CSKA - SKA

CSKA - SKA - 4:2

8 January 2016

SKA’s final match of this capital away series took place today against HC CSKA in Moscow. Following Yegor Rykov’s and Alexander Dergachyov’s return from the 2016 World Junior Championship head coach Sergei Zubov put them in the fourth line together, and forward Pavel Buchnevich was promoted to the first. After impressing in the 4:2 win over Vityaz on Wednesday, goaltender Igor Shestyorkin kept his place in net. Viktor Fasth was between CSKA’s pipes.

It was a lightning quick tempo right from the off in the Russian capital, and SKA had the better of the opening proceedings. Evgeny Dadonov lost control of the puck when free on the slot, and after a clever Alexander Dergachyov play Alexander Barabanov hammered wide from the point. The pressure was growing inside CSKA’s zone, and eventually it led up to a goal. Alexander Kadeikin twisted to the right post, and caught out the netminder with a tricky backhander. That set the tone for the rest of the period, as SKA continued dominating. A powerplay gave the team the perfect chance to double their money, and fortunately they did just that. Andrei Kuteikin saw his bullet cannon off the left post, but on an ensuing goalmouth scramble Nikita Gusev potted from a tight angle to the left. At the other end Igor Shestyorkin wasn’t having a lot to do, but he did make one sharp blocker stop from Dmitry Kugryshev.

Unfortunately, it was a completely different story in the second period. Directly off the opening faceoff draw CSKA came out hard, and laid siege to our net. It didn’t take them long to get on the board either, as a lurking Alexander Radulov tapped into an open right corner practically on the goal line. The hosts drew confidence from that, and the entire period was played only in one zone. CSKA had smelt blood, and ten minutes later they made it a tied game. Igor Makarov skated back to the blue line, and his wrister slid under an unsighted Igor Shestyorkin. They didn’t stop there, and had it not been for Igor Shestyorkin, they would have pulled well clear. Igor made nineteen saves in the frame overall, and some of them were real highlight reel material. He stretched to make an amazing right pad save against Geoff Platt with the net seemingly open, and one on one he stoned CSKA’s star man Alexander Radulov.

The next goal was always going to be crucial, and sadly we had a shocking start to the third period. After a terrible turnover behind our net Bogdan Kiselevich took up the puck at the blue line, and his powerful drive flew under Igor Shestyorkin’s blocker. Just like in the second frame that gave CSKA serious adrenaline, and seconds later they extended their lead. The puck was played out to the doorstep, and Dmitry Kugryshev backhanded into the right corner. Our players were crushed, but during the latter stages they did get opportunities inside CSKA’s zone. Steve Moses wristed into the glove, and after a pinpoint Yegor Rykov feed Vadim Shipachyov was stopped by a tough pad save. That was the best that we could create, and we fall 2:4 to CSKA away. The team will now travel back home to Saint Petersburg.

Match protocol:

CSKA – SKA – 4:2 (0:2, 2:0, 2:0)

Goals:

0:1 Kadeikin (Kuteikin, Yakovlev), 08.18

0:2 Gusev (Dadonov, Kuteikin), 17.49

1:2 Radulov (Mursak, Svetlakov), 21.44

2:2 Makarov (Naumenkov), 28.52

3:2 Kiselevich (Korotkov), 40.43

4:2 Kugryshev (Petrov, Sergeev), 41.43

Goalkeepers: Fasth – Shestyorkin

Shots on target: 39 – 23

Penalty minutes: 6 – 0