Penalty trouble results in early setback at Dynamo

27 March 2025

The first match of the first round of the 2024/2025 KHL Gagarin Cup playoffs fell Dynamo’s way, as SKA conceded an avoidable 1:3 loss in Moscow.

In truth, SKA more than matched Dynamo while playing at even strength, however a series of penalties across the entire 60 minutes prevented our team from achieving a positive result.

The two teams immediately set an intense tempo in the first period.

Following an initial positive start from SKA, Dylan Sikura struck the opener for Dynamo midway through the frame on the counter-attack, whacking a firm, somewhat awkward wrister under Yegor Zavragin’s blocker.

Nevertheless, our players responded well.

Zakhar Bardakov tallied our deserved equaliser on the counter five minutes later, lifting a sharp wrist shot over Maxim Motorygin’s glove when cutting into the attacking zone while playing 4-on-4.

SKA were playing with the initiative for the majority of the period. However, Dynamo grabbed their second against the run of play on the powerplay as our team began to run into penalty trouble, with Pavel Kudryatsev completing a flowing passing move.

The second period proved to be a more cautious affair – albeit littered with two more unnecessary penalties from the away team.

Few clear chances were on show with the teams beginning to compete with more caution. Towards the end of the stanza, SKA managed to protect the puck inside the attacking zone for long periods, creating a handful of guilt-edged opportunities in the process.

The best fell to our first line, however somehow no one could force the loose puck in after Motorygin had saved the first attempt from Valentin Zykov.

Another huge opportunity was wasted at the start of the third period.

Having escaped his marker on the doorstep during a PP, Matvei Korotky could only knock the puck low against Motorygin’s pads with the goal at his mercy.

We were promptly punished for that miss and more ill-discipline.

While competing on a 5-on-3 powerplay, Gusev doubled Dynamo’s lead as his one-timer took a wicked deflection which took it past the frustrated Zavragin.

SKA opted to pull Zavragin with half of the third frame still remaining while playing on a PP of their own. Nevertheless, special teams just weren’t going our way this evening, with the home defence refusing to give us clear looks at their net.

A late onslaught didn’t make any difference to the outcome either, as Dynamo held firm.

Game two of the series is scheduled to take place at the VTB Arena on Saturday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

Dynamo Moscow – SKA – 3:1 (2:1, 0:0, 1:0)

Goals:

1:0 Sikura (Gusev, Adamchuk), 09.13

1:1 Bardakov (Gritsyuk, Zaitsev), 14.03

2:1 Kudryatsev (Paquette, Weal), 17.55 PPG

3:1 Gusev (Weal), 49.27 PPG

Goalkeepers: Motorygin – Zavragin

Shots: 66 – 63

Shots on target: 36 – 31