Spartak’s downslide continues

Struggling Dinamo Minsk struggling Spartak. With a sixth successive defeat, Spartak gave away points to the visitors.

Spartak needed a boost, and their fans were ready to give it. They filled the arena in Moscow and cheered for their team. For some time it seemed the support from the stands might lift them over. At 24:49 a well-worked tally was brought home by Vladimir Peshekhonov who got the assists from Denis Ignashin and Pavel Medvedev.

It was tied at 1, Alexei Yefimenko levelled the score, and Spartak had a two-men powerplay for the full two minutes - Osipov and Lintner were called at the same time. They immediately took the timeout, and started keeping the pressure in the offensive zone. Derron Quint hit the steelwork, so the result was intact.

If you don't score on your chances, the opponent will. 33 seconds into the final frame of the game, Zbynek Irgl scored on a solo effort and that was enough for the Belarus side to take the points away.

Kevin Lalande was magnificent in net, keeping the record high at 97.3 SVS%, taking out 36 of 37 shots directed at him.

Medvescak -Donbass

Medvescak were up to an exalted start when Mike Glumac opened the scoring as early as 1:44 into the game. Patrick Bjorkstrand was on the assists, stealing the puck from the corner and sending a backdoor pass into the slot for Glumac wide open.

However from that point on, everything went downhill for the Bears. Before the first intermission Lukas Kaspar levelled the score on the powerplay, the assist came from Teemu Laine.

At 25:38 Dmitry Kagarlitsky gets the game-winner with a lucky bounce just outside Mark Dekanich's crease, he was the last to touch the puck that was bouncing off into the air through the scramble and in the end went across the line.

Evgeny Dadonov seals the deal with the empty-netter, nearly 8 seconds after Dekanich was pulled. Medvescak didn't look like a team today, they struggled in transition and with the passing game. Defense was leaving the visitors wide open inside, but managed to cover in most cases, while Dekanich made 31 saves.

Donbass got a firmer grip on the 3rd spot in the West with the win and now escapes from Medvescak by 9 points, and is levelled with CSKA at 71 points.

Ryan O'Connor, a young, talented Canadian defenseman and Alex Westlund, a Canadian goalie, joined Medvescak this week as their new enforcements.

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