SKA - Barys

SKA - Barys - 5:1

19 November 2015

Andrei Nazarov made his return to the Saint Petersburg Ice Palace with HC Barys Astana to face SKA. Our new head coach Sergei Zubov changed the team around for this game, with Alexander Kadeikin and Alexei Ponikarovsky promoted to the first line with Ilya Kovalchuk. Mikko Koskinen was our starting netminder, with Igor Shestyorkin his back up.

Both teams had a number of reasons to be pumped up for this one, and right away the pace was frenetic. The main event of the opening few minutes was Evgeny Artyukhin’s long awaited fight with Barys’ Damir Ryspaev, a brawl that Evgeny got the better of. That incident rubbed off well on SKA, and on the powerplay the breakthrough was made. Vadim Shipachyov hung around on the right faceoff circle, and wristed high into the near corner. Barys didn’t heed that warning, and kept on making fouls all over the place. Chances were coming constantly for our players, and Vyacheslav Voynov’s wrister at the high slot could only find the opposing netminder’s chest. There was a feeling that the second goal was coming, and it proved to be the case. Joakim Lindstrom sent the puck across the slot from the left, and Alexander Barabanov got the crucial touch. Barys took another penalty shortly afterwards as they were struggling to handle the pressure, but surprisingly that’s where they got back into things. Shorthanded Maxim Khudyakov took up the play along the left boards, cut sharply to the crease, and stuffed it beyond Mikko Koskinen.

The game was finely balanced moving into the second period, and Barys were the brighter during the start of the frame. Mikko Koskinen was making some solid saves, and the best came against Dustin Boyd with the Barys forward closing down between the circles. The tension was high as both teams were tightening up, however SKA began to put the pressure on. Jan Laco was a busy man in Barys’ net, and he made an incredible save to deny Joakim Lindstrom after Roman Rukavishnikov had dumped in. He couldn’t do it by himself though, and thirteen minutes in the third SKA goal arrived. Ilya Kovalchuk skated behind the Barys net, teed up Alexei Ponikarovsky on the doorstep, and the latter finished expertly. Barys then took an untimely penalty with their frustrations rising, and that was immediately punished. A wonderful passing play set up Ilya Kovalchuk free on the left wing, and he thrashed into an already empty net.

Barys were rather demoralised after those goals, and the game was completely finished early on in the third frame. Joakim Lindstrom laid back a wonderful pass to Jarno Koskiranta between the circles, and Jarno thumped in past Jan Laco’s right pad. The Ice Palace was rocking now, and shots were being rained down on Barys’ net. Jarno Koskiranta misfired when clean through, Vyacheslav Voynov slapped into the body, and Anton Burdasov had his shot stopped on the goal line. Nevertheless Barys were still a threat going forward, and on the powerplay Dustin Boyd clinged the right post. That was the closest they would get though, as SKA romped to a sparkling 5:1 triumph!

Match protocol:

SKA – Barys – 5:1 (2:1, 2:0, 1:0)

Goals:

1:0 Shipachyov (Kovalchuk, Burdasov), 04.11

2:0 Barabanov (Lindstrom), Koskiranta), 15.09

2:1 Khudyakov, 16.56

3:1 Ponikarovsky (Kovalchuk), 33.34

4:1 Kovalchuk (Shipachyov, Dadonov), 34.41

5:1 Koskiranta (Lindstrom, Barabanov), 44.13

Goalkeepers: Koskinen – Laco

Shots on target: 48 – 32

Penalty minutes: 17 – 29