While there were some consistency issues this season for the team perhaps best known in North America for being the developmental environment of one Evgeni Malkin, there was little doubt at the end of the day that Metallurg Magnitogorsk were the best team in the KHL’s Eastern Conference in 2023-24. After having topped the East with 95 points (35W-7OTW-2SOW-4SOL-3OTL-17L), it makes sense to see this team here after all was said and done in the knockout rounds. However, in a manner that is somewhat reminiscent of the 2007-08 “Big Three” Boston Celtics having marched through the regular season with no trouble then taking the long route to banner 17, their playoff run has been arduous. It took them six games to knock off Amur Khabarovsk, six games to eliminate Spartak Moscow, and seven games to eliminate Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. The lattermost series just concluded today in pretty intense fashion, as they seemingly had the competitive advantage against Yekaterinburg for good chunks of the match (ultimately out-shooting them 14 to 2 in the first frame), but had some trouble as Avtomobilist F Maxim Denezhkin had a two goal game. Ultimately, however, F Denis Zernov’s tally stood as the GWG and series winner (with Magnitogorsk also having gotten good efforts from Blackhawks prospect Roman Kantserov, who tallied two assists, and Wild prospect Danila Yurov, who scored their second goal), as Metallurg would prevail against a feisty Avtomobilist squad who put up a great effort in their unlikely run to the precipice of the Gagarin Cup Finals spearheaded by C/ex-Ottawa Senator Stephane Da Costa, who was consistent and reliable throughout the year, and RW Anatoly Golyshev, who took his play to another level come playoff time. Their story is over, though, at least for now. Let us now focus on the participating teams.

Here are some essential stats for Metallurg this season, as well as regarding prior postseason success:

Top three point scorers:
RW/C Danila Yurov (Minnesota Wild): 21G-28A-49P in 62 GP

LW/RW Nikita Grebyokin (Toronto Maple Leafs) 19G-22A-41P in 67 GP

RW Maxim Karpov: 12G-29A-41P in 61 GP

Plus-Minus Leaders:
RW/C Danila Yurov (Minnesota Wild): +22

D Makar Khabarov: +17

RW Maxim Karpov: +15
Starting Goaltender Stats:

G Ilya Nabokov: 23W-13L-3SOP (shootouts played), 2.15 GAA, .930 SV%, 3 SO

Postseason accomplishments:
Russian Superleague championships: 1998, 1999, 2001, 2007

RSL Finals appearances: 2004

Gagarin Cup victories: 2014, 2016

Gagarin Cup Finals berths: 2017, 2022

With Metallurg having gotten close a couple of times since their last triumph, I am certain that there will be some strong desire to end the drought. Nabokov in particular has risen to the occasion in between the pipes, posting as many shutouts as he had in the regular season so far in the playoffs and having slightly better stats (2.06 GAA, .936 SV%). However, the other side will be just as hungry. While Lokomotiv Yaroslavl were not overwhelming underdogs to be here this year, having clinched a playoff spot before any other team, it is a bit of a surprise to see them here, having been just the third seed in the West (93 points) behind Dynamo Moscow and SKA Saint Petersburg. However, they outlasted all the juggernauts, as both of those teams lost their second round series in ignominious fashion and CSKA Moscow (two-time defending champs) fell to Lokomotiv in five games in round one after what was a down season for the most storied Russian hockey franchise. Loko would subsequently knock off a strong Avangard Omsk side in seven games (in a series that prompted Avangard to change head coaches during the proceedings in a very unusal turn of events), then swept Traktor Chelyabinsk upon the injury of Traktor G/ex-Washington Capital Zach Fucale. While not the flashiest statistical team in Russia, this group has a considerable amount of depth, with contributions from the likes of first round selections (both of the Arizona Coyotes) LW Daniil But and D Dmitri Simashev being just pieces of the puzzle. Here are some of the essential players, as well as some history in the playoffs for the club affectionately known as “Loko”:

Top three point scorers:

C Maxim Shalunov: 17G-19A-36P in 68GP

LW/RW Artur Kayumov (Chicago Blackhawks): 16G-19A-35P in 66GP

LW Yaroslav Likhachyov: 13G-17A-30P in 54GP

Plus-Minus Leaders:

LW/RW Artur Kayumov (Chicago Blackhawks): +15

C Pavel Kraskovsky (Winnipeg Jets): +13

C Maxim Shalunov: +13

Starting Goaltender Stats:
G Daniil Isayev: 32W-14L-3SOP, 1.94 GAA, .925 SV%, 4 SO

Postseason accomplishments:

Russian Superleague championships: 1997, 2002, 2003

RSL Finals appearance: 2008

Gagarin Cup Finals berth: 2009

It has been just over two decades since this team has reached the mountaintop and fifteen years since they even got a crack at it. Incidentally, as noted by the KHL’s English language Twitter page, Loko defeated Metallurg in five games in the league semifinals in what had previously been their only ever playoff matchup prior to this one before falling to Ak Bars Kazan in seven games in the finals. However, with a decent amount of scoring distribution and a defensive system that often gives up less than two goals per game (with Isayev being both a vehicle of and a beneficiary for this and likewise seeing improvements in his postseason stats, with a 1.63 GAA and a .929 SV% to his name along with three shutouts), this could be the year where it finally happens. It cannot be ignored that this would be an extremely sentimental victory for the club, its supporters, and the greater hockey community both in Russia and worldwide, as well. The echoes of the tragic aviation accident just prior to what was expected to be a very successful 2011-12 regular season on September 8th, 2011 still resonate through the hearts of many. This is always a point of remembrance for the team and its fans, and while a Gagarin Cup could never make anyone forget what happened on that day, one has to imagine that it would be a point of reverie, an essential step in what still appears to be an ongoing healing process, and the completion marker for the club’s bounceback in terms of on-ice success.