Neftekhimik - SKA

Neftekhimik - SKA - 3:4 SO

5 October 2015

SKA completed this away series with a fixture against HC Neftekhimik in Nizhnekamsk. Andrei Nazarov made a number of changes following the loss against Traktor, and Vadim Shipachyov was moved up to the first line with Jarno Koskiranta joining the second. Ilya Ezhov was still in net with Mikko Koskinen backing him up, and Vladimir Tkachyov kept his spot in the fourth line. Alexander Sudnitsin was Neftekhimik’s starting goalkeeper.

Our team were in serious need of a boost following the recent disappointing results, and SKA began holding the initiative. A powerplay came and went early on, and despite SKA having the majority of possession not too many chances were created. Indeed it was Neftekhimik who ended up having the best opportunity, as our players were almost caught out on the counterattack. Ilya Ezhov made a big save against a Neftekhimik forward one on one, and on the following rebound Egor Milovzorov thrashed high and wide. The pace dropped after that, however a second Neftekhimik penalty paved the way for SKA to take the lead. Ilya Kovalchuk dumped in from the left hand boards, and Anton Burdasov deftly flicked past the Neftekhimik goaltender Alexander Sudnitsin.

Neftekhimik were much the more aggressive coming out of the blocks in the second, and thought that they had equalised instantly. The puck was whacked in from the right, however Maxim Rybin tapped in with a stick that was too high. They were almost punished in the next play, as Anton Burdasov thumped against the woodwork glove side. The hosts wouldn’t stop pushing forward though, and did notch a clean goal. Igor Polygalov was slipped clean through, and he wristed neatly over Ilya Ezhov’s glove. All the momentum was with the hosts now, and our netminder was a busy man keeping hold of a number of dangerous efforts from all angles. SKA were mostly playing on the counterattack, and still did have a couple of great openings. Jarno Koskiranta undressed his marker before prodding against Alexander Sudnitsin’s right pad, and then Alexander Barabanov missed the target completely when pulling to the left of the crease.

It was hardly a dull game in the first two periods, but it was nothing compared to how the third turned out. Urgency crept into both sides’ games, and Ilya Kovalchuk fired SKA ahead as he slid the puck under the goaltender when skating on to the crease. Neftekhimik evened up seconds later though, as Evgeny Kulikov took advantage of a loose puck which rebounded off Ilya Ezhov’s pads. Nevertheless our players weren’t willing to let the home fans celebrate for long, and practically in the next attack retook the lead. Evgeny Dadonov had space speeding into the zone, wristed with power, and found the left corner brilliantly. That goal came as big relief, and the team opted to sit back and soak up home pressure rather than go searching a fourth. Neftkehimik still hadn’t given up hope however, and they pinned SKA in their own zone searching for a third equaliser. As the clock ran down it looked as though our players would hold on, but Neftekhimik would have one last nasty surprise. Alexander Kitarov took on a tame looking wrister, and Ilya Ezhov somehow let the puck squirm under him to send us into overtime.

The hosts were bursting with confidence after levelling it up, and it was no surprise that Neftekhimik were the ones doing the running in the extra frame. Egor Milovzorov’s backhander ran across the goal line, and then Alexander Kitarov wristed wide of the net when having the goal at his mercy. It wasn’t to be for the Tatars though, and on penalty shots our team showed their class. After three goalless rounds Alexander Barabanov stepped up with the game on his stick, and wonderfully backhanded under Alexander Sudnitsin. SKA triumph 4:3 on penalty shots, and will now return home to Saint Petersburg to prepare to face HC Lokomotiv Yaroslavl on Saturday.

Match protocol:

Neftekhimik – SKA – 3:4 SO (0:1, 1:0, 2:2 – 0:1)

Goals:

0:1 Burdasov (Kovalchuk, Shipachyov), 14.24

1:1 Polygalov (Milovzorov), 26.15

1:2 Kovalchuk (Dadonov), 42.53

2:2 Kulikov (Kitarov, Evseenkov), 44.16

2:3 Dadonov (Koskiranta, Ezhov), 45.20

3:3 Kitarov (Evseenkov), 57.13

3:4 Barabanov, 65.00

Goalkeepers: Sudnitsin – Ezhov

Shots on target: 37 – 51