Day of overtime. February 28 round-up

Friday’s KHL action brought full value for the fans. Of five games played, four went to overtime and three of them to a shoot-out. Traktor was the only team to win in regulation, rallying from 0-2 to defeat Ak Bars in Chelyabinsk. Amur began the day with an OT win over Neftekhimik and, in doing so, secured a playoff spot for Avangard. Salavat Yulaev won in a shoot-out at Admiral, and Sibir recorded a similar verdict at home to Vityaz. In the later game, Barys snapped its long losing streak with a shoot-out win at Lada.

Amur’s win secures playoff spot for Avangard

Amur Khabarovsk 5 Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 4 OT (1-1, 2-2, 1-1, 1-0)

Neftekhimik made it six games in a row with at least a point as it keeps up its push for the playoffs. However, defeat today for the Wolves means they can no longer catch sixth-placed Avangard. Increasingly, it looks like a three-way fight between Admiral (63 points), Sibir (61) and Neftekhimik (54) for the two remaining post season spots, although Lada is still in mathematical contention.

The first period saw the teams trade power play goals. Amur opened the scoring on the first PP of the game when Oleg Li’s point shot deflected its way through traffic and dropped for Alexander Shchemerov to score. Neftekhimik was next to get a power play and Andrei Belozyorov took the chance to tie the game.

The teams traded goals at the start of the second, with Alex Broadhurst restoring Amur’s lead, only for another power play to bring a great shot from Artyom Serikov to make it 2-2. Vyacheslav Leshchenko had his 100th KHL assist on that play.

And the pattern of Amur getting in front and Neftekhimik responding was now established. Midway through the game, Broadhurst turned provider as Ilya Talaluyev made it 3-2 on a breakaway. But a short-handed goal from Jean-Sebastien Dea tied it up before the second intermission.

Belozyorov was close to giving the visitor its first lead in the third period. His powerful shot hit Matt Jurusik in the helmet and bounced off the piping to safety. But the game remained deadlocked until 55:55 when Artur Gizdatullin made it 4-3 for Amur. That seemed to be enough to win it for the home team, but Neftekhimik had one more goal in it: Dea got his second of the night after goalie Filipp Dolganov made way for an extra skater.

However, the visitor could not escape defeat. In the extras, Ivan Mishchenko’s strike saw Amur take the lead for the fifth and final time.

Leivo back on goal trail in Salavat success

Admiral Vladivostok 2 Salavat Yulaev Ufa 3 SO (1-1, 0-1, 1-0, 0-0, 0-1)

Josh Leivo snapped a five-game drought to score his 42nd goal of the season. The KHL’s leading scorer this season is now just six away from Sergei Mozyakin’s all-time KHL goal record for a regular season campaign, with eight games left.

Leivo’s strike, a 17th-minute power play goal, cancelled out an early opener from Admiral’s Nikita Soshnikov. Those goals punctuated an entertaining first period, with the teams maintaining a fast tempo and producing frequent scoring chances.

As the intermission approached, Soshnikov was cited a double minor. However, Admiral killed those penalties and went on to have the better of the second period. Alexander Samonov was often called into action, and once needed the post to save him. At the other end, Andrei Mishurov’s one error of judgment saw him beaten by a routine shot from Nathan Todd to give Salavat Yulaev the lead.

Ufa started the third period strongly but could not find a way to build on its lead. Instead, Admiral remained in touch and saved the game when Alexander Shepelev tied it up on the counter with just under four minutes to play.

Shepelev then drew a foul from Yaroslav Tsulygin at the start of overtime, handing Admiral a power play. But the home team could not take advantage and the game went to a shoot-out before Yegor Suchkov gave Salavat Yulaev the win. 

Fightback halts Sibir’s skid

Sibir Novosibirsk 4 Vityaz Moscow Region 3 SO (1-2, 0-1, 2-0, 0-0, 1-0)

After five straight losses, Sibir got back to winning ways. A shoot-out success over Vityaz, secured after trailing 1-3, opened a seven-point gap over ninth-placed Neftekhimik in the race for the playoffs.

The two teams made a lively start, but Vityaz got on top and led 2-0 by the 11th minute. Yaroslav Busygin’s slap shot found the top corner, then Matvei Zaseda got to the back door to bang in a feed from Alexei Makeyev. The visitor was on top throughout the first period, but Georgy Belousov’s late goal gave Sibir a lifeline.

The home team got on the power play either side of the intermission, enabling Vadim Yepanchintsev’s players to shift the action to the other end of the ice. However, a lack of composure in front of goal proved costly. Vityaz showed just how costly when it took one its few chances: Pavel Buchelnikov went one-on-one with Denis Kostin and beat the home goalie after defenseman Yegor Martynov allowed the breakaway.

But Martynov turned out to be the hero of the day. In the third period, the home defenseman scored twice to turn the game around and take Sibir into overtime. The extras could not produce a winner, but in the shoot-out Taylor Beck gave the home team the win despite a less than convincing performance.

Eastern leader fights back to beat Ak Bars

Traktor Chelyabinsk 3 Ak Bars Kazan 2 (0-0, 2-2, 1-0)

Despite trailing 0-2, Eastern Conference leader Traktor battled back to defeat Ak Bars. The win restores a three-point lead for Benoit Groulx’s team at the top of the standings, while denying the visitor the chance to move clear of fifth-placed Metallurg.

The home team welcomed back leading scorer Maxim Shabanov, who missed the previous two games. Ak Bars made no changes apart from slightly tweaking its lines.

There was little action in a goalless first period. For much of the game, the teams battled in center ice and neither Zach Fucale nor his opposite number Amir Miftakhov were greatly extended.

For a long time, that was the story of the second period as well. But in the 28th minute, Ak Bars grabbed a surprise lead. The goal was something of a freak: home forward Andrei Svetlakov looked to play the puck out from behind his own net, but the puck bounced off Ilya Safonov’s skate and slipped past the startled Fucale from a tight angle. They all count, and Ak Bars looked to build on its good fortune with a second goal from Stepan Falkovsky, firing home a great feed from Alexander Barabanov.

However, the visitor could not hold its lead to the intermission. Nikita Korostelyov scored twice to tie the game. First, he produced a fine shot from the blue line, then in the final second he stuffed one home from close range. That tying goal prompted a bench challenge, but after an extended review the officials upheld the original verdict – 2-2.

Both teams made an active start to the third period; more shots, more hits, more tussles. At one point, visiting netminder Miftakov needed medical assistance after stopping a powerful shot from Grigory Dronov. He was fit enough to continue, but his recovery was not rewarded with a win. Instead, in the 56th minute Traktor completed its comeback when a quick counterattack brought a decisive goal from Alexander Kadeikin with Korostelyov among the assists.

Shoot-out success ends losing streak for Barys

Lada Togliatti 2 Barys Astana 3 SO (1-1, 0-0, 1-1, 0-0, 0-1)

Barys ended a nine-game losing streak and secured its first win of the season over Lada. The shoot-out success in Togliatti represents a big blow to the home team’s playoff hopes: the Motormen are now 14 points clear of eighth place with nine games left to play.

The home team started the game on top and deservedly took the lead in the 10th minute. Leading scorer Nikita Mikhailov beat Andrei Shutov to reach 30 points for the season for the first time in his career. At that point, Barys had yet to manage a shot on goal, but barely a minute later Ivan Nikolishin forced Alexander Trushkov into his first save of the night and Kirill Panyukov put away the rebound.

There were no goals in the second period but both teams had chances. Anthony Camara was close for Lada, denied a power play goal by a great save from Shutov. At the other end, Nikita Setdikov had a breakaway chance snuffed out by Trushkov.

In the third, Lada had more scoring chances, but fell behind against the run of play with six minutes left. Roman Starchenko stole the puck from a defenseman, beat Maxim Berezin and fired in a shot that beat Trushkov. In the closing stages, Lada poured forward in search of a tying goal and managed to save the game. In the 59th minute, Mikhail Fisenko won a face-off and Alexander Volkov finished off a slick combination in the Barys zone.

Lada almost won it at the start of overtime when Evgeny Kalabushkin’s testing shot presented Arkhip Nekolenko with a great chance on the rebound. Barys survived and was able to take the game to a shoot-out. Adil Beketayev got the winner in sudden death, and the Kazakhs celebrated victory for the first time since Jan. 26.