KHL Highlights: Yakupov, Malkin, Kovalchuk, Backstrom, Kane, Hagman all put up points, and much more!

Steve Dangle
October 29 2012 10:08PM

There was an insane amount of KHL hockey today. Like I've been editing for hours and hours. If anyone says there's "no hockey" I'm going to have to punch them with my exhausted and carpal tunnel syndrome-stricken hands.

Enjoy!

It's really weird watching Pekka Rinne play like crap, but here's Pekka Rinne playing like crap. Evander Kane got his first KHL goal though so...yayyy Minsk.

Nail Yakupov gets a nice assist but Varlamov and Hagman down Neftekhimik.

Ovechkin didn't play because he was sick, but Nicklas Backstrom and company beat Dinamo Riga.

Ilya Kovalchuk has to be considered the best player in the KHL right now. No question.

Vityaz storms back from a 3-0 deficit to beat Kuznetsov and Traktor 4-3 in the shootout.

And all that goodness wrapped into one, including a pretty crazy stat about Zdeno Chara. He is NOT having a good time in the KHL.

Steve Dangle started making YouTube videos about the Leafs in 2007. Steve currently works for the CBC, NHL Network, the KHL, Nike, the OHL's Mississauga Steelheads, and previously worked with MLSE at Leafs TV and RealSports.ca. He also used to work at the Toronto Zoo and knows a lot about giraffes for some reason. http://stevedangle.com

Sort comments by props

Reply #1 yawto October 29 2012, 10:22PM

+1 0 props

I miss the oilers and the NHL but these asses better learn who pays the bills in the fist place. Plenty of good hockey in other places.

Reply #2 Randall Shermer October 29 2012, 10:44PM

+1 0 props

These are great summaries and commentaries; its nice to see what's going on in the K. Seems like quite a few players who aren't probably missing the NHL too completely.

Reply #3 oilers2k10 October 29 2012, 10:45PM

+1 0 props

What a pass by Yakupov, surprised he only has three assists so far..almost every time I've seen him play he looks more like a playmaker than a sniper

Reply #4 Jagrbaum October 29 2012, 11:03PM

+1 1 props

This is really excellent work guys. I find your highlight packages are far more comprehensive and of better quality than what TSN posts on their website.

Thank you for taking the time out and keep up the good work!

Reply #5 Steve Dangle October 29 2012, 11:23PM

+1 0 props

oilers2k10 wrote:

What a pass by Yakupov, surprised he only has three assists so far..almost every time I've seen him play he looks more like a playmaker than a sniper

It's funny. I've been covering him for a month now and I didn't believe it when I read it.

Reply #6 Steve Dangle October 29 2012, 11:25PM

+1 0 props

Jagrbaum wrote:

This is really excellent work guys. I find your highlight packages are far more comprehensive and of better quality than what TSN posts on their website.
Thank you for taking the time out and keep up the good work!

Wow thank you! I think our end goal and purpose are very different from TSN's, but our budget and resources are also practically nothing.

Reply #7 Big Perm October 29 2012, 11:32PM

+1 2 props

Total props for the video highlights.

Better than TSN, impressive.

Reply #8 Idries Shah October 30 2012, 01:29AM

+1 0 props

Since Ilya is the best player in the KHL, the by default Ilya is the best player in the world.

Year long "lock-out" is the best thing for the Oilers and hockey as a sport/market in Europe.

Thanks for the highlights.

Reply #9 migz12 October 30 2012, 02:31AM

+1 0 props

Who puts those ads on bottom of screen? They should be shot I wanna SEE highlights not have to MOVE my device

Reply #10 Oilers G - that Haiku writing MotherF^%$er October 30 2012, 06:23AM

+1 0 props

Steve... Hockey is my drug. You are my hook-up for my daily fix.* Keep up the great work, good sir.

* I guess that makes you my dealer ;-)

Reply #11 Steve Dangle October 30 2012, 07:17AM

+1 0 props

Oilers G - that Haiku writing MotherF^%$er wrote:

Steve... Hockey is my drug. You are my hook-up for my daily fix.* Keep up the great work, good sir.
* I guess that makes you my dealer ;-)

Am I the Walter White of hockey right now?!?!? Or Pinkman? Nah screw that, I'm Walter.

Reply #12 Crondor October 30 2012, 08:05AM

+1 0 props

I'd also like to say thanks to you guys for putting these packages together. Way better than TSN! That call on the Kovalchuk goal was just great, "...have you seen this guy lately? HEEEEELLLLLLLOOOOO??????" LOL that was awesome!

Reply #13 Overpaid Wild October 30 2012, 08:21AM

+1 0 props

Ok, anyone else think the KHL is going to be serious competition for the NHL going forward. Not sure how many of these players will be back

Lets be realistic, the US has more money than Eastern Europe. The big difference is in Russia hockey is number one, (not sure how soccer compares). Russia has many more large cities than Canada and can self sustain their own league by themselves if need be.

While I am on the NHL side in the lockout and believe that the league needs to cut expenses (biggest is player salaries) the league must also find a balance. If player salaries get to low, where is the tipping point that NHL players start making less than in the khl. When do North American players stop taking home discounts and go across the pond for more money?

The NHL has a lot of problems ahead of it. And Yes more Canadian teams are needed. But with out large American Cities, and their tv revenues the NHL will only reach a glass ceiling with highly penetrated canadian markets. Eventually the larger Russian Market will grow larger than the Canadian one and talent will look else where to go. And the debate will be which is the best league in the world.

Reply #14 C redd October 30 2012, 08:38AM

+1 0 props

You are Heisenberg. Good job with all the highlights. At least we got khl highlights and ahl online streams to keep us somewhat entertained. I wonder when sportsnet is gonna get their stuff together and start broadcasting ahl games. (Preferably in hd!)

Reply #15 SmellOfVictory October 30 2012, 09:32AM

+1 0 props

C redd wrote:

You are Heisenberg. Good job with all the highlights. At least we got khl highlights and ahl online streams to keep us somewhat entertained. I wonder when sportsnet is gonna get their stuff together and start broadcasting ahl games. (Preferably in hd!)

They are broadcasting a select few Saturday games (they've broadcast a Heat game already; it was glorious).

Reply #16 DSF October 30 2012, 10:12AM

+1 0 props

4 games on Sportsnet in November:

Nov 3: Hamliton @ Rochester

Nov 10: OKC @ Abbotsford

Nov 17: Hamilton @ Marlies

Nov 24: Chicago @ Milwaukee

Reply #17 RexLibris October 30 2012, 11:49AM

+1 0 props

I think its obvious that Kovalchuk is riding Thoresen's coattails in the KHL.

Reply #18 Manfly October 30 2012, 11:58AM

+1 0 props

@DSF...wow, a whole 4!!

Reply #19 Andrey Osadchenko October 30 2012, 12:35PM

+1 0 props

Overpaid Wild wrote:

Ok, anyone else think the KHL is going to be serious competition for the NHL going forward. Not sure how many of these players will be back
Lets be realistic, the US has more money than Eastern Europe. The big difference is in Russia hockey is number one, (not sure how soccer compares). Russia has many more large cities than Canada and can self sustain their own league by themselves if need be.
While I am on the NHL side in the lockout and believe that the league needs to cut expenses (biggest is player salaries) the league must also find a balance. If player salaries get to low, where is the tipping point that NHL players start making less than in the khl. When do North American players stop taking home discounts and go across the pond for more money?
The NHL has a lot of problems ahead of it. And Yes more Canadian teams are needed. But with out large American Cities, and their tv revenues the NHL will only reach a glass ceiling with highly penetrated canadian markets. Eventually the larger Russian Market will grow larger than the Canadian one and talent will look else where to go. And the debate will be which is the best league in the world.

Hockey is #2 in Russia. Soccer is by far the most popular sport in the country.

Reply #20 Dawn October 30 2012, 03:19PM

+1 0 props

Hard to imagine there's people that would rather watch soccer. *shakes head* For me, has all the entertainment value of televised golf. Regardless, love your highlight packages. Much better quality than the streamed games I've managed to watch. Still I wish they'd end this lockout madness. What if Yakupov is having so much fun that he decides he doesn't want to come back? *shudders*