European Leagues

KHL Playoffs (Russia):

Eastern Conference Finals
(1)Kazan 3 vs. (3)Chelyabinsk 1
Kazan Leads the Series 2-0
Nikita Nesterov, Chelyabinsk, DNP
Playoff totals: 8 GP, 0-2-2, E, 6 PIM
Regular season totals (KHL): 35 GP, 0-1-1, +6, 14 PIM
Regular season totals (MHL): 2 GP, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM

Kazan got helpers from ex-NHLers Alexei Morozov and Niko Kapanen in Kazan's 3-1 Game Two victory over Traktor Chelyabinsk. Ex-NHLer Jan Bulis had Traktor's only goal in the match. Game Three is Wednesday.

KHL Playoffs (Russia):

Eastern Conference Finals
(1)Kazan 2 vs. (3)Chelyabinsk 1 (OT)
Nikita Nesterov, Chelyabinsk, DNP
Playoff totals: 8 GP, 0-2-2, E, 6 PIM
Regular season totals (KHL): 35 GP, 0-1-1, +6, 14 PIM
Regular season totals (MHL): 2 GP, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM

Ex-NHLer Alexei Morozov had a pair of assists, including on the game winning goal 4:16 into Overtime as Kazan defeated Chelyabinsk 2-1 in Game One of their KHL Eastern Conference Finals series. Caps first rounder Evgeny Kuznetsov scored Traktor's lone goal. Kazan outshot Chelyabinsk 47-24 in the match. Game Two is Sunday.

Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, Dynamo Moscow has jumped out to a 2-0 lead in their series against St. Petersburg.

In the Nadezhda Cup, Khabarovsk's Nikita Gusev finished with 1 goal and 5 points in 12 games to go with a -2 rating and 6 penalty minutes. The Nadezhda Cup is played between teams that fail to make the KHL postseason.

KHL Playoffs (Russia):

Eastern Conference
(1)Kazan 4 vs. (5)Ufa 3
Kazan Wins the Series 4-3
Andrey Vasilevskiy, Ufa, DNP
Playoff totals: 0 GP, 0-0-0, 0 SO, 0.00 GAA, 1.000 sv%
Regular season totals (KHL): 8 GP, 4-1-0, 1 SO, 2.22 GAA, .924 sv%
Regular season totals (MHL): 27 GP, 20-6-1, 3 SO, 1.93 GAA, .930 sv%

Ex-NHLer Nikolai Zherdev had a goal as Kazan squeaked by Ufa in a 4-3 Game Seven triumph to advance to the KHL Eastern Conference Finals. Ex-NHLer Brent Sopel had a goal in defeat for Ufa. Lightning prospect netminder Andrey Vasilevskiy did not play in the playoffs, and speculation will now turn toward his potential signing with the club. His junior club remains alive in the MHL playoffs, so it is possible he re-joins his former team.

Kazan advances to play Chelyabinsk and the last Lightning prospect survivor in the KHL playoffs, Nikita Nesterov. Game One is slated for Saturday. SKA St. Petersburg and Dynamo Moscow are facing off in the Western Finals.

Elitserien Playoffs (Sweden)
Quarterfinals
Brynas 0 @ Skelleftea 4
Skelleftea wins the series 4-0

Johan Harju, Brynas, 0-0-0, -1, 2 SOG, 0 PIM
Playoff totals: 4 GP, 0-0-0, -5, 0 PIM
Season totals: 55 GP, 18-10-28, -9, 16 PIM

Brynas entered game four of the best-of-seven series with their season on life-support, needing a win to stay alive, but crumbled after Skelleftea struck on the power play approaching the midpoint of the middle frame and wound up shutout and swept in front of the home crowd. Just as had been the case in the three previous matches, Brynas had difficulty solving Skelleftea's goaltending, even despite seeing more balance in the frequency of opportunities. Former Lightning netminder Johan Holmqvist, who made every start for Brynas, stopped 29 of 32 Skelleftea attempts on net. Like his club, Johan Harju, who was his team's leading goal-scorer and among the team leaders in total production in the regular season, finished his postseason in extremely disappointing fashion having gone pointless in the series.

Official Recap | Box Score | Highlights

KHL Playoffs (Russia):

Eastern Conference
(5)Ufa 4 vs. (1)Kazan 3 (OT)
Series Tied 3-3
Andrey Vasilevskiy, Ufa, DNP
Playoff totals: 0 GP, 0-0-0, 0 SO, 0.00 GAA, 1.000 sv%
Regular season totals (KHL): 8 GP, 4-1-0, 1 SO, 2.22 GAA, .924 sv%
Regular season totals (MHL): 27 GP, 20-6-1, 3 SO, 1.93 GAA, .930 sv%

Ex-NHLer Brent Sopel scored 15:50 into the Second Overtime to deliver Ufa a 4-3 Game Six victory over top seeded Kazan. There will be a Game Seven. Ex-Lightning first rounder Alex Svitov contributed 1 goal and 1 assist in the winning effort for Ufa. Game Seven is Wednesday.