Thursday 4 - Ak Bars @ Torpedo 7-3
Ak Bars exacted maximum punishment for Torpedo’s indiscretions, scoring on all three of its power plays on the way to a crushing 7-3 victory.
The serious damage came early on. Twice in the first 10 minutes, Torpedo found itself a man down. Twice, Ak Bars took advantage. Goals from Vladimir Tkachyov and Jiri Sekac put the visitor 2-0 in front, and saw both players claim their 100thpoints in regular season KHL action.
Not to be outdone, Yegor Dugin converted a power play chance for the host, but the second period saw the Kazan team take complete control. Atte Ohtamaa added a third, getting his first goal in 11 games while fit-again Justin Azevedo picked up the first of his two assists on the night. Nikita Yazkov and Anton Glinkin stretched the lead further before Tkachyov got his second of the night to make it 6-1 at the second break. Torpedo salvaged some pride in the third, although there was no hope of a fightback. Ivan Zakharchuk pulled one back and Gennady Stolyarov added a short-handed marker as Ak Bars enjoyed a third power play. But it wasn’t long before the visitor made the most of that advantage as well: Vasily Tokranov added a seventh assisted by, Alexander Burmistrov, in his first game since returning to the club.
Saturday 6 - Ak Bars @ Spartak Moscow 3-2
Ak Bars moved back to the top of the Eastern Conference after outlasting Spartak. The high-flying visitor had a good start to the game, opening a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals from Vladimir Tkachyov and Anton Glinkin. Alexander Burmistrov was among the assists once again. But Spartak, looking to move clear of Dynamo and Severstal in that playoff race, hit back. The home side had the better of the second frame, and reduced the deficit thanks to a Viktor Komarov goal. Then, right at the start of the third, Lukas Radil tied it up with a power play goal. Ak Bars looked for a quick response, and almost found it when Jiri Sekac had a penalty shot, but he was unable to beat Nikita Bespalov. However, the winning goal arrived soon after when Justin Azevedo scored his first since returning from injury.
Monday 8 - Ak Bars @ Severstal 2-5
Severstal roared back into the top eight with an emphatic victory over Ak Bars, but the visitor fluffed its chance to extend its lead in the Eastern Conference. The game exploded into life in the eighth minute as the teams traded three goals. Vadim Kudako put the host in front, but two goals in 20 seconds saw Stanislav Galimov and Justin Azevedo give Ak Bars the lead.
That might have been the cue for the Kazan team to take control, but Severstal had other ideas. Adam Masuhr tied it up before the first intermission, and the Steelmen never looked back. Two goals from Ruslan Karlin and another from Yury Trubachyov made the final scoreline comfortable for the host. Severstal moves a point ahead of ninth-placed Dynamo, and still has two games in hand on the Blue-and-Whites.
Wednesday 10 - Ak Bars @ Dinamo Riga 4-1
Ak Bars has a surprisingly unimpressive record in Latvia, but shook off that hoodoo to record its first victory at Dinamo since 2013. The early signs suggested that Dinamo’s old magic might strike yet again as Karl Stollery gave the home team the lead. But Vladimir Tkachyov and Anton Lander scored twice in 90 seconds to put Ak Bars in front by the first intermission. The visitor enjoyed the better of the second period, but had to wait until the 54th minute before extending its lead. Justin Azevedo’s power play goal, assisted by two wily old hands in Danis Zaripov and Andrei Markov, stretched the advantage to 3-1, and Atte Ohtamaa wrapped up the win late on.
Wednesday 17 - Ak Bars v Jokerit 2-1
Alexander Burmistrov got his first goal since returning to the KHL, and helped Ak Bars tighten its grip on top spot in the Eastern Conference. Burmistrov, who returned from the NHL late last year, opened his account for the season with a close-range finish off Anton Glinkin’s feed from the right boards early in the second period. That stretched his team’s lead to 2-0, following Stanislav Galiyev’s first-period opener. Jokerit, still striving to secure third place in the West ahead of Lokomotiv, had a goal ruled out late in the middle frame after the video review confirmed that the puck was kicked into the net. The Finns eventually got on the scoreboard in the third period, but Sami Lepisto’s late power play goal was not enough to save the game.
Friday 19 - Ak Bars v Slovan Bratislava 2-4
The Eastern Conference leader suffered a surprise loss at home to a Slovan team that is out of playoff contention but seems eager to finish its season on a high. The Slovaks recently got a win at home to Metallurg Magnitogorsk, and added another significant scalp to their collection in Tatarstan despite falling behind to a Artyom Lukoyanov goal. Michal Sersen tied it up on the power play late in the first period, and Ak Bars allowed two in a minute as Slovan took control in the third.
Another power play saw Andrej Meszaros put the visitor ahead before Tomas Hrnka made it 3-1 38 seconds later. Meszaros turned provider as Zach Boychuk made it four early in the final frame. Captain Alexander Svitov got one back for Ak Bars late on, but the win went to Slovan.
Sunday 21 - Ak Bars v Vityaz 0-2
Valery Belov enjoyed a winning return to Kazan with his Vityaz team – and goalie Igor Saprykin caught the eye with 36 saves.
Saprykin frustrated the home offense from start to finish, backstopping his team to a morale-boosting victory. Although Vityaz has little to play for with its post-season prospects over, the chance to put one over a renowned opponent brought out the best in the team. It was, inevitably, a display dominated by defense. Aside from Saprykin’s efforts, the visitor blocked 14 shots in a gritty display. But, when the chances came, Vityaz was ready. Two goals either side of the second intermission gave Belov’s boys the verdict as Ak Bars ran into penalty trouble: Vojtech Mozik converted a 5-on-3 power play late in the second, then Alexei Makeyev made it 2-0 six seconds into the final frame. Saprykin was beaten with 10 minutes to go, but the video official ruled out the effort for goalie interference.Tuesday 23 - Ak Bars v CSKA Moscow 6-4
The day’s big game pitted the Eastern Conference leader against the Western Conference runner-up – and sparks duly flew. After the teams shared 10 goals, Ak Bars took the verdict, and maybe hit back at those who have argued that this year’s Gagarin Cup will inevitably go West. Perhaps the key moment came early in the third. Ak Bars had just gone in front once again thanks to Andrei Markov’s power play goal, when CSKA got a 5-on-3 power play. The Army Men thought they’d tied it up – Kirill Kaprizov found the net and the scoreboard showed 5-5. But the video review showed a high stick in the play. The goal was ruled out, and moments later Stanislav Galiyev made it 6-4, a lead that the home team would not relinquish. Earlier in the game, the teams traded goals frequently. Anton Lander gave the home team the lead, but a quick response saw Sergei Shumakov and Maxim Shalunov put CSKA in front. Vladimir Tkachyov tied it up before the intermission. The middle frame followed a similar pattern. Alexander Burmistrov struck first for Ak Bars, then power play goals from Greg Scott and Shalunov again put the Army Men ahead. This time Jiri Sekac made it 4-4, and set up the third period in which Ak Bars managed to change the script.
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