Jokerit - SKA

Jokerit - SKA - 5:3

27 February 2018

In Finland, SKA returned to KHL action with a showdown against HC Jokerit Helsinki. Following the 2018 Olympic Games, Harijs Vitolins was the head coach and first team players such as llya Kovalchuk, Pavel Datsyuk and Nikita Gusev sat the game out. Mikhail Tikhonov, Vladislav Syomin, Ivan Volodin, Danila Kvartalnov and Alexei Polodyan were handed their senior SKA debuts.

Despite playing with a shadow team, our players made a positive start to the first period. Viktor Tikhonov broke the deadlock within seven minutes, backhanding into the net at point blank range. Swedish Olympian Patrik Hersley doubled our advantage moments later, smashing a powerful wrist shot into the top right corner. SKA were in control, but Jokerit's Niklas Jensen jammed home a juicy rebound to get the hosts back in the game in the first period.

Unfortunately, Jokerit came flying out of the blocks in the second stanza. Finnish wonderkid Eeli Tolvanen equalised for the home team, collecting the puck on the crease and going top shelf on Mikko Koskinen. Jesse Joensuu then handed Jokerit their first lead of the match, tipping into the net when on the powerplay. Jokerit had plenty of chances to increase the score, but Mikko Koskinen stood tall between the pipes.

To our delight, Jarno Koskiranta tied the match up just 58 seconds into the third frame. Lurking in front of Ryan Zapolski, the Finnish forward deflected Patrik Hersley's effort on target. That goal should have given SKA an added impetus to go on and take charge of proceedings, but Jokerit immediately re-took the lead. Brian O'Neill was the scorer, slamming in a one timer after a sloppy David Rundblad error.

Mikko Koskinen was pulled for the extra skater in the final minute, but that only resulted in Peter Regin hitting the empty net. 3:5, SKA fall to Jokerit in Helsinki.

Match protocol:

Jokerit - SKA - 5:3 (1:2, 2:0, 2:1)

Goals:

0:1 Tikhonov (Plotnikov, Karpov), 06.32

0:2 Hersley (Karpov, Tikhonov), 09.42

1:2 Jensen (O'Neill), 11.30

2:2 Tolvanen (Jensen), 21.27

3:2 Joensuu (Regin), 30.26

3:3 Koskiranta (Hersley, Ketov), 40.58

4:3 O'Neill (Palola), 41.51

5:3 Regin (Norman), 58.19

Goalkeepers: Zapolski - Koskinen