SKA leave Siberia without valuable points

18 March 2026

SKA departed Novosibirsk without anything to show for their efforts, conceding a damaging 1:4 defeat to in-form Sibir.

In need of points in order to remain in the hunt for a top-four finish, SKA were found wanting in the Siberian capital, conceding decisive goals while shorthanded and failing to convert their opportunities.

Sibir had initially come flying out of the blocks.

Former SKA forward Ilya Fedotov gave the hosts a deserved lead in the ninth minute, thumping a rising one-timer beyond Sergei Ivanov on the PP.

The opponents then grabbed their second in the early stages of the second frame.

And it arrived in unfortunate circumstances from our point of view, with a sloppy defensive error allowing Ilya Talaluyev to pull clean through and backhand over the despairing Ivanov.

Nevertheless, our players did promptly increase their urgency following that setback, getting back to within one on a powerplay of their own midway through the period.

Nikolai Goldobin took aim from the high slot, with his low attempt sneaking past the unsighted Anton Krasotkin.

SKA went on to waste a handful of promising chances during the remainder of that frame. And, to our dismay, those misses were punished with a decisive third Sibir marker in the sixth minute of the third stanza.

Anton Kosolapov reinstated Sibir's two-goal advantage on another powerplay, calmly turning the rebound home having won his battle on the slot.

Ivanov was pulled in favour of the extra skater in the closing minutes in a last-ditch attempt to salvage the game, but that only resulted in Mikhail Abramov hitting the empty net.

SKA will now prepare to host Shanghai in Saint Petersburg on Friday in the concluding match of the regular season. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

Sibir - SKA - 4:1 (1:0, 1:1, 2:0)

Goals:

1:0 Fedotov (Gordeyev, Talaluyev), 08.29 PPG

2:0 Talaluyev (Loktionov), 22.40

2:1 Goldobin (Savikov, Khairullin), 30.22 PPG

3:1 Kosolapov (Koshelev, Priskie), 45.36 PPG

4:1 Abramov, 57.35 EN

Goalkeepers: Krasotkin - Ivanov

Shots: 57 - 74

Shots on target: 35 - 30

Faceoffs: 23 - 22