The 12th regular season in the KHL history was memorable for so many events, from an increased unpredictability to record-breaking average attendance. However, two players stole the show: Dynamo Moscow's Vadim Shipachyov and CSKA's Kirill Kaprizov.

At 32, soon to be 33, many players have already hit their peak and start thinking about what they are going to do once they hung 'em up, as the slang dictates. But what to do when you're at a mere ten days to your 33rd birthday and become the KHL's top scorer for the first time in your career? A career that saw you winning multiple gold medals on the international stage and two Gagarin Cups? Vadim Shipachyov had a career year with the Blue-and-Whites, scoring 65 (17+48) points in 61 regular-season games. It's not his best result in the KHL, as he scored 76 in 2016-17 and 68 last year, but for the first time, as said, the Cherepovets-native center finished on top of the scoring race.

Moreover, the productive forward is one of the only five players to have scored at least 200 goals in their KHL career. The other four are Sergei Mozyakin, Danis Zaripov, Nigel Dawes, and Mikhail Varnakov. Metallurg's Mozyakin is also the only player to have amassed more points (and assists) than Shipachyov in the league's history, with 735 against 570 - 892 against 658 if considering the playoffs as well. Shipachyov's season is even more impressive if considering other stats. The Blue-and-Whites forward is the third in average time on ice, the fifth in shooting percentage (among the players with at least 100 shots), and the fourth in plus/minus rating. This year, Shipachyov also had his sixth appearance at the KHL All-Star Game.

Playing at the other big hockey avenue in Moscow, Kirill Kaprizov had a season impressive as Shipachyov's. Only Sergei Mozyakin could win back-to-back goal-scoring titles (he did it twice, in 2013 and 2014, and 2016 and 2017. Mozyakin and Kaprizov are the only players in the league's history to have won this race more than once. While he broke no records with his 30- and 33-goal campaigns, Kaprizov had an impressive 63 goals in two years, cementing his position as one of the league's top talents. Moreover, Kaprizov also led the league in powerplay goals and shooting percentage (among the players with at least 100 shots). His 62 (33+29) points were his best in his career, and he trailed only Mat Robinson in the plus/minus department. However, despite his fantastic season, Kirill wasn't able to beat Radulov's 71-, 68-, and 65-point campaign in the KHL, with his 19-20 campaign being the fourth-best ever for the Red Army in the league. However, his 33 goals are a record for CSKA in the KHL era for single-season goals scored. Kaprizov enters the playoffs on a five-game scoring streak: he's in great shape, and Torpedo should pay extra attention to the author of the gold-clinching goal in PyeongChang in 2018 – Kaprizov is always ready to put the puck in the net.

At the VTB Arena Dynamo Moscow will face Spartak in a thrilling derby that also sees bench boss Oleg Znarok facing his past team. With the regular-season kings in their lineup, CSKA and Dynamo have a great chance to pass their first turn and perhaps clash later on.

The 2020 Gagarin Cup campaign got underway on Sunday with convincing victories for Barys and Avangard. The two seeded teams in action had little difficulty on home ice, defeating Metallurg and Salavat Yulaev respectively.

Pasquale blanks Magnitka

Barys Nur-Sultan 4 Metallurg Magnitogorsk 0 (1-0, 1-0, 2-0)

Barys leads the series 1-0

Barys threw down a marker at the start of its playoff campaign with a comfortable home victory against two-time champion Metallurg. Andrei Skabelka’s team enjoyed four goals from its imports while Eddie Pasquale impressed between the piping as the Kazakhs got the 2020 Gagarin Cup off to a flying start.

Photo: 01.03.20. KHL Championship 2019-2020. Playoffs. Barys (Nur-Sultan) - Metallurg (Magnitogorsk)

For Metallurg, meanwhile, this game posed more questions than answers. Throughout the season, the Steelmen have been uneven. While the roster is stacked with potential game-winners, it has struggled to generate consistent results. Sunday’s heavy loss in Kazakhstan did not offer much cause for optimism, but Magnitka can at least reflect that only one of the goals came with the teams at equal strength; in 5-on-5 hockey, Ilya Vorobyov’s team more or less held its own.

The breakthrough came midway through the first period when Barys got the first power play of the game. Magnitka was caught on a too many men call and Curtis Valk completed the punishment when he slotted home the rebound after Vasily Koshechkin padded away a Nikita Mikhailis effort.

Metallurg was close to a tying goal early in the second period when Artyom Minulin’s speculative effort bounced back off the boards, took a deflection on the slot and was stopped on the goalline by Pasquale’s glove. The video review confirmed that the puck did not cross the line, and a couple of minutes later Magnitka’s task was all the harder when Atte Ohtamaa took a pass from Viktor Svedberg and fired home the second goal.

Barys then kept the opposition at arm’s length for much of the remainder of the game. Pasquale produced a couple of big saves to deny Bogdan Potekhin but, for much of the time, Metallurg struggled to create big opportunities. A late gamble saw Koshechkin benched with two to play, but Iiro Pakarinen found the empty net to put the result beyond doubt. And a late power play chance saw Darren Dietz wrap up the scoring with a deflected slap shot in the last minute to add some gloss to the final scoreline.

Strong second period sets Avangard on its way

Avangard Omsk 5 Salavat Yulaev Ufa 2 (1-1, 4-1, 0-0)

Avangard leads the series 1-0

Last year’s beaten finalist Avangard made a strong start to the 2020 playoff campaign, putting away Salavat Yulaev with a dominant second period showing. The teams met last year in the Eastern Conference final, Omsk prevailing in six, and both went into this game with some questions to answer.

Photo: 01.03.20. KHL Championship 2019-2020. Playoffs. Avangard (Omsk) - Salavat Yulaev (Ufa)

For Avangard, it was a case of how Bob Hartley’s team would respond to a sluggish end to the regular season, with three straight losses costing the Hawks top spot in the Chernyshev Division. In Ufa, meanwhile, there were worries that Nikolai Tsulygin’s talented roster was adding up to less than the sum of its parts across an uneven regular season that left the team down in sixth.

In the early exchanges it was not clear that either team had found an answer. Avangard enjoyed the better of the play, but fell behind to a Linus Omark goal in the 15^th minute. Ufa, meanwhile, was unable to build on that lead and got stung by a power play marker from Sergei Shumakov within a couple of minutes. So far, so inconclusive.

But the middle frame saw Avangard take a grip on proceedings, while Salavat Yulaev twice saw coach’s challenges overruled by the video review. Kirill Semyonov put the Hawks in front in the 24^th minute then a rare goal from Andrei Stas increased the lead midway through the game. Stas scored just once in 62 regular season games, but opened his playoff account at the first available opportunity. The center reacted after Pavel Dedunov’s shot was saved and he stuffed the puck home at the second attempt. The visitor’s bench protested, claiming goalie interference, but the video ruled the play clean.

Then came a flurry of goals late in the period as Avangard put the outcome beyond reach. It started with Teemu Hartikainen getting one back for Salavat after Omark orchestrated play from behind the net. But it finished with a quickfire double as Semyonov got his second of the game and Valentin Pyanov stretched that advantage. Semyonov’s effort, a deflection off his skate from a Slava Voynov shot, was subject to a challenge over a possible offside; there was no doubt about Pyanov’s finish after he collected Yegor Martynov’s long pass and bore down on Juha Metsola’s net.

Metsola did not return for the third period, his place taken by Andrei Kareyev. The new goalie kept Avangard at bay but was unable to lift his team to a revival. Ufa had more of the play than in the earlier stages but, with Avangard happy to run down the clock, there were few big chances for Salavat Yulaev to get back into contention.

Sunday’s hosts celebrated the joy of six with big victories in the opening day of Western Conference playoff action. Kirill Marchenko scored twice and Andrei Kuzmenko hit a hat-trick as SKA defeated Vityaz 6-1, while Jokerit went one better to thrash Lokomotiv 6-0.

Marchenko makes his mark again

SKA St. Petersburg 6 Vityaz Moscow Region 1 (1-1, 4-0, 1-0)

SKA leads the series 1-0

Past KHL playoffs have seen youngsters announce themselves in some style – think Valery Nichushkin with Traktor back in 2013. This time, it looks like Kirill Marchenko might be eying that role. The 19-year-old has been a revelation for SKA this season and he took to post-season hockey like a natural, potting two goals in his first ever KHL playoff appearance.

Photo: 01.03.20. KHL Championship 2019-2020. Playoffs. SKA (St.Petersburg) - Vityaz (Moscow Region)

The teenager’s efforts in the second period were instrumental in taking this game away from a Vityaz team that battled hard in the first stanza before finding itself overwhelmed. Yet he was eclipsed by team-mate Andrei Kuzmenko, who helped himself to a hat-trick as the Army Men made a powerful start to post season.

SKA did not get everything its own way, however. While the early stages of the game went exactly to Alexei Kudashov’s script, Vityaz battled back in the first period. The visitor cancelled out Kuzmenko’s opener when Pavel Chernov got on the end of a swift counter to tie the game. And, by the intermission, the game was fairly even with Vityaz deploying a hard-hitting style – 20 checks in the first period – to disrupt SKA’s gameplan.

However, a penalty on Svyatoslav Grebenshchikov just before the hooter saw the host start the second stanza on the power play. And that proved crucial as Alexander Barabanov got the puck behind the net and set up Joonas Kemppainen to make it 2-1. Then came the youngsters. Ivan Morozov won his battle behind the net and set up Marchenko, who beat Ilya Ezhov at the second attempt to make it 3-1 in the 27^th minute. Then a power play saw Morozov start another play before Vasily Podkolzin slipped the puck out to the left for Marchenko to squeeze it home from a tight angle.

Any remaining hopes for Vityaz were quashed within a minute when another penalty and another power play saw Kuzmenko get his second. And the former CSKA man completed his treble midway through the third when he followed up an Anton Burdasov shot and tucked away the rebound to give the scoreline a final lopsided look.

Lehtonen impresses as Jokerit hits Loko for six

Jokerit Helsinki 6 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 0 (1-0, 4-0, 1-0)

Jokerit leads the series 1-0

Jokerit could hardly have asked for a better start to its playoff campaign after flattening Lokomotiv in game one in Finland. Games between these two have often produced goals – with Loko winning on its previous three visits to Finland with 5-4, 3-2 and 4-1 scorelines. More recently, the Railwaymen handed Jokerit a 5-0 hammering in Yaroslavl, giving Mike Pelino’s team every reason to believe it could make a strong start to the playoffs here.

Photo: 01.03.20. KHL Championship 2019-2020. Playoffs. Jokerit (Helsinki) - Lokomotiv (Yaroslavl)

However, Lauri Marjamaki hadn’t read that script. He sent out his team to drive play forward from the opening seconds. The first period saw the home team dominate the play and Jokerit got its reward late in the frame when Veli-Matti Savinainen got the redirect on a Sami Lepisto point shot to open the scoring.

But the outcome was decided in the middle stanza, with Jokerit firing home four goals without reply. Just 38 seconds after the restart, Peter Regin advanced to the top of the right-hand circle and wired a wrister into the roof of Alexander Lazushin’s net. Mikko Lehtonen got an assist on that, and he contributed again at the midway stage when his point shot was steered away from Lazushin by Niklas Jensen. A home power play saw a goal ruled out for goalie interference before a playbook move saw Saku Maenalanen played the puck from behind the net for Petri Kontiola to rifle home from between the hash marks.

Lazushin’s unhappy afternoon hit a new low late in the frame when his error allowed a short-handed goal. Harried behind his net by Brian O’Neill, the visiting goalie sent the puck straight to Savinainen, who needed no second invitation to slot it into the inviting net.

Not surprisingly, Lazushin was replaced by Ilya Konovalov for the third period, but the youngster could do little to change the pattern of the game. He did, at least, keep the scoring down, beaten just once by a Lehtonen slap shot as the defenseman added a goal to his pair of helpers. At the other end, Loko offered a little more than before but apart from one chance for young Mikhail Belyayev there was little to endanger Antti Niemi’s shut-out in his first KHL playoff appearance.

Ak Bars faces off against a Neftekhimik team that was one of the few in the KHL to beat the team from Kazan twice.

Avtomobilist is hosting a Sibir club that it only managed to beat once in four contests this year.

Dynamo Moscow will host arch rival Spartak Moscow, a team it managed to defeat in all four contests this season.

CSKA begins its defense of the Gagarin Cup against Torpedo against whom they collected 10 of 12 possible points this season.

17:00: Avtomobilist vs Sibir

Playoff history

These two teams have never faced each other in the KHL playoffs.

About the game

Avtomobilist defeated Sibir once this season by a score of 3-1, but lost three times to the boys from Novosibirsk this season by scores of 3-0, 4-3 in OT, and 3-2 in OT.

Dawes has points in 9 straight games, going 2-10-12 over that span.

Holland has points in 5 straight games, going 2-5-7 over that span.

Kovar has played 62:44 straight minutes of shutout hockey.

Injury list

Avtomobilist: Nikolai Stasenko, Denis Bodrov, Anatoli Golyshev, Pavel Datsyuk

Sibir: Vladimir Pervushin, Viktor Komarov, Nikita Mikhailov, Alexander Torchenyuk

Milestone alert

Defensemen Alexander Loginov and Oleg Piganovich are each hoping to collect their respective 100th career KHL assist (currently at 99).

Forward Yegor Milovzorov is hoping to suit up for his 600th career KHL game (currently at 599).

19:30: CSKA vs Torpedo

Playoff history

2016: Second round. CSKA defeated Torpedo 4-1

About the game

In four contests this season, CSKA defeated Torpedo three times by scores of 3-0, 5-2, and 4-1, having lost once to them 2-1 in OT.

Sorokin has played 79:59 straight minutes of shutout hockey.

Kaprizov has points in 5 straight games, going 8-2-10 over that span.

Slepyshev has points in 5 straight games, going 2-8-10 over that span.

Injury list

CSKA: Ivan Telegin, Sergei Andronov

Torpedo: Anton Volchenkov

19:30: Dynamo Moscow vs Spartak Moscow

Playoff history

2010: First round. Spartak Moscow defeated Dynamo Moscow 3-1

About the game

Dynamo Moscow defeated Spartak Moscow four times this season by scores of 3-2 in OT, 3-0, 4-0, and 2-1 in OT.

Fedorov has points in 3 straight games, going 1-3-4 over that span.

Injury list

Dynamo Moscow: Sergei Boikov

Spartak Moscow: Nikita Bespalov, Robin Hanzl, Tobias Viklund

Milestone alert

Forward Daniil Apalkov is hoping to collect his 200th career KHL point (currently at 199).

Defenseman Ivan Vishnevsky is hoping to suit up for his 500th career KHL game (currently at 499).

19:30: Ak Bars vs Neftekhimik

Playoff history

2013: First round. Ak Bars defeated Neftekhimik 4-0

About the game

Ak Bars defeated Neftekhimik twice this season by scores of 4-1 and 3-2, but also lost to them twice 4-2 and 2-1 in OT.

Galiev has points in 4 straight games, going 2-6-8 over that span.

Injury list

Ak Bars: Danis Zaripov, Kristian Khenkel

Neftekhimik: Pavel Padakin, Ziyat Paigin

Milestone alert

Forward Viktor Tikhonov is hoping to collect his 100th career KHL assist (currently at 99).

Forward Stepan Sannikov is hoping to suit up for his 600th career KHL game (currently at 599).

Defenseman Roman Rukavishnikov is hoping to suit up for his 400th career KHL game (currently at 399).

The final days of the regular season confirmed a fifth trophy in six years for CSKA. The Army Men took top spot with one of the youngest rosters in a league that is more youthful than ever, and claimed the crown in front of ever-increasing attendances.

Roll of honor

The regular season came to an end last week and with it, some of the first prizes of the season were awarded. CSKA claims the Continental Cup after topping the table by a single point from Ak Bars and SKA. The Army Men collect the trophy for the fifth time in six seasons after a last-day win over HC Sochi. Closest rival Ak Bars missed out on the crown after losing at home to Avtomobilist.

Among the individual honors, Dynamo’s Vadim Shipachyov was the leading scorer of regular season. He posted 65 (17+48) points to finish two points ahead of team-mate Dmitrij Jaskin. CSKA’s Kirill Kaprizov was the leading goalscorer with 33. Jokerit’s Mikko Lehtonen was the leading scorer among defensemen with 49 (17+32), and he continued that form with 3 (1+2) points in his first playoff appearance of the year. Goalie Ilya Sorokin led the way with nine shut-outs for CSKA, while team-mate Lars Johansson had the best GAA at 1.40. Alexander Samonov, who divided his time between Vityaz and SKA, stopped 94.7% of shots faced to lead on that metric.

Attendances increase again

The end of the regular season also brings the final stats about attendances at KHL games – and once again, it’s good news. For the third year running, the league has seen its average crowds increase and this year’s average of 6,492 is a new record for the KHL. Nine clubs have recorded year-on-year increases over the last three seasons and three of them – Barys, Sochi and Spartak – have seen progressively bigger crowds in each of the last five campaigns.

Part of the attraction is the growing competitiveness of the league. This season saw one in four games go to overtime – a sharp increase compared with one in five last year.

Regular season: new attendance records and the advantage of going young

Youngsters get their chance

The KHL is younger than ever. This season, almost 10% of the players involved were eligible to go to the World Juniors. The final figure – 9.74% – was up significantly from the 7% seen in recent years. And youth is no barrier to success, as CSKA proved. The Army Men had an average age of 26.79 this season, making them the third youngest regiment in the league as they won the Continental Cup. Meanwhile, Lokomotiv finished its regular season with an unprecedented roster of home-grown talent. Mike Pelino iced a line-up with an average age of just 21 years and 184 days. That’s the youngest ever, and also the first KHL roster to be drawn entirely from products of one club’s hockey school.

Playoffs start with a flurry of goals

March 1, the first day of spring, saw the opening action in the 2020 Gagarin Cup playoffs. And goals were blossoming in all four games, with 24 scored in total. SKA and Jokerit led the way, defeating Vityaz and Lokomotiv 6-1 and 6-0 respectively. In keeping with one of the themes of the season, 19-year-old Kirill Marchenko scored twice in his first playoff outing. In the East, Avangard defeated Salavat Yulaev 5-2, while Barys blanked Metallurg 4-0.

East: Barys, Avangard get off to flying starts. March 1 playoffs

West: Six-shooters fire on playoff day one. March 1 playoffs

Management changes

KHL Vice President for Hockey Operations, Georgy Kobylyansky, has stepped down from his post. With the season in full swing, and a large part of the KHL’s operations demanding direct oversight from this position, Sergei Kozlov will take over Kobylyansky’s responsibilities in an interim capacity until the end of the playoffs.

Day two of the playoffs saw Eastern Conference top dog Ak Bars get underway against Tatarstan neighbor Neftekhimik. The game went to form, with the Kazan team winning 4-1, but the visitor made it tighter than the final score might suggest. Earlier, Sibir became the first – and so far only – team to get a road win in this year’s playoffs when Harri Sateri’s 37 saves blanked Avtomobilist.

Sateri denies Avtomobilist

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 0 Sibir Novosibirsk 2 (0-1, 0-0, 0-1)

Sibir leads the series 1-0

Harri Sateri backstopped Sibir to victory in its first playoff game since 2016, making 37 saves to frustrate Avtomobilist. Sibir thus becomes the first team to collect a road win in this year’s post season.

Photo: 02.03.20. KHL Championship 2019-2020. Playoffs. Avtomobilist (Yekaterinburg) - Sibir (Novosibirsk Region)

The Yekaterinburg team took to the ice without two key forwards. Neither Pavel Datsyuk nor Anatoly Golyshev were available due to injury and there was another absence at the back as Denis Bodrov undergoes treatment.

Sibir, by contrast, was at full strength as Nikolai Zavarukhin& Co took the team into the playoffs after a long and frustrating wait. That didn’t mean the visitor was able to go tearing into the opposition from the first faceoff. Avtomobilist made a solid start to the game and looked to be having the better of the first period until late in the frame, Sibir got in front. Alexander Sharov and Juuso Puustinen found a surprisingly easy path through the home defense; the Finn tucked away the opening goal on the backhand.

Avto responded with a flurry of shots at Sateri as it looked for an immediate equalizer, but the Finn was equal to the task. And the Motormen began the second session in the same attacking frame of mind, but continued to struggle to test Sateri. Sibir was holding its opponent at arm’s length and then had a great chance to extend its lead when two penalties gave it a full two minutes of 5-on-3 hockey. The visitor opted against a fusillade of shots at Jakub Kovar, looking instead for the perfect moment to unlock the home defense, but the home team held on to kill the penalties and stay in the game.

The third period was one-way traffic. Avtomobilist camped in the Sibir zone, working hard to find a way to level the scores. However, for all the probing, the home team was limited to 11 shots on goal and the game was decided in the last minute when Evgeny Chesalin– who left Yekaterinburg in the summer – broke away to score into the empty net.

Glukhov’s stunner downs Neftekhimik

Ak Bars Kazan 4 Neftekhimik Nizhekamsk 1 (2-1, 0-0, 2-0)

Ak Bars leads the series 1-0

This Tatar derby saw Ak Bars overcome its local rival – but the comfortable final scoreline belies the battle that Neftekhimik put up during the game.

Photo: 02.03.20. KHL Championship 2019-2020. Playoffs. Ak Bars (Kazan) - Neftekhimik (Nizhnekamsk)

In regular season, the teams were far apart. Ak Bars topped the Eastern Conference, while Neftekhimik needed a heroic late run to force its way into the playoffs at all. But that gap was far from apparent on the ice when the game got underway.

Over the first two periods, the visitor proved a match for its illustrious opponent. Despite allowing a couple of early goals, Neftekhimik kept plugging away. One goal was recovered fast and over the first 40 minutes, Timur Bilyalov was busier than Konstantin Barulin in an evenly-matched game.

However, Ak Bars has the offensive power to break through in tight encounters and the Kazan team proved it once again here. A slick counter attack in the eighth minute brought the opening goal, with Stanislav Galiyev and Artyom Galimov quickly feeding Matt Frattin in the right-hand circle. The Canadian wired a wrister over Barulin’s glove to make it 1-0. Then a breakdown on the home blue line sent Emil Galimov away from three opponents and through on goal, where he solved Barulin to double the lead.

Kirill Petrov missed a good chance to make it 3-0 – and probably extinguish the visitor’s hopes inside the first 15 minutes. But that attempt went wide and Neftekhimik responded by going down the ice and fashioning a fine goal in reply. Jacob Berglund led the play before switching the puck to Marat Khairullin, who fired home from between the hash marks.

That set us up for a second period where both teams urgently sought to find the net. For Neftekhimik, of course, it was vital not to allow Ak Bars to extend its lead once more; for the home side, the comfort of a bigger lead would make all the difference as the game progressed. In the event, though, neither team could get a goal despite displaying more open hockey in the middle frame.

Then came the decisive moment. Early in the third, Mikhail Glukhov led a two-man rush with Emil Galimov. Bearing down on Barulin’s net he eschewed the simple pass to his team-mate in the center and improvised a ‘penalty shot’, dumping the goalie to the ice before squeezing the puck into the empty net. This time, there was no coming back for Neftekhimik. Galiyev set up Frattin for his second of the night and the final score was just one short of a repeat of the last Tatar playoff series seven years ago. On that occasion, Ak Bars began with a 5-1 home win; today it had to settle for four.

The playoffs arrived in Moscow as CSKA hosted Torpedo and Dynamo got started against city rival Spartak. And, in both cases, the home team came out on top. Continental Cup winner CSKA eased to a 3-0 verdict while Dynamo powered to a 5-1 derby win.

Playoff passions run high

Dynamo Moscow 5 Spartak Moscow 1 (1-0, 2-0, 2-1)

Dynamo leads the series 1-0

A local derby in the playoffs produced 125 penalty minutes. But if Spartak showed plenty of fight in its first encounter with Dynamo, the Blue-and-Whites produced the scoring to move to a convincing win.

Photo: 02.03.20. KHL Championship 2019-2020. Playoffs. Dynamo (Moscow) - Spartak (Moscow)

In past seasons, Spartak’s principle aim has been to reach the playoffs. This season, with Oleg Znarok behind the bench, sights are set a little higher. Last year, the Red-and-Whites gave SKA a scare at this stage and now, with one of the most titled coaches in the KHL to guide them, there was real hope that 2020 could continue with a victory over local rival Dynamo.

However, Vladimir Krikunov’s team had the edge over Spartak in regular season and boasted the KHL’s leading scorers in the form of Vadim Shipachyov and Dmitrij Jaskin. And the latter made the early breakthrough in this game, opening the scoring in the third minute. Andre Petersson was forced off the puck as he moved into the Spartak zone, but the defense could not hold possession and Jaskin pounced on the broken play to fire past Julius Hudacek.

The home team thought it had doubled its lead when Semyon Pankratov beat his man down the left and got to the doorstep before forcing the puck under Hudacek. However, Znarok challenged the play, citing goalie interference. And the coach got it right: replays showed that Pankratov encroached onto the paint before scoring and the goal was chalked off.

Instead, it was late in the second that we saw more scoring. This time, Dynamo grabbed two more goals – both scored by Petersson – to end Hudacek’s evening and give the Blue-and-Whites a commanding lead. A 5-on-3 power play early in the third helped Michal Cajkovsky make it 4-0 and the outcome was already clear.

However, the remainder of the game was dominated by a string of clashes that took the penalty count beyond 100 minutes. The bad blood started right after the disallowed goal, when Petersson and Evgeny Kulik exchanged heated points of view at the Spartak bench. And in the third period, the simmering conflict between the times bubbled over. Shipachyov was the first to cool his heels, taking 2+10 for a high hit. The next flashpoint saw Dynamo’s Andrei Alexeyev take a brief dance with Artyom Fyodorov, while Anton Zlobin collected a misconduct call for his reaction. A minute later, Spartak lost the services of two players as Maxim Goncharov and Alexander Nikishin were ejected from the game. Goncharov was guilty of a high hit, Nikishin then started a fight with Igor Polygalov. The Dynamo man also took a 5-minute major and Jaskin had a minor for roughing.

Tempers still ran high when Pankratov and Denis Kokarev clashed a couple of minutes later and it was several minutes before both teams finally got back to full strength. There was still time for two more goals – Anatoly Nikontsev robbing Dynamo veteran Alexander Yeryomenko of a shut-out before Vladimir Bryukvin completed the scoring for the home team. And, just before the hooter, a busy night for the officials concluded with another misconduct penalty as Alexander Khokhlachyov shared one opinion too many.

15^th playoff shut-out for Sorokin

CSKA Moscow 3 Torpedo Nizhny Novogorod (2-0, 1-0, 0-0)

CSKA leads the series 1-0

The defending champion made an assured start to its bid to retain the Gagarin Cup, blanking Torpedo to collect a 3-0 victory. For goalie Ilya Sorokin, 16 saves meant a 15^th playoff shut-out, setting a new KHL record.

Photo: 02.03.20. KHL Championship 2019-2020. Playoffs. CSKA (Moscow) - Torpedo (Nizhny Novgorod)

For Torpedo, head coach David Nemirovsky was clear that his team needed a fast start and needed to keep the puck moving to avoid getting steamrollered by the home offense. Unfortunately for him, the Army Men also set their alarms for this game and seized the initiative early on. Within eight minutes, CSKA led 2-0 and it was already difficult to see a way back for the visitor.

Mario Kempe had already spurned a glorious opening in front of Anders Lindbak, but the attack continued and Anton Slepyshev returned play to the Swede’s net with interest to open the scoring. Then Kempe found the net himself, a play that Lindbak will want to forget. The goalie seemed well placed to close the door beside the post, but the puck got away from him and allowed Kempe to swing around the back and score on the wraparound.

Torpedo refused to yield, but the desire to implement Nemirovsky’s game plan was not matched by an ability to wrest control of the action from CSKA. It was little surprise that the home team extended its lead early the second period, with Linden Vey making it 3-0.

Subsequently, CSKA could dictate play at will, while Torpedo saw Ty Rattie take a game misconduct late in the middle frame. He talked his way into trouble moments after a brilliant save to flick the puck of Torpedo’s goal line; elation at that success turned to frustration when he felt he was illegally halted on his advance towards Sorokin’s net and broke into anger that prompted the officials to send him to the locker room.

That playoff passion burned a little too brightly for Chay Genoway too in the third, with the defenseman taking a 10-minute misconduct tally as CSKA closed out the game with few alarms.

Barys, SKA, and Jokerit basically manhandled their opponents in Game 1 and Avangard didn’t have to put up much of a battle either in its 5-2 victory. How will Day 1’s losers react?

The next stage of the first round looks to add to the intrigue of Round 1 of the KHL playoffs!

16:30: Barys vs Metallurg

Series stand

Barys currently leads 1-0 (4-0 result in Game 1)

About the game

Pasquale has played 113:01 straight minutes of shutout hockey.

19:30: Avangard vs Salavat

Series stand

Avangard currently leads 1-0 (5-2 result in Game 1)

About the game

Omark has points in 3 straight games, going 1-3-4 over that span.

Manninen has points in 3 straight games, going 3-1-4 over that span.

Injury list

Avangard: Artyom Manukyan, Alexei Potapov, Alexander Sudnitsin, Maxim Chudinov

Salavat: Pyotr Khokhryakov, Alexei Kruchinin

Milestone alert

Goaltender Igor Bobkov is hoping to collect his 100th career KHL victory (currently at 99).

Defenseman Vyacheslav Voynov is hoping to suit up for his 200th career KHL game (currently at 199).

Forward Vyacheslav Solodukhin is hoping to suit up for his 400th career KHL game (currently at 399).

19:30: SKA vs Vityaz

Series stand

SKA currently leads 1-0 (6-1 result in Game 1)

About the game

Kuzmenko has points in 7 straight games, going 6-4-10 over that span.

Artyukhin has points in 3 straight games, going 0-3-3 over that span.

Injury list

Vityaz: Pavel Varfolomeyev, Alexander Semin, Pavel Vorobey

19:30: Jokerit vs Lokomotiv

Series stand

Jokerit currently leads 1-0 (6-0 result in Game 1)

About the game

Antti Niemi has played 113 straight minutes of shutout hockey.

Jensen has points in 3 straight games, going 2-3-5 over that span.

Injury list

Lokomotiv: Daniil Misyul

Milestone alert

Forward Mika Niemi is hoping to suit up for his 200th career KHL game (currently at 199).

It is difficult to imagine a better plot than the one unfolding in Russia this week—with reigning champions Agidel Ufa looking to defend their crown against the WHL’s newest arrivals, the KRS Vanke Rays of Shenzhen.

While only three points separated the first and second-place finishers of Russia’s Women’s Hockey League, Agidel claimed three of four regular season matchups against their Chinese rivals. What electrifies this post-season clash is the fact that both teams have rarely met at full-strength, adding an unfamiliar dimension to the WHL’s top rivalry.

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Публикация от Женская команда «Агидель» (@hcagidel_ufa)2 Мар 2020 в 4:14 PST

“Ufa is the most complete team in the WHL. They have three solid lines with plenty of fire power and high-end talent,” said Brian Idalski, head coach of the KRS Vanke Rays. “The defensive core is physical, but all of the defenders skate well and move the puck very well. In net, both goaltenders have proven that they can win in this league and could start in the finals. To top that all off, the core of their group has been together and knows what it takes to win a championship.” 

Ufa secured two decisive victories over Biryusa in the semifinals of the WHL Championship. Czech forward Alena Mills leads the playoff scoring race thus far, notching three assists and one goal in two games versus Krasnoyarsk. Olga Sosina scored twice in Ufa’s sweep, and defender Maria Batalova posted four assists. Ufa’s first line continues to churn out points as they have all season, a fitting match for the Vanke Rays’ star-studded top five.

U.S. Olympian Alex Carpenter delivered both goals in the Vanke Rays’ come-from-behind victory against Tornado in Game 1 of the semifinals. The second matchup—a 6-2 thrashing in Dmitrov—saw two goals from Megan Bozek and three assists from Leah Lum, with starting goaltender Kimberly Newell notching a victory in her first post-season start for the Vanke Rays.

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Публикация от Женская Хоккейная Лига (ЖХЛ) (@whl_ru)1 Мар 2020 в 7:52 PST

While both teams’ top lines have largely driven scoring in the regular season, Räty believes that the clash against Ufa may ultimately boil down to depth. 

“[Ufa] has one very good line and our first line is scoring most of the points, so they may eliminate each other and we’ll need more players to step up and score,”Räty said in an interview last month. “It will come down to who has the second or third line player that will contribute on the scoresheet.”

The Vanke Rays, on the other hand, are fighting for something beyond what can be determined on the ice—a dose of psychological rocket fuel entering the WHL’s final stages. Sporting patches and helmet stickers that read “Wuhan Strong” and “China Strong,” the Vanke Rays represent a glimmer of hope for their home country, which continues to battle against the devastating impact of the coronavirus.

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Публикация от Женская Хоккейная Лига (ЖХЛ) (@whl_ru)26 Фев 2020 в 9:17 PST

From decorated Olympians to exciting up-and-comers, the WHL Finals will showcase two rosters brimming with global talent. The first clashes will take place on March 6th, 7th and 11th, with additional games scheduled on the 12th and 15th if necessary. You can tune-in online from anywhere in the world, and the WHL will make streaming links available across their various social media platforms

International players always had a significant role in the KHL teams' success, and this year, they were no exception. From Finland to Canada and other top hockey countries, and not only, international players had a significant impact on the teams' performance. KHL.ru introduces the best imports of the regular season.

Czech Republic

Dmitrij Jaskin

F, Dynamo Moscow, 58 G, 63 (31+32) points, +34

When Dmitrij Jaskin joined Dynamo Moscow this summer, many were expecting a strong season, but probably not such an impact in his first season in the KHL. After scoring only one point in his first six games, Jaskin's production skyrocketed fast – he had nineteen multiple-point performance (including producing four points twice), scoring a total of 48 points. In the Feb. 15 7-6 OT win over Dinamo Riga, Jaskin posted his first and so far only hat-trick in the KHL, including the game-winner. Jaskin quickly became a fan favorite and formed a formidable one-two punch with Vadim Shipachyov – the two lead the league in scoring and pushed Dynamo Moscow up to the fourth rank in the Western Conference standings. The Blue-and-Whites will face Spartak in the playoffs, and much will depend on whether Znarok's side will be able to contain Dynamo's first line.

Canada

Linden Vey

F, CSKA Moscow, 52 G, 48 (13+35) points, +22

In his third season in the league, Linden Vey is confirming his position as one of the top international players in the KHL. Vey is in his second season as a member of CSKA as he was hired in the league by Barys. More a playmaker than a scorer, the 28-years-old native of Saskatchewan scored more than 30 helpers in each of his seasons in the KHL. Such productivity is quite a feat, even if he plays in one of the most stacked lineups in the league. Just for comparison sake, two-of his fellow countrymen from Canada like Justin Azevedo and Matt Ellison, two of the most prolific players ever in the KHL, had quiet seasons with less than 30 points. But Vey was amazing once again, leading all CSKA forwards not only in assists but also in faceoffs percentage and passing accuracy. Vey is expected to lead the Red Army in the playoffs as well.

United States

Brian O'Neill

F, Jokerit, 56 G, 48 (19+29) points, +17

American forward Jordan Schroeder also had an excellent season in Nizhny Novgorod (41 points in 60 games). Still, ultimately Brian O'Neill scored more, had a better plus/minus, and played for a better-placed team and deserved the award. In his fourth season in the league and Helsinki, the native of Pennsylvania developed in one of Jokerit's most-lethal weapons. Last year, O'Neill scored more points with 58, but this season he set a career-high with 19 goals and further cemented his position as one of the most dangerous players in the Western Conference. An agile and explosive skater, O'Neill also lead all Jokerit forwards in average time on ice and game-winning goals. The American forward already appeared on the scoresheet when Jokerit easily defeated Lokomotiv in the first postseason showdown.

Finland

Mikko Lehtonen

D, Jokerit, 60 G, 49 (17+32) points, +26

Defensemen rarely lead their teams in scoring, but sometimes it happens, like this year with Mikko Lehtonen and Jokerit. The Finnish defenseman had an extraordinary 2019-20 campaign, and the fifth-ever most point scored in a season for a blueliner, surpassing Kirill Koltsov's 48 points in 2014-15. It was also the second all-time best for a Finnish player in the KHL, only one point shy of Esa Pirnes' 50 points with Atlant in the inaugural season of the league; and the third all-time best for Jokerit in the KHL, trailing last year's 58 points by O'Neill and Steve Moses' 57 in 2014-15. But numbers alone can't tell how big of a role Lehtinen had for his team. He was nothing short than incredible and already scored three points in the first playoff game against Lokomotiv.

Sweden

Linus Omark

F, Salavat Yulaev, 59 G, 54 (12+42) points, -1

The Swedish wizard had another strong season, trailing only Vadim Shipachyov for assists and tieing his record with 42 helpers, established in the 2016-17 season. Linus Omark is Salavat Yulaev's all-time scorer in the KHL, with a total of 328 (85+243) points in 341 games, including the postseason. On Oct. 1, in a home game against Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, Omark had one goal and three assists for his eighth game in the KHL with at least four points scored (he had five points twice). His +4 rating was a record for him that night. If that's not enough, Omark also led Salavat Yulaev in average time on ice (trailing only Dinamo Minsk's Ryan Spooner by one second in the overall rankings). Salavat Yulaev didn't start the playoffs well, but Omark had two points as the Bashkirian side lost 2-5 to Avangard in game one of the playoffs.

Switzerland

Sven Andrighetto

F, Avangard, 56 G, 27 (13+14) points, +2

Not many Swiss players get to play in the KHL, but Sven Andrighettо's signing was a positive one for Avangard. The Swiss international had a strong first season in the KHL, scoring north of 25 points and demonstrating a solid adaptation to both Hartley's hockey and his new country. The 26-years-old native of the Canton of Bern started scoring right away and also posted the game-winning goal in the Jan. 28 game against Neftekhimik with a deceiving shot from the blue line that caught Barulin off guard. Andrighetto will return even stronger next year as this summer he inked a two-year deal with the Omsk franchise. Right now, the Swiss and the Hawks are busy with the postseason's first round against Salavat Yulaev.

Germany

Brooks Macek

F, Avtomobilist, 61 G, 46 (24+22) points, -3

In his first year in the league, Brooks Macek managed to establish a record for single-season scoring by a German player, beating Felix Schutz's 2013-14 campaign in Vladivostok. The native of Winnipeg, who plays for the German national team since the 2015-16 season, was the fourth goal-scorer this time around, with 24 goals – one more than Teemu Pulkkinen and Lukas Sedlak. Avtomobilist's season had a few ups and downs, but Macek was constantly one of the top scorers for the Ural franchise. Under his belt, he can boast six doubles and ten multi-point games in the season. Macek and Avtomobilist are currently trailing Sibir Novosibirsk in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Both series are level at one game apiece after two intriguing games on Tuesday. First, Metallurg responded to its 0-4 loss in game one with a 3-0 victory over Barys, tying the scores before the teams head to Magnitogorsk. Then Avangard and Salavat Yulaev took us to the first overtime of post season before Dmitry Kugryshev grabbed a winner for the visitor to level it up ahead of Thursday’s action in Ufa.

Late drama lifts Salavat Yulaev

Avangard Omsk 2 Salavat Yulaev 3 OT (0-0, 1-1, 1-1, 0-1)

Series tied at 1-1

There was high drama in Balashikha as Salavat Yulaev hauled itself level in this series in the most spectacular fashion. Avangard looked poised to take a 2-0 lead in the series until one last charge saw the visitor save itself with a tying goal six seconds from the hooter. Then, in overtime, Dmitry Kugryshev scored a spectacular winner. In the space of less than eight minutes of game time, Tuesday’s encounter – and perhaps the entire series – changed direction dramatically.

Photo: 03.03.20. KHL Championship 2019-2020. Playoffs. Avangard (Omsk) - Salavat Yulaev (Ufa)

The visitor dominated the first period, with Igor Bobkov called on for several big saves. Perhaps the pick of the bunch came when Alexander Burmistrov sent Ilya Krikunov beyond the defense for a rendezvous with the goalie, only to be denied the best chance of a goal in the opening frame.

Instead, the game was deadlocked until the midway stage, when the visitor got in front. Linus Omark won his battle on the boards, went behind the net and popped up a feed for Grigory Panin to open the scoring. But the lead was shortlived, with Avangard tying it up just 26 seconds later. Cody Franson saw his shot hit the post but the rebound went straight to Semyon Koshelev to make it 1-1.

Midway through the third period, Avangard got in front. Another assist from Franson saw Pavel Dedunov produce a masterful finish on the backhand from the tightest of angles. He squeezed the puck past Juha Metsola in a manner worthy of winning any game – but it was not to be on this occasion.

Salavat Yulaev took the gamble: Metsola left his net with almost two minutes on the clock as Nikolai Tsulygin’s team looked to launch a final, decisive assault on Bobkov’s net. And, with six seconds left to play, the charge yielded a game-saving goal. Krikunov fired a shot through traffic, Igor Bobkov got behind it but could not freeze the puck and Sakari Manninen was on hand to jump into the play and slot home a tying goal.

Overtime, the first in this year’s playoffs, saw Ufa have the better of things. A penalty on Alexei Emelin put Avangard under pressure and even after he returned to the ice the visitor continued to dictate the play. Then came Kugryshev. His rush down the left saw his initial attempt to get the puck to the net thwarted by a home defenseman. But when the forward regained possession, he abandoned his original plan of setting up a team-mate and whipped in a shot from an even tighter angle than Dedunov’s earlier effort. And this time, it was enough to win the game and send us to Ufa with the series all square.

Revamped Metallurg grabs revenge win

Barys Nur-Sultan 0 Metallurg Magnitogorsk 3 (0-0, 0-3, 0-0)

Series tied at 1-1

Metallurg bounced back immediately following its heavy loss in game one, squaring the series with an impressive shut-out win over Barys. After Sunday’s disappointing start, Ilya Vorobyov reorganized his team’s offense. Crucially, he found new partners for Sergei Mozyakin after Magnitka’s record-breaking forward failed to trouble Eddie Pasquale with a single shot in game one. The captain took to the ice alongside Nikolai Kulemin and Andrei Loktionov; Tomas Filippi and Andrej Nestrasil moved to the second and third lines respectively.

Photo: 03.03.20. KHL Championship 2019-2020. Playoffs. Barys (Nur-Sultan) - Metallurg (Magnitogorsk)

That reshuffle paid dividends – eventually. The first period was a tight affair. Mozyakin was still struggling to make an impact and the closest we came to a goal was a Linus Videll shot during a passage of four-on-four play. He beat Vasily Koshechkin, but not Nikita Pivtsakin: the defenseman got back to clear the puck away from danger. Towards the end of the frame, Magnitka also had to kill a 3-on-5 situation and the visitor did not get back to full strength until the 22^nd minute.

And, in 5-on-5 play, the Steelmen got the breakthrough. Nestrasil opened the scoring with a thunderbolt that ended Pasquale’s unbeaten sequence after 137 minutes, 41 seconds. Barys claimed offside but the review upheld the on-ice decision and the home team faced a delaying the game penalty. That penalty was seen off, but soon afterwards Mozyakin repeated Nestrasil’s feat to double the lead. Youngster Artyom Minulin picked up his second assist of the game on that play – and the second point of his fledgling KHL career.

Then came a 5-on-3 power play for Magnitka and a sudden reunion of that Filippi-Mozyakin-Nestrasil line. Now Mozyakin turned provider, spraying out a fine pass from the corner for Nestrasil to shoot home his second of the game.

Barys switched goalies in the second intermission and Henrik Karlsson denied Mozyakin a second goal when he foiled a solo rush. At the other end, Koshechkin secured his 81^st KHL shut-out tanks to a magnificent stick save to deny Yegor Petukhov from point-blank range. The series moves on to Magnitogorsk with everything to play for.

Jokerit has started its playoff campaign with a real statement of intent: two wins, 11 goals scored and just one allowed. Tuesday brought a 5-1 win over Lokomotiv to put the Finns in control of the series before heading to Yaroslavl for game three on Thursday. SKA also has a 2-0 lead, but had a more difficult evening against Vityaz before edging a 4-3 scoreline.

Free-scoring Finns impress in Helsinki

Jokerit Helsinki 5 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 1 (3-0, 1-1, 1-0)

Jokerit leads the series 2-0

A second big victory for Jokerit put the Finns in control of their first-round playoff series against Lokomotiv. After winning 6-0 in the opener on Sunday, Jokerit scored four without reply early in this game, making it 10 unanswered goals in total and paving the way for another convincing margin. Lokomotiv recovered somewhat and scored its first goal of the series thanks to Magnus Paajarvi Svensson, but Mike Pelino and his team face a big task to turn this one around when the action moves to Yaroslavl on Thursday.

Photo: 03.03.20. KHL Championship 2019-2020. Playoffs. Jokerit (Helsinki) - Lokomotiv (Yaroslavl)

Jokerit made a couple of changes to its roster for this one, with Janis Kalnins taking over goaltending duties from Antti Niemi and defenseman Alex Grant returning to the team. Loko, despite its heavy loss in the opening game, also made minimal changes. Ilya Konovalov continued after replacing Alexander Lazushin partway through Sunday’s game, while Alexander Polunin came into the line-up as the 13^th attacker.

It didn’t take long for the home team to continue where it left off in Sunday’s game. Inside the first two minutes, Jokerit opened the scoring when Antti Pihlstrom won a face-off and Marko Anttila collected the puck and fired home a shot from the top of the circle to beat Konovalov. The visiting goalie’s view of the shot may have been obscured by his own team-mate.

Midway through the frame, the first penalties of the night left the teams playing 4-on-4. Jokerit took advantage of the extra space, with Brian O’Neill breaking forward and setting up David Sklenicka for a shot from the left-hand dot to make it 2-0. And O’Neill got his second point of the game when he teed up Sami Lepisto for a slap shot that bounced through Konovalov’s defenses to end the goalie’s evening in the 16^th minute. With a shot count of 16-3 in the home team’s favor, this game was in danger of turning even more one-sided than the first.

Incoming goalie Lazushin was beaten early in the second period when Saku Maenalanen reacted fastest to a big rebound in front of the Loko net. The visitor finally got on the scoreboard – its first goal of the game and the series – in the 27^th minute when Magnus Paajarvi Svensson got his stick to a Stephane Da Costa feed and steered it past Kalnins.

However, there was no sign of a fightback from the Railwaymen. The home defense was too strong to allow good chances for Loko to reduce the deficit, even as the visitor looked to raise the tempo in the third period. Late in the game, a power play chance saw Lazushin called to the bench as Pelino set up a 6-on-4 play in search of a way back into the game; instead the action ended as it began with Anttila and Pihlstrom combining for another goal.

Vityaz gives SKA a scare

SKA St. Petersburg 4 Vityaz Moscow Region 3 (0-1, 4-0, 0-2)

SKA leads the series 2-0

After an emphatic 6-1 victory in the opening game, SKA might have hoped that it had dealt a blow to the team spirit of its opponent. Vityaz, always an outsider in this series, seemed to be overpowered at the end of that game and faced a big task to pick itself up in time to make a fight of things in game two.

Photo: 03.03.20. KHL Championship 2019-2020. Playoffs. SKA (St.Petersburg) - Vityaz (Moscow Region)

However, the Podolsk team showed plenty of heart to push SKA all the way in this game. Despite coming up short and heading to home ice with a 0-2 deficit in the series, Vityaz demonstrated that it can make a contest of this quarter-final pairing.

It started with a big first-period display. Vityaz went undaunted into the arena, took the game to SKA and got its reward when Quinton Howden wired a shot from out wide past Alexander Samonov in the home net midway through the frame. The lead lasted until the intermission, long enough to raise some questions about SKA’s ability to get back into the game.

Those questions were answered resoundingly in the second stanza as the home team shot home four unanswered goals. Sergei Plotnikov converted the first power play of the game to tie the scores in the 23^rd minute, firing an Igor Ozhiganov feed into a gaping net. Midway through the session, Evgeny Ketov slipped the puck through Ilya Ezhov’s five hole as he stood on the doorstep. That put SKA in front, and a couple of minutes later the youngsters extended the lead when Kirill Marchenko set up Vasily Podkolzin for his first playoff goal. A beautifully-worked power play combination saw Joonas Kemppainen make it 4-1 before the second break, and that seemed to be the end for Vityaz.

However, that was far from the end of the story. Despite an unpromising situation, Vityaz took the battle to SKA once more. Midway through the third, Howden potted his second of the game when he grabbed the puck and advanced to unleash a shot not dissimilar to his opening goal. An unlikely fightback became far more real three minutes later when captain Alexei Makeyev gleefully slammed the puck home after Daniil Pylenkov’s shot prompted pinball on Samonov’s crease.

It wasn’t quite enough to save the game; SKA closed out the remaining minutes and even came close to adding a fifth when Kemppainen hit the post. But the Army Men came off the ice knowing that they had been in a real battle and head coach Alexei Kudashov was quick to remind his players that, regardless of the situation in the game or the series, there is no scope for relaxation when the playoffs come around.

Ak Bars, CSKA, and Dynamo Moscow maintained their role as favorites with rather clear Game 1 victories, but banged up Avtomobilist still couldn’t find a way to beat Sibir, as had been the case for most of the regular season.

Will teams be able to level the playing field against the favorites?

17:00: Avtomobilist vs Sibir

Series stand

Sibir currently leads the series 1-0 (2-0 result in Game 1)

About the game

Sharov has points in 3 straight games, going 1-2-3 over that span.

Sateri has played 87:23 straight minutes of shutout hockey.

Injury list

Avtomobilist: Nikolai Stasenko, Denis Bodrov, Anatoli Golyshev, Pavel Datsyuk

Sibir: Viktor Komarov, Alexander Torchenyuk

Milestone alert

Defensemen Alexander Loginov and Oleg Piganovich are each hoping to collect their respective 100th career KHL assist (currently at 99).

19:30: CSKA vs Torpedo

Series stand

CSKA currently leads 1-0 (3-0 result in Game 1)

About the game

Sorokin has played 139:59 straight minutes of shutout hockey.

Kaprizov has points in 6 straight games, going 8-4-12 over that span.

Slepyshev has points in 6 straight games, going 3-8-11 over that span.

Injury list

CSKA: Ivan Telegin

Torpedo: Anton Volchenkov

Milestone alert

Forward Mario Kempe is hoping to suit up for his 200th career KHL game (currently at 199).

19:30: Dynamo Moscow vs Spartak Moscow

Series stand

Dynamo Moscow currently leads 1-0 (5-1 result in Game 1)

About the game

Bryukvin has points in 3 straight games, going 2-1-3 over that span.

Pulkkinen has points in 3 straight games, going 1-2-3 over that span.

Injury list

Dynamo Moscow: Sergei Boikov

Spartak Moscow: Nikita Bespalov, Tobias Viklund, Maxim Goncharov

Milestone alert

Forward Daniil Apalkov is hoping to collect his 200th career KHL point (currently at 199).

Forward Andre Petersson is hoping to suit up for his 300th career KHL game (currently at 299).

Forward Vadim Shipachyov is hoping to collect his 450th career KHL assist (currently at 449).

Defenseman Ivan Vishnevsky is hoping to suit up for his 500th career KHL game (currently at 499).

19:30: Ak Bars vs Neftekhimik

Series stand

Ak Bars currently leads 1-0 (4-1 result in Game 1)

About the game

Galiyev has points in 5 straight games, going 2-8-10 over that span.

Injury list

Ak Bars: Danis Zaripov, Kristian Khenkel

Neftekhimik: Pavel Padakin

Milestone alert

Forward Viktor Tikhonov is hoping to collect his 100th career KHL assist (currently at 99).

Forward Pavel Poryadin is hoping to suit up for his 200th career KHL game (currently at 199).

KHL.ru's weekly 'Man of the Week' series goes on with Jokerit's veteran goaltender, at his first season in the league.

Antti Niemi is one of the most experienced players in the team and is always ready to help Jokerit in the most challenging times. Recently, the team's starting goalie Janis Kalnins was sidelined with an injury, and Niemi had to step up and play several games in a row. The Finn side won three of these games, including a critical victory in the first postseason game against Lokomotiv, when Niemi earned a 17-save shutout. This is a great accomplishment, as Jokerit celebrated on social media and the third time that a newly-signed goalie records a shutout in his debut game in the postseason after Kari Lehtonen in 2002 and Jan Lasak in 2011. It wasn't an easy season for the veteran, who returned to Europe after spending the latest 11 seasons in North America (if excluding the shortened 2012-13 lockout season). "You won't find a guy humbler than him in our locker room,"Marko Anttila said KHL.ru about the netminder. "He has seen everything in hockey. We all understand how hard he works every day and his attitude. He's not having his best season, but we're trying to help him, and we hope that the win in game-one will help him as well."

Early years

Antti Niemi was born in Vantaa, a city in Finland close to Helsinki – the same town that produced his teammate Antti Pihlstrom and Dynamo Moscow's Teemu Pulkkinen, among the others. He paid his dues in the junior leagues, then spent three years with Kiekko-Vantaa's first team in the Finnish second league – where he famously served as a part-time Zamboni driver – before moving up joining Pelicans Lahti in 2005. Niemi will spend the next three seasons backstopping the Pelicans with great numbers but failing in winning the title. However, his reliable play was enough to convince the Chicago Blackhawks to sign him as an undrafted free agent.

Move to America

After spending most of his first season overseas in the AHL, Niemi was an excellent asset for the Blackhawks in 2009-10, when he played 22 postseason games and became the first Finnish goalie to win the Stanley Cup. After winning the title in Chicago, Niemi then spent five seasons in San Jose, where he was the undisputed starting goaltender. In his fourth season with the Sharks, Niemi was also called to represent Finland at the Sochi Winter Olympics, when he won a bronze medal serving as third-string goalie. In 2015-16, past his prime in the NHL, he moved to Dallas, then changed another three teams and finished his career overseas with one season and a half in Montreal. In his career, Niemi has appeared in 531 NHL games (464 in the regular season, and 67 in the playoffs), with 38 shutouts.

Back to Europe

After all these years in the NHL, Niemi decided to get back home and signing with Jokerit, inking a one-year deal announced by the Finnish side together with Sami Lepisto's prolongation. In his first year in the league, the 36-years-old goalie appeared in 19 regular-season games and won his first playoff clash with a 17-save shutout. However, Jokerit gave the second game in the series to his colleague Janis Kalnins, just back from an injury. Jokerit is now up 2-0 in the series, and considering its success in the regular season, they should be able to go through. After going from being a part-time Zamboni driver to Stanley Cup triumph, winning the Gagarin Cup would be the icing on the cake for the veteran netminder.

In the episode 17 Igor Eronko discusses with his guest Andrei Osadchenko all the pairs of the first round of Gagarin Cup playoffs.

The presenter is renowned hockey journalist Igor Yeronko of Sport Express. His guest for the 17th show was Andrei Osadchenko. You can listen to Icecast via Soundcloud.

00:38-05:42 CSKA is in its own league, looking to beat Torpedo

05:43-07:31 Vityaz lost Alex Semin and it hurts facing SKA

07:32-13:03 Jokerit and Lokomotiv should have a long series

13:04-18:24 Moscow rivalry with a lot of heat

18:25-22:29 Tatarstan’s rivalry with Ak Bars as an older brother

22:30-25:29 Barys against Metallurg

25:30-30:42 2019 Eastern conference finals rematch

30:43-38:33 All Russian series between Avtomobilist and Sibir

Both series in the East go on the road tonight with a 2-0 margin. But while Ak Bars is living up to its seeding as it takes control of the Tatarstan derby against Neftekhimik, Sibir is riding some fine goaltending from Harri Sateri to head home with a commanding advantage. The Finn recorded his second shut-out of the playoffs to secure an overtime win for the Siberians at Avtomobilist.

Sateri blanks Avto again

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 0 Sibir Novosibirsk 1 OT (0-0, 0-0, 0-0, 0-1)

Sibir leads the series 2-0

Life in the playoffs is going well for Sibir goalie Harri Sateri. The Finn continued his unbeaten streak with a second successive shut-out victory and has now gone 133 minutes of post season without allowing a goal. It’s a big contrast with his previous playoff campaign, back in 2017 with Vityaz, where he lost all four of his games and finished with an unhappy GAA of 5.52 after a tough series against SKA.

Photo: 04.03.20. KHL Championship 2019-2020. Playoffs. Avtomobilist (Yekaterinburg) - Sibir (Novosibirsk Region)

Today he built on the 37 saves he made in Monday’s opening game, stopping a further 48 shots to win this goaltending duel against Jakub Kovar. And, if there was an element of fortune about Monday’s shut-out, with Avtomobilist hitting both posts and ringing the crossbar, today’s game brought greater defensive assurance from both teams.

The first period, in particular, was cautious. Neither team was eager to take risks early in the game and, unusually, there was more menace when the teams were at equal strength than when either team got on the power play. Both sides produced careful, disciplined defense on the PK to limit the opportunities at either end of the ice.

In the second, chances started to flow. Nikita Korotkov tested Kovar in a one-on-one break, the Motormen responded with several well-worked combinations, each let down by the final shot. Midway through the frame both goalies were busy. Korotkov made another solo raid but Kovar stopped that effort and launched an immediate counter attack. Sateri snuffed out that chance and Sibir took the puck back down the ice before flashing an effort across the face of Kovar’s net.

As the game progressed, Avtomobilist had a noticeable edge in terms of shots on goal, but the closest attempt came from Sibir’s Danil Romantsev. His backhand shot hit the post but, once again, neither team could find the net. The third period, with both teams aware that the first goal was likely to be the last, brought a return to the more cautious hockey of the opening frame. Avtomobilist showed great desire to hunt the puck anywhere on the ice; Sibir defended deep and let its opponent tire itself with all that skating, but almost abandoned any attempt to create chances of its own.

Sateri remained masterful, taking control of the action in front of his net and finding the answer to dangerous shots from further afield. And, as the game went into overtime, Sibir began to create more. Juuso Puustinen tested Kovar in the first minute of the extras, Romantsev got on the end of an odd man rush but could not beat the Czech. The deadlock was broken at last in the 74^th minute when Kovar blocked a Jukka Peltola shot with his pads and Mikael Ruohomaa pounced on the rebound to give Sibir a 2-0 lead in the series as the action heads to Novosibirsk on Friday.

Second big win for Ak Bars

Ak Bars Kazan 5 Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 1 (3-1, 2-0, 0-0)

Ak Bars leads the series 2-0

Ak Bars heads to Nizhnekamsk in a powerful position in this Eastern Conference quarter-final series. Dmitry Kvartalnov’s team recorded a second convincing victory of the series, and Matthew Frattin scored his third goal in two games to lead his team.

Photo: 04.03.20. KHL Championship 2019-2020. Playoffs. Ak Bars (Kazan) - Neftekhimik (Nizhnekamsk)

However, the Eastern Conference leader from regular season did not have it all its own way. Neftekhimik grabbed an early lead in this game when Pavel Kulikov reacted fastest to a rebound in front of Timur Bilyalov and stuffed the puck home. It was just the start the visitor needed after its 1-4 loss in game one, but there was little chance for Vyacheslav Butsayev’s team to build on that foundation.

Instead, Ak Bars roared onto the attack and began piling up the pressure on Alexander Sharychenkov’s net. Six minutes in, the pressure paid off with Artyom Lukoyanov squeezing home a shot from a tight angle to tie the game. Then came Dmitry Voronkov, the 19-year-old forward, scrambling home his first playoff goal as legs and sticks tumbled across the Neftekhimik crease. A bench challenge found no goalie interference; true, Viktor Tikhonov collided with Sharychenkov, but he was pushed onto the paint by Zack Mitchell. Barely a minute later, the visitor made the mistake of backing off Frattin as he advanced on goal and the Canadian needed no second invitation to shoot. His wrister from between the hash marks was too good for Sharychenkov and Ak Bars had a comfortable 3-1 lead.

As the first period drew to its end, Kulikov was back in the spotlight – but for less happy reasons. He found himself on the receiving end of a mighty hit from Roman Rukavishnikov and was sent sprawling onto the Ak Bars bench.

In the middle session, Ak Bars deployed an active forecheck that halted Neftekhimik’s attempts to set up its offense. And the home time continued to pose a serious threat on the counter attack. Stanislav Galiyev added a fourth with a powerful one-timer before Justin Azevedo potted the prettiest goal of the night when he tormented Sharychenkov to make it 5-1. That was the goalie’s last action of the night, and the last scoring of the game. Ak Bars went one better than its previous 4-1 victory in this series and can look forward to the short trip across Tatarstan buoyed by a 2-0 lead over its neighbor.

CSKA got a second shut-out win over Torpedo to take control of its quarter-final series. Then, the Moscow derby, Dynamo came from behind to earn a second victory over Spartak and head across town with a 2-0 lead.

Repeat performance for the Army Men

CSKA Moscow 3 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 0 (2-0, 0-0, 1-0)

CSKA leads the series 2-0

Forty-eight hours earlier, CSKA defeated Torpedo 3-0 to make an assured start to its Gagarin Cup defense. Today, proving it was no fluke, Igor Nikitin’s team repeated that scoreline. Ilya Sorokin continued in goal and increased his record tally of playoff shut-outs to 17 after he made 19 more saves in this game. Torpedo once again found it hard to generate offense and faces an uphill battle as the series moves to Nizhny Novgorod on Friday.

Photo: 04.03.20. KHL Championship 2019-2020. Playoffs. CSKA (Moscow) - Torpedo (Nizhny Novgorod)

The pattern of play was not dissimilar to the first game either. Alert to Torpedo’s wish to assert its authority early in proceedings, CSKA again looked for a fast start. There was a blip when Sergei Kalinin took a first-minute penalty, but the home PK did its job with a minimum of fuss and once back to equal strength the Army Men steadily assumed control of the game. The first goal wasn’t long in coming; Nikita Nesterov’s long pass from his own blue line sprang the Torpedo defense and Pavel Karnaukhov skated through all alone to open the scoring.

Torpedo responded with a couple of half chances, but Sorokin gobbled up attempts from Damir Zhafyarov and Drew Shore. Then Shore found himself in the box and CSKA duly converted its first power play of the game when Anton Slepyshev served up a dish for Mikhail Grigorenko to make it 2-0 in the 15^th minute. Frustratingly for the visitor, it was playing competitive hockey in the first period. Torpedo did a good job of limiting CSKA’s scoring chances and enjoyed plenty of time with the puck, However, it could not find a way to solve Sorokin and, in truth, struggled to turn possession into good looks at the home goalie. And thus, as the hooter sounded, David Nemirovsky’s team faced a difficult task to find a way back into the game.

That task was even harder after the middle session. Not because CSKA added to its lead, but because the home team could diligently extinguish those sparks of hope. Torpedo was limited to just four shots at Sorokin and now it was the Army Men that enjoyed the lion’s share of the attacking play. Even the third period, with Torpedo looking to force the pace, was always evenly matched. The visitor found it hard to generate good chances and could not even get goalie Andrei Tikhomirov off the ice until the dying seconds. It rather summed up the visitor’s day when its final surge saw Sorokin stop the puck, Slepyshev pick up the scraps and Kirill Kaprizov head away to score into the empty net.

Spartak stunned by Dynamo’s dramatic fightback

Dynamo Moscow 4 Spartak Moscow 3 (0-1, 1-0, 3-2)

Dynamo leads the series 2-0

For much of this game, Spartak seemed set fair to tie the series. Before the action began, many expected this Moscow derby to go the distance as two familiar foes battled it out once again. And this game, for long periods, showed why there isn’t so much to choose between the teams. But, instead of Spartak holding on for a victory that would tie it up at 1-1, Dynamo produced a late surge to turn this one upside down and win it with three goals in the last four minutes.

Photo: 04.03.20. KHL Championship 2019-2020. Playoffs. Dynamo (Moscow) - Spartak (Moscow)

Game one of the series was a bruising affair, generating 125 penalty minutes and a four-game ban for Spartak’s Maxim Goncharov as Dynamo picked up a convincing 5-1 victory. For the Red-and-Whites, the pain was not just physical; a heavy derby loss demanded a big response and Oleg Znarok’s team worked hard to provide just that. Goncharov was just one of four players dropped from the line-up and the visitor started on the front foot.

The strategy paid off. Ansel Galimov, a former Dynamo player, opened the scoring in the fifth minute and Spartak continued to enjoy the better of the play throughout the first period. At the start of the second, the Red-and-Whites were close to extending their lead but, instead, got hit on a counter midway through the session. Goalscorer Galimov was guilty of an error in his own zone, gifting the puck to Vadim Shipachyov, and the top scorer in regular season capitalized to bring Dynamo level.

However, a penalty on Dynamo late in the session put a cloud over a good middle frame for the home team – and the cloud delivered its downpour at the start of the third when Patrik Hersley unleashed a thunderbolt to restore Spartak’s lead just as Kirill Lyamin stepped out of the box. Home coach Vladimir Krikunov had angry words for his team, Spartak looked to hold its lead until the bitter end and was doing a good job of keeping Dynamo at bay until ill-discipline put a hole in Znarok’s tactics.

Two penalties in the space of a minute presented Dynamo with a 5-on-3 advantage just as time seemed to be running out. Shipachyov was the man for the moment, converting the power play to tie the scores. The home crowd’s relief turned to delight 90 seconds later when Spartak was caught out changing on the fly and Andre Petersson raced through to make it 3-2. There was more to come. Mikhail Grigoryev scored into an empty net to put the game out of reach, but Robin Hanzl got a late consolation for Spartak with just six seconds on the clock. An empty gesture, or a warning shot as the action moves across Moscow? Game three on Friday will bring us some answers.

SKA and Jokerit hit the road in cruise control. In fact, Jokerit has outscored Lokomotiv 11-1 thus far in the first two games. How can Lokomotiv possibly come back from that?

Elsewhere, both Metallurg and Salavat head home with the series tied thanks to important Game 2 victories. Game 3 will surely show how much of an impact those wins had on Barys and Avangard respectively!

17:00: Metallurg vs Barys

Series stand

Series is tied 1-1

Game 1: 4-0 win for Barys

Game 2: 3-0 win for Metallurg

About the game

Koshechkin has played 60:48 straight minutes of shutout hockey.

Milestone alert

Forward Yevgeni Timkin is hoping to suit up for his 100th career KHL playoff game (currently at 99).

17:00: Salavat vs Avangard

Series stand

Series is tied 1-1

Game 1: 5-2 win for Avangard

Game 2: 3-2 OT win for Salavat

About the game

Omark has points in 4 straight games, going 1-5-6 over that span.

Manninen has points in 4 straight games, going 4-1-5 over that span.

Hartikainen has points in 3 straight games, going 1-2-3 over that span.

Semenov has points in 3 straight games, going 2-2-4 over that span.

Franson has points in 3 straight games, going 0-6-6 over that span.

Injury list

Salavat: Alexei Kruchinin

Avangard: Artyom Manukyan, Alexander Sudnitsin, Maxim Chudinov

Milestone alert

Goaltender Igor Bobkov is hoping to collect his 100th career KHL victory (currently at 99).

19:00: Lokomotiv vs Jokerit

Series stand

Jokerit currently leads 2-0

Game 1: 6-0 win for Jokerit

Game 2: 5-1 win for Jokerit

About the game

Antti Niemi has played 106:02 straight minutes of shutout hockey.

Lehtonen has points in 3 straight games, going 2-3-5 over that span.

Injury list

Lokomotiv: Daniil Misyul

Jokerit: Henri Ikonen

Milestone alert

Forward Mika Niemi is hoping to suit up for his 200th career KHL game (currently at 199).

Forward Petri Kontiola is hoping to suit up for his 100th career KHL game (currently at 99).

19:30: Vityaz vs SKA

Series stand

SKA currently leads 2-0

Game 1: 6-1 win for SKA

Game 2: 4-3 win for SKA

About the game

Ozhiganov has points in 3 straight games, going 3-0-3.

Injury list

Vityaz: Pavel Varfolomeyev, Alexander Semin, Pavel Vorobey

Kunlun Red Star was involved in the race for a playoff place until its final game of the season, but fell just short of reaching the top eight in the East. Head coach Curt Fraser summed up his first full season in China in an interview for KHL.ru.

Despite falling short of a playoff place, this season was a step forward for the Dragons. Fraser’s first full campaign at the club almost secured a return to post season for only the second time in Red Star’s history. At the same time, there was a greater input from the team’s Chinese heritage players – a key part of the club’s remit as the country prepares for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. And Fraser is already looking forward to next season after agreeing an extension to his contract in the People’s Republic.

‘We’ve taken a really big step up this season’

What are you biggest impressions from your first full season with Kunlun Red Star?

I’ve learned a lot in this first season coaching this team. A lot about the players, the style of play needed to be successful in this league, about dealing with the travel, with the challenges that come with living in China. I’ve seen the competitiveness of the league, the CSKAs and SKAs. It’s been an amazing experience, something that will help all of our guys in the future.

It’s all about experience in this league. This season we had 15 first-year players on our team, and a first-year coach. But we’re playing against teams, against players and coaches that might have eight to 12 years experience. I’m glad I got this first year in, I’ve learned a lot and I think it will really help our future as we look to build a successful team.

Preparing a team to represent China at the Olympics in 2022 is a big part of what the club is trying to do. How do you feel the Chinese players on the team are developing?

It’s developing well. I think there was only one Chinese heritage player in the first year but now, in our fourth year, I believe we have 12 or 13. And look at the guys. Over the years, the heritage guys have been good players but we’ve really taken a big step up this season. Tyler Wong coming over has had a tremendous first year, Spencer Foo has done an absolutely great job, Werek has been around, maybe for short stints or whatever but I think he’s found his game here in the KHL. He can be a big contributor in the future. And I think Cory Kane continues to improve; we’re looking for big things out of Cory in the future.

Luke Lockhart has been here for a few years. Last year he seemed to come out of his shell a little and this year he’s stepped up to become a very valuable part of our hockey club. Adding Garet Hunt, a physical presence, has been very good for us. Brandon Magee played in the VHL most of the year, but he stepped up here and shown that he can be a valuable piece to our hockey team. We didn’t see Alex Riche this year, he’s been injured but I think in the future he will be another very good Chinese heritage player.

Then you look at Brandon Yip, he continues to be a strong leader for our group and at the back Vic Bartley has been a warrior for this hockey club all year. I think that Jason Fram, coming out of college, needed to get that year in the VHL and spend a year here to get his game to where it needs to be. Zach Yuen continues to work hard. He had that injury and it put him back a year, but he’ll be much better. Mikael Tam did some good things for us early in the season. There’s a lot of Chinese heritage kids who gained some valuable experience with us this year and hopefully that will stand them in good stead for the future.

You mentioned Luke. Is it fair to say that this season he has really matured while playing alongside Tyler Wong and Spencer Foo?

It is just that Luke Lockhart continues to earn his keep here, he earns the spots that he’s been put into. Its not like he fell into it by accident. He started early in the year as a checking forward and then he progressed into having a good touch offensively. Now he’s used in both roles. He’s not only a good 5-on-5 responsible player. He can kick in on the offense, he’s an excellent penalty killer and we even use him on the power play now. And then he’s our top face-off guy. This kid has earned the right to be put into a position on the top two lines and he continues to improve which is the really nice thing about him. He’s not finished yet. Next year we’re looking for even bigger things out of Luke Lockhart and he’s only going to get better.

I think we’ve got a really good group now. They love each other, they like playing together. Now we just have to improve the pieces. We’ve got a good base, now we’ve got to work to upgrade everything a little bit more so that we can compete at a higher level against the better teams.

‘We need to be stronger through the center of the ice’

Sometimes during the season, Red Star was able to call up players from the VHL team. They came up and did a good job. Does that suggest the system is working throughout the organization?

It takes time to build a real system, to have that foundation in place. You’ve got a good KHL team, you’re developing Chinese heritage kids, you’ve got good people around them, surrounding them with people who can help them develop and grow. Then you want the same thing underneath, doing the same thing in the VHL. That can feed your group on top. In this league you are under constant pressure with injuries and players going through tough stretches. You have to have depth and our VHL team really improved in the second half of this year, they’re doing a great job developing a lot of these young kids.Gunars Skvorcovs and the other defensemen called up to help out have been really good. The kids, Chris Seto and Hu Yang, all those guys are all developing nicely. Everything is slowly coming into place, but it takes time. Hopefully we can continue building this group.

What do you see as the priorities for next season?

I think our goaltending is rock solid. Smithy [Jeremy Smith] and Simon [Hrubec] did a fantastic job this year. I think we have to upgrade the defense. [Trevor] Murphy is a very very good offensive defenseman. If we can get two more just like him that can skate the puck out of our end, move the puck a little bit better, that will provide us some offense from the back. We still need to improve that.

With the forwards, we need to be stronger through the middle of the ice. That center ice position is something that’s a key for us. We have to build that up so we can find people that can distribute the puck a little bit better and improve our winger sand improve our scoring chances. We need to pump that up in order for us to score more goals. Scoring is something we’ve struggled with all year. We were in 35 one-goal games, eight two-goal games. We have to find a way to make a difference there. If we can upgrade our squad through the center ice position I think that would really help.

In previous seasons Red Star has often had big changes in personnel each summer. Are you closer to identifying a core group now?

That’s very, very important. Stability, having the core group in place and letting them grow. They’ve never had that at this club before, it’s been constant change. Change is our enemy. We need to get away from that. We need to find a way to keep these guys together for a while. You look at teams like CSKA and SKA, they don’t change all the time. They have players in place, they keep them for years and years and that’s why they have a great team. It’s very competitive. We have to catch up to that.

I think I’m the sixth coach here in four years. First of all, the coach has to remain in place. Now little tweaks or whatever might be a possibility, but your leadership has to start with the coaching, it has to be stable. Then the players can follow, you can keep that core group together for an extended period and let them grow. It’s the entire structure of our entire team, we need to find a way to keep everything together.

In the past, they never had that opportunity. It’s been too hard, been too tough. It’s a challenge to play on this team with all the daily things that happen and hopefully providing a little stability can really give us a step up in the future.

‘I’m the sixth coach here in four years ... but your leadership has to start with your coaching.’

Looking back, did you feel there was a time when you could say, ‘that was a perfect game for us’?

The games we played against Avangard early in the season, that was our team, that was our group. We were healthy, we were playing very well, and you could see what our team was capable of doing. Through the year, we couldn’t sustain it. Players were getting injured, we were losing key pieces, we went through everything. But you have to keep a certain level of play and if it falls below a certain level, that’s unacceptable. The players have to learn that’s just how it’s going to be. But the games against Avangard, the game we played against Ak Bars, some other games through the year, even playing SKA in our building. We’ve done some really good things, but it hasn’t been consistent enough, there’s too many ups and down. Whether it’s down to injury, depth, travel, whatever it is, we have to find a way to be better if we are going to develop this group into the team we want.

Day five of the playoffs brought two fascinating encounters in the Eastern Conference. Salavat Yulaev rallied from 0-2 to defeat Avangard 6-3 and move ahead for the first time in that series. In Magnitogorsk, too, there was a fightback as Barys tied its game with Metallurg and grabbed an overtime victory.

Hartikainen at the double as Ufa battles back

Salavat Yulaev Ufa 6 Avangard Omsk 3 (0-2, 2-0, 4-1)

Salavat Yulaev leads the series 2-1

Salavat Yulaev battled back from 0-2 in this game to run out convincing winners on the night and turn around an early deficit in the series to edge in front. Nikolai Tsulygin’s team, looking for revenge after its Conference Final defeat to Avangard last year, moves ahead for the first time in this quarter-final match-up thanks to two goals from Teemu Hartikainen and three helpers from Linus Omark.

Photo: 05.03.20. KHL Championship 2019-2020. Playoffs. Salavat Yulaev (Ufa) - Avangard (Omsk)

The closing stages of the previous game in this series had a profound impact on the destiny of this clash. Salavat Yulaev was six seconds away from losing in Balashikha and going 0-2 down but grabbed a late equalizer and went on to win in overtime, bringing the action to Ufa with the scores tied at 1-1.

Avangard came into Wednesday’s encounter looking to show that the abrupt change of fortune 48 hours earlier was not about to define the on-going series for Bob Hartley’s team. And the early stages suggested that the visitor was set fair to regain its lead. The game was barely a minute old when the Hawks took the lead after Kirill Semyonov went behind the net and produced a fantastic no-look feed to set up Sergei Shumakov for the opener. Late in the first period, it was 2-0 when Avangard got control of the puck in center ice and Sergei Shirokov set up Alexei Emelin to double the lead. It could – arguably should – have been worse for the home team. Shumakov failed to get a clean contact on the puck as bounced in front of a wide open net at the start of the second period; had that made it 3-0, the game might have been out of reach.

However, there has been nothing predictable about Ufa’s play this season. The team has varied between dazzling and disastrous hockey – sometimes in the same game – and from a low point at the first intermission the host battled back in fine style. The first goal came from Alexander Burmistrov, a forward who endured more than a little criticism. It hadn’t escaped anyone’s attention that Burmistrov’s line had been on the ice for the last five equal-strength goals that Ufa had allowed. Now, though, it made amends. Mikhail Pashnin won the puck in the center ice, Dmitry Kugryshev set up Burmistrov and the home team was on the scoreboard in the 25^th minute. And, as the halfway mark approached, Salavat Yulaev tied the scores. An Avangard attack broke down, Vladimir Zharkov launched a counter down the left channel and Pyotr Khokhryakov beat Igor Bobkov.

At the start of the third, Sakari Manninen gave Ufa the lead for the first time in the game, firing home from center point off a Philip Larsen pass. Then came Hartikainen, grabbing two goals in two minutes to chase Bobkov from the net and give Salavat Yulaev a solid three-goal lead. True, Avangard hit back thanks to Brandon McMillan’s well-worked power play goal, but Zharkov finished the job with an empty net goal to spark the celebrations in Bashkortostan.

Videll is the overtime hero for Barys

Metallurg Magnitogorsk 1 Barys Nur-Sultan 2 OT (0-0, 0-0, 1-1, 0-1)

Barys leads the series 2-1

In 60 minutes of regulation time, Barys could not find a way to get in front in a hard-fought battle in Magnitogorsk. But it took just 30 seconds of overtime for the visitor to get winning goal and undo all of the hard work from home goalie Vasily Koshechkin.

Photo: 05.03.20. KHL Championship 2019-2020. Playoffs. Metallurg (Magnitogorsk) - Barys (Nur-Sultan)

The veteran netminder was caught unawares as his team made a sluggish start to the extras. Sergei Mozyakin, more often lauded for his overtime winners, was caught in possession on the right boards by Linus Videll. The puck went into the corner for Corban Knight and his return pass looked for the Swede in the left-hand circle. Viktor Antipin failed to get the puck away from danger and Videll’s instinctive shot surprised Koshechkin and slipped inside the near post. For home head coach Ilya Vorobyov, it was a tough blow to take: whatever game plan he prepared for the extras was left in tatters on the back of individual errors from key players; Metallurg’s hopes of moving ahead in the series were dashed as Barys continued its impressive form on the road.

Attempts to point the finger at Koshechkin, though, would be harsh. The goalie may well wish to have Videll’s goal back, but he can also point to a second period in which he stood in the way of a rampant Barys offense. That frame saw him stop 17 shots; at the other end, Eddie Pasquale had just four to deal with.

At that stage, the game was still goalless – and Pasquale’s hard labor was just beginning. Early in the third, Metallurg took the lead. Mozyakin was the scorer, but much of the credit went to Brandon Kozun. The American showed composure and vision, feinting to shoot before picking out his captain all alone in the left-hand circle. A trademark one-timer was too good for the visiting goalie and the deadlock was broken in the 47^th minute. Earlier in the game, Mozyakin had a similar chance, but his first-period effort off an Andrei Loktionov feed was too close to Pasquale.

The Metallurg goal might have been prevented if Darren Dietz had managed to extend his stick far enough to intercept Kozun’s pass. The defenseman, however, made full amends a couple of minutes later when he joined the offense, exchanged passes with Videll and buried the return to punish a somewhat unnecessary Evgeny Timkin penalty. The remainder of the frame saw Metallurg pushing hard to regain the lead – it would spend almost three times as long on the attack in the third period – while Pasquale stood firm and Barys sent out more than a few remainders of its counterattacking prowess.

But the crowd had barely settled down for overtime when the evening came to an abrupt halt thanks to Videll’s decisive goal.