Four Demidov assists as SKA thump Kunlun in Mytishchi!

23 October 2024

Ivan Demidov stole the headlines in Mytishchi, dishing out four assists as SKA romped to a thumping 8:0 triumph over Kunlun Red Star away in the 2024/2025 KHL regular season!

The gifted 18-year-old has been a stand-out figure for SKA since the start of the campaign, but he enjoyed his most productive game of the season so far with four helpers and a +5 plus/minus rating in Moscow Region.

Having lost to these particular opponents in Saint Petersburg earlier on this season, our players were fired up to prove that that result was a coincidence.

They certainly made a statement of intent in the first period. In a continuation of the third stanza against Vityaz on Monday in which five goals were scored, SKA put on a show of attacking strength in the maiden 20 minutes, carving the Kunlun defence open at will.

Sergei Plotnikov got the party started in the sixth minute, hitting the jackpot after receiving a wonderful pass from the impressive Demidov. Zakhar Bardakov then added our second four minutes later, as he completing a clever passing play with Vladimir Alistrov and Mikhail Grigorenko.

Kunlun came close to cutting their deficit on the powerplay, but Adam Clendening smacked the pipe and no one could reach the rebound with SKA goalkeeper Yegor Zavragin already out of the picture.

That missed opportunity was duly punished by SKA. After receiving another intelligent pass from Demidov, Vasily Glotov whipped a firm wrister beyond frustrated Kunlun netminder Kyle Keyser from distance.

The second stanza saw SKA well and truly take a sorry Kunlun side to town.

Demidov contributed with his third assist in the sixth minute of the frame, sending Plotnikov clear who caught Keyser cold with a low wrist shot.

Keyser was pulled in favour of ex-SKA representative Konstantin Volkov after that goal. However, if Kunlun thought that a positive effect would be witnessed, they were severely mistaken.

Indeed, SKA went on to score three more markers before the period was out. Alexander Nikishin was the first to beat Volkov three minutes after the 27-year-old had entered proceedings, lashing an unstoppable one-timer into the far corner from a tight angle on the right flank. Thanks to his goal and subsequent assist, Nikishin is now SKA's most productive defenseman in history with 132 points!

Valentin Zykov made it six halfway through the frame, twisting sharply on the top of the crease and shooting over Volkov’s blocker. Following that goal, SKA did admittedly take their foot off the gas for a while, but Arseniy Gritsyuk rounded off the period with a bullet on the PP.

The third period started with a bomb from Nikishin which struck the right post with Volkov helpless.

Nevertheless, we did eventually register our eighth of the night with around nine minutes left to play.

Once again it was our unstoppable third line doing the business, with Plotnikov sealing his hat-trick with the backhand having been found intelligently by Demidov.

Kunlun did their best to at least ruin Zavragin’s shutout hopes, but our solid 19-year-old goaltender kept the Chinese hosts at bay to earn his first KHL clean sheet for SKA!

SKA will now prepare to face Spartak in Moscow on Friday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

Kunlun Red Star – SKA – 0:8 (0:3, 0:4, 0:1)

Goals:

0:1 Plotnikov (Demidov, Kuznetsov), 05.11

0:2 Bardakov (Alistrov, Grigorenko), 09.00

0:3 Glotov (Demidov, Vydrenkov), 16.56

0:4 Plotnikov (Demidov), 25.30

0:5 Nikishin (Kuznetsov), 28.15

0:6 Zykov (Gritsyuk, Nikishin), 29.58

0:7 Gritsyuk (Glotov), 38.27 PPG

0:8 Plotnikov (Demidov), 50.45