Game three. Dinamo Minsk - SKA

Game three. Dinamo Minsk - SKA - 0:4

5 March 2023

In the third match of the first round of the 2022/2023 KHL Gagarin Cup playoffs, SKA produced an assured performance against Dinamo Minsk in Belarus, claiming a confident 4:0 win to take a 2-1 series lead.

SKA immediately took full control of proceedings, opening up a two-goal advantage in the first period.

After wasting a series of great chances, our team struck first blood in the 10th minute, as Dmitrij Jaskin cleverly tipped Igor Ozhiganov's slap shot beyond Konstantin Shostak on the powerplay.

We didn't have to wait too long for our second marker. Following a poor Belarusian defensive mistake with three minutes remaining in the frame, Nikita Komarov knocked the loose puck in with Shostak already powerless.

Requiring goals, Dinamo emerged with more aggression and intent in the second stanza.

Artyom Demkov thought that he had cut our lead in half on the powerplay. However, after our coach's challenge, the referees chalked off the goal as a consequence of clear goaltender interference against the hugely impressive Dmitry Nikolaev.

Moments before that disallowed goal, Nikolaev had pulled off a solid stop to deny the clean-through Ryan Spooner. Brandon Kozun then missed a similar opportunity for Dinamo, shooting against Nikolaev's pads after he had burst out of the penalty box and escaped the attentions of our defence.

SKA burst Dinamo's baloon with a vital third goal in the 29th minute. Simply too quick and powerful for the Minsk defensive line, Alexander Nikishin powered to Shostak's net on the left flank and smartly sent the puck between the pads.

Towards the end of the period, Damir Zhafyarov received a five-minute penalty for a tripping foul against Vitaly Pinchuk, but a combination of Nikolaev and solid defending kept Dinamo at arm's length.

SKA subsequently produced a master-class in the third period. In full control of the game, our players barely gave Dinamo a sniff throughout the stanza, protecting possession effectively and seeing Nikolaev through to his maiden playoff shutout.

The lively Vasily Glotov iced it with a deserved fourth goal in the 51st minute, whipping an unstoppable wrister in from the right faceoff circle.

Game four is scheduled to take place in Minsk on Tuesday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

Dinamo Minsk - SKA - 0:4 (0:2, 0:1, 0:1)

Goals:

0:1 Jaskin (Khusnutdinov, Ozhiganov), 09.30 PPG

0:2 Komarov (Grebenshchikov), 16.07

0:3 Nikishin (Gusev), 28.36

0:4 Glotov (Falkovsky), 50.37

Goalkeepers: Shostak - Nikolaev

Shots: 51 - 58

Shots on target: 26 - 29