KHL Results - January 15-17, 2017

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Metallurg Magnitogorsk v Torpedo 3-2 OT

Sergei Mozyakin reached another career milestone to condemn Torpedo to its first defeat of 2017. The master marksman became the first player to tally 700 points in KHL action with his assist on Chris Lee’s overtime winner in Magnitogorsk. Mozyakin led a two-on-one breakout in the third minute of the extras before spotting Lee all alone in the opposite circle. The pass was inch-perfect, the finish unstoppable. Game to Magnitka. Earlier, though, in-form Torpedo pushed the defending champion hard. Grigory Zheldakov claimed the opening goal after his shot from the blue line deflected off Viktor Antipin’s knee and flew into the Metallurg net, but Tommi Santala tied it up on the power play shortly afterwards. Torpedo went back in front when Brandon McMillan capitalized on some uncertain defending to fashion a shooting chance and beat Ilya Samsonov at the second attempt. Again, Magnitka replied quickly; Lee’s pass turned defense into offense, Danis Zaripov did the rest. Torpedo’s winning start to the year comes to an end, but the team remains third in the Western Conference. Metallurg stays out in front in the East.
Severstal v Metallurg Novokuznetsk 3-0

Jakub Kovar posted a shut-out and Arseny Khatsei scored two points to help Severstal to a comfortable victory over rock-bottom Metallurg. It took some time for the home team to make the breakthrough, but Denis Yezhov got the opening goal in the 36^th minute while both sides had a player in the sin bin. Khatsei assisted on Clay Wilson’s goal early in the third and wrapped up proceedings with an empty-net effort. Metallurg has now suffered 11 defeats in a row.

Slovan v Ugra 3-2

A late rally from Ugra was not enough to rescue Andrei Razin’s team from defeat in Slovakia. The home team made a strong start, opening the scoring through a Ziga Jeglic power play goal in the fifth minute. Jonathan Cheechoo added another power play marker midway through the second period, and when Igor Musatov made it 3-0 with less than 10 minutes to play, the outcome seemed to be beyond doubt. But Ugra whipped up a late storm to leave Slovan hanging on for the points. Andrei Alexeyev reduced the deficit just 11 seconds after Musatov’s goal and Anton Korolyov brought it back to a one-goal game with five minutes left on the clock. It was an anxious finale for Slovan goalie Barry Brust, but the team held on to take the points.

Monday, January 16, 2017

Admiral v Minsk 3-5

Admiral’s playoff hopes took a knock with a home defeat against a Dinamo team edging closer to confirming its post-season status. The home team was looking to put clear water between itself and Neftekhimik, but made a dreadful start to find itself 3-0 down inside 12 minutes. Aaron Palushaj and Alexander Kitarov chased Maxim Tretyak from the net after just four minutes before Marc-Andre Gragnari added the third. Mikhail Plotnikov got one back in the 12^th minute, but the game was still going Dinamo’s way. Andrei Stepanov made it 4-1 early in the second period and Dmitry Sayustov’s power play goal for the host was quickly matched by Andrei Stas making it 5-2 in the 37^thminute. Admiral got one back midway through the final session when Pavel Makarenko scored an unassisted goal, but the Sailors could not salvage the spoils from this encounter.
Barys v Ufa 4-3 OT

While Salavat is on the road this week, Ufa hosts the KHL’s All-Star festival, but the star players in this game were in Barys jerseys. Nigel Dawes played the leading role, picking up two goals and an assist, while Kevin Dallman delivered the decisive blow with the overtime winner. Dallman also assisted on Dawes’ first goal, cancelling out Tomas Mertl’s opener. Kirill Panyukov put Barys 2-1 ahead before Dawes added his second of the game. Salavat struck back late in the middle session, tying the scores on goals from Maxim Mayorov and Alexander Nesterov, forcing the game into overtime. There, inevitably, Dawes combined with Brandon Bochenski, the latter completing a hat-trick of assists, to set up Dallman’s game-winner with less than a minute to go.
Vityaz v Neftekhimik 2-5
Lokomotiv v Lada 4-2

Loko steamed to a fourth straight win after subduing a lively Lada team in Yaroslavl. The first period saw the teams share four goals. Petri Kontiola opened the scoring after 27 seconds, but Nikita Filatov levelled in the fourth minute. There was a similar sequence 10 minutes later: Alexander Kadeikin made it 2-1 in the 14^th minute, Georgy Belousov replied in the 17^th. Subsequently, though, the advantage was with the Railwaymen. Chances came at both ends, but Pavel Koledov thumped home a powerful shot to put Loko ahead in the 36^th minute. Then in the final stanza, the home team squeezed the life out of the opposition, allowing just three shots on Alexander Sudnitsin’s net before Andrei Loktionov fired into the empty net to secure the points

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Traktor v Avtomobilist  0-1 OT

Avtomobilist kept its playoff hopes alive with a tight victory over a Traktor team which has now seen its last five games settled by a single-goal margin.
Goaltenders Ivan Lisutin and Pavel Francouz were on top throughout, as the game went goalless through regulation. Lisutin made 42 saves for Avtomobilist, and Francouz turned away 36 shots on the Traktor net. But on 64:04 the visitor snatched a game-winner thanks to Stanislav Chistov As well as a lack of goals, the game reached overtime without seeing a single penalty called. That impressive run of good behavior ended in the 62^nd minute when Derek Roy took a minor for hooking while his opponent, Alexander Romanov, followed him to the sidelines for simulation.


Medvescak v Ugra 4-1

The home team skated to a comfortable victory here, but the game was overshadowed by the sad sight of Ugra’s captain Konstantin Panov being stretchered off the ice in the third period. The incident came in the 53^rd minute, when Medvescak forward Samson Mahbod crunched Panov into the boards. The experienced Ugra man stayed down, and ultimately needed assistance to get off the ice. Mahbod was not penalized for the hit, but Medvescak’s Thomas Larkin and Ugra’s Roman Lyuduchin were given minors for roughing in the aftermath of the collision. Earlier Colby Genoway scored twice in the first period to set Medvescak on the road to victory. Kirill Voronin added a third at the midway stage and Jiri Smejkal made it 4-0 in the 46^th minute. Ugra never gave up, and piled the pressure on Michael Garnett’s net in the third period. Finally the visitor got its reward when Pavel Valentenko potted a late consolation goal to deny Garnett a shut-out despite his 39 saves.