Game two. SKA - Spartak - 2:3

In the second match of the 2018/2019 KHL Gagarin Cup playoffs first round, SKA dropped a second consecutive loss to HC Spartak Moscow, conceding a 2:3 defeat at the Saint Petersburg Ice Palace.

After two periods, SKA held a 2:0 lead, but Spartak came roaring back in the third to score three goals, with the winner coming a mere five seconds before the final buzzer.

Roman Rukavishnikov finally scored SKA's maiden goal in the series on 27 minutes, and on the powerplay, Alexander Barabanov then doubled the advantage from the right faceoff circle.

SKA were seemingly in control, but Spartak had other ideas. Dmitry Kalinin got the Muscovites on the board, and with three minutes left, Ilya Talaluyev made it 2:2. The game was heading for overtime, but in the dying moments Martins Karsums netted on the doorstep to steal a 3:2 victory for Spartak. The series now moves to Moscow with SKA trailing 0:2.

Match protocol:

SKA - Spartak - 2:3 (0:0, 2:0, 0:3)

Goals:

1:0 Rukavishnikov (Rundblad, Plotnikov), 26.05

2:0 Barabanov (Datsyuk), 30.52

2:1 Kalinin (Dyblenko, Hanzl), 45.53

2:2 Talaluyev (Vishnevskiy, Khokhlachyov), 56.52

2:3 Karsums (Daugavins, Zubov), 59.55

Goalkeepers: Shestyorkin - Hudacek

Shots on target: 34 - 18

Faceoffs: 46 - 14

Hits: 29 - 14

Penalty minutes: 12 - 16

Referees: Gusev, Fateev

28.02.2019.