Grimaldi, Ivanov help SKA snap losing skid!

3 February 2026

SKA finally ended their seven-game losing streak on Tuesday evening, defeating Dinamo Minsk 4:3 after a penalty shootout in dramatic fashion on the road!

Under the cosh for the majority of proceedings, our players certainly had their backs to the wall, but Sergei Ivanov made 45 superb saves in our net and Rocco Grimaldi made the difference on penalties.

Nikolai Goldobin had initially handed our team the lead from point-blank range, before Daniil Lipsky replied for the hosts.

Nevertheless, Joe Blandisi immediately put SKA in the driving seat again only a minute later, beating Vasily Demchenko with a fierce attempt.

Lightning struck twice in the second stanza.

A little over a minute after Robert Hamilton had hauled Minsk level, Valentin Zykov wristed past Demchenko when skating towards the slot.

Demchenko was indeed swapped in favour of Zach Fucale following Zykov’s effort.

Dinamo subsequently applied incessant pressure on SKA in the ensuing third frame. And, unfortunately for us, it eventually told with around seven minutes remaining, as Andrei Stas bundled the puck home.

The goal was given by the officials despite SKA submitting a coach’s challenge for potential interference.

Nevertheless, despite that psychological setback, our team remained focused and eventually got the job done in the shootout with Grimaldi cleverly whipping past Fucale.

SKA will now prepare to face Severstal in Cherepovets on Thursday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:00 local time.

Match protocol:

Dinamo Minsk – SKA – 3:4 SO (1:2, 1:1, 1:0, 0:0 – 0:1)

Goals:

0:1 Goldobin (Pedan, Zykov), 05.41

1:1 Lipsky (Pinchuk), 08.03

1:2 Blandisi (Grimaldi, Sapego), 09.05

2:2 Hamilton (Kuznetsov, Galiyev), 25.28

2:3 Zykov (Plotnikov, Goldobin), 26.34

3:3 Stas (Borikov, Kuznetsov), 52.34

3:4 Grimaldi, 65.00 SO

Goalkeepers: Demchenko/Fucale – Ivanov