Super Saturday in KHL

Avangard today had their sixth win in their last seven games. At home last year's Gagarin Cup finalists beat Latvian side Dinamo Riga by the result of 4-2. The match was even at 2-2 after 40 minutes as Riga twice found the right answer to the lead by Avangard. In the last period though did Anton Belov and Sergei Kostitsyn (with an empty-netter) make sure that all three points would stay in Omsk.

Avangards Chernyshyov Division neighbours Salavat Yulayef Ufa kept Omsk on distance but had more problems to do so against Slovakian newcomers Slovan Bratislava. Kirill Koltsov and Antti Pihlström had turned around the inital second-period lead by Slovan through Martin Bakos. Still the guests did not give up and at 58:56 Lubomir Visnovsky socred the not undeserved equalizer. In the shootout Denis Khlystov was the only one to score and gave Ufa the extra point.

After two away losses Kharlamov Division leaders Traktor Chelyabinsk came back at home with a 4-2 against Atlant Moscow Oblast. The result was 1-2 after two thirds of the game but Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andrei Popov turned the result around in favor of Traktor at the begin of the third period. With the last second of play Petri Kontiola even added one into the empty net.

For a long time Metallurg Magnitogorsk looked like the clear winner against Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Justin Hodgman and Denis Platonov had earned a two-goal lead for the hosts in the first two periods before twice Yegor Averin tied the match until 57:34. When it came to the shootout which always is a bit like a lottery it was Daniil Apalkov in the fourth round who as only goal scorer won the extra point for Lokomotiv. For Magnitka it was the third loss in the last five matches, Lokomotiv won 8 of the last 10.

The weakest team of KHL Avtomobilist faced the power house SKA St. Petersburg. Who ever expected a clear victory for the guests was wrong. Although SKA at the end gained all three points, the hosts from Yekaterinburg gave them a hard fight to the end. Avto was in front 2-0 until 7:43 already before SKA scored four consecutive goals. Again Ilya Kovalchuk played an important role for his team with three points (one goal and two assists). A double by Alexei Simakov around "half time" brought Avto back to a 4-4 tie but shortly after it Gleb Klimenko gained the lead back to SKA. In the last 20 minutes it was similar. First did Rastislav Spirko earn the equalizer for Avto and then did SKA answer, this time through Tony Martensson. Avto has only won 1 of the last 10 matches, SKA instead did win 6 out of the last 7.

It's already a season to forget for Spartak Moscow. Today they received another heavy package by losing 1-5 in Kazakhstan against Barys Astana. With the helpf ot two goals by Dmitry Upper the hosts were already in front 5-0 after 40 minutes before Andrei Kuzmin earned the consolidation goal for the Russians.

Current Gagarin Cup holders Dynamo Moscow defeated Metallurg Novokuznetsk 3-2. Due to goals by Yuri Babenko, Grigory Shafigulin and Denis Mosalyov the hosts were already away with a solid 3-0 lead before Damir Zhafyarov and Alexander Bumagin brought a bit of tension back in the last minutes of play. Dynamo Moscow has only lost 3 of their 15 matches so far - not bad, right?

It looks as Donbass Donetsk finally arrives in the KHL. Of their last 9 matches they won 5 and now they are on the 5th spot in Bobrov Division ahead of Dinamo Riga and today's opponent Vityaz Chekhov. In their away game at Chekhov for Donbas the power play goal by Anton Babchuk at 21:01 was enough to get all three points.

Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk today missed a huge opportunity to make ground in the KHL table. Against favourites CSKA Moscow they were in front with a score of 4-1 already before a double through Igor Grigorenko and Oleg Kvasha within one minute brought hope back to the guests. With 2:90 to go in the third period Alexander Radulov with his second oft the day let the game extend to overtime. In the last minute of it Mikhail Grabovsky won the extra point for CSKA.

Zdeno Chara opened the score at 13:52 for Lev Prague but in the middle period home side Ak Bars Kazan answered through their Finnish imports Janne Pesonen and Niko Kapanen. Though Jakub Klepis scored the late equalizer at 54:36 it was Konstantin Korneyev who earned the game winner for Ak Bars with only 18 seconds left on the clock. When Tomas Pöpperle left his net for the remaining time Denis Abdullin evend made it 4-2 into the wide open net.

 

Advanced player search

Tweets by @eurohockey