Game three. Torpedo – SKA

Game three. Torpedo – SKA – 0:4

20 March 2023

In the third match of the 2022/2023 KHL Gagarin Cup quarter-finals, SKA produced a master-class against Torpedo in Nizhny Novgorod, claiming an emphatic 4:0 win.

SKA consequently now lead the series 3-0.

Just like in game two on Saturday, the two sides immediately started with intent.

Roman Rukavishnikov was presented with the best chance of the frantic early stages. Clean through, our defenseman only had Ivan Kulbakov to beat in the Torpedo net, but he took too long making a decision and his low shot was pushed wide.

Torpedo created a few ideal chances when on the powerplay after too many SKA skaters had been spotted on the ice. Lurking on the doorstep, Sergei Goncharuk had a clear look at our net, but his attempt was successfully pushed to safety by Dmitry Nikolaev’s pads.

SKA made the breakthrough in the 12^th minute. Catching the somewhat shaky Torpedo defence out of position, Marat Khairullin took aim and wristed firmly under the goalkeeper.

We didn’t have to wait long for our second either.

When pouncing on a big rebound off Kulbakov’s pads two minutes later, Damir Zhafyarov stuffed the loose puck in. In charge of proceedings, our team went on to waste a handful of promising chances in the remainder of the opening stanza, with Nikita Gusev notably smashing his slap shot against Kulbakov from the high slot.

The second period saw Torpedo lay siege to our net.

A series of fouls from SKA allowed the Nizhny Novgorod-based organisation to build up ahead of steam. Unable to relax for a second, Nikolaev was a busy man in our net, pulling off a grand total of 16 saves during the second stanza alone. His best was saved for the closing second of the period, as he flashed leather brilliantly when it seemed certain that Torpedo were going to score.

Sergei Goncharuk struck the left post for the home team towards the end of the frame with a stinging wrister.

Despite being on the back foot for practically the entire period, SKA grabbed a third marker when playing shorthanded.

Escaping the attentions of the Torpedo defence to skate through 1-on-1, Alexander Nikishin aimed his shot between Kulbakov’s pads.

To our delight, our players controlled the match intelligently in the ensuing third period with superb game management.

More fouls did allow Torpedo to create some more guilt-edged chances. At point-blank range, both Alexei Kruchinin and Goncharuk somehow failed to hit the jackpot, as the former missed the target when alone on the crease and the latter slid the puck against the left post.

After Mikhail Vorobyov had committed a late tripping foul, Torpedo played 6-on-4 when pulling Kulbakov for the extra skater, but that only resulted in Khairullin sliding the puck in for a shorthanded empty-netter.

Nikolaev stopped all 38 shots he faced to gain his second shutout of the playoffs.

Game four will take place at the Nagorny Arena on Wednesday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

Torpedo – SKA – 0:4 (0:2, 0:1, 0:1)

Goals:

0:1 Khairullin (Zhafyarov, Nikishin), 11.02

0:2 Zhafyarov (Glotov, Rukavishnikov), 13.31

0:3 Nikishin (Khairullin, Khusnutdinov), 30.03 SHG

0:4 Khairullin, 59.10 SHG EN

Goalkeepers: Kulbakov – Nikolaev

Shots: 75 – 38

Shots on target: 38 – 24