The showdown in Magnitogorsk between Metallurg and CSKA was hands down the marquee matchup of the night, bringing together the top dogs from both conference tables. CSKA continued their goaltender rotation, with Alexander Samonov getting the start. Defenseman Alex Cotton returned to the lineup after missing several games.
CSKA opened the first period on the attack. Aleksandr Smolin faced a barrage of heavy shots, stopping them all, though the crossbar bailed him out once. The Army Men dominated possession in the offensive zone, while their opponents relied on quick counter-attacks. The game settled down and evened out, with neither team able to take control. The 0-0 scoreline was completely misleading – fans who were late getting back from the intermission missed a total goal explosion. Three goals were scored in a span of just over a minute. Metallurg struck back-to-back, with the first goal benefiting from a lucky bounce. The Army Men didn't blink and answered with a goal right away. Prokhor Poltapov won the battle along the boards behind the net and centered it to Maxim Sorkin, who was left completely unmarked in the slot. Maksim had no trouble finishing that chance. All squared up midway through the period. Team captain Pavel Karnaukhov scored his trademark goal with a great tip-in right in front of the net. Both teams continued to play wide-open hockey, with chances at both ends of the ice. Metallurg took the lead again, converting a quick transition with some slick puck movement. And CSKA answered with a late period goal. In the dying seconds of a frantic goal scramble, Denis Gurianov picked up the loose puck and snapped it in from a sharp angle, catching the goaltender completely off guard.
That goal turned out to be the game-winner, it seems. After the intermission, Guryanov put his team ahead for the first time in the game. On the power play, he skillfully took the puck with his back to the net, spun around, and fired a precise shot home. Then the Army Men capitalized on the opponent's defensive breakdown. Poltapov centered the puck on a fast break, and Nikolai Kovalenko tapped it in. While the opponent was knocked down, CSKA delivered the knockout blow. Marat Khairullin beat the goaltender low from open ice, chasing him from the game. Egor Zavragin entered the game. Even that didn't help, as Sorkin sealed the win with a late power-play goal. Much of that damage was done following a multi-man brawl, with our guys outworking the opponent and getting the upper hand in the fights. A convincing 7-3 win!
