SKA hits Admiral for six, Sato makes a piece of history.

SKA was the day’s top scorer, defeating Admiral 6-1 to register its biggest win of the season. Torpedo had an important 3-1 success at Lokomotiv, with Yu Sato becoming the first Japanese player to score a point in the KHL. Elsewhere, Sochi snapped a six-game losing streak to beat Dinamo Minsk, Barys got its first win on the road and Traktor moved into the top eight with victory over Kunlun Red Star.

Burdasov leads Traktor into the top eight

Traktor Chelyabinsk 3 Kunlun Red Star 1 (2-0, 0-1, 1-0)

Anton Burdasov scored twice and saw his deflected shot produce another goal for Traktor as his team secured a win that puts it into the top eight in the East.

For Kunlun, meanwhile, the wait for victory on the road goes on. The Chinese team’s hopes were hampered today by an injury that ruled out experience forward Luke Lockhart. Fellow attacking fulcrum Tyler Wong is also unfit, meaning inexperienced Alex Perevalov moved into the visitor’s first line.

In its previous game, a 1-6 loss against Avtomobilist, Red Star was undone by five power play goals. After 71 seconds of today’s game, though, Garet Hunt needlessly tripped an opponent close to the Traktor net and Burdasov scored his first on the power play. That goal came on 2:15; four of Burdasov’s six goals this season were scored within the first four minutes of play.

In the ninth minute, another PP chance saw Traktor double its lead. Burdasov’s shot took a slight, unintentional deflection off Sergei Kalinin on its way into Jeremy Smith’s net. Kalinin was credited with the goal and ended up robbing his team-mate of a hat-trick. Burdasov went on to score Traktor third midway through the final frame, sealing the victory.

For Red Star, when playing at equal strength, this game was a big improvement on the horror show in Yekaterinburg. Indeed, Ryan Sproul’s goal early in the second period ensured that the result was up for grabs until late in the third. However, Greg Ireland’s team is still coming up short in too many key moments of games and remains outside the playoff places in the West.

Huda-show returns to Spartak

Spartak Moscow 1 Barys Nur-Sultan 3 (1-0, 0-0, 0-3)

Barys got its first road win of the season, coming from behind to see off Spartak with a strong third-period display.

The Red-and-Whites opened the scoring in this one inside five minutes when Zakhar Arzamastsev beat Julius Hudacek in the Barys net. Hudacek was by far the busier in the first period; he made 16 saves, compared to four from Spartak’s Patrik Rybar in this clash of two Slovak goalies.

Former Spartak favorite Hudacek continued to frustrate his former club in the second period. After 32 minutes, the overall shot count was 27-4 in Spartak’s favor, but the score remained 1-0. As the middle frame progressed, Barys finally generated some offense, but it was very much Spartak’s game to lose come the second intermission.

However, the final frame changed everything. Barys got on the scoresheet after just 11 seconds on a goal from Jeremy Bracco. Four minutes later, a power play for the visitor saw Arkady Shestakov make it 2-1. Then Yegor Petukhov sealed it in the 54^th minute. Hudacek finished with 37 saves, a fresh Huda-show to sink his old team-mates, and Barys celebrated a long-awaited win away from home.

SKA romps to biggest win so far

SKA St. Petersburg 6 Admiral Vladivostok 1 (2-0, 2-0, 2-1)

SKA recorded its biggest victory of the season so far, overpowering Admiral 6-1. Roman Rotenberg’s team opens a seven-point lead at the top of the Western Conference. 

Even before the start of the game, there was good news for the home team. Young forward Matvei Michkov, reckoned to be one of the brightest prospects in Russian hockey, returned to the team after missing two months through injury. Named as the 13^th forward, the 17-year-old did not make it onto the ice until the third period, but the sight of him back in a SKA uniform is hugely encouraging.

The home team wasted little time in seizing the initiative. The early exchanges were one-way traffic, and the opening goal arrived in the fourth minute. SKA won an attacking face-off, Andrei Pedan fired in a shot and Dmitrij Jaskin was ready on the slot to get the puck into the net. Ten minutes late, the second goal arrived. Stepan Falkovsky’s shot was blocked, but Emil Galimov got himself to the slot and forced home the loose puck.

For all the home team dominated, Admiral’s hard work on defense put a limit on the number of scoring chances SKA could create. Pavel Khomchenko faced just 10 shots in the first period, and nine in the second. Nonetheless, these were high percentage shots from the host. Midway through the game, Dmitry Buchelnikov made it 3-0 after Garipov arranged a quick counterattack with Marat Khairullin.

Little had been seen of the Admiral offense until late in the second period when Libor Sulak stepped up to fire in a dangerous shot from the left-hand channel. His effort beat Dmitry Nikolayev in the home net but clipped the post and went wide. Moments later, SKA had its fourth when Valentin Zykov released Alexander Volkov, who powered past a defenseman before outwitting Khomchenko.

The third period began with SKA on the penalty kill, but Admiral allowed a short-handed goal for Igor Ozhiganov and fell further behind. There was some consolation when Rudolf Cerveny pulled a goal back in the 48^th minute. Arguably the greatest beneficiary of that was 18-year-old goalie Sergei Ivanov. With Nikolayev unable to record a second successive shut-out and the game clearly beyond Admiral’s reach, Ivanov came on for his first action in the KHL.

The main action he saw involved a fight between Pedan and Admiral’s forward Mark Verba. However, the youngster also kept his goal intact for the remaining 12 minutes, while Alexander Nikishin added a sixth late in the game for SKA.

Torpedo edges win after video review

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 1 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 3 (1-0, 0-1, 0-2)

Torpedo came from behind to beat Lokomotiv, but this game hung on an incident midway through the third period.

Lokomotiv was trailing 1-2 when Dmitry Simashev fired in a wrister from the blue line. The shot took a deflection off Denis Alexeyev’s stick and dropped into the net. However, the video judge called for a review and, after a long check, the officials ruled that Alexeyev’s stick was high and the goal was ruled out.

At that stage, the home team was dominating the play in the third period, but the reprieve lifted Torpedo. Mikhail Orlov sent Kirill Voronin clean through and the visiting forward finished off the move to make it 3-1 with barely four minutes to play.

Earlier, Lokomotiv had opened the scoring in an evenly matched first period. Maxim Shalunov’s one-timer converted the host’s second power play of the game and separated the teams at the intermission.

In the middle frame, Torpedo tied it up thanks to a goal from former Loko man Nikolai Kovalenko. The home bench challenged the play, citing interference on goalie Ivan Bocharov, but the on-ice verdict was upheld by the review and the Railwaymen had to survive a bench minor for delaying the game.

At the start of the third, Orlov skated clear to make it 2-1 for Torpedo. The goal was notable for an assist from Yu Sato, who becomes the first Japanese player to register a point in the KHL. Orlov’s goal proved to be the gamewinner, lifting Torpedo to third place, two clear of tonight’s opponent.

Relief as Sochi snaps skid

HC Sochi 3 Dinamo Minsk 1 (2-1, 0-0, 1-0)

Sochi recorded only its second win of the season, defeating Dinamo to snap a six-game skid.

When Dinamo opened the scoring in the ninth minute through Sergei Sapego, it looked as though Sochi was on the way to a seventh successive defeat. However, the Leopards turned it around late in the first period.

A penalty on Alexei Emelin gave Sochi its first power play of the game. Six seconds later, the home team had its first goal with a play straight off the coach’s clipboard. Nikita Zorkin played the puck in from the point, Artur Tyanulin delivered an instinctive feed to the far post and Artyom Nikolayev was there to finish it off. Zorkin and Nikolayev were involved again in the final seconds of the period as Kirill Petkov made it 2-1 with 1.6 seconds remaining on the clock.

Stirred, Dinamo looked to get back into the game. In the first four minutes of the second period, Sochi’s defense blocked five shots and that was the story of the session. The Bison enjoyed the territorial edge but could not find the opportunities it needed to test Maxim Tretyak in the home net.

In the third period, Sochi extended its lead through Nikita Tochitsky’s 52^nd-minute goal and went on to secure a much-needed win.

Source: en.khl.ru

Ak Bars wins Green Derby, Sushko hits a hat-trick. September 27 round-up

The big game of the day saw Ak Bars win 3-0 at Salavat Yulaev in the season’s first Green Derby. Kirill Petrov scored twice in that game, but he was outdone by Dynamo’s Maxim Sushko. The Belarusian, who had not previously found the net this season, potted a hat-trick to defeat Avangard. Elsewhere, Neftekhimik won for the first time this season, and Scott Wilson’s double helped Vityaz snap a six-game losing streak.

Petrov’s double and Miftakhov’s shut-out settle Green Derby

Salavat Yulaev Ufa 0 Ak Bars Kazan 3 (0-0, 0-1, 0-2)

Prior to the first ‘Green Derby’ of the season, Ufa with abuzz. Salavat Yulaev’s games against Ak Bars are always a big deal here, but the return of Alexander Radulov – a Gagarin Cup winner in 2011 and a cult figure in Bashkortostan – added extra spice. Radulov has played against Salavat Yulaev several times as a CSKA man, but this would be his first visit in the colors of the home team’s biggest rival.

However, it was 22-year-old goalie Amir Miftakhov who dominated the talk after Tuesday’s game. The youngster, playing in his first Green Derby produced a memorable shut-out. Miftakhov stopped 29 shots to backstop his team to victory. Kirill Petrov had a hand in all three goals, and Dmitry Kagarlitsky had 1+1 in the game.

Salavat Yulaev’s selection problems continue. Josh Ho-Sang’s injury greatly depletes Viktor Kozlov’s attacking options, and when Sergei Shmelyov fell ill prior to the game it was another big blow. Defenseman Viktor Antipin was also missing, prompting Kozlov to recall Stepan Sannikov, Artyom Pimenov and Daniil Skorikov.

With so much at stake, the two teams played cautiously in the first period. The host showed slightly more attacking intent but neither team was unable to open the scoring. Radulov’s most notable contribution was getting the first penalty of the game.

The turning point came in the second period when Salavat defenseman Ryan Murphy was ejected from the game for spearing after he needlessly thrust his stick into Stanislav Galiyev’s midriff. The major penalty led to the opening goal, Petrov firing in a deflected shot after Ilya Safonov got the puck back from behind the net.

As Salavat Yulaev tried to fight back in the third period, a breakdown enabled Kagarlitsky to get clear and he did not waste his opportunity in a one-on-one with Ilya Ezhov. Petrov played a part in releasing Kagarlitsky for that goal, and the favor was returned five minutes later when Kagarlitsky turned provider for another power play goal. That made the final score 3-0 to the visitor in one of the KHL’s biggest rivalry games.

Neftekhimik wins at last

Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 2 Sibir Novosibirsk 1 OT (1-0, 0-0, 0-1, 1-0)

After 10 straight defeats and an extensive reshaping of the roster, Neftekhimik finally got its first win of the season. An overtime goal from Ansel Galimov was enough to defeat Sibir following a 1-1 tie.

The home team got off to a good start, with Pavel Poryadin opening the scoring in the seventh minute. Neftekhimik was value for that lead, outshooting Sibir 13-7 in the first period.

Neither team scored in the second, with Neftekhimik maintaining its slight overall advantage and recently-signed goalie Emil Garipov dealing with all that came his way. However, early in the third, Trevor Murphy fired home an equalizer for Sibir.

That took the game to overtime, where Galimov spotted an opportunity to rush at the visiting defense. The Neftekhimik forward found a gap and surged to the net before beating Denis Kostin to win the game.

Wilson leads Vityaz to victory

Vityaz Moscow Region 3 Amur Khabarovsk 1 (1-0, 1-1, 1-0)

Vityaz snapped a six-game losing streak after edging a tight home win over Amur. The Tigers were unable to build on Sunday’s overtime win at Sochi and remain outside the playoff places.

Scott Wilson was the key man for the home team. The Canadian center opened the scoring with a power play goal in the first period, winning the puck on the boards and heading for the faceoff spot before shooting home.

Amur tied it up in the second period thanks to Yaroslav Likhachyov’s fifth goal of the season. The 21-year-old continues to impress in the KHL after a high-scoring Junior Hockey League campaign last term. However, it didn’t take long before Wilson restored the Vityaz lead, converting the rebound after a powerful slap shot from Alexander Yaremchuk cannoned back off the boards.

In the third period, Amur was unable to find a response. Vityaz sealed the win when Wilson assisted on an empty net goal for Tyler Graovac.

Sushko shoots down Avangard

Dynamo Moscow 4 Avangard Omsk 1 (0-0, 1-0, 3-1)

Maxim Sushko’s hat-trick lifted Dynamo back to second place in the Western Conference, leading the Blue-and-Whites to a win at home to Avangard.

All of Sushko’s goals came in the third period. The first, in the 50^th minute, was a self-made effort, chasing down the puck behind the net before bursting out to put a backhand shot past Vasily Demchenko. Almost immediately, Avangard pulled a goal back through Alexei Bereglazov and the game remained in the balance until the final moments.

Then Sushko scored twice in the last two minutes. First, he found the empty net with 69 seconds to play. Avangard’s frustrations bubbled over, Sergei Tolchinsky went to the box for unsporting conduct, and the subsequent power play saw Sushko complete his hat-trick with 14 seconds remaining.

Earlier, the teams had played out a goalless first period that promised more than it delivered. Both sides had scoring chances, but a combination of good goaltending and poor finishing kept the scoreboard blank at the first intermission.

In the second period, Dynamo got in front thanks to a goal from Pavel Kudryavtsev, pouncing on an error from Avangard’s Alex Broadhurst and stealing the puck before advancing to shoot past Demchenko. Early in the third, Avangard had the puck in the net, but Sergei Tolchinsky’s effort was ruled out after a bench challenge over goaltender interference.

For Avangard, this game marked the end of a 12-game road trip. The Hawks’ next action is on Saturday, when the G-Drive Arena in Omsk opens its doors for the first time in the KHL. Sibir is the opponent in a Siberian derby.

Source: en.khl.ru