Daniil Vovchenko’s hat-trick helped Metallurg defeat Ak Bars

In the final match of the away series, Metallurg confidently beat Kazan’s Ak Bars, allowing the home team to upset their goalkeeper only once. The highlight of the meeting was the first hat-trick of Magnitogorsk newcomer Daniil Vovchenko in his career.

Before the match with Ak Bars, the Metallurg press service announced the extension of contracts with a number of existing players. Thus, Danil Gololobov received a new agreement for another year. The contracts with Egor Korobkin and Roman Kantserov were extended for two years, and with Mikhail Grass – for three years at once. We would like to remind you that the club’s roster was previously joined by striker Igor Geraskin and goalkeeper Nikita Podskrebalin.

In the first period, the teams exchanged attacks, but both sides were unable to bring them to fruition. It seemed that the segment would pass without any goals scored, if not for the sending off of an Ak Bars player at the end. 20 seconds before the break, Metallurg still managed to convert their power play attempt, which became their third during the period. Daniil Vovchenko opened the scoring.

In the opening of the next game segment, the guests’ advantage increased to 2:0 after Arkhip Nekolenko’s active work on the net. In the 37th minute the gap grew to three goals. The special team of the majority of Metallurg worked again, and Vovchenko chalked up a double.

At the start of the final period, the Ak Bars goalkeeper changed. At first, it seemed that replacing Miftakhov with Timur Bilyalov worked. The hosts stepped up their pressure and still achieved a result. Artem Lukoyanov printed Ilya Nabokov. The Kazan team was left in the game by Bilyalov, who at first did not let the puck through, but the Magnitogorsk team managed to beat him. At the end of the third period, Daniil Vovchenko scored the fourth goal for Metallurg, completing a hat-trick. It was the striker’s first not only for Metallurg, but also in the KHL.

The result was a 4:1 victory, which allowed Magnitogorsk to maintain its leadership in the East. Magnitogorsk completed the away series. They have one match left to play this year. It will take place on December 30 in Magnitogorsk against Kunlun RS.