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CSKA vs Metallurg Magnitagorsk (10-30-03)

1st Period- 1st shift. (1:30 mark) #32 hits the ice. Playing LW, Kasty lines up in the defensive zone, CSKA wins face-off. Kasty circles around the front of the net, then skates up ice on the breakout going up the center of the ice, he breaks free from his checker for a mini 2-1 but the back checking forward catches up to the CSKA player, as Kasty was open for a pass on his wing, in good shooting position, but the puck never comes. Turnover, Kasty goes towards the corner, then peels back, puts a weak stick attempt on the player with the puck, but the player breaks away up ice, as Kasty was not skating hard on the back check. Offensive zone face-off, CSKA wins it back to the point, Kasty to the side of the net, goalie holds onto puck. CSKA wins face-off, Kasty circles in the slot, puck goes out, comes right back in on the dump, Kasty chases after not skating hard, puck goes back out, then in again on the dump in. Line change (2:15 mark)

1st Period- 2nd shift. (4:25 mark) Face-off won right to Kasty, he passes it to RD, who returns the pass, but it’s in his feet with a defender right on him, so he passes right back to the RD. Kasty breaks out up center ice then to the right side, comes in the offensive zone trailing behind the center who drop passes it to Kasty but he just missed the pass. (if he had received the pass, he would have been crushed be the defensemen) on the turnover, Kasty skates back but not hard, still is the 1st forward back for CSKA. The CSKA defensemen ties up his man, so Kasty goes behind them to get the puck and take it behind his own net and carries it up the ice then passes to the RW, who passes to Kasty, who lets it go through by him and the puck is turned over. Kasty back checks, catches the man with the puck forcing a turnover, then he passes it to the RD who ices it. Line Change (5:05 mark)

1st Period- 3rd shift. 1st PP line(8:03 mark) On the PP, Kasty heads towards the net off the offensive zone face-off, goes behind the net, puck comes to him, he holds off the defender with good body positioning, passing off the back of the net to a teammate who passes it to the LW boards. Kasty stays in the left side corner, get the puck moves it to the LD who returns the pass, then Kasty passes it to the LW boards, who passes it right back to Kasty, then he makes a one time pass to the LD, a very smooth pass, then the LD fires a nice shot on net with Kasty driving to the left of the goalie but is in too close for the quick rebound, puck is turned over. Kasty gets on him forcing another turnover but the LD shoots wide. Kasty drives to the center slot sees the 1-1 battle on the RD side, goes and gets the lose puck with a quick burst of speed, sends the puck into the corner, it comes back to Kasty, he passes to the RD who shoots it but it’s blocked and cleared. Line Change (9:19 mark, 1:16 PP time)

1st Period- 4th shift. (12:03 mark) on the fly change. Kasty coasts into the zone leaving his point open, circles back when puck is dumped into opposite corner. Kasty skates down low as he covers his man well, turnover forces Kasty back into his zone, catches up to the opposing player puts a weak stick check on him but it’s enough to force the shot wide. Penalty called, Line Change (12:28 mark)

1st Period-5th shift. (14:22 mark) Defensive zone face-off Kasty covers his man, then skates through the neutral zone. On the breakout Kasty covers his man, but lets too much space between him and the defensemen, as the defensemen sneaks in on the side of Kasty as Kasty stayed in the center of the ice, but didn’t have his man covered positionally and the goalie lets one in on a weak shot. Line Change (15:26 mark) CSKA losing 3-0 at this point.

1st Period-6th shift. (19:34 mark) on the fly change, puck dumped, Kasty speeds into defensive zone, gets to the puck 1st, carries it around the back of the net, along the boards while being covered the whole time, makes a nifty pass behind him to a teammate right onto his stick, but the CSKA player couldn’t hold onto it, puck sent down the ice. End of Period

2nd Period-7th shift. (1:40) on the fly change, Kasty skates back into the defensive zone, not skating hard but forces turnover, CSKA breaks out up ice, Kasty follows behind the center, gets the puck in the offensive zone, carries it towards the center, fires a wrist shot from the upper slot with a quick release. It was a heavy shot that went wide, but you could hear a loud thud as it hit the boards. The shot rebounded off the boards in a hurry, right to Kasty but a defender held his stick. Kasty sends the puck behind the net, but no ones there. Kasty does chase after the puck but it’s sent down the ice. CSKA breaks out, Kasty skates up the ice, puck shot wide, Kasty slips as puck comes off boards causing a turnover. Line Change (2:27 mark)

2nd Period-8th shift. (8:21 mark) Kasty gets puck behind the net, brings 2 defenders with him, passes behind the net. CSKA player leaves it, Kasty goes and gets it, takes the puck from behind the net, swings around the front, and tries to stuff one home, goalie saves it, Kasty gets the rebound, but the defensemen knocks the puck away. Line Change (9:35 mark)

2nd Period-9th shift. (12:38 mark) Defensive zone face-off. Kasty stick checks the puck away, bumps player. Skates back on breakout. Line Change (13:15 mark)

2nd Period-10th shift. (15:24 mark) Defensive zone face-off. Kasty misses pass but chases puck down ice, runs player into the boards then coasts through the neutral zone. Takes a pass in the neutral zone, comes in 1-1, gets the puck by the defender, but the defensemen gets enough body to angle Kasty away from the puck. Kasty gets puck back in the corner, passes to center, then bumps the player and swings his stick at him. Line Change (16:24 mark)

3rd Period-11th shift. (1:23 mark) on the fly. Kasty passes puck but it’s deflected into the corner, Kasty stick checks his man and forces another turnover. Line Change (2:12 mark)

3rd Period-12th shift. (4:51 mark) on the fly. Kasty gets puck along the boards in the defensive zone, passes up the ice trails center, who shoots it on net. Line Change (5:20)

3rd Period-13th shift. (8:01 mark) Kasty gets puck, but he’s covered well, loses it. Center makes a pass to Kasty coming down the RW, but he was on the backhand. Kasty was checked hard into the boards. He seemed to take acception to this, as he gets up and goes right for the guy that hit him, and leveled him into the boards. Penalty on Kasty (charging maybe?) On the PP another penalty called, and Metallurg scores on the 5-3 PP to make it 8-2 in their favor.

3rd Period-14th shift. (11:37 mark) Kasty skates around in the neutral zone. Line Change (12:14 mark)

3rd Period-15th shift. (15:15 mark) Kasty carries the puck up ice, makes a move but the D didn’t go for it. Gets puck in own end, makes a good move around a checker but due to a line change, his pass was right to where the CSKA player was, thus a turnover. Line Change (16:05 mark)

3rd Period-16th shift. (19:19 mark) Kasty makes a good pass into the slot, goalie holds it. Kasty takes the offensive zone face-off, but loses it. Game Over.

My thoughts on the game. Ok this was the first time I ever saw Kastsitsyn play, and the game was entirely in Russian, so it’s not easy to catch everything he did. I thought that he was a little bigger then I expected, he skates well, and seems to have good speed. His shot and passing were solid, but his defensive play was questionable at times. He seems to cover his man, but doesn’t skate hard in his own end. Seems to get more jump in his skates when the puck is headed to the offensive zone. Wasn’t a great game, as CSKA got shelled 8-2, and it was 6-0 for most of the game it seemed. Norm Miracle was the goalie for Metallurg and he was solid when tested. RSL leading scorer Moyzakin scored both goals and was very impressive. Zherdev didn’t do much at all in the game. I should be getting another game of Kastsitsyn’s later this month and will do a similar article.