When forwards keep silence

Michael Garnett was the number one goalie for this game while Vasili Demchenko became his substitute. Oleg Piganovich missed the game and was replaced by Aleksei Vasilchenko while Semyon Kokuyov became the 13th forward.

Both head-to-head games of this season where won by Magnitka. On October 13, Traktor was routed 1:6 on away ice. The game in Chelyabinsk was much tighter, with the winner having emerged only in OT (3:2 OT).

Metallurg had considerable advantage in the first twenty, thus allowing Michael Garnett to get right into after two games on the bench. Garnett was up for the challenge, turning away a whopping 15 shots during this period. Despite heavy pressure that was being put by the hosts, Traktor had a couple of decent chances on goal, the closest of them to goal being a two-on-one by Ruzicka and Penkovsky; young Traktor forward was unable to adjust his body to take an accentuated shot. Hosts had a sure-fire chance of their own when Kovar and Antipin each could have upset Garnett during the power play, but Michael did not allow them to do so.

The complexion of the game during the second period did not change one bit – Metallurg put pressure, Traktor tried to withstand it and sting hosts with sharp counters. Five minute into the period the undesirable happened for the black-and-white when Chris Lee found the top corner of the net in a three-on-two. Traktor created the best chance of the period via the third line, but Ruzicka somehow did not put it away into the already empty goal.

After an inauspicious power play Traktor allowed the second goal of this game that came, as it often happens, at the hands of a former Traktor player. This time it was Maksim Yakutsenya. With nothing left to lose, Traktor rushed forward, all guns blazing. Popov had the realest chance of them all, but miraculously the rubber went wide of the goal. Other attempts on goal were thwarted by Vasili Koshechkin who was able to secure a shutout victory for Magnitka. With a measly three points after six away games, Traktor is heading home for the only home game versus Neftekhimik and then is on the road again.

Game details

METALLURG vs. TRAKTOR – 2:0 (0:0, 1:0, 1:0)
Goals: Lee, 25 (1:0); Yakutsenya (Yunkov), 53 (2:0).

METALLURG
Koshechkin,
Antipin – Biryukov, Mozyakin (C) – Kovar – Zaripov;
Tereshchenko – Malenkikh, Platonov – Stapleton – Kosov;
Lee – Khabarov, Timkin – Brent – Kaletnik;
Ibragimov – Bereglazov, Osala – Yunkov – Yakutsenya.

TRAKTOR
Garnett (0:00 – 58:43);
Quint – Borodkin, Penkovsky – Pare – Chistov (C);
Kondratyev – Vasilchenko, Glinkin – Pestunov – Popov;
Martynov – Atyushov (A), Panov (A) – Osnovin – Ruzicka;
Davydov, Velichkin – Kruchinin – Gubarev;
Kokuyov.

PIM: 4 (0+2+2) – 8 (2+4+2).
Shots: 34 (15+13+6) – 22 (4+8+10).
Faceoffs won: 26 (8+11+7) – 19 (4+10+5).
Hits: 12 (4+5+3) – 20 (5+8+7).
Shots blocked: 13 (6+2+5) – 15 (4+7+4).
TOI: Lee (22:43), Antipin (22:35), Kovar (21:13) – Quint (21:57), Chistov (20:14), Vasilchenko (19:23).
PP goals: 0-0.

Referees: Antonin Jerabek (Czech Republic), Denis Naumov (Togliatti).
Linesmen: Tornike Kuchava, Ivan Nazarov (both – Moscow).

February 1, 2015. Metallurg Arena, Magnitogorsk, Russia.