Former Oilers, Lander and Klinkhammer, win the KHL Gagarin Cup

They were considered the underdog in the KHL finals but Ak Bars Kazan ended up winning Game 5 by a 1-0 score, with former Edmonton Oiler Rob Klinkhammer scoring the series-winning goal.

Going up against CKSA in the KHL final was thought to be an uphill climb for Ak Bars, but with the help of two former Oilers they went on to win the Gagarin Cup in five games. Anton Lander was an effective player for Ak Bars throughout the playoffs, registering 13 points (8G, 5A) in 19 playoff games, but was especially good in the finals where he registered five goals and an assist against the favoured CKSA. Klinkhammer, beyond scoring the championship goal, also played a pivotal role for Ak Bars as he chipped in with eight points (3G, 5A) in 19 games.

This marked the third time Ak Bars has won the Gagarin Cup, the first since 2010, after the team won two Gagarin Cup championships in the first two seasons of the KHL’s existence. As mentioned, Ak Bars was considered the underdog by a sizeable margin as they went up against a CKSA roster that featured eight Russian players that won Olympic gold in February.

In 54 regular season games played, Anton Lander posted nine goals and 29 assists for 38 points. Meanwhile, Rob Klinkhammer chipped in with seven goals and 13 assists for 20 points in 42 regular season games.