Slava Kozlov (Dynamo) and Nikita Pivtsakin (Avangard) go at each other during regular season Avangard – Dynamo game (Photo credit: OldWest.su)

The History

These two teams have met 66 times. Dynamo has won 35 of those match-ups, Avangard 23, with eight tie games. The teams have squared off in the playoffs five times– with Dynamo winning in 1995, 2005 and 2008, and Avangard winning in 2003 and 2004. But they have never played each other in the finals. Until now.

The most famous series between the two was the 2004-05 semifinals. After getting eliminated by the Omsk Hawks two straight times, Dynamo (featuring Pavel Datsyuk, Alex Ovechkin and Andrei Markov) tried to stop Avangard (with Jaromir Jagr, Oleg Tverdovsky and one of the greatest lines in modern Russian hockey history: Maxim Sushinsky, Dmitry Zatonsky and Alexander Prokopiev).

The defending champions from Avangard won game one of the best-of-five series in the shootout (yes, shootouts in playoffs). In the second game they were crushed, 11-0. That game featured Alex Ovechkin’s first fight as a pro. During a line brawl, then-young Ovi dropped the gloves against Oleg Tverdovsky.

Ovechkin and Dynamo celebrate their championship in 2004-05. (Photo credit: thirdstringgoalie.blogspot.com)

Games Three was the key, decided by one of the most mysterious moments in Russian hockey. In the middle of the third period of a scoreless game, a shot by Dynamo’s Igor Mirnov went off one post, off another, and out. Referee Rafael Kadyrov pointed to the center ice but went to see the replays. It took him more than eight minutes to watch the goal from all the angles he wanted but he didn’t see any evidence that the puck did not cross the goal line, and therefore it was considered a good goal. The general consensus was that laws of physics couldn’t allow the puck to go in after hitting the first post and before hitting the other, but Kadyrov called it a goal. Dynamo won 1-0. They also won Game Four, 3-1 and moved on to win it all sweeping Alexander Semin (Semin vs Ovechkin!) and Lada Togliatti.

The Stars

These teams feature two of the best players not currently in the NHL.

Hard-nosed speedy winger Leo Komarov from Finland would fit well in the NHL with his style of play. A fearless agitator, Komarov is really fun to watch. He skates full circles after hitting the ice before every period of play, including in front and behind the opposing net. One of the funniest hockey scenes I’ve ever witnessed was when Leo tucked in his jersey — right in the goal crease — after the whistle. It drove the defensemen off, but that was exactly what he wanted. Komarov’s rights are currently held by the Maple Leafs, and it has been reported that they will make another attempt to lure Leo to the NHL.

Unlike Komarov, Roman Cervenka is more of a finesse player. Defensively sound, big shooter, smooth skater; it’s difficult to find a weakness in Cervenka’s game. He provides offense consistently thanks to a high hockey IQ. Cervenka could be the KHL’s biggest star since Radulov’s departure. He is versatile, playing either center or left wing. He has said that he wants to move to the NHL this summer after having a couple of great seasons in Russia. The biggest problem is that he speaks only Czech. But as long as the team he plays has a couple of Czech-speaking players who can translate for him, that shouldn’t be a big issue. The 26-year-old Cervenka is an undrafted free agent.

Evgeny Kuznetsov sprints down the wing during Game 1.

In the first two games of the KHL’s Eastern Conference Finals, Traktor managed to split their home games with Avangard. Evgeny Kuznetsov, who just came off a dominant, five-goal performance in the Semifinals, continued his torrid pace, netting two goals and an assist in Games 1 and 2. Let’s review.

Game 1 – Traktor Defeats Avangard, 3-1

Despite the fact that Avangard was able to keep the quick prospect under wraps for most of the game, Kuznetsov recorded a point at the end of regulation. With Avangard’s net empty, Kuznetsov carried the puck into their zone and made an unbelievable pass to his linemate Stanislav Chistov, who was wide open and one-times the puck home. Watch it at 6:10 mark of the video.

Game 2 – Avangard Beats Traktor, 3-2 (2OT)

In Game 2, Kuznetsov had two more highlight-reel goals and skated a team high 33:04 TOI. His first goal, which is shown at 1:05 mark above, is a brilliant individual play. As Kuzya strolls in alone on a semi-breakaway, he tosses the puck backwards at a defender, and has the biscuit deflect in. On his second goal – which begins at the 3:15 mark – Kuznetsov uses his blazing speed and scores on a breakaway. The young winger could not generate any offense in the game’s two overtimes (1 shot) however, and Avangard won with a Nikita Pivtsakin goal.

Personal Rant: Despite the fact that Kuznetsov is a Caps prospect, I’m actually a huge Avangard fan. I started rooting for them when I was 10 back when Jaromir Jagr was on the team. And sorry, but I need to share this personal message with them. Guys, can you start playing some defense? The fact that you defended Kuzya well in the first game doesn’t mean you should give him THREE breakaways in the second. Not to this guy, please. I know we won Game 2, but still, play some D. It wins Cups I’ve heard.

Kuznetsov is stopped on a breakaway at 1:55. His two shootout goals can be seen at 3:45.

Taking a tenuous 2-0 lead into the third period, Traktor Cheylabinsk unraveled in the final minutes against host Avangard Omsk on Sunday. First, 4:31 into the final frame, the KHL’s leading goal-scorer, Roman Cervenka, scored on a cross-crease pass to bring Avangard within one. Then ten minutes later, Omsk’s Yegor Averin scored on a broken play in front of Traktor’s net to force overtime.

With neither team able to rally in the extra session, the game went to a shootout. And that’s when Caps prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov did his thing. The 19-year-old right wing, who’s clutch play this season has given him the KHL lead in game-winning goals (five), scored not once, but twice. How is that possible you ask? In Russia, after the first three rounds of a shootout, if there is a tie, you are allowed to send out the same shooters again.

Kuznetsov scored in the sudden death round (using the same exact move he did the first time – what stones he has!) while Cervenka was stopped. With the victory, Traktor now owns the best record in the league and leads the Eastern Conference’s second-place team Amur by 12 standings points.

Notes: With first-line center (and former Capital) Jan Bulis out with injury, Kuznetsov has been playing center instead of his customary right wing. This was Evgeny’s second game-winning shootout goal of the year. His other came in Traktor’s 4-3 win over Neftekhimik on September 21st.

Additional reporting by Fedor Fedin.

Darcy the Fighter (photo via KP.ru)

UPDATE 12/11, 3PM: Suspensions have been doled out. Belokon has been suspended for 13 games, Verot for 12, Gratton for 15, and Larin for 13. Avangard will pay 100k RUR (3.3k USD) to the KHL, and Vityaz will pay 400k RUR (13k USD). Justice is served. Go about your day, citizen.

Editor’s note- Fedor is a total fanboy for Avangard. This is not dispassionate reporting.

We’ve written before about the Avangard-Vityaz rivalry and how it all started back in ’09. After almost two years and two fight-ful games, 12/10/10 begins a new era in the rivalry. For the newbies, here’s a little background:

• Vityaz Chekhov (stars: ex-Cap Chris Simon, ex-Bear Brandon Sugden, ex-Cap Darcy Verot, Josh Gratton) is the toughest team in the KHL, full of provokers and shameless punks. They were rumored to have signed the legendary Chris Chelios a few weeks ago. They are dead last in the West– 8 points behind the next spot, 17 points out of the playoffs. Their coach is the best Russian fighter in the NHL history, Andrei Nazarov.
• Avangard Omsk Region (stars: ex-Cap Jaromir Jagr, Martin Skoula, Marek Svatos, Kari Ramo) is one of the most successful and richest teams in the league.  They are currently fifth in the East.

How is this fight unlike its predecessors? For the first time, one team didn’t fight at all, the Hawks (Avangard’s nickname) were simply pummeled by the Vityazes (Vityaz is a Russian knight). Vityaz started their thugs (Verot, Simon, Sugden, Gratton) and sent them after Avangard immediately following the opening face off.

Get ready to  say “OUCH”.

Roman Cervenka and Martin Skoula of Avangard ended up in the hospital. Also, take a look at Verot’s disgraceful behaviour against Karri Ramo. Avangard scored twice on the resulting powerplay and won the game 3-2.

This is how a KHL site writer from Omsk described the fight in a live update:

On the sixth second of the game, five fighters from vityaz [sic] went for Avnagrd’s “playing” [Ed. Note - Russian term for players who are not fighters] players, guys from Omsk fell as those contiuned to pound them even when they fell.

Avangard released a letter to the KHL requesting lifetime suspensions for all Vityaz’ coaches and players. The point is that– according to the letter– Vityaz had already purchased tickets to Moscow for their fighters because the team know they wouldn’t continue the road trip due to suspension.

We’ll keep you posted as this story develops.

RMNB wish Cervenka and Skoula fastest recovery and hopes that anybody who can be blamed for their injuries will get fair punishment for their actions.

Russian fans are very, very passionate about hockey. If you need proof, look no further than the buildup for the upcoming KHL game between heated-rivals Avangard Omsk and Vityaz Chekhov. Avangard’s best player is former DC malcontent Jaromir Jagr, while Vityaz – known more for its boxing than hockey skill – has former Caps Brandon Sugden, Chris Simon, and Darcy Verot filling out their ranks.

The team’s beefs with each other have been simmering for a while now, stemming from one sad event. During the 2008-09 KHL season, Avangard’s Alexei Cherepanov passed out on the bench during a game against Vityaz in Chekhov. He later died. The cause of his death filled headlines in Russia for years, with both teams getting their fair share of the blame. Wikipedia’s wordy explanation is the most fair:

Cherepanov died in Chekhov, Russia on October 13, 2008 after collapsing on the bench during a Kontinental Hockey League game with his club Avangard Omsk against Vityaz Chekhov. There was 2:55 minutes left in the game. He played a shift with teammate Jaromír Jágr, and the two were talking on the bench shortly after they left the ice, when he suddenly collapsed. After being attended to on the bench, he was carried to the dressing room where he was revived for several brief moments before finally being rushed to an intensive care unit, but it was too late. The ambulance that is normally at all games had already departed and had to be called back; doctors arrived on the scene a full 15 minutes after Cherepanov collapsed, and the battery on the defibrillator used to attempt to shock Cherepanov’s heart back to life was drained. It took approximately 20 minutes to get him to a hospital. While in the care of Chekhov doctors, he was again resuscitated briefly on two occasions. He woke up for another 2 minutes, only to collapse again. Before ultimately dying 2 hours later in the 2nd City Chekhov Hospital. Reports say that the ambulance didn’t have a defibrillator and andrenalin shots with them and that heart massage didn’t help. They still were able to start the heart 5 times and after one of them Cherepanov even got conscious and recognized his teammates, but then his heart stopped again.

The exact cause of his death was originally a cause of dispute, with a regional investigator citing he was diagnosed with chronic ischemia, but medical professionals and league sources stated it was caused by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Russian lawmakers said the following day that there would be investigations of negligence on the part of the responding paramedics, with the possibility of a criminal investigation being opened as well.

On December 29, 2008, Russian investigators revealed that he suffered from myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, and that he should not have been playing professional hockey, however this has been disputed by the NHL after Cherepanov’s testing at the NHL Combine. The federal Investigative Committee also announced that a chemical analysis of Cherepanov’s blood and urine samples allowed experts to conclude “that for several months Alexei Cherepanov engaged in doping.” Official sources have stated the banned substance taken was nikethamide, a stimulant, and that it had been taken 3 hours prior to the game in which he died. A report by the Investigative Committee stated that “It is impossible to determine how and with what aim this medicine was administered.” The same report also revealed that Cherepanov was not doping but was instead using cordiaminum probably used to treat his condition. As of 2009, nobody has been charged relating to the death of Cherepanov, however the President, General Manager, as well as a team doctor for Avangard Omsk have all been suspended from the KHL indefinitely. Another Avangard doctor was suspended for 2 years, and the president of the host team Vityaz was suspended from the league indefinitely over health related complaints.

In the teams’ first meeting since the Cherepanov death in the 2008-09 season, the game was cancelled four minutes in by officials when a mega-fight broke out. Over 600+ penalty minutes were given to the players.

Here is video of the brawl from the KHL show “Golevaya Peredacha.” If you speak english, you should fast-forward to the 1:05 mark:

Even the gentlemanly Jagr was forced into fighting:

On September 23rd, the two teams will meet again. It should be interesting.   A YouTube video uploaded by a newly registered user calling himself to MrXtort has stirred up some controversy. I first noticed the video Friday on Sports.ru’s website.

The translation of the type in the video is as followed:

4th home game [of the season for Vityaz]. 9/23. They’ll come to Podolsk [now Vityaz plays in Podolsk, not in Chekhov]. [Avangard logo]. They killed Alexei Cherepanov (newspaper titles about Cherepanov and doping in the background) and tried to blame… VITYAZ! 9th of January 2009. They wrecked the game in Chekhov after Bardin’s [Avangard GM] command… Because he needed to ‘compen$ate’ cansellation of his lifetime suspension [he was suspended during the investigation of Cherepanov's death, but was later discharged]. CORRUPTION, COWARDICE, MEANNESS, DIRT. Enemies are near our gates! HATRED, FURY, REVENGE. All of these for them! 24 inglorious bastards! [photos of Avangard players and GM] 9/23/10. Vityaz – Avangard. 7PM. Blood on the ice.

The most interesting question is who actually made this video? Yeah, the video says it was made by Vityaz fans, but I’ve heard they don’t have guys who are experts in video editing. Some say it’s Avangard fans who want to give their team a reason to fight. But I, a proud Avangard supporter, don’t believe that theory. My opinion is that this was made by some third-party fans (Dynamo, maybe) who hate both teams and want to see them fight.

No matter who is behind it, this is one of the fiercest rivalries in sports, a blood-soaked hatred that makes any Caps-Pens beef look timid.  We’ll be following this story as it develops. What do you make of it?

Everyone who follows the KHL knows that Vityaz Chekhov is the roughest team in the KHL. Former Hershey Bear Reid Simpson and Toronto Maple Leaf Nathan Perrott have played there. Former Washington Capitals Darcy Verot, Chris Simon and Brandon Sugden play there now. And for that Caps fan with an especially vivid memory, you may recall rumors during the past offeseason about Donald Brashear potentially signing with the club.

Well this season Vityaz participated in a superbrawl against Jaromir Jagr’s Avangard Omsk, where 840 PIM’s were awarded in this game. No, that’s not a typo. I’ll repeat, 840 PIM’s were awarded in that game. Somehow this talented group of testosterone-charged meatheads didn’t make the playoffs, so now it’s time to draw a proper conclusion. And their own Russian fans were kind enough to do it (with translated english captions). They created “cowards awards” for the worst teams and players in their opinion. Please watch the above video and find out who wins some tampons and the inglorious yellow underpants.