SKA – Neftekhimik

SKA – Neftekhimik – 3:1

26 October 2022

In a gritty battle, SKA held on against Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk at the Ice Palace in the 2022/2023 KHL regular season, emerging victorious by a score of 3:1.

The two teams matched it each other all of the way in the opening frame.

Alexander Nikishin should have scored for SKA in the maiden shift, shooting against Neftekhimik goaltender Yaroslav Ozolin after being gifted a 2-on-1 opportunity. Ozolin later denied the lively Maxim Groshev with his pads after the 20-year-old forward has escaped his marker to the right of the crease.

Neftekhimik were competing in an open, aggressive manner, refusing to sit back and creating several promising chances. Between the faceoff circles, Yegor Popov had a glorious chance for the away side, thumping his one-timer into the chest of home goalkeeper Alexander Samonov when unmarked. Earlier in the period, the same player had missed the net from a tight angle with Samonov out of position after the puck had taken an awkward ricochet off the boards.

SKA increased the level of their play in the second period and broke the deadlock in the 23^rd minute.

Unmarked on the right faceoff circle, Emil Galimov hit the jackpot after receiving a superb pass from Alexander Nikishin from the opposite wing.

That goal allowed SKA to start bossing proceedings. In comparison to the first frame, the hosts were now managing to protect the puck inside the attacking zone more effectively, not allowing Neftekhimik to clear their lines easily.

The second goal arrived midway through the frame. Behind the net, Valentin Zykov found Alexander Volkov on the doorstep, who beat Ozolin with an attempt which was just too hot for the Neftekhimik netminder to hold.

A deflated Neftekhimik thought that they had halved the deficit in the concluding minute of the period, but our team managed to sweep the puck off the line in the nick of time after Samonov had lost sight of it.

Neftekhimik were gifted an ideal chance to get back within one at the start of the third period as SKA took two penalties on one play. Samonov had other ideas, though, pulling off a series of fantastic saves to keep the Nizhnekamsk-based organisation at bay. Marat Khairullin and Nikishin also contributed to the effort with brave blocks.

However, the determined Tatar club eventually got on the board with over five minutes remaining in the third period, as Andrei Belozyorov gave a flowing play the finish it deserved on the powerplay.

The tension was increasing in Saint Petersburg. SKA were starting to struggle but, after Neftekhimik forward Vyacheslav Leshchenko had committed interference, Stepan Falkovsky settled the nerves with an unstoppable one-timer from the right circle.

In the final minute, Neftekhimik pulled Ozolin for the extra skater, however the impressive Samonov saw SKA through to safety.

SKA will now prepare to compete against Dynamo in Moscow on Friday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

SKA – Neftekhimik – 3:1 (0:0, 2:0, 1:1)

Goals:

1:0 Galimov (Nikishin), 22.59

2:0 Volkov (Zykov), 30.30

2:1 Belozyorov (Shinkaruk, Popov), 54.17 PPG

3:1 Falkovsky (Nikishin, Vorobyov), 56.30 PPG

Goalkeepers: Samonov – Ozolin

Shots: 69 – 55

Shots on target: 33 – 33