SKA – Traktor

SKA – Traktor – 4:3 OT

9 November 2023

In a thriller, SKA eventually got the job done against an in-form Traktor Chelyabinsk side, emerging victorious by a score of 4:3 after overtime at the Ice Palace in the 2023/2024 KHL regular season.

Familiar face Anton Burdasov quickly opened the scoring for the away side in the fifth minute, ripping a firm attempt into the right corner. The referees didn’t initially notice that the puck had crossed the line, but they promptly received the signal from the KHL control room.

Nevertheless, SKA got back on level terms eight minutes later, as Vladimir Alistrov bundled the puck in during a goalmouth scramble. In truth, despite the two goals, it was a somewhat low-key opening frame, with the teams not setting a particularly high tempo.

SKA improved in the second stanza, though, immediately taking the lead in the third minute of the period with the lively Emil Galimov whipping a firm effort over Zach Fucale’s glove from the right faceoff circle. Galimov’s third line with Vasily Glotov and Alistrov created problems for the away defence throughout the entire match, with the trio tearing the visitors apart on a regular basis with their tricky play.

The game then really did explode into life in the third period.

Against the run of play in the sixth minute of the frame, Semyon Der-Arguchintsev equalised for the Chelyabinsk-based outfit at point-blank range, knocking the puck into the net after SKA goaltender Nikita Serebryakov had made a couple of wonderful saves.

SKA appeared to have struck the killer blow in the 52^nd minute while competing shorthanded.

After receiving a sumptuous pass from Nikolai Polyakov, defenseman Stepan Falkovsky pulled through 1-on-1 and went top-shelf on Fucale.

The 28-year-old Canadian goalkeeper subsequently kept his team in the game with an incredible save with his glove to shut the door on the unmarked Alexander Nikishin.

That did indeed prove to be a crucial moment in the match. With a mere 26 seconds remaining in regulation, Danil Yurtaikin shocked SKA to force overtime for Traktor, pouncing on the rebound after Serebryakov had parried Maxim Shabanov's initial one-timer.

Serebryakov went on to bail out SKA in the ensuing extra period with two really difficult saves against Anton Burdasov and Nikita Soshnikov.

A shootout seemed to be on the way, but a last-gasp foul by Traktor forward Vitaly Kravtsov against the clean-through Sergei Tolchinsky gifted SKA a penalty shot in the final second of overtime.

Tolchinsky duly took full advantage of that opportunity, thumping his penalty high beyond Fucale’s blocker.

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

Match protocol:

SKA – Traktor – 4:3 OT (1:1, 1:0, 1:2, 1:0)

Goals:

0:1 Burdasov (Kravtsov, Nikolayev), 04.37

1:1 Alistrov, 12.50

2:1 Galimov, 22.02

2:2 Der-Arguchintsev (Kravtsov), 45.00

3:2 Falkovsky (Polyakov, Nikishin), 51.29 SHG

3:3 Yurtaikin (Shabanov, Antipin), 59.34

4:3 Tolchinsky, 64.59 PS