Game four. Avtomobilist – SKA

Game four. Avtomobilist – SKA – 2:5

23 March 2024

In a nerve-janging fourth match of the 2023/2024 KHL Gagarin Cup quarter-finals, SKA clung on for dear life at the packed Uralets Arena, defeating Avtomobilist 5:2 in Yekaterinburg to cut the series deficit to 1-3.

Facing elimination, SKA came flying out of the blocks with determination.

Our positive start was quickly rewarded with the opener in the seventh minute, as Vasily Glotov gobbled up the rebound on the doorstep.

Pulling the Avtomobilist defence apart with quick play, our players were piling the pressure on the hosts, not allowing them to catch their breath in their zone.

Avtomobilist’s first penalty allowed SKA to notch their second.

Unmarked between the circles, Alex Galchenyuk sent a firm effort into the left corner. The Ural-based organisation promptly took the decision to swap Evgeny Alikin in favour of Vladimir Galkin after that goal.

While they were somewhat shaky in defence, Avtomobilist were admittedly attacking dangerously, forcing Nikita Serebryakov into 16 saves during the maiden stanza alone. His standout stop was witnessed against Alexei Makeev with the home forward having approach our slot unchallenged on the right wing.

To their credit, Avtomobilist made a big improvement in the second period.

Visibly pumped up, the home side took the game to SKA and began creating problems for our defence with their quick, sharp approach.

Their lengthy spell of pressure ended with their first goal in the 35^th minute.

Following a sloppy turnover, the puck bounced around our crease, no one could clear it from the danger zone, and Stephane Da Costa eventually managed to knock it over the line. Buoyed by that goal and playing with the momentum, Avtomobilist continued pressing with power, but Serebryakov pulled off a couple of excellent saves – none more so that a difficult glove stop against Brooks Macek with the opponents on the powerplay.

SKA had their backs pinned to the wall, but a vital goal was tallied with a mere 42 seconds remaining in the period.

Left unmarked on the right flank, Nikita Kamalov got the better of Galkin with his instant shot.

That goal would indeed prove decisive. As expected, Avtomobilist played with even more urgency in the third period as they searched for a way back into proceedings, and more ill-discipline from SKA – including a four-minute penalty issued to goalscorer Kamalov for high sticking – provided them with even more momentum.

Thankfully, SKA remained perfect on the PK throughout the match, but a lapse in concentration when playing 5-on-5 in the 49^th minute was punished to the maximum by Makeev as the experienced 32-year-old tapped the puck between the pads after everyone else had lost track of it.

The remainder of regulation saw Avtomobilist pepper our goal and play at an incredible speed. However, thanks in large to Serebryakov’s heroics and calm, professional defensive play, SKA held on and sealed the deal with two late empty-netters from Marat Khairullin.

Game four of the series is scheduled to take place in Saint Petersburg on Monday. Puck-drop is planned for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

Avtomobilist – SKA – 2:5 (0:2, 1:1, 1:2)

Goals:

0:1 Glotov (Galchenyuk, Starkov), 06.49

0:2 Galchenyuk (Kadeikin, Gritsyuk), 13.59 PPG

1:2 Da Costa (Makeev), 34.04

1:3 Kamalov (Vorobyov, Pashnin), 39.18

2:3 Makeev, 48.51

2:4 Khairullin (Zykov), 57.39 EN

2:5 Khairullin (Dedunov, Zemchyonok), 59.40 EN

Goalkeepers: Alikin/Galkin – Serebryakov