Dynamo wins Lokomotiv Cup

04 Sep 2012 | Roman Solovyev

KHL season started on Tuesday with the game for Lokomotiv Cup where Dynamo Moscow beat Avangard Omsk 3-2 SO.

The opening ceremony wasn’t something fantastic, it was organized like for a regular season game, not a season opener. Maybe only one thing was interesting. Mark Messier, Wayne Gretzky, Alexander Yakushev and Alexander Maltsev took part in the first puck-drop. From the stands it seemed that Gretzky was drunk because he couldn’t walk confident on the ice as Mark Messier.

Avangard started the game well, they got some PP chances in first minutes and soon scored a goal: Anssi Salmela with high pressure from Mikhail Anisin fed a puck to Anton Kuryanov who came to the offensive zone and blasted to open the score. The goal helped Dynamo to come back to the game, from that time visitors didn’t have game possession anymore. Dynamo forces came to the goal only in the second period when Denis Kokarev was first on the rebound during PP. Dynamo continued to play more aggressively but Dynamo’s captain Yury Babenko didn’t use a penalty shot attempt where he only hit the crossbar. Another PP chance turned into a goal again. This time Mikhail Anisin was that lucky guy who was first and fast in front of the net, 2-1 for Dynamo in the middle of the third period. It seemed that Dynamo would win this tough game, but another mistake and Alexander Frolov sent a puck from the blue line to goalie crease, where Dynamo D-man missed a puck and newcomer of Avangard Tomas Zaborsky tied it up. 2-2 in regular time and after overtime, in shootout series Dynamo was luckier and won the first game of the season which was like a 8th game of last season playoffs.

“The game was responsible for both sides, both teams played like last game in playoffs”, said Tomas Zaborsky. “Hopefully, I’ll score another goals like that, but sometimes goalie have a luck, sometimes we’re”.

Dynamo’s players dedicated this win to the guys from Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team who died in plane crash last year.

In Avangard team was one guy who didn’t play hockey last year, it’s Yevgeny Mozer, 19, the star of Junior World Cup that was held in Omsk this August.

“Last year I prepared for individual program and played hockey at amateur (non-professional) level. It’s difficult to believe that this things happen, but, look, it’s real and I’m here!” said Mozer. “My partners helped too much making my appearance easier”.