SKA – CSKA

SKA – CSKA – 6:2

21 December 2023

SKA confidently dealt with the challenge posed by arch-rivals CSKA Moscow at the Ice Palace, powering to an emphatic 6:2 triumph in the 2023/2024 KHL regular season.

The hosts competed on the front foot for the majority of the first period.

Our positive start was deservedly rewarded with the opening goal in the ninth minute. Lurking on the left faceoff circle, former CSKA defenseman Artyom Sergeev received a pinpoint pass from Sergei Tolchinsky, and he sent a rising wrister high over Ivan Fedotov’s blocker.

Following their slow start, CSKA did begin to compete with more intensity as the frame progressed. While CSKA were competing on the powerplay, Nikita Serebryakov pulled off a superb pair of saves for SKA in quick succession, intelligently closing the angle to brilliantly deny Kirill Dolzhenkov and Vladislav Provolnev.

SKA went on to make the ideal start to the second stanza.

Marat Khairullin doubled our advantage on the powerplay, taking aim and getting the better of Fedotov with a searing wrister which bounced in and out of the net.

Predictably, that goal drew a response out of CSKA. In stark comparison to the first period, the Muscovites began to compete with intensity and aggression, and they quickly halved our lead through Sergei Plotnikov’s surprise wrist shot from distance.

Konstantin Okulov then came close to their equaliser on the PP.

However, after riding the brief storm, SKA went on to take full control of proceedings with a further two goals in what started to become a bad-tempered stanza.

At point-blank range, youthful defenseman Maxim Fedotov stabbed the loose puck under his namesake, before Pavel Dedunov scored his first goal for our team when clean through.

The game virtually ended as a contest in the third minute of the third period, with the in-form Arseniy Gritsyuk hitting the jackpot with an unstoppable one-timer on the powerplay.

Interestingly, CSKA initially decided to pull Fedotov in favour of talented 20-year-old Dmitry Gamzin after that goal, but the former subsequently returned to his net not long later. It later became known that Fedotov had to temporarily leave the game as a result of him skating towards the CSKA bench when prohibited to do so.

Out of the blue, the off-colour reigning Gagarin Cup champions decided to turn up with seven minutes left to play in regulation.

19-year-old defenseman Artyom Barabosha recorded their second goal, whipping the puck through a sea of bodies with Serebryakov unsighted.

CSKA applied overwhelming pressure on our players throughout the remainder of the period. Nevertheless, thanks to solid defending and calm goalkeeping, SKA survived the scare and iced it in the penultimate minute as Borna Rendulic gave a flowing counter-attack the perfect finish.

SKA will now prepare to face Torpedo in Nizhny Novgorod on Saturday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 17:00 local time.

Match protocol:

SKA – CSKA – 6:2 (1:0, 3:1, 2:1)

Goals:

1:0 Sergeev (Tolchinsky), 08.52

2:0 Khairullin (M. Fedotov), 22.10 PPG

2:1 Plotnikov (Okulov), 24.34

3:1 M. Fedotov (Glotov, Khairullin), 30.30

4:1 Dedunov (Glotov, Khairullin), 36.09

5:1 Gritsyuk (Khairullin, M. Fedotov), 42.38 PPG

5:2 Barabosha (Okulov, Svetlakov), 53.39

6:2 Rendulic (Khairullin, Glotov), 58.41