Amur - SKA - 1:2

SKA played the second match of this KHL away series against HC Amur in Khabarovsk. A few changes were made by head coach Oleg Znarok: defenseman Patrik Hersley returned to the second line, while Alexander Dergachyov was placed in the third. Igor Shestyorkin and Juha Metsola were the starting netminders.

It was a cautious start inside Khabarovsk's Platinum Arena, with neither team willing to take any risks. Barely any goalscoring chances were witnessed, but it was Amur who were proving to be the more dangerous. Igor Shestyorkin was the busier goaltender making twelve saves, and had it not been for a few commited blocks from the team, Amur could have taken a lead.

Our players were sluggish, failing to open up the stubborn hosts at the back. Nothing much changed in the second stanza either, as Amur continued to hold the initiative. Unfortunately, their pressing eventually ended up with them scoring - Tomas Zahorna stripped Patrik Hersley of possession, charged to the net and wristed between Igor Shestyorkin's pads. SKA were in trouble, however, moments later, the team conjured up an instant response. Responding quickest to a juicy rebound, Sergei Shirokov tied the game up.

In such a tight game, the next goal was always going to prove crucial. Thankfully, SKA were the ones to score it. On a man's advantage, the puck was beautifully swung around Amur's zone, and Sergei Shirokov tapped in from the doorstep to bag his second of the day. That was the killer blow for Amur, and despite some late pressure from the home team, SKA held on to take an important 2:1 win in Khabarovsk!

Match protocol:

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

Goals:

1:0 Zahorna (Atyushov, Metsola), 33.56

1:1 Shirokov (Rukavishnikov, Kablukov), 34.29

1:2 Shirokov (Kovalchuk, Yakovlev), 42.22

Goalkeepers: Metsola - Shestyorkin

Shots on target: 34 - 27

Penalty minutes: 6 - 6

Faceoffs: 21 - 31

Hits: 19 - 23

Referees: Belov, Belyaev

03.12.2016. Platinum Arena, Khabarovsk.