Three days, nine games and some emphatic victories. From October 9 to 11, CSKA strengthened their position at the top of the Western Conference, Metallurg overwhelmed Salavat Yulaev, and Lokomotiv delivered a commanding win against Dinamo Minsk.
In our weekend preview, we focused on three major storylines: the Moscow derby, a potentially tight contest in the East and Lokomotiv’s chance to avenge their previous defeat. Instead, two of those games turned into blowouts, while Dynamo Moscow managed to suffer another setback before finally ending their losing streak. Here’s how it all unfolded with 888STARZ.
Dynamo Moscow vs CSKA: Ten Wins in a Row for the Army Club
October 9 | Dynamo Moscow 2–5 CSKA
The Moscow derby once again went CSKA’s way. A week after edging Dynamo in a shootout, Igor Nikitin’s side made a much stronger statement, settling this contest in regulation time.
Prokhor Poltapov and Maxim Sorkin led the charge with two goals apiece, while Maxim Mamin added another. Dynamo responded through Pavel Shen and Nick Merkley, but repeated penalties made it difficult for the hosts to mount a comeback.
CSKA recorded their tenth consecutive victory and moved to the top of the Western Conference. For Dynamo, it was a sixth straight defeat.
Metallurg vs Salavat Yulaev: Seven Goals Instead of a Close Contest
October 9 | Metallurg 7–1 Salavat Yulaev
We had expected a competitive clash between two Eastern Conference teams. Metallurg, however, had other plans.
The hosts raced into a 3–0 lead inside the opening four minutes, leaving Salavat Yulaev with a mountain to climb. Luke Johnson stole the show with five points, scoring twice and setting up three more goals.
Maxim Zagrebin netted Salavat’s only goal. Remarkably, Metallurg produced this dominant display without head coach Andrei Razin, who was serving a temporary suspension.
What looked like a potential battle to the final whistle instead became one of the weekend’s most one-sided results.
Lokomotiv vs Dinamo Minsk: A Statement Win in the Rematch
October 10 | Lokomotiv 6–1 Dinamo Minsk
Just a week earlier, Dinamo Minsk had beaten Lokomotiv 4–3. This time, the Yaroslavl side responded in emphatic fashion on home ice.
Egor Surin and Georgy Ivanov gave Lokomotiv a first-period advantage. Alex Limoges pulled one back for Minsk, but any hopes of a comeback disappeared when the hosts scored four more goals in the final period.
Defenseman Rushan Rafikov stood out with three points, while Maxim Shalunov, Alexander Radulov and Artur Kayumov also made important contributions.
Lokomotiv did more than avenge their previous defeat. They reminded everyone how dangerous they can be when they play with discipline and take their chances.
Dynamo Finally Bounce Back, Barys Stun Avangard
On October 11, Dynamo Moscow finally snapped their six-game losing streak with a 4–3 overtime victory against SKA.
Nick Merkley scored twice, before Pavel Shen struck the winner just 33 seconds into overtime.
Elsewhere, Barys delivered one of the weekend’s biggest surprises by beating Avangard 5–1, while Severstal claimed an impressive 4–1 away win over Ak Bars in Kazan.
The main takeaways are clear. CSKA are riding an outstanding run of form, Metallurg have shown just how devastating their attack can be, and Lokomotiv have answered their recent setback in style.
But the battles in both conferences are far from settled. With plenty of hockey still to come, these early-season statements are only part of a much bigger story.
UEFA Champions League