SKA – Lokomotiv

SKA – Lokomotiv – 4:3

24 October 2022

In a true thriller, SKA outlasted Lokomotiv Yaroslavl at the Ice Palace in the 2022/2023 KHL regular season, earning a pulsating 4:3 victory thanks to a late goal in the third period.

SKA took the lead within the opening three minutes on the powerplay.

Unmarked on the left faceoff circle, the in-form Marat Khairullin gave a lengthy attacking play the perfect finish.

Our players were firmly on top during the opening stages. But, completely out of the blue, Lokomotiv suddenly got back on level terms in the 12^th minute.

When approaching the net on the right flank, Maxim Beryozkin unleashed what appeared to be a harmless wrist shot, but SKA goaltender Alexander Samonov was left clutching at thin air to concede a goal he will certainly want back.

That goal allowed Lokomotiv to gain confidence. At the start of the second stanza, the visitors were gifted a four-minute powerplay after Dmitrij Jaskin committed high-sticking, but Samonov atoned for his earlier mistake with a series of difficult saves.

SKA gained their second advantage of the game with their maiden chance of the period in the 29^th minute of play. And it was virtually an identical goal to Lokomotiv’s marker in the first frame.

On the right wing, Igor Ozhiganov took aim with a weak wrister, but it caught Daniil Isaev sleeping in the Lokomotiv net.

Buoyed by that go-ahead goal, SKA grabbed a third not long later. Having escaped his marker at the high slot, Nikita Kamalov received a clever pass from Jaskin and lashed the puck powerfully into the right corner. Isaev was slightly out of position for that goal.

Interestingly, SKA did win the second period 2:0 despite having spent half of the stanza playing shorthanded.

Up by two goals, SKA seemed to be in cruise control. However, more terrible discipline from the hosts presented Lokomotiv with a way back into proceedings.

Following a really cheap boarding foul committed l by Khairullin, Lokomotiv halved the deficit on the powerplay in the second minute of the third frame, as Pavel Kraskovsky ruthlessly pounced on the rebound on the doorstep.

That was the turning point. All of a sudden, the confident visiting team were completely dominating the match, tearing the SKA defence apart with incisive play and creating big chances at will.

It was only logical that their equalising goal arrived in the 45^th minute. Waiting patiently between the circles, Andrei Sergeev received the pass he wanted and drew Lokomotiv level with a searing one-timer. That goal prompted SKA head coach Roman Rotenberg to signal for his time-out.

Lokomotiv were rampant. Managing to protect the puck inside our zone for long periods, the Yaroslavl-based outfit were laying siege to the SKA net, forcing Samonov into several tricky stops. Only our goaltender was keeping a lost SKA in the game.

His saves proved to be decisive, as SKA recovered to strike a killer blow with a little over five minutes remaining in regulation time.

Marat Khusnutdinov found Jaskin with a clever pass after brilliantly stealing the puck deep inside the attacking zone, and the latter whipped his shot under the aghast Isaev.

In the concluding minute, Lokomotiv predictably pulled Isaev in favour of the extra skater, but SKA bravely held on.

SKA will now prepare to host Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk in Saint Petersburg on Wednesday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

SKA – Lokomotiv – 4:3 (1:1, 2:0, 1:2)

Goals:

1:0 Khairullin (Zhafyarov, Ozhiganov), 02.40 PPG

1:1 Beryozkin (Volkov A. S., Lukichyov), 11.53

2:1 Ozhiganov (Groshev), 28.16

3:1 Kamalov (Jaskin, Vorobyov), 35.18

3:2 Kraskovsky (Rafikov, Shalunov), 41.49 PPG

3:3 Sergeev (Shalunov, Korshkov), 44.49

4:3 Jaskin (Khusnutdinov), 54.56