HC Lokomotiv took the lead in the final KHL playoff series with Ak Bars

In the fifth match of the final series of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) playoffs, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl defeated Ak Bars Kazan on home ice. The meeting in Yaroslavl on May 19 ended with a score of 4:1.

Byron Fraz scored doubles for the Railwaymen (29th and 43rd minutes), Nikita Kiryanov (31st) and Artur Kayumov (57th) also scored. Alexander Khmelevsky scored the only goal of the guests in the 59th minute.

After the third goal, Maxim Arefyev took the place in the Ak Bars goal instead of Timur Bilyalov — this was the goalkeeper's first appearance on the ice in the final series.

The score in the confrontation to four wins was 3-2 in favor of Lokomotiv. The sixth match will take place on May 21 in Kazan. The rivals meet in the playoffs for the second time - in 2009 they played the first Gagarin Cup in history, and then Ak Bars turned out to be stronger (4:3).

Old matches about the main thing: Lokomotiv and Ak Bars will play in the final after 17 years

In the very first Gagarin Cup, the teams brought the series to seven matches, where Kazan was stronger.

On May 15, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl also defeated Ak Bars in the third match of the KHL final playoff series. Maxim Berezkin (12th minute), Richard Panik (18th minute), Nikita Cherepanov (34th minute) and Artur Kayumov (60th minute) scored goals for the winners. American defender Mitchell Miller scored the only goal for Ak Bars (30th).