chance in the second period when they got a two-on-zero break, but Miftakhov made a fantastic save.

As the game progressed, the Dragons sat deeper and defended their lead. Many potential home attacks broke down in center ice, although Dmitry Kugryshev came close with a shot off the crossbar.

Kayumov grabs OT winner

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 2 Dynamo Moscow 1 OT (1-0, 0-0, 0-1, 1-0)

Despite the absence of Alexander Radulov, who went on the injured list ahead of Friday’s game, Lokomotiv managed to edge past Dynamo in the final second of overtime. The home team led in the first period, but could not preserve its one-goal advantage and was forced into the extras by Igor Ozhiganov’s 53rd-minute effort.

After losing two out of three games, and failing to score at home to Neftekhimik last time out, Dmitry Kvartalnov reshuffled his Lokomotiv team. Ilya Nikolayev and Daniil Tesanov returned to action, and the lines were substantially redrawn. Dynamo deployed youngster Mikhail Melikov on the first line. Daniil Isayev and Vladislav Podyapolsky were the two goalies.

Early in the game, Lokomotiv took a too many men call. Dynamo struggled to generate clear scoring chances on the power play, but managed to disrupt the home team’s rhythm. But, by the middle of the opening stanza, Lokomotiv got back on its game and quickly moved in front. Matvei Kotkov kept the puck in the zone, then launched a three-man attack that ended with Georgy Ivanov scoring and picking up his 200th point in the KHL.

Dynamo didn’t lack for effort, but struggled to find the cutting edge it needed to get back into the game. Much of the play got bogged down in center ice and the game turned into something of an arm wrestle at times. The visitor looked stronger in the second period – a consistent weak spot in Lokomotiv’s play this season – but could not find a tying goal.

That breakthrough came in the third, somewhat against the run of play. Ozhiganov beat Isayev with a long-range effort and that took the game to overtime. Now it was Loko’s turn to score against the balance of the game: the Muscovites created several chances but ended up on the penalty kill with a minute to go. And, in the final second of overtime, Artur Kayumov’s power play goal earned Lokomotiv the verdict after a long video review.

Six straight wins for Spartak

Spartak Moscow 3 Severstal Cherepovets 1 (0-1, 1-0, 2-0)

Like CSKA, Severstal saw a long winning streak come to an end in midweek. And, like CSKA, Andrei Kozyrev’s team suffered a second defeat to date despite leading at the first intermission.

Spartak rallied, tying the game in the second and securing a 3-1 verdict in the third. That stretches the Red-and-White winning streak to six games.

Severstal started well enough and got in front midway through the first period. As the visitor settled into Spartak territory, Ruslan Abrosimov got the puck on the blue line, advanced to the circle and picked his moment to fire into the far corner of the net. The home bench protested, claiming the Adam Liska impeded goalie Artyom Zagidulin, but the goal was given.

Spartak then had to kill a delay of game penalty, but had little trouble repelling the weakest power play in the KHL at present. By the end of the opening frame, the home team was ahead on the shot count and looking more than capable of retrieving the situation.

The middle frame was short on chances, but Spartak got a couple of power plays and made the second one count. Joey Keane set up Pavel Poryadin in the right-hand circle and his shot tied the game just before the intermission.

By the midway point of the final stanza, Severstal had not managed to get another shot at Zagidulin. Spartak, meanwhile, had moved in front on a 49th-minute goal from Sergei Lukyantsev. Denis Orlov’s shot cannoned off the boards and Lukyantsev reacted smartly to make it 2-1. Ivan Ryabov scored his second goal of the season to make it 3-1 and secure the win.