Jokerit - SKA

Jokerit - SKA - 2:1

30 December 2020

In the concluding match of 2020, SKA came up short against HC Jokerit in Helsinki, conceding a narrow 1:2 defeat on Finnish ice in the KHL regular season.

Veli-Matti Savinainen handed Jokerit the lead on the powerplay in the 10th minute as he bundled the puck past Alexander Samonov on the crease. Dominating play for the majority of the first frame, Jokerit created plenty of opportunities to score more, however Samonov did well to keep SKA in the game.

However, towards the end of the second period, Jokerit did eventually grab their second of the day as Jordan Schroeder beat Samonov blocker side with a whipped wrister on another powerplay.

To their credit, SKA did manage to make a notable improvement in the ensuing third stanza, and Evgeny Timkin halved the deficit in the 54th minute with a thumping slap shot from the left faceoff circle. Nevertheless, despite plenty of late pressing, the equaliser didn't arrive.

SKA will now prepare to face Dinamo Minsk in Belarus on January 5. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 Moscow time.

Match protocol:

Jokerit - SKA - 2:1 (1:0, 1:0, 0:1)

Goals:

1:0 Savinainen (Norman, Haapala), 09.13

2:0 Schroeder (Grant, O'Neill), 36.45

2:1 Timkin (Morozov, Belov), 53.41

Goalkeepers: Lindback - Samonov

Shots on target: 27 - 27

Faceoffs: 29 - 26

Hits: 19 - 9

Penalty minutes: 6 - 8