The KHL season is over for Jaromir Jagr (L)
AK Bars survive Kazan thriller to reach KHL semis
Published 16 March, 2009, 21:42
AK Bars became the last team to reach the semi-finals of KHL playoffs after a thriller in Kazan, which saw them win the fifth game of the series against Avangard 3-2 in overtime.
AK Bars took the lead in the middle of the first period. Aleksandr Stepanov used a power play when guest defender Philip Metlyuk was serving a two-minute penalty, 1-0.
But the guests leveled matters in the second period. Czech star Jaromir Jagr finished the attack involving his countryman, Jakub Klepiš, and Russian Dmitry Pestunov.
And four minutes later Avangard went ahead, punishing the Kazan team for foul play. Jagr and Pestunov delivered the puck to defender Dmitry Ryabykin, whose effort appeared to be too much to handle for AK Bars keeper, Fredrik Norrena.
Avangard did everything to secure the 2-1 in the third period and nearly succeeded. The Hawks were just 15 seconds away from the semi-finals when the hosts, who replaced their goalie with a field player, leveled the score.
AK Bars’ pressure culminated in a shot by Andrey Pervyshin, which was corrected by Ilya Nikulin, 2-2 as the game went to overtime.
And the hosts continued their fierce attacks when the game resumed and got its much-desired winner after 2 minutes, with Oleg Petrov becoming the local hero.
Kazan team will now face Dinamo Moscow, while Lokomotiv Yaroslavl and Metallurg Magnitogorsk form another pair of semifinalists.
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