Koshechkin, Vasily

KHL Western Conference Quarterfinals (Russia):
(5)Cherepovets 1 @ (4) Mytischi 3
Mytischi Leads the Series 2-0
Vasily Koshechkin, Cherepovets, Loss, 32/34, 2.01 GAA, .941 sv%
Playoff totals: 2 GP, 0-2-0, 0 SO, 1.51 GAA, .951 sv%
Regular season totals: 33 GP, 16-11-1, 6 SO, 2.37 GAA, .925 sv%

You have to feel for Vasily Koshechkin. The big netminder has a beautiful .951 save percentage, but Cherepovets has mustered just 1 goal in 2 games against former Blues draft pick Konstantin Barulin, putting Cherepovets in a 3-1 series hole to Mytischi. Game Three is Saturday.

Elsewhere, ex-Lightning pick Fedor Fedorov had a pair of goals in St. Petersburg's 7-1 dismantling of 8 seed CSKA to take a 2-0 opening round series lead. Nikita Kucherov did not appear for CSKA in the match.

Elitserien (Sweden):
Lulea 1 @ AIK 0 (OT)
Johan Harju, Lulea, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 3 SOG
Season totals: 51 GP, 14-9-23, +9, 16 PIM

Elias Falth scored a power play goal 26 seconds into overtime to lead Lulea to a 1-0 win over AIK. With 2 games left in the regular season, the win puts Lulea 7 points up on second place Skelleftea and clinches the top spot for Lulea in the postseason. The two teams square off on Saturday.

Color me very impressed by Elitserien rookie goalie Johan Gustafsson of Lulea. He's currently forth in the league with a .930 save percentage and second in the league with a 1.77 GAA. He's also second in shutouts with 6, to boot, despite only having played 28 games. He was a 6th round pick of the Wild in 2010 and won Gold earlier this year at the U20 World Junior Championships.

KHL Western Conference Quarterfinals (Russia):
(4)Mytischi 1 @ (5)Cherepovets 0
Mytischi Leads the Series 1-0
Vasily Koshechkin, Cherepovets, Loss, 26/27, 1.10 GAA, .963 sv%
Playoff totals: 1 GP, 0-1-0, 0 SO, 1.10 GAA, .963 sv%
Regular season totals: 33 GP, 16-11-1, 6 SO, 2.37 GAA, .925 sv%

Ex-NHLer Nikolai Zherdev scored with just 38 seconds left in regulation to help Mytischi defeat Cherepovets 1-0 in Game One of their opening round series. Ex-Lightning prospect Alexei Glukhov was scoreless in 17:36 in the match for Mytischi. Game Two is scheduled for Tuesday.

Elsewhere, the East's top seed, St. Petersburg, clubbed CSKA in Game One of their opening round series. Nikita Kucherov did not play for CSKA. Kucherov also did not appear in CSKA Jr.'s 3-0 win over Novgorod Jr.

2-26-12
KHL (Russia):
Chelyabinsk 5 @ Cherepovets 4
Nikita Nesterov, Chelyabinsk, 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM, 0 SOG
Season totals (KHL): 10 GP, 0-0-0, +8, 4 PIM
Season totals (MHL): 39 GP, 10-20-30, +13, 64 PIM

Vasily Koshechkin, Cherepovets, ND, 18/21, 5.62 GAA, .857 sv%
Season totals: 33 GP, 16-11-1, 6 SO, 2.37 GAA, .925 sv%

Nikita Nesterov got the call, but played just 1:31 in Chelyabinsk's 5-4 win over Cherepovets.

Yesterday's matches were the final contests of the KHL regular season. Out West, 8th seeded CSKA will face top seed St. Petersburg starting Wednesday and 5th seeded Cherepovets will draw 4th seed Mytischi on the same day. In the East, top seed Chelyabinsk draws 8th seed Khanty-Mansiysk in the first round.

Lightning prospect Nikita Kucherov remained out of the lineup for CSKA's MHL team today in their 3-1 win over Yaroslavl Jr. His long time teammate Nikita Gusev was up yesterday for CSKA's last match of the regular season. CSKA Jr. plays Novgorod Jr. next on Wednesday. The MHL regular season will end on 3-12-12.

SM-liiga (Finland):
JYP 2 @ Jokerit 3 (SO)
Riku Helenius, JYP, SOL, 37/39, 1.85 GAA, .949 sv%
Season totals: 28 GP, 18-7-1, 6 SO, 1.57 GAA, .938 sv%

JYP and Riku Helenius fell in a shootout 3-2 to Jokerit. Ex-Sens prospect Ben Eaves scored the shootout winner for Jokerit. Ex-Lightning forward Eric Perrin assisted on both JYP goals. JYP faces Assat on Tuesday. They currently sit in 5th on the SM-liiga table, in line for a first round playoff bye.

KHL (Russia):
Astana 3 @ Cherepovets 4 (SO)
Vasily Koshechkin, Cherepovets, Win, 32/35, 2.79 GAA, .914 sv%
Season totals: 32 GP, 16-11-1, 6 SO, 2.31 GAA, .927 sv%

Vasily Koshechkin stopped all 3 shooters he faced in the penalty shot session to lead Cherepovets to a 4-3 win over Astana. Ex-Lightning forward Brandon Bochenski scored his league leading 26th and 27th goals of the season in defeat for Barys. Cherepovets faces Chelyabinsk on Sunday.

KHL (Russia):
Ekaterinburg 1 @ Cherepovets 0 (OT)
Vasily Koshechkin, Cherepovets, OTL, 30/31, 0.97 GAA, .970 sv%
Season totals: 31 GP, 15-11-1, 6 SO, 2.30 GAA, .927 sv%

Andrei Shepelenko scored 1:50 into overtime to help hand Cherepovets and Vasily Koshechkin a hard luck 1-0 loss. The goal came just 1 second after Cherepovets had completed killing off a Ekaterinburg power play. Again, hard luck. Cherepovets faces Astana on Friday.