Dynamo win Gagarin Cup!

Gagarin Cup finals, day 6

Traktor Chelyabinsk (E3) - Dynamo Moscow (W3) 2-3 OT (1-0, 0-2, 1-0, 0-1)

Home side Traktor played with a lot of heart and had the better start into the game with several big opportunities during the first period. Maxim Karpov and Yegor Dugin were stopped in the 1-on-1 with Dynamo goalie Yeryomenko while on the other side Mosalyov had the best chance for Dynamo when he missed the net from short distance. In the 14 minute a beautiful combination between Kuznetsov and Chistov led to the next big opportunity for Traktor when Chistov's one-timer was stopped from short distance by Yeryomenko! At 14:25 the hosts did it better by using the first power play of the game. Maxim Yakutsenya brought the puck over the line from short distance while falling on the ice. Kuznetsov with a deflection from short distance and Chistov who hit the crossbar with a one-timer just a second before the end of the first period had another two big opportunities to extend the Traktor lead even before the end of the first period.

In the middle period Dynamo finally found into the match. First Jakub Petruzalek had a chance from the right circle and Traktor goalie Garnett allowed a rebound but stopped the following shot himself. Around "half time" the pressure was too strong for Traktor and after a back hand pass by Marek Kvapil it was Sergei Soin who scored through the five hole of Garnett from just one metre distance at 31:36. Two minutes later Kvapil appeared completely alone in front of Garnett after the puck took a strange deflection but in the 1-on-1 he missed the net! At 34:05 though Dmitry Pestunov turned the result around completely for Dynamo anyway when he used a deflected puck to score from short distance! With three minutes left in the period Traktor's superstar Kuznetsov failed in a break away apttempt when his back hander was stopped by Yeryomenko with a pad save!

In the third period it looked like Dynamo had everything under controll and nothing could stop them from becoming champions until Petri Kontiola used a break away after a brilliant pass by Andrei Kostitsyn towards the blue line by deking out Yeryomenko and fiing the puck into the right corner at 49:57. Three minutes later Denis Kokarev had the huge opportunity to restore the Dynamo lead but failed in the 1-on-1 with Garnett when he missed the net after winning a race against Traktor's Kostitsyn. At 59:15 Antipov had a one-timer at height of the left post and not few people expected a goal for Traktor already but somehow the excellent guest goalie Yeryomenko kept the puck outside!   

In the following overtime, the first and only of this series, both teams failed to score with a power play opportunity. Just after stepping back onto the ice Evgey Kuznetsov had a break away opportunity for Traktor but was stopped by Yeryomenko. In the direct counter attack the puck ended up at the left post, just in front of Alexei Tsvetkov and the Dynamo forward won the Gagarin Cup for his team! For Dynamo it's the second KHL title after last year's success against Avangard Omsk!

Considering the whole season it is a more than deserved title for Dynamo Moscow who defeated Slovan Bratislava (4-0), CSKA Moscow (4-1), SKA St. Petersburg (4-2) and Traktor Chelyabinsk (4-2) in the playoffs! 

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