Nikolai Puchkov Tournament. SKA – Severstal – 4:2

In a pulsating final match of the 2023 Nikolai Puchkov Tournament, SKA outlasted Severstal Cherepovets at the Ice Palace, emerging victorious by a score of 4:2 to consequently finish in first place of the competition standings.

A youthful Severstal side came flying out of the blocks in Saint Petersburg, quickly opening the scoring within three minutes as Alexander Zhabreev hit the jackpot from the doorstep.

In truth, the visitors should have doubled their advantage during a first period which they dominated. Fired up and putting together quick, incisive passing plays, Severstal were tearing the SKA defence apart at will. Thankfully for us, young goalkeeper Artemiy Pleshkov was in a determined mood, pulling off a series of incredible point-blank saves under severe pressure. The gifted 20-year-old would eventually finish the game with an impressive tally of 39 saves to his name.

Severstal continued bossing proceedings in the second stanza. However, against the run of play, Sergei Tolchinsky grabbed an equaliser for SKA on the powerplay in the 33^rd minute with a snappy wrister which flew over Konstantin Shostak.

The Cherepovets-based outfit were presented with a golden opportunity to retake the lead in the closing moments of the frame.

Pleshkov wasn’t having any of it, though, in particular making one acrobatic save which kept a powerful effort from the right faceoff circle out.

The third period really did see the game burst into life.

Alexander Nikishin’s unstoppable one-timer from the right flank on the powerplay allowed SKA to gain their maiden advantage in the 44^th minute. Many would have expected that goal to firmly put SKA in the driving seat, but Severstal had other ideas, equalising shorthanded not long later as the unmarked Nikita Rozhkov punished our team for a dreadful mistake by tapping the puck past the beaten Pleshkov.

The decisive moment of proceedings arrived in the 55^th minute.

A rush of blood to Shostak’s head proved to be Severstal’s downfall. Instead of staying in position, the Belarusian goaltender emerged well off his line to try and intercept a pass towards the onrushing Vasily Glotov, but he got his angles all wrong and consequently allowed the latter to carefully dribble the puck around him and slide it into the gaping net.

Mikhail Vorobyov put the final nail in brave Severstal’s coffin just 18 seconds later, bundling the puck under Shostak from the slot.

In the final moments, Severstal did pull Shostak in favour of the extra skater, but SKA and Pleshkov held firm.

In accordance with competition regulations, an overtime period and a shootout subsequently took place regardless, with Tolchinsky netting in the extra stanza and no players scoring a penalty shot.

SKA will now prepare for the first game of the 2023/2024 KHL regular season against Dynamo in Moscow next Saturday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

SKA – Severstal – 4:2 (0:1, 1:0, 3:1)

Goals:

0:1 Zhabreev (Petunin, Moiseev), 02.05

1:1 Tolchinsky (Khusnutdinov, Nikishin), 32.22 PPG

2:1 Nikishin (Leipsic, Sergeev), 43.50 PPG

2:2 Rozhkov (Abrosimov, Denisov), 49.07 SHG

3:2 Glotov (Alistrov), 54.37

4:2 Vorobyov (Khairullin, Nikishin), 54.55

Goalkeepers: Pleshkov – Shostak

Shots: 51 – 62

Shots on target: 26 – 41

Faceoffs: 38 – 27

Blocked shots: 13 – 14

Hits: 16 – 2

Penalty minutes: 6 – 10

Referees: Ravodin, Sergeev

Linesmen: Sivov, Slavikovsky

26.08.2023. Ice Palace, Saint Petersburg.

Earlier in the day, Sibir Novosibirsk had managed to beat Sochi 4:3:

Match protocol:

Sochi - Sibir - 3:4 (2:2, 0:1, 1:1)

Goals:

0:1 Andreoff (Beck, Efremov), 04.38 PPG

1:1 Nikolaev (Graham, Tyanulin), 05.59

1:2 Klimovich (Murphy, Khamidullin), 06.26

2:2 Koryagin (Tyanulin, Garaev), 11.21

2:3 Mikheev (Efremov), 30.58

2:4 Andreoff (Beck, Murphy), 43.14 PPG

3:4 Koryagin (Christof, Rendulic), 51.13

Goalkeepers: Tretyak - Kostin

Shots: 58 - 30

Shots on target: 32 - 16

Faceoffs: 24 - 26

Blocked shots: 6 - 15

Hits: 7 - 2

Penalty minutes: 6 - 4

Referees: Vasiliev, Kochetov

Linesmen: Ivanov, Streltsov

26.08.2023.