Comeback without the perfect finish

23 September 2025

SKA managed to overturn a two-goal deficit for the second home match in a row, albeit without a happy end this time as Avangard Omsk condemned our team to a dramatic 2:4 loss at the Ice Palace.

After responding well to a poor first period, SKA hauled themselves level and looked the likelier to find a winner, but Avangard weathered the storm and struck a killer blow with a little more than 60 seconds remaining.

The visitors had initially made the perfect start.

Andrew Poturalski tipped in with only 92 seconds played, before Vasily Ponomaryov completed a clever passing play on the PP with 15 minutes on the clock.

SKA were once again in a hole. However, the hosts quickly set about dragging themselves out of it, applying strong pressure on Omsk and cut the deficit in half in the 27th minute as the in-form Brennan Menell gave a flowing counter-attack the finish it deserved.

Our equaliser arrived with seven minutes having been contested in the third period.

A superb pass from Valentin Zykov picked out the onrushing Matvei Korotky, who expertly wristed past familiar face Nikita Serebryakov into the right corner.

Buoyed by that goal, SKA went on to dominate and create enough chances to comfortably get the job done in regulation. While competing on a late powerplay, both Valentin Zykov and Marat Khairullin really should have done better when in fantastic positions, but they could both only shoot against Serebryakov.

SKA were then duly made to pay for their profligacy.

Semyon Chistyakov grabbed an unlikely third for Avangard against the run of play, getting the better of the unsighted Yegor Zavragin with a hopeful attempt from distance.

That sucker-punch arrived with only 77 seconds left to play.

Zavragin was subsequently pulled in favour of the extra skater, but that only resulted in Ivan Igumnov icing it for Avangard.

SKA will now prepare to face Sochi on the road on Saturday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 17:00 local time.

Match protocol:

SKA - Avangard - 2:4 (0:2, 1:0, 1:2)

Goals:

0:1 Poturalski (Ibragimov, Lajoie), 01.32

0:2 Ponomaryov (Volkov, Chistyakov), 14.44 PPG

1:2 Menell (Khairullin, Vorobyov), 26.13

2:2 Korotky (Zykov, Sapego), 47.34

2:3 Chistyakov (Fiore, Prokhorkin), 58.43

2:4 Igumnov, 59.55 EN