SKA - Traktor - 4:3 SO

29 September 2021

In a memorable duel, SKA completed a scintillating three-goal comeback against Traktor Chelyabinsk at home in the 2021/2022 KHL regular season, emerging victorious by a score of 4:3 after a nervy penalty shootout.

SKA initially made a positive start to the match. When competing on the powerplay, our team should really have taken the lead, as Traktor goaltender Roman Will pulled off a series of fantastic point-blank range saves with SKA having created a mad goalmouth scramble by crashing the net with intensity.

The first period was indeed littered with penalties. The defences were on top, though, until Traktor suddenly scored quickfire goals at equal strength towards the end of the frame.

Lurking on the slot, former SKA forward Sergei Kalinin knocked the puck into the right corner with his body legally, before Nikita Tertyshny promptly doubled Traktor’s money less than a minute later when catching Lars Johansson cold with a wicked effort from a seemingly impossible angle on the right wing.

Matters soon went from bad to worse for SKA at the start of the second period.

On the counter-attack, Tertyshny grabbed his second of the day, in turn sending the forlorn Johansson to the bench in favour of 19-year-old Yaroslav Askarov. Interestingly, this was the second consecutive game in which Askarov emerged from the bench, with the teenager having also been used as a substitute against Vityaz in Podolsk on Monday.

That goaltending change had the desired effect.

In the 25^th minute, Kirill Marchenko finally got SKA on the board, sending a rasping wrister over Will on the powerplay. Seven minutes later, Igor Ozhiganov then reduced the deficit down to one, as he went top-shelf on the goalkeeper with a thumping effort from between the circles.

SKA were piling the pressure on a shell-shocked Traktor. With the period approaching its climax, Andrei Kuzmenko did indeed get the hosts back on level terms, batting the loose puck over the line with Will already out of the picture.

The breathless action became even more tense in the third frame.

Understanding the importance of the next goal, the two teams opted for a more cautious approach, especially Traktor. After surviving a SKA onslaught, Traktor were gifted a handy powerplay in the closing stages after Marat Khusnutdinov was found guilty of hooking, and only the confident Askarov kept the home team on level terms.

Moreover, when shorthanded, Lukas Sedlak and Tomas Hyka were presented with a glorious opportunity on the odd-man rush, but they were denied by two sprawling Askarov saves.

Askarov was a busy man in the ensuing overtime too. In the concluding minute of the extra period, and with our players already under pressure, SKA forward Fredrik Handemark presented Traktor with a golden opportunity to end the game in their favour after committing tripping. But, to our relief, Askarov came to our rescue, and we were also relieved to see Teemu Pulkkinen blast a huge one-timer over the crossbar in the last second.

Penalties were required. This time, unlike in the previous match, SKA kept out on top, with Marchenko scoring with two beautiful attempts and Askarov only conceding the one effort from Hyka.

SKA will now prepare to host Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk in Saint Petersburg on Sunday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 17:00 local time.

Match protocol:

SKA - Traktor - 4:3 SO (0:2, 3:1, 0:0, 0:0 - 1:0)

Goals:

0:1 Kalinin (Byvaltsev, Pulkkinen), 16.54

0:2 Tertyshny (Hyka), 17.42

0:3 Tertyshny (Hyka, Sedlak), 21.55

1:3 Marchenko (Kuzmenko, Vorobyov), 24.45

2:3 Ozhiganov (Kuzmenko), 31.13

3:3 Kuzmenko (Handemark, Vorobyov), 38.00

4:3 Marchenko, 65.00 SO

Goalkeepers: Johansson/Askarov - Will