Mogilev beat Baranavichy 5-4 in the Extraleague season opener on 9 September. We had tipped the home side at 46 per cent confidence, but the match took a different turn. It was one of those games where momentum shifts every ten minutes and you never quite know who will hold their nerve.
Baranavichy started brighter, as they often do at home. By then they had already shown they could string together possession, but Mogilev's defensive structure held firm. The visitors took the lead first, a quick break that caught the hosts off guard. And here's the thing — once you concede first in this league, you're always chasing.
The second period was where the game opened up. Baranavichy pulled level, then Mogilev responded. Three goals in twelve minutes, all from different patterns. The home side pressed high, which is what they've been working on in pre-season, but the visitors were quicker on the counter. To be fair, Mogilev's transition game has been sharp all summer.
We'd called for Baranavichy because they'd won three of five pre-season games, including a 5-1 hammering of Yunost Minsk. But pre-season form and league form are not the same thing. The visitors had won their opener 3-0 against Lokomotiv Orsha and looked comfortable. The home side had lost two of their five previous matches.
The decisive moment came late. Baranavichy had the equaliser in their sights, but Mogilev's goaltender made the save and then hit the break. One mistake ends it, and the home side gave away a penalty kill that cost them everything. Five to four — a point and a half swing in the standings that feels bigger than the numbers.