There are twelve games going today, beginning in...
Omsk, as Avangard hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Alexei Volkov and Mathieu Garon draw the starts. Ufa got going in the third period as Antti Pihlstrom scored, courtesy of Kirill Koltsov and Andrei Zubarev. Omsk tied it on an Alexander Popov power play goal, going in unassisted. Avangard won it 2-1 in the shootout as tallies by Alexander Frolov and Dmitry Semin scored to overpower Teemu Hartikainen. The three stars were Garon (19 for 20 in saves), Volkov (29 for 30 in saves), and Popov.
Moving along to Yekaterinburg, as Avtomobilist welcomes Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Jakub Kovar are in the blue paint. Yekaterinburg was first to score in the first period on a Sami Lepisto power play goal, powered by Anton Lazarev. Avtomobilist added on in the second period when Anatoly Golyshev scored, thanks to Sergei Gusev. This was good for a 2-0 win, with the three stars being handed to Kovar (28 save shutout), Lepisto, and Golyshev.
Way down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana brings in Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Ari Ahonen are the reliable goalies. Astana led off in the first period with a Konstantin Romanov goal, fueled by Vladimir Grebenshchikov and Nikolai Antropov. Nizhnekamsk tied it as Yegor Milovzorov scored, thanks to Nikita Shchitov. Barys took the lead back as Mikhail Panshin scored, with the help of Grebenshchikov. Astana extended the lead with an unassisted goal by Dustin Boyd. Barys added on with another Romanov goal, made possible by Nigel Dawes and Boyd. Astana padded the lead as Roman Savchenko scored a power play goal, powered by Talgat Zhailauov and Antropov. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Romanov, Boyd, and Grebenshchikov, while Antropov got an honorable mention.
Back into Russia, Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Mikhail Biryukov occupy the creases. Magnitogorsk started in the first period with a power play goal by Viktor Antipin, with a lone assist by Danis Zaripov. Metallurg added on as Chris Lee scored, thanks to Evgeny Grigorenko and Vladimir Malinovsky. Magnitogorsk extended the lead as Zaripov scored, with the help of Sergei Mozyakin. Metallurg padded the lead as Malinovsky scored, courtesy of Anton Shenfeld. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with a power play goal by Kirill Knyazev, powered by Ivan Khylntsev and Mikhail Yakubov. Yugra pulled closer in the second period as Vitaly Sitnikov scored, with assists provided by Tomas Starosta and Mikhail Zukhov. Magnitogorsk replied on an Evgeny Timkin goal, made possible by Lee. The scoring ended here, with the final being 5-2, and the three stars were handed to Lee, Zaripov, and Malinovsky.
Northwest to Cherepovets, as Severstal welcomes CSKA Moscow. Rastislav Stana and Jakub Stepanek are between the pipes. Cherepovets struck first in the first period on a Gennady Stolyarov power play goal, powered by Vadim Berdnikov and Vladimir Antipov. Moscow tied it as Andrei Pervyshin scored, thanks to Ilari Filppula and Igor Grigorenko. CSKA took the lead in the second period on a Brandon Reid goal, fueled by Pervyshin and Steven Eminger. Severstal retied it with a Nikolai Kazakovtsev goal, coming off of Pavel Buchnevich. The tie lasted to a shootout, where a sixth round goal by Nikita Zaitsev lifted CSKA to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Pervyshin, Zaitsev, and Stana (25 for 27 in saves).
Over in Yaroslavl, Lokomotiv brings in Dinamo Riga. Mikael Tellqvist and Curtis Sanford guard the cages. Riga opened with a first period goal by Gints Meija, assisted by Arvids Rekis and Sandis Ozolins. Dinamo added on as Marcel Hascak scored, with the help of Deivids Sarkanis. Yaroslavl got on the board in the third period when Daniil Apalkov scored a shorthanded goal, set up by Sergei Plotnikov. They couldn't get an equalizer, dropping a 2-1 game, with the three stars being Tellqvist (26 for 27 in saves), Hascak, and Meija.
West to St. Petersburg, SKA hosts Lev Prague. Atte Engren is mismatched with Alexander Salak in goal. St. Petersburg dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Viktor Tikhonov power play goal, powered by Ilya Kovalchuk and Dmitry Kalinin. SKA added on as Andrei Sigaryov scored, thanks to Evgeny Skachkov. St. Petersburg extended the lead with a Roman Cervenka goal, passed from Vadim Shipachyov and Kovalchuk. SKA padded the lead as Shipachyov put away a power play goal, with a lone assist by Kovalchuk, who got a sock trick. St. Petersburg wrapped it up at 5-0 with an Igor Makarov goal, via Sigaryov. The three stars were Salak (30 save shutout), Sigaryov, and Shipachyov, while Kovalchuk gets an honorable mention.
Backtracking to Moscow, where Spartak welcomes Sibir Novosibirsk. Mikko Koskinen and Jeff Glass protect the nets. Moscow began in the second period with an Evgeny Kulik power play goal, powered by Vyacheslav Kozlov and Alexei Krutov. This was the only goal in the game, producing a 1-0 final, with the three stars going to Glass (26 save shutout), Kulik, and Koskinen (21 for 22 in saves).
Up in Mytishchi, Atlant brings in Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Stanislav Galimov are the reliable goalies. Bratislava got going in the second period with a Juraj Mikus goal, fueled by Martin Skoula and Milan Bartovic. They would coast to a 1-0 win from here, with the three stars being Janus (30 save shutout), Mikus, and Galimov (23 for 24 in saves).
Leaving Russia to the west, where Dinamo Minsk hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Niko Hovinen and Kevin Lalande are the questionable goalies. Nozokuznetsk was first to score in the first period with a Damir Zhafyarov power play goal, powered by Rafael Akhmetov and Pavel Karnasky. Minsk tied it in the second period as Alexander Kitarov scored, with the help of Konstantin Zakharov. Dinamo took the lead as Geoff Platt scored, thanks to Ilya Shinkevich and Alexander Materukhin. Metallurg retied it in the third period on another Zhafyarov goal, coming off of Ansel Galimov. Minsk retook the lead on a Platt goal, with a lone helper by Zbynek Irgl. Dinamo extended the lead as Alexei Kalyuzhny scored, courtesy of Andrei Stas. Minsk iced it at 5-2 with a Kalyuzhny empty net goal, set up by Stas and Oleg Goroshko. The three stars were Platt, Zhafyarov, and Kalyuzhny, while Stas gets an honorable mention.
Into Croatia, where Medvescak Zagreb welcomes Admiral Vladivostok. Joakim Lundstrom and Barry Brust are the masked men. Zagreb struck first in the first period as Hugh Jessiman scored, assisted by Boyd Kane. Medvescak added on with a Matt Ellison power play goal, powered by Ryan Vesce and Mathieu Carle. Vladivostok got on the board in the third period as Igor Bortnikov scored, thanks to Anton Poleshchuk and Viktor Drugov on the power play. Admiral tied it with another Bortnikov goal, made possible by Drugov and Evgeny Grachyov. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Ellison had a lone tally to lead Medvescak to a 3-2 victory. Ellison, Bortnikov, and Drugov are the three stars of the game.
Finally, in Ukraine, Donbass Donetsk brings in Amur Khabarovsk. Mika Jarvinen and Michael Leighton are the goalies. Khabarovsk dented the scoreboard in the first period as Timofei Shishkanov scored, with the help of Andrei Stepanov. Donetsk tied it on a Vaclav Nedorost goal, going in unassisted. Donbass took the lead with a power play goal by Petteri Wirtanen, powered by Oskars Bartulis and Teemu Laine. Donetsk added on as Maxim Yakutsenya scored, with a lone assist provided by Laine. Donbass extended the lead in the second period with an Oleg Piganovich goal, fueled by Yegor Morozov and Alexander Toryanik. Donetsk wrapped it up at 5-1 in the third period on a Lukas Kaspar goal, assisted by Clay Wilson. The three stars were given to Wirtanen, Laine, and Leighton (36 for 37 in saves).
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.