Avtomobilist - SKA

Avtomobilist - SKA - 2:5

9 February 2023

In a goal-filled thriller, SKA outlasted Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg on the road in the 2022/2023 KHL regular season, claiming an exciting 5:2 victory.

The action well and truly kicked off in the second stanza.

Nick Ebert broke the deadlock midway through the period, as he smashed a powerful slap shot into the far left corner.

SKA quickly got back on level terms with a laser from Marat Khairullin on the powerplay. However, not long later, Patrice Cormier handed Avtomobilist their second advantage of the day as he managed to bundle the puck in while playing shorthanded. Andrei Pedan swept the puck clear a split second after it had crossed the line.

Nonetheless, SKA tallied another equaliser before an incredible frame was out.

On a two-man advantage, Dmitrij Jaskin poked the puck under Avtomobilist goaltender Johan Mattsson after Igor Ozhiganov's rocket had struck the left post. That goal arrived with only one second remaining in the stanza.

To our delight, our team subsequently took full control of proceedings in the third frame.

Zakhar Bardakov scored the decisive marker in the 46th minute, as he carefully backhanded the puck in low with Mattsson caught slightly out of position.

That goal knocked the stuffing out of a previously fired-up Avtomobilist side. Another sucker-punch was delivered with only 10 minutes left in regulation time, with Roman Rukavishnikov thumping an unstoppable one-timer past Mattsson from the right faceoff circle.

Khairullin then iced it with a little over two minutes left with an empty-netter.

SKA will now prepare to face Avangard Omsk away on Saturday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 14:00 Moscow time.

Match protocol:

Avtomobilist - SKA - 2:5 (0:0, 2:2, 0:3)

Goals:

1:0 Ebert (Tarasov, Gurkin), 30.36

1:1 Khairullin (Jaskin, Ozhiganov), 32.51 PPG

2:1 Cormier (Makeev, Blacker), 38.32 SHG

2:2 Jaskin (Khairullin, Ozhiganov), 39.59 PPG

2:3 Bardakov (Volkov), 45.06

2:4 Rukavishnikov (Bardakov), 49.40

2:5 Khairullin (Khusnutdinov), 57.44 EN