Jokerit v Dinamo Riga 5-6 SO
It’s been a week of big comebacks for Dinamo Riga, but Saturday’s incredible recovery from 0-5 down was something special. After 40 minutes of play the Latvians’ cause seemed hopeless, trailing by a huge margin against a Jokerit team renowned for its defensive discipline. And yet, two days after Dinamo clawed back a 2-4 deficit in the last 80 seconds before beating Avtomobilist in overtime, the incredible happened: five unanswered goals in the third period tied the game and sent us into extras once again. And once again Dinamo came out on top, this time in a shoot-out thanks to Lauris Darzins’ game-winner.
Mikelis Redlihs got the fight back rolling. He scored 24 seconds into the final stanza, perhaps unnerving a home team that must have assumed the game was effectively over. His second, in the 47th minute suggested a hint of respectability for Dinamo, but it wasn’t until Steven Seigo made it 3-5 with eight minutes to play that the game was really back on. Jokerit hit the self-destruct button. Tim Sestito scored within a minute on a delayed power play and Topi Jaakola departed the stage 16 seconds later with a 5+20 for kneeing. That was the final invitation Dinamo needed. Krisjanis Redlihs tied the scores on 54:07; Dinamo scored three goals in less than two minutes to force overtime. That echoed Jokerit’s second-period blitz. The home team led 1-0 on a Philip Larsen goal when Eriks Sevchenko took a 2+2 for high sticks. Jesse Joensuu and Niklas Hagman scored on that power play, and while Riga tried to recover Niko Kapanen struck before Joensuu got his second. In total it was four goals in four minutes to make it 5-0 before another dramatic Latvian recovery.
Sunday, November 1
Medvescak v Slovan 6-2
Stefano Gilliati led the way for Medvescak as a convincing home win lifted the Croatians above SKA into seventh place going into the international break. The 28-year-old Canadian/Italian scored twice to pace his team to victory against one of its big rivals for a top-eight spot. It was also a big day for Alexandre Bolduc, who scored his first goal for Medvescak to open the scoring in the fifth minute. He tipped home Blake Parlett’s shot in front of the net just before Giliati got his first of the evening. When Edwin Hartberg made it 3-0 in the 32nd minute it seemed that the game was over, but Slovan battled back with a goal either side of the second intermission from Rok Ticar and Lukas Kaspar. But Giliati struck again before Tomas Mertl and Milan Jurcina completed the scoring.
Dynamo Moscow v Spartak Moscow 5-4 SO
The Moscow derby between Dynamo and Spartak was moved forward specially to launch a new free-to-air Russian TV, and delivered all the excitement viewers could have wished for. Despite a subdued atmosphere in a game played on a day of official mourning for the victims of the Russian passenger jet that crashed in Egypt yesterday, both teams served up a thrilling encounter on the ice. From the first minute, when Martins Karsums put Dynamo ahead, to the penalty shoot-out where Artyom Fyodorov announced his arrival in the KHL, this was a pulsating encounter which both teams will feel they could have won. Early on it seemed to be going Dynamo’s way. Denis Kokarev added to that early Karsums strike to make it 2-0, and Alexei Tsetkov returned from suspension to make it 3-1 after Konstantin Glazachev got Spartak on the scoreboard against his former club. But three goals late in the second period turned the game upside down. Alexander Mereskin, Evgeny Bobrov and Alexander Vasiliev scored in the space of three minutes to give Spartak a 4-3 lead , delighting the large contingent of traveling fans in the 10,000 crowd. That lead was intact going into the last minute, but Spartak’s line-up wasn’t: Bobrov was in the sinbin and the home team pulled goalie Yeryomenko in search of salvation. It arrived in the nick of time when Juuso Heitanen tied the game on 59:12, firing home while Ansel Galimov screened goalie Atte Engren. That set us up for the shoot-out and a surprise starring role for Fyodorov. The 22-year-old has been in good form in the second tier this season, but mustered barely 10 minutes of KHL game time prior to Sunday. With a penalty shot, though, he seems peerless, scoring twice on Engren to give Dynamo the verdict.
Monday, November 2
Dinamo Minsk v Dinamo Riga 2-0
The final KHL game before the international break brought together two teams needing a win to stay in touch with the play-off race. The Belarusians had the slight edge going into the game, and that was how it proved on the night. Ryan Vesce got things rolling for Dinamo Minsk in the 5th minute and Paul Szczechura doubled that lead in the second period. Riga, meanwhile, struggled to create much in the opening two stanzas, mustering just seven shots on Kevin Lalande’s net in the opening 40 minutes. These days, of course, no situation seems impossible for the Latvians. The final period saw more pressure on the home team but Lalande stood firm to turn away a further 12 shots and secure a shut-out win that puts Dinamo Minsk one point outside the play-off zone.
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