Sibir - SKA - 1:2 OT

SKA began their Siberian KHL away trip with a match against HC Sibir Novosibirsk. One change was made by head coach Oleg Znarok, as Dinar Khafizullin was replaced by Roman Rukavishnikov. Mikko Koskinen, who played for Sibir in the past, was our starting goaltender, while young Alexei Krasikov was between Sibir’s pipes.

With vociferous support behind them, it was no surprise to see Sibir come flying out of the blocks. Known for their fast starts, the Novosibirsk outfit were a livewire, immediately dictating a furious pace. Their best chance came through Konstantin Okulov, who was denied by a huge Mikko Koskinen save clean through on the powerplay. Weathering the early storm, SKA slowly began to take control, holding the majority of the possession. The puck was being kept deep in Sibir’s zone, and to the delight of the home fans, Alexei Krasikov pulled off some flashy stops.

The Siberian hosts took their intensity up to a different level in the second stanza. Looking to take the initiative, Sibir were crashing SKA’s net, and Stepan Sannikov was shut down by a fantastic flash of Mikko Koskinen leather at point blank range. SKA were having chances too though, and on the powerplay, Anton Belov smacked the woodwork. There was a feeling that a goal was coming, however, unfortunately, it went Sibir’s way – Joonas Kemppainen deftly tipped into the net. Sibir immediately earned a powerplay after that, but, to the horror of the LDS Sibir, they contrived to concede an equaliser. Shorthanded, Alexander Barabanov burst forward, fed Nikolai Prokhorkin, and the latter went top shelf.

Buoyed by that goal, SKA had the upper hand in the third period, pinning Sibir by their own net. Goalkeeper Alexei Krasikov was a busy man, and thanks to his thirteen saves in that frame alone, Sibir managed to hold out. Mikko Koskinen was practically a spectator, but late on, Sibir’s Alexander Butuzov passed up a glorious opportunity.

It went all the way to overtime, and that was where Alexei Krasikov was finally beaten – Alexander Barabanov swung past his opponents to the right post, and expertly forced his wraparound in. 2:1, SKA extend the winning streak to seven!

Match protocol:

Sibir – SKA – 1:2 OT (0:0, 1:1, 0:0 – 0:1)

Goals:

1:0 Kemppainen (Polasek), 35.45

1:1 Prokhorkin (Barabanov), 37.09

1:2 Barabanov (Hersley), 61.43

Goalkeepers: Krasikov – Koskinen

Shots on target: 28 – 41

Penalty minutes: 6 – 4

Faceoffs: 25 – 45

Hits: 15 – 11

Referees: Bondar, Olenin

18.10.2016. LDS Sibir, Novosibirsk.