The KHL is back at it today, with another twelve games on. I'm going to assume that the pattern has been recognized for how I list goalies, so I will not denote teams anymore. We begin in...
Omsk, as Avangard hosts Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Teemu Lassila are called on for the starts. Omsk opened with a first period goal by Alexander Perezhogin, coming on the power play from Sergei Kostitsyn. Avangard added on with a Denis Kulyash goal, assisted by Perezhogin and Kostitsyn. Omsk padded the lead in the second period as Alexander Popov scored an unassisted goal. Cherepovets got on the board with an Ignat Zemchenko goal, fueled by Alexander Bumagin. Severstal pulled closer in the third period when Nikolai Bushuyev scored a goal, going in unassisted. Cherepovets tied it with a Gleb Klimenko goal, passed from Stanislav Kalashnikov and Bumagin. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Avangard topped Severstal 4-3 on a lone tally from Alexei Badyukov. The three stars were Perezhogin, Kostitsyn, and Bumagin.
Into Kazakhstan, where Barys Astana welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Ari Ahonen tend the twines. Yaroslavl began in the first period as Mikelis Redlihs scored an unassisted goal. Astana tied it with a Mikhail Rakhmanov goal, guided in by Mike Lundin and Artemy Lakiza. Barys took the lead on a Dustin Boyd goal, coming off of Nigel Dawes and Brandon Bochenski. Lokomotiv retied it with an Alexei Vasilyev goal, passed from Emil Galimov on the power play. Yaroslavl took the lead in the second period as Alexander Chernikov scored an unassisted goal. Astana tied the game again in the third period with a Konstantin Rudenko goal, made possible by Dmitry Upper. Barys gained the lead on a Dawes goal, thanks to Bochenski and Boyd. Astana iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Maxim Spiridonov, via Upper and Lundin. The three stars were Dawes, Boyd, and Upper, while Bochenski and Lundin get honorable mentions.
Back in Russia, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg brings in Atlant Mytishchi. Sergei Borisov and Jakub Kovar are in the creases. Mytishchi was first to score with a Bobby Sanguinetti goal in the first period, made possible by Igor Levitsky. Yekaterinburg tied it in the second period as Sami Lepisto scored, via Vasily Streltsov. Avtomobilist took the lead on a Filipp Toluzakov goal, set up by Evgeny Fyodorov and Alexei Simakov. Altant tied the game with a third period Konstantin Koltsov goal, coming off of Janne Niskala. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Toluzakov answered a goal from Mytishchi's Yury Trubechyov, before Yekaterinburg took the lead for good on a tally by Anton Lazarev. Toluzakov, Lazarev, and Kovar (27 for 29 in saves) were the three stars.
Over to Khanty-Mansiysk, where Yugra hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Mikhail Biryukov are set to start. St. Petersburg struck first in the first period as Roman Cervenka scored, with the help of Patrick Thoresen and Tony Martensson. SKA added on as Thoresen scored, thanks to Martensson. St. Petersburg extended the lead in the second period as Ilya Kovalchuk scored, with a lone assist from Vadim Shipachyov. SKA padded the lead as Viktor Tikhonov potted the puck, courtesy of Alexei Semenov and Alexander Kucheryavenko. Alexei Kuznetso relieved Biryukov at this time. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with an Andrei Shefer goal, passed from Evgeny Khvostov and Vitaly Sitnikov. St. Petersburg answered in the third period with an Igor Makarov goal, set up by Andrei Sigaryov. This produced a 5-1 SKA win, with the three stars being Thoresen, Salak (33 for 34 in saves), and Martensson.
Heading to the Moscow Oblast, Vityaz Podolsk welcomes Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Ivan Lisutin are the masked men. Podolsk started early in the first period with a goal by Vyacheslav Solodukhin, an unassisted goal. For the next fifty-eight minutes, the game saw no goals, meaning Vityaz won 1-0. The three stars were Solodukhin, Lisutin (38 save shutout), and Sudnitsin (23 for 24 in saves).
Back east a bit, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod brings in Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Georgy Gelashvili stand in the blue paint. Nizhny Novgorod got going in the second period on a Pavel Lukin goal, courtesy of Tim Brent. Torpedo added on with a power play goal by Pavel Valentenko, set up by Wojtek Wolski and Brent. Nizhny Novgorod extended the lead as Juuso Hietanen scored, with helpers provided by Wolski and Brent, the latter getting a sock trick (which for those of you who don't know is three assists). Torpedo padded the lead with a power play goal in the third period by Vadim Khomitsky, powered by Denis Parshin and Sakari Salminen. Nizhny Novgorod wrapped it up at 5-0 with another Hietanen goal, fueled by Valentenko and Salminen. The three stars were Hietanen, Brent, and Gelashvili (20 save shutout), while Valentenko, Wolski, and Salminen get the honorable mentions.
Moving along to Kazan, where Ak Bars hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Emil Garipov are between the pipes. Chelyabinsk led off in the second period on an Andrei Kostitsyn goal, via Petri Kontiola. Kazan tied it as Kirill Petrov scored, thanks to Vladimir Tkachyov and Janne Pesonen. Ak Bars took the lead with a power play goal by Alexander Burmistrov, powered by Shaun Heshka and Petrov. Traktor tied it in the third period when Andrei Popov scored, with the help of Alexander Guskov and Jan Bulis. The tie lasted into overtime, where Kazan won 3-2 on a goal by Heshka, assisted by Alexander Svitov and Dmitry Obukhov. The three stars were Heshka, Petrov, and Garipov (20 for 22 in saves).
Into Moscow again, as Spartak welcomes Dinamo Riga. Mikael Tellqvist and Jeff Glass are the reliable goalies. Moscow got going in the second period with a power play goal by Tom Wandell, set up by Andrei Sergeyev. Riga tied it with a Paul Szczechura goal, guided in by Miks Indrasis and Mat Robinson. Dinamo took the lead in the third period with a power play goal by Indrasis, powered by Sandis Ozolins and Robinson. Riga iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Kyle Wilson, via Vitalijs Pavlovs and Ozolins. The three stars were Indrasis, Tellqvist (23 for 24 in saves), and Ozolins.
Across the city, Dynamo Moscow brings in Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Iiro Tarkki and Alexander Yeryomenko guard the cages. Ufa opened with an unassisted Teemu Hartikainen goal in the first period. Moscow tied it as Denis Mosalyov scored, thanks to Marek Kvapil. Dynamo took the lead with an Alexei Sopin goal, with a lone assist by Maxim Karpov. Moscow extended the lead in the second period on an Andrei Mironov goal, passed from Mosalyov and Kvapil. Dynamo added on in the third period when Martins Karsums scored, via Filip Novak. This was good for a 4-1 Dynamo win, with the three stars belonging to Mosalyov, Yeryomenko (33 for 34 in saves), and Kvapil.
Into Belarus, where Dinamo Minsk hosts Slovan Bratislava. Miroslav Kopriva and Lars Haugen protect the nets. Minsk was first to score in the third period with an Alexei Yefimenko goal, courtesy of Dmitry Meleshko and Andrei Stas. Dinamo iced it at 2-0 with an empty net goal by Jacob Micflikier, set up by Geoff Platt and Alexei Kalyuzhny. The three stars were Haugen (26 save shutout), Yefimenko, and Platt.
Continuing to Ukraine, where Donbass Donetsk welcomes CSKA Moscow. Rastislav Stana and Michael Leighton are all padded up Donetsk started with a first period goal by Lukas Kaspar, going in unassisted. Moscow tied it with an Igor Grigorenko goal, fueled by Alexander Radulov. CSKA took the lead with a second period Grigorenko goal, assisted by Radulov and Ilari Filppula. Moscow added on as Brandon Reid scored, courtesy of Roman Lyubimov. CSKA iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Yakov Rylov, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Grigorenko, Stana (22 for 23 in saves), and Radulov.
Finally, in Croatia, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Lev Praha. Petri Vehanen and Barry Brust are the goalies. Praha struck first in the second period with an Erik Christensen goal, guided in by Martin Sevc. Zagreb tied it on a power play goal in the third period, as Brian Willsee scored, thanks to Kurtis Foster and Ryan Vesce. Lev took the lead back on a Niko Kapanen goal, made possible by Ryan O'Byrne and Nathan Oystrick. Praha added on with a Tomas Kubalik goal, assisted by Calle Ridderwall. This held up for a 3-1 Lev win, with the three stars being Kapanen, Kubalik, and Vehanen (24 for 25 in saves).
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