September MVP - Marcel Hossa

Pool has been closed and Marcel Hossa received most votes from this blog readers, he received 86 votes. In his 11 September games, he has scored 9 goals and gave 3 assists, also earning 39 penalty minutes. Marcel Hossa is the best signing in this season for Dinamo Riga, for sure. I hope that Dinamo Riga will maintain him also for next season.

Dinamo Riga - Dinamo Moscow, game review

Dinamo Riga VS Dinamo Moscow

4-3
01.10.2008
Game 12

Dinamo Moscow were weakened for this game, as they had 6 injured players, as Dinamo Riga had only Juris Stals injured, Edgars Masalskis is no longer contracted with Dinamo Riga till he will recover from his bad injury. Both teams started game with exchanging shots with each other, little better opportunities had Dinamo Riga on goal scoring, some good shots had Mark Hartigan and Martins Cipulis. First penalty was given to Guntis Galvins for hooking at 8th minute, Dinamo Moscow had one good shot at their PP, Dinamo Riga had played pretty solid defensively this SH time. After few seconds after end of penalty Mark Hartigan had a great opertunity to score but he was hit down by Dinamo Moscow player, and Mark Hartigan earned for Dinamo Riga PP. In PP time Mark Hartigan had some pushing and word exchange with Dinamo Moscow and both received 2 penalty minutes. In next attack Dinamo Moscow player pushed Mikelis Redlihs after a whistle, so Dinamo Riga had to play 5-3 for some time, a good opportunity to score. Starting PP five against three only good shot made Girts Ankipans, after few seconds Aleksejs Sirokovs was penalized for his mistake against Dinamo Moscow player, 4 on 4 for half-minute, after end of earlier penalty Dinamo Moscow was on PP, Dinamo Moscow had made 2 dangerous shots in their PP. Before the end of the first period Marcel Hossa made a good pass to Matt Ellison that he did not made in to the net. Both teams played equally this period. Best players for Dinamo Riga in this period, in my opinion, were - Mikelis Redlihs, Marcel Hossa and Mark Hartigan.

Second period started with a concerned goal for Dinamo Riga, Ceyanek scored, Dinamo Riga had a bad line change, that is the reason, in my opinion, when was made such a dangerous attack that resulted in goal concerning. After two minutes Dinamo Moscow had another dangerous atack, without turning it into the goal, after this moment Dinamo Riga had a good counter-attack that almost ended in scoring a goal, but almost does not count...Goal for Dinamo Riga!!! After few moments Girts Ankipans scored a goal with a rebound shot!!! After minute Lauris Darzins received penalty for high sticking. Dinamo Riga played well defencivly, Dinamo Moscow did not made even a one dangerous shot. After end of penalty for Dinamo Riga, Dinamo Moscow player was penalized, and after few dangerous moments Ellison SCORED!!! After a great combination by our legionnaires 2 -1 at 8th minute. At 10th minute Dinamo Moscow player received penalty. Another PP for Dinamo Riga, in first seconds of PP our PP unit made a dangerous moment that did not end in scoring, afterwards Armands Berzins had a great opertunity, but no goal again, ending this PP without a goal. After a minute Dinamo Riga had a bad mistake and Dinamo Moscow player made a dangerous shot. For the next few minutes nothing much had happaned, both teams made some shots but with no result. Near the end of second period Dinamo Moscow made a good pressure on Dinamo Riga, resulting in Dinamo Riga making mistake, that ended up with penalty. Dinamo Riga played good this SH Mark Hartigan made a counter-attack resulting in earning penalty for Dinamo at the end of the period. Dinamo Riga were better than Dinamo Moscow, resulting in score 2-1. Also we can make thanks to Dinamo Moscow for making so much penalties. Best players, in my opinion, in this period were - Sergejs Naumovs, Matt Ellison, Girts Ankipans.

Third period Dinamo Riga started to play in PP, Dinamo Riga made some good shots at this PP, after few moments Armands Berzins made a mistake concluding in received a penalty, Dinamo Moscow had one dangerous shot, but this shot did not end in scoring. At 7th minute Guntis Galvins made a stupid mistake, shooting puck over the glass, 2 minutes. At this penalty time there were almoast a fight between two teams, Mark Hartigan had yet again word exchange. After this moment Dinamo Moscow scored a PP goal in 9th minute...2-2. After a minute Dinamo Moscow Canadion scored again...2-3...Those 50 Moscow Dinamo fans were really loud after these moments. After few seconds Rodrigo Lavins SCORED!!! 3-3! After this moment referee started to view video replay if this goal was legitime. AND REFEREE POINTED TO THE CENTER! At 12th minute Ellison had an excellent opertunity, but he missed. At 13th minute Dinamo Moscow almoast scored a goal, but Dinamo Riga had all their Gods with them, Dinamo Moscow was pressuring Dinamo Riga till the end of the period, Sergei Naumov made good saves one after another. At 17th Mark Hatigan SCORED IN COUNTER-ATTACK, LEADING IN FRONT DINAMO RIGA WITH A GREAT SLAPSHOT 4-3!!! 2 minutes remaining! Dinamo Moscow was really pressuring Dinamo Riga in the last minutes, they even changed their goalie for 6th player. 9 seconds till the end of the game Dinamo Riga got a penalty. Dinamo Riga(Naumovs :)) held on to the VICTORY!!!

Dinamo Riga - Dinamo Moscow (0:0, 2:1, 2:2)

21:07 Cajanek (Kalyuzny) 0:1, 24:48 Ankipans (Ellison) 1:1, 28:36 Hartigan (Westcott, Ellison, PP) 2:1, 49:18 Nepryaev (Petushko, Budkin) 2:2, 50:27 Landry 2:3, 50:57 Lavins (Hossa) 3:3, 57:50 Hartigan (Nizivijs) 4:3.

Highlights from the game:


Best players, in my opinion, in this game were - Mark Hartigan, Sergei Naumov, Marcel Hossa.

As I hoped, Dinamo Riga played really good this time in all positions, there were few mistakes, that resulted in goal concerning and also dangerous attacks from Moscow Dinamo side, but it all ended well, there could be much more goals scored against Dinamo Riga. Thank you Dinamo Riga for this great game. This time I could not attend this game because I am ill, but next time I will be there for them when Dinamo Riga will face Dinamo Minsk on 6th october! :)

Next game preview will be availible on 05.10.08 and review on 06.10.08 right after the game, when Dinamo Riga will face against Dinamo Minsk

Total player salaries for KHL teams revealed

Today has been known all teams total salaries, tho we don't know individual player salaries, also some player salaries were not added to the total sum, because they are contracted to NHL teams. Here are the full list:

1. Lokomotiv Yaroslavl - 19.800.000$
2. Avangard Omsk - 18.100.000$
3. Atlant Mytishchi - 18.000.000$
4. Severstal Cherepovets - 17.300.000$
5. Metallurg Magnitogorsk - 16.600.000$
6. Salavat Yulaev - 16.300.000$
7. SKA Saint Petersburg - 16.300.000$
8. Ak Bars Kazan - 16.290.000$
9. CSKA Moscow - 15.300.000$
10. HC Lada Togliatti - 13.600.000$
11. Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod - 13.500.000$
12. Barys Astana - 12.900.000$
13. Dynamo Moscow - 12.000.000$
14. Spartak Moscow - 10.000.000$
15. Sibir Novosibirsk - 9.200.000$
16. Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk - 8.800.000$
17. Metallurg Novokuznetsk - 8.700.000$
18. Vityaz Chekhov - 8.500.000$
19. Traktor Chelyabinsk - 8.100.000$
20. MVD - 7.900.000$
21. Amur Khabarovsk - 7.900.000$
22. Dinamo Riga - 6.200.000$
23. Dinamo Minsk - 4.600.000$
24. Khimik Voskresensk - 4.500.000$

Well Dinamo Riga for such a budget is doing pretty well this season, as I know the biggest salaries in Dinamo Riga are for legionnaires. I hope that next season Dinamo Riga will have bigger budget to attract top players from NHL, because most of the best players you can still find there, I hope that this will change after few seasons in good for KHL...

P.S You can view Live todays game between New York Rangers and Metallurg Magnitogorsk here, the game will start after 40 minutes from this posting time.

P.S.S Unfortunatly I could not find for you any Live video feed to todays main game Dinamo Riga - Dinamo Moscow.

50 Dinamo Moscow fans have arrived in Riga.

Yesterday 50 Dinamo Moscow fans had arrived in Riga to support their team in today's game between Dinamo Riga and Dinamo Moscow. When fans arrived in International airport of Riga, there was a bus already waiting for them that has been organized by Dinamo Riga. Today they will have excursion in Old Riga and later they will arrive in Arena Riga to support their team. Dinamo Moscow representative Nataliya Basovoya said, who arrived with the fans - ''Dinamo Riga representatives done a great job at receipting us, we feel really great here, thank you.''.

PS. If I will find somewhere live video feed to this game, I will post it here.