SKA - CSKA - 0:1 OT

The third match of this 2015/2016 KHL Western Conference final took place between SKA and CSKA in Saint Petersburg. Head coach Sergei Zubov made a number of changes for this game, with Andrei Kuteikin and Alexei Ponikarovsky coming into the squad. Mikko Koskinen and Ilya Sorokin were the starting goaltenders.

Unlike the first two games of the series, it was SKA who begun with the early initiative. CSKA were playing it cautious, and we had some presentable opportunities in the opponent’s zone. Evgeny Dadonov broke through, pulled to the backhand, and Ilya Sorokin stood his ground to deny him. We were keeping the puck inside CSKA’s zone for long periods, and on the powerplay Vyacheslav Voynov’s wrister almost found its way in. The visitors were relying on counterattacks, and they failed to create any chances of note by our net.

The tension was sky high in the second period, and the teams slowly began to open up. The away team were emerging out of their shells, and Mikko Koskinen had eleven saves to make in the frame overall. CSKA’s best chances came on the powerplay, and had it not been for Mikko, they would have broken the deadlock. Stephane Da Costa and Nikita Zaitsev let rip on the left faceoff circle, and on both occasions our goaltender made superb reaction stops. We were forced to play on the break away, and we did have our moments. The visitors were forced into taking a couple of penalties, and Vyacheslav Voynov thumped inches wide of the right corner. American forward Steve Moses was causing a number of problems for CSKA, and be brought about plenty of panic in their zone.

Someone had to take the game by the scruff of its neck in the third, and CSKA were the more aggressive. The puck was spending more time in our zone, and Maxim Mamin tested Mikko Koskinen up close glove side. Everyone’s nerves took a sharp rise as time rolled on, and in the closing stages SKA had a few opportunities in CSKA’s end. With a man’s advantage Evgeny Dadonov tapped onto the left post, and one on one Evgeny Ketov was shut down by Ilya Sorokin. Our urgency was increasing all the time, and we finished normal time on the front foot.

Overtime it was, and with CSKA having less pressure on them, they had the better of proceedings. They appeared the more relaxed with the puck, and Mikko Koskinen was a busy man in net. The visitors were dumping into the crease at any given opportunity, and we were struggling to clear the zone. Ivan Telegin should really have won it for the Muscovites: the away forward had only Mikko to beat, and our netminder pulled off a wonderful right pad save to keep us going. SKA chances were at a premium, and despite having a powerplay, we didn’t have a lot of openings.

We came out with more gusto in the second overtime, and on the powerplay, we had a golden chance to win it. The puck laid on CSKA’s goal line, Evgeny Dadonov and Nikita Gusev hacked away for it, but neither could make firm contact. The game was opening up, and we started to make more mistakes inside our own zone. Mikko Koskinen was in top form, and he made a stunning stop to keep us in the game: no one could control the loose puck on our crease, and a CSKA forward was denied by a fantastic right toe save.

With the tiredness on both sides increasing, a mistake was always going to come. Sadly, that mistake came from us. Evgeny Dadonov couldn’t bundle in a wraparound, and practically in the next attack Geoff Platt forced the puck into the left corner from point blank range. 0:1 today and 0:3 in the series, and the next match will take place on Monday inside the Saint Petersburg Ice Palace.

Match protocol:

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

Goals:

0:1 Platt (Hjalmarsson), 111.12

Goalkeepers: Koskinen – Sorokin

Shots on target: 52 – 51

Penalty minutes: 12 – 20

Faceoffs: 52 – 60

Hits: 45 – 26

Referees: Anisimov, Olenin

26.03.2016. The Ice Palace, Saint Petersburg. Attendance 12381.