MOSCOW, Mar 18 Avangard Omsk Hockey Club won Magnitogorsk away «Metallurg» in the first match of the series 1/4 finals of the Gagarin Cup. The meeting in Magnitogorsk ended with a score of 8:1 (4:0; 3:1; 1:0) in favor of the guests. Damir Sharipzyanov (6th and 33rd minutes) and Nikolai Prokhorkin (15, 39) scored doubles for the winners, Ivan Telegin (2), Nail Yakupov (13), Kirill Semenov (24) and Timofey Davydov (46) also scored . As part of the hosts, the puck was thrown by Brendan Leipsik (23). At the 12th second of the match before the end of the game, Metallurg forward Josh Curry was sent off for attacking Sharipzyanov in the head and neck area. The current owner of the Gagarin Cup took the lead in the series — 1:0. The second game of the confrontation will take place in Magnitogorsk on March 20. In the first round of the playoffs, Metallurg beat Kazakhstan's Barys 4-1, while Avangard beat Kazan's Ak Bars 4-2. Last season, the teams also met at the 1/4 finals of the Gagarin Cup. Vanguard then won with a score of 4-2.
