Dynamo Moscow - SKA - 2:0

In Moscow, SKA couldn’t hit the target against HC Dynamo, consequently conceding an avoidable 0:2 defeat at the VTB Arena in the 2020/2021 KHL regular season.

The two teams opted for a defensive approach in the first period. As the frame progressed, it was SKA who started to throw more caution to the wind, with Emil Galimov, Lukas Bengtsson and Vasily Podkolzin all testing the reactions of Ivan Bocharov from promising positions. Andrei Kuzmenko also tipped wide of the target on the powerplay after completely escaping the Dynamo defence on the slot.

Dynamo were refusing to come out of their shell. Nevertheless, they almost scored in one of their rare attacks, as Ivan Igumnov somehow failed to turn the loose puck into the empty net with SKA goalkeeper Magnus Hellberg already out of the picture.

SKA continued bossing proceedings in the second stanza.

On the front foot, our players managed to outshoot Dynamo 16-3 in the period, forcing the issue with clever attacking play. Bocharov, however, was in excellent form for the home team, keeping them in the game with a series of tough saves to deny Vladimir Tkachyov, Podkolzin and Kirill Marchenko. At the other end, Dynamo barely spent any time in our zone, however they did have one fantastic chance as they failed to bundle the puck under Hellberg at point-blank range with it begging to be poked in on the line.

In such tight matches, the first goal often proves to be decisive, and that proved to be the case today.

Unfortunately, that goal was scored by Dynamo, as former SKA forward Dmitry Kagarlitsky expertly sent Michal Cajkovsky’s pinpoint pass beyond the helpless Hellberg. In truth, SKA really did struggle to recover from that blow, as a pumped-up Dynamo went on to dominate the entire third period. Hellberg did well to keep SKA in the match, pulling off tricky saves to keep Oscar Lindberg and Igumnov off the board.

In the closing minutes, SKA head coach Valeri Bragin decided to pull Hellberg in favour of the extra skater, but that only resulted in Jaskin hitting the empty net to ice it.

SKA will now prepare to host Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in Saint Petersburg on Thursday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

Dynamo Moscow - SKA - 2:0 (0:0, 0:0, 2:0)

Goals:

1:0 Kagarlitsky (Cajkovsky), 43.37

2:0 Jaskin (Shipachyov), 58.34

Goalkeepers: Bocharov - Hellberg

Shots on target: 22 - 34

Faceoffs: 23 - 37

Hits: 22 - 7

Penalty minutes: 8 - 2

Referees: Kulakov, Olenin

01.02.2021. VTB Arena, Moscow.