Staying in the contest
Both Salavat Yulaev and Avangard earned vital victories in game five of their KHL Gagarin Cup second round series on Saturday. The Eastern Conference contenders were facing elimination but found ways to win and prolong their seasons. Salavat Yulaev edged Spartak 4-3 in overtime, while the Hawks travelled to Yaroslavl for a 3-2 success over Lokomotiv.
Wilson leads Ufa to victory
Salavat Yulaev Ufa 4 Spartak Moscow 3 OT (2-1, 1-2, 0-0, 1-0)
(Spartak leads the series 3-2)
Scott Wilson scored twice to see off Spartak and keep Salavat Yulaev in the Gagarin Cup. The experienced Canadian potted the overtime winner in Ufa to deny the Muscovites of victory in five games. Now the teams return to the capital on Monday to continue an absorbing series.
While Spartak made no changes for this game, the home team switched up every line. That meant Sheldon Rempal, Alexander Chmelevski and Dennis Yan on the first, with Wilson and Josh Leivo alongside Artyom Pimenov.
Spartak was in trouble in the first minute when Adam Ruzicka went to the box for a foul on home captain Grigory Panin. And the home PP needed just 10 seconds to find the net: Dinar Khafizullin fired in a shot and Wilson steered it past Artyom Zagidulin.
Boosted by that success, Salavat’s players continued to create chances but then got a penalty of its own when Rempal was assessed a minor. Now it was Spartak’s turn to show off its special teams and Ivan Morozov fired home from the right-hand circle.
The game developed into a clash of styles: the home team was quicker, the visitor more physical. In a clash of irresistible force and immovable objects, Salavat Yulaev got back in front late in the first when Rempal served up a sweet feed from behind the net and Dennis Yan put it away. The Spartak bench challenged the play, claiming offside, but had no success.
That gave Salavat Yulaev a power play at the start of the second period, and Chmelevski took advantage to make it 3-1. Then Daniil Orlov started a fight with Wilson, which left Spartak shorthanded again. This time, the visitor’s penalty kill did its job and midway through the session the Red-and-Whites got a five-on-three advantage. Two days ago in Moscow a similar situation brought two Spartak goals and the same happened here. Pavel Poryadin finished off a passing combination before Morozov put away a rebound to tie the game at 3-3.
That also handed Spartak the initiative and subsequently the visitor provided more tests for Semyon Vyazovoi in the home net but could not get in front for the first time in the game.
Although the game was tied, neither team showed much interest in defending deep in the third. There was a big moment in the 54th minute when Spartak’s Mikhail Maltsev took a double minor for high sticking. Salavat sent out its four imports, plus Khafizullin, for almost three of those four minutes but could not find a way through. Ruzicka even had a chance to win the game with a shorthanded but his shot flashed over Vyazovoi’s net.
Overtime was over quickly: it took just 22 seconds for Wilson to grab the winner for Salavat Yulaev, sealing a hard-fought verdict to keep the series alive.
Hawks hit back to keep series alive
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 2 Avangard Omsk 3 (0-1, 2-2, 0-0)
(Lokomotiv leads the series 3-2)
After winning the opener in Yaroslavl, Avangard returned to get a second win in this series. However, this time it was a last-chance success, with Loko picking up three verdicts in between to be one step away from progressing. Evgeny Kulik’s second-period goal proved to be the difference between the teams in a hard-fought encounter.
Guy Boucher gave Nikita Kholodilin his first playoff game of the season but again opted to play shortbenched. Lokomotiv kept the same team for the fourth game in a row with leading goalie Daniil Isayev continuing his role.
The teams started cautiously. Both teams were keen to avoid mistakes and looked to keep it simple. The first cracks showed when Damir Sharipzyanov went to the box and Loko’s power play began creating chances. Alexander Radulov had an open net to aim at, but a Hawks defenseman got back to make the block and keep the scoresheet blank. Although the home team had the initiative, the opening goal came at the other end. Igor Martynov got a breakaway chance and scored his first goal of post season to separate the teams at the intermission.
Avangard’s cause was helped by Lokomotiv penalties towards the end of the first period, but the Hawks continue to struggle to convert its power plays. Despite some good combinations, Isayev was able to stop everything that came his way.
The second period produced far more scoring. Avangard struck first, doubling its lead when Sharipzyanov got a long-awaited power play goal with a long-range effort. That was the wake-up call that Lokomotiv needed and the home team raised the tempo in search of a way back into the game.
Maxim Beryozkin opened the door when he got clear of the defense and beat Serebryakov but, once again, as Lokomotiv took the initiative it allowed a goal at the other end. Kulik, playing only his second game of the playoffs made it 3-1 for Avangard; the home team responded almost immediately through Rushan Rafikov to go to the second intermission at 2-3.
Four goals in the second period suggested a more expansive game was possible. However, the third saw the teams get bogged down once again. Lokomotiv had a few chances prior to the second commercial break but could not beat Serebryakov again. Towards the end, Avangard focussed solely on defense and did enough to hold on for the win. Igor Nikitin played with an empty net in the closing moments but there was no way for his team to save the game. Instead, the series continues Monday in Omsk with Lokomotiv still seeking a fourth victory and passage to the semi-finals.
