SKA - Lokomotiv - 1:0

The fourth match of this KHL Gagarin Cup first round series took place today in Saint Petersburg against HC Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Following the 3:0 victory two days ago head coach Sergei Zubov didn’t make any changes to the line-up, with Alexander Kadeikin the 13^th forward in the fourth line. Igor Shestyorkin backed Mikko Koskinen up in our net.

Just like on Thursday there was a tense atmosphere inside the Ice Palace, and both teams were focused on defence. No one was feeling brave enough to open up, and the goaltenders didn’t have too much work to do in the first period. It was SKA having the majority of the possession, and when having time inside Lokomotiv’s zone they did have a couple of half chances. The lively Alexander Barabanov fired against the goaltender when twisting, and on the powerplay Maxim Chudinov was denied by Alexei Murygin’s right pad. The visitors were relying on fleeting counterattacks to create danger, and for the most part we dealt with their advances solidly. Staffan Kronwall did have one wraparound opening, however Mikko Koskinen was up to the task glove side.

The action took a sharp rise in the second period, and Lokomotiv’s Vladislav Gavrikov had a real chance at the high slot – set up all on his own, the away defenceman fired powerfully into Mikko Koskinen’s grasp. The intensity had moved onto a different level, and on a third powerplay SKA managed to draw first blood. Vadim Shipachyov beautifully fed Nikita Gusev on the left faceoff circle, and the latter took the roof off the stadium. Lokomotiv had to come out of their shells after that goal, and that left space for SKA on the counterattack. Pavel Buchnevich shot against the netminder when in an ideal position, Nikita Gusev wristed off the left post, and shorthanded Evgeny Ketov failed to score clean through. Lokomotiv were shaky at the back, but despite their worries they outshot SKA 12-6 in the frame. Mikko Koskinen was being kept busy, and he made a few excellent saves against long distance efforts.

You could feel the tension moving into the third, and the emphasis was on whether Lokomotiv could score their first goal in Saint Petersburg. The visitors huffed and puffed, and despite their best efforts most of their shots were taken from the point. Vladislav Gavrikov did have one clear opportunity, and only a fantastic Mikko Koskinen blocker stop kept it out. The Yaroslavl outfit then contrived to take a vital late penalty with only minutes remaining, and that allowed our team to calmly see the game out. 1:0 today, and SKA take a big 3:1 lead in the series. The next match will take place in Yaroslavl on Monday.

Match protocol:

SKA – Lokomotiv – 1:0 (0:0, 1:0, 0:0)

Goals:

1:0 Gusev (Shipachyov), 23.38

Goalkeepers: Koskinen – Murygin

Shots on target: 25 – 25

Penalty minutes: 8 – 10

Faceoffs: 29 – 33

Hits: 10 – 11

Referees: Anisimov, Olenin

27.02.2016. The Ice Palace, Saint Petersburg. Attendance 12295.