MOSCOW, January 25 (R-Sport) - A crucial goal from forward Igor Radulov gave CSKA Moscow a valuable win over Dynamo Minsk that sends the victors up to second place in the KHL Western Conference.
CSKA is now on a three-game winning streak, albeit 10 points behind conference leader SKA St. Petersburg, while Belarusian team Minsk is seventh and retains a good chance of reaching the playoffs.
After a goalless first period, Swedish forward Niklas Persson put the hosts in the lead on 26 minutes with a power-play goal before Sergei Drozd equalized 10 minutes later.
In the third period, Igor Radulov, elder brother of former Nashville Predators wing Alexander, gave CSKA the win with a smartly-hit wrist shot.
Elsewhere in the West, league minnows Vityaz Chekhov broke its four-game losing run with a 2-1 comeback victory against Donbass Donetsk.
Vityaz rose to 12th place, while Donbass missed a chance to enter the playoff zone and stays 10th.
Finnish forward Tuomas Kiiskinen gave visitors the lead already after four minutes of play, before Vityaz retaliated with a goal from Ainars Podzins in the middle of the first period.
Former Ottawa Senators center Josh Hennessy netted the winning goal in the third period, converting a classy pass from Artemi Panarin.
