Traktor - SKA - 2:1 OT

3 October 2015

The second match of this away series saw SKA face HC Traktor in Chelyabinsk. Andrei Nazarov left the fourth line clear of defencemen for this game, and Mikko Koskinen wasn’t to be found in the line-up. The main headline was Vladimir Tkachyov’s long awaited SKA debut, as he took his place I the fourth line. Ilya Ezhov was our starting netminder, with Vasily Demchenko between Traktor’s pipes.

The pace was high right from the off, and it was SKA who took charge of the initiative. Our players were being given time and space inside Traktor’s zone, and the hosts’ goaltender Vasily Demchenko was a busy man. His best saves came against Evgeny Dadonov, as Evgeny failed to get the better of the young goalkeeper when alone on the slot twice. Plenty of breakaways were being had by the team, and debutant Vladimir Tkachyov almost had his first SKA KHL point. Skating away down the right wing, his brilliant feed couldn’t be finished off by Alexander Kadeikin who hit the left post. Nevertheless Traktor were slowly growing into the game, and the finished the period on top. Our players took two quick fire penalties, and should have been punished as Andrey Popov fired over the crossbar when alone at the doorstep.

Traktor carried on that momentum as the second period got underway, and they got a real boost straight away. Evgeny Artyukhin kneed his opponent during a Traktor attack, and the referees didn’t take kindly to that throwing him out with a 5+20 penalty. Nevertheless our penalty kill was working excellently, and apart from Andrey Popov’s effort between the circles and Anton Glinkin’s wraparound blocker side Traktor created very little. Our players looked to calm the game down following that incident, and managed to make the breakthrough thirteen minutes into the frame. Alexander Barabanov skated around from behind the net, peeled out to the right flank, and wristed beautifully past Vasily Demchenko’s blocker. SKA took real confidence from that marker, and began to put constant pressure on a tiring Traktor.

If SKA took control in the second however, the third period belonged completely to Traktor. The hosts piled into our zone creating chance after chance, and our players appeared to play for the 1:0. Ilya Ezhov was doing most of the work by himself with the team getting into penalty trouble, and he made a superb double stop following Maxim Yakutsenya and Deron Quint slappers. Traktor even had a goal ruled out for kicking with the skate, but they did eventually get their reward. Alexander Rybakov thumped in a wristed shot from the high slot, and it burst into the left corner. SKA did have a late big chance to win it though with just a few minutes left, and Dmitry Yudin’s dangerous effort from the right faceoff circle forced Vasily Demchenko into action.

Overtime it was, and both teams went for it not wanting penalty shots. Dinar Khafizullin had SKA’s best opportunity when alone by the far post, but it was Traktor who took all the spoils. The puck was played back to the doorstep, and Semyon Kukuyov found the net. 1:2 today, and SKA take only one point away from Chelyabinsk.

Match protocol:

Traktor – SKA – 2:1 OT (0:0, 0:1, 1:0 – 1:0)

Goals:

0:1 Barabanov, 33.14

1:1 Rybakov (Kukuyov), 54.09

2:1 Kukuyov (Rybakov), 63.53

Goalkeepers: Demchenko – Ezhov

Shots on target: 39 – 20

Penalty minutes: 6 – 33

Faceoffs: 31 – 33

Hits: 5 – 6

Referees: Boman, Jerabek