Six games to be played today, beginning in...
Chelyabinsk, as Traktor hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Michael Garnett are the masked men. Chelyabinsk got going in the second period on a power play goal by Andrei Kostitsyn, powered by Petri Kontiola. Yekaterinburg tied it with an Artyom Chernov goal, fueled by Nikita Tryamkin. Traktor took the lead with a goal by Vyacheslav Osnovin, coming off of Igor Valeyev. Avtomobilist retied it when Dmitry Megalinsky scored an unassisted goal. The tie lasted to a shootout, where two goals from Fyodor Malykhin topped one goal from Kontiola so that Yekaterinburg won 3-2. The three stars were Malykhin, Kontiola, and Megalinsky.
A little east, Salavat Yulaev Ufa welcomes Avangard Omsk. Andrei Mezin and Alexei Volkov draw the starts. Ufa began in the first period with a Dmitry Makarov goal, passed from Alexander Stepanov and Tomas Zaborsky. Salavat Yulaev added on in the third period when Makarov scored again, via Arturs Kulda. Omsk got on the board with a Dmitry Semin power play goal, powered by Sergei Kostitsyn and Nikita Pivtsakin. Avangard tied it on an Alexander Perezhogin goal, assisted by Ivan Baranka and Miroslav Blatak. Ufa took the lead back as Antti Pihlstrom scored, thanks to Kirill Koltsov on the power play. This was good for a 3-2 win, with Makarov, Pihlstrom, and Volkov (36 for 38 in saves).
Over in Magnitogorsk, Metallurg brings in Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Mikhail Biryukov and Vasily Koshechkin guard the cages. Khanty-Mansiysk opened in the first period with a Mikhail Yakubov shorthanded goal, going in unassisted. Yugra added on with a power play goal by Andrei Shefer, coming off of Mikhail Tyulyapkin. Khanty-Mansiysk extended the lead on an unassisted goal by Veli-Matti Savinainen. Yugra padded the lead in the second period as Ivan Khlyntsev scored, passed from Marek Troncinsky and Kirill Knyazev. Magnitogorsk got on the board late in the period with a Yaroslav Khabarov, with a lone assist by Tim Brent. Metallurg pulled closer in the third period as Jan Kovar scored a power play goal, powered by Chris Lee and Sergei Mozyakin. Magnitogorsk chipped away when Denis Platonov scored an unassisted goal. Metallurg tied it as Kovar scored his second of the game, via Mozyakin and Khabarov. Magnitogorsk completed the comeback, winning 5-4 with a Platonov goal in overtime, courtesy of Bogdan Potekhin. The three stars were Platonov, Kovar, and Khabarov, while Mozyakin gets an honorable mention.
Westward to Podolsk, as Vityaz hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Georgy Gelashvili and Ivan Lisutin are in the creases. Nizhny Novgorod led off in the first period as Denis Parshin scored a power play goal, powered by Pavel Valentenko and Juuso Hietanen. Podolsk tied it on a second period goal by Maxim Afinogenov, an unassisted goal. Vityaz took the lead when Dmitry Shitikov scored, with the help of Igor Golovkov and Mike Iggulden. Torpedo tied it on a power play goal by Jarkko Immonen, guided in by Hietanen and Parshin. Nizhny Novgorod pulled ahead on a Justin Hodgman goal, with a lone assist by Vadim Khomitsky. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Parshin, Hietanen, and Hodgman.
Backtracking to Nizhnekamsk, as Neftekhimik welcomes Barys Astana. Ari Ahonen and Alexander Sudnitsin protect the nets. Astana started in the first period with a Konstantin Romanov goal, an unassisted goal. This was the only goal in the game, leaving Barys with a 1-0 win. Ahonen (33 save shutout), Romanov, and Sudnitsin (24 for 25 in saves).
Finally, in Moscow, Dynamo brings in Ak Bars Kazan. Konstantin Barulin and Alexander Yeryomenko tend the twines. Moscow was first to score in the first period with a Konstantin Glazachev power play goal, powered by Janne Jalasvaara and Sergei Soin. Dynamo added on in the second period with a Soin goal, coming off of Yury Babenko and Gleb Koryagin. Moscow extended the lead as Maxim Pestushko scored on a penalty shot he received after Dmitry Obukhov tripped him on a scoring chance. This produced the 3-0 final, with the three stars goal to Soin, Yeryomenko (24 save shutout), and Glazachev.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Chelyabinsk, as Traktor hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Michael Garnett are the masked men. Chelyabinsk got going in the second period on a power play goal by Andrei Kostitsyn, powered by Petri Kontiola. Yekaterinburg tied it with an Artyom Chernov goal, fueled by Nikita Tryamkin. Traktor took the lead with a goal by Vyacheslav Osnovin, coming off of Igor Valeyev. Avtomobilist retied it when Dmitry Megalinsky scored an unassisted goal. The tie lasted to a shootout, where two goals from Fyodor Malykhin topped one goal from Kontiola so that Yekaterinburg won 3-2. The three stars were Malykhin, Kontiola, and Megalinsky.
A little east, Salavat Yulaev Ufa welcomes Avangard Omsk. Andrei Mezin and Alexei Volkov draw the starts. Ufa began in the first period with a Dmitry Makarov goal, passed from Alexander Stepanov and Tomas Zaborsky. Salavat Yulaev added on in the third period when Makarov scored again, via Arturs Kulda. Omsk got on the board with a Dmitry Semin power play goal, powered by Sergei Kostitsyn and Nikita Pivtsakin. Avangard tied it on an Alexander Perezhogin goal, assisted by Ivan Baranka and Miroslav Blatak. Ufa took the lead back as Antti Pihlstrom scored, thanks to Kirill Koltsov on the power play. This was good for a 3-2 win, with Makarov, Pihlstrom, and Volkov (36 for 38 in saves).
Over in Magnitogorsk, Metallurg brings in Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Mikhail Biryukov and Vasily Koshechkin guard the cages. Khanty-Mansiysk opened in the first period with a Mikhail Yakubov shorthanded goal, going in unassisted. Yugra added on with a power play goal by Andrei Shefer, coming off of Mikhail Tyulyapkin. Khanty-Mansiysk extended the lead on an unassisted goal by Veli-Matti Savinainen. Yugra padded the lead in the second period as Ivan Khlyntsev scored, passed from Marek Troncinsky and Kirill Knyazev. Magnitogorsk got on the board late in the period with a Yaroslav Khabarov, with a lone assist by Tim Brent. Metallurg pulled closer in the third period as Jan Kovar scored a power play goal, powered by Chris Lee and Sergei Mozyakin. Magnitogorsk chipped away when Denis Platonov scored an unassisted goal. Metallurg tied it as Kovar scored his second of the game, via Mozyakin and Khabarov. Magnitogorsk completed the comeback, winning 5-4 with a Platonov goal in overtime, courtesy of Bogdan Potekhin. The three stars were Platonov, Kovar, and Khabarov, while Mozyakin gets an honorable mention.
Westward to Podolsk, as Vityaz hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Georgy Gelashvili and Ivan Lisutin are in the creases. Nizhny Novgorod led off in the first period as Denis Parshin scored a power play goal, powered by Pavel Valentenko and Juuso Hietanen. Podolsk tied it on a second period goal by Maxim Afinogenov, an unassisted goal. Vityaz took the lead when Dmitry Shitikov scored, with the help of Igor Golovkov and Mike Iggulden. Torpedo tied it on a power play goal by Jarkko Immonen, guided in by Hietanen and Parshin. Nizhny Novgorod pulled ahead on a Justin Hodgman goal, with a lone assist by Vadim Khomitsky. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Parshin, Hietanen, and Hodgman.
Backtracking to Nizhnekamsk, as Neftekhimik welcomes Barys Astana. Ari Ahonen and Alexander Sudnitsin protect the nets. Astana started in the first period with a Konstantin Romanov goal, an unassisted goal. This was the only goal in the game, leaving Barys with a 1-0 win. Ahonen (33 save shutout), Romanov, and Sudnitsin (24 for 25 in saves).
Finally, in Moscow, Dynamo brings in Ak Bars Kazan. Konstantin Barulin and Alexander Yeryomenko tend the twines. Moscow was first to score in the first period with a Konstantin Glazachev power play goal, powered by Janne Jalasvaara and Sergei Soin. Dynamo added on in the second period with a Soin goal, coming off of Yury Babenko and Gleb Koryagin. Moscow extended the lead as Maxim Pestushko scored on a penalty shot he received after Dmitry Obukhov tripped him on a scoring chance. This produced the 3-0 final, with the three stars goal to Soin, Yeryomenko (24 save shutout), and Glazachev.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.