Traktor – SKA

Traktor – SKA – 3:9

4 January 2023

Producing a show of strength, SKA emphatically destroyed Traktor away in Chelyabinsk in the 2022/2023 KHL regular season, romping to a memorable 9:3 triumph!

SKA made the breakthrough midway through a high-tempo first period.

After Traktor goalkeeper Sergei Mylnikov had made a series of difficult saves, Dmitrij Jaskin took advantage of a poor defensive turnover, smashing the puck home when completely unmarked on the crease.

The same player quickly doubled his money four minutes later.

Lurking on the doorstep during a powerplay, Jaskin pounced on the rebound after Alexander Nikishin’s attempt had been stopped.

Traktor decided to use their coach’s challenge for goaltender interference, but the referees quickly confirmed that it was a clean goal and subsequently conceded a third on the ensuing SKA powerplay.

Alone to the left of the slot, Damir Zhafyarov whipped the puck under Mylnikov’s blocker. In the next play, Valentin Zykov really should have made it four for our team, but he failed to make firm contact on the puck with the net gaping.

Nonetheless, SKA did tally their fourth at the start of the second period.

Seconds after we had returned to full strength, Marat Khusnutdinov sent an unstoppable wrister beyond the forlorn Mylnikov on a 2-on-1 break-away.

That was just the start of the action. Refusing to wave the white flag, Traktor managed to get on the board in the third minute of the frame, as former SKA forward Sergei Kalinin got the better of Podyapolsky with our defence caught horribly out of position.

Traktor made the call to swap Mylnikov in favour of the vastly experienced 35-year-old Ilya Proskuryakov following their first goal. It didn’t take long for Proskuryakov to be picking the puck out of his net, though, with Mikhail Pashnin catching him cold with a hopeful shot from the left.

The home team gave themselves a glimmer of hope through Nikita Tertyshny’s wrist shot with the Traktor forward practically clean through. However, ruthless in front of goal, SKA soon reinstated their four-goal advantage, as Mikhail Vorobyov made no mistake when alone between the circles.

Podyapolsky gifted Traktor a huge chance to score their third in the penultimate minute of a highly eventful second frame, as he threw his stick at an opponent after carelessly losing possession behind his net. Thankfully for us, the 27-year-old atoned for his mistake, expertly turning Maxim Shabanov’s penalty shot aside with his pads.

The Chelyabinsk-based outfit did score for the third time when shorthanded at the start of the third period.

Skating through 1-on-1, Vladimir Tkachyov neatly slid the puck under Podyapolsky’s pads.

Buoyed by that goal, Traktor went on to apply heavy pressure in the subsequent shifts, with Podyapolsky making a handful of tricky saves to keep SKA in a comfortable position.

SKA killed the game as a contest once and for all with two goals in the first half of the stanza. Loitering on the crease, Jaskin tipped Vasily Glotov’s wraparound in for his hat-trick, before Marat Khairullin received a clever pass from Stepan Falkovsky and gave the goalkeeper no chance with a rising shot.

Our coaches decided to swap Podyapolsky for Sergei Ivanov at the halfway mark of the third stanza. Alert to the danger, the 18-year-old was impressive after entering proceedings, stopping all six Traktor shots which he faced.

It was only right that SKA rounded off the match with a ninth goal. Nikita Gusev was the hero, as he completed a flowing play with aplomb.

SKA will now prepare to face Salavat Yulaev in Ufa on Friday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 14:30 Moscow time.

Match protocol:

Traktor – SKA – 3:9 (0:3, 2:3, 1:3)

Goals:

0:1 Jaskin (Zhafyarov, Ozhiganov), 09.46

0:2 Jaskin (Nikishin, Gusev), 13.41 PPG

0:3 Zhafyarov (Gusev, Nikishin), 14.58 PPG

0:4 Khusnutdinov (Falkovsky), 20.37

1:4 Kalinin, 22.10

1:5 Pashnin (Gusev, Glotov), 27.10

2:5 Tertyshny (Tkachyov), 33.27