Libor Sulak’s Costly Gaffe, Panarin Hits a Milestone, and Ovechkin Gets Support from a Russian Legend
It’s not often you see a goal like the one Libor Sulak scored on Monday-and even less often when it ends up in his own net.
The Admiral Vladivostok captain, known more for his offensive instincts than shutdown defense, made headlines in a KHL matchup against Ak Bars Kazan for all the wrong reasons. With Admiral on the power play and trailing 3-2 in the third period, Sulak began carrying the puck up the ice from behind his own net. There was no pressure, no forecheck, no chaos-just Sulak surveying the ice, looking to start the breakout.
Then came the moment that left everyone stunned.
Attempting what looked like a routine pass across the crease to a teammate on the opposite side, Sulak instead slid the puck directly between the legs of his own goaltender, Arseniy Tsyba. The puck trickled into the net for one of the most bizarre own goals you’ll see in professional hockey.
The goal was credited to Ak Bars defenseman Ilya Karpushin, and it opened the floodgates. Ak Bars would tack on two more goals to seal a 5-2 win.
For Sulak, who had a brief six-game stint with the Detroit Red Wings back in 2018-19 and finished that NHL run with a minus-four rating and no points, the miscue adds another tough chapter to his North American and international journey. But Admiral head coach Oleg Bratash wasn’t about to let one mistake define the night.
“If it hadn’t been for Sulak’s own goal, could we have held on for the result?” Bratash said postgame.
“The subjunctive mood doesn’t work here. The result is on the scoreboard, so you can say whatever you want now.”
One of Admiral’s two goals came from another former Red Wing, forward Dmytro Timashov. Like Sulak, Timashov’s time in Detroit was short-five games in the 2019-20 season with no points to show for it-but he found the scoresheet in this one.
Panarin Joins Elite Russian Company
While Sulak’s night was one to forget, Artemi Panarin had a game to remember over the weekend. The Rangers winger notched two goals and added an assist as New York rolled past the Flyers, 6-3. But it was that single assist that etched his name deeper into the NHL record books.
With the helper, Panarin tied former Red Wings magician Pavel Datsyuk for sixth all-time in assists among Russian-born NHL players. Both now sit at 604.
That’s rarefied air. The only Russian players ahead of Panarin and Datsyuk in career assists are Evgeni Malkin (856), Alexander Ovechkin (747), Sergei Fedorov (696), Nikita Kucherov (682), and Sergei Zubov (619). When you’re keeping pace with names like those, you’re doing something right.
Panarin’s blend of vision, touch, and creativity has made him one of the most entertaining players in the game today. And while the Rangers continue their push toward the postseason, milestones like this are a reminder that we’re watching one of the most productive Russian forwards of his generation.
Fetisov Stands by Ovechkin Amid Controversy
Alexander Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, found himself in the spotlight this week-but not for anything that happened on the ice.
During the Capitals’ recent Pride Night game, Ovechkin was among the players who opted not to use rainbow-colored tape on his stick during warmups. The decision drew criticism from some corners of the hockey world, but Ovechkin received public support from a fellow Russian legend.
Viacheslav Fetisov, a Hall of Famer and two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Red Wings, defended Ovechkin’s right to make that choice.
“That’s Sasha’s position,” Fetisov told Russian media outlet RIA Novosti. “He has the right to that opinion.”
Fetisov, who was part of Detroit’s iconic Russian Five, knows what it means to navigate the intersection of personal beliefs, cultural identity, and the global hockey stage. His comments underscore the complexity of these moments, especially for players who carry the weight of not just team expectations, but national scrutiny as well.
As the season rolls on, these storylines-on and off the ice-continue to shape the narrative around some of the sport’s most notable names. Whether it’s a fluke own goal, a record-setting assist, or a high-profile decision, the game of hockey never stops giving us something to talk about.