Malkin scores in Lev debacle

Avangard stopped a five-game losing streak in which they didn't even earn a single point by beating their neighbours at the bottom of Chernyshyov Division, Metallurg Novokuznetsk. A double scored by Alexander Perezhogin and Andrei Ivanov until 28:31 was not enough for the hosts to win the game in regulation. At the end of the second period Anton Slepyshev cut the lead to just one before Alexei Yefimov tied the match at 49:21. When the game went into overtime the fans had not to wait too long as Anton Belov scored the game winner for Avangard after just 40 seconds. Avangard came one point closer to their direct rivals Metallurg but still are three points behind them.

In a crazy game Traktor Chelyabinsk kept all three games at home by defeating CSKA Moscow 4:3. This is even more surprising as the guests from the Capital led the match three times through Oleg Kvasha, Evgeny Ryasensky and Mikhail Grabovsky but Traktor came back with goals by Vyacheslav Belov, Petri Kontiola and Andrei Kostitsyn. When it looked like the game could go to overtime Andrei Popov won the game for Traktor very late at 58:30 - an absolutely beautiful strike. Anton Glinkin made a pass from behind the net and Popov scored with a no-look backhander, proofing once more the astonishing technique of KHL hockey. Unfortunately this let enfant terrible Alexander Radulov lose his mind. The referees had no choice but to punish him with a game misconduct with 66 seconds left to go. For Traktor it was the sixth 3-point win in 8 games.

Kazakh side Barys Astana gained their fourth win in the last six matches by defeating division leaders Sibir Novosibirsk at home 2-1. Twice Konstantin Rudenko with assists through Dmitry Upper and Nikolai Antropov pathed the way for the home team's success until "half time". Maxim Krivonozhkin could only cut the lead at 44:37.

Donbass Donetsk had an important win for the team moral. In Nizhni Novgorod they were in front 0-1 and 1-3 but had to see how Robert Nilsson scored the late equalizer for Torpedo at 58:31. Still the Ukrainians managed to decide the shootout in their favor with the lone goal scored by Vaclav Nedorost. Their third win of the season lets Donbass jump onto the fifth spot in Bobrov Division due to the better goal average in comparison with Dinamo Riga and Vityaz Chekhov. Lockout star player Alexei Ponikarovsky scored his first KHL goal for Donbass today.

They needed some time but now Metallurg Magnitogorsk becomes a real threat for any opponent in the league. Today guest team Lev Prague could hope for points with a 1-1 after 20 minutes through goals by Denis Platonov (Metallurg) and Alexandre Picard (Lev) but in the second period they were simply overrun by Magnitka and made look like fools. Sergei Mozyakin, Viktor Antipin (2) and Dmitry Kazionov were succesful for the home side before Evgeny Malkin made his first ever KHL goal from a short distance. Prior in the game he had already given another two assists, showing his increasing form with the more ice time he sees after the short preparation for the new season.

Today Igor Mirnov was like the only Ufa player who really wanted to do something against the away loss in St. Petersburg against local SKA by scoring the 0-1 and 4-2. Ufa goalie Vadim Tarasov went through terrible three minutes from 24:02 to 26:54 when he had to leave through a total of four goals. He was substituted by Finnish goalie Iiro Tarkki afterwards. In the last period also the new goalie received another three goals for the final result of 7-2.

 

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