Fireworks In VHL Final

IN DANGER OF BEING swept in the VHL final, AKM Tula Region entered Game 4 of the Petrov Cup fighting for survival. It was a surprising predicament for a team that placed fourth in the regular season in Russia’s second-highest league, then swiftly disposed of three-time champion Toros Neftekamsk, SKA-Neva and Yugra in five games or fewer. Neftyanik Almetyevsk, meanwhile, finished ninth in the regular season and struggled through tight playoff series versus Kurgan and Tyumen, but found their footing early in the VHL final aided by strong goaltending from Artur Akhtyamov. The emotionality of AKM’s players trumped discipline in the final contest, as the team was whistled for 33 penalty minutes in the first period of Game 4 alone. Defenseman Pavel Medvedev accrued the lion’s share for a violent collision…

Fifth Comes Before Fourth

WHEN ANDREAS Johnsson finally decided it was time to leave North America, there seemed to be only one natural choice for him. That was to return home to Gothenburg and suit up for Frolunda, with whom he had won a Swedish League championship back in 2016. However, much to the chagrin of his former team’s fans, Johnsson chose another path, moving north to play for Skelleftea. There, he would have the chance to play alongside his older brother, Jonathan, for the first time since their junior days. It proved to be a golden decision for the brothers. Despite reaching the final four times since its last title, Skelleftea had not won a Swedish championship since 2014. But this spring, things finally fell into place, and Skelleftea took home the Le Mat Trophy for…

Smart Money

HEADING INTO THE NCAA men’s national championship game, a lot of folks pencilled in Boston College as the favorite. After all, the Eagles had been the No. 1-ranked team in the country and featured a treasure trove of NHL prospects led by Cutter Gauthier, goalie Jacob Fowler and the all-NTDP line of Will Smith, Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault. But if you had been paying attention, you would have done well to put some money down on the Denver Pioneers. Boston College lost only six times all season, and the first setback came at home in October to Denver. Coaches David Carle (Denver) and Greg Brown (Boston College) even joked with each other after the game that they’d see each other at the Frozen Four, and, sure enough, they did. Thanks to…

CUP IN PHOTOS: GAME 5