On March 19, the Gagarin Cup quarter-final series in St. Petersburg featured Avtomobilist visiting SKA, a matchup that unfolded with Avtomobilist securing a 3-1 victory. The visitors opened the scoring early in the second period while short-handed, with Alexey Byvaltsev finding the net. Moments later, Stefan Da Costa extended the advantage, giving Avtomobilist a cushion at the halfway point of the game.
Staying relentless, SKA pushed back in the opening minutes of the final frame as Vasily Glotov netted a reply to narrow the gap. The momentum shifted but did not fully swing in SKA’s favor until Stepan Khripunov delivered a late insurance tally with five minutes left, sealing the 3-1 result in favour of the visitors.
Following the contest, Avtomobilist took a 2-0 lead in the series, placing SKA in a challenging position as the teams prepared for Game 3 in Yekaterinburg on March 21. The series atmosphere was electric, with both sides pressing for the pivotal win that would determine home-ice advantages and potential momentum heading into the next round.
Across the rest of the quarter-finals, Lokomotiv held a 2-0 advantage over Avangard Omsk, building on a dominant 7-0 victory in the previous game. Meanwhile, Dinamo Moscow faced a 0-2 series deficit against Traktor, and Spartak found themselves trailing Metallurg in their own series. The pace of the matchups suggested that every game would be a test of resourcefulness and depth as teams chased the elusive Cup glory.
As the season progressed, CSKA stood as the reigning champions and had already secured the title at the 100th anniversary celebration of the club’s establishment. On April 29, 2023, CSKA defeated Ak Bars Kazan in the decisive seventh game of the final series to clinch the Gagarin Cup. With the current year’s competition underway, CSKA and Ak Bars were unable to contest the trophy again in this season’s format, shifting the focus to the emergence of fresh contenders and the evolving landscape of the league.
Meanwhile, Spartak’s campaign saw a setback as Metallurg earned a second consecutive win against them, reminding fans that no team could rest easy in a best-of-seven format where every shift mattered and every goal could tilt the balance of a tightly contested series. The early rounds showcased the depth and character of the league, with teams adapting quickly to tactical shifts and the pressure of playoff hockey.
In this season’s unfolding drama, fans watched as scoring bursts, timely saves, and strategic line changes shaped the path to the semifinals. Avtomobilist’s road to the next round demonstrated a blend of disciplined defending and efficient finishing, while SKA looked to regroup and respond with greater urgency in subsequent games. The narrative of the quarter-finals captured the essence of playoff hockey: high stakes, intense competition, and sudden momentum swings that could redefine a team’s championship chances. [Citation: Gagarin Cup Playoffs, hockey league broadcasts, 2024 season summaries]