Seven conceded goals result in Spartak loss

25 February 2025

SKA were punished to the maximum for more defensive woes against Spartak, suffering a heavy 2:7 defeat in Saint Petersburg.

Alexander Nikishin initially handed us the perfect start, powering home from distance with a mere 19 seconds on the clock. However, Spartak replied within three minutes, as Alexander Belyayev whacked past Artemiy Pleshkov after our goaltender had pulled off two tough saves at close range.

After Alexander Pashin had given Spartak the lead in the 13th minute, SKA responded instantly with Nikishin bagging his second thanks to an exquisite pass from Mikhail Grigorenko, but we failed to gain any momentum.

Pashin and German Rubtsov suddenly opened up a two-goal advantage for Spartak with a pair of quickfire markers.

Firmly in the box seat, the Muscovites subsequently went on a rampage in the second stanza, registering three unanswered goals through familiar face Mikhail Maltsev, hat-trick hero Pashin and Nikolai Goldobin as they continued to punish SKA for dreadful defensive errors.

Goldobin's PP goal had arrived after Yegor Zavragin had replaced the forlorn Artemiy Pleshkov in our net.

Boasting such a comfortable advantage, Sparak calmly saw the game out in the ensuing third period, with neither team particularly forcing the issue or playing with any urgency.

SKA will now prepare to host Dynamo Moscow on Thursday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

SKA – Spartak – 2:7 (2:4, 0:3, 0:0)

Goals:

1:0 Nikishin (Vorobyov), 00.19

1:1 Belyayev (Lukyantsev, Galimov), 02.44

1:2 Pashin (Savikov), 12.26

2:2 Nikishin (Grigorenko, Khairullin), 13.57

2:3 Pashin, 14.56

2:4 Rubtsov (Filin), 15.32

2:5 Maltsev (Mironov, Ruzicka), 28.06

2:6 Pashin, 28.46