The seventh season of the Continental Hockey League (KHL) wrapped up on April 19 with the premier Gagarin Cup going to SKA Saint Petersburg.
The club from Russia’s second largest city defeated Ak Bars of Kazan in five matches (series are played until one side reaches four wins). This victory came on the back of SKA’s spectacular comeback in the semifinals against CSKA Moscow, the more famous of the two clubs with strong historical ties to the Red Army, after losing the first three matches. The only other series that went to seven games involved Barys Astana, who lost to Avangard Omsk.
As is customary at the end of the season, various statistical data were announced regarding league teams and individual players. The Kazakh fans may find consolation in the fact the Astana club’s goaltender Jan Laco was determined to have the playoff’s highest save percentage. The Slovak’s result was 94.8 percent. With number 50 on his jersey, the Barys keeper more than once this season confirmed an old hockey proverb that a good goalie is worth half a team.
