CSKA Moscow coach Sergei Fedorov getting creative with his OT strategy
Fortune favors the bold?
Well, this has certainly been the case as of late for CSKA Moscow in the Kontinental Hockey League, where head coach Sergei Fedorov has twice pulled his goalie in overtime in the month of December.
Both times, CSKA Moscow scored in overtime with its goalie pulled and a 4-on-3 advantage, at Lokomotiv Yaroslavl on Dec. 2 and Dynamo Moscow on Dec. 6.
Pulling a goalie in OT? Sounds like a plan. pic.twitter.com/DTnnNYhypr
— KHL (@khl_eng) December 2, 2021On Tuesday’s episode of The Daily Faceoff Show, Frank Seravalli and Steve Greeley discussed Fedorov’s strategy.
Greeley: “I think it’s brilliant. Amazing innovation. I love seeing these great ideas. Frank, whose knowledge just is deeper than mine, reminded me of why this doesn’t happen in the National Hockey League.”
Seravalli: “It doesn’t happen in the National Hockey League for this rule exactly. If you look at 84.2, if you are to pull your goalie in overtime in the regular season, you can do it. However, if you lose with your goalkeeper out because you pulled him, you forfeit the point that you earned in regulation.”
No version of the NHL’s Rule 84.2 exists in the KHL, significantly reducing the risk factor.
That being said, it isn’t as if other KHL coaches have been leveraging this strategy to the effect Fedorov has. So give credit where it’s due.
CSKA Moscow is currently in second place of seven teams in the KHL’s Tarasov Division with a record of 15-10-3-11…or in other words, 25 wins and 14 losses.