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After two games of the 2026 Gagarin Cup final, there’s nothing between the teams. After Wednesday’s 5-1 win in Yaroslavl, Ak Bars brings Lokomotiv back to Kazan with the series locked a 1-1.

Radulov’s leadership, Beryozkin’s timely scoring and Isayev’s strong play in net helped Lokomotiv draw first blood in the Gagarin Cup finals, but Ak Bars now heads into Game Two looking for a response before the series shifts to Kazan.

The opening day of the Gagarin Cup final brought victory for Lokomotiv. Two goals in a minute early in the second period paved the way for a 3-1 success for the defending champion.

This is what it all comes down to – the 2026 Gagarin Cup final starts in Yaroslavl today. The match-up between Lokomotiv and Ak Bars is rich in sub-plots, as the Railwaymen look to defend their title against an opponent seeking a record-breaking fourth crown.

Lokomotiv enters its third consecutive Gagarin Cup finals, this time facing Ak Bars in a repeat of the first-ever finals back in 2009. The Railwaymen needed two OTs in Game Seven against Avangard to get there, while the Kazan side handed a 4-1 defeat to regular-season champions, Metallurg. Ak Bars is currently tied with CSKA and Metallurg for the most Gagarin Cup titles with three apiece, and now has the opportunity to become the competition’s outright most successful franchise with a fourth championship. Lokomotiv, meanwhile, is chasing its second title after last year’s triumph.

Gernat’s defensive reliability in decisive moments, Todd’s timely scoring presence and Jaskin’s consistent all-situations impact all proved decisive in their teams’ passage through the semifinals. KHL.ru presents the best players from each country.

KHL.ru’s weekly column returns with Lokomotiv’s forward Maxim Shalunov. As the playoffs go deeper, his importance to his team increases, cementing his reputation of one of the best players in the league in clutch moments.

The Kontinental Hockey League’s commission has determined the best players of the 2026 Gagarin Cup playoffs’ third round in four categories.

The defending champion is back in the Gagarin Cup final for the third year straight. Lokomotiv rallied from 1-3 in Wednesday’s game seven in Yaroslavl to win it in overtime. And that was an echo of the series, with Bob Hartley’s team recovering from 1-3 against Avangard to take a 4-3 verdict.

A last-minute collapse in Game Six denied Avangard a Finals berth, as Lokomotiv forced extra time and completed a dramatic comeback to send the series back to Yaroslavl for an exciting and winner-takes-all Game Seven

Two goals for Loko in the last minute of regulation robbed Avangard of a place in this year’s Gagarin Cup final – at least for now. The Hawks blew a 2-0 lead in game six of the series and fell in overtime, ensuring the teams return to Yaroslavl for a game seven showdown.

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.

Lokomotiv kept its season alive with a dominant shutout victory in Yaroslavl and now heads to Omsk with renewed confidence for Game Six, while Avangard looks to quickly bounce back on home ice and avoid letting the series slip into a decisive seventh game.

Ak Bars is going back to the Gagarin Cup final for the sixth time after winning its semi-final series against Metallurg in five games. That equals the record for final appearance, first set by CSKA. Anvar Gatiyatulin’s men will face the winner of the Lokomotiv vs Avangard series when the grand final gets underway on May 11.

Ak Bars heads back to Magnitogorsk holding a commanding 3-1 lead in the series and sitting just one victory away from a return to the Gagarin Cup Final, while Metallurg faces a must-win situation on home ice after back-to-back losses in Kazan put the regular-season champion on the brink of elimination.

Two days after failing to score in Omsk, Lokomotiv blanked Avangard in Yaroslavl. Saturday’s 4-0 victory ensures this Gagarin Cup semi-final series will return to Siberia for game six with Loko still in contention at 2-3.

Avangard heads to Yaroslavl one win away from the Gagarin Cup Final after another disciplined defensive performance in Omsk, while Lokomotiv now faces a must-win situation to keep its season alive on home ice.

Ak Bars made it back-to-back 4-1 home victories over Metallurg to open a 3-1 lead in the Gagarin Cup semi-final series. Two goals in 66 seconds late in the second period opened a decisive lead for Anvar Gatiyatulin’s men.

Ak Bars seized control of the series with a convincing home victory in Game Three and now has a chance to move within one win of the final, while Metallurg looks for a much stronger response to avoid falling into a dangerous 3-1 deficit.

Avangard is one game away from ousting the defending champion. A 2-0 win at home to Lokomotiv put the Hawks up 3-1 in the series. Playoff leading scorer Konstantin Okulov moves to 20 points in post season after scoring the second goal in Omsk.

Lokomotiv climbed back into the series with a crucial road win in Omsk and now heads into Game Four with renewed belief, while Avangard looks to respond quickly and protect its advantage before the matchup shifts back to Yaroslavl.

Two goals in the first period from Dmitry Katelevsky proved to be the catalyst for an Ak Bars victory in game three of its Gagarin Cup semi-final series against Metallurg. The Tatar club moves in front 2-1 in the series against the regular season champion.

Metallurg responded to its opening loss with an impressive Game Two performance behind a three-point outing from Roman Kantserov, tying the series before the action shifts to Kazan, where Ak Bars will try to regain home-ice momentum.

Down 2-0 in the series, and 2-0 at the first intermission, Lokomotiv’s grip on the Gagarin Cup looked to be down to its fingertips. But a big fightback in game three secured a 4-2 victory in Omsk, reinvigorating Bob Hartley’s hopes of taking his team to the final.

After a fiery and penalty-filled battle in Yaroslavl, the series shifts to Omsk with Avangard in control and looking to extend their lead, while Lokomotiv face a crucial test as they try to respond and avoid falling into a deeper hole.

A 4-2 home victory saw Metallurg draw level in its 2026 Gagarin Cup semi-final series against Ak Bars. The Steelmen led 3-0 at the second intermission but the visitor clawed two goals back in the third before Nikita Mikhailis put the game out of reach late on.

For the first time ever, the opening games in the Gagarin Cup semi-finals went to the visiting teams. Avangard and Ak Bars enjoyed 5-2 wins at Lokomotiv and Metallurg respectively. The Hawks followed up with a second victory in Yaroslavl – can Ak Bars do the same in Magnitogorsk today?

Ak Bars seized the initiative with a commanding Game One road win, but with Metallurg’s goaltending under scrutiny and the regular season champions eager to respond, Game Two sets up a pivotal test as Magnitka look to level the series on home ice.

Two goals in 68 seconds midway through the second period turned around game two of this Gagarin Cup semi-final series. Vasily Ponomaryov and Damir Sharipzyanov put Avangard in front and the Hawks went on to win a fiery game in Yaroslavl.

Avangard drew first blood with an emphatic Game One win, but with Lokomotiv stung on home ice and their star netminder chased early, Game Two sets the stage for a fierce response from the Railwaymen as they look to even the series.

A powerful first period saw Ak Bars take control of the opening game of its 2026 Gagarin Cup semi-final series against Metallurg. The visitor took a 5-2 verdict at the regular season champion to enjoy an early advantage in the series.

History hangs in the balance as Metallurg and Ak Bars open their semifinal series—past meetings have swung both ways, from Ak Bars’ second-round wins in 2010 and 2018 to Metallurg’s dominant 2017 sweep, but today’s clash signals a fresh battle between two in-form contenders.

Defenseman Max Lajoie had two power play goals to open the Gagarin Cup semifinals. His efforts paced a 5-2 win for the Hawks at Lokomotiv.

A semifinal trilogy unfolds as Lokomotiv and Avangard meet for the third straight year: the Railwaymen chasing a third consecutive series win, while the Hawks aim to flip the script after sweeping the regular-season meetings.

Commentator for KHL TV channels and expert at KHL.ru, Anton Vasyatin, presents the top ten most prominent young players (U23) in the league based on their performance in the second round of the Gagarin Cup playoffs.

Fiore’s timely scoring, Barach’s reliability, Press stepping up again and Panik’s understated impact all proved key in the latest playoff matchups. KHL.ru presents the best players from each country.

Ilya Kovalchuk has been appointed President of the Shanghai Dragons, becoming a key figure in the club’s next stage of development.

KHL.ru’s weekly column goes on with Konstantin Okulov. After an exceptional performance in the Gagarin Cup playoffs’ series against his former team, CSKA, the Avangard man put on a seven-point performance, delivering when it mattered more and earning Best Forward honors for the second round.

We’re down to the last four in the race for the Gagarin Cup after wrapping up round two swiftly last week. Two teams swept into the semis, the other two series were done in five games. That sets up some mouthwatering encounters when action resumes Friday.

The Kontinental Hockey League’s commission has determined the best players of the 2026 Gagarin Cup playoffs’ second round in four categories.