Double OT disappointment at the CSKA Arena

23 March 2026

SKA ran out of gas in a gruelling first game of the 2025/2026 KHL Gagarin Cup playoffs against CSKA Moscow in the capital, conceding a disappointing 2:3 loss in the second period of overtime.

Our players more than matched CSKA for the initial 60 minutes, but they gradually ran out of energy in overtime and ended up conceding a cheap goal with Nikita Nesterov’s deflected slap shot beating the impressive Artemiy Pleshkov.

As they nearly always do at the CSKA Arena, the Muscovites came out with all guns blazing.

Pleshkov was certainly a busy man during the opening stages with CSKA forcing the issue. He made one particularly excellent save in only the second minute of play, somehow denying familiar face Sergei Kalinin at point-blank range.

Nevertheless, SKA weathered the early storm and gradually managed to gain a foothold in proceedings.

Thanks to sharp, incisive passing in the attacking zone, our players carved open the normally watertight CSKA defence with regularity. Matvei Korotky could only fire against Dmitry Gamzin’s left pad when clean through, before Yegor Savikov’s hopeful effort through traffic smacked the crossbar.

We did make the all-important breakthrough in the fourth minute of the second frame.

Despite being fouled against when skating 1-on-1 with Gamzin, Nikolai Goldobin still managed to hook the puck under the goalkeeper’s right arm.

That goal certainly drew a strong response from CSKA.

Eager to get back on terms, the hosts started applying incessant pressure on our defence, testing Pleshkov from all angles and preventing their opponents from clearing their lines. Moreover, it has to be said that SKA at times unnecessarily so made life difficult for themselves with sloppy errors when trying to move the puck out.

CSKA’s pressing did eventually result in an equaliser in the 36^th minute, with the lively Maxim Sorkin catching Pleshkov cold with an unexpected wraparound.

SKA, however, then retook the lead moments later against the run of play.

Left in far too much space on the right circle, Sergei Sapego whacked an unstoppable one-timer past the exposed Gamzin.

The third period turned out to be a pretty calm affair until the concluding three minutes.

Defending solidly, SKA were keeping CSKA at a safe distance for the majority of the frame, even earning a powerplay in the latter stages after Korotky came under a rough challenge from Denis Guryanov.

Unfortunately for SKA, though, the game suddenly turned on its head after Gamzin had been pulled for the extra skater in the 58^th minute.

Sorkin – who had smacked the pipe with a sneaky backhander not long earlier – drew the Moscow-based organisation level for the second time, wristing in from distance with Pleshkov’s view heavily impeded.

Fired up by that goal, CSKA came agonisingly close to a winner in the last knockings of regulation while throwing the kitchen sink at the visitors, but SKA held on for dear life largely due to Pleshkov’s heroics in net.

SKA had to soak up more pressure in the fourth period.

Andrei Pedan twice contrived to commit somewhat untimely fouls with CSKA once again turning the screw. While he was only tested on eight occasions in the frame, Pleshkov was having to jump across his crease to keep the game going, whereas Gamzin barely had a serious save to make at the other end – even when SKA had a powerplay of their own.

The decisive moment arrived in the 87^th minute.

Nesterov was the hero for the home side, as his slap shot took a wicked ricochet off Mikhail Vorobyov before looping beyond the forlorn Pleshkov.

Game two will take place on Wednesday in Moscow. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

CSKA – SKA – 3:2 2OT (0:0, 1:2, 1:0, 0:0, 1:0)

Goals:

0:1 Goldobin (Plotnikov), 23.01

1:1 Sorkin (Abramov), 35.03

1:2 Sapego (Goldobin, Wilson), 37.49

2:2 Sorkin (Nesterov, Kovalenko), 57.29

3:2 Nesterov (Buchelnikov, Hollowell), 86.01

Goalkeepers: Gamzin – Pleshkov