Neftekhimik – SKA

Neftekhimik – SKA – 2:1

19 November 2022

In a tight battle, SKA couldn’t pick up any points against Neftekhimik away in the 2022/2023 KHL regular season, conceding a narrow 1:2 defeat in Nizhnekamsk.

The opening frame was played at a calm tempo.

Clean through, Vasily Glotov passed up a wonderful early chance for SKA, as he could only backhand against Andrei Tikhomirov’s left pad.

22-year-old SKA forward Nikolai Polyakov – making only his second KHL appearance and his first since the 2020/2021 campaign – was causing problems for the Tatar defence with his energetic, tenacious approach. To the left of the slot, he came close to opening his league account, shooting into the goalkeeper.

Our first goal arrived in the 16^th minute.

From his favourite position on the crease, Dmitrij Jaskin gobbled up a rebound to put our team in front.

The second period saw SKA create a number of promising chances. On the powerplay, Mikhail Vorobyov could only hook the puck over the right post with the goal gaping, while the likes of Jaskin, Nikita Gusev and Alexander Nikishin all tested the reactions of Tikhomirov with powerful efforts.

Neftekhimik tallied their equaliser against the run of play in the 36^th minute on a powerplay of their own.

Lurking unmarked on the doorstep, Evgeny Mityakin connected with a pinpoint pass and carefully tipped over Podyapolsky.

Moments later, Podyapolsky was forced into his first huge save as a SKA player, as he got his blocker on a sharp instant shot after Neftekhimik had skated away on the counter-attack.

Podyapolsky came to the rescue again for SKA at the start of the third period. All of a sudden, Neftekhimik were gifted a 2-on-1 opportunity, however our goalkeeper pulled off a superb stop at point-blank range to keep the away side level.

Shorthanded, Glotov came close for us midway through the stanza, thumping the puck over the crossbar having powered past his marker.

Unlike SKA, however, Neftekhimik did manage to tally a marker shorthanded. And, to make matters worse, the goal arrived with less than four minutes remaining.

Having sped past the SKA defence, Vyacheslav Leshchenko whipped the puck firmly under Podyapolsky’s despairing glove.

In the closing minutes, SKA pulled Podyapolsky for the extra skater, but Neftekhimik protected Tikhomirov effectively and held on.

SKA will now prepare to host CSKA Moscow in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

Neftekhimik – SKA – 2:1 (0:1, 1:0, 1:0)

Goals:

0:1 Jaskin (Nikishin, Glotov), 15.39

1:1 Mityakin (Poryadin, Khokhlov), 35.27 PPG

2:1 Leshchenko (Galimov, Sidorov), 56.27 SHG

Goalkeepers: Tikhomirov – Podyapolsky

Shots: 34 – 70

Shots on target: 18 – 32