Dynamo Moscow has one foot in the Gagarin Cup final after two late goals gave it a 3-1 home win over SKA St. Petersburg and a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference final series Sunday.
Diminutive forward Mikhail Anisin and Konstantin Gorovnikov scored within three minutes of one another in the third period to secure the win and make Dynamo the favorite to be the first Moscow team to reach a Gagarin Cup final.
SKA was the favorite before the series began and registered more shots than Dynamo, as in every game, but failed to convert its chances as Dynamo goaltenders Alexander Eremenko and Alexey Volkov managed 31 saves between them.
Dynamo spurned two chances to take the lead on four minutes as Leonid Komarov missed in a one-on-one with SKA goaltender Jukub Stepanek, who spilled the shot into the path of Anisin, only for the Dynamo forward to miss.
The visitors piled on the pressure, going 15-3 on shots in the first period, but were unable to score, even when four on three after a brawl towards the end of the period.
In a more even second period, SKA took the lead on 30 minutes when Vladimir Tarasenko scored from Alexander Kucheryavenko’s assist.
SKA’s advantage lasted just five minutes when Vishnevsky scored from Denis Mosalyov’s assist as Dynamo pushed forward.
On 52 minutes Dynamo seized the advantage as Filip Novak set up Anisin to take a 2-1 lead, before Gorovikov struck barely two minutes later after Anisin turned provider.
Dynamo now has the chance to qualify with a shutout series win when it hosts SKA on Tuesday.
Monday sees the third game of the Eastern Conference final between Traktor Chelyabinsk and Avangard Omsk, which is poised at 1-1.
