Dynamo won two victories over SKA in the starting round of the Gagarin Cup. Moreover, the decisive goals in both matches was abandoned by Nikita Gusev. In the first, he realized the majority and set the final score, and in the second he distinguished himself in overtime with a brush throw from afar. Salavat Yulaev began with the defeats of Siberia, and Canadians Josh Livo and Scott Wilson scored seven points and headed the bombardry race. The Admiral unexpectedly managed to impose the struggle to the “Tractor” and lost only in one match – and then in additional time, unathabited with the passage of Artyom Blazhievsky. And the “Torpedo” only once managed to hit the gates of Lokomotiv in 120 minutes contrary to Igor Larionov’s promises to give a fight to the Triumph regularly. Two of SKA’s defeat from the Moscow “Dynamo” confrontation between the Moscow Dynamo and SKA was deservedly considered one of the most interesting in the first round of the KHL playoffs. It seemed that the wards of Alexei Kudashov, having taken second place in the table of the Western Conference, could count on a less eminent opponent. But the Petersburgers themselves complicated their lives by letting the Severstal forward. And even after the starting meeting, they probably regretted it, because they were defeated. On the one hand, they inflicted almost as many shots on the goal of the gate as the owners (32:37), and sometimes they locked them in the zone. In addition, Yevgeny Kuznetsov returned to the ice, whose injury, which was obtained last week in Nizhny Novgorod, was not very serious. Also on the topic, while CSKA was flopped in Minsk: “Avangard” and “Ak Bars” began with guest victories, “Spartak” – with the heroic salvation, the Minsk Dynamo won a strong -willed victory over CSKA, despite the two missed goals in the debut. Spartak recouped 2: 4 and … on the other hand, the squad of Roman Benberg brought the former disease – removal. And even the coach himself called the fouls the main reason for the failure. The army team earned 17 penalties, and the white-blue competently disposed of opportunities in the majority. Shortly before the first break, Pavel Kudryavtsev, with a score of 1: 1, led Dynamo forward. And in the final segment, the guests remained three against the five fields and allowed Nikita Gusev again to upset the former team. Maxim Motorygin became another key factor in Victory for Muscovites. After the transition from Lada, Vladislav Poyapolsky, he turned into a reserve goalkeeper. However, in the end of the regular one, he received a chance to prove himself due to a competitor’s injury and took advantage of him. And it was to him that Kudashov trusted, despite the return of the newcomer to the system. Motorygin did not fail, reflecting 31 throw. Only Zakhar Bardakov upset him with an unexpected shot under the crossbar. In the next match, the goalkeeper of the army Egor Zavragin looked great. Largely thanks to him, SKA missed only once in the first two periods. The young goalkeeper, who was regularly criticized in the course of the regular season, demonstrated that the rate on him Rotenberg in the playoffs is justified. Yes, this time opened a squad from the coast of the Neva. In the 11th minute, Nikita Zaitsev fulfilled the side, and Ivan Demidov closed it on his heel. For one of the main young talents of the country, this puck became a debut in the Gagarin Cup. He was also remembered by a brawl with Dylan Sikura, who almost led to a fight. Zhizhiaeva answered with a powerful click of Artyom Chernov shortly before the break. After the wards of Kudashov, a lot of moments were missed. Zavorgin coped with Cedric Pockett from a turn, and with the shot of Artyom Ilyenko point blank, and with the release of Kudryavtsev. Petersburgers were remembered only by the hit of Sergei Tolchinsky into the bar. In the final segment, SKA already looked more interesting, and Motorygin reminded of himself. What is his triple save after the shots of Dmitry Yudin, Bardakov and Kuznetsov. And shortly before the siren, the captain himself miraculously did not close the defense of Demidov. In the end, the fate of the confrontation decided only in overtime. The rivals did not seek to take risks and created a little moments. However, the decisive goal, as in the previous meeting, recorded Gusev in an asset. Until the imperceptible leader of the blue and white shifted to the center on the left and sewed Zavragin with a strong throw. Thus, Dynamo won the seventh victory over SKA in the eight matches of the current season and went to the Northern capital in a good mood. Larionov -day -old promise by the start of the series with Lokomotiv, the head coach of Torpedo, Igor Larionov, promised to take away at least one victory from Yaroslavl. However, it was not possible to achieve the goal. The current owners of the Council Cup twice prevailed. And they did not make serious efforts for this. When the situation demanded that, they calmly inflated the momentum and scored. So, for example, it occurred in a starting meeting when Bobby Lynch restored his balance in the 24th minute. But even before the break, Ivan Kulbakov was upset by Byron Fraise and Martin Germnat, and the intrigue died. The second game turned out to be even less effective. But the railway workers again punished opponents for excessive rudeness. Evgeny Svechnikov went to the bench for the opponent’s strike with a club, and Maxim Shalunov struck the empty corner in the majority, using the shift of Maxim Berezkin. In the future, Igor Nikitin’s wards could increase the advantage than guests to equalize the score. And in the end, when Larionov changed Kulbakov to the sixth field, George Ivanov struck an empty target. Daniil Isaev designed a cracker. Let him rat off 25 shots, he had very few feelings, and at the right time partners rushed under the puck. The sensation of the Admiral, the main opening of the starting round of the Gagarin Cup in the east, can be called Admiral. He unsuccessfully completed the regular championship, sank to eighth place in the conference table and immediately got into the Tractor. There was an impression that the struggle could not be expected. Also, on the topic, Livo broke Mozyakin’s record, Kuznetsov returned to the ice, the Moscow Dynamo hit SKA: how the Dynamo KHL regular season was ended by the Severstal and landed on SKA in the first round of the playoffs, and Spartak in overtime boomed … It seems that the Mistemen themselves believed in it and thought that he believed that he believed that he believed it and thought that Games with “sailors” will be easy for them. As a result, they almost started confrontation with two domestic defeats. In the starting meeting, Benois Grace’s wards came to their senses only when they missed three unrequited goals – from Alexander Shevchenko, Shane Prince and Yegor Petukhov. After that, the hosts reduced the lag to a minimum. But the guests did not extinguish and, with any convenient opportunity, penetrated into numerous free zones on a foreign half. As a result, Daniil Gutik and Arkady Shestakov restored a comfortable difference in the score. The actions of one of the best goalkeepers of the League, Zak Fukal, who were changed after the fourth goal of rivals, were the unpleasant surprise. To the honor of the hockey players of the Tractor, they did not give up to the final siren, but still lost – 4: 5. The second match turned out to be much more tense and equal. The teams acted with an eye on the defense and almost did not violate the rules. However, the advantage was owned by the “tankers” who seriously transferred the opponents – 41:26. But the miracles at the last line of the Admiral created the 39 sivov Andrei Mishurov, who wrote himself in the asset. And in the 23rd minute he again allowed a productive blot when he unsuccessfully threw the shell on board right on the Gutik. He threw at the science almost from the blue line, and Pavel Shan correctly set up a club on a heel. Although the Canadian managed to return, did not take the most correct position. The best team of the East promptly equalized the score, but Mishurov did everything in his power in this episode. In the twine, he reflected the throw of Nikita Korostelev and, already spreading on the ice, did not allow him to play Maxim Shabanov to finish. However, Korostelev still sent the puck to the net on the second attempt. In the end, the fate of the game decided only in overtime. But if in the main time the guests held on, then they missed the compensated one after only 75 seconds. Alexander Kadeikin performed a transfer to Pentat, and Artyom Blazhievsky definitely threw it. Fiasco “Siberia” but in the confrontation of “Salavat Yulaev” and “Siberia”, the struggle has not yet been able to. Of course, the Ufa residents were initially considered favorites, but few could have assumed that they would win the first two home matches with a total score of 15: 2. And in the starting meeting, nothing foreshadowed the guests of trouble. In the first half, they looked good, regularly carried out sharp counters and missed only twice. However, then a large number of violations of the rules affected. The Novosibirsk earned a total of 20 minutes of the minority, while opponents – only two. Viktor Kozlov’s stooped this with pleasure used it. In the end of the second segment, Alexander Khmelevski distinguished himself in the “5 × 3” format, and Sheldon Rembal – “5 × 4”. After that, the game was made. And the team of Vadim Epanchintseva crumbled and missed three more – 0: 7. The second meeting began for green from the ears of cold water. In the debut, they managed to skip twice in 48 seconds. Trevor Merphy realized the majority, and Vladislav Kara set an end to the quick attack. But the team again ruined the fouls. Khmelevski and Scott Wilson upset Denis Kostin in unequal compositions and restored the status quo. After the break, the time of Wilson came, who distinguished himself twice and designed a hat-trick. In addition to him, Ildan Gazimov and Vladislav Efremov also managed to score. And in the final period, the guests were finished off by Rembale and Naitan Todd. Siberia hockey players answered only excessive aggression. Murphy started a fight with Rembol, and Andy Andreoff clashed with Grigory Panin. The Ufa residents answered the ice. Wilson, not only designed a hat-trick, but also assisted partners three times. This allowed the legionnaire to become the only second hockey player in the history of the Gagarin Cup, who scored six points per duel. In 2022, Nikita Gusev did this in a match with Dynamo Minsk. And the best sniper of regularly Joshua Livo so far manifests itself as exclusively in the role of an assistant. In the series, he did not score, but he gave seven assembly passes and leads in this indicator in the playoffs.
Gusev twice buried SKA in the Gagarin Cup, Wilson and Livo torn Siberia – RT in Russian
