Severstal throw out Lokomotiv

Western Conference playoff quarterfinals:

Severstal Cherepovets (W5) - Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (W4) 3-1

Severstal not only won game #6 of the series against Lokomotiv but also the series itself. Alexander Fedoseyev opened the score for the home side at 08:32. Afterwards the hosts delived the slightly better image on the ice but at 29:20 Alexander Guskov answered for the guests from Yaroslavl in their first power play of the game. When Alexander Ryazantsev took a penalty for throwing the puck out of the playing area at 47:02 the hosts took a timeout. This decision had a positive effect on the home side that received a penalty shot at 48:34 when Staffan Kronwall tripped Evgeny Ketov. The Severstal forward stayed cool and restored the home lead. Just a minute later he scored another one to make everything clear with the final score of 3-1. Severstal now face regular season winners SKA St. Petersburg in the Conference semifinals.

Severstal win the series 4-2

Nadezhda Cup (Cup of Hope) first round:

Donbass Donetsk (W9) - Dinamo Riga (W14) 2-3 OT

With a third period race to catch up Latvian side Dinamo Riga not only turned around the away match against Donbass Donetsk but also the series. Dmitry Kagarlitsky with goals early in the first and second periods brought Donbass 2-0 in front. In a very balanced match Riga never gave up and came back with a double through Roberts Bukarts and Vitalijs Pavlovs at 52:12 and 54:47. Donbass, in their first match without their recently fired head coach Julius Supler, immidiately took a timeout and saved the 2-2 draw into overtime. There it was Paul Szczechura who won the match for Riga just eight seconds before the end of the first overtime at 79:52. Should Donetsk win game #4 there will be an overtime to find a winner.

Riga lead 2-1 in the series

Dinamo Minsk (W10) - Spartak Moscow (W13) 4-3 OT

The hockey fans in MInsk once more showed their love for the sport when almost 10,000 people came to see the match against Spartak. Their team Dinamo thanked with a great performance and the entry into the next round. Despite laying three times behind after Spartak goals by Branko Radivojevic, Alexander Romanovsky and Jaroslav Obsut, the home side answered through Cory Murphy, Alexander Kulakov and Goeff Platt for a 3-3 until 36:30. In the third period Dinamo weren't able to use their dominance but early in the overtime they made good for it through Zbynek Irgl who scored the game winner at 64:10.

Minsk have won the series 3-0

Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (E9) - Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (E12) 3-1

On home ice Yugra showed a clearly improved performance when they received the last placed in regular season, Avtomobilist. Antony Krysanov and Igor Magogin brought the hosts in front already in the first five minuted but they failed to increase their lead afterwards. Instead Evgeny Lapenkov answered for Avtomobilist at 14:34. Yugra stayed the more active side but the decision in favour of them only came at 59:02 through an empty netter by Mikhail Zhukov. Should Yugra also win game #4 there will be an overtime afterwards to decide the winner in the series.

Avtomobilist lead 2-1 in the series

Metallurg Novokuznetsk (E10) - Amur Khabarovsk (E11) 3-2 OT

Hosts Metallurg kept their chances for the entry into the next Nadezhda Cup round alive when they defeated Amur Khabarovsk in overtime. After just a minute the team from Novokuznetsk commited a stupid mistake and received two minutes for too many players on the ice. This was punished by Evgeny Orlov in power play at 01:53. The early penalties continued and with the 4-on-4 Metallurg tied the match at 03:04 through Alexander Mereskin just after a won face off. In the middle period Alexander Yunkov restored the guest lead, before Stanislav Romanov made it 2-2 with another man advantage at 37:71. The late game winner for Metallurg then came at 78:45 through Yuri Nazarov. Should Metallurg win game #4 overtime has to decide over the win in the series.

Amur lead 2-1 in the series

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