Game two. SKA - Dynamo Moscow

Game two. SKA - Dynamo Moscow - 2:1

10 March 2017

SKA took on HC Dynamo Moscow in Saint Petersburg for game two of the 2016/2017 KHL playoffs second round series. Having lost the first match, head coach Oleg Znarok made a couple of changes, bringing in Roman Rukavishnikov and Alexander Khokhlachyov. Mikko Koskinen and Alexander Yeryomenko were the starting goalkeepers.

After their overtime victory on Wednesday, Dynamo had a spring in their step during the opening stages. Full of energy, the visitors should really have taken the lead, but Denis Kokarev lashed over the bar and Andrei Mironov had a point-blank effort stoned by Mikko Koskinen. However, an Alexei Tereshchenko hooking penalty paved the way for SKA to make the breakthrough. Anton Belov’s slap shot was saved, an almighty scramble erupted and Evgeny Ketov batted it between the netminder’s legs. Fired up, SKA managed to grab a vital second goal before the period was out. Dynamo took another penalty, allowing Vadim Shipachyov to score SKA’s second powerplay goal at a tight angle.

Holding a two-goal advantage, SKA continued to dominate proceedings in the second period. In the mood for more, our players piled on the pressure, testing Dynamo goalkeeper Alexander Yeryomenko on a number of occasions. Dynamo were struggling to cope, committing fouls and relying on their goalkeeper to keep them in the game. Nikita Gusev came the closest for SKA, seeing his goalbound wrister deflected over the crossbar with the goalkeeper beaten.

Despite having already conceded two special teams goals, Dynamo refused to stop fouling. The Muscovites played almost half of the match shorthanded, racking up an incredible 22 penalty minutes in total. SKA weren’t ruthless enough, though, failing to score on any of those remaining powerplays. In the end, the players were punished for their profligacy. Andrei Kuteikin, an ex-SKA defenseman, took aim from neutral ice, catching a sleeping Mikko Koskinen cold. A quite unbelievable goal which made the Ice Palace a nervy place to be.

Thankfully, that proved to be all Dynamo had up their sleeve. SKA held on to win 2:1, squaring up the series 1:1!

Match protocol:

SKA – Dynamo Moscow – 2:1 (2:0, 0:0, 0:1)

Goals:

1:0 Ketov (Koskiranta, Belov), 12.55

2:0 Shipachyov (Gusev), 18.30

2:1 Kuteikin, 53.21

Goalkeepers: Koskinen – Yeryomenko

Shots on target: 40 – 18

Penalty minutes: 12 – 22

Faceoffs: 47 – 23

Hits: 27 – 21