Kunlun Red Star – Page 2

The IIHF Meet December 6 To Discuss China’s National Men’s Hockey Team 2022 Winter Olympics Participation

Red Star Dragons goalie Paris O’Brien makes save against Sibir

Kunlun Red Star 2 Sibir Novosibirsk 7 (0-2, 1-3, 0-2)

Sibir defeated Kunlun for the third time this season, recording a fourth straight victory and improving to 10 wins from its last 12 games. That upswing, which follows a slow start to the season for Andrei Martemyanov’s men, puts the Novosibirsk team level with Avangard on 42 points.

The IIHF, are set to meet December 6, to discuss China’s National Men’s Hockey Team participation in the Beijing Olympics, and the decision is expected to hinge on player eligibility rules and the performance of the Kunlun Red Star Dragons.

Red Star enjoyed a rare victory last time out, defeating Neftekhimik 2-1 as young goalie Paris O’Brien made a winning start to his KHL career. The Dragons also promoted some of their homegrown Chinese players to more prominent spots on the team and Ivano Zanatta continued with that approach here.

However, O’Brien found life tougher on his second appearance in this league. In-form Sibir created far more offense from the start and took full control of this game with two goals towards the end of the first period. Alexander Sharov opened the scoring with a well-placed backhand, then Nikita Shashkov doubled the lead barely one minute later.

Dragons Tyler Wong goes in on net for scoring chance

Red Star’s power play has been problematic this season, but early in the second period the home team needed just 12 seconds to parlay a minor penalty for Denis Golubev into a goal for Tyler Wong. However, at the very moment Golubev would have exited the box, if Sibir’s penalty kill had endured, he was on the ice make it 3-1.

Then O’Brien suffered a moment to forget when a Trevor Murphy point shot cannoned off the boards and bounced into the net off the luckless goalie’s pads. Murphy, a former Dragon, added a goal to his earlier assist.

As the second period drew to a close, Ethan Werek pulled one back for Kunlun but Michal Cajkovsky made it 5-2 seconds before the intermission.

The third period saw Sibir increase its lead. Vadim Kudako got his second of the season to make it 6-2 before Golubev’s second of the game confirmed the final scoreline.

Anothet Red Star chance once again snuffed out.

Source: KHL, Kunlun Red Star Dragons

Dragons rookie goalie Paris O’Brian makes one of his 37 saves

Kunlun Red Star 2 Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 1 (0-0, 2-1, 0-0)

The Dragons defeated Neftekhimik for the second time this season, helped by 37 saves from a rookie goalie. Ivan Zanatta brought in several new faces in a bid to rejuvenate a team with just one victory in its previous eight games.

Red Star handed a debut to goalie Paris O’Brien, a 21-year-old Chinese heritage player who has worked his way through the club’s system to reach the first team this season. He had an early introduction to life in the KHL, facing down a dangerous shot in the early exchanges, but adapted to the higher level well and played his part in ensuring a goalless first period.

The Dragons also deployed several of their young Chinese-born prospects, with 21-year-old Harbin native Jianing Guo getting a spot on the first line alongside his boyhood hero Brandon Yip. Wei Zhong and Xiang Xudong were further home-grown talents making their KHL debuts on the second and third lines respectively. Xudong marked the occasion with an assist as KRS opened the scoring, starting a move that finished with Ryan Sproul putting away a Spencer Foo feed.

Neftekhimik responded with a tying goal from Ronald Knot and another effort disallowed after a review confirmed that the puck did not cross the line. Late in the second period, though, Red Star regained the lead with a power play effort. Tyler Wong was credited with the goal after his shot pinballed off the skates of two defensemen to bamboozle Alexander Sudnitsin in the visitor’s net.

In the closing stages, Neftekhimik produced a flurry of chances around O’Brien’s net but could not save the game as Red Star held on for a win that moves them two points clear of Admiral at the foot of the Eastern Conference.

Source: KHL, Kunlun Red Star Dragons