Hat-trick hero Demidov steers SKA past Vityaz!

28 January 2025

Ivan Demidov's maiden KHL hat-trick powered SKA to a routine 4:1 victory against Vityaz Moscow Region in Saint Petersburg!

The gifted 19-year-old was simply unstoppable at the SKA Arena this evening, scoring two excellent goals against Vityaz goaltender Maxim Dorozhko before grabbing his third after the latter had been pulled for the extra skater.

Demidov got the show up and running in the 14th minute, receiving a pinpoint pass from Sergei Plotnikov on the doorstep and powerfully whipping the puck past Dorozhko.

Our deserved second goal arrived in the sixth minute of the second stanza. And it was a moment for Nikolai Polyakov to remember, as he calmly hooked the puck into the right corner when 1-on-1 to score his first goal of the campaign.

SKA were in full control of proceedings. However, Vityaz made things interesting early in the third stanza, cutting our lead in half through familiar face Vladislav Tsitsyura on the counter-attack shorthanded.

Nevertheless, SKA soon quashed any Vityaz hope of a comeback, as Demidov registered his second at close range when tapping Danila Galenyuk's fantastic pass over the line with Dorozhko beaten.

While competing on a late powerplay of their own, Vityaz forced Artemiy Pleshkov into a couple of superb saves, but that was as close as they would come as Demidov subsequently iced it with his empty-netter.

SKA will now prepare to face Spartak in Moscow on Thursday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

SKA - Vityaz - 4:1 (1:0, 1:0, 2:1)

Goals:

1:0 I. Demidov (Plotnikov, Grigorenko), 13.29

2:0 Polyakov (Bardakov, Zykov), 25.34

2:1 Tsitsyura (R. Pedan), 40.56 SHG

3:1 I. Demidov (Galenyuk, Plotnikov), 44.58

4:1 I. Demidov, 57.27 EN

Goalkeepers: Pleshkov - Dorozhko

Shots: 62 - 36

Shots on target: 34 - 23