March 26, 2025, Dinamo Minsk faced off against CSKA Moscow in an electrifying first-round playoff game of the Gagarin Cup in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
The Minsk team started the KHL playoffs at home for the first time and was able to defeat the Army Men with a score of 5:2.
🏒In the first period, our team missed two goals. In the third minute, after a long rally in the opponent’s zone, Demchenko, not seeing the moment of Samorukov’s throw from a long distance, was unable to save the goal. Soon the “army men” doubled their advantage: Nesterov threw from afar, Demchenko blocked it in front of him, but after a series of ricochets, Karnaukhov picked up the puck and pushed it into the empty goal.
🏒🐃 With 5 minutes left in the first period, the Belarusians managed to pull themselves together and Sergei Kuznetsov reduced the deficit to a minimum, hitting the Muscovites’ goal from an acute angle right into the near top corner, catching Khomchenko off guard. Then the Minsk team managed to capitalize on their numerical advantage. With a beautiful pass from the left side, Pinchuk passed the puck in front of the opponent’s goal to Enas, who easily beat Khomchenko, throwing it right into the near bottom corner of the goal.
🐃 In the second period, Dmitry Kvartalny’s charges took the lead. With his second touch, Borikov threw the puck into the Muscovites’ goal right under the crossbar.
🐃 In the third period, Dynamo Minsk doubled its advantage. Pinchuk took possession of the puck near the boards and passed it to Volkov in the center, who moved forward at speed and shot right into the far bottom corner. Volkov scored the fifth goal in the final minutes.
🐃❄️ The next game will be held in Minsk on March 28, then the teams will move to Moscow for the matches on March 30 and April 1. If the series drags on (up to four wins), additional games will be held on April 3 in Minsk, April 5 in Moscow and April 7 again in Minsk.
