KHL 3×3 Championship Superfinal: Ak Bars and Salavat Yulaev Remain Undefeated

The second day of the KHL 3×3 Championship Superfinal took place in Moscow on July 7th, featuring victories for Salavat Yulaev, Metallurg, and Ak Bars.

Match Recap: Dinamo Minsk vs Salavat Yulaev

The game day commenced with a match between Dinamo Minsk and Salavat Yulaev. In the first period, the “Bisons” controlled the puck more and attempted to penetrate the opponent`s defense. Ufa demonstrated strong defensive play and executed a successful counterattack – a cross-ice pass found Ildus Suleymanov, who had an easy task of tapping the puck into the net.

The second period began with a goal from Dinamo, as Daniil Lipsky leveled the score. Possession became more balanced, but Salavat Yulaev still held the advantage going into the second intermission: Ilya Krikunov found himself alone in front of the net and skillfully beat the goaltender. Dinamo Minsk`s position worsened in the third period when a shot by Eduard Gimatov deflected off Vitaly Pinchuk and entered the net. In the closing minutes, Ufa skillfully controlled the game to secure their second victory in the Superfinal.

Match Recap: Metallurg vs Avangard

Next on the ice were Metallurg and Avangard. Both teams had suffered defeats on the opening day, making this head-to-head encounter highly significant for their tournament standing. Omsk quickly opened the scoring in the second minute through Stanislav Kalashnikov, but shortly after, Evgeny Churlyaev of Metallurg scored the equalizer. However, the tie lasted only 15 seconds – Avangard regained the lead with a precise shot from Anton Kovalev.

Metallurg equalized again in the second period, courtesy of Denis Polukarov. Both teams played a very disciplined and tight third period, but unfortunately for Omsk, Metallurg`s leading scorers and the championship`s top players took control: Sergei Shmelev scored the winning goal in the final minute, and Pavel Varfolomeev sealed the final score just three seconds before the buzzer – 4-2 in favor of Magnitogorsk.

Match Recap: Ак Bars vs Traktor

Ak Bars and Traktor concluded the day`s schedule. The winner of this game had the chance to join Salavat Yulaev at the top of the Superfinal round-robin standings. The first period was a tight contest – the Kazan team attempted to create intricate plays near the opponent`s net, while Chelyabinsk launched counterattacks when opportunities arose. Traktor earned a penalty shot but failed to convert it, and then conceded – Ravil Yakupov of Ak Bars shielded his shot behind a defenseman and hit the corner perfectly.

At the start of the second period, Yakupov scored his second goal, capitalizing on a breakaway chance. Traktor continued to miss penalty shots, while Ak Bars kept scoring: Yury Muravyov first set up Dmitry Drozhzhin for a goal, then beat the goaltender himself in close range. Kazan successfully converted their first penalty shot thanks to Vladislav Shlyakhtov. All Chelyabinsk could manage was a consolation goal from Maxim Askarov in the third period, but Ak Bars had the final say: Daniil Chetverikov scored on a penalty shot. The final score was 6-1, leaving the Kazan team, along with Salavat Yulaev, undefeated in the Superfinal.