The 2016 Gagarin Cup playoffs of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) began on February 21, 2016, with the top eight teams from each of the conferences, following the conclusion of the 2015–16 KHL regular season.

Playoff seeds After the regular season, the standard 16 teams qualified for the playoffs. The Western Conference regular season winners and Continental Cup winners are CSKA Moscow with 127 points. Avangard Omsk are the Eastern Conference regular season winners with 106 points.

Draw The playoffs started on February 21, 2016, with the top eight teams from each of the conferences and ended with the last game of the Gagarin Cup final on April 19, 2016.

Conference Quarterfinals

Eastern Conference

(1) Avangard Omsk vs. (8) HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk

(2) Metallurg Magnitogorsk vs. (7) Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg

(3) HC Sibir Novosibirsk vs. (6) Admiral Vladivostok

(4) Salavat Yulaev Ufa vs. (5) Ak Bars Kazan

Western conference

(1) HC CSKA Moscow vs. (8) HC Slovan Bratislava

(2) Jokerit vs. (7) Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod

(3) Lokomotiv Yaroslavl vs. (6) SKA Saint Petersburg

(4) HC Sochi vs. (5) HC Dynamo Moscow

Conference Semifinals

Eastern Conference

(1) Avangard Omsk vs. (4) Salavat Yulaev Ufa

(2) Metallurg Magnitogorsk vs. (3) Admiral Vladivostok

Western conference

(1) HC CSKA Moscow vs. (7) Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod

(5) HC Dynamo Moscow vs. (6) SKA Saint Petersburg

Conference Finals

Eastern Conference

(2) Metallurg Magnitogorsk vs. (4) Salavat Yulaev Ufa

Western conference

(1) HC CSKA Moscow vs. (6) SKA Saint Petersburg

Gagarin Cup Finals

(1) HC CSKA Moscow vs. (2) Metallurg Magnitogorsk

Sibir vs Metallurg Game 4 controversy In the fourth game of Sibir — Metallurg series, on 37th minute a scored goal was confirmed after the episode when a player of Sibir, while leaving the ice during substitution, made physical contact with a player of Metallurg when the substituting player of Sibir was already on the ice (violation of of of the Hockey Game Rules for 2015/2016).Metallurg Mg-Sibir Game 4, VideoHockey Game Rules for 2015/2016 (in Russian)

In the overtime the game-winning goal scored by Metallurg was confirmed after the episode when Metallurg started their substitution in violation of of of the Hockey Game Rules for 2015/2016 (the player to be substituted is on the ice outside the substitution area), however the league's Officiating Department chose to explain the officials action by another clause of (player involved in a substitution being hit by the puck), leaving the violation of unexplained.Mozyakin scores GWG as Sibir rebelling against Ref's decision; video

In response to an appeal filed by Sibir demanding the cancellation of the game result, according to Sibir GM Kirill Fastovsky, the KHL noted "there was no refereeing error".HC Sibir: KHL rejected the appeal against the result of the game with Metallurg (in Russian)

According to the KHL, this demand of Sibir about the cancellation of the game result "could not be considered as an appeal" because "the appeal procedure was not strictly followed" by Sibir (mandatory note in the official game sheet by the club representative after the end of the game about their intention to appeal against the game result, followed by filing the appeal within 24 hours along with required supporting evidence). The message from the KHL also referenced Clause 77 of the KHL Sports Regulations and noted the impossibility to accept for consideration appeals based on complaints to refereeing.KHL commented on the reasons for rejection of Sibir appeal against the result of the game with Metallurg (in Russian)

Player statistics

Scoring leaders

As of 19 Apr 2016 Player Team GP G A Pts +/– PIMSergei Mozyakin Metallurg Magnitogorsk 23 11 14 25 +14 2Jan Kovář Metallurg Magnitogorsk 23 8 15 23 +13 10Vadim Shipachyov SKA Saint Petersburg 15 7 9 16 –2 12Linus Omark Salavat Yulaev Ufa 19 5 11 16 +6 20Alexander Radulov CSKA Moscow 20 4 12 16 +5 26Alexander Semin Metallurg Magnitogorsk 23 7 8 15 +9 20Danis Zaripov Metallurg Magnitogorsk 23 6 9 15 +12 14Nikita Gusev SKA Saint Petersburg 15 5 9 14 –2 0Sami Lepistö Salavat Yulaev Ufa 19 6 7 13 +6 16Nikita Zaitsev CSKA Moscow 20 4 9 13 +7 10

Source: KHL

Leading goaltenders

As of 19 Apr 2016

Player Team GP Min W L GA SO SV% GAA Ilya Sorokin CSKA Moscow 20 1270 15 5 28 3 .945 1.32 Mikko Koskinen SKA Saint Petersburg 15 980 8 7 24 5 .949 1.47 Vasily Koshechkin Metallurg Magnitogorsk 19 1182 14 5 31 3 .948 1.57 Alexander Yeryomenko Dynamo Moscow 10 646 6 4 19 3 .940 1.76 Alexander Salák Sibir Novosibirsk 9 523 5 4 16 2 .942 1.83

Source: KHL

References