Sibir – SKA

Sibir – SKA – 3:2

12 November 2022

In an energy-sapping battle, SKA came up short against Sibir in Novosibirsk, suffering a narrow 2:3 loss in the 2022/2023 KHL regular season.

SKA could have opened the scoring in the first couple of minutes. When competing on the powerplay, our players managed to create a handful of good chances, with Nikita Gusev and Alex Grant coming particularly close.

After that, Sibir firmly took the initiative inside the sold-out stadium and piled the pressure on SKA.

The breakthrough was made in the 13^th minute. Following a sloppy defensive error, Michal Cajkovsky was given space in which to take aim on the left flank, and he got the better of Alexander Samonov with his slap shot.

Sibir were pressing SKA with intensity. With our players unable to cope with their high tempo, the Siberian outfit carved open a series of clear chances, testing Samonov in our net from any angle possible.

To our delight, SKA made a big improvement at the start of the second stanza. Indeed, we only had to wait 44 seconds for our equaliser, as Nikita Gusev whipped a brilliant wrister beyond Sibir goaltender Denis Kostin.

Our second goal arrived in the 25^th minute. Unmarked on the left wing, Damir Zhafyarov calmly knocked the puck into the gaping net after receiving a pinpoint pass from Marat Khairullin with the Sibir defence caught horribly out of position.

SKA seemed to be in the driving seat. Nevertheless, Sibir weren’t about to lay down without a fight, and they grabbed their equaliser in the 33^rd minute of proceedings as Vladimir Butuzov’s effort on the powerplay was just too hot for Samonov to handle.

The fired-up hosts went on to take the lead again with around one minute left in the frame. Between the circles, Valentin Pyanov lashed the puck into the right corner after SKA had been caught out of position on the counter-attack.

Our coaching staff opted to swap Samonov in net for 18-year-old Sergei Ivanov in a bid to turn the tide in the third period.

Despite this only being his second KHL appearance, Ivanov was solid in the stanza, stopping all three Sibir shots he faced and displaying silky skills with the puck at his stick.

Predictably, SKA laid siege to the Sibir net throughout. However, the home team were defending solidly in front of Kostin, blocking 21 shots in the third frame alone and refusing to give SKA space near their goal. Our best opportunities were wasted by Khairullin, Maxim Groshev and Danila Moiseev.

In the closing minute and a half, SKA pulled Ivanov for the extra skater, but Sibir held on.

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

Match protocol:

Sibir – SKA – 3:2 (1:0, 2:2, 0:0)

Goals:

1:0 Cajkovsky (Butuzov, Murphy), 12.39

1:1 Gusev (Nikishin, Falkovsky), 20.44

1:2 Zhafyarov (Vorobyov, Khairullin), 24.47

2:2 Butuzov (Pyanov, Beck), 32.30 PPG

3:2 Pyanov (Sharov), 38.34

Goalkeepers: Kostin – Samonov/Ivanov

Shots: 49 – 85