Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Call It a Winning Streak! Magnitogorsk Wins 5-2!

Another missed game (though Magnitogorsk is 3-0 when I don't watch them)...next one is Friday, 11/2 at 9am vs. HC Vityaz Chekhov.  I'll be on my game and recapping that one fully!

Here's what we missed;

Metallurg Magnitogorsk  5   Severstal Cherepovets  2

Cal O'Reilly - 1a, 8 for 13 faceoffs, 17:19 TOI
Mats Zuccarello - 1a, 1 shot, 16:03 TOI, 2 PIM
Evgeni Malkin - 3a, 5 shots, 8 for 21 faceoffs, 20:11 TOI
Nikolai Kulemin - 1a, 3 shots, 0 for 1 faceoffs, 19:03 TOI
Sergei Gonchar - 1 shot, 20:55 TOI


Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Magnitogorsk Dominates in Consecutive 7-2 Wins

I apologize for the lack of updates, but I was out of town and well...the KHL is rather difficult to see without ideal circumstances!  Evgeni Malkin was named the Forward of the week in the KHL!

Here's what we missed:

Metallurg Magnitogorsk 7   HC Spartak Moscow 2

Nikolai Kulemin - 1g, 3 shots, 0 for 2 faceoffs, 17:33 ice time
Evgeni Malkin - 1g, 1a, 7 shots, 2 PIM, 14 for 26 faceoffs, 20:52 ice time
Sergei Gonchar - 2a, 1 shot, 22:41 ice time
Mats Zuccarello - 1g, 1a, 3 shots, 2 PIM, 14:00 ice time




Metallurg Magnitogorsk 7   HC Dinamo Minsk 2

Cal O'Reilly - 1a, 1 shot, 6 for 13 faceoffs, 15:37 ice time
Mats Zuccarello - 1g, 1a, 1 shot, 14:00 ice time
Sergei Gonchar - 1a, 3 shots, 19:32 ice time
Evgeni Malkin - 1a, 3 shots, 6 for 15 faceoffs, 10 PIM (apparently abuse of the officials misconduct), 16:35 ice time
Evander Kane (Minsk) - 1g, 6 shots, 2 PIM, 13:41 ice time
Joe Pavelski (Minsk) - 1 shot, 8 for 14 faceoffs, 16:39 ice time
Pekka Rinne (Minsk) - 22 saves on 29 shots


Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Ruslan Fedotenko...For The Win?!


The Matchup:


Metallurg 
Magnitogorsk 
(10-0-4-3)
@
Donbass
Donetsk
(5-2-3-9)


Players You May Recognize

Alexei Ponikarovsky, Ruslan Fedotenko, Erik Ersberg, Oskar Bartulis, Anton Babchuk, Evgenii Dadonov

Recap

This game was the second of a three game stretch where Magnitogorsk visits the three worst teams in the Western Conference.  Unlike Monday's 5-2 win, this one did not go quite as planned.  Metallurg allowed four special teams goals (3 powerplay and 1 shorthanded) in a 4-3 loss in overtime.  They were lucky to even make it to overtime, relying on a late tying goal by Sergei Mozyakin with just 8 seconds left in the game.

Fedotenko almost falling on a faceoff against Malkin.
The first period started innocently enough as both teams skated up and down the ice with no big plays or key chances.  Magnitogorsk's Mikhail Yakubov was called for tripping 6 minutes into the period and the team killed the powerplay despite committing 3 turnovers (2 by Malkin) on the penalty kill.  Shortly thereafter, Magnitogorsk went on the powerplay thanks to a too many men penalty and quickly got on the scoreboard first.  On a broken play, Sergei Mozyakin poked a loose puck from behind the net into empty space in the slot area.  Evgeni Malkin rushed over from the right half-boards to pick up the puck, skated around a defender, and wristed a shot past Donetsk goaltender Erik Ersberg for a 1-0 lead.

After another successful penalty kill to end the first period, Magnitogorsk found themselves down a man yet again to start the second period due to a tripping penalty.  Donetsk tied the game on the powerplay as Alexei Ponikarovsky sent a backhand pass to Ruslan Fedotenko alone in front of the net.  Fedotenko took a quick wrist shot to beat Georgi Gelashvili on his glove side.

Metallurg had a chance to take the lead three minutes later on another powerplay, but instead gave up a 3 on 2 shorthanded break that led to a goal by Peter Podhradski, assisted by Ponikarovsky.  The team then gave up a shorthanded breakaway which was interrupted by a hook from defenseman Aleksey Bondarev.  Donbass took a penalty shot but was stopped by Gelashvili to keep the game at 2-1.  The score would not remain that way for long though as Fedotenko scored his 2nd goal of the night on the powerplay by capitalizing on a rebound while Yaroslav Khabarov sat in the penalty box.

As things began to look bleak for a Magnitogorsk team that seemed out of sync, Donetsk was called for interference and the momentum shifted.  Nikolai Kulemin scored from in front of the net on the powerplay (assisted by Malkin) to make it 3-2 just before the second period ended.

Platonov argued his case to no avail.
The first half of the third period was uneventful as Magnitogorsk still couldn't find a way to get much puck possession.  Their chances of a comeback plummeted with 8 minutes left in the 3rd period as captain Denis Platonov was given a 5 minute major and game misconduct for punching a player in the head during a scrum after the whistle.  With Metallurg on their heels, Donbass could not find a way to capitalize on the long powerplay and momentum shifted completely towards the away team for the final 3 minutes.  With the goalie pulled, Evgeni Malkin sent a pass that found its way to Sergei Mozyakin with 8 seconds left.  Mozyakin ripped it past Ersberg to tie the game to the disbelief of the Donbass crowd.

Stunned heading to OT.

The teams went to overtime and of course it was a penalty that finished it off.  Evgeny Biryukov was called for hooking with 2 minutes left in overtime leading to a 4 on 3 for Donetsk.  After a few passes, Ponikarovsky found a wide open Fedotenko on the backside of the crease and he one-timed the puck in for the hat trick and a win.  No hats were thrown.




Final Score:  Donbass Donetsk 4  Metallurg Magnitogorsk 3 (OT)

Magnitogorsk drops to 10-0-5-3 and Donetsk improves to 5-3-3-9.

Player Notes

Evgeni Malkin - Geno's three point night was his 4th straight multi-point game and has moved him into a tie for 6th place in the KHL in points with Ilya Kovalchuk (20 points).  He is currently 4 points behind the leader, Alexander Radulov.  He is also 3 points behind Magnitogorsk's leader, Sergei Mozyakin.  Malkin continues to dominate on the powerplay, though the rest of his game was lacking today.  He was especially turnover prone in the defensive zone as the whole team looked a little off.

Sergei Gonchar - Gonchar had another quiet game though he made a slightly bigger impact on the powerplay, registering 3 shots.  His go-to from the point seems to be pass to Malkin for a one-timer, which is getting easier and easier to predict.  His defensive awareness has improved greatly as his production has dropped though as this was the 3rd straight game where he was back for odd man breaks when no one else was.

Others - Alexei Ponikarovsky had a 4 point night (all primary assists) and looked very comfortable on the first line with Ruslan Fedotenko.  He had only recorded 3 assists total in his preivous 13 games.  Meanwhile, Fedotenko had 3 goals, all on the powerplay, after recording only 1 in his first 13 games.  Both Fedotenko and Ponikarovsky both had their best games of the season by far against Magnitogorsk.


Next Game:  10/26, 11:30am EST @ Spartacus


Links:

Go to onhockey.ru for all of your streaming needs.

If you want highlights for the games, check out http://www.youtube.com/user/KHLofficialvideo.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Magnitogorsk Dismantles Riga Using the Powerplay

(Sorry for the delayed recap, "afternoon" games throw off my schedule)

The Matchup:


Metallurg 
Magnitogorsk 
(9-0-4-3)
vs
Dynamo
Riga
(3-3-2-10)


Players You May Recognize

Viktor Ignatjev (assistant coach), Rob Schremp, Alexandre Giroux, Raitis Ivanans, Kaspars Daugavins

Recap

This really shouldn't have been a close game as Magnitogorsk visited last place Dynamo Riga, located in Latvia.  Shoddy defense and a very tightly called game kept the teams close though, ultimately helping Metallurg earn the 5-2 victory in the end after a shaky start.

Maybe Paul Maurice should hide his game plan better.
Despite a dismal record of 3-3-2-10, Riga's crowd was jubilant from the start and thought they had a reason to be when Riga appeared to take the lead less than a minute into the game.  The goal would be waived off because the puck last touched a player's hand, but Riga would score 3 minutes later anyways to take a 1-0 lead.  In a major defensive lapse, Magnitogorsk was caught pinching heavily in the offensive zone, leading to a 3 on 1 the other way where Sergei Gonchar was the only defenseman.  Gonchar played the cross-crease pass perfectly, but was helpless as the 3rd man in, Andris Dzherinsh, received the puck and flipped it over an outstretched Ari Ahonen in net.

Shortly thereafter, the tone of the game changed completely as penalty after penalty was called (a total of 24 in the game) and the pace died off altogether.  Magnitogorsk took advantage of their first powerplay in the first period after Evgeni Malkin drew an interference call in the offensive zone.  Sergei Mozyakin took the puck at the left point and fed it down to Malkin to the right of the net.  Malkin wasted no time and one-timed it past goalie Maris Yuchers.  The first period would end with 3 more penalties, but no more goals.

The second period started with 4 more penalties as the pace slowed to a crawl.  During a rare moment of 5 on 5 play, Riga simply embarrassed Magnitogorsk by taking the puck into the zone on a 2 on 3 break where both Riga players skated past all 3 defending players for a 2 on 0 chance against Ari Ahonen.  Ahonen was helpless as Kaspars Daugavins tapped in a cross-crease pass to give Riga the 2-1 lead.  More penalties followed as usual and Magnitogorsk used another powerplay to tie the game as Denis Platonov wristed a puck from the slot.  The second period ended with a "fight" featuring Alexandre Giroux and the third period would start with some 3 on 3 play.


The fight resulted in Giroux receiving a 5 minute major and Misharin only receiving a 2 minute minor.  On the ensuing powerplay, Magnitogorsk took the lead when Sergei Mozyakin one-timed a pass from Malkin into the net.  Shortly thereafter, Malkin would draw a hooking penalty as he drove towards the net and Magnitogorsk would score their 4th powerplay goal - Mozyakin from Malkin again.  The plethora of penalty calls would continue and Riga's Mathieu Carle would be sent to the locker room with a 5 minute major and game misconduct for abuse of the officials.  Though Riga made a last minute push despite the penalties, Nikolai Kulemin would finish the scoring with, of course, a powerplay goal assisted by Evgeni Malkin.

Final Score:  Metallurg Magnitogorsk 5  Dynamo Riga 2

Magnitogorsk improves to 10-0-4-3 and Riga drops to 3-3-2-11.

Player Notes

Four point Malkin is a happy Malkin.
Evgeni Malkin - A four point night finally moved Malkin past Cal O'Reilly in the Magnitogorsk scoring race and he now sits second on the team with 17 points in 13 games (behind Mozyakin who has 20 in 15).  In a game filled with frustration on both sides, Malkin stayed composed and only took one penalty for slashing while drawing two for hooking and interference.  He was the key to the powerplay, scoring 1 goal and earning the primary assist on 3 others.  He finished with 4 shots and went 14 for 25 in faceoffs in 21:35 of ice time to go with his 4 points and 2 PIM.

Sergei Gonchar - Though the powerplay was dominant and there was plenty of time with the extra man, Gonchar was nowhere to be seen.  He finished with no points and only one shot on net despite playing 21:44, much of it on the powerplay.  Gonchar didn't need to be flashy as Malkin took control of the powerplay and the game, but it is rare to see him do so little on the powerplay.

Others - Nikolai Kulemin had a quiet game despite his powerplay goal at the end.  Alexandre Giroux, who notoriously avoided contact in his AHL career, played a very physical game and took it all out on Georgi Misharin in their "fight".  Cal O'Reilly and Mats Zuccarello both assisted on Platonov's powerplay goal.  O'Reilly is now tied for 5th in assists (13) in the KHL with Ilya Kovalchuk.  


Next Game:  10/24, 12pm EST @ Donbass


Links:

Go to onhockey.ru for all of your streaming needs.

If you want highlights for the games, check out http://www.youtube.com/user/KHLofficialvideo.


Friday, October 19, 2012

Lockout Podcast #5: Both Sides Suck

In the midst of a crazy week full of optimism, pessimism, and rejected proposals, Adam and Meesh break down the latest in the failed NHL CBA talks.  After getting through the nitty gritty details, they move on to a quick look at the Baby Pens, Penguins overseas, and the relationship between Sergei Gonchar and Evgeni Malkin.  Finally, the whereabouts of Francois Leroux are revealed, with the help of a certain social networking site.

Listen below or subscribe to it on iTunes!




Podcast Powered By Podbean



Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Another Two Points for Malkin, Another Win for Magnitogorsk


The Matchup:


Metallurg 
Magnitogorsk 
(8-0-4-3)
vs
Atlant
Moscow Oblast
(5-3-3-6)


Players You May Recognize

Anton Khudobin, Nikolai Zherdev, Konstantin Koltsov, Sandis Ozolinsh, Maxim Mayorov

Recap

Based on sheer records alone, this game looked like a complete mismatch as Atlant entered Magnitogorsk on a 3 game losing streak.  Goalie Anton Khudobin ensured it was a tight game in a losing effort though.

The first period was rather quiet despite an enormous shot advantage for Magnitogorsk (15-3).  Georgi Gelashvili started for the second straight game for Metallurg, but faced very little work early on.  Meanwhile, Magnitogorsk was kept to mostly perimeter shots and could not penetrate the slot or crease area whatsoever in the first period.  Of Khudobin's 15 first period saves, maybe 1 was really a challenge.

The game opened up quite a bit in the second period as both teams traded chances and rushed up and down the ice.  Atlant finally got some pressure on Magnitogorsk early, but an errant pass sent Metallurg going the other way.  Evgeni Malkin swooped in past a defender and put a low shot on Khudobin which was stopped.  Malkin fell to the ice though and slid into both Khudobin and the side of the net as the puck sat loose on the crease.  With no whistle to stop play, Enver Lisin crashed the crease and poked the loose puck into the net for a 1-0 lead.

As the game got more physical, Malkin and Kulemin
were quite ready to get involved.
At this point, the online stream died for a little bit, but when it returned Magnitogorsk was killing a penalty on Denis Platonov.  The penalty kill was successful, but Atlant scored shortly thereafter as Jonas Andersson shot a rebound from just outside of the crease to tie the score at 1.  As the second period came to a close, the game got notably physical.  Nikolai Kulemin had a great open ice hit on an Atlant defender which forced a turnover and a solid scoring chance, but Khudobin was ready for it.  Later in the shift, Malkin tried to go 1 on 3 into the slot and an Atlant defender hip checked him, nearly flipping him over on his head.  With that, the period would end 1-1.

The third period played out more like the first as Magnitogorsk returned to dominance, outshooting Atlant 12-4.  Enver Lisin would score his 2nd of the night, the game winner, halfway through the period as his line took advantage of a 3 on 2 break.  Justin Hodgman brought the puck into the zone and passed it off to Lisin in the high slot after both defenders had backed up towards the crease.  Lisin held the puck for a few seconds before sniping it past Khudobin.  The game would come to a close as Evgeni Malkin finished it off with an empty net goal.

Final Score:  Metallurg Magnitogorsk 3  Atlant Moscow Oblast 1

Magnitogorsk improves to 9-0-4-3 and Atlant drops to 5-3-3-7.

Player Notes

Malkin focused on a faceoff late in the 3rd.
Evgeni Malkin - Geno put up a goal and an assist for the second straight game.  He absolutely frightened me when he was flipped on his 1 on 3 effort, but showed no ill effects from the hit.  He finished the game with 6 shots in 19:32 of ice time and was 13 for 22 in the faceoff circle.  If the NHL does return soon, it will be interesting to see if Malkin starts off on fire as he looks to be in mid-season form right now.

Sergei Gonchar - Gonchar played a MUCH better game tonight than 2 days ago.  He was solid defensively, not getting caught out of position even once.  He also played a 2 on 1 perfectly as he pushed the puck carrier to the outside and cut off the passing lane at the same time.  He finished the game with 4 shots in 18:26 in a solid effort.

Others - Nikolai Kulemin looked fantastic in both his physical game and his defensive awareness.  His poke-checking on the PK and in the defensive zone was superb and he caused numerous Atlant turnovers.  Sandis Ozolinsh, who I assumed quit hockey long ago, looked great in playing over 24 minutes for Atlant.  He was smooth with the puck and a workhorse all night.  His game made me wonder why he's no longer in the NHL.  Enver Lisin was pretty much johnny on the spot for loose pucks and open passes in this game.  Finally, Atlant captain Konstantin Koltsov disappointed me in this game.  I was hoping his speed would be a game changer and entertaining, but it looked pedestrian compared to those around him.  


Next Game:  10/22, 12:30pm EST vs Dynamo Riga, on ESPN 3


Links:

Go to onhockey.ru for all of your streaming needs.

If you want highlights for the games, check out http://www.youtube.com/user/KHLofficialvideo.


Monday, October 15, 2012

Malkin's Two Points Lead Magnitogorsk to Victory



The Matchup:


Metallurg 
Magnitogorsk 
(7-0-4-3)
vs
Torpedo
Nizhny Novgorod
(7-0-4-3)


Players You May Recognize

Supposedly Anton Volchenkov was in this game on the 3rd defensive pairing (he just recently signed), but I couldn't find him all game.  Other former NHLers:  Petr Schastlivy and Robert Nilsson

UPDATED: Volchenkov apparently only played 3:36 in the first period and nothing after that.  I'm not sure why.

Recap

Despite a match-up between the 4th place teams in each conference (East - Magnitogorsk, West - Nizhny Novgorod), Metallurg head coach Paul Maurice opted to start backup goalie Georgi Gelashvili instead of starter Ari Ahonen, who currently leads the KHL in goals against average (1.55).  The move worked out fine  though as Magnitogorsk dominated the first half of the game and held on in the end for a 3-2 victory.

The first period was simply a 20 minute Metallurg onslaught as they outshot Torpedo 17-2.  However, the period would still end in a 1-1 tie due to a bad defensive zone turnover.  Enver Lisin opened the scoring 7 minutes into the game as he corralled a rebound off of a Justin Hodgman shot and wristed it past Torpedo goalie Vitaly Koval.  Magnitogorsk continued to put the pressure on Koval, but he was up to the task as he stopped Lisin later on a partial breakaway and Sergei Mozyakin alone in the slot.  A dominating first period was all for naught as Nikolai Kulemin turned the puck over in the defensive zone to Maksim Potapov, who sniped it past Gelashvili to tie the game with less than a minute left in the period.

Malkin drawing a defender over before feeding
Zuccarello.
Magnitogorsk started the second period dominating the offensive zone yet again and took the lead 5 minutes in as Evgeni Malkin skated along the goal line and fed the puck to Mats Zuccarello on the crease.  Zuccarello tapped the puck off of Koval and it proceeded to roll over his shoulder and fall into the net as players from both teams crashed the net.  Four minutes later, Magnitogorsk made it 3-1 as Nikolai Kulemin skated down the right side, pulled up, and passed the puck to Evgeni Malkin just inside the blue line.  Malkin immediately threw a wrist shot past Koval's blocker to score his 3rd goal of the season.  Metallurg spent the rest of the period in the defensive zone as they turned the puck over incessantly, but still escaped with a 3-1 lead.

The third period was all Nizhny Novgorod as they piled on 18 shots, many of which originated from inside the faceoff circles.  They pulled their goalie with over 2 minutes left in the game and then drew a boarding penalty on Yevgeny Biryukov.  With a 6 on 4 advantage, Michael Varnakov scored to cut the lead to 3-2 with just 34 seconds left.  Although there was a late scramble for the puck, Magnitogorsk managed to hold on for the victory.

Final Score:  Metallurg Magnitogorsk 3  Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 2

Magnitogorsk improves to 8-0-4-3 and Nizhny Novgorod drops to 7-0-4-4.

Player Notes

Hi Geno, we miss you.
Evgeni Malkin - Malkin's mindset in this game was clearly shoot first as he registered 5 shots on net in the 1st period alone.  He would finish the game with 8 shots, recording a goal and an assist in 21:42 of ice time.  He also continued with his above average faceoff numbers, going 14 for 26.  Malkin now has 11 points (3g, 8a) in 11 games with Magnitogorsk (3rd behind Sergei Mozyakin and Cal O'Reilly).  He also leads the team with 57 shots despite playing 4 less games than most of the forwards (Denis Platonov is 2nd with 51 shots).

Sergei Gonchar - Gonchar was kept off the scoresheet in a very quiet game for him where he recorded only 1 shot.  He found his way to the penalty box for a cross-checking penalty, but it did not hurt his team in the end.  Despite the pointless day, Gonchar remains the top defensive scorer for Magnitogorsk with 8 points in 11 games.  To add a little perspective, the next defenseman has 3 points in 15 games.

Others - Cal O'Reilly had a quiet game in the offensive zone and was downright dismal in the defensive zone, especially in the 3rd period.  He lost 8 out of 10 faceoffs in the 3rd period and committed multiple turnovers on attempted clears.  Mats Zuccarello showed a different aspect to his game today, displaying crease presence despite his diminutive size.  He took a beating to score his goal on the crease.  Nikolai Kulemin may have had both the best play and worst play of the game.  He did a wonderful job backing defenders off with speed before dishing the puck to Malkin on the 3rd goal.  However, his turnover in the 1st period also single-handedly gave Torpedo hope in this game.


Next Game:  10/17, 9am EST vs Atlant Moscow Oblast


Links:

Go to onhockey.ru for all of your streaming needs.

If you want highlights for the games, check out http://www.youtube.com/user/KHLofficialvideo.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Magnitogorsk Blows 2 Goal Lead, Falls in Shootout



The Matchup:


Metallurg 
Magnitogorsk 
(7-0-3-3)
vs
Lokomotiv
Yaroslavl
(8-2-0-4)


Players You May Recognize

Semyon Varlamov started in net for Lokomotiv.  Other NHLers joining him:  Niklas Hagman, Dmitri Kulikov, Sami Lepisto, Artem Anisimov, and Viktor Kozlov.  Goalie Curtis Sanford is also on the roster for Lokomotiv, but currently injured.

Recap

At least it's a hockey night somewhere.
While most KHL teams require an introduction to NHL fans, here is the one where it sadly is not necessary. Lokomotiv Yaroslavl made their return to Magnitogorsk this morning after spending last season in the Russian Major League instead of the KHL.  Coming off of their horrific plane tragedy, they entered this season under a different set of rules compared to other KHL teams.  Lokomotiv is allowed to use more than 6 non-Russian players and they will receive an automatic berth into the playoffs at the end of the season, regardless of where they stand.

Despite the kind allowances, the team is doing quite well on its own this season.  They entered this game as the 2nd best team in the KHL's Western Conference, led by NHL-quality goaltending and a few former NHLers on their first line.  Meanwhile, Magnitogorsk entered the game 4th in the East after a 3-0 win and a five day layoff.

The home team showed no rust off of the opening faceoff and it took Magnitogorsk just 3 minutes to get on the board.  Sergei Mozyakin intercepted a puck in the neutral zone and fed it up to Justin Hodgman, who was breaking through two defenders for a breakaway.  Hodgman went to his backhand and then pulled the puck back over to his forehand to easily beat an outstretched Semyon Varlamov for a 1-0 lead.

The Steel Fox loves it.
After a comical stoppage where Magnitogorsk blasted "Born in the USA" to the crowd, Metallurg continued to put endless pressure on Lokomotiv.  The 2nd and 3rd lines created most of the chances as Lokomotiv did not appear to have enough depth to keep up with Metallurg.  Malkin's line was held rather quiet through the 1st period though as they often faced two NHL defensemen in Sami Lepisto and Dmitri Kulikov.  Geno did have a chance late in the period, but mostly fanned on a one-timer from just outside of the crease.  The first period ended 1-0 in Magnitogorsk's favor.

They continued to dominate play in the second period, forcing Lokomotiv into a penalty kill mentality for a few minutes despite it being 5 on 5 play.  Varlamov was the difference though, making several saves through screens and due to sheer incompetence from his team.  He eventually allowed a second goal with 4 minutes left in the period though as Denis Platonov jammed away at a rebound that Varlamov could not fully control. The assists went to Cal O'Reilly and Sergei Mozyakin.  Magnitogorsk would have a couple more beautiful chances before the end of the period, but Varlamov kept Lokomotiv in it with some dazzling saves and the period ended with a score of 2-0.
Platonov jamming away at Varlamov's glove.

Feeling confident after two dominant periods, Metallurg gave up an awful early goal to start the 3rd period and bring Lokomotiv back into the game.  Defenseman Yaroslav Khabarov made an ill-advised backhand pass from behind the goal line directly in front of the net.  Unfortunately for him, the only player in front of the net was Lokomotiv forward Egor Averin.  Averin took a quick shot before Magnitogorsk goalie Ari Ahonen was set and cut the lead to 2-1.

The teams traded powerplays midway through the 3rd period but neither could capitalize and the game continued on as Lokomotiv gained more steam with every shift.  Finally, with just 2:30 left in the 3rd period, Ahonen made a save and knocked the puck wide behind the goal line.  Lokomotiv's Alexander Chesnikov corralled the puck behind the net and was chased by both defensemen (Sergei Gonchar and Yaroslav Khabarov) AND a forward who I did not catch.  With 3 men behind the net, Egor Averin sat in the slot by himself.  Somehow, Chesnikov beat all 3 men and dished the puck out to Averin, who one-timed it past Ahonen to tie the game.

The game continued through the 3rd and a 5 minute overtime without much action.  After overtime, it was hard not to feel doomed as Magnitogorsk has fared quite poorly in shootouts this season.  The first 3 shooters from each team were stopped (Magnitogorsk: Mozyakin, Malkin, Zuccarello; Lokomotiv: Galimov, Kozlov, Hagman).  Justin Hodgman led off the 4th round for Magnitogorsk but was stopped by Varlamov.  With the game on his stick, Daniil Apalkov completely fooled Ahonen by faking to his right and then snapped a quick wrist shot for the win.

Semyon Varlamov finished with 40 saves on 42 shots and shutout Magnitogorsk in the shootout for a very well-deserved win.

Final Score:  Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 3  Metallurg Magnitogorsk 2 (SO)

Magnitogorsk drops to 7-0-4-3 and Yaroslavl improves to 8-3-0-4.

Player Notes

Gonchar, Mozyakin, Malkin, some Letang wannabe
(errr Zuccarello)
Evgeni Malkin - Malkin finished the game with 4 shots in 24:11 of ice time and went 12 for 20 in faceoffs.  He looked a bit off today as he lost the puck in the offensive zone a couple times and also seemed very inaccurate with his shots.  There was one sequence that was out of the ordinary in the KHL (though we have seen Geno do it in the NHL plenty) where he tried to burst past a defender, lost the puck, and went to shoulder the defender before retrieving the puck.  It turned into an offensive zone turnover as the defenseman just kept skating for the puck looking to avoid a physical battle.  I've never thought about it before, but Malkin's big body and physical play certainly lends itself to the NHL much better than the KHL at times despite his skill level.

Sergei Gonchar - Gonchar played one of his worst games of the season from start to finish in this matchup.  Though he did land 5 shots on net in 22:18 of ice time, his offensive zone play was lackluster and his defense was costly.  Like Malkin, Gonchar had turnover issues in the offensive zone and added to it by taking a needless holding penalty in the offensive zone as well.  He also got caught behind the opponent's net on 3 different instances where he passed the puck to the front and it turned into a breakout the other way.  Gonchar was simply trying to force too much in this game.

Cal O'Reilly - Shocking, O'Reilly adds another assist!  He stays in the top 5 in the KHL with 11 assists in 14 games.  He received a big bump in ice time (up to 21:30) and was 9 for 15 in faceoffs.  O'Reilly's play can simply be defined as safe and dependable at the KHL level so far.

Artem Anisimov - Anisimov scattered 4 shots through 22:04 of playing time and went 11 for 22 in the faceoff circle.  He looked to be at his best when he did not have the puck though, causing chaos in front of the net a few times.  I was rather surprised to not see him in the shootout, not that I know much about Lokomotiv's shooters.

Varlamov gets my first star for the game.
Semyon Varlamov - Varlamov had a phenomenal game, getting beat only on a breakaway and a massive scrum where he had no chance to do anything.  He stayed square to his shooters and gave Magnitogorsk very little to shoot at throughout the game.  His fundamentals were perfect as he made quite a few saves through screens as well.  He is easily the biggest reason that Lokomotiv had a chance to even be in this game, let alone win it.

Others - Mats Zuccarello had a quiet game as Lokomotiv seemed very well-equipped to deal with any speed that Magnitogorsk used against them.  Viktor Kozlov looked solid on the powerplay but was not very noticeable at even strength.  Niklas Hagman also did not appear to create much on his own for Lokomotiv.  Sami Lepisto played a strong 2 periods but did not return for the 3rd or extra time.  Finally, Kulikov played very well in keeping Malkin's line quiet and led the game with over 26 minutes of ice time.


Next Game:  10/15, 9am EST vs Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod


Links:

Go to onhockey.ru for all of your streaming needs.  They had 7 different links for this game.

If you want highlights for the games, check out http://www.youtube.com/user/KHLofficialvideo.  Here are this game's highlights.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Lockout Podcast #4: Hockey Kicks Cancer

The NHL may be dormant, but hockey fans have continued the fight against cancer!  Adam and Meesh lead off this week’s podcast with the results of the Hockey Kicks Cancer Charity Event from this past weekend.  The rest of this episode is a hodgepodge of updates on the CBA, players in Europe, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, and a few lengthy tangents.  The lawyer co-hosts finish off with a “Where Are They Now” that updates you on a player with a lengthy criminal record.

Listen below or on iTunes (Search CrosbyFTW or click here)!




Podcast Powered By Podbean


Please nominate us for the podcast awards! www.podcastawards.com


Played for the Penguins? Here's a Goal!


The Matchup:


Metallurg 
Magnitogorsk 
(6-0-3-3)
@
Amur
Khabarovsk
(4-2-0-9)


Players You May Recognize

None, I literally didn't recognize a single person on Khabarovsk's roster.

Recap

Quite a long trip back home after this game.
For the final stop of their road trip, Magnitogorsk visited the KHL's most isolated member in Khabarovsk.  Amur Khabarovsk is 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) away from any other KHL team and much further away from Magnitogorsk.  For that reason, opening faceoff was at a slightly early, 4am EST.  Paul Maurice went with the same lines despite coming off of a 4-1 loss.  The only change to the lineup was Georgi Gelashvili in net instead of regular starter Ari Ahonen.

First periods over the past week have been rather quiet in Magnitogorsk games and the trend continued in this matchup.  Both goalies started off flawlessly despite a powerplay opportunity for each team.  Evgeni Malkin had at least three opportunities from the slot and also drew a penalty, but none of it was useful in trying to beat Khabarovsk goalie Alexei Murygin.

After a scoreless first, the home team came out with three strong shifts to open the 2nd period and drew a high sticking penalty.  Magnitogorsk killed it off and went on a short attack before Mats Zuccarello was called for a weak trip that looked very much like a dive.  Though Malkin argued the team's case, Metallurg went to the penalty kill and and succeeded yet again.

Roughly half way through the period, Magnitogorsk drew a powerplay which ultimately led to chaos and a goal.  Sergei Gonchar was unable to control a puck at the blue line and was beat in a race to the puck by an Amur forward.  The forward went in on Gelashvili at full speed on a breakaway, but the goalie stoned him.  As the play turned back to the offensive zone, Gonchar ended up with the puck and took three strides in from his point position before ripping a shot past Murygin for a 1-0 lead.  From potential goat to hero in about 30 seconds summed up Gonchar's powerplay shift.


The second period would end with more Magnitogorsk penalties.  First Nikolai Kulemin took a high sticking penalty late in the period, then Gelashvili was called for slashing on the penalty kill.  With the second period expiring, Khabarovsk would begin the 3rd period with a 5 on 3 for over a minute.

Tyler Kennedy could even finish this chance.
Metallurg continued to win the special teams battle, led by Evgeni Malkin on the 3 man penalty kill.  Both penalties were killed and play opened up as both teams took more chances to get an odd man break.  The play development benefited Magnitogorsk quickly as Cal O'Reilly found himself wide open at the backdoor of the net.  Sergei Mozyakin had no problem finding him for a pass and O'Reilly finished it off into a wide open net.

CHAOS
With a two goal lead, Magnitogorsk drew another penalty and chaos ensued yet again.  Gonchar was beat at the point again and another Amur forward had a breakaway chance.  This time, goalie Gelashvili came out to challenge the shooter/slide into him/take out his legs at least.  Players flew all over the ice and the referees deemed it to be a penalty shot scenario.  Gelashvili stopped the penalty shot and essentially put an end to any fight Khabarovsk had.

The scoresheet was missing just one Pittsburgh-connected player late in the 3rd and he had no intentions of disappointing his fans back in the US.  After taking a pass from Gonchar, Evgeni Malkin skated through a couple of Amur players and deked out the last defenseman.  As he finished his deke and was falling to the ice, Geno unleashed a backhander that found the back of the net for a 3-0 lead.

The game would come to a quiet end shortly thereafter as Magnitogorsk earned their 7th win of the season behind the firepower of Sergei Gonchar, Cal O'Reilly, and Evgeni Malkin and the goaltending of Georgi Gelashvili.

Final Score:  Metallurg Magnitogorsk 3  Amur Khabarovsk 0

Magnitogorsk improves to 7-0-3-3 and Khabarovsk drops to 4-2-0-10.

Player Notes

Evgeni Malkin - The goal was only Malkin's 2nd in 9 games, but certainly a step in the right direction.  He had 7 shots in over 23 minutes of ice time as he continues to throw the puck to the net with every chance he gets.  Overall, he had a strong game and played a big role in the perfect penalty killing effort for Magnitogorsk.  His only weakness was in the faceoff circle, where he went 8 for 24.

Celebrating PP goals like they've been there before...
Sergei Gonchar - Despite his attempts to destroy Gelashvili's shutout, Gonchar managed to play a good game in general.  At even strength, his play on offense and defense was solid.  On the powerplay, his offense was solid but his defense was non-existent.  The two breakaways that Gonchar allowed were simply horrendous.  For today though, he can live by the phrase "no harm, no foul."  He finished with a goal (his first of the season) and an assist in 25 minutes of ice time.

Cal O'Reilly - Going into this game, I was ready to complain that O'Reilly had shown very little chemistry with his new linemates compared to when he was with Nikolai Kulemin.  His work with Sergei Mozyakin changed my mind greatly though.  Aside from the goal (his first of the season), O'Reilly and Mozyakin showed a strong prowess for how to attack the net and provide puck support for each other.  O'Reilly has been impressively productive (11 points) for a guy who only gets roughly 15 minutes of ice time per game.


Next Game:  10/13, 7am EST vs Lokomotiv Yaroslavl


Links:

Go to onhockey.ru for all of your streaming needs.  They had 7 different links for this game.

If you want highlights for the games, check out http://www.youtube.com/user/KHLofficialvideo.  Here are this game's highlights in English.  I'll start finding these and adding them to the recaps:


Saturday, October 6, 2012

Magnitogorsk Loses to the Other Metallurg




The Matchup:


Metallurg 
Magnitogorsk 
(6-0-3-2)
@
Metallurg
Novokuznetsk
(3-2-3-5)


Players You May Recognize

Randy Robitaille, Brent Sopel, Chris Simon

Recap

Coming off of a tight 2-1 victory, Paul Maurice opted for no changes in his lineup as Metallurg Magnitogorsk visited Metallurg Novokuznetsk.  Ari Ahonen started in net with the KHL's 2nd best Goals Against Average (1.46) and 4th best Save Percentage (.947).  Meanwhile, Evgeni Malkin kept his new linemates from the 3rd period of the previous game, Nikolai Kulemin and Mats Zuccarello.

Tom Barrasso looked downright surly in this one.
The 6am EST start was brutal on a Saturday morning and the camera angle was awful throughout most of the game since the online stream did not zoom very often, but alas, hockey is hockey.  The first period was very quiet as neither team came up with a significant scoring chance.  Magnitogorsk had a powerplay opportunity late in the period when Mats Zuccarello used his speed and small stature to draw a hook, but it was negated on the powerplay when Nikolai Kulemin was called for a trip.  The only cause for any excitement was Evgeni Malkin hitting the far side post on a bad angle shot.  After the first, the game was scoreless.

The second period started much like the first as both teams skated up and down the ice without actually trading many chances.  Finally, Magnitogorsk got on the board as Sergei Gonchar showed some brilliant skating and puck handling to move around a defenseman and then threw a perfect pass across the slot to Sergei Mozyakin.  Mozyakin rifled a wrist shot instantly to beat Novokuznetsk goalie Klyuchnikov for a 1-0 lead.

The opening goal woke up Novokuznetsk though and they proceeded to score twice in a minute to take the lead.  The first of their tallies was on a 2 on 1 where Gonchar forced Damir Zhafyarov to the outside.  Zhafyarov put a very weak shot on net at the last moment and Ahonen let it trickle through his 5 hole.  Shortly thereafter, Novokuznetsk had another odd man break, this time a 3 on 2, and defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky failed to cut off a cross-crease pass.  Alexei Efimov finished off an easy one-timer into a wide open net to give Novokuznetsk a lead they would not relinquish.

Whatever Maurice drew up for the last minute...
never do it again.
The 3rd period featured some nice highlight reel saves by both goalies, but unfortunately no highlight reel goals for Magnitogorsk.  Evgeni Malkin made some dazzling moves, splitting two forwards and deking between the third forward and a defenseman before ripping a backhanded shot off, but Klyuchnikov was up to the task.

Magnitgorsk had a powerplay in the last minute, but all it led to was two shorthanded, empty net goals.  After a timeout, Malkin lost the ensuing offensive zone faceoff cleanly to Randy Robitaille.  Robitaille won it back to Brent Sopel, who shot the puck from his own goal line into an empty net.  Thirty seconds later, Robitaille set up another empty netter, this time by Nikita Vyglazov.  In the battle of the Metallurgs, Novokuznetsk took this one by a very deceiving score.


Final Score:  Metallurg Novokuznetsk 4  Metallurg Magnitogorsk 1  

Magnitogorsk drops to 6-0-3-3 and Novokuznetsk improves to 4-2-3-5.


Player Notes

Evgeni Malkin - Malkin showed more moves and flash in this game than all of the others combined.  He finished the game with no points, 3 shots, and 15 for 30 in faceoffs over 22:03 of ice time.  Stats not withstanding, Geno looks quite ready to break out of his mini scoring slump in a big way.

Post-game interview.
Sergei Gonchar - Much like Malkin, Gonchar also had the moves going today.  He looked simply brilliant in setting up Mozyakin's goal, showing great offensive zone prowess.  He was hung out to dry again in the defensive zone a few times, dealing with some odd man rushes, but he handled each situation well and cannot be faulted for the first goal.  He finished with 1 shot in 21:41 of ice time.  One interesting thing to note is he he did not start the game and was not the defensive leader in minutes played this game.


Next Game:  10/8, 4am EST @ Amur Khabarovsk



Links:

Go to onhockey.ru for all of your streaming needs.  They are excellent and add feeds as they find them.

If you want highlights for the games, check out http://www.youtube.com/user/KHLofficialvideo.  

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Magnitogorsk Special Teams Thrive in 2-1 Win



The Matchup:


Metallurg 
Magnitogorsk 
(5-0-3-2)
@
Sibir
Novosibirsk
(5-3-2-2)


Players You May Recognize

None.  I didn't recognize a single player on the Siberians.  I looked up their captain (Jonas Enlund) and he was a 2006 Thrashers draft pick that never panned out.

Recap

Coming off of a 2-1 shootout loss to CSKA Moscow, head coach Paul Maurice decided to change up his first line looking for more offense.  Evgeni Malkin started the game centering Sergei Mozyakin and Nikolai Kulemin (instead of Denis Platonov).  Offense could not be found though in a very quick paced first period.  Both teams turned the puck over frequently as shifts often turned into wind sprints back and forth down the ice.  Malkin was able to draw a tripping penalty, but Magnitogorsk could not capitalize on the powerplay and the period ended scoreless thanks to solid goaltending at both ends.

Oleg Tverdovsky interview during the 1st intermission.
The second period started at a much slower pace as both teams generally kept to the perimeter.  Magnitogorsk was rewarded as soon as they tested the slot area as Mikhail Yakubov and Pavel Zdunov broke through the defense.  Yakubov passed to Zdunov skating through the right faceoff circle and Zdunov ripped a wrist shot past Novosibirsk goalie Sergei Gaiduchenko, who could not cover the post quickly enough.

Magnitogorsk drew a penalty shortly after taking the lead but could not capitalize on the opportunity.  Novosibirsk took advantage of returning to 5 on 5 though as captain Jonas Enlund sprung Stepan Sannikov on a breakaway beginning at the red line.  Sannikov deked to the backhand and beat Ahonen high over his glove to tie the game at 1.  Novosibirsk had another quick chance entering the zone with a 2 on 1, but Sergei Gonchar broke it up and took a holding penalty in the process.  Magnitogorsk killed the penalty without a problem and the period ended with a 1-1 tie.

With heavy bags under his eyes, Maurice juggled
lines like a pro.
Maurice opted for more line changes to begin the 3rd period, moving Mats Zuccarello to the top line with Malkin and Kulemin.  Zuccarello drew an early 3rd period powerplay for Magnitogorsk as the line immediately paid dividends.  Metallurg took the lead 2-1 as Zuccarello found a wide open Evgeni Malkin in the corner behind the net.  With all of the time in the world, Malkin threaded a pass between two sticks and right to Nikolai Kulemin on the crease, where the puck was tapped in for what would be the game winning goal.

The second half of the third period was a blur (literally, because the online feed kept cutting out).  Magnitogorsk killed two more penalties, including one in the final two minutes when defenseman Evgeni Biryukov was given a 2 minute minor and 10 minute misconduct for a headshot.  With Malkin centering the penalty kill in the last minute, Magnitogorsk held on to win the game.  Kulemin's powerplay goal and numerous clutch penalty kills were the major keys to their victory.


Final Score:  Metallurg wins 2-1.  

Magnitogorsk improves to 6-0-3-2 and Novosibirsk drops to 5-3-2-3.


Player Notes

Hey Bylsma, try Malkin on the PK.
Evgeni Malkin - Geno finished the game 17 for 29 in the faceoff circle, which included many key defensive zone wins.  He had 9 shots and 1 assist in 21:21 of ice time.  Despite his clear chemistry with Mozyakin, he looked very strong with Kulemin and Zuccarello, especially as Zuccarello's speed created more room in the 3rd period.  His overall shooting percentage is horrendous right now, but I imagine that will inevitably fix itself.

Sergei Gonchar - Sarge had 2 shots on net and a holding penalty in 19:49 of ice time.  The penalty was a smart one since it stopped a 2 on 1 where he was the last man back.  Aside from that, Gonchar was not very noticeable in general.

Cal O'Reilly - O'Reilly eventually inherited Mozyakin and Platonov as linemates from Malkin but showed little chemistry with them, especially Platonov.  There was really nothing else of note in his game today.


Next Game:  10/6, 6am EST vs Metallurg Novokuznetsk



Links:

Go to onhockey.ru for all of your streaming needs.  They are excellent and add feeds as they find them.

If you want highlights for the games, check out http://www.youtube.com/user/KHLofficialvideo.  

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Lockout Podcast #3: Blame Fleury!

Meesh and Adam continue to find an hour's worth of hockey topics each week despite the ongoing NHL lockout.  The podcast begins with talk about the CBA meetings, transitions to player movement around Europe, and ends with the blogger vs. mainstream media battle.  Other topics of note: Malkin's KHL performance, the whereabouts of Sidney Crosby, and throwing Marc-Andre Fleury under a bus.

UPDATE: After just 2 games, Alexander Semin has signed with a KHL team.  Take away everything good we said about him.
NEW UPDATE: Now all of that is being retracted.  I'm done updating this, who cares about Alexander Semin anyways.

Listen below or on iTunes (Search CrosbyFTW or click here)!



Podcast Powered By Podbean


Please nominate us for the podcast awards!  www.podcastawards.com

AND DON'T FORGET TO DONATE TO HOCKEY KICKS CANCER!!!

Monday, October 1, 2012

CSKA Outlasts Magnitogorsk in a Shootout




The Matchup:


Metallurg 
Magnitogorsk 
(5-0-2-2)
@
CSKA
Moscow
(5-2-0-4)


Players You May Recognize

Ilya Bryzgalov (did not play), Mikhail Grabovski, Pavel Datsyuk, Alexander Radulov, Oleg Kvasha.
Also, Mats Zuccarello apparently joined Metallurg 2 games ago, but I missed that completely (we'll say lost in translation).  

Recap

Metallurg Magnitogorsk hosted CSKA Moscow and one of the KHL's best and feistiest forwards in Alexander Radulov.  Magnitogorsk entered the matchup on a 3 game winning streak led by Cal O'Reilly (2nd in the KHL in assists with 9) and Sergei Mozyakin (2nd in goals with 6 and 4th in points with 11).  Meanwhile, CSKA countered with Radulov who entered the game 3rd in points (12) and leading the league in penalty minutes (50).  Magnitogorsk started Ari Ahonen in net while Moscow went with Ratislav Stana, leaving Ilya Bryzgalov as a scratch.

CSKA got off to a quick start, taking a 1-0 lead just 1:32 into the game with a goal from Vladimir Zharkov assisted by Alexander Guskov.  Unfortunately, it took me the first 7 minutes to get the game streaming, so I do not have a better description than that.  Here's what we missed, translated from Russian:

"the goal is not got!"
Both goalies looked excellent midway through the period and each made multiple saves on point blank chances from the crease.  The skating started to open up late in the 1st and Evgeni Malkin went to work, first taking the puck on a semi-breakaway that was stopped by Stana, and then setting up two great chances for his linemates in the slot.  CSKA took a hooking penalty in the effort to stop Malkin's line, but goaltender Stana was up to the task as CSKA killed off the penalty. With only two minutes left in the period, Alexander Radulov was taken awkwardly into the boards, which sparked some aggression and shoving, but no goals or penalties.  Radulov wouldn't even miss a shift.

Cal O'Reilly...the KHL star?
The second period was rather quiet for the first 9 minutes.  Oleg Tverdovsky hit the post on a chance to tie the game, but that was the only drama early on.  As the game approached the midway point, Metallurg finally got on the board when Nikolai Kulemin one-timed a Cal O'Reilly pass at Stana.  The puck bounced off of Stana's pads, straight up into the air, and trickled past the goal line to tie the game.

Both teams returned to their quiet pace of the 2nd aside from a scrum centering around another Radulov, Igor.  Igor Radulov took a run at Sergei Mozyakin on the boards.  Mozyakin was fine, but teammate Sergei Bernatsky took offense to the hit and proceeded to attack Radulov.  Pavel Datsyuk got involved in the fun as he shoved Bernatsky's head down while he was on top of Radulov.  The players were pulled apart and only Bernatsky received a penalty in the end.  Magnitogorsk killed it off and the end of the 2nd period arrived, tied at 1.

Two minutes for Gonchar to feel shame.
Metallurg drew a powerplay early in the 3rd period, but it was negated as Sergei Gonchar took a tripping penalty while on the powerplay.  After each team succeeded in killing their penalties, the game tightened up and the pace dropped remarkably.  Aside from 2 or 3 Malkin offensive zone turnovers, the 3rd period was simply nothing to write about as the teams went to overtime.

Overtime was easily the most dramatic period of the game as Magnitogorsk's Justin Hodgman took a 4 minute double minor for high sticking to put CSKA on the powerplay.  A minute into the penalty kill, Metallurg's Mikhail Yakubov drew a tripping penalty on Pavel Datsyuk off of a faceoff which resulted in 3 on 3 play.  Neither team could utilize the open ice of 3 on 3 and CSKA returned to the powerplay when Datsyuk exited the penalty box.  Magnitogorsk held on for the rest of the overtime and the teams proceeded to a shootout.

The shootout began with CSKA and Pavel Datsyuk, who shot wide.  Sergei Mozyakin went next and was stopped.  Alexander Radulov was the 2nd CSKA shooter and he was stopped on a wrist shot.  Evgeni Malkin went 2nd for Metallurg, took the puck wide, but could not get it around Ilya Proskuryakov, who replaced Ratislav Stana at some point prior to the shootout (but I have no clue when).  Oleg Kvasha was the 3rd shooter for CSKA and he beat goalie Ari Ahonen 5-hole.  With all of the pressure on his small shoulders, Mats Zuccarello deked Proskuryakov completely out of position and tied the shootout.

In an odd difference from the NHL, after the first 3 rounds, the teams switched their shooting order and players were allowed to go again.  Therefore, Metallurg began with Mats Zuccarello, who tried the same move but lost the puck.  CSKA changed it up and went with Igor Radulov, who beat Ahonen high, blocker side and won the game for CSKA.

Malkin says something that gets Radulov's attention.

Final Score:  CSKA wins 2-1 (Shootout).  

Metallurg drops to 5-0-3-2 and CSKA Moscow improves to 5-3-0-4.

Player Notes

Evgeni Malkin - Geno played a season high 24:44 and frequently shifted between dynamic and nonexistent from shift to shift.  At times, Malkin and his linemates (Mozyakin and Platonov again) were unstoppable in the offensive zone as they cycled around the net and created chances around the slot.  However, the group committed quite a few turnovers which led to CSKA breakouts.  Malkin finished with 4 shots and went 15 for 29 in faceoffs, though he seemed to lose every big opportunity to Pavel Datsyuk in the offensive and defensive zones.  

Sergei Gonchar - Gonchar had a very quiet game though he also played a season high with 23:26  of ice time.  He had no shots and took an unnecessary tripping penalty while Magnitogorsk was on the powerplay.  The powerplay overall was very quiet as Gonchar could not get set up comfortably at the point.  He didn't play awful defensively, but his usual offensive output was not there today against CSKA.

Cal O'Reilly - O'Reilly added to his assist total amongst the league leaders with a perfect feed to Kulemin on the only Magnitogorsk goal.  Zuccarello joined his line in this game and it appears that these 3 will make an excellent second line.  O'Reilly's big negative at this point is he doesn't take enough shots and looks to pass first a little too frequently.

Malkin vs. Datsyuk...somehow, Geno lost this one.
Pavel Datsyuk - Datsyuk showed his usual strong vision throughout the game, though he did not have linemates that created for him as much as he is used to in the NHL.  He was a dismal 9 for 26 in faceoffs, quite possibly only winning in draws against Malkin.  On many offensive chances, he seemed to slow down and settle into a puck distributor role at the point instead of going deep into the zone.

Alexander Radulov - Without making a comment as to stereotypes, Radulov's effort looked simply wonderful in this game compared to his recent NHL play.  He was gritty and went hard on both the forecheck and backcheck.  He also received both powerplay and penalty kill time, acting quite responsibly on both.  As captain of CSKA, Radulov finished the game leading both teams with over 29 minutes of ice time and leading his own team with 4 shots.  He certainly made his presence felt in this game, though he did not get on the scoresheet.

Next Game:  10/4, 8am EST vs Sibir


Links:

Go to onhockey.ru for all of your streaming needs.  They are excellent and add feeds as they find them.