SKA - Neftekhimik

SKA - Neftekhimik - 2:3 OT

15 January 2019

In the second match of this particular 2018/2019 KHL home series, SKA dropped a disappointing 2:3 defeat to HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk in overtime at the Saint Petersburg Ice Palace.

Initially, SKA opened up a two goal advantage, but after the visitors made a goalkeeping switch, they managed to get back on level terms and score the winner when on the powerplay in the extra frame.

SKA made a perfect start at the Ice Palace. Receiving a stunning pass from Pavel Datsyuk, Sergei Plotnikov scored from the doorstep, before Alexei Byvaltsev caught the goalkeeper cold with a wicked wrister. Things were going swimmingly, but after Neftekhimik swapped Fyodor Korotaev in net for former SKA goaltender Ilya Ezhov, the away side suddenly woke up.

Andrej Nestrasil immediately got Neftekhimik on the board after a sloppy defensive error, and in the second stanza, Emil Galimov equalised when alone at point blank range.

Eventually, the game went to overtime after a tight third frame, and Pavel Padakin beat Magnus Hellberg on the powerplay to give Neftekhimik a 3:2 win. SKA will now prepare to host HC Dynamo Moscow on January 17.

Match protocol:

SKA - Neftekhimik - 2:3 OT (2:1, 0:1, 0:0, 0:1)

Goals:

1:0 Plotnikov (Datsyuk, Karpov), 06.01

2:0 Byvaltsev (Kuzmenko, Gavrikov), 10.01

2:1 Nestrasil, 11.39

2:2 Galimov (Khayrullin, Semyonov), 23.48

2:3 Padakin (Sergeev, Khayrullin), 62.06

Goalkeepers: Hellberg - Korotaev/Ezhov

Shots on target: 28 - 25

Faceoffs: 33 - 25

Hits: 24 - 13