CSKA Moscow beat Khabarovsk 2-0 on Wednesday evening in the Kontinental Hockey League, keeping their unbeaten sequence alive on the road. The visitors had been modest favourites at 47 per cent confidence before kick-off, and they delivered when it mattered.
And here's the thing — the scoreline tells only half the story. Khabarovsk had shown flashes earlier in the campaign, notably a 4-0 victory over Dynamo Moscow, but those moments of promise have been harder to string together since. By then, the visitors looked the more settled side.
The away side's recent form tells a clearer picture. They had beaten Vladivostok 4-3 on Monday, followed that with a 3-2 win against Nizhny Novgorod, and before that a comfortable 4-0 against Sochi. Three victories in a row, and none particularly easy. The home side, meanwhile, had lost to Cherepovets 4-1 on their last outing and carried that disappointment into this fixture.
To be fair, the table positions reflected what we saw. Khabarovsk sit ninth after six games with two wins and four losses, while CSKA occupy fifth with four victories from seven matches. Neither side has a point in the column, which means the standings are still fluid. But the gap between them is widening.
The visitors had nothing to do all evening in the second period, when the game opened up. Khabarovsk's defence switched off at a set piece, and the visitors took their chances. The match was decided in those three or four moments — the rest was background noise.
For Khabarovsk, this extends their winless run to three games. They came into the match hoping to build momentum after that earlier win over Dynamo, but the pattern is becoming familiar. Four losses in six games, and they're running out of games before the season has truly begun.
CSKA, on the other hand, have extended their unbeaten run to eight across all competitions. The away victory keeps them within touching distance of the top four, and the coaching staff will be pleased with the discipline. Money has come for the hosts, but tonight the visitors showed why they fancy their chances.
