Matches between Ak Bars and Salavat Yulaev «is always a truly special and important matchup in the Kontinental Hockey League. The so-called “Green Derby”, among other important battles, is distinguished by unique adventures and is rich in events. But today’s battle between the Kazan team and the Ufa team will forever go down in the history of Russian hockey. The reason for this is Vadim Shipachev.
One record is almost broken, more to come The star striker of Ak Bars has long been approaching his next epoch-making mark in the performance column, and in the derby with Salavat Yulaev he reached the pinnacle, which until now had been accessible only to one person named Sergei Mozyakin. From now on, the title of best scorer in the history of the KHL regular championships was transferred to Shipachev.
Already in the very opening of the meeting, Vadim scored an assist in the episode with the puck of Dmitry Kagarlitsky. This pass gave Shipachev the 756th career scoring point in the KHL championships, and according to this indicator, the 36-year-old forward was equal to Mozyakin, who retired two years ago. Taking into account the fact that Shipachev remains an active player and belongs to Ak Bars until May 2025, the Kazan striker will step forward and create a huge advantage for himself over the other contenders. There is no doubt about it.
Now Vadim has only one gestalt on the horizon — the status of the best scorer in history in the entire KHL. For now, this title still remains with Mozyakin, who scored a total of 928 points in the regular season and playoffs. Shipachev has only 47 points left to reach this mark. His average performance suggests that the league's main record will be achieved by him already in this KHL season and, probably, even before the playoffs.
What is Shipachev's greatness? Today's event is extremely important for the KHL. And not only because of the new leader. The KHL President, in a conversation with Sport, noted exactly what impact Shipachev’s achievement will have on the entire Russian hockey, and also did not rule out that at the traditional closing ceremony of the season, Vadim will receive a special award:
“Vadim Shipachev’s record is certainly an important event for the KHL, like many other records. This can become an incentive for children to grow and strive for new heights, because nothing lasts forever. If we used to have only record holders, now they are changing. Every young man should strive to surpass these records and write his name in the history of Russian hockey. Vadim is one of the main hockey players in the entire KHL. He is an outstanding player, you cannot take away his regalia. Over the course of many KHL seasons, Vadim has shown excellent results. Ceremony honoring Shipachev? At the end of the current draw, the KHL will evaluate the performance of the hockey players and present them with appropriate awards. Perhaps the league will also celebrate the achievement of Vadim Shipachev.» MorozovPresident of the Continental Hockey League
As for the game itself, it fully lived up to expectations. The last “Green Derby” had everything: good quality hockey and its entertainment, high speeds and, most importantly, emotions. There was even an abundance of the latter, because in the first period alone the opponents accumulated a total of 17 penalty minutes, and “Salavat Yulaev” even managed to play twice in the “5 on 3” format. There were also some goals — after the tenth minute of the match the scoreboard showed 2:1 in favor of the Kazan team.
Subsequently the game calmed down somewhat. The opponents began to act much more disciplined, but they still threatened the goal just as often, thanks to which Timur Bilyalov and Alexander Samonov pleased with a series of brilliant saves. The only thing missing was drama, but it couldn't be done without it. “Salavat Yulaev” managed to get even in the second period thanks to a double by Vyacheslav Leshchenko, who previously played for “Ak Bars”. And at the very end of the main time of the meeting, Ivan Drozdov imagined himself as Connor McDavid and, in singles, beat, it seems, the entire Republic of Tatarstan.
3:2 — “Salavat Yulaev” gets a strong-willed victory over “Ak Bars”, the KHL throws it to itself Another great “Green Derby” is in the bag, and Vadim Shipachev is rewriting the history of the league and striving for absolute greatness.