Kazionov, Denis

Elitserien
Skelleftea 2 @ Sodertalje 0
Riku Helenius, Sodertalje, Loss, 26/28, 2.03 GAA, .929 sv%
Season totals: 6 GP, 0-5-0, 0 SO, 2.77 GAA, .879 sv%

Riku Helenius made a good case to get his starting job back in Sodertalje with a solid 26 save performance, but received no goal support on the way to his fifth defeat of the season. Ex-Blues first rounder and current Senators prospect David Rundblad had a power play goal in the game.

KHL
Khabarovsk 1 @ Kazan 2 (OT)
Dmitri Kazionov, Kazan, DNP
Season totals: 6 GP, 0-0-0, -1, 6 PIM

Scoreless for the season, Dmitri Kazionov was a scratch for Kazan's 2-1 overtime win against Khabarovsk. Former Thrashers draft pick Ilya Nikulin scored the overtime winner for Kazan.

Novokuznetsk 1 @ Omsk 4
Denis Kazionov, Novokuznetsk, 0-1-1, E, 0 PIM, 1 SOG
Season totals: 2 GP, 0-1-1, -2, 2 PIM

He's back! The younger Kazionov, Denis, had a power play assist in his second game for Novokuznetsk in 9:04 of ice time. Ex-NHLer Alex Perezhogin had a pair of goals for Omsk in the win. Former Lightning netminder Karri Ramo stopped 23 shots for the win.

Dynamo Minsk 1 @ Dynamo Riga 2
Martins Karsums, Dynamo Riga, DNP
Season totals: 14 GP, 6-4-10, +5, 20 PIM

Martins Karsums did not play in Riga's 2-1 win over Minsk.

Novokuznetsk 0 @ Dynamo Riga 3
Martins Karsums, Dynamo Riga, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 0 SOG
Season totals: 2 GP, 0-1-1, +1, 2 PIM

Martins Karsums was scoreless in 12:54 in Riga's 3-0 shutout win over Novokuznetsk. Riga goaltender Chris Holt stopped all 18 shots he faced.

Astana 2 @ Cherepovets 5
Vasily Koshechkin, Cherepovets, Win, 37/39, 2.00 GAA, .949 sv%
Season totals: 1 GP, 1-0-0, 0 SO, 2.00 GAA, .949 sv%

It's Vasily Koshechkin's fourth team he's played for in Russia, but the story remains the same. The big goaltender stopped 37 of 39 shots faced in his Cherepovets debut to help Severstal defeat Astana 5-2.

Elsewhere:
Former Lightning prospect Karri Ramo stopped 27 shots in Omsk's 4-3 win over Spartak Moscow. Who was in the other crease? Hockey legend Dominik Hasek allowed 4 goals on 32 shots for the loss.

Mytischi fell 1-0 in a shootout to Novgorod, with the winning marker belonging to ex-Springfield Falcon Ryan Vesce. Mytischi was without the services of Lightning prospect Denis Kazionov, who was cut loose by the team earlier this month. No word, as of yet, on where the younger Kazionov brother will land.

Russian website championat.ru is reporting a rumor sourced to Sport-Express that goaltender Vasily Koshechkin may possibly play next season for KHL club Mytischi. Koshechkin split last season between Togliatti and Magnitogorsk of the KHL and was reportedly an option to be signed by the Lightning this summer if ex-GM Brian Lawton had remained in Tampa Bay. Mytischi added Lightning prospect Denis Kazionov to its roster earlier this offseason and recently re-signed former Lightning draft pick Alexei Glukhov.

Eastern Conference
(8)Ekaterinburg 1 @ (1)Yulaev 8
Yulaev Wins the Series 3-1
Denis Kazionov, 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM, 3 SOG
Season totals: 51 GP, 5-3-8, -18, 20 PIM
Playoff totals: 4 GP, 0-0-0, -3, 6 PIM

Ekaterinburg's chance for a Cindarella ending came to a screeching hault in an 8-1 series clinching Game Four win by Yulaev. Ex-Predators forward Alexander Radulov had 1 goal and 3 assists in the game for Yulaev. Denis Kazionov played 11:59 in the match, completing his first full season as a regular KHL player.

(7)Chelyabinsk 2 @ (2)Magnitogorsk 3 (OT)
Magnitogorsk Wins the Series 3-1
Vasily Koshechkin, Magnitogorsk, Win, 30/32, 1.57 GAA, .938 sv%
Season totals: 49 GP, 25-16-8, 8 SO, 1.96 GAA, .927 sv%
Playoff totals: 4 GP, 3-1, 0 SO, 1.62 GAA, .944 sv%

Magnitogorsk ended the upset dreams of seventh seeded Chelyabinsk with a pair of goals by Denis Platonov, including the overtime winner. Ex-NHLer Stan Chistov also had a goal for Magnitogorsk.

Three Lightning prospects have made it through to the conference semifinals in the KHL. In the East, 2nd seed Magnitogorsk and Vasily Koshechkin will square off against 3rd seed Kazan and Dmitri Kazionov. Meanwhile, in the West, Cindarella 8th seed Dynamo Riga and Martins Karsums will face 2nd seed KHK MVD.

Eastern Conference
(8)Ekaterinburg 4 @ (1)Yulaev 3
Yulaev Leads the Series 2-1
Denis Kazionov, Ekaterinburg, 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM, 1 SOG
Season totals: 51 GP, 5-3-8, -18, 20 PIM
Playoff totals: 3 GP, 0-0-0, -2, 6 PIM

Not so fast my friends! Despite a pair of goals by former Edmonton prospect Patrick Thoresen, Ekaterinburg upset top seeded Yulaev to extend their opening round playoff series to a Game Four. Denis Kazionov played just 4:08 in the match.

(7)Chelyabinsk 2 @ (2)Magnitogorsk 1 (OT)
Magnitogorsk Leads the Series 2-1
Vasily Koshechkin, Magnitogorsk, Loss, 26/28, 1.88 GAA, .929 sv%
Season totals: 49 GP, 25-16-8, 8 SO, 1.96 GAA, .927 sv%
Playoff totals: 3 GP, 2-1, 0 SO, 1.64 GAA, .946 sv%

Pierre Dagenais scored for Chelyabinsk 4 minutes into overtime to help keep his club alive for Game Four against Mangitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin's playoff save percentage dropped to a still-superhuman .946 in the loss.

(6)Astana 1 @ (3)Kazan 3
Kazan Wins the Series 3-0
Dmitri Kazionov, Kazan, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 2 SOG
Season totals: 52 GP, 18-9-27, +7, 18 PIM
Playoff totals: 0-0-0, +1, 0 PIM

Alexei Morozov had 1 goal and 1 assist to help Kazan complete a 3-game opening round sweep of Astana. Former Lightning prospect Ilya Solarev had an assist on Astana's only goal. Dmitri Kazionov played 17:16 in the match.

(5)Omsk 1 @ (4)Nizhnekamsk 2
Nizhnekamsk Wins the Series 3-0
Karri Ramo, Omsk, Loss, 25/27, 2.03 GAA, .926 sv%
Season totals: 44 GP, 21-17-4, 4 SO, 2.11 GAA, .913 sv%
Playoff totals: 3 GP, 0-3, 0 SO, 3.04 GAA, .886 sv%

The season is over for Karri Ramo. He and Omsk allowed a goal by Maxim Yakutsenya with 3:33 remaining in regulation to allow Nizhnekamsk to complete the three game sweep. Ex-Lightning forward Eric Perrin had the only goal of the match for Omsk. Let the Ramo signing watch begin.

Western Conference
(8)Dynamo Riga 4 @ (1)St. Petersburg 2
Riga Wins the Series 3-1
Martins Karsums, Dynamo Riga, 1-0-1, +1, 0 PIM, 1 SOG
Season totals: 12 GP, 4-4-8, +7, 16 PIM
Playoff totals: 4 GP, 1-0-1, -1, 2 PIM

Riga completed its upset of top-seeded St. Petersburg, partly on the strength of a pair of assists by former NHLer Sandis Ozolinsh. Martins Karsums scored an empty-net goal in 19:34 of ice time.

(6)Spartak Moscow 4 @ (3)Dynamo Moscow 0
Spartak Wins the Series 3-1
Johan Harju, Dynamo Moscow, DNP
Season totals: 55 GP, 4-14-18, -10, 38 PIM
Playoff totals: 2 GP, 1-0-1, -2, 8 PIM

Ex-Lightning forward Martin Cibak had a pair of assists to help secure a Game Four victory for Spartak and an opening round playoff series win. Johan Harju missed his second straight game for Dynamo Moscow. No word on if he is injured. Either way, his season in the KHL is now over, and the Lightning are expected to try to sign Harju this offseason.

Elsewhere in the KHL, Yaroslavl knocked off Mytischi to win their Western Conference series 3-1. Lightning prospects Dmitri Kazionov and Martins Karsums are already through to the second round. Karri Ramo and Johan Harju are headed home. Only two playoff series remain to be settled, and both are in the Eastern Conference. Denis Kazionov and Ekaterinburg will play Game Four against Yulaev tomorrow with his club down 2-1 in the series. Vasily Koshechkin and Magnitogorsk will also play tomorrow as they try to dispose of Chelyabinsk in Game Four.