Today is the last day of guaranteed games out west. We begin in...
Moscow, as CSKA hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Jeff Glass protect the nets. Moscow led off in the first period with a power play goal by Nikita Zaitsev, powered by Andrei Pervyshin and Jan Mursak. CSKA added on in the second period as Yakov Rylov scored, with a lone assist by Igor Fefelov. St. Petersburg got on the board with a power play goal by Patrick Thoresen, assisted by Kevin Dallman and Roman Cervenka. SKA tied it on a Tony Martensson goal, via Thoresen and Cervenka on the power play. Moscow retook the lead on Zaitsev's second power play goal of the game, coming off of Deron Quint. CSKA extended the lead with a Nikolai Prokhorkin third period goal, courtesy of Enver Lisin and Igor Grigorenko. St. Petersburg got one back with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, with a lone helper by Maxim Chudinov. SKA tied it on a Cervenka goal, guided in by Dallman and Dmitry Kalinin. St. Petersburg won 5-4 in overtime with an unassisted goal by Alexei Ponikarovsky. The three stars were Cervenka, Zaitsev, and Dallman, while Thoresen gets an honorable mention. SKA completes the 4-0 series sweep and advances to the Conference Semifinals.
Northeast to Yaroslavl, where Lokomotiv welcomes Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Curtis Sanford are between the pipes. Moscow got going in the second period with a Maxim Pestushko goal, assisted by Leo Komarov. Yaroslavl tied it on a Geoff Platt power play goal, powered by Ilya Gorokhov. Dynamo took the lead back on a Marek Kvapil power play goal, via Dmitry Pestunov and Maxim Solovyov. Lokomotiv tied it again in the third period with a power play goal from Staffan Kronwall, fueled by Sergei Plotnikov and Daniil Apalkov. Yaroslavl won 3-2 in overtime with a Mikelis Redlihs goal, coming off of Gorokhov and Janis Sprukts. The three stars went to Redlihs, Gorokhov, and Kronwall. The series is now tied at 2 as it heads back to Moscow.
Out in Riga, Dinamo brings in Donbass Donetsk. Jan Laco and Jakub Sedlacek are the backups making spot starts. Donetsk began in the first period with a Teemu Laine goal, fueled by Tuomas Kiiskinen and Clay Wilson. Donbass added on in the second period with a Maxim Yakutsenya goal, with a lone assist by Evgeny Dadonov. Donetsk extended the lead in the third period as Sergei Varlamov scored, thanks to Lukas Kaspar. Riga got on the board with a Gints Meija goal, coming off of Maris Bicevskis and Georgijs Pujacs. Donbass iced it at 4-1 with a Kiiskinen empty net goal, set up by Laine. The three stars were Laine, Laco (24 for 25 in saves), and Kiiskinen. Donbass leads the series 3-1 as they head back home.
Finally, in Zagreb, Medvescak hosts Lev Prague. Petri Vehanen and Mark Dekanich draw the starts. Prague dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Jakub Matai goal, via Lukas Cingel and Jakub Nakladal. Lev added on with a power play goal by Mikko Maenpaa goal, powered by Nathan Oystrick and Martin Thornberg. Zagreb got on the board in the third period with an Alan Letang goal, guided in by Boyd Kane. Prague shot back on a David Ullstrom goal, coming off of Jiri Novotny. Medvescak got one back with a Matt Ellison goal, coming off of Charles Linglet. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Ullstrom, Maenpaa, and Matai. Lev won the series 4-0, sweeping Medvescak out of the playoffs.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Moscow, as CSKA hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Jeff Glass protect the nets. Moscow led off in the first period with a power play goal by Nikita Zaitsev, powered by Andrei Pervyshin and Jan Mursak. CSKA added on in the second period as Yakov Rylov scored, with a lone assist by Igor Fefelov. St. Petersburg got on the board with a power play goal by Patrick Thoresen, assisted by Kevin Dallman and Roman Cervenka. SKA tied it on a Tony Martensson goal, via Thoresen and Cervenka on the power play. Moscow retook the lead on Zaitsev's second power play goal of the game, coming off of Deron Quint. CSKA extended the lead with a Nikolai Prokhorkin third period goal, courtesy of Enver Lisin and Igor Grigorenko. St. Petersburg got one back with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, with a lone helper by Maxim Chudinov. SKA tied it on a Cervenka goal, guided in by Dallman and Dmitry Kalinin. St. Petersburg won 5-4 in overtime with an unassisted goal by Alexei Ponikarovsky. The three stars were Cervenka, Zaitsev, and Dallman, while Thoresen gets an honorable mention. SKA completes the 4-0 series sweep and advances to the Conference Semifinals.
Northeast to Yaroslavl, where Lokomotiv welcomes Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Curtis Sanford are between the pipes. Moscow got going in the second period with a Maxim Pestushko goal, assisted by Leo Komarov. Yaroslavl tied it on a Geoff Platt power play goal, powered by Ilya Gorokhov. Dynamo took the lead back on a Marek Kvapil power play goal, via Dmitry Pestunov and Maxim Solovyov. Lokomotiv tied it again in the third period with a power play goal from Staffan Kronwall, fueled by Sergei Plotnikov and Daniil Apalkov. Yaroslavl won 3-2 in overtime with a Mikelis Redlihs goal, coming off of Gorokhov and Janis Sprukts. The three stars went to Redlihs, Gorokhov, and Kronwall. The series is now tied at 2 as it heads back to Moscow.
Out in Riga, Dinamo brings in Donbass Donetsk. Jan Laco and Jakub Sedlacek are the backups making spot starts. Donetsk began in the first period with a Teemu Laine goal, fueled by Tuomas Kiiskinen and Clay Wilson. Donbass added on in the second period with a Maxim Yakutsenya goal, with a lone assist by Evgeny Dadonov. Donetsk extended the lead in the third period as Sergei Varlamov scored, thanks to Lukas Kaspar. Riga got on the board with a Gints Meija goal, coming off of Maris Bicevskis and Georgijs Pujacs. Donbass iced it at 4-1 with a Kiiskinen empty net goal, set up by Laine. The three stars were Laine, Laco (24 for 25 in saves), and Kiiskinen. Donbass leads the series 3-1 as they head back home.
Finally, in Zagreb, Medvescak hosts Lev Prague. Petri Vehanen and Mark Dekanich draw the starts. Prague dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Jakub Matai goal, via Lukas Cingel and Jakub Nakladal. Lev added on with a power play goal by Mikko Maenpaa goal, powered by Nathan Oystrick and Martin Thornberg. Zagreb got on the board in the third period with an Alan Letang goal, guided in by Boyd Kane. Prague shot back on a David Ullstrom goal, coming off of Jiri Novotny. Medvescak got one back with a Matt Ellison goal, coming off of Charles Linglet. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Ullstrom, Maenpaa, and Matai. Lev won the series 4-0, sweeping Medvescak out of the playoffs.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.