Fast Start, Too Much to Overcome: Dragons Fall in Minsk

The debut of head coach Mitch Love behind the bench didn’t bring the result the Shanghai Dragons were hoping for, as they dropped a 6–1 road decision to HC Dinamo Minsk on Friday night.

Love kept most of the lineup intact for his first game in charge. Alexander Burmistrov and Valentsov returned to the lineup, while goaltender Tikhomirov made his first start in a long stretch. Newly signed defenseman Leontiev, who joined the team in Minsk, remained a healthy scratch.

A brutal opening

The game couldn’t have started worse for Shanghai. Minsk scored on its first two shots, with less than 90 seconds gone on the clock. Anas was left alone for a clean look to open the scoring, and moments later a Sotishvili shot deflected into the net. The Dragons were forced into an early goalie change, with Andrei Kareev replacing Tikhomirov at 1:20. After that, Shanghai tried to settle the game down and push back, but struggled to create real danger against Demchenko and a compact Minsk defense.

Brief pushback

The Dragons finally found life early in the second period. On the power play, Nick Merkley redirected a Riley point shot from the slot to cut the deficit to 2–1. Moments later, Parker Foo had a golden chance from point-blank range but couldn’t finish. Instead of a tying goal, Minsk responded with a power-play strike of their own, restoring a two-goal cushion. Soon after, Borikov beat Kareev on a breakaway to make it 4–1. Shanghai had a few looks to get back into the game – including a Sutter breakaway – but couldn’t convert before the intermission.

No drama late

With a comfortable lead, Minsk shifted into a controlled, counterattacking mode in the third period. The Dragons pushed the pace, but most of their attempts came from the perimeter, allowing Demchenko to stay composed in net. Minsk, meanwhile, punished mistakes with two more power-play goals, both scored by Galiev, who completed his brace. That sealed a one-sided finish and a 6–1 final.

Shanghai now heads to Sochi, where they will face HC Sochi on January 26.

FONBET KHL Regular Season
Dinamo Minsk – Shanghai Dragons 6–1 (2–0, 2–1, 2–0)

January 24 | Minsk, Minsk Arena | Attendance: 15,086
Goaltenders: Demchenko – Tikhomirov (Kareyev 01:20)

Scoring Summary:

1–0 — Anas (Pinchuk, Limoges) 00:23
2–0 — Sotishvili (Khenkel, Lyle) 01:20
2–1 — Merkley (Rilley, Labanc) 24:07 PPG
3–1 — Smith (Anas, Limoges) 28:14 PPG
4–1 — Borikov (Lipsky, Lyle) 29:53
5–1 — Galiyev (Shipachyov, Stas) 49:22 PPG
6–1 — Galiyev (Lipsky, Shipachyov) 55:02 PPG

Press Office, Shanghai Dragons, Minsk