Riga “Dinamo” on Monday won the “Sochi” represented by Latvian defender Jānis Jaks at home in the Continental Hockey League (KHL) match with the result 2: 1 (0: 0, 0: 0, 2: 1).
Daniels Bērziņš scored the victory goal for the Riga team 88 seconds before the end of the regular time. Before that, Nikolay Yeliseev also scored the puck in the opponents’ goal, who has already stood out five times this season. The goal was guarded by Juhans Matsons.
In the first period, the opponents had a clear advantage in the attack and three times more shots on the goal – 12: 4. True, Sochi hockey players did not use any of the three majorities.
In the second half of the game, the owners of the field showed more resistance and the course of the fight leveled off, but the hockey players of “Dinamo” did not realize the three chances.
Rīdzinieki took the lead in the seventh minute of the third period, when Jeļisejevs, taking a break, took a shot at the goal. Gints Meija helped Ripai into the goal, who completely obscured the view of the guest goalkeeper Magnus Hellbergs.
Seven minutes before the end of the regular time, Amir Garayev scored 1: 1 with a long and unhindered throw. When there were 88 seconds left until the end of the regular time, Mārtiņš Karsums won the puck on the side of the field and passed it to Bērziņš, who sent it to the goal – 2: 1.
On Monday, the two weakest teams of the Western group met. After 11 games, Riga “Dinamo” in the Western group is in the penultimate 11th place with nine points, but “Sochi” with eight points in 12 fights is the position below.
From the away, the Rigans returned with one point in the last three games, losing in overtime in the last match in Cherepovets.
Meanwhile, Sochi has celebrated only one victory in the last nine games, after a 1-0 victory in Nizhnekamsk over the local Neftehimik, again suffering two losses – 0: 4 against Moscow’s Dynamo and 2: 4 against Helsinki’s Jokerit.
The two teams have crossed KHL bats 19 times, of which “Dinamo” hockey players only won this time in regular time. Last season, “Sochi” won in all four fights, in the last fight in extra time.
On Wednesday, “Dinamo” will host Cherepovets’ “Severstal” at home, but then there will be a trip to the Far East.
“Dinamo” head coach this season is Russian specialist Sergey Zubov, but he is assisted by Valery Kulibaba, Oleg Orehovsky and Edgar Lushin. Edgars Buncis performs the duties of the General Manager.
The Rigans have not played in the Gagarin Cup for seven consecutive seasons, remaining last place in the league last season.
