Game one. Metallurg Magnitogorsk - SKA

Game one. Metallurg Magnitogorsk - SKA - 4:5

8 April 2017

HC Metallurg and SKA played the first match of the KHL Gagarin Cup final series in Magnitogorsk. Head coach Oleg Znarok opted to keep Igor Shestyorkin in net, not reinstating Finn Mikko Koskinen. Vasily Koshechkin was Metallurg’s starting goalkeeper.

With so much at stake, it was a cautious start to proceedings. The hosts slowly began to take the initiative, testing Igor Shestyorkin from all angles. His best save came against Chris Lee’s wrister, neatly sweeping the puck into his glove. SKA were focused on defence, but a powerplay gave the team a perfect chance to strike. Fortunately, our players made it count. Anton Belov swung his stick back, slapped with all his might and Evgeny Ketov tipped beyond Vasily Koshechkin. Metallurg could have equalized minutes after that, however Viktor Antipin failed to hit the target at point blank range.

To our dismay, Metallurg laid siege to our net in the second period. Evgeny Timkin promptly got them on the board, deflecting a wayward shot over Igor Shestyorkin’s glove. Full of adrenaline, it didn’t take long for the home team to grab another. The potent Sergei Mozyakin scored it, cutting in before wristing powerfully into the net. SKA were under serious pressure, but an Oscar Osala 5+20 penalty burst Metallurg’s balloon. Despite not scoring on that powerplay, SKA got a foothold in the game and managed to tie the match midway through. Evgeny Dadonov was the scorer, going top shelf on Vasily Koshechkin when 1 on 1. Holding the momentum, SKA quickly took a second lead. A goalmouth scramble erupted, sticks hacked away for the puck and Nikolai Prokhorkin eventually forced it in. With the pendulum swinging, Ilya Kovalchuk then earned himself an untimely 5+20 punishment for elbowing Jan Kovar. Predictably, that allowed Metallurg to make it a 3:3 game – Viktor Antipin lashed a slap shot past the powerless Igor Shestyorkin.

The teams tightened up in the third frame, making for a seriously tense affair. Barely any chances were witnessed, with no one willing to take any risks. It was always going to take something special to break the deadlock, and SKA were the club to do just that. On the powerplay, Patrik Hersley hammered his slap shot so hard it broke the net. Shocked by that turn of events, Metallurg conceded a killer fifth with three minutes remaining. Displaying amazing skill, Evgeny Dadonov twisted beyond the Magnitogorsk defence and scored five hole. Tomas Fillipi made it a grandstand finish in the dying moments, but SKA hung on to win game one of the KHL Gagarin Cup final 5:4!

Match protocol:

Metallurg Magnitogorsk – SKA – 4:5 (0:1, 3:2, 1:2)

Goals:

0:1 Ketov (Hersley, Belov), 16.18

1:1 Timkin (Tereshchenko, Kosov), 21.50

2:1 Mozyakin, 23.11

2:2 Dadonov (Gusev), 33.14

2:3 Prokhorkin (Hersley, Barabanov), 34.24

3:3 Antipin (Lee, Mozyakin), 39.07

3:4 Hersley (Shipachyov, Gusev), 55.00

3:5 Dadonov, 56.59

4:5 Fillipi, 59.49