In its first three seasons, the Kontinental Hockey league had two champions, Ak Bars Kazan (2008-09, 2009-10) and Salavat Yulaev Ufa (2010-11). With the former knocking out the latter in the first round of this years playoffs, the chances of either team winning again were cut in half. Now, after Continental Cup winner Traktor dispatched Ak Bars in round two, the KHL will get a dose of parity, albeit a tiny one.
The Conference Finals are set with top-seeded Traktor taking on second-seeded Avangard in the Eastern Finals and SKA St. Petersburg, the top seed in the West will skate with third-seeded Dynamo Moscow. A major criticism about the KHL is a lack of parity and the evidence is certainly there with the best teams constantly playing for the Gagarin Cup. There have been few Cinderella runs in the playoffs, with just one major upset as number one seed Salavat Yulaev was eliminated in the first round back in 2008-09. Avangard Omsk burned out in the second round, failing to hold a lead against eventual champion Ak Bars.
Also, the Eastern Conference has dominated the Gagarin Cup, winning all three. Some speculate that the owners of teams in the East have more money to throw around, luring top-level talent to their clubs. This might very well be true with arguably the two biggest names in the league, Alexander Radulov and Evgeny Kuznetsov playing in the West for Salavat Yulaev and Traktor, respectively.
The West does have hope though. SKA St. Petersburg has, for the most part, dominated its competition in the first two rounds, defeating CSKA in five games and Atlant in six. The army men finished the regular season one point behind Traktor for second best in the league. Meanwhile, in Russia’s capital city, Dynamo Moscow, after failing to advance past the first round the previous two seasons, looks to be playing their best hockey of the season. So parity, you will just have to wait another year.
**********KHL Gagarin Cup Playoffs 2012
**********KHL Playoffs’ Third Round
**********Conference Finals: March 28 – April 10
**********2012 KHL Eastern Conference Final—–[01] (1) Traktor Chelyabinsk vs—–[05] (2) Avangard Omsk**********Regular Season: GP/W/L/OT/P/GF-GA/DIFF—–TRA 54/39/11/4/114/163-116/+47—–AVA 54/31/18/5/093/133-115/+18**********Playoffs:—–TRA 11G/8W/3L/33GF-24GA/+09—–AVA 09G/8W/1L/31GF-17GA/+14**********Aggregate Numbers:—–TRA 65G/47W/18L/196GF-140GA/+56—–AVA 63G/39W/24L/164GF-132GA/+32**********Quarterfinals:—–TRA 4×1/19-15 vs Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (8) [14]—–AVA 4×0/15-08 vs Amur Khabarovsk…….(7) [12]**********Semifinals:—–TRA 4×2/14-09 vs Ak Bars Kazan……….(4) [06]—–AVA 4×1/16-09 vs Metallurg Magnitogorsk (3) [04]**********National Championship Honors: gold/silver/bronze—–TRA 0/0/3 (1977, .1993, 1994)—–AVA 1/2/2 (2004)/(2001, 2006)/(1996, 2007)**********Season Series:**********Game 1 – 2011-10-02 Traktor Chelyabinsk 2×0 Avangard Omsk—–www.youtube.com/watch?v=T22HQxhKT5I—–en.khl.ru/report/202/?idgame=30992—–text.khl.ru/en/30992.html**********Game 2 – 2011-12-11 Avangard Omsk…….2×3 (SO) Traktor Chelyabinsk—–www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGfmqxSQF4k—–en.khl.ru/report/202/?idgame=31280—–text.khl.ru/en/31280.html**********Playoff Series:**********Game 1 – 03/29/12 – 17:00 MSK – Traktor Chelyabinsk x Avangard Omsk **********Game 2 – 03/31/12 – 15:00 MSK – Traktor Chelyabinsk x Avangard Omsk **********Game 3 – 04/02/12 – 16:00 MSK – Avangard Omsk…….x Traktor Chelyabinsk **********Game 4 – 04/04/12 – 16:00 MSK – Avangard Omsk…….x Traktor Chelyabinsk
**********KHL Gagarin Cup Playoffs 2012**********KHL Playoffs’ Third Round **********Conference Finals——March 28 – April 10
**********2012 KHL Western Conference Final
—–[02] (1) SKA Saint Petersburg vs
—–[03] (3) Dynamo Moscow
**********Regular Season: GP/W/L/OT/P/GF-GA/DIFF
—–SKA 54/38/11/5/113/205-130/+75
—–DYN 54/35/15/4/105/144-116/+28
**********Playoffs:
—–SKA 11G/8W/3L/42GF-13GA/+29
—–DYN 10G/8W/2L/27GF-17GA/+10
***********Aggregate Numbers:
—–SKA 65G/46W/19L/247GF-143GA/+104
—–DYN 64G/43W/21L/171GF-133GA/+038
***********Quarterfinals:
—–SKA 4×1/20-06 vs CSKA Moscow..(8) [18]
—–DYN 4×0/11-04 vs Dinamo Minsk (6) [13]
***********Semifinals:
—–SKA 4×2/22-07 vs Atlant Moscow………..(4) [09]
—–DYN 4×2/16-13 vs Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (2) [07]
***********National Championship Honors: gold/silver/bronze
—–SKA 0/00/02 (1971, 1987)
—–DYN 9/19/18
—–1st: (1947, 1954, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2000, 2005)/
—–2nd: (1950, 1951, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1971, 1972, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1994, 1996, 1999)/
—–3rd: (1948, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1988)
************Season Series:
************Game 1 – 2011-10-05 Dynamo Moscow……..2×1 SKA Saint Petersburg
—–www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRs-OoEEFcg [HD]
—–en.khl.ru/report/202/?idgame=31010
—–text.khl.ru/en/31010.html
************Game 2 – 2011-10-25 Dynamo Moscow……..1×4 SKA Saint Petersburg
—–www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogOvQ-zr9yQ
—–en.khl.ru/report/202/?idgame=31103
—–text.khl.ru/en/31103.html
************Game 3 – 2011-11-24 SKA Saint Petersburg 3×4 Dynamo Moscow
—–www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJQLFXsyz7M
—–en.khl.ru/report/202/?idgame=31204
—–text.khl.ru/en/31204.html
************Game 4 – 2012-01-24 SKA Saint Petersburg 5×1 Dynamo Moscow
—–www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5lqr-sS72w [HD]
—–en.khl.ru/report/202/?idgame=31427
—–text.khl.ru/en/31427.html
************Playoff Series:
************Game 1 – 03/28/12 – 19:00 MSK – SKA Saint-Petersburg x Dynamo Moscow
************Game 2 – 03/30/12 – 19:00 MSK – SKA Saint-Petersburg x Dynamo Moscow
************Game 3 – 04/01/12 – 17:00 MSK – Dynamo Moscow……..x SKA Saint-Petersburg
************Game 4 – 04/03/12 – 19:30 MSK – Dynamo Moscow……..x SKA Saint-Petersburg
KHL Gagarin Cup Playoffs 2012
KHL Playoffs’ Third Round
Conference Finals
March 28 – April 10
2012 KHL Eastern Conference Final[01] (1) Traktor Chelyabinsk vs[05] (2) Avangard OmskRegular Season: GP/W/L/OT/P/GF-GA/DIFFTRA 54/39/11/4/114/163-116/+47AVA 54/31/18/5/093/133-115/+18Playoffs:TRA 11G/8W/3L/33GF-24GA/+09AVA 09G/8W/1L/31GF-17GA/+14Aggregate Numbers:TRA 65G/47W/18L/196GF-140GA/+56AVA 63G/39W/24L/164GF-132GA/+32Quarterfinals:TRA 4×1/19-15 vs Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (8) [14]AVA 4×0/15-08 vs Amur Khabarovsk…….(7) [12]Semifinals:TRA 4×2/14-09 vs Ak Bars Kazan……….(4) [06]AVA 4×1/16-09 vs Metallurg Magnitogorsk (3) [04]National Championship Honors: gold/silver/bronzeTRA 0/0/3 (1977, .1993, 1994)AVA 1/2/2 (2004)/(2001, 2006)/(1996, 2007)Season Series:Game 1 – 2011-10-02 Traktor Chelyabinsk 2×0 Avangard Omskwww.youtube.com/watch?v=T22HQxhKT5Ien.khl.ru/report/202/?idgame=30992text.khl.ru/en/30992.htmlGame 2 – 2011-12-11 Avangard Omsk…….2×3 (SO) Traktor Chelyabinskwww.youtube.com/watch?v=JGfmqxSQF4ken.khl.ru/report/202/?idgame=31280text.khl.ru/en/31280.htmlPlayoff Series:Game 1 – 03/29/12 – 17:00 MSK – Traktor Chelyabinsk x Avangard Omsk Game 2 – 03/31/12 – 15:00 MSK – Traktor Chelyabinsk x Avangard Omsk Game 3 – 04/02/12 – 16:00 MSK – Avangard Omsk…….x Traktor Chelyabinsk Game 4 – 04/04/12 – 16:00 MSK – Avangard Omsk…….x Traktor Chelyabinsk
So is Weird Al writing a new song about the KHL?