Rocco to the rescue!

6 November 2026

Rocco Grimaldi completed a dramatic turnaround in Khabarovsk, striking late on to secure an important 3:2 win for SKA at Amur.

The visitors had their backs to the wall following a disastrous start to proceedings. However, after equalising with a determined effort in the second stanza, they subsequently sealed the deal with a 51st-minute winner.

Amur initially came flying out of the blocks.

Raul Akmaldinov opened the scoring from distance just 55 seconds in, before former SKA forward Maxim Krovyakov doubled their advantage five minutes later as his hopeful attempt took a wicked ricochet off the boards which fooled the somewhat unfortunate Sergei Ivanov.

The 22-year-old was indeed hauled to the bench following that goal in favour of Artemiy Pleshkov.

To our relief, that change proved to be the turning point.

Nikita Zaitsev cut the deficit in half in the early knockings of the second stanza, thumping a heavy slap shot beyond the unsighted Maxim Dorozhko.

And, in the concluding knockings of a lengthy powerplay midway through the frame, Vladislav Romanov slammed home at point-blank range to haul SKA level.

Both goalkeepers were forced into challenging saves as the match wore on and overtime gradually appeared on the horizon.

But, with the game on a knife's edge, the decisive blow was eventually dealt by Grimaldi.

Having escaped his marker on the slot, the American pounced on the loose puck and expertly turned it past the beaten Dorozhko.

SKA will now prepare to host Spartak Moscow in Saint Petersburg on Monday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

Amur - SKA - 2:3 (2:0, 0:2, 0:1)

Goals:

1:0 Akmaldinov (Demidov, Li), 00.55

2:0 Krovyakov (Demidov), 05.36

2:1 Zaitsev (Sapego, Grimaldi), 21.20

2:2 Romanov (Glotov, Nedopyokin), 29.15 PPG

2:3 Grimaldi (Pedan, Zhuravlyov), 51.03