KHL - Pre-Season 2017 Round Up - Part 6

Dynamo Moscow vs. Amur (Khabarovsk) - 2-4 (0-0, 0-0, 0-4, 2-0) “We played patiently and waited for our chances. Their goalie was sent to the locker room for fighting, so his replacement had no time to loosen up and we took full advantage,” - said Amur head coach Andrei Martemyanov. The goalie in question was Alexander Yeryomenko, who early in the third period received the first early bath in his KHL career, and his hapless replacement was Ivan Bocharov.
11.08.17. Friendly match. Dinamo (Moscow) - Amur (Khabarovsk)
New signing Alexander Frolov began Amur's scoring spree, which saw them hit four goals before Dynamo found the net twice in the final period to make the score more respectable. The result gave the Khabarovsk men their second victory over Dynamo in three days, following their shootout win on Tuesday.
Goals: 0-1 Frolov, 0-2 Li, 0-3 Kolar, 0-4 Potekhin, 1-4 Bryukvin, 2-4 Varnakov.
Goaltenders: Yeryomenko (Bocharov) – Metsola.

Dynamo Moscow – Amur

Dynamo Moscow vs. Amur. Alexander Frolov

President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Cup

Neftekhimik (Nizhnekamsk) vs. Admiral (Vladivostok): 2-4 (1-1; 0-1, 1-2)
Given the previous superb form of the men from Nizhnekamsk, and the wretched start to the week by Admiral, who allowed a total of seven unanswered goals in back-to-back defeats, this result was a genuine surprise, if not a shock.
11.08.17. President Kazakhstan Cup. Neftekhimik (Nizhnekamsk) - Admiral (Vladivostok)

Neftekhimik - Admiral

Admiral head coach Alexander Andriyevsky:
“Before the game we stressed the importance of good finishing, as earlier in the week we had failed to hit the net in two straight games. It's good that today we managed to score four times, but we still need to work on power play.”
Neftekhimik head coach Andrei Nazarov:
“First of all, I'd like to thank the organizers of the President's Cup for putting together this first-class tournament... Of course it was tough for the players, and we're glad we're going home, but I got to see our young players in action, the guys gave it their all, and we really wanted to win this game. I can now say that as far as our reserves go, everything is fine.”
Goals: 1-0 Shiksatdarov (Zdunov, Yakimov, 05.10), 1-1 Wright (13.18), 1-2 Tkachyov (Mishchenko, 25.36), 1-3 Gorshkov (Krasnoslobodtsev, Wright, 46.50), 1-4 Sabolic (Grigorenko, Mishchenko, 48.25), 2-4 Zdunov (51.53)
Goaltenders: Yezhov – Bobkov

Neftekhimik - Admiral

Barys (Astana) vs. Traktor (Chelyabinsk): 3-2 SO (0-1, 1-0, 1-1, 0-0, 1-0).
Nigel Dawes's successful strike in the shootout gave the home side a hard-earned victory against a determined Traktor team, but it was not enough to threaten Neftekhimik's top spot in the tournament rankings.

Barys - Traktor

Chelyabinsk head coach Anvar Gatiyatulin:
“We know that it is important to win games in preseason tournaments, as victories help build confidence throughout the team, but I repeat: for us, we are in Astana to have a look at various combinations, try out some players, instill some mutual understanding and see where we are making mistakes or lacking in any way.”
Barys head coach Evgeny Koreshkov:
“The main thing is that we won, and we dug out this victory after falling behind. We missed some chances in the third period but Vey's late goal rescued us.”
Goals: 0-1 Sharov (Mamayev, Petrikov, 12.53), 1-1 Dawes (Vey, Dallman, 26.03, PPG), 1-2 Vishnevsky (Yakutsenya, 41.18, PPG); 2-2 Vey (56.03), 3-2 Dawes (65-00)
Goaltenders: Kudryavtsev – Francouz

Tournament standings with one day remaining:
Place Team Games Goals Points
1. Neftekhimik 5 16-14 11
2. Barys 4 10-9 8
3. Traktor 5 12-11 8
4. Admiral 4 9-13 6
5. Avangard 4 11-12 3
6. Davos 4 10-11 3

Barys - Traktor

Saturday was the final day of the President's Cup in Astana, and the opening day of the Ivan Romazan Memorial Tournament in Magnitogorsk.

President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Cup

HC Davos (Davos) vs. Avangard (Omsk): 2-3 (1-2, 1-1, 0-0)
The final day of this tournament in Astana began with the men from Omsk edging a close encounter with the Swiss. Pyotr Khokhryakov hit a double and new recruit Andre Petersson claimed an assist on his Avangard debut.

Davos - Avangard

Avangard head coach Andrei Skabelka:
“Today the team showed great movement and there was a good understanding in offense. We created more than enough chances, although there were a few mistakes which cause a bit of concern, such as picking up unnecessary penalties, which create opportunities for the opposition. But we'll work on it.”
Goals: 0-1 Khokhryakov (Berezin, Mikheyev, 04.10, PPG), 1-1 Corvi (07.52), 1-2 Medvedev (Petersson, 09.55), 1-3 Khokhryakov (Berezin, 22.08, PPG), 2-3 Simion (Schneeberger, Corvi, 35.59, PPG)
Goaltenders: van Pottelberghe – Furch
Barys (Astana) vs. Admiral (Vladivostok): 0-3 (0-1, 0-1, 0-1)
The tournament closed with disappointment for Barys and the home fans,as Admiral recorded a goal in each period, while a heroic performance from goaltender Nikita Serebryakov prevented the hosts from troubling the scoreboard. Tempers frayed toward the end as the Astana Men, trailing 0-2, tried to make a last-ditch recovery, but Nikolai Glukhov had the last word when he scored into an empty net for his second goal of the game.

Barys - Admiral

Barys head coach Evgeny Koreshkov paid tribute to his players:
“The match against Traktor took a lot out of us, physically and emotionally. We had hoped to win the tournament, but today was our fifth game and fatigue got the better of us at times. The guys have had a tough workload, but they battled with all their might and fought to the very last second.”
Admiral head coach Alexander Andriyevsky was equally upbeat:
“There were many positive signs, both in this match against Barys and in the tournament as a whole. As for the fights, it's just emotion – Barys did not want to lose at home and we also had no thoughts of retreating. We had good and bad moments in this tournament, but the positives outweigh the negatives.”
Goals: 0-1 Glukhov (Voronin, 07.22), 0-2 Kitsyn (Sergeyenko, Voronin, 23.38), 0-3 Glukhov (Kazakov, Zhafyarov, 59.53, empty net)
Goaltenders: Karlsson – Serebryakov

Barys - Admiral

Tournament awards
Best goaltender – Nikita Serebryakov (Admiral)
Best defenseman – Kevin Dallman (Barys)
Best forward – Nigel Dawes (Barys)
Top scorer – Andrej Nestrasil (Neftekhimik)

Final tournament standings:
Place Team Games Goals Points
1. Neftekhimik 5 16-14 11
2. Traktor 5 12-11 8
3. Admiral 5 12-13 8
4. Barys 5 12-12 8
5. Avangard 5 14-14 7
6. Davos 5 12-14 3

Ivan Romazan Memorial Tournament

This four-team tournament (featuring Metallurg, Traktor, Sibir, and Kunlun Red Star) in Magnitogorsk opened on Saturday and runs until Tuesday, the 15th.
Sibir (Novosibirsk Region) vs. Traktor (Chelyabinsk): 2-1 (1-0, 0-0, 0-1, 1-0)
In the opening game, a young Traktor side fought back to score a last-minute equalizer to cancel out Sibir's early strike, only to succumb to an Alexander Sharov goal in overtime.
12.08.17. 12.08.17. Cup of I.K. Romazan. Sibir (Novosibirsk Region) - Traktor (Chelyabinsk)

Sibir - Traktor

Sibir head coach Pavel Zubov:
“Obviously, a run of five straight defeats does not have the best psychological effect on the team, so we needed a win – any kind of win against any opposition. And today we emerged victorious, albeit in overtime... We do have problems with finishing, and we had a team talk on the subject straight after the game. We converted only two of 17 chances, and I've been telling the forwards they need to get in front of goal and break out of the corners. We're still being pushed out to the corners, and that's not where the goals are.”
Goals: 1-0 Levitsky (2.50). 1-1 Zinovyev (Alexeyev, Sholokhov, 59.11), 2-1 Sharov (Bergstrom, 63.33).
Goaltenders: Salak – Sukhachyov.

Sibir - Traktor

Metallurg (Magnitogorsk) vs. Kunlun Red Star (Beijing) – 3-2 (0-1, 3-1, 0-0)
Having beaten Kunlun already this month in the Sochi Hockey Open, Metallurg welcomed former boss and current Kunlun coach Mike Keenan back to Magnitogorsk, but the hospitality did not extend to handing the guests a victory. Nonetheless, the men from Beijing made the better start, and raced to a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Matias Myttynen and former Magnitka favorite Wojtek Wolski either side of the first interval.
The reaction from the hosts was swift and ruthless. A three goal burst from Tomas Filippi, Matt Ellison and Nick Schaus, all within a seven-minute bombardment of the Kunlun goal, sealed an impressive win for the men from Magnitogorsk.

Opening ceremony

Gennady Velichkin and Wojtek Wolski

Kunlun Red Star head coach Mike Keenan:
“It was a good game with a good level of competitiveness. We can take a lot from this kind of game. Metallurg knows how to win, and we still need to learn that, because at the moment we are still building our team.”
Goals: 0-1 Myttynen (Gynge, 17.21), 0-2 Wolski (Khlystov, Kinrade, 20.34), 1-2 Filippi (Kovar, 26.20), 2-2 Ellison (Kosov, 31.11), 3-2 Schaus (Mozyakin, Kovar, 32.48, PPG).
Goaltenders: Koshechkin – Hellberg.

Romazan Memorial winner's trophy

Friendly games

There were mixed fortunes for KHL clubs in the day's other games. Spartak Moscow lost 1-2 in a shootout to Khimik, while Lada enjoyed a 5-2 win over CSK VVS.
Khimik vs. Spartak: 2-1 SO (0-0, 0-0, 1-1, 0-0, 1-0)
Goals: 0-1 – Bobrov (51.55), 1-1 – Delnov (Orlov, 52.45), 2-1 – Fomichyov (Shootout)
Goaltenders: Trushkov – Svensson
Lada vs. CSK VVS: 5-2 (1-0, 2-2, 2-0)
Goals: 1-0 – Zernov (Gurkin, Belousov, 15.37), 2-0 – Filatov (Genoway, 24.37), 3-0 – Sotnieks (Zernov, 29.22), 3-1 – Kovalyov (Metliuk, Troshin, 31.19), 3-2 – Glotov (38.54), 4-2 – Valuisky (Genoway, 41.21), 5-1 – Bocharov (56.29)
Goaltenders: Ivannikov – Oseledets 

Another Canadian challenge beckons in St. Petersburg, Sergei Zubov plots his first steps as HC Sochi head coach and the latest pre-season action brings a debut for Andrei Markov and happy returns to Astana and Magnitgorsk.

Russia vs Canada – round two

In the final week of pre-season preparation, Russia and Canada face-off once again. The two sporting superpowers clashed beside the Black Sea last week in the Sochi Hockey Open, with Russia coming out on top by a 3-2 verdict on its way to winning the tournament. Now, the Canadians are heading to St. Petersburg for the annual Nikolai Puchkov Memorial tournament. There’s no Russian national team this time, but with Oleg Znarok’s SKA hosting the tournament, there’s every opportunity to face off against some of the leading contenders for a place in the Olympic roster. Canada, once again, will be trying out more potential Olympic players. And, as in Sochi, there are plenty of KHL connections on the roster. Goalies Kevin Poulin (Barys) and Ben Scrivens (Salavat Yulaev) are familiar faces, while Mat Robinson (CSKA) and Marc-Andre Gragnani (Dinamo Minsk) will feature in a defense that also includes Cam Barker and Stefan Elliott. Among the forwards, we find Sochi duo Sean Collins and Ryan Garbutt, plus ex-Sochi man Cory Emmerton. There are also call-ups for Avtomobilist’s Taylor Beck, Admiral’s James Wright, Traktor’s Paul Szczechura and his former team-mate Derek Roy. SKA is due to play Canada on Wednesday in a game plenty of scope for potential Olympic match-ups. The tournament also involves Jokerit, HC Sochi, Severstal and SKA-Neva.

Team Russia - Team Canada

Old-school legend promises contemporary hockey

Sergei Zubov was one of the stars of the last, great generation of Soviet players. Born in 1970, he helped CSKA win the USSR’s championship in 1989 and was a gold medallist at the 1992 Olympic Games before going on to win two Stanley Cups in an NHL career that spanned 17 years at the Rangers, the Penguins and the Stars. Now he’s in his first head coach’s role, stepping behind the bench at HC Sochi. But there’s no danger of being hidebound by the old Soviet school – in an exclusive interview with KHL.ru he promised to deliver contemporary hockey.
“It’s not hard to play only defensive hockey, or only offensive hockey. But in the modern game, that’s not enough. You need to be able to mix it up,” he said.
Last week, at the Sochi Hockey Open, Zubov’s team lost 1-5 to Russia’s ‘B’ team, but then held Canada goalless until overtime. The improvement, perhaps, was inspired by the opposition. 
“Nobody needs to be psyched up to play against Canada,” Zubov said. “The guys got it together and played well, we just couldn’t score a goal. We had power plays, we had breakaways, but luck wasn’t on our side.”

Sergei Zubov

Debut of the week – Andrei Markov

Following his summer trade to Ak Bars, star defenseman Andrei Markov made his debut for his new club on Sunday in the opening game of the Latvian Railways Cup. The 38-year-old partnered Albert Yarullin, and helped his team to a 2-1 victory over Lokomotiv. Justin Azevedo and Fyodor Malykhin got the Ak Bars goals, Petri Kontiola replied for Loko. The tournament, which also involves Dinamo Riga and Dinamo Minsk continues this week.

Ak Bars

Happy returns – Nazarov in Astana, Wolski in Magnitogorsk

Andrei Nazarov cut a controversial figure at times during his spells as head coach of Barys, but his latest trip to Kazakhstan ended in triumph with Neftekhimik. Nazarov’s team topped the table in the President of Kazakhstan Cup and claimed the pre-season title. Then on Sunday, Wojtek Wolski returned to Metallurg with his new club Kunlun Red Star – and immediately collected a medal. Wolski was injured early last season, but still qualifies for a silver medal as part of the Magnitka roster that finished runner-up to SKA in the Gagarin Cup final. He received the award prior to the opening game of the tournament against Metallurg, and promptly scored against his former team. Magnitka, though, recovered from 0-2 down to win 3-2.

Andrei Nazarov

Security deal with Asteros

As part of the league’s commitment to safety and security, the KHL has signed an agreement with Asteros Group, Russia’s market leader in security systems. The deal will give the league access to Asteros’ expertise in providing anti-terrorism protection at major events across Russia. 
KHL vice-president Georgy Kobylyansky said: “The primary task of the KHL, as the organizing body, is to ensure the security of all participants at a given event. Asteros has a wealth of experience, unmatched in both technology and scale, at guaranteeing the security of buildings and other facilities. We see this cooperation as the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration in the field of integrated security at KHL venues.”



Latvian Railways Cup
The Latvian capital's traditional preseason tournament runs from the 13th to the 17th of August, and this year will be contested by four teams, all of whom are regulars. Koing hosts Dinamo Riga are Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, who has participated in this event every year since the tournament began in 2009, Dinamo Minsk, who has featured five times, and Ak Bars Kazan, making its fourthappearance.
Ak Bars vs. Lokomotiv: 2-1 (0-0, 1-1, 1-0)
The tournament began with a match-up between Kazan and Yaroslavl, which ended in the Railwaymen's first defeat of the 2017 preseason. Loko boss Alexei Kudashov decided to put out a very strong side for this opening game, although a minor injury ruled out Stanley Cup winner Max Talbot, while another NHL legend, Andrei Markov, was given his first outing for Ak Bars.

Lokomotiv - Ak Bars

The men from Yaroslavl dominated the first period. They enjoyed more possession and created several scoring chances, but crucially, failed to find the target. Less than twenty seconds into the second period, they were made to pay for their profligacy when Justin Azevedo put the Kazan team in front. To their credit, Alexei Kudashov's men reacted admirably to the setback and within five minutes the score was 1-1, thanks to the formidable Loo power play unit. Staffan Kronwall fired the puck goalwards and Petri Kontiola directed it past Emil Garipov. The game was settled by another power play goal in the third period, this time scored by Kazan's Fyodor Malykhin, who had been a persistent threat to the Loko net.
Ak Bars head coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov:
“This was a very useful match for both teams. We are now at that stage of the preseason when you need to produce top quality hockey. Although, I accept that not everything we tried came off, and I wasn't too impressed by our performance in power play.” (courtesy of R-Sport)
13.08.17. Latvian Railway Cup. Ak Bars (Kazan) - Lokomotiv (Yaroslavl)
Goals: 1-0 Azevedo (Sekac, Malykhin, 20-17), 1-1 Kontiola (Kozun, Kronwall, 25-24, PPG), 2-1 Malykhin (Tokranov, Tkachyov, 47-57, PPG)
Goaltenders: Garipov – Sudnitsin
Dinamo (Riga) vs. Dinamo (Minsk): 3-2 (0-2, 3-0, 0-0)
In the second match of the day, Dinamo Minsk's former Minnesota Wild forward Justin Fontaine hit a first-period double to give his new club a 2-0 lead over their Riga hosts, but the Latvians replied with a valiant second-period comeback, in which goals from Oskars Batna, Danny Kristo and Gunars Skvorcovs sealed a thrilling victory on home ice.

Dinamo (Riga) – Dinamo (Minsk)

Dinamo Minsk head coach Gordie Dwyer:
“Congratulations to Sandis on this victory. I thought the match turned out to be a hard-fought contest, with both teams playing a very active and physical game. But for us it was like two games in one. In the first period our offense played with speed and created chances, but we saw the opposite in the second when we struggled to keep hold of the puck, while our opponents counter-attacked really well, scored goals and got back into the game. The third period was even, but by that time we were 2-3 down and we failed to level the score. We still have a lot of work to do and we're focusing on the next game.”
Dinamo Riga head coach Sandis Ozolins:
“There was a bit too much adrenalin, but it was our first home match. For most of the game we managed to play the way the coaches and players had agreed, and we stuck to our strategic and tactical plan. We were aggressive when we needed to be, and when things needed changing we adjusted and stayed patient. There are still a few parts of our game we have to improve, both as a team and as individuals.” (courtesy of Dinamo Minsk press service)
13.08.17. Latvian Railway Cup. Dinamo (Riga) - Dinamo (Minsk)
Goals: 0-1 Fontaine (Kovyrshin, 08-04), 0-2 Fontaine (Klinkhammer, Khenkel, 16-28), 1-2 Batna (Meija, Gillies, 27-40), 2-2 Kristo (Galvins, 37-08), 3-2 Skvorcovs (Lessio, 38-13)
Goaltenders: Peters – Enroth 

Dynamo
It’s not been an easy summer for Dynamo Moscow. A restructuring of the club resulted in almost every player becoming an unrestricted free agent, and many took advantage to find new clubs. But, as the dust settles on the new set-up, the Blue-and-Whites are looking for a reshaped roster to play a part in the battle at the top end of the Western Conference.

An untried coach

Behind the bench, Vladimir Vorobyov gets his first chance as head coach. As a player, he had several seasons at Dynamo, as well as playing four seasons in North America with the Rangers and the Oilers organizations. He wrapped up his playing career at his native Severstal in 2011 and went on to become an assistant coach before moving on to work under Andrei Nazarov at Donbass and Barys. After two seasons on the coaching staff at Dynamo he was given the top job following the summer departure of Sergei Oreshkin. For a rookie head coach, it’s not been an easy start. The changes in the club’s ownership could have persuaded the new management to replace him before he’d even sent a team onto the ice. Having escaped that fate, he then had to watch as several experienced players – Mat Robinson, Alexei Tsvetkov, Denis Kokarev among them – all left while the contractual wrangles were resolved. By the time the team went to the Minsk Cup in pre-season, the roster was still under reconstruction.

Vladimir Vorobyov

The spirit of 2012

The new-look line-up, now more or less clear, is likely to revolve around two players who were crucial to Dynamo’s 2012 Gagarin Cup win. Goalie Alexander Yeryomenko, now 37, was playoff MVP that year after a string of stellar performances in the finals. Even today, five years later, he’s still a solid backstop to his team, well able to deal with 40+ shots in a game. Playing behind a defense that will struggle to replace Robinson’s contribution, Yeryomenko will need to deliver an exemplary season to lead his team up the rankings. Up front there’s an even more intriguing return. In 2012, Mikhail Anisin seemed to be on the verge of greatness. At the age of 24, having served an apprenticeship among the more modest teams in the KHL, he came to Dynamo in time to catch fire in that playoff campaign. 19 (14+5) points in post season set a KHL scoring record; the young forward’s predatory form had pundits talking of international recognition and a long career at the biggest clubs in Russia. Yet before Christmas the following season, he was on his way out of Dynamo after quarrelling with Oleg Znarok. A frustrating tour followed, picking up handfuls of games at various clubs amid reports of indiscretions away from the arena. Even a solid season in Sochi in 2016-17 could not revive his career: despite 26 points in 50 games, he was moved on to Metallurg Novokuznetsk, briefly, and then the VHL’s Saryarka Karaganda. A return to Dynamo, scene of his greatest achievements, feels like a last throw of the dice: now 29, Anisin needs to deliver on his undoubted potential, and fast, if his career is not about to slip away.

Mikhail Anisin and Alexander Yeryomenko

Staying put

Despite the threat of an exodus from the club over the summer, Dynamo managed to keep hold of a nucleus of senior players. Latvian forward Martins Karsums, last season’s top scorer, remains, as do D-men Yakov Rylov, Juuso Hietanen and Andrei ‘Red Line’ Kuteikin. They will have a big role to play alongside a crop of young players who were emerging from the Dynamo junior ranks and will now have to step up quickly to play at the highest level. Among those youngsters, 19-year-old forward Yegor Zaitsev is quietly tipped to make an impact on Russia’s youth team and could benefit from greater opportunities to get games with Dynamo in the KHL.

Martins Karsums

Ural Derby defeat for Magnitogorsk, Lokomotiv steams ahead in the Latvian Railways Cup, and the Nikolai Puchkov Tournament gets underway in Saint Petersburg.

Ivan Romazan Memorial Tournament

Kunlun Red Star (Beijing) vs. Sibir (Novosibirsk Region): 4-2 (2-0, 1-2, 1-0)
Sibir suffered its sixth defeat of the preseason in this entertaining encounter with Kunlun. Pavel Vorobei and Matias Myttynen gave the Beijing team an early 2-0 advantage which was wiped out before the half-hour mark by Maxim Ignatovich and Patrik Zackrisson. Geoffrey Kinrade restored Kunlun's lead a mere 96 seconds after Sibir's equalizer, and Andrei Kostitsyn sealed the win in closing minutes.
14.08.17. Cup of I.K. Romazan. Kunlun Red Star (Beijing) - Sibir (Novosibirsk Region)
Sibir head coach Pavel Zubov:
“Compared with our performance against Traktor, today we looked a bit livelier. Kunlun has technique and discipline, and the team knows what to do on the ice. We seized the initiative, but we incurred some reckless penalties which disrupted our rhythm. I didn't like the opening minutes and we had to take a time-out so the team could pull itself together. Then we had a serious talk in the locker room during the interval, after which we improved and started to turn things around. I also like the way we played more as a team. The guys showed desire, dug deep, leveled the score, but then picked up a pointless penalty for high-sticking.”
Goals: 1-0 Vorobei (Daloga, Chipchura, 5.51), 2-0 Myttynen (Gynge, Squires, 7.58), 2-1 Ignatovich (Bergstrom, 23.18, PPG), 2-2 Zackrisson (Salak, Sharov, 29.48, PPG), 3-2 Kinrade (Kostitsyn, 31.24, PPG), 4-2 Kostitsyn (Wolski, Vorobei, 55.37, PPG).
Goaltenders: Hellberg – Salak

Alexander Salak

Metallurg (Magnitogorsk) vs. Traktor (Chelyabinsk): 1-4 (1-1, 0-1, 0-2)
The hosts suffered a painful defeat in this Ural Derby against the men from Chelyabinsk. Artyom Penkovsky, Maxim Yakutsenya, Ivan Vishnevsky and Yury Petrov found the net for the visitors, while Jan Kovar scored Magnitka's only goal of the game.`

Ivan Romazan Memorial Tournament

Metallurg Magnitogorsk head coach Ilya Vorobyov was brutally honest:
“The key factors was the way the teams played when short-handed or in power play. Our opponents were better than us, and that's all there is to it.”
Traktor Chelyabinsk head coach Anvar Gatiyatulin was in no mood to get carried away with the result:
“It's always a pleasure to win, especially against an opponent as good as Metallurg, but we still have plenty of work to do before the start of the season.”
Goals: 0-1 Penkovsky (Yakutsenya, Koltsov, 15.13, PPG), 1-1 Kovar (Mozyakin, 19.00), 1-2 Vishnevsky (Kruchinin, 21.13, PPG), 1-3 Petrov (55.42 SHG), 1-4 Yakutsenya (Vishnevsky, Kruchinin, 59-06, empty net)
Goaltenders: Samsonov – Demchenko

Ivan Romazan Memorial Tournament

Nikolai Puchkov Tournament

SKA-Neva (Saint Petersburg) vs. Jokerit (Helsinki): 1-3 (0-1, 0-1, 1-1)
This tournament in Saint Petersburg got underway with a confident win by Jukka Jalonen's Jokerit over SKA's VHL team. Sami Lepisto was among the scorers but Eeli Tolvanen inflicted the most of the damage with two goals and an assist,
Goals: 0-1 Tolvanen (Jormakka, 03.18), 0-2 Lepisto (Tolvanen, 33.05), 1-2 Rychagov (/Karlin, Churkin, 45.46), 1-3 Tolvanen (Lepisto, 58.38)
Goaltenders: Melnichuk – Zapolski
SKA (Saint Petersburg) vs. HC Sochi (Sochi): 3-1 (0-0, 3-0, 0-1) 14.08.17. 14.08.17. The Nikolai Puchkov memorial tournament. SKA (St.Petersburg) - HC Sochi (Sochi)
Pavel Datsyuk made his first appearance of the preseason, and the Magic Man showed he has recovered from injury and was fit enough to earn a two-minute penalty for interference and to assist on a goal for Ilya Kovalchuk. Dinar Khafizullin and Patrik Hersley grabbed the other goals for Oleg Znarok's team and Artyom Tomilin scored a late consolation goal for the men from the Black sea.
Goals: 1-0 Khafizullin (Gusev, Chudinov, 26.19), 2-0 Kovalchuk (Datsyuk, Plotnikov, 28.15), 3-0 Hersley (Barabanov, Prokhorkin, 32.59), 3-1 Tomilin (Maltsev, Zakharchuk, 46.14)
Goaltenders: Koskinen – Shikin

SKA – HC Sochi

Latvian Railways Cup

Lokomotiv (Yaroslavl) vs. Dinamo (Minsk): 4-2 (0-1, 1-1, 3-0)
Both these sides came off second best in the first round of the tournament, with the men from Minsk losing 2-3 to their namesakes in Riga, and Lokomotiv suffering its first defeat of the preseason - a 1-2 reverse against Ak Bars, so whoever lost this game would end up bottom of the heap with two losses from two outings. In the end, Lokomotiv turned out to be too strong for Dinamo, but the Minsk Men were ahead for much of the match. Loko's Ilya Lyubushkin leveled to cancel out Alexander Kitarov's first-period strike, Alexander Materukhin gave Dinamo a 2-1 lead, but a late three-goal blitz from Yegor Averin, Yegor Korshkov and Dmitry Lugin frought victory to Alexei Kudashov's Railwaymen.
Goals: 0-1 Kitarov (Kulakov, Lisovets, 12-36), 1-1 Lyubushkin (Averin, Lugin, 32-31), 1-2 Materukhin (Linglet, 38-16), 2-2 Korshkov (Polunin, Lyubushkin, 49-21), 3-2 Averin (Lyubushkin, Apalkov, 53-18) 4-2 Lugin (Averin, 59-42, empty net)
Goaltenders: Murygin – Karnaukhov

Lokomotiv - Dinamo (Minsk)

Dinamo (Riga) vs. Ak Bars (Kazan): 3-1 (1-0, 1-0, 1-1)
Dinamo Riga's new boss Sandis Ozolins celebrated two wins from two games after his team brushed aside their illustrious opponents. Ak Bars boss Zinetula Bilyaletdinov will no doubt be pleased that his big-name signing, Andrei Markov, grabbed his first point for the club when he assisted on Andrei Popov's late goal, but the match was by then already over as a contest, thanks to strikes from Danny Kristo, Aleksandrs Jerofejevs and Uvis Balinskis.
Goals: 1-0 Kristo (Galiardi, 13-03) 2-0 Jerofejevs (Pujacs, 39-57), 3-0 Balinskis (M.Redlihs, K.Redlihs, 40-10), 3-1 Popov (Markov, 54-04)
Goaltenders: Peters – Garipov 

Ivan Romazan Memorial Tournament
Kunlun Red Star (Beijing) vs. Traktor (Chelyabinsk): 2-1 SO (1-0, 0-1, 0-0, 0-0, 1-0)
A very even contest between Kunlun and Traktor began with each side losing a player. Chelyabinsk forward Alexei Kruchinin did not return to the ice after being injured in a collision with Beijing attacker Brandon Yip, after which the latter was sent to the locker room for illegal use of the knee. The game ended with a marathon shootout, only settled after each team had made 16 attempts. Geoffrey Kinrade's successful strike finally brought victory to Kunlun.
Goals: 1-0 Kane (Bellemore, 9.01), 1-1 Sharov (Yakutsenya, Vishnevsky, 33.11), 2-1, Kinrade (65.00 – Shootout)
Goaltenders: Karhunen – Francouz.

Kunlun Red Star (Beijing) - Traktor (Chelyabinsk)

Sibir (Novosibirsk Region) vs. Metallurg (Magnitogorsk): 2-0 (0-0, 0-0, 2-0)
This surprise shutout win by Sibir over the hosts meant that Kunlun Red Star finished top of the tournament standings.
Sibir head coach Pavel Zubov:
”We are putting together a team, half of whom are new arrivals, and we are working to implement a system that will bring us success. So every game, no matter the opposition, is a step forward. We came through, but today was a bit of an endurance test.”
15.08.17. Cup of I.K. Romazan. Sibir (Novosibirsk Region) - Metallurg (Magnitogorsk)

Metallurg - Sibir

Magnitogorsk head coach Ilya Vorobyov was philosophical:
”You cannot win any game if you don't score, but these things happen, and Alexander Salak played very well in the Sibir goal. We still have a week in which to iron out our mistakes, and we're working on it.”
Goals: 1-0 Vorobyov (Bergstrom, Ignatovich, 43.35), 2-0 Ignatovich (59.05)
Goaltenders: Salak – Koshechkin.

Metallurg — Sibir

Tournament awards
Best goaltender – Vasily Koshechkin (Metallurg Mg)
Best defensemen – Geoffrey Kinrade (Kunlun Red Star), Nick Schaus (Metallurg Mg)
Best forwards – Maxim Yakutsenya (Traktor), Patrik Zackrisson (Sibir), Tomas Filippi (Metallurg Mg)
Top scorer - Geoffrey Kinrade (Kunlun Red Star) - 3 (2+1) points.

Final tournament standings:
Place Team Games Goals Points
1. Kunlun RS 3 8-6 5
2. Sibir 3 6-5 5
3. Traktor 3 6-5 5
4. Metallurg Mg 3 4-8 3

Viktor Blinov Memorial Tournament

The opening day of this tournament in Omsk – featuring Avangard, Barys (Astana, Kazakhstan), Avtomobilist (Yekaterinburg), Amur (Khabarovsk), and Ugra (Khanty-Mansiysk) – saw victories for Avtomobilist and for the hosts, Avangard.
Amur (Khabarovsk) vs. Avtomobilist (Yekaterinburg): 0-2 (0-0, 0-1, 0-1)
Avtomobilist head coach Vladimir Krikunov:
”It was the first game of the tournament, and both teams wanted to win, so it was tough match. We knew the Amur guys had played well in Moscow, where they twice beat Dynamo, but my guys were ready and I'm proud of them.”
Goals: 0-1 Pare (Simakov, 36.57), 0-2 Lyamin (Simakov, Pare, 50.04)
Goaltenders: Kiselyov – Sokhatsky
Avangard (Omsk) vs. Ugra (Khanty-Mansiysk): 4-1 (4-1, 0-0, 0-0)
Goals: 1-0 Pyanov (Koshelev, Mikheyev, 00.43), 2-0 Lemtyugov (Berezin, Stas, 03.38), 2-1 Skachkov (Lekomtsev, Shulakov, 04.23), 3-1 Perezhogin (Kugryshev, 16.57, PPG) , 4-1 Fisenko (Perezhogin, Kugryshev, 19.58)
Goaltenders: Furch – Proskuryakov

Republic of Bashkortostan Cup

This tournament in Ufa also got underway on Tuesday, and all four participating teams - the hosts, Salavat Yulaev, plus Lada (Togliatti), Neftekhimik (Nizhnekamsk) and Admiral (Vladivostok) – were in action on the opening day. It was not a day for surprises: Andrei Nazarov's Neftekhimik continued its formidable preseason form with 3-1 win over Lada, and Erkka Westerlund's Salavat Yulaev enjoyed an emphatic 4-1 win over Admiral.
Neftekhimik (Nizhnekamsk) vs. Lada (Togliatti): 3-1 (1-0, 2-1, 0-0)
Goals: 1-0 Arkalov (Khairullin, 10.59), 1-1 Zernov (27.12), 2-1 Piganovich (Poryadin, Avtsin, 32.10), 3-1, Graborenko (Shiksatdarov, 32.49)
Goaltenders: Yezhov - Lazushin
Salavat Yulaev (Ufa) vs. Admiral (Vladivostok): 4-1 (2-0, 1-1, 1-0)
Goals:1-0 Kulyash (Bodrov, Makarov, 16.01), 2-0 Larsen (Hartikainen, Omark, 17.59), 3-0 Gareyev (Makarov, 38.14), 3-1 Makhanovsky (Butuzov, 39.19), 4-1 Lisin (Loginov, Bodrov, 53.22)
Goaltenders: Kareyev – Bobkov, Serebryakov

Nikolai Puchkov Tournament

HC Sochi certainly has no intention of preparing for the season the easy way. A day after Sergei Zubov's team faced Gagarin Cup winner SKA Saint Petersburg on the champion's own ice (and lost 1-3), they faced off against Team Canada's pre-Olympic team. The North Americans won 5-1 and will go head-to-head with the host to decide the Group A winner. In Group B, Severstal head coach Alexander Gulyavtsev was left with plenty on which to ponder after he saw his team shut out by the Petersburg Army Men's VHL side, SKA-Neva, in a 0-3 loss.
15.08.17. 15.08.17. The Nikolai Puchkov memorial tournament. HC Sochi (Sochi) - Canada Team
HC Sochi (Sochi) vs. Team Canada: 1-5 (0-2, 1-2, 0-1)
Goals: 0-1 – Beck (06.38), 0-2 Collins (Matsumoto, Pouliot, 10.01), 1-2 Khokhlov (Morozov, Lapenkov, 33.20), 1-3 Beck, (36.08), 1-4 Matsumoto (Robinson, Collins, 36.57), 1-5 Micflikier (Gragnani, Beck, 45.02)
Goaltenders: Barulin – Poulin
SKA-Neva (Saint Petersburg, VHL) vs. Severstal (Cherepovets): 3-0 (1-0, 1-0, 1-0)
Goals: 1-0 Kondratyev (Gimbatov, Knyzhov, 02.01), 2-0 Kvartalnov (Maltsev, Dergachyov, 34.49), 3-0, Altybarmakian (Rukavishnikov, 52.06)
Goaltenders: Melnychuk – Hudacek

Tournament standings:

   Group A
Place Team Games Goals Points
1. Team Canada 1 5-1 3
2. SKA 1 3-1 3
3. HC Sochi 2 2-8 0

   Group B
Place Team Games Goals Points
1. Jokerit 1 3-1 3
2. SKA-Neva 2 4-3 3
3. Severstal 1 0-3 0

Mayor of Moscow Cup

Another tournament begins, and one contested by fierce rivals – Dynamo, CSKA and Spartak from the capital, and from Moscow Region, last season's surprise success, Vityaz of Podolsk. So good has Vityaz been in this preseason that Tuesday's 3-4 defeat at the hands of crisis-plagued Dynamo could almost rank as a shock result, were it not for the impressive manner in which Vladimir Vorobyov's Blue-and-Whites have brushed aside the club's off-ice problems during their preseason preparations. In the CSKA – Spartak clash, the Army Men defeated the Gladiators 3-0.
Dynamo (Moscow) vs. Vityaz (Moscow Region): 4-3 (2-1, 1-0, 1-2)
15.08.17. Moscow mayor cup. Dynamo (Moscow) - Vityaz (Moscow Region)
HC Dynamo Moscow head coach Vladimir Vorobyov:
“It was a good game, and I think the fans enjoyed it because we had an abundance of goals.. We still have a few things to work on, and we'll keep trying out some of our younger players. We had some great moments, and some not-so-great. We were fine in the first two periods, but in the third the team didn't play the way the coaching staff had told them.”
Goals: 0-1 Rissanen (Horak, 2.13, PPG) , 1-1 Hietanen (Tarasov, Bryukvin, 7.48, PPG) , 2-1 Karsums (Varnakov, Vishnevsky, 11.44, PPG) , 3-1 Boyd (Hietanen, 32.52, SHG) , 3-2 Horak (Pautov, 47.04), 4-2 Sidlyarov (Solovyov, Zaitsev, 49.22), 4-3 Mankinen (Kopeikin, Rissanen, 52.21)
Goaltenders: Yeryomenko – Saprykin (59.14)

Dynamo Moscow - Vityaz

CSKA (Moscow) vs. Spartak (Moscow): 3-0 (1-0, 0-0, 2-0)
15.08.17. Moscow mayor cup. CSKA (Moscow) - Spartak (Moscow)
Goals: 1-0 Lyubimov (4.18, SHG) , 2-0 Petrov (Shumakov, Ozhiganov, 42.40), 3-0 Burdasov (53.11)
Goaltenders: Sorokin - Bespalov

CSKA - Spartak