Yaroslavl’s Lokomotiv defeated Kazan’s Ak Bars 3-1 at home in the opening match of the KHL playoff finals series.
Alexander Radulov (22nd minute), Denis Alekseev (22nd), and Byron Froese (36th) scored for the winners. Mitchell Miller (48th) netted the lone goal for the visitors.
Lokomotiv scored their first two goals just 46 seconds apart.
The second game of the best-of-seven series will also be held in Yaroslavl on May 13.
Lokomotiv, the reigning KHL champion, finished first in the Western Conference in the regular season. In the playoffs, they defeated Spartak (4-1) in the first round, Salavat Yulaev (4-0) in the quarterfinals, and Avangard (4-3) in the semifinals.
The Yaroslavl club has reached the final for the third consecutive year. Last season, Lokomotiv beat Traktor in five games to win their first Gagarin Cup. In the 2023/24 season, they lost to Metallurg in the final.
Ak Bars finished third in the Eastern Conference. They defeated Traktor (4-1) in the first round, Dinamo Minsk (4-0) in the quarterfinals, and Metallurg (4-1) in the semifinals.
Ak Bars has won the Gagarin Cup three times (2009, 2010, 2018) and is making its sixth appearance in the finals.