Dramatic comeback falls short

29 September 2024

SKA almost staged a comeback for the ages against Kunlun Red Star at the Ice Palace, but the visitors held on to hand our team a 4:5 defeat in the 2024/2025 KHL regular season.

This is indeed our first loss in six.

To the surprise of many, Kunlun opened a two-goal lead in the first period, with both Parker Foo and Nail Yakupov both netting on the counter.

Spencer Foo then made it three for the fired-up away side in the 24th minute on the powerplay, sending Artemiy Pleshkov to the SKA bench in favour of Nikita Serebryakov in the process.

Not long later, SKA gave themselves a glimmer of hope when Zakhar Bardakov bundled the puck over the line at close range, but the opponents subsequently reinstated their three-goal advantage with Adam Clendening beating Serebryakov from distance.

With their backs against the wall, our players had to throw everything bar the kitchen sink at Kunlun in the third period. Unfortunately, though, after Serebryakov had been pulled for the extra skater, Kunlun grabbed their fifth - and what turned out to be the game-winner - through Ryan Merkley's empty-netter.

Displaying admirable character and determination, SKA refused to accept defeat, registering three goals within five minutes as Bardakov, Mikhail Grigorenko and Valentin Zykov all completed flowing plays.

However, with Zykov's marker having arrived with a mere 12 seconds remaining on the clock, SKA ran out of time.

SKA will now prepare to face Dinamo Minsk away in Belarus on Thursday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:10 local time.

Match protocol:

SKA - Kunlun Red Star - 4:5 (0:2, 1:2, 3:1)

Goals:

0:1 P. Foo (Chartier), 08.36

0:2 Yakupov (O'Regan), 18.08

0:3 S. Foo (Chartier, Merkley), 23.32 PPG

1:3 Bardakov (Demidov, Galenyuk), 25.50

1:4 Clendening (S. Foo, Yip), 31.59

1:5 Merkley (P. Foo), 51.17 EN

2:5 Bardakov (Grigorenko, Alistrov), 54.27