KHL: Traktor beats Lokomotiv, Shanghai vs Dinamo Minsk.
1 day ago7 min read0 comments

In a night that felt more like a playoff preview than an early October showdown, Traktor just put the entire KHL on notice with a statement 3-1 win over Lokomotiv. Let’s break this down like we’re dissecting a fourth-quarter comeback, because what Traktor did in the first period was nothing short of a basketball-style run, dropping three unanswered goals that essentially put the game out of reach before the Yaroslavl squad even knew what hit them.It was Josh Leivo, a name familiar to NHL fans, who kicked off the party just six minutes in, finishing a slick feed from Yegor Korshkov—a play so smooth it would make any highlight reel. Before Lokomotiv could even catch their breath, Andrey Svetlakov doubled the lead at the 9-minute mark, assisted by Vasiliy Glotov, turning the Traktor Arena into a fortress of noise.Then, just when you thought it couldn’t get more dominant, Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, a young gun with serious upside, buried the third goal at 16 minutes, assisted by Grigoriy Dronov, and just like that, it was 3-0 after the first—a period so one-sided it reminded me of those NBA games where one team goes on a 20-0 run and you’re left wondering if the other guys forgot to show up. Lokomotiv managed to claw one back in the second thanks to Aleksandr Polunin, with helpers from Pavel Kraskovskiy and Denis Alexeev, but let’s be real: that was just a consolation prize.Traktor’s defense locked it down in the third, playing with the kind of discipline you see from a championship-caliber team, and honestly, this win isn’t just about two points—it’s about sending a message that they’re not here to play around this season. Meanwhile, over in the other fixture, we’ve got Shanghai Dragons gearing up to face Dinamo Minsk later today, and if you’re sleeping on that one, you’re missing out.Shanghai, with their mix of international talent, is like the underdog story we all love, trying to make waves in a league dominated by Russian powerhouses, while Dinamo Minsk brings that gritty, Eastern European flair that always makes for a physical battle. Think of it as the classic clash of styles—flashy offense vs.hard-nosed defense—and with the game set at the SKA Arena, it’s gonna be a showdown worth watching. For Traktor, this victory builds momentum early in the season, and if they keep this up, they could be dark horses in the Gagarin Cup chase, much like a mid-tier NBA team that suddenly clicks and makes a deep playoff run.Lokomotiv, on the other hand, needs to regroup fast; dropping games like this early can haunt you down the stretch, especially in a tight league where every point matters. The KHL table is starting to take shape, and nights like this remind us why hockey, much like basketball, is all about momentum—when you’ve got it, you’re unstoppable, and right now, Traktor is riding that wave like a pro.