SKA - CSKA

SKA - CSKA - 3:1

25 January 2023

In a tight, hard-fought duel of fine margins, SKA outlasted CSKA Moscow at the Ice Palace in the 2022/2023 KHL regular season, claiming a tense 3:1 victory.

Our players immediately started with intensity. When alone to the left of the slot, Zakhar Bardakov was presented with an ideal opportunity, but he could only fire into the chest of CSKA goaltender Alexander Sharychenkov.

Darren Dietz gifted CSKA the lead against the run of play in the 18th minute with an unstoppable one-timer from the right faceoff circle on the powerplay. Nevertheless, SKA quickly got back on level terms, as Marat Khairullin cooly converting when clean through.

The second stanza was more evenly balanced. On the powerplay, Nikita Gusev and Emil Galimov both wasted ideal chances, being denied by Sharychenkov when it looked certain that they were going to score. In our goal, hugely impressive netminder Dmitry Nikolaev pulled off one superb stop to shut the door on CSKA defenseman Fredrik Claesson at point-blank range.

Predictably, the two teams opted for a cautious approach in the ensuing third period.

Overtime was looming.

However, with a little under three minutes remaining on the clock, SKA struck a killer blow on a late powerplay marker.

Displaying sharp awareness, Galimov pounced on the bouncing puck and carefully knocked it in with Sharychenkov already out of the picture for CSKA.

SKA weren't finished there either. After CSKA had contrived to commit another foul after they had pulled Sharychenkov for the extra skater, Nikita Gusev found himself by himself on the doorstep and carefully lifted his effort into the right corner.

Our team will now prepare to face Lokomotiv in Yaroslavl on Friday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

SKA - CSKA - 3:1 (1:1, 0:0, 2:0)

Goals:

0:1 Dietz (Sorkin, Grigorenko), 13.36

1:1 Khairullin (Nikishin), 17.24

2:1 Galimov (Pedan, Ozhiganov), 57.30 PPG

3:1 Gusev (Galimov), 59.47 PPG

Goalkeepers: Nikolaev - Sharychenkov

Shots: 64 - 60

Shots on target: 34 - 29

Faceoffs: 35 - 23