Traktor Chelyabinsk has become the fourth team to reach the KHL conference semi-finals after a tight 1-0 win over Yugra Khanty-Mansiisk sealed a 4-1 series victory.
In the day’s other early game, Metallurg Magnitogorsk beat Barys Astana 4-3 in overtime to keep itself in the competition and leave the series score at 3-2 in Barys’ favor.
Traktor’s win was in completely different style to their recent 7-6 and 6-3 triumphs over Yugra, as both keepers performed well, with Traktor’s ex-Atlanta Thrashers goaltender Michael Garnett saving 25 shots for the shutout.
The decisive goal came midway through the third period, when Vladimir Antipov struck on a power play, with an assist from longtime NHL defenseman Deron Quint.
Yugra were hampered in their efforts to get an equalizer when forward Vitaly Sitnikov was dismissed for the rest of the match for slashing shortly after Traktor’s goal.
In Magnitogorsk, Metallurg faced a third-period comeback from Barys from 3-1 down that took the game into overtime, where Maxim Sushinsky struck after Finnish defenseman Ville Lajunen played him in from the blue line.
Barys’ North American stars Andrew Hutchinson and Dustin Boyd each scored in the third period for the Kazakh team, which will be hoping to seal the series in Astana on Friday.
