Game one. SKA – CSKA

Game one. SKA – CSKA – 2:3 3OT

2 April 2023

In a gruelling first match of the 2022/2023 KHL Gagarin Cup playoff semi-final series, SKA came up short physically against a determined CSKA Moscow outfit in Saint Petersburg, losing 2:3 in the third overtime period.

Just like last year’s series in which CSKA scored the first goal in every game in Saint Petersburg, the Muscovites drew first blood in the second minute.

Alone to the right of the slot, Maxim Mamin calmly tapped the puck into the gaping net with Dmitry Nikolaev caught out of position.

As always, CSKA piled on the pressure in the subsequent shifts after scoring. In a similar position to Mamin, Pavel Karnaukhov was presented with an ideal opportunity to double their advantage, but he missed the far corner.

SKA improved as the opening stanza progressed. Nonetheless, CSKA were causing our team an all manner of problems with their sharp, incisive attacking plays, and we were happy to see Anton Slepyshev smack the left post on the counter-attack and Konstantin Okulov whack his effort over the crossbar from an inviting position.

Our players did make a major improvement in the second stanza.

The equalising goal quickly arrived in the 24^th minute in somewhat strange circumstances. When clean through, Svyatoslav Grebenshchikov failed to unleash a clean shot, but the puck still trickled between Reideborn’s pads.

Buoyed by that marker, SKA grabbed their second less than three minutes later. Alone at the blue line, Alexander Nikishin opted to unleash a powerful one-timer, and the puck crashed over the flailing glove of Reideborn.

Seconds later, CSKA wasted a glorious opportunity to immediately get back on level terms, as they couldn’t take advantage of a clear 2-on-1 counter-attack.

SKA were in charge for the vast majority of the second period, causing major problems for the CSKA back line with their hard-hitting play across the ice. On the crease, Nikita Gusev and Grebenshchikov passed up ideal chances for our third, with the former missing the net and the latter backhanding into the glove.

In truth, SKA went on to shut up shop far too early in the third period.

With our team sitting back and inviting pressure, CSKA predictably pressed SKA with urgency throughout the entire stanza. After a poor shift change, Vitaly Abramov had CSKA’s best chance to equalise midway through the period, but he could only fire his instant shot into Nikolaev’s chest.

SKA were attempting to hold on for dear life, but CSKA’s incessant pressure eventually did result in their second goal with a little over two minutes left in regulation time.

Lurking on the doorstep, former SKA forward Vladislav Kamenev successfully tipped Nikita Nesterov’s slap shot beyond the helpless Nikolaev. That goal was scored in the very first shift after CSKA had opted to pull Reideborn in favour of the extra skater.

The first half of the opening overtime period saw SKA take the game to CSKA. At point-blank range, Gusev, Marat Khairullin and Marat Khusnutdinov all had ideal opportunities to register our third, however Reideborn stole the show with a series of fantastic saves.

It was then Nikolaev’s turn to do the same. Rapidly improving as the first overtime stanza continued, the Moscow-based club firmly took the initiative, effectively protecting possession inside our zone and not allowing SKA to hold the puck for a prolonged amount of time. Nikolaev came to the rescue for us, in particular denying Mamin and Sergei Plotnikov when it seemed certain that CSKA were going to score.

Incredibly, this was already CSKA’s 15^th match of these playoffs, but the Muscovites were surprisingly much the fresher side.

Boasting a large advantage over SKA in terms of their physical shape, CSKA laid siege to Nikolaev’s goal in the second overtime stanza. In truth, only Nikolaev was keeping the match going, as he said no to Kamenev, Andrei Svetlakov and Darren Dietz when it appeared that the puck simply had to cross the line. His shoulder stop to push Dietz’s rising wrister over the bar was made seconds after he had lost his stick.

CSKA’s telling physical advantage did in the end result in their third goal in the 103^rd minute.

Following a faceoff win inside the attacking zone, Nesterov unleashed a cannon which whizzed past Nikolaev.

The second match of the series will take place at the Ice Palace on Tuesday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

SKA – CSKA – 2:3 3OT (0:1, 2:0, 0:1, 0:0, 0:0, 0:1)

Goals:

0:1 Mamin (Grigorenko, Dietz), 01.04

1:1 Grebenshchikov (Komarov, Pedan), 23.34

2:1 Nikishin (Gusev, Khusnutdinov), 26.16

2:2 Kamenev (Nesterov, Dietz), 57.53

2:3 Nesterov (Grigorenko, Mamin), 102.24

Goalkeepers: Nikolaev – Reideborn