MOSCOW, January 21 (R-Sport) – Lokomotiv Yaroslavl has sealed a place in the KHL playoffs in its first season since a plane crash wiped out the entire team after a 4-3 victory over Donbass Donetsk.
Monday night’s victory over the Ukrainians lifted to Lokomotiv 84 points, an unattainable total for those outside the playoff zone with six games of the regular season to go.
Reaching the playoffs is a shot in the arm for supporters in Yaroslavl after the 2011 tragedy that tore the hockey-mad city apart.
Fourty-four people were killed when Lokomotiv’s jet crashed on take-off including Canadian coach Brad McCrimmon and a host of NHL prospects.
Monday’s win was settled midway through the second period, when Sergei Plotnikov broke the 3-3 deadlock off Yegor Averin’s assist.
Daniil Apalkov top-scored for the visitors with first equalizer and an assist on Staffan Kronwall’s powerplay strike that made it 3-2 to Lokomotiv.
Alexei Kruchinin got the second for Lokomotiv.
Vaclav Nedorost had given Donbass the lead after just 47 seconds, but it was the only time the KHL newcomer would be in front.
Denis Kochetkov and Canada’s former NHL star Randy Robitaille grabbed the other goals for the hosts.