KHL Wednesday recap

Amur Khabarovsk had only won three of its last 17 (!!!) matches. Still the hockey crazy town filled the local arena with 7,100 fans against Metallurg Novokuznetsk today and the spectators weren't disappointed by their team. The last in Chernyshyov Division played extremely aggressively (48-17 shots on goal to give you an impression) and earned a well-deserved 5-1 win over their Division neighbours. After a scoreless first period Amur ran away with a  two-goal lead thanks to one strike by Juha-Pekka Hytönen and a double by Jakub Petruzalek. Dmitry Kagarlitsky had tied the match for Metallug at 23:13. In the last 20 minutes Perttu Lindgren and Dmitry Lugin even made added another two for the convincing Khabarovsk home win.

Spartak Moscow doesn't find out of this season's crisis. After ending a long negative streak in the last match, they might have begun another one just today by losing 1-4 in Ufa against 2011 Gagarin Cup winners Salavat Yulayev. Vitaly Proshkin earned the very early lead for Ufa at 04:40 but already at 06:27 did Oleg Gubin tie the match for the team from the Russian capital. In the middle period the hosts were rewarded for their intensified efforts with a two-goal lead through Ivan Baranka and Nikita Filatov. At 56:48 Andrei Koev even added a power play goal for 4-1 in favour of Ufa.

It seems that Metallurg Magnitogorsk is in a deep recently. Today they lost for the second time within a week against Avangard Omsk. Through Alexander Frolov and Igor Volkov did Avangard earn a two-goal away lead before Magnitka answered at 38:54 through Sergei Gonchar. In the last minutes of regulation Ari Ahonen left the Metallurg net but also with the additional attacker they couldn't change the result anymore.

A week after an easy away win in Astana, the favourites from Traktor Chelyabinsk were caught on the wrong foot in the new edition of this game this afternoon in Chelyabinsk. A double through Roman Starchenko and Dmitry Upper within less than two minutes pathed the way for the away win of the Kazakhs until 11:10 before Nigel Dawes made it 0-3 at 30:10. Swede Victor Hedman assisted in all three goals of his team. Barys' Finnish goalie Teemu Lassila let the Traktor forwards despair with his 28 saves that brought them a shutout.

Just as seven days ago Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk won 2-1 after shootout against bottom side Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, getting their fourth win in a row. Vitaly Sitnikov used Yugra's first power play chance at 09:44 but around "half time" Fyodor Malykhin tied the match for the hosts, also in power play. In the shootout Stanislav Bocharov transformed the decisive penalty shot for Yugra.  

Ak Bars Kazan have conquered the top position in Kharlamov Division after beating Dinamo Riga easily for the second time in 7 days. The guests from Lativa had a good start and even made it 0-1 and 2-2 before Kazan decided the match with four consecutive goals. The goal scorers for Kazan were Ilya Nikulin, Niko Kapanen, Dmitry Obukhov, Jarkko Immonen, Danis Zaripov and Janne Pesonen while Riga was succesful through Jekabs Redlihs and Kristaps Sotnieks.

Again the game between Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk and Donbass Donetsk was decided in shootout and again had the home team the better end for themselves. Evgeny Dadonov for Donbass and Tomas Netik for Neftekhimik with a double each made it 2-2 until 53:51. When Yegor Milozorov used a shorthanded goal for the 3-2 for Nizhnekamsk it looked like they might win but with 01:16 left in regulation Vaclav Nedorost let the game extend to overtime for the Ukrainians. In the shootout Yegor Milovzorov scored the game winner for Neftekhimik.

Three days ago Severstal Cherepovets made the sensation at home against the start team SKA St. Petersburg true and with this in mind they began very aggressively this afternoon also away. Despite having the better chances their opponents SKA opened the score at 15:49 through Maxim Chudinov. In the following time Severstal continued to waste chances and SKA team captain Ilya Kovalchuk could double the lead for his side at 44:48 from a short distance. When Severstal looked knocked out they came back with a double through Vadim Berdnikov and Tom Wandell. SKA wanted a win in regulation to cut the deficit towards Division leaders Dynamo Moscow. After facing a lot of pressure, Severstal took a timeout that had no effect as Ivan Nepryayev made it 3-2 for the big favourites from St. Petersburg at 58:45 to give them their revenge.

CSKA Moscow had the big goal to cut the deficit again towards Tarasov Division leaders Lokomotiv Yaroslavl but after the second loss against them within three days the distance is even 9 points. In the middle period the guests from Yaroslavl decided the match early through goals by Artyom Anisimov, Sergei Plotnikov and Emil Galimov before again Plotnikov made it 0-4 in the last 20 minutes. Semyon Varlamov in the Lokomotiv net showed a stellar performance with 34 saves to gain a deserved shutout.

Czech newcomers Lev Prague took revenge against Atlant Moscow Oblast and now have won 7 points in the last four matches with their new head coach Vaclav Sykora. Alexei Mikhnov and Konstantin Koltsov two times tied the Lev lead through Jakub Voracek and Marcel Hossa before Jakub Klepis scored the game winner for the hosts at 44:19. Three minutes later Ondrej Nemec even made it 4-2.

In the again sold out arena in Bratislava the game was a nightmare for home side Slovan. Two goals by Martin Thörnberg, Juuso Hietanen and Vladimir Galuzin earned the guests a 4-0 lead after two periods. The Slovaks were willing but could only score the consolidation goal through Tomas Mikus at 44:13. Now Slovan is only three points ahead of their rivals Lev.

 

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