KHL
Avtomobilist – Ak Bars 1:2 (end)
final
Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
1:2 (0:0, 0:2, 1:0)
Ak Bars Kazan
Wednesday 04.03.2015, 14:30 • Uralets Arena • KHL
     
    There is the final buzzer, and Ak Bars Kazan have taken a huge 3:1 foothold in the series with a 2:1 victory over Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg! They showed their class today, and restricted their opponents to very few chances. Dmitriy Obukhov and Justin Azevedo struck for the victors, with Alexey Simakov replying for Avtomobilist. Thanks for following the game with us, and see you again soon for more exciting KHL action! (16:57:11)
     
    60:00
    Game over.
     
    59:49
    Ak Bars are defending masterfully during these final few seconds, and are heading towards a crucial 2:1 victory away!
     
    59:11
    The last roll of the dice has been taken as well now, with Jakub Kovar being pulled for the extra skater!
     
    59:02
    And with already less than a minute remaining Avtomobilist have taken a timeout! It's their last opportunity to come up with a killer plan!
     
    58:26
    The hosts cannot keep the puck inside Ak Bars' zone again, they are pressing so hard but they are struggling to get any shots away! They have began to press maybe slightly too late!
     
    56:29
    The Uralets Arena has taken off now, the home fans are really behind their team! Ak Bars didn't want such a nervy ending!
     
    54:35
    Goal for Avtomobilist!
    That was strange, but Avtomobilist are all of a sudden back in the game! ALEXEY SIMAKOV wrists from a tight angle on the right, and somehow it sneaks over the goaltender and in! It's 1:2!
     
    53:35
    Gleb Klimenko falling on to his knees tries to force it across from behind the net on the right, however Anders Nilsson is first to it. Not an awful lot is going on at the moment, with Ak Bars preventing Avtomobilist from having any real possession
     
    51:26
    Eduard Lewandowski winds up at the point not once but twice, although on both occasions no one can make a telling deflection up close
     
    50:05
    Petrov! That was a chance to completely finish the game! Kirill Petrov skates in one on one down the middle, and can only thump wide of the right post!
     
    49:18
    Nothing was created by Avtomobilist's panicking players at all, and the visitors can now focus on keeping five bodies for the remaining minutes
     
    48:20
    Avtomobilist drift offside, and they are rather angry about that decision as they thought that the puck was kept inside the blue line. Their head coach Anatoliy Emelin looks slightly deflated on the bench!
     
    47:18
    The hosts have been gifted an important powerplay here though, as for interference Ak Bars forward Dmitriy Obukhov has been called
     
    44:56
    A slapper comes thundering in from Sheldon Brookbank, and Jakub Kovar can hand it off to a nearby teammate. Avtomobilist for all of their pressing can't get any shots away at the other end as yet, and their home fans are beginning to become impatient
     
    42:05
    Nikita Tryamkin dumps in from neutral ice, and with no one running on to it Anders Nilsson can easily catch it with his stomach. Having not been called into action that many times today he won't want to let his shutout slip!
     
    41:04
    Kirill Petrov shields the puck with the backhand sprinting down the right wing, shoots wickedly into the near post, and Jakub Kovar is on his game
     
    40:31
    The puck has dropped for the third, and vital, period! Ak Bars are two to the good and comfortable, while Avtomobilist need to up their urgency!
     
    40:01
    Start of 3rd period.
     
    Statistics after the first two periods:

    Shots: 21-42
    Shots on target: 12-18
    Faceoffs: 20-28
    Hits: 11-16
    Penalty minutes: 10-6
     
    40:00
    2nd period finished.
     
    39:44
    The final few seconds of the second frame are already here, with Ak Bars having Avtomobilist exactly where they want them at the moment!
     
    38:18
    The sting out of the game is being taken by Ak Bars, they are satisfied to sit on their two goal lead while holding the puck deep inside their opponent's zone for a prolonged amount of time
     
    35:06
    Avtomobilist now have five players on the ice again, and they can try and begin to get something going. They really can't afford to lose today, especially on home ice!
     
    34:58
    Dmitriy Obukhov is hungry for his second goal as skating to the crease he goes high over the goalkeeper's blocker, however also over the crossbar by some distance
     
    33:06
    Not long at all after Ak Bars came back to full strength we have a brawl on our hands! And it's ended up with Ak Bars going on the powerplay, as Anatoliy Golyshev has been punished for slashing. The other to be called during that incident were Sheldon Brookbank and Artyom Gareev, both for roughing
     
    31:51
    Anton Lazarev is picked out slightly to the left of the crease, he tries to do a full 360, however he can't find enough room to get a shot away
     
    31:17
    Alexey Simakov shows real power speeding down the left flank, wrists when moving out even wider, and the falling Anders Nilsson covers it up at the second attempt
     
    30:46
    Despite this being worrying times for Avtomobilist they have earned a potentially very important powerplay, as Ak Bars' Petr Vrana has been found guilty of roughing
     
    29:57
    Goal for Ak Bars!
    The visitors are becoming very clinical as time moves on! Ilya Nikulin wrists in from the point, and JUSTIN AZEVEDO tips in! Powerplay goal and it's 0:2! Assists- Ilya Nikulin
     
    29:36
    Swedish forward Oscar Moller hangs back at the blue line, chooses to slap with traffic in front of him, and Jakub Kovar sees it all the way to field
     
    29:26
    However Avtomobilist have taken a very untimely penalty, as for holding Tobias Viklund has been put his team on the kill
     
    28:07
    The puck is eventually dug out from the right boards after an almighty scramble, Igor Emeleev takes aim from distance, and it flies wide blocker side! All the play is being dictated by the hosts now!
     
    26:35
    Lewandowski! Clever build up play frees up Eduard Lewandowski between the circles, and his powerful wrister is clung on to by Anders Nilsson with attackers putting him under pressure!
     
    26:17
    Tobias Viklund pushes back to the blue line, tees up a teammate for a heavy slapper, and the goalkeeper is helped out by defencemen blocking it
     
    25:21
    Aaron Palushaj of the hosts also opts to skate out of the goalkeeper's sight, and his wraparound glove side is shut down by Anders Nilsson! Avtomobilist are noticeably upping the pace!
     
    23:25
    Oscar Moller causes trouble skating behind Avtomobilist's net, and eventually it's flashed around when pulling to the right. Any goal could prove to be crucial in this one, and Ak Bars will be very pleased to have gone ahead!
     
    22:07
    Goal for Ak Bars!
    Out of virtually nothing Ak Bars strike first! Alexander Burmistrov dishes to DMITRIY OBUKHOV on the doorstep from the right, and the latter makes no mistake! It's 0:1! Assists- Alexander Burmistrov and Kirill Petrov
     
    21:38
    Eduard Lewandowski thrashes the puck across goal from a difficult angle to the right, and away netminder Anders Nilsson is lucky that no one was quick enough to get on the end of it!
     
    20:28
    The second stanza is go! It's been an even game so far, with both teams waiting for someone to slip up!
     
    20:01
    Start of 2nd period.
     
    Statistics after the opening period of play:

    Shots: 10-20
    Shots on target: 7-9
    Faceoffs: 9-13
    Hits: 6-9
    Penalty minutes: 4-2
     
    20:00
    1st period finished.
     
    19:43
    The first period is now drawing to a close, with it promising to be a very tense game for the teams today!
     
    18:03
    Avtomobilist have survived that particular scare, and they will be very relieved to see Igor Emeleev skate back out
     
    17:30
    The puck is worked to the right hand post, Kirill Petrov almost bats it down out of the air, and eventually Jakub Kovar sweeps it up falling out of his net!
     
    16:28
    Moller! Oscar Moller is found skating by himself to the left, he wrists when slightly off balance, and the goaltender beats it away with his chest! That was a promising move!
     
    16:03
    The referee again has his hand up and the visitors have been gifted their second powerplay of the period, as for interference Avtomobilist's Igor Emeleev has been punished
     
    15:07
    Both sides' defences are on top so far today, as Ak Bars also are back at full strength. It's a very tactical affair, with everyone waiting for a mistake from someone on either team
     
    13:07
    Ak Bars have now picked up a penalty, as for hooking Damir Musin has been handed a two minute minor
     
    11:32
    Alexander Svitov finds room in which to shoot closing down on the right, and Jakub Kovar isn't going to be beaten by that catching neatly
     
    11:21
    Except for late deflected wrister into the goalkeeper's blocker Ak Bars created little, and the hosts are back at full strength. Avtomobilist are reliable defensively, while waiting for their opportunity on the break
     
    09:21
    The first penalty has been called here, as young Avtomobilist forward Anatoliy Golyshev has been penalised for high sticking
     
    08:28
    Defenceman Sami Lepisto strips his opponents of the puck, sets up a teammate on the opposite left side, however the latter is stopped by the away back line just as he was shaping to shoot!
     
    07:55
    Ak Bars work the puck to the right of Avtomobilist's slot, plenty of sticks battle away for it, and eventually near post Jakub Kovar gets his glove on the play to kill it!
     
    05:28
    Ilya Nikulin's slap shot cannons off the boards, rebounds to the left of the crease, and somehow the open corner of the net is missed! Both teams have burst into action all of a sudden!
     
    05:12
    Klimenko! Avtomobilist burst away on a three on two, Gleb Klimenko is set up alone on the left faceoff circle, and his one timer is covered solidly by Anders Nilsson!
     
    04:21
    It hasn't been the fastest of starts here in Yekaterinburg, as Ak Bars are seeing more of the puck without creating any openings as yet
     
    02:13
    Directly off a faceoff draw on the right Stepan Zakharchuk slaps from distance, and with no one in front of him Jakub Kovar catches
     
    02:01
    Avtomobilist goaltender Jakub Kovar has the first to make today, as off a tight angled wrister glove side he comfortably kicks it out
     
    00:29
    Here we go! Avtomobilist dearly need the win at home, while Ak Bars will want to take charge of the series!
     
    00:01
    Game started.
     
    The teams are now out on to the ice, and after the Russian and Tatar national anthems we'll be getting underway!
     
    Starting lineups:

    Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg: Kovar (Ustinskiy)- Viklund, Lepisto, Lazarev, Rybakov, Simakov- Metlyuk, Megalinskiy, Mikhnov, Lewandowski, Nesterov- Antonov, Gusev, Golyshev, Emelin, Gareev- Tryamkin, Zhuravlyov, Palushaj, Emeleev, Klimenko

    Ak Bars Kazan: Nilsson (Garipov)- Korneev, Nikulin, Moller, Azevedo, Varnakov- Denisov, Rylov, Lukoyanov, Svitov, Koltsov- Zakharchuk, Brookbank, Glukhov, Vrana, Mirnov- Musin, Paigin, Obukhov, Burmistrov, Petrov

    Referees: Alexey Vasiliev, Alexander Soin, Konstantin Gordenko, Alexander Sysuev.
     
    Avtomobilist finished in eighth place of the Eastern Conference, with Ak Bars all the way up in first.
     
    While Ak Bars are the heavy favourities in this series they have struggled so far, winning the first two games 4:3 only in overtime and then losing yesterday 0:2. Their opponents Avtomobilist are full of confidence, and will want their second win at home today.
     
    Hello and welcome to this KHL Gagarin Cup first round playoff match between Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg and Ak Bars Kazan. This series is very tightly poised, with the hosts on the verge of tying it all up.
     
    Welcome. Game starts at 14:30.
    Commentary by

    Shaun Nicolaides

    Goals & lineups Match log
    Goals and assists: 55. Simakov – 23. Obukhov (Burmistrov, Petrov), 30. Azevedo (Nikulin)

    Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg: Kovar (Ustinskiy)- Viklund, Lepisto, Lazarev, Rybakov, Simakov- Metlyuk, Megalinskiy, Mikhnov, Lewandowski, Nesterov- Antonov, Gusev, Golyshev, Emelin, Gareev- Tryamkin, Zhuravlyov, Palushaj, Emeleev, Klimenko
    Ak Bars Kazan: Nilsson (Garipov)- Korneev, Nikulin, Moller, Azevedo, Varnakov- Denisov, Rylov, Lukoyanov, Svitov, Koltsov- Zakharchuk, Brookbank, Glukhov, Vrana, Mirnov- Musin, Paigin, Obukhov, Burmistrov, Petrov
    Referees: Alexey Vasiliev, Alexander Soin, Konstantin Gordenko, Alexander Sysuev
    Attendance: 5570