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Sunday’s Western Conference action brought drama in Nizhny Novgorod. Torpedo scored twice in the last two minutes to force overtime before Sergei Goncharuk sunk Severstal and gave his team a 3-1 lead in the series. The other game saw Denis Guryanov fire CSKA to victory at SKA, putting the Muscovites up 3-1 before the series returns to the capital.

Salavat Yulaev and Ak Bars are both one game away from advancing to the second round of the 2026 Gagarin Cup playoffs after victories on Sunday. Salavat enjoyed a 5-2 win at home to Avtomobilist, while Ak Bars needed a second period of overtime to see off Traktor in Chelyabinsk. Anvar Gatiyatulin’s team can finish the series on home ice on Tuesday, while Avtomobilist returns home to try to save its series on the same day.

Both of Saturday’s Western Conference playoffs went to overtime, and both ended with the away team victorious. Sam Anas struck after three minutes of the extras to put Dinamo Minsk up 3-0 on Dynamo Moscow after a 1-1 tie in the Russian capital. Across town, Spartak’s Ivan Morozov grabbed a late tying goal against Lokomotiv, but the Railwaymen rebounded to win it on Artur Kayumov’s redirect. The defending champ is up 2-1 in that series.

Two late goals from Dmitry Rashevsky could have a huge impact on the outcome of Avangard’s series against Neftekhimik. He turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 victory in Nizhnekamsk, putting the Hawks up 2-1 after three games. In Novosibirsk, Metallurg recorded a third straight win over Sibir and is just one game away from progressing to round two.

Sergei Ivanov marked his playoff debut with a shut-out to secure a 1-0 victory for SKA. The Petersburg club still trails its series against CSKA, but is now down 1-2. Torpedo edged ahead of Severstal thanks to a 3-1 victory in Nizhny Novgorod, with Amir Garayev claiming the winning goal.

Maxim Kuznetsov scored a late winner for Salavat Yulaev as the forwards found their range at last in the series against Avtomobilist. A 4-3 verdict in Ufa put the host up 2-1. And the Ak Bars vs Traktor series is also 2-1 after Traktor won 3-2 in Chelyabinsk to claim its first victory of post season.

Spartak Moscow delivered the first big shock of this year’s playoffs, grabbing an overtime win at defending champion Lokomotiv. The Red-and-Whites were second best for long spells of Thursday’s game, but opportunistic goals from Ivan Morozov and Daniil Pivchulin secured a 2-1 verdict. In Minsk, Dinamo had little trouble opening a 2-0 lead in its series against Dynamo Moscow. The visiting offense was again off-color and the home team cruised to a 4-1 win.

There was drama in Omsk as second seed Avangard allowed a late equalizer before falling in OT to seventh-ranked Neftekhimik. That ties their Gagarin Cup playoff series at 1-1 before the teams head to Nizhnekamsk. Top seed Metallurg had no such problems, though. Robin Press scored twice in a 5-1 win over Sibir as Andrei Razin’s team opened a 2-0 lead in the series.

Despite allowing a second-minute goal to SKA, CSKA recovered to win 4-2 in Moscow and open a 2-0 lead in its first-round KHL playoff series. In Cherepovets, Severstal bounced back from Monday’s loss to Torpedo, winning 4-0 to tie the series before the action moves to Nizhny Novgorod.

Day three of the Eastern playoffs saw a 1-0 win for Salavat Yulaev square its series against Avtomobilist. The teams head to Ufa locked at 1-1. Then Ak Bars won 4-2 at home to Traktor, claiming a 2-0 advantage in the series.

Defending champion Lokomotiv took its 2026 playoff bow – and found itself down by two in barely 10 minutes. A fightback secured Bob Hartley’s men a 5-3 but Spartak will take consolation from a competitive performance in Yaroslavl. In Minsk, Dinamo justified pre-playoff expectation with an impressively solid 3-1 win over Dynamo Moscow.

Day two of the playoffs brought the Eastern Conference heavyweights into the fray. Both made winning starts, but while Metallurg eased past Sibir, second seed Avangard needed goals in the last five to see off seventh-ranked Neftekhimik.

There was a surprise on day one in the West as sixth-seed Torpedo won 4-1 at Severstal in its playoff opener. CSKA and SKA needed two periods of overtime to separate them, but Nikita Nesterov’s strike gave the Muscovites the early edge in that first round series.

Day one of the 2026 KHL Playoffs began with Daniel Sprong firing Avtomobilist to victory over Salavat Yulaev. And the other Eastern Conference action saw Ak Bars edge past Traktor in overtime.

The last day of the regular season saw Sam Anas tie Nikita Gusev’s record 89-point haul in a regular season campaign. He scored twice in Dinamo Minsk’s 8-2 win over Avtomobilist, but could not find a third point to set a new mark. Sibir did set a new record, beating a mark established in the KHL’s inaugural season. Today’s shoot-out win over Sochi was its 12th of the season, beating Metallurg’s 11 from 2008/2009.
Elsewhere, the big issue was resolving the Western playoff pairings. With the season complete, Lokomotiv faces Spartak in round one, Dinamo Minsk will take on Dynamo Moscow, Severstal is up against Torpedo and CSKA faces SKA.

The penultimate day of the regular season saw two games, and confirmed the top four in the Western Conference. Severstal’s loss at home to Avangard means it will finish third and Dinamo Minsk second. Lokomotiv was already assured of top spot, with CSKA locked into fourth. Thursday’s other action brought a 5-3 win for Torpedo at home to Amur.

The playoff pairs for the Eastern Conference are set after Wednesday’s play. The top four places were confirmed ahead of today’s action, and wins for Salavat Yulaev over Neftekhimik (3-0) and Traktor over Metallurg (6-2) sealed places five through eight. Those first-round pairings will be: Metallurg vs Sibir; Avangard vs Neftekhimik; Ak Bars vs Traktor; Avtomobilist vs Salavat Yulaev. In the Western Conference, CSKA secured fourth place thanks to a shoot-out win over Spartak. Fifth-placed Dynamo fell 1-2 at home to Admiral.

Damir Sharipzyanov rewrote the KHL record books. His assist in Avangard’s overtime victory at Dinamo Minsk gives him the most productive season for a defenseman in the KHL. His 66 points this term beat Chris Lee’s 65 for Metallurg in 2016/2017. Earlier in the day, Lada came from 0-2 to beat Amur.

Sibir clinched the 16th and final playoff spot with a 3-2 victory over CSKA in Monday’s early game. The Siberians cannot finish higher than eighth in the East, meaning the first playoff pairing is also confirmed: regular season champ Metallurg, a 4-3 winner over Avtomobilist today, will start against Sibir. Neither SKA nor Torpedo were able to close on fourth-placed CSKA in the West. Traktor won 2-1 at home to SKA, Torpedo fell 3-6 to Neftekhimik. An entertaining Moscow derby ended in a shoot-out win for Dynamo at Spartak. Severstal beat Ak Bars 4-2 in Monday’s other action.

A last-minute goal from Danil Yurtaikin gave Amur the win it needed to stay in playoff contention. The Tigers’ 3-2 success at Sochi means Sibir must win tomorrow to confirm its playoff spot. Elsewhere, Sam Anas moved to 86 points for the season with an assist in Dinamo Minsk’s 2-1 shoot-out victory over Lokomotiv. Anas is chasing Nikita Gusev’s 89-point record for a KHL regular season. Sunday’s other game saw Salavat Yulaev beat Shanghai Dragons 5-3.

Saturday’s solitary KHL game brought a road win for CSKA, halting Avtomobilist’s seven-game winning streak.

With nine games on Friday’s card, this was the most action-packed day of the KHL season. The focus was on the Eastern Conference, where Sibir and Amur are fighting for the last remaining playoff spot. And the outcome was inconclusive as both teams suffered overtime losses. Sibir fell at home to Metallurg, while Amur stumbled at Spartak. There were big victories for Avangard (6-1 vs Dragons), SKA (5-0 vs Severstal) and Admiral (6-2 vs Barys). Traktor came from behind to beat Torpedo in overtime, Dynamo recovered twice before winning a shoot-out in Ufa. Maxim Shalunov potted a hat-trick as Lokomotiv won 4-2 at Lada and Dmitrij Jaskin’s 200th KHL goal helped Ak Bars to a 2-0 win over Sochi.

Thursday’s only KHL game was a basement battle in the Eastern Conference.

An overtime victory in Ufa, coupled with Lokomotiv’s defeat against Avtomobilist, means Metallurg will finish top of this season’s regular season standings. It’s the first time Magnitka has claimed top spot: in 2021/2022 the Steelmen topped the standings for points and ppg, but the regular season was not played to a finish after the Olympic break and the trophy was not awarded. Wednesday’s other action brought wins for Avangard, Severstal, CSKA, Dynamo Moscow and SKA.

Fifteen out of 16 playoff spaces are now full. Amur’s loss at home to Barys in Tuesday’s opening game was enough to confirm Traktor’s post-season spot despite the Chelyabinsk team’s loss to Neftekhimik later in the day. Meanwhile, Neftekhimik’s victory means that Igor Grishin has steered the Wolves to the playoffs in his first full season as a KHL head coach. Elsewhere, Ak Bars eased to victory at home to Spartak, while CSKA moved to fourth in the West with a win over Sochi.

An overtime success at home to Severstal secured first place in the Western Conference for Lokomotiv. Georgy Ivanov snapped a 3-3 tie after late drama in Yaroslavl. Second-placed Dinamo Minsk can no longer catch the defending champion after its 4-6 loss at Dynamo Moscow. In the East, Sibir held its nerve to beat Avangard in a shoot-out and open a five-point gap over ninth-placed Amur. The Tigers will hope to reduce the deficit in tomorrow’s home game against Barys.

Sunday’s three KHL games began in Magnitogorsk, where Traktor blew a 2-0 lead against Metallurg and, with it, the chance to confirm its playoff place. Spartak won 5-2 on the road at Lada and Torpedo took a 4-3 verdict at home to Sochi.

The second of this season’s KHL World Games encounters produced a 12-goal thriller. Barys came out on top in Shanghai thanks to a hat-trick from Michael Vecchione and a busy evening for Reilly Walsh. In the race for the last remaining playoff spots, Amur closed to within three points of Sibir thanks to a 6-3 win over Salavat Yulaev. Sibir lost to Ak Bars by the same scoreline. Sergei Plotnikov made his 1,000th KHL appearance, and proved to be the architect of a victory at Dynamo Moscow. Elsewhere, Neftekhimik ended a four-game skid with victory at Admiral and Spartak thrashed Lada 7-1.

The top two in the Eastern Conference both suffered 3-1 losses. Leader Metallurg fell at home to Avtomobilist, while second-placed Avangard fell to a surprise defeat in Sochi. CSKA edged a 1-0 win over Traktor, preventing the Chelyabinsk club from securing its playoff spot this week.

Amid the celebrations for the Chinese Year of the Horse, the Dragons returned home for the first time since 2020. Shanghai hosted the first of two KHL World Games encounters and a near-capacity crowd saw the Dragons fall to a narrow 1-2 loss against playoff-chasing Sibir. Elsewhere, Salavat Yulaev confirmed its post season spot with victory at Amur, while Admiral’s hopes were ended despite victory over Neftekhimik. In the Western Conference the only game of the day went to overtime before SKA took a 2-1 verdict at Dinamo Minsk.

Wednesday’s KHL action brought four wins out of four for road teams – three of them with shut-outs. However, one of today’s winners, Lokomotiv, was playing in its own arena after its game at HC Sochi was moved to Yaroslavl. The Leopards battled hard but fell to a 51st-minute goal. Elsewhere, Josh Leivo picked up four points as Traktor won 5-0 at Torpedo, Avtomobilist took a 4-0 verdict at Dynamo and Avangard beat CSKA 2-0.

Dinamo Minsk’s in-form offense was halted by Metallurg goalie Alexander Smolin. He made 42 saves in Belarus to help the league leader to a 3-0 win. In the playoff race, Amur moved to within three points of eighth-placed Sibir with a 3-1 win over Neftekhimik. Tuesday’s other action saw Evgeny Kuznetsov led Salavat Yulaev to a shoot-out win at Admiral, and Lada came from 0-2 to beat Ak Bars at home.

Sergei Plotnikov scored three as SKA powered to victory against Barys. The home team scored seven goals on 24 shots to record a crushing 7-0 verdict. Avangard also enjoyed a big win, beating Spartak 4-1 in Moscow. Elsewhere, things were closer: Avtomobilist took a 1-0 result at CSKA, and Lokomotiv edged Severstal in a shoot-out.

Sunday’s action was all about the race for the Eastern playoffs. Amur moved to within five points of eighth-placed Sibir with a 3-2 win over Neftekhimik. Admiral defeated Salavat Yulaev 4-2, meaning the Ufa men must wait a little longer to clinch their place. At the other end of the standings, Eastern Conference leader Metallurg suffered a third straight loss, falling 1-4 at Dynamo. Third-placed Ak Bars took a 1-0 verdict from Chelyabinsk. In the West, Sochi thumped Torpedo 5-1 in a game disrupted by the threat of a drone attack, and Shanghai Dragons edged Lada 2-1.

Georgy Ivanov scores twice as Lokomotiv moved five points clear in the West with a 5-2 win at SKA. That loss saw the home team drop to eight as Spartak moved ahead with a 5-3 win over Barys in Moscow.

The West is done. All eight playoff spots in the Western Conference are now filled. CSKA’s high-scoring win over Shanghai Dragons confirms Spartak as the eighth and final qualifier. At the top of the Western Conference, Dinamo Minsk tightened its grip on second with a 3-2 win at Sochi while third-placed Severstal fell at home to Torpedo. In the east, Avangard edged Metallurg in overtime, while Avtomobilist defeated Ak Bars in a shoot-out.

Seven out of eight playoff places in the West are now full after Dynamo Moscow won 4-1 at SKA to secure its post-season spot. The remaining gap is almost certainly Spartak’s: Yegor Filin’s hat-trick led the Red-and-Whites to victory over Admiral, and the gap to ninth-placed Shanghai is now 17 points. In the East, Salavat Yulaev defeated Traktor in a shoot-out, remaining clear of its visitor in fifth place.

There were three contrasting games on Wednesday’s KHL card. The most exciting clash came in Kazan, where Lada rallied from 0-3 to beat Ak Bars in a shoot-out. The highest-scoring was in Sochi, as Dinamo Minsk won 7-2 over the Leopards. And the most complete defensive performance saw CSKA take a 2-0 verdict at home to Neftekhimik.

A 4-3 win at Torpedo lifted Dinamo Minsk to second place in the West, with KHL scoring leader Sam Anas collecting two more points to move to 76 (28+48) points. Traktor scored two late goals to beat Lada in Chelyabinsk. Sochi’s game at home to CSKA was abandoned for safety reasons.