KHL Results - January 23-25, 2017

Monday, January 23, 2017

Lada v Metallurg Novokuznetsk 1-2 SO

After 12 successive defeats, Metallurg finally tasted victory at the 13^th attempt thanks to a shoot-out win in Togliatti. The visitor, already resigned to finishing the season at the foot of the Eastern Conference, took an early lead here when Nikita Lyamkin fired past the screened Ilya Ezhov in the fifth minute. Lada levelled on the half-hour when Andrei Ivanov tucked away Nikita Filatov’s pass from close range. Much of the rest of the game was dominated by goalies Ezhov and Vladislav Podyapolsky, with the latter claiming the victory in the shoot-out. He denied Filatov and Stanislav Bocharov, while Kirill Semyonov and Kirill Lebedev found the net for Metallurg to end that long losing streak.
Neftekhimik v Sibir 0-3

With the playoff race entering its final stages, this games felt like a must-win fixture for both teams as they began the in ninth and eleventh in the Eastern Conference. Sibir’s success, built on a shut-out from Danny Taylor and two goals from Stepan Sannikov, lifted the Siberians up to ninth place on 68 points, four adrift of Admiral with eight games to play. Neftekhimik is two points back, having played one more game. Taylor’s resolute form between the piping was crucial, especially in the opening two periods when the home team had more of the scoring chances. The goalie finished with 32 saves, while a goal in each session saw Sibir home. Sannikov opened the scoring in the seventh minute, but there was little to choose between the teams until Adam Polasek doubled the lead on the power play in the 37^th. Sannikov added a third early in the final stanza and the visitor finished the stronger as Neftekhimik’s hopes of reaching post season suffered a major blow.
Vityaz v Ufa 4-3 SO

Vityaz edged closer to a historic playoff appearance after clawing back a 0-3 deficit to win in a shoot-out. Alexei Kopeikin was the key player, getting the shoot-out winner to add to a goal and two assists in regulation as his team moved on to 80 points, three clear of ninth-placed Sochi. Salavat Yulaev, inspired by Kirill Kaprizov, took control of the game early on. The youngster opened the scoring in the fourth minute and got his second of the night in the 24^th. In between, Zakhar Arzamastsev, another bright prospect in Ufa, also found the net. Vityaz, trailling 0-3, needed to launch a recovery operation.
Kopeikin, rejuvenated this season after joining the Moscow Region team, proved to be the man for that mission. Assists on goals from Miro Aaltonen and Jakub Jerabek made it one-goal game before the much-travelled forward tied the scores in the 51^st minute off a helper from AaltonenLokomotiv v Metallurg Magnitogorsk 1-4

Two goals in two minutes midway through the second period set Magnitka on course for victory at Lokomotiv. The visitor took a 22^nd-minute lead when Alexander Semin got the crucial touch on a Chris Lee shot, but Loko levelled in the 32^nd minute through Alexander Kadeikin. Home joy was short-lived, however, as Magnitka responded almost immediately. Just 24 seconds later, goalie Alexei Murygin was screened as Sergei Tereshchenko fired in a shot from the blue line. Then Jan Kovar was left all alone in front of the net and outfoxed the netminder to make it 3-1. Lokomotiv could not find a way back into the game in the third period, and the game was wrapped up with an empty net goal from Evgeny Timkin. The home team saw the end of its five-game winning streak.Torpedo v Severstal 1-3
Torpedo missed the chance to return to third place in the Western Conference after slipping up at home to Severstal and falling to a third successive loss.
The host was always playing catch-up after Ilya Khokhlov opened the scoring in the fourth minute. The 22-year-old defenseman got his first goal of the season with almost the first Sevestal attack of the game. Vojtech Polak doubled the visitor’s lead early in the second period, and despite Carter Ashton reducing the deficit shortly afterwards, Severstal was able to maintain its advantage. A power play goal midway through the third period from Maxim Trunyov wrapped up the victory for the visitor.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Amur v Slovan 1-2
Slovan made it seven wins from seven, and got among the points for the 10^th game running, after edging this game in the Far East. The victory briefly put Milos Riha’s team into the playoff places, but Jokerit’s point later in the day pushed the Slovaks back to ninth, one point from a post-season spot. The visitor made a bright start and took the lead in the seventh minute through Jeff Taffe but Amur livened up in the middle stanza. Barry Brust had to be at his best to deny Igor Rudenkov when the home forward was left all alone in front of the net, first blocking with his pads then deflecting the follow-up shot over the bar. That miss looked costly when Lukas Vopelka got his second goal of the season early in the third period, and the 20-year-old forward ultimately claimed the game-winner. Oleg Li got one back for Amur with 10 minutes to play, but Brust masterminded a solid rearguard action to secure the win for the visitors.Admiral v Medvescak 4-1
Admiral opened up a seven-point gap on the chasing pack in its battle to book a playoff spot, thanks to a strong second-period show at home to Medvescak.
The Sailors took the lead early on through a ninth-minute power play goal from Robert Sabolic, with the Slovenian forward picking up where he left off after two goals at Amur last week. Lukas Lessio tied the game early in the second, but that sparked Sabolic back into action. He made it 2-1 barely a minute later, four goals in two games for the hitman, before Pavel Makarenko added two more before the second intermission. The final stanza offered no further scoring as Admiral’s playoff campaign moved into calmer waters
Minsk v Avtomobilist 5-4 OT
When the president of your country describes your team’s previous game as “embarrassing”, it’s time to shape up. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, himself a big hockey fan, did not mince his words after Dinamo’s 1-3 horror-show at home to Dinamo Riga before the All-Star break, and the team needed to respond quickly. Happily, it did, with Marc-Andre Gragnani’s overtime winner settling a compelling encounter in Minsk. He grabbed the vital goal just 29 seconds into the extras, thumping home a shot from the blue line after good work from Fredrik Pettersson for his fourth assist of the night. However, it took a long time for Dinamo to secure its winning position in a game that ebbed and flowed. The home team led twice in the first period thanks to goals from Evgeny Lisovets and Matt Ellison, but fell behind in the 25^th minute when Michal Cajkovsky and Alexei Mikhnov took advantage of a five-on-three power play to score twice in 18 seconds. Then Gragnani began to get involved. The defenseman had helpers on Aaron Palushaj’s equalizer and Roman Graborenko’s go-ahead goal before returning to claim the winner after Alexander Torchenyuk’s late tying goal salvaged a point for the visitor.

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Lada v Avangard 3-1
After four straight defeats, Lada tasted victory once again with a win over second-placed Avangard. The home team went ahead through Vasily Streltsov in the first period, but Nikolai Lemtyugov tied the game early in the second. That inspired Lada, though: Stanislav Bocharov quickly reinstated the lead before a Viktor Komarov power play goal in the 40^th minute secured the points.Neftekhimik v Metallurg Novokuznetsk 3-2 SO
Neftekhimik snapped a four-game losing streak against rock-bottom Kuznya, but it took a shoot-out to settle the game. Sergei Konkov eventually got the gamewinner, separating the teams after a 2-2 tie in Nizhnekamsk. The home team led twice thanks to goals from Richard Gynge and Dmitry Ogurtsov; Timur Fatkullin and Kirill Semyonov replied for Metallurg
Vityaz v Metallurg Magnitogorsk 3-2
The playoff dream for Podolsk is closer than ever after a hard-fought home win over the defending champion. Vityaz, which has never previously reached a KHL playoff, is now up to seventh in the Western Conference, four points clear of ninth-placed Jokerit as the season approaches its climax. Fittingly, Maxim Afinogenov was the key player behind today’s win, the team’s fifth in a row. The veteran forward, at one time among the biggest names in the league, is enjoying his most productive KHL season and added two more points to take his tally to 45 and bag the game-winner in the 46^th minute. Vityaz was never behind in this entertaining game: Nikita Vyglazov opened the scoring in the 25^th minute, only for a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal to level it up. Then Afinogenov helped Roman Horak to a power play goal, only for Alexander Semin to respond almost immediately. Tied at 2-2 going into the third, Afinogenov saw one good chance go begging early in the stanza before he scored from Igor Golovkov’s impressive pass to claim the game-winner. At the other end, Igor Saprykin, impressive since taking the #1 spot from the injured Harri Sateri, kept Magnitka’s potent offense at bay to secure the win.
Lokomotiv v Traktor 1-3
Three goals in 12 minutes saw Traktor plow up Loko’s hopes of victory in this game. Alexander Sharov put the visitor in front after just 38 seconds with a deflection on Kirill Koltsov’s shot, and Maxim Yakutsenya added two more to chase starting goalie Alexander Sudnitsin to the bench. His replacement, Alexei Murygin, had a better time of it, keeping Traktor at bay for the remaining 48 minutes, but that wasn’t enough to get his team back into the game. Pavel Kraskovsky scored from close range in the 28^th minute as Loko dominated the middle stanza, but Traktor was in no mood to relinquish its advantage.Sochi v Severstal 2-1
Sochi is definitely approaching ‘win or bust’ territory as its playoff push enters the decisive phase, and while today’s victory over Severstal was not the prettiest, it was good enough to return to eighth place. When Ivan Zakharchuk gave the home team the lead in the first minute, fans hoped for a stress-free evening, but Daniil Vovchenko tied the game in the first period and the stalemate endured. It wasn’t until Ilya Krikunov’s late goal that Sochi got in front again … and that proved sufficient to edge into a playoff spot.