Battling Dragons test the champion

21 October 2024

Kunlun Red Star 2 Metallurg Magnitogorsk 4

A much-improved performance from the Dragons gave defending champion Metallurg plenty to think about. In an entertaining game, our guys matched Magnitka for long periods, but a couple of power-play goals contributed to our downfall.

After a difficult week last time, Mikhail Kravets decided against wholesale changes. Instead, apart from bringing Ian McCoshen back in place of Jake Chelios, this was close to the team that lost 0-4 to Sochi on Friday. Plenty of players had a point to prove after that loss and in the first period, that point was well made.

The Dragons looked good early in the game. Rourke Chartier posed a constant threat and had two big chances to open the scoring in the first seven minutes. That softened up the visitor and midway through the first period, Tomas Jurco put us ahead. The Slovak international scored with a backhand shot off Jayden Halbgewachs feed from behind the net. That moves Tomas to 12 (6+6) points at the top of the team scoring charts so far.

It would have been no injustice if we’d taken the lead into the intermission. However, Metallurg received a boost in the last few days with the return of influential forwards Denis Zernov and Roman Kantserov. They combined in the 19^th minute to create a tying goal for Dmitry Silantyev.

Adding to our frustration, McCoshen took a penalty on the hooter. The visiting power play needed just 29 seconds before Scott Wilson put Metallurg in front and triggered a rush of goals.

The visitor was still congratulating itself when Danny O’Regan brought us level. He was waiting at the back door as Adam Clendening drilled the puck across the slot and while Danny couldn’t get a stick on it, he was perfectly placed to deflect it into the net off his leg. Sadly, the goals kept coming and play went right down the other end for Metallurg to restore the lead through Danila Yurov. It all added up to three goals in 47 seconds and a 3-2 advantage for the defending champ.

Down but not out, Red Star kept creating chances. Austin Wong went closed on the counter, Nail Yakupov set up Chartier for another effort then fanned his shot when the play came back to him. Chartier had another chance, short-handed this time, but once again Ilya Nabokov got the better of his running battle with our forward. By the end of the middle frame, we probably had enough to deserve a tying goal, but Nabokov was showing the kind of form that saw him backstop Metallurg to the cup last season and that made the difference between the teams.

After such a huge, unrewarded effort in the second period, fatigue began to hurt the Dragons. In the third period, it was hard to go back to the well and draw on more reserves to maintain that same intensity. Metallurg began to take control and another power-play goal saw Makar Khabarov fire in a fourth from the blue line. That proved too much; the closing stages brought little further resistance. But a disappointing final score should not detract from a greatly improved performance tonight.