Metallurg’s great eight, Dynamo wins without Tambijevs. November 5 round-up

An 8-1 win over Neftekhimik confirmed Metallurg’s status as KHL leader. The thrashing of the Eastern Conference’s second-placed team, coupled with CSKA’s overtime loss in Omsk, puts Magnitka three points clear in the overall standings. Dynamo Moscow was without head coach Leonids Tambijevs for its trip to Shanghai Dragons, but claimed a 3-2 win on the road. And Severstal beat Sochi 4-1 despite Nikita Gusev’s first goal of the season.

Okulov ends CSKA’s winning run

Avangard Omsk 2 CSKA Moscow 1 OT (0-0, 0-0, 1-1, 1-0)

Konstantin Okulov’s overtime goal halted CSKA’s four-game winning streak as Avangard climbed back into the playoff spots in the East. Thursday’s win lifted the Hawks to fifth in the standings, although in a tight section just four points separate Barys in third from basement club Traktor.

The home team welcomed back Nikolai Prokhorov, who missed the start of the season due to injury. The center lined up against one of his former clubs and was flanked by Yegor Afanasyev and Dmitry Rashevsky on the third line. But Avangard was missing Nail Yakupov and Gleb Burlaka from its offense. Igor Nikitin continued with a winning team; goalie Dmitry Gamzin was the only change from the line-up that won at Metallurg.

Gamzin was called into action in the first minute as Avangard started brightly. CSKA was forced onto the back foot, but did not allow an early goal and gradually stepped up its attacking tempo as the first period progressed.

After the intermission, the Muscovites took the initiative. The visitor settled in for a series of positional attacks, keeping the play around Nikita Serebryakov’s net. Avangard defended well, but abandoned all thoughts of offense as the pressure mounted. The second period passed with neither goaltender beaten.

The breakthrough came early in the third. Avangard made a bright start without ever really stretched the CSKA defense. However, Prokhorkin earned the first power play of the game, and the Hawks got in front just as Ivan Drozdov returned from the box. Semyon Chistyakov set up Max Lajoie for a one-timer that ripped past Gamzin.

Chasing the game, CSKA upped the pressure on the home net. It took time to find the tying goal, but after 55 minutes Prokhor Poltapov did the job. He beat his opponent out on the boards, found some space and surprised Serebryakov with a shot from a seemingly innocuous position.

That sent the game to overtime, where Okulov needed just 24 seconds to find the winner. He converted a two-on-one rush with Mikhail Gulyayev in support.

Magnitka thrashes Neftekhimik

Metallurg Magnitogorsk 8 Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 1 (1-0, 5-0, 2-1)

This might have been first vs second in the Eastern Conference, but it was anything but a nail-biting battle between high-flyers. Instead, Metallurg hammered its closest rival, delivering a second period blitz with five unanswered goals.

Luke Johnson and Yegor Korobkin led the way with two goals apiece in a dominant display; Igor Nechayev had a goal and two helpers. Neftekhimik’s performance saw starting goalie Filipp Dolganov leave the game leave the game in the 33rd minute, with the score at 3-0, only to return in the closing stages after Yaroslav Ozolin had also allowed three goals.

In the early stages, Dolganov was the busiest player on the ice. He made 16 saves in the first period before Korobkin went coast-to-coast to open the scoring 30 seconds before the intermission.

Then the floodgates burst open. Johnson doubled the lead right at the start of the middle frame, and Korobkin potted his second midway through the session, this time on a short-handed play.

Ozolin came into the game, but was soon beaten by Daniil Vovchenko, Nechayev, and Mikhail Fyodorov as the home team padded its lead to 6-0.

Neftekhimik found some consolation with a short-handed goal in the third period – German Tochilkin’s effort was his team’s sixth shorty of the season. Dolganov returned to the game in place of Ozolin, but allowed a goal to Nathan Todd on the same power play. Metallurg’s scoring leader moves to 21 (11+10) points this season. A five-on-three power play saw Johnson complete the rout.

Gusev’s first goal can’t save Sochi

HC Sochi 1 Severstal Cherepovets 4 (0-1, 0-3, 1-0)

Severstal made short work of Sochi to record only its second win in seven games. The result moves the Lynx level on points with Spartak and keeps them clear of Dynamo Moscow.

For Sochi, Nikita Gusev’s first goal of the season was some consolation. He struck late in the third period, but it was already too late to save the game.

The home team arguably shaded the play in the first period, but still found itself behind. Kirill Tankov opened the scoring in the 14th minute, and 10 saves from Alexander Samoilov preserved that advantage.

In the second period, the visitor took control. Denis Yan doubled the lead on 25 minutes, then David Dumbadze made it 3-0 a couple of minutes later. That prompted Shalybin to swap goalies: Damir Shaymardanov replaced Alexei Shchetilin in the Leopards net.

He managed almost 10 minutes before he was beaten by Ivan Podshivalov as the game moved decisively in Severstal’s favor.

Shaymardanov had a big moment at the start of the third period when he stopped Ilya Ivantsov’s penalty shot. And, with the game drifting towards its conclusion, Gusev converted a late power play to deprive Samoilov of a shut-out and continue his hot streak. He now has 12 (1+11) points from his last 10 games and is his team’s outright scoring leader.

Zugan’s double downs the Dragons

Shanghai Dragons 2 Dynamo Moscow 3 (1-1, 1-2, 0-0)

Dynamo headed to the Dragons’ lair without head coach Leonids Tambijevs. He missed the game, officially due to family circumstances, and Oleg Orekhovsky took charge in his absence.

The change in management seemed to inspire Dmitry Zugan. The 23-year-old forward made his KHL debut this season but had not scored in his previous nine appearances for the Muscovites. Today he potted two goals, paving the way for …

He struck right at the start, opening the scoring on 1:58. This was a solo effort, seizing the initiative to skate away from Turner Ottenbreit and find the top corner with a savage wrister.

Shanghai found a quick response to that. A too many men penalty put the home team on the power play and Yegor Solvyov tied the scores in the eighth minute.

The game remained tied until deep into the second period. But Zugan came to the fore once more. He stripped Mikhail Naumenkov of the puck in his own zone and raced down the ice to beat Amir Miftakhov from close range. Moments later a penalty for Solovyov led to a power play goal for Dylan Sikura and Dynamo led by two.

The visitor outshot the Dragons 12-3 in the second period, but could not turn that into a bigger lead. Instead, just before the intermission David Chen struck to put Shanghai right back into contention.

In the final stanza, Shanghai battled hard in search of a tying goal. However, Dynamo’s defense was more resilient than earlier in the season and there was no way past Maxim Motorygin. Even a power play for the home team after Mikhail Kotlyarevsky’s foul in the 55th minute could not move the needle; the Blue and Whites held on for a third straight win.