Record streak ends in Omsk

14 January 2025

Avangard Omsk 3 Kunlun Red Star 2

It’s 1,600 miles (2,600km) from Mytishchi to Omsk, but that trek – about 3.5 hours in a plane – did not daunt the Dragons’ support. Before Tuesday’s game, our social media team caught up with a family that had travelled to Siberia to cheer on Red Star as it went for an eighth straight win. Having already seen road games in Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Cherepovets, this was the longest voyage yet. That’s the kind of inspiration a winning streak can bring.

After seven successive victories, Mikhail Kravets made a couple of changes to the team as he returned to Omsk. Jeremy Smith was back in goal in place of Patrik Rybar, while Hudson Elynuik returned to the attack with Jan Drozg making way.

However, Avangard is building up some form of its own. The Hawks, with new head coach Guy Boucher finally installed behind the bench, were unbeaten in 2025 so far. That set the scene for a great game.

The home team wasted no time in asserting itself. Danil Bashkirov gave Avangard the lead in the third minute and that set the tone for a tough first period for our guys. Apart from one chance for Yaroslav Likhachyov, there was little for our forwards to work with through 20 minutes. At the other end, a trademark hardworking performance from Smitty – 15 saves in the first stanza alone – kept us in contention.

But a one-goal game always gives you a chance. The second period began with the Dragons pressing the home defense. Spencer Foo was close to extending his personal hot streak early in the frame; a breakdown in front of Mikhail Berdin’s net gave him a great look, but the goalie did well to get his pad behind it. Moments later, Luke Lockhart battled back to win possession in our zone and released Likhachyov on a breakaway. This time, Berdin could do little in a one-on-one duel and our on-loan forward potted his fifth of the season to tie the game.

A couple of minutes later, a roughing call on Parker Foo saw the Dragons on the PK and Damir Sharipzyanov restored Avangard’s lead. But by now our offense was clicking into gear and Jayden Halbgewachs was the width of a post away from tying the game after Martin Lefebvre’s stretch pass split the home defense.

Avangard extended its lead in the 35^th minute through Giovanni Fiore, but that provoked an instant response from Red Star. Likhachyov added an assist to his earlier goal, getting the puck back to Joey Duszak on the point. We know all about our D-man’s shooting ability, and this effort flew to the slot for Danny O’Regan to apply the finishing touch.

With a goal to find in the third period, starting out on the PK wasn’t ideal. An astute intervention from Doyle Somerby ensured the task didn’t get any harder, before a Kunlun power play saw a Colin Campbell effort dribble agonisingly wide from close range. As the game wore on, we were even posing a threat when short-handed – a very different world from those first period struggles. Yury Pautov’s spin-o-rama effort following a Parker Foo rush almost got past Berdin, and the home defense had to scramble to stop Campbell pouncing on the loose puck.

The stats suggested that a tying goal was coming, but by now the clock was playing in Avangard’s favor. In the end, a brave effort ran out of time before we could save the game.

So, all good things come to an end. But after that record-breaking hot streak, the Dragons’ playoff push is very much alive as the season goes into its final months.