2021 Nikolai Puchkov Tournament. SKA - Severstal

2021 Nikolai Puchkov Tournament. SKA - Severstal - 2:3

27 August 2021

In the third match of the 2021 Nikolai Puchkov Memorial Tournament, SKA came up short against Severstal Cherepovets in Saint Petersburg, going down by a score of 2:3.

Severstal came out all guns blazing at the Ice Palace. Immediately competing on the front foot, the Cherepovets-based outfit pressed out team with intensity, applying pressure which resulted in an early goal in the third minute as Andrei Alexeev took advantage of a sloppy defensive mistake to fire the puck under Lars Johansson’s glove.

The visiting team continued controlling proceedings as the first period continued. On a two-man advantage, Severstal did indeed double their money in the 18^th minute, as the lively Igor Geraskin carefully went five-hole on Johansson from point-blank range.

Things went from bad to worse for SKA at the start of the second frame.

Unmarked on the crease, Estonian forward Robert Rooba increased Severstal’s lead to three, expertly tapping Yegor Rykov’s pass over the line with Johansson stranded. Moments later, Rooba was presented with an ideal opportunity to tally his team’s fourth of the day when clean through, but Johansson pulled off an important save to keep SKA in the match.

In truth, apart from one huge chance missed by Andrei Kuzmenko, SKA barely created any openings in the period. However, on a late powerplay, Vladislav Kamenev ripped an unstoppable wrist shot high into the left corner to give the home team a breath of fresh air.

SKA really were back in business in the third period.

In the very first minute of the frame, Anton Burdasov reduced the deficit to one on the powerplay, blasting a clattering one-timer high into the net.

Kuzmenko missed an ideal chance to tally our third goal not long later. Severstal, though, did manage to calm the game, not giving our players space in their zone and playing in an intense manner across the ice. In the closing minutes, SKA head coach Valeri Bragin pulled Johansson for the extra skater, but Severstal managed to see the game out.

In accordance with the tournament regulations, an overtime period - which finished goalless - was played, before the ensuing penalty shootout also ended level at 1:1. Kirill Marchenko registered our only shootout goal.

SKA will now prepare to face Avangard in the competition’s concluding match tomorrow. Puck-drop is scheduled for 17:00 local time.

Match protocol:

SKA - Severstal - 2:3 (0:2, 1:1, 1:0)

Goals:

0:1 Alexeev, 02.14

0:2 Geraskin (Rykov, Stenqvist), 17.17

0:3 Rooba (Rykov, Geraskin), 23.50

1:3 Kamenev (Kirsanov), 37.56

2:3 Burdasov (Marchenko, Khusnutdinov), 40.24

Goalkeepers: Johansson - Shostak

Shots on target: 22 - 18

Faceoffs: 33 - 25