Nine games on today, as the schedule returns to full strength. The first game is in...
Astana, as Barys hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Mikhail Biryukov faces a lesser foe in Pavel Poluektov in goal. Astana dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Roman Starchenko goal, fueled by Roman Savchenko and Konstantin Rudenko. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it in the third period with a Ben Maxwell goal, assisted by Philip Larsen. Yugra took the lead on a power play goal by Denis Gorbunov goal, passed from Alexei Pepelyaev and Igor Bortnikov. Barys tied it on a Dustin Boyd goal, made possible by Brandon Bochenski and Nigel Dawes. Khanty-Mansiysk won 3-2 with a power play goal by Lukas Kaspar in overtime, with a lone assist by Andrei Sergeyev. The three stars went to Kaspar, Gorbunov, and Maxwell.
Into Russia, as Avangard Omsk welcomes Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Konstantin Barulin are the reliable goalies. Omsk led off in the first period with a Alexander Popov goal, assisted by Sergei Shirokov. Avangard added on with a third period power play goal by Alexander Perezhogin, powered by Vladimir Sobotka and Denis Kulyash. Omsk extended the lead with a Roman Berdnikov goal, via Valery Vasilyev and Ivan Nepryayev. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Popov, Perezhogin, and Barulin (15 save shutout).
Up in Ufa, Salavat Yulaev brings in Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ville Kolppanen and Leland Irving draw the starts. Ufa started in the first period with an Evgeny Skachkov power play goal, fueled by Alexei Kaigorodov. Nizhnekamsk tied it on a Stanislav Alshevsky power play goal, powered by Nikolai Belov and Yaroslav Alshevsky. Neftekhimik took the lead in the second period on a Maxim Trunyov goal, coming off of Josh Hennessy and Maxim Rybin. Salavat Yulaev tied it in the third period on a Denis Khlystov goal, courtesy of Ilkka Heikkinen and Denis Tolpeko. Nizhnekamsk got goals from Hennessy and Yegor Milovzorov in the shootout to take a 3-2 win. The three stars were given to Hennessy, Trunyov, and Milovzorov.
Out west, Dynamo Moscow hosts Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Alexander Yeryomenko are the masked men. Riga began in the first period with a Miks Indrasis goal, via Krisjanis Redlihs and the goalie Sedlacek. Moscow tied it on a Alexei Tsvetkov goal, with a lone assist by Nikolai Zherdev. Dynamo took the lead on a Konstantin Volkov goal, passed from Konstantin Glazachev and Andrei Mironov. Moscow added on with a Maxim Pestushko power play goal, powered by Kaspars Daugavins and Glazachev. Dinamo got one back with a power play goal by Pyotr Schastlivy, assisted by Marcel Hossa and Charles Genoway. Riga tied it on an unassisted Gints Meija goal. Dinamo took the lead as Schastlivy scored again in the third period, with the help of Linus Videll. This held up for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Schastlivy, Meija, and Glazachev.
Up in Mytishchi, Atlant welcomes Admiral Vladivostok. Ilya Proskuryakov and Atte Engren are between the pipes. Vladivostok struck first in the first period on a Andrei Sigaryov goal, assisted by Artyom Podshendyalov. Mytishchi tied it on an Andreas Engqvist goal, via Matthew Gilroy and Artyom Chernov. Admiral took the lead back in the second period on a power play goal by Jan Kolar, powered by Alexander Kuznetsov. Atlant tied it as Engqvist scored again, thanks to Igor Radulov and Yaroslav Dyblenko. Vladivostok won 3-2 with a goal in overtime by Konstantin Makarov, guided in by Artyom Zemchyonok and the goalie Proskuryakov. The three stars were handed to Engqvist, Makarov, and Kolar.
Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk brings in Amur Khabarovsk. Alexei Murygin and Lars Haugen occupy the creases. Khabarovsk got going in the second period with a shorthanded Evgeny Orlov goal, set up by Vyacheslav Litovchenko and Denis Yezhov. Minsk tied it on an Ilya Shinkevich goal, courtesy of Lukas Krajicek. Dinamo took the lead on a Nick Bailen power play goal, powered by Paul Szczechura and Alexei Kalyuzhny in the third period. Amur tied it again with an Alexander Ryazantsev goal, with a lone assist by Tommi Taimi on the power play. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Ryan Vesce clinched it for Minsk by a 3-2 margin. The three stars were given to Bailen, Shinkevich, and Vesce.
Back in Russia, Vityaz Podolsk hosts Jokerit Helsinki. Henrik Karlsson and Harri Sateri protect the nets. Helsinki was first to score in the second period with a Tommi Huhtala goal, coming off of Niko Kapanen and Juhamatti Aaltonen. Jokerit added on in the third period as Huhtala scored again, thanks to Aaltonen. This was good for a 2-0, with the three stars being Huhtala, Karlsson (23 save shutout), and Aaltonen.
East to Kazan, where Ak Bars welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Anders Nilsson receive the starting nods. Magnitogorsk dented the scoreboard with a third period goal by Dais Zaripov, a power play goal powered by Chris Lee and Jan Kovar. This was the only goal in the game, with the final standing at 1-0. The three stars were awarded to Koshechkin (22 save shutout), Zaripov, and Nilsson (24 for 25 in saves).
Finally, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl brings in SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Curtis Sanford guard the cages. St. Petersburg opened in the second period with an Alexander Barabanov goal, passed from Dinar Khafizullin and Ilya Kovalchuk. Yaroslavl tied it on a Sergei Plotnikov goal, guided in by Jiri Novotny and Yegor Yakovlev. SKA took the lead back with an unassisted Patrick Thoresen goal in the third period. Lokomotiv tied it again with a Sergei Konkov goal, via Daniil Apalkov and Martin Thornberg. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Staffan Kronwall scored twice for Lokomotiv, while Artemy Panarin had the only goal for SKA. The final was 3-2, and the three stars went to Kronwall, Konkov, and Plotnikov.
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