UFA 1:0 KZN | Salavat Yulaev Ufa - Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)

KHL

Traktor – Vityaz	3:2 (end)	\|	Metallurg M – Dynamo	1:0 (1:0 after SO)	\|	Salavat Yulaev – Ak Bars	1:0 (end)
Neftekhimik – Torpedo	3:5 (end)	\|	Lokomotiv – HC Yugra	6:2 (end)	\|	Cherepovets – Avtomobilist	2:1 (end)
CSKA – Medvescak	1:3 (end)	\|	Mytishchi – Avangard	2:0 (end)	\|	SKA St. Petersburg – Barys	3:2 (end)
Riga – Spartak	3:2 (end)	\|	HC Slovan – Donbass	1:2 (end)	\|	Lev – Dinamo Minsk	3:1 (end)

final

Salavat Yulaev Ufa

1:0 (0:0, 0:0, 1:0)

Ak Bars Kazan

Friday 28.02.2014, 14:00 • Ufa Arena • KHL

		Welcome. Game starts at 14:00.
		Welcome everyone to this KHL regular championship match between Salavat Yulaev and Ak Bars. These two teams are both powerhouses of the Eastern Conference, and this really is going to be a hard fought exciting encounter for us today.
		This really is one of the games of the day if not the biggest game, and we can expect a close battle between two sides who are doing well this season so far. Salavat are in a comfortable fourth position of the Eastern Conference with 88 points, but their rivals from Kazan are one place above them in third but with ten points more.
		Salavat find themselves on a patchy run of form, having won three and lost three of the previous six games. Ak Bars have also done exactly the same, and both teams will be looking to gain momentum with a win here today.
		The first match between these two teams this season finished with a 4-3 victory for Ak Bars after penalty shots.
		Starting lineups: Salavat Yulaev Ufa: Vasilevskiy (Volkov)- Sopel, Kulda, Khlystov, Zinovyev, Zaborski- Vishnevskiy, Babchuk, Makarov, Filatov, Hartikainen- Zubarev, Schitov, Mirnov, Pihlstrom, Kaygorodov- Isangulov, Gurkin, Stepanov, Glukhov, Slepyshev Ak Bars Kazan: Barulin (Garipov)- Nikulin, Korneev, Tereschenko, Petruzalek, Petrov- Heshka, Medvedev, Stapleton, Pesonen, Burmistrov- Osipov, Zakharchuk, Svitov, Varnakov, Milovzorov- Yarullin, Obukhov, Tkachyov, Vincour Referees: Olenin, Ronn, Koposov, Otmakhov.
		Both teams are now out on to the ice and it's almost time for the opening faceoff!
	00:01	Game started.
	00:13	Ak Bars dump the puck into the Salavat zone and it goes out of play. It will be interesting who will take the initiative today
	00:25	The first icing is committed by Salavat
	01:20	Salavat work the puck behind Konstantin Barulin's net but his defenders manage to clear the danger
	03:10	There hasn't been any shots as yet from either side as the puck goes from one end of the ice to the other
	03:34	Sergey Zinovyev sends the puck across the slot but none of his attacking partners are there
	04:17	Nikita Filatov is found free skating in on the left flank, but his effort gets deflected off Barulin's shoulder and out of play
	04:29	Mirnov! There we have the first real chance of the game! Igor Mirnov when closing down towards the crease wrists the puck off the crossbar!
	05:43	The puck is worked from the right to the center of the Ak Bars zone, but the following pass to the net is cut out just in time!
	06:34	Barulin covers up a long distance effort with his glove and freezes for a faceoff
	07:09	Salavat have certainly made the better start and they now have a powerplay coming up, Konstantin Korneev for holding has been called
	07:19	Pihlstrom! His wrists the puck directly into Barulin's glove when free skating into the zone! And now Ak Bars have picked up another penalty, Alexander Svitov has been penalised for keening and it's a five on three for the hosts
	08:09	Makarov! Free on the right post he can't hit the net as Barulin is out of position! He should really have kept that on target
	08:51	Hartikainen deflects a heavy Babchuk effort from the point only inches wide of the left post!
	09:57	Ak Bars have survived both penalties and as soon as they are back to full strength Salavat pick up their first penalty, Zinovyev for tripping has put his team on the penalty kill
	11:46	Milovzorov! With a hard wrist shot from the left faceoff circle he forces Andrey Vasilevskiy into an beautiful looking glove save!
	11:57	And Salavat now are back at full strength
	12:53	Ak Bars hold the puck at the point, feed Vincour on the left who goes high on the goalkeeper but Vasilevskiy manages to shoulder it over the bar
	13:25	Pilhstrom is found dashing in between the visiting defenders, goes blocker side on Barulin but he deflects it high and wide
	12:46	This time Pihlstrom snaps early from well outside the crease, but it's right down Barulin's throat. Both teams are playing exciting up tempo hockey
	14:53	Ak Bars commit two icings in quick succession
	15:31	Medvedev takes aim from the point looking for someone to deflect it, but it lands only into Vasilevskiy's glove
	16:19	Makarov on the right of the crease instead of playing a pass across goes for Barulin's near post but it's covered well
	17:46	Salavat keep the puck in the zone well, the eventual shot comes from the right faceoff circle but it's hits traffic in front
	19:08	Just before the first period is out Alexander Burmistrov for holding has given Salavat another powerplay chance to draw first blood
	19:40	We're now into the final few seconds of the first period and it's looking like Salavat will start the second with a man's advantage
	20:00	1st period finished.
	20:01	Start of 2nd period.
	20:01	These are the statistics after the first period for your information- Shots (on target)- 20 (11)- 10 (7) Faceoffs- 16-7 Hits- 8-6 Penalty minutes- 2-6
	21:08	And now Ak Bars are back at full strength
	21:30	Brent Sopel on the left gathers up his own rebound on a tight angle and he is very close to catching Barulin out!
	22:35	Babchuk! He winds up for a big one timer from the point and it crashes into the boards! And as the puck comes into the crease from the rebound Barulin sprawls on the ice to cover up
	23:41	Tereschenko twists around the net seeking out Kirill Petrov on the slot but he's crowded out by home defenders
	25:01	Pihlstrom takes on the Ak Bars defence all on his own, goes for a quick snap shot but it comes off the defender in front of him and it comes to nothing
	25:40	Vasilevskiy finds the puck on his right hand post as he almost gave up a big rebound from a high Janne Pesonen wrister
	27:01	Pihlstrom, who is by far the most busy Salavat player, once again tries his luck from the middle of the zone but such attempts aren't troubling Barulin so far today
	27:40	Zakharchuk right off the faceoff draw slaps the puck right into the goalkeeper's glove who catches it easily
	28:10	Arturs Kulda for holding has received the first penalty of the second period and Ak Bars go on the powerplay for the second time today
	29:50	The visitors are controlling the puck well in the zone but they just aren't finding any spaces in which to get an effort in on goal
	30:08	Vasilevskiy scoops a low wrister up into his glove as the penalty against his team comes to an end
	30:10	And now the home side are indeed back at full strength
	31:12	Vancour driving in by the left boards sends a wrist shot into Vasilevskiy's near post and that doesn't cause the young netminder any problems at all
	31:43	Ak Bars move offside. Both teams are struggling to create any real big openings in this period so far
	32:35	Ilya Nikulin for holding his opponent has been sent to the penalty box and Salavat are now going on the powerplay
	33:02	From the blue line Babchuk drives the puck in with pace but Barulin fields it well. And now suddenly Tereschenko been handed a 10 minute penalty for unsportmanlike behaviour but his team still have four players on the ice
	33:53	The puck cannons off Barulin's near post from close range! Salavat came close there to finally breaking the deadlock
	34:35	Ak Bars have survived that penalty and they're back to full strength
	35:50	Both teams exchange quick dangerous attacks as they game picks up again!
	36:10	Barulin sees the puck as it comes through traffic to just in time turn it away with his pads off a low wrister!
	36:51	It's yet another penalty against the visitors and this time it's for having too many players on the ice, and Salavat have two minutes with a man's advantage. Tomas Vincour will sit this one out
	38:30	Babchuk! It's another cannon from the blue line and a panicking Barulin just manages to turn it wide!
	39:01	Slepyshev! What a chance! He's fed on the left with Barulin all over the place, he has an empty net to aim it but Nikulin in front of him heroically blocks it and keeps the score level!
	39:35	And of course Ak Bars are now back at full strength with just 25 seconds left in the second period
	40:00	2nd period finished.
	40:01	Start of 3rd period.
	41:07	And here are the statistics after the first two periods- Shots (on target)- 37 (24)- 27 (16) Faceoffs- 27-14 Hits- 15-9 Penalty minutes- 4-20
	41:30	Goal for Salavat Yulaev! Finally we have the breakthrough! TEEMU HARTIKAINEN just on the left finishes off a powerful attack with a wrist shot into the near post which leaves Barulin powerless! It's 1-0! Assists- Dmitriy Makarov and Arturs Kulda
	43:40	Salavat do indeed deserve that goal and they're pressing in the Ak Bars zone looking to hit their opponents while they're down
	45:04	Three on two breakaway for the visitors but Korneev fumbles the puck under his stick and his eventual pass into the crease is cleared!
	46:33	Schitov! After Ak Bars cough up the puck in their own zone Schitov slaps the puck with all his might and Tomas Zaborski on the crease just can't direct it on target!
	49:26	Ak Bars have chance here to get back into the game, Alexander Stepanov for holding his opponent with his stick has been sent to the penalty box
	50:53	Despite having good possession of the puck Ak Bars just cannot create any openings and they ice the puck
	51:26	Salavat are now back to full strength
	52:02	Petrov shields the puck away from Babchuk, cuts to the net and backhands it across the slot but it finds only Vasilevskiy's waiting glove
	52:49	Icing now from Salavat. There are still very few chances on offer for either side but being one down that will be of more concern for the team from Kazan
	53:30	Kaygorodov makes a fantastic cross ice pass but his teammate can't control it as he skates in!
	54:46	Salavat commit icing again. Their opponents really do need to start creating as time is running down
	55:02	Svitov! On the top left of the crease he one times it looking to go upstairs but Vasilevskiy just manages to get his body on it!
	55:48	Stapleton! Big chance for the American forward! Korneev finds him right on the doorstep but Stapleton completely miss hits it when all alone!
	56:30	Salavat go offside
	57:18	Hartikainen! He could have finished the game there and then! Ak Bars poorly lose control of the puck, Hartikainen receives it unmarked, one times it but only into Barulin's chest!
	59:05	We're into the last minute already and Ak Bars have pulled their goaltender for the extra skater!
	59:47	It's now the final seconds and a big fight has erupted in the middle of the ice between Nikulin and Khlystov!
	60:00	Game over.
		On that note the final buzzer has sounded and Salavat Yulaev have claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over their Eastern Conference rivals Ak Bars! They had the initiative right from the start but only in the third period could they make the breakthrough as Teemu Hartikainen beat Konstantin Barulin. Ak Bars could never really find their A-game tonight but they still stay ahead of Salavat in the table. Thanks for following the game with us, and see you soon for more exciting KHL hockey action! (16:16:10)

Commentary by

Shaun Nicolaides

Goals & lineups Match log

Goals and assists: 42. Hartikainen (Makarov, Kulda)

Salavat Yulaev Ufa: Vasilevskiy (Volkov)- Sopel, Kulda, Khlystov, Zinovyev, Zaborski- Vishnevskiy, Babchuk, Makarov, Filatov, Hartikainen- Zubarev, Schitov, Mirnov, Pihlstrom, Kaygorodov- Isangulov, Gurkin, Stepanov, Glukhov, Slepyshev

Ak Bars Kazan: Barulin (Garipov)- Nikulin, Korneev, Tereschenko, Petruzalek, Petrov- Heshka, Medvedev, Stapleton, Pesonen, Burmistrov- Osipov, Zakharchuk, Svitov, Varnakov, Milovzorov- Yarullin, Obukhov, Tkachyov, Vincour

Referees: Olenin, Ronn, Koposov, Otmakhov

Attendance: 8020

1st period
	07:09
	07:19
	09:57
	19:08
1st intermission
2nd period
	28:10
	32:35
	33:02
	36:51
2nd intermission
3rd period
	41:30
	49:26
Final