White Bears beat KrASNoyarsk Ryisi 6:3 in the MHL on Wednesday evening. The hosts took three points from their fourth match of the season, while the visitors dropped further behind at the bottom of the table. It was a straightforward result, though the scoreline suggests the home side were never really tested.
The home side started brightly and took control early. They kept their side in it from the opening whistle and never let KrASNoyarsk settle into anything resembling a rhythm. By then, the visitors were already looking cramped and unsure of themselves.
What stood out was the clinical edge White Bears showed in front of goal. They did not travel to make up the numbers, and it showed. Every chance they created they took, while KrASNoyarsk were reduced to chasing shadows and clearing their lines.
We had called a home win before kick-off, and the result confirmed that reading. The home side have the deeper squad and used it to good effect. Once they went ahead, KrASNoyarsk simply could not find a way back into the game.
The two sides had different trajectories coming into this fixture. White Bears had mixed results in their opening four matches, including a heavy defeat to Avto. KrASNoyarsk were more inconsistent, with a 5:1 win over Irbis followed by a 1:8 hammering from the same opponents.
Both teams sit on zero points at this stage, which tells you nothing about where they might finish. The season has barely started, and there is plenty of time for form to change. For now, White Bears move up to five points from four games.
