Chernov goes it alone. Best Moments of Weeks 16 and 17 (video)
Great goals, spectacular saves and the hardest hits, starring Pavel Chernov, Ilya Andryukhov, and Jakub Jerabek – the KHL is proud to bring you the best moments from the sixteenth and seventeenth weeks of the Championship.
Top 10 Goals: Chernov’s tenacity
Our third best goal is a mix of great positioning and cool finishing. Avangard attacker Nikolai Lemtyugov ghosted in unmarked, took a great pass, sent the Dinamo Riga goalie the wrong way and calmly stroked the puck home.
Our runner-up is a combination of speed and control. Amur forward Tomas Zohorna unexpectedly found himself in possession in front of goal, and the Czech’s sharp thinking and quick hands sent the puck past the Barys goalie just before the frantic D-men reached him.
The undisputed winner is 26-year-old Pavel Chernov of Severstal, who could have been forgiven for seeking the easy way out when alone and surrounded by three opponents, but a slick feint took him past two of them and a rasping low drive gave the goalie no chance. A goal more suited to a comic book hero.
Top 10 Saves: Andryukhov’s agility
Lada goaltender Ilya Ezhov was clearly in determined mood went he faced his former team, as this superb triple save shows. First he foiled SKA defenseman Maxim Chudinov, then blocked Evgeny Dadonov’s shot on the rebound, and then thwarted Vadim Shipachyov. Ilya’s effort takes third prize.
Salavat Yulaev’s Swedish master Linus Omark sent one of his trademark, exquisitely disguised passes to Alexander Loginov, whose fierce rising shot would have beaten many a ‘keeper, but not Medvescak’s Michael Garnett. The Canadian was falling backwards but still produced an instinctive reaction save with his stick. Great hockey all round, and our second best save.
It would need something magical to beat Ezhov and Garnett’s heroics, and it came from Amur netminder Ilya Andryukhov. The victim, young Avtomobilist forward Artyom Gareyev, must have thought he had scored when he shot at an apparently empty net, but Andryukhov showed amazing agility to produce a spectacular diving save. A must-see!
Top 10 Hits: Jerabek’s windmill
Bronze medal goes to Dinamo Riga forward Kaspars Saulietis, who took exception to Sibir defenseman Georgy Misharin’s stroll behind the goal, and decided to make his feelings known. A quick word, and the Novosibirsk man hit the deck.
Lokomotiv’s Canadian forward Brandon Kozun secured silver with this highly original intervention. He generously decided to help the opposition carry out a change of shift, and his swift body swerve sent Spartak’s 21-year-old defenseman Yury Sergiyenko crashing onto the bench for a well-earned rest
Vityaz Czech defenseman Jakub Jerabek was certainly alert to the danger when Spartak forward Ryan Stoa embarked on a dashing run into hostile territory. A deft movement sent the American airborne and gravity did the rest. Our gold medal hit!
