SKA - Medvescak

SKA - Medvescak - 5:3

11 January 2016

SKA’s first home game of 2016 took place today against Croatian visitors HC Medvescak Zagreb. Following the three game away series in Moscow head coach Sergei Zubov made a number of changes to the line-up: Ilya Ezhov took over from Igor Shestyorkin in net, Pavel Buchnevich stepped up to the fourth line, and Vadim Shipachyov, Evgeny Dadonov and Nikita Gusev were all left out of the squad. Danny Taylor was Medvescak’s netminder.

The first period was a rather cagey affair inside the Saint Petersburg Ice Palace, as the tempo wasn’t particularly high. Both teams were waiting for a mistake from one another, and as no one could get anything going a number of penalties were taken. The first chance fell to the visitors, as a hard slapper from the left flank got through Ilya Ezhov before it was swept off the line. Nevertheless SKA slowly began to take control, and after Alexander Dergachyov had a dangerous wrister from distance saved we thought that we had taken the lead. With a man’s advantage Joakim Lindstrom wristed in from the right faceoff circle, but the goal was waved off for goaltender interference.

Despite that goal not counting SKA kept on pressing, and did breakthrough five minutes into the second frame. Jarno Koskiranta wristed with power from the left flank, and with the goaltender unsighted it flew into the far corner. That brought the Ice Palace to life, and Pavel Buchnevich was shut down by the glove when taking aim on the doorstep. The pressure kept on coming, and that second goal did eventually come. On the powerplay Andrei Kuteikin wound up, and his thunderbolt was neatly deflected in by Jarno Koskiranta. Medvescak resorted to fleeting counterattacks during the frame, and on a two on one Ilya Ezhov made a big save glove side to bail our team out.

Our team looked comfortable moving into the third period, however out of nowhere Medvescak came roaring back into the game. Andreas Jamtin’s rising slap shot beat Ilya over the glove, and on a breakaway Gilbert Brule stuffed the puck over the line when powering down the left. SKA were stunned, and despite Steve Moses giving our team a third lead when gobbling up a juicy rebound, Medvescak found another reply. With Vyacheslav Voynov in the box the Croats got set up in our zone, and Tomas Mertl squeezed the puck into the right corner from a tight angle. The Ice Palace was stunned, but with a few minutes to go the fatal blow to Medvescak was finally struck. The visitors took an untimely penalty in the final stages, and American Steve Moses netted his second when open on the left wing. That put away the plucky Croatians once and for all, and Alexander Kadeikin iced it with an empty netter. 5:3 today, and SKA win their first home match of the year against Medvescak!

Match protocol:

SKA – Medvescak – 5:3 (0:0, 2:0, 3:3)

Goals:

1:0 Koskiranta (Lindstrom, Moses), 24.28

2:0 Koskiranta (Kovalchuk, Kuteikin), 37.57

2:1 Jamtin (Katic), 42.23

2:2 Brule, 44.05

3:2 Moses (Koskiranta, Chudinov), 48.18

3:3 Mertl (Genoway, Smolenak), 51.42

4:3 Moses (Kovalchuk, Lindstrom), 57.01

5:3 Kadeikin (Buchnevich, Kovalchuk), 59.28

Goalkeepers: Ezhov – Taylor/Kroselj