Vityaz – SKA

Vityaz – SKA – 0:5

15 October 2022

In a fast-paced battle, SKA cruised past Vityaz Moscow Region on the road in the 2022/2023 KHL regular season, earning a routine 5:0 triumph in Balashikha largely thanks to four goals on the powerplay.

The two teams immediately set an entertaining tempo in the first period.

Having started with real intent, SKA created a number of excellent chances during the first half of the frame, with Marat Khairullin and Pavel Koltygin coming particularly close.

The maiden goal arrived in the 13^th minute.

Unmarked on the left faceoff circle, Stepan Falkovsky completed a flowing play with a snappy attempt which was too hot for Vityaz goalkeeper Dmitry Shikin to handle.

Vityaz were mainly waiting for counter-attack opportunities. Nevertheless, the hosts did manage to carve open a few great chances with their quick play, forcing Alexander Samonov into 15 saves in the first frame. The lively Alexander Yaremchuk and Stanislav Yarovoy were particularly threatening.

SKA continued competing with the initiative in the second period. Piling the pressure on, Dmitrij Jaskin, Khairullin and Damir Zhafyarov all came close to our second, but Shikin pulled off a series of tricky stops to keep them at bay. Jaskin wasted the best opportunity, backhanding wide of the gaping right corner from the doorstep.

To our relief, our second goal was tallied in the 34^th minute.

Khairullin ended SKA’s lengthy powerplay drought, sending an unstoppable wrister high over Shikin’s glove into the far corner from the left faceoff circle.

Just like in the first period, Vityaz were sitting back and only causing problems for us on the counter. During a rare Vityaz attack, Kirill Rasskazov had a clear sight of goal midway through the stanza at the high slot, aiming his powerful wrister against Samonov’s blocker.

SKA practically ended the game as a contest on a 4-on-3 powerplay in the eighth minute of the third period.

Alone on the right faceoff circle, the in-form Khairullin left Shikin clutching at thin air with a thumping slap shot.

Our third powerplay goal was registered a matter of 31 seconds later.

Alex Grant was the scorer, ripping a trademark strong one-timer high into the left corner. That goal resulted in Vityaz pulling the forlorn Shikin in favour of Igor Saprykin.

However, that goal didn’t make any difference to the flow of play, and SKA completed the match with a fifth marker as Jaskin tipped the rebound over the line on a late powerplay with only 13 seconds remaining in the period.

The impressive Samonov stopped all 28 shots he faced in the game to gain his first shutout of the campaign.

SKA will now prepare to host Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg in Saint Petersburg on Wednesday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

Vityaz – SKA – 0:5 (0:1, 0:1, 0:3)

Goals:

0:1 Falkovsky (Khusnutdinov, Vorobyov), 12.20

0:2 Khairullin (Ozhiganov, Zhafyarov), 33.32 PPG

0:3 Khairullin (Nikishin), 47.56 PPG

0:4 Grant (Nikishin, Jaskin), 48.27 PPG

0:5 Jaskin (Nikishin, Grant), 59.47 PPG

Goalkeepers: Shikin – Samonov

Shots: 53 – 76