Dinamo Minsk win Pokovic’s KHL head coaching debut

Dinamo Minsk used goals from three different scorers to overpower the visiting Metallurg Magnitogorsk at Minsk Arena on 24 November.

Lubomir Pokovic led the Belarusian team to the ice as acting head coach following Alexander Andriyevsky's dismissal on 23 November.

Dinamo’s win over one of the KHL’s leaders became in a certain degree sensational. Twelve days ago this Russian team blanked the Minskers 3-0 on their ice.

In Minsk the guests opened the score with seven minutes into the game on rookie forward Vladimir Malinovsky’s goal. The Minskers took the initiative midway through the first period to put a heavy pressure on Magnitka’s goalie Vasily Koshechkin. The Bisons were able to grin back to even the game before the first intermission on Tomas Surovy’s rebound into the near corner.

The tight-checking second period went goalless.

Dinamo Minsk succeeded twice on counter-attacks in the final stanza. Alexander Materukhin took his chance on a breakway early in the third period and Geoff Platt scored an empty-netter with 12 seconds left to play.

Dinamo goalie Lars Haugen made 32 saves to help his team snap a six-game losing skid.

With 27 points after 29 matches Dinamo Minsk remains the last in the Western Conference. The Bisons have two more home games: against Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk on 26 November and Traktor Chelyabinsk on 28 November.