Ak Bars Kazan forward Alexei Morozov scored just over halfway through the 3rd period of Game 7 of the KHL Finals against Yaroslavl Lokomotiv. After Wednesday’s loss to Yaroslavl, Kazan was trailing the series 3-2. However, a win on Friday evened the series at 3, setting up an intensity-filled final game on Ak Bars’ home ice. This is Kazan’s 2nd title in the last four years.
Morozov led the KHL (in its inaugural season) in scoring, nothing new for Alexei, a former Pittsburgh Penguin first-round draft choice; Morozov led the Russian Super League in scoring in 2006-07. Today’s game capped a tumultuous year for the Kontinental Hockey League, whose teams are believed to be cutting payroll (and hence salaries) next season due to the struggling economy. Stay tuned.