Game two. SKA – Dinamo Minsk

Game two. SKA – Dinamo Minsk – 3:1

4 March 2022

In the second match of the first round of the 2021/2022 KHL Gagarin Cup playoffs, SKA managed to keep Dinamo Minsk at bay in an intense duel, emerging victorious by a score of 3:1 to consequently take a 2-0 series lead.

The first period was contested at a high tempo without either team creating many major scoring opportunities.

SKA were given two powerplays during the opening frame. However, in stark comparison to the first game of the series on Wednesday, the Belarusians competed in an aggressive manner shorthanded, not giving our players space in which to carve open shooting lanes.

Minsk had the best chance of the period. Too fast for our defence, Ilya Usov suddenly found himself clean through, but he could only hit the pipe. The Belarusians were gifted a powerplay of their own in the closing stages of the frame, testing Lars Johansson with a couple of dangerous attempts. Our goaltender did particularly well to shut the door on Dmitry Korobov at point-blank range.

Johansson subsequently pulled off a fantastic save against Vladimir Alistrov at the start of the second period following a poor defensive error.

Seconds later, Nikita Gusev missed a golden opportunity for our team, pulling 1-on-1 and wristing powerfully against Patrik Rybar’s body in the Dinamo net.

The Belarusians played in a physical, hard-hitting manner throughout the period, not giving our players an inch of space. Nevertheless, a moment of individual brilliance resulted in the breakthrough in the 30^th minute.

After receiving a wonderful pass from Mikko Lehtonen, Andrei Kuzmenko displayed dazzling skill to skate to the slot and neatly whip the puck between Rybar’s pads.

SKA had the vast majority of chances in the remainder of the period. Evgeny Timkin should have doubled the advantage when completing a flowing counter-attack, shooting against the goaltender with the right corner gaping.

The third period saw SKA waste a lengthy 5-on-3 powerplay with Dinamo continuing to play in an extremely compact fashion.

Naturally, the Belarusian visitors increased the urgency in their play as the minutes ticked by, applying heavy pressure on our team and taking aim from any angle possible. When pouncing on a rebound on the slot, Tyler Graovac passed up a guilt-edged chance for an equaliser, tapping the puck off target with Johansson powerless.

That proved to be the decisive moment.

The unstoppable Kuzmenko doubled SKA’s money a matter of moments later, successfully connected with Anton Burdasov’s pinpoint pass on the counter-attack. Shell-shocked by that blow, Minsk then contrived to concede the third goal, as Mat Robinson’s clattering slap shot was too hot for Rybar to handle.

Unfortunately, Minsk did have the last word, though, with Denis Mosalyov poking the puck under Johansson on the slot to ruin the Swede’s shutout hopes.

The next match in the series will take place on Sunday in Minsk, Belarus. Puck-drop is scheduled for 17:10 local time.

Match protocol:

SKA – Dinamo Minsk – 3:1 (0:0, 1:0, 2:1)

Goals:

1:0 Kuzmenko (Lehtonen), 29.15

2:0 Kuzmenko (Burdasov), 57.53

3:0 Robinson (Khusnutdinov), 58.29

3:1 Mosalyov (Shinkevich, Gorbunov), 59.26

Goalkeepers: Johansson – Rybar

Shots: 55 - 39

Shots on target: 27 - 18

Faceoffs: 29 - 29