Win some, lose some

I just got done watching the “play by play “ on Lokomotiv’s Sunday game, but let me start with the Friday game.  This was the one against struggling Krystal Saratov.  In front of 8900 home fans, this one was all Lokomotiv.  Dmitri Maltsev gave us the 1-0 lead, coming around from behind the net, at 9:50 of period 1.  Then came a pair of blueline shots redirected into the goal, both by Daniil Romantsev (his 2nd and 3rd of the year) at 5:35 and 12:14 of the 2nd.  In the third, Daniil Yerdakov got his 14th (3 with Loko) at 17:22 to finish off a 4-0 win.  Nikita Lozhkin picks up his 2nd goose egg of the year, stopping all 27 shots and dropping his goals-against average to 2.90.

Today’s game was also a homer against Dizel (Diesel) Penza who were 21-13-7 coming in).  And things didn’t go so well at first.  Dizel dominated most of the first period, and beat Pavel Shegala on a shot by Nikolai Lukyanchikov at 5 seconds left in the 1st.  It would be Lukyuanchikov again at 2:11 of the second, and Konstantin Maladin at 7:28 to put the visitors up 3-0.  But it was a stronger period for the good guys, With Vladislav Kartayev just fanning on a shot from Alexi Kruchinin and Emil Galimov having one ricochet over the net and into the stands.

However, Dizel goalie Alexandr  Polukeev was not so fortunate in the third. Kartayev  took one out from under his glove and stuffed it in at 2:39, and then tipped a long pass behind him at 8:39, his third and fourth of the season.  At 10:53, a pass bounced off Galimov and Maxim Zyuzyakin rammed it home for his 4th and a 3-3 tie. 

They went through to OT, and other than a double minor- Pavel Lukin for us and Alexi Potemin for them ( I believe for holding and roughing, but translate turns it into “delay arms” and “rudeness”)- the OT was uneventful and we went to the shootout.

Both of the first shooters- their Vladimir Ivantsev and our Daniil Yerdakov- scored, but the next two each failed and the first pair came up again.  This time, Palukeev stoned Yerdakov, but Ivantsev scored and Dizel won 4-3.

Next up is a Wednesday home game against HC Ryazan, another struggling team like Krystal at 12-22-8.  Also, a big announcement for February 17th:


The “Russian Classic” outdoor game at Krasnoyarsk in Siberia between us and the homestanding Sokol (Falcons).  Now last year on February 17th in Krasnoyarsk it was 21 F;  I checked that yesterday because when I looked to see how cold it was yesterday, it was –35 with a high forecasted today of –26 F.  Currently, which would be closing in on midnight there, it is –33; but fear not, because they’ll actually have an above zero high (1 above) by next Saturday.  Frankly, if I were having an outdoor game, I think I’d have it somewhere warmer than the midst of Siberia, but  then again I wouldn’t sit outside for the Super Bowl, much less hockey.