Abandon Vehicle: Tractor Edition
In the gripping semifinals of the Continental Hockey League, "Dinamo" from Moscow delivered a heavy blow to "Traktor" in Chelyabinsk, handing them their first defeat. In the climatic fourth match, the Ural team fell 1:3, yet still holds a series lead of 3:2, with a potential clincher in their next home game.
After a nail-biting two losses in Chelyabinsk - 3:4 and 2:3 - it appeared as though "Dinamo" was still in a strong position, given their comeback from a 0:2 deficit against "Ak Bars" in the quarterfinals. However, in the tense third game against "Traktor," they found themselves trailing 0:3, a critical deficit with almost zero chances of a comeback. To make matters worse, their top scorer in the Gagarin Cup, Maxim Komta, was injured and sidelined.
Despite the hardships, "Dinamo" showed immense resilience and grit, generating numerous opportunities in their search for a comeback. Struggling Canadian player Cedric Paquette was even benched by head coach Alexei Kudashov during the third match and omitted from the lineup for the fourth game.
As Dinamo teetered on the brink of elimination, one could sense the tension coursing through them. They couldn't capitalize on their two-man advantage early on, as goalie Zach Fucale saved effortlessly. Even when Dylan Sikura seemingly scored, the puck hit the crossbar. Gradually, the hosts began to warm up and outplay Traktor, but their finishing let them down, and star player Nikita Gusev couldn't convert a great chance.
Dinamo finally broke the deadlock with just 50 seconds left in the first period when Artem Shvets-Rogovoy threw the puck towards the net from near the left boards, and it slipped in, deflecting off Blazhievskiy slightly along the way. The Chelyabinsk team responded bravely, recording several successful shifts, but they couldn't beat the steady Vladislav Pod'yapolsky, who thwarted 20 shots in this segment alone.
Traktor remained committed to their game plan in the second period, putting heavy pressure on Pod'yapolsky. However, Dinamo countered with a terrific opportunity when Artem Ilyenko fired one under the crossbar from the right face-off circle, with Dmitry Rashevskiy in position in front of Fucale. Despite the unfavorable 0:2 score in the second period, Traktor still couldn't penetrate Pod'yapolsky's fortress.
The wards of Canadian specialist Benoit Groulx would have the third period to regroup, during which talented defenseman Grigory Dronov narrowed the gap and caught up with five goals by Blazhievsky. Maxim Shabanov also increased his playoff "goals plus assists" count to 16 points. Despite the guests' unrelenting attempts, "Dinamo" held on to win 3:1, piling on the pressure for Traktor to clinch the series in the next game taking place on Tuesday, May 6, in Chelyabinsk.
- Dinamo, despite facing a critical deficit in the tense third game against Traktor in Chelyabinsk, showcased immense resilience and grit.
- In the gripping semifinals of the Continental Hockey League, Dinamo from Moscow, who previously deflected a deficit against Ak Bars in the quarterfinals, handed Traktor from Chelyabinsk their first defeat.
- Traktor struggled to penetrate Pod'yapolsky's fortress in the second period, while Dinamo countered with a terrific opportunity scored by Artem Ilyenko, increasing his playoff "goals plus assists" count.
- Dinamo's top scorer in the Gagarin Cup, Maxim Komta, was injured and sidelined, making the Chelyabinsk games even more challenging for the sports team.
