For the third time in a row, Traktor Chelyabinsk managed to stage a late comeback in regulation, only to fall short and suffer another defeat, this time against Kunlun Red Star.
Recent KHL games held in St. Petersburg have been quite peculiar, with visiting teams often receiving significantly louder and more enthusiastic support than the home team. For Traktor Chelyabinsk, this was their second visit where they experienced a “home-ice” atmosphere thanks to the crowd`s backing. However, this supportive environment did not translate into a victory at the Ice Palace in mid-September, where they previously lost 2:5 to SKA. Their current visit also found them in less-than-ideal form, having just suffered defeats in Moscow against Spartak (3:6) and Dynamo (2:3 in a shootout). In stark contrast, the Kunlun Red Star (referred to as “Shanghai Dragons” in the original Russian context) extended their impressive point-scoring streak to four games, notably defeating Spartak (3:1) in Moscow before this encounter.
First Period: Initial Exchanges and Early Lead
The opening period was largely characterized by tentative play and initial exchanges. While many shots were taken by both sides, the skating seemed somewhat sluggish. Despite this, Kunlun Red Star, the designated hosts, managed to secure a lead before the first intermission. A swift and successful counter-attack, brilliantly initiated by Ryan Spooner and Nikita Popugaev, was clinically finished by Austin Wagner.
This game marked a significant return for Vasily Glotov to the SKA Arena, a venue where he had previously excelled for SKA, despite his current season starting without much fanfare. Interestingly, Ilya Karpukhin, for whom Roman Rotenberg traded Glotov, is also no longer with SKA. This effectively implies that Glotov, along with Arseniy Koromyslov, was acquired by Traktor without a substantial return.
The vocal support indicated a clear majority of Traktor fans in the stands. It was a peculiar experience to hear dissatisfied whistles and jeers from the crowd when the home team managed to pin the visitors in their defensive zone for extended periods. When Grigori Dronov narrowed the deficit mid-game, the stadium erupted in cheers. Notably, the goal was co-assisted by Glotov and Mikhail Grigorenko, both names that were frequently cheered at the SKA Arena during their previous tenures.
Second Period: High-Scoring Drama and Momentum Swings
The second period proved to be much more action-packed and high-scoring. Riding an emotional wave from the crowd`s support, the Ural team soon managed to equalize the score. However, they immediately fell behind again when goaltender Chris Driedger fumbled a relatively simple shot from Wagner into the near corner. Sensing Driedger`s momentary instability, Kunlun Red Star continued to test him with straightforward shots, but he made no further mistakes for the remainder of the period.
Third Period & Overtime: Late Equalizers and Decisive Goal
Midway through the third period, Pierrick Dubé equalized for Traktor for the second time in the game, bringing renewed hope. But just ninety seconds later, Spooner responded with a go-ahead goal, accumulating his third point of the match. Even when Grigorenko tied the game again with only a minute left in the third period, Chelyabinsk allowed the hosts to create two potential scoring chances in the dying seconds, narrowly escaping further damage.
Just two days prior, Grigorenko had also equalized against Dynamo with an acute-angle shot mere seconds before the siren. However, just like in Moscow, Chelyabinsk couldn`t capitalize on this late surge of momentum. In the very first minute of overtime, Nick Merkley`s decisive shot sealed the victory for Kunlun Red Star, inflicting Traktor`s third consecutive defeat.
Three Stars of the Game
- Austin Wagner: Delivered a stellar performance, scoring two goals and providing an assist.
- Nikita Popugaev: Was instrumental in the offense, contributing three assists.
- Mikhail Grigorenko: Proved to be a crucial player, saving Traktor from a regulation loss with a late equalizer.
Neville Woodall