Ak Bars - SKA - 2:4. Game One

11 April 2015

The KHL Gagarin Cup final began today in Kazan, as Ak Bars hosted SKA inside the Tatneft Arena. After defeating HC CSKA Moscow in dramatic and heroic style head coach Vyacheslav Bykov made only once change to the line-up, with Viktor Tikhonov replacing Pyotr Khokhryakov. Mikko Koskinen was between our pipes, and Anders Nilsson for Ak Bars was his opposite number.

Despite SKA having never been in such a final before the occasion didn’t get to our players, as they made a confident start to the game. The first chance came just minutes in, as Ilya Kovalchuk on a two on one stick side fired only into the goalkeeper’s body. Ak Bars were surprisingly looking a little rocky in their back line, and openings kept on coming for our team. Patrick Thoresen attempted a wraparound, it popped out to Roman Rukavishnikov, and the latter on the doorstep tapped it over. There was a feeling that the breakthrough was coming, and sure it did. With a man’s advantage the puck fell to Artemiy Panarin to the left of the crease, and he made no mistake. Ak Bars did start to create chances after that, and with only Mikko Koskinen to beat Igor Mirnov wristed completely off target.

If Ak Bars were already deflated after the first, then they were to go into meltdown seconds into the second frame. Ilya Kovalchuk raided down the right flank, squared for Patrick Thoresen between the circles, and Patrick brilliantly backhanded over Anders Nilsson and in. That seemed to put the hosts into shock, and just 42 seconds late the third arrived. The home defence was happy to watch Yevgeni Dadonov put some flashy skills on, and he fooled the netminder with an amazing move. After that Ak Bars had no other option that to pile the pressure on, however Mikko Koskinen didn’t have too much trouble taking in long range slappers. On the powerplay Ak Bars did come close though, as Yevgeni Medvedev steaming down to the slot failed to get a clean shot away when all alone.

The hosts were getting rather desperate now, and instead of setting up plays they were whacking the puck in on net from any which angle. Mikko Koskinen wasn’t giving them anything to feed off though, and five minutes into the third period our team killed the match once and for all. Artemiy Panarin played a clever off the boards pass to Vadim Shipachyov, and Vadim caught out the goalkeeper who wasn’t expecting it. The home fans knew the game was up now, however out of the blue they did get on the board. With Jimmie Ericsson in the penalty box Oscar Moller let rip from the blue line, and Justin Azevedo deftly deflected it beyond Mikko Koskinen. With time running down Petr Vrana wasted an ideal opening to make things interesting, although Stepan Zakharchuk then did his job for him. He wound up at the point, and the unsighted Mikko Koskinen couldn’t get his glove out in time. Smelling blood Ak Bars then pulled goaltender Anders Nilsson for the extra skater, but SKA managed to hang on taking the first game of this Gagarin Cup final 4:2 in Kazan!

Match protocol:

Ak Bars – SKA – 2:4 (0:1, 0:2, 2:1)

Goals:

0:1 Panarin, 16.01

0:2 Thoresen (Kovalchuk, A Belov), 20.23

0:3 Dadonov (Shipachyov), 21.05

0:4 Shipachyov (Panarin), 45.28

1:4 Azevedo (Mirnov, Moller), 50.45

2:4 Zakharchuk (Varnakov, Glukhov), 57.35

Goalkeepers: Nilsson – Koskinen

Shots: 32 – 27

Penalty minutes: 16 – 16