Thrilling KHL 3×3 Fest Showcases Stunning Final Comeback in Moscow

The KHL 3×3 Fest recently took place in Moscow, featuring players from both the KHL and the NHL.

The four participating teams had their rosters selected by their respective captains, resulting in star-studded lineups. The team in red jerseys was captained by Spartak`s Pavel Poryadin, while his teammate Egor Zaitsev led the `Blacks`. The `Oranges` were guided by Donat Stalnov from Almetyevsk`s Neftyanik, and the captain of the `Whites` was Egor Yakovlev from Metallurg.

Matvei Michkov, playing for Stalnov`s team, wasted no time, opening the scoring just 40 seconds into the tournament. He quickly added a second goal, which goaltender Maxim Dorozhko couldn`t stop, leaving a slight gap between his pad and blocker. But as a natural sniper, Michkov doesn`t need much of an opening!

For Vasily Ponomarev, who rejoined the KHL over the summer, this marked his first tournament appearance in Russia in three years. He had a chance to score his first goal midway through the opening game on a penalty shot but was denied by Ivan Prosvetov. Ponomarev ultimately saved his first goal for the third-place match, which his team went on to win. The standout player of the first game, despite his team`s loss, was Pavel Poryadin, who netted a hat-trick.

The semi-final showdown between the `Blacks` and `Whites` was a tight affair that concluded with a lengthy shootout, featuring nine attempts per team. Neither side, especially the goaltenders, was willing to give an inch. The decisive shot came from Alexander Cherny, securing the victory for the `Blacks`.

The intense and unpredictable nature of 3×3 hockey was on full display for the fans during the final match. Early in the second period, Zaitsev`s team held a commanding 6:1 lead, extended to 7:2 shortly after. However, what unfolded next was nothing short of incredible. A confrontation between Michkov and Andrei Pribylsky seemed to ignite the `Oranges`, fueling their spectacular comeback. They began firing shots from all angles, and remarkably, almost everything found the back of the net. By the break, the score was astonishingly tied at 7:7. The match`s fate was sealed in the final minute and a half. The winning goal, scored by Dmitry Buchelnikov, was perhaps the most unusual of the tournament. The puck hit the protective netting above the glass, rebounded, and then bounced off the leg of goaltender Vsevolod Skotnikov, who inadvertently carried it over the goal line as he skated back into the net.

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