KHL
Avangard – Cherepovets 4:3 (1:0 after SO) | HC Yugra – SKA St. Petersburg 1:5 (end) | Barys – Lokomotiv 5:3 (end)
Donbass – CSKA 1:4 (end) | Dinamo Minsk – HC Slovan 2:0 (end) | Medvescak – Lev 1:3 (end)
final
HC Yugra
1:5 (0:2, 1:2, 0:1)
SKA St. Petersburg
Tuesday 10.09.2013, 15:00 • KHL
     
    Thank you for following the game with us! We still have a couple of games left for you today! (17:13:14)
     
    SKA had an easy walk through the third period and even added one goal for a 5-1 win on the road against Yugra which never was really in danger. For Yugra it is their first loss of the season which they can live with as they played against one of the top 3 of the league while for SKA it was the third three-point road win to the begin of the season.

    Shots on goal: Yugra 10 (34) – SKA 9 (34)
     
    60:00
    Game over.
     
    59:15
    Thoresen misses the puck after a nice cross-pass at the second post. That was close!
     
    58:00
    The last two minutes were just announced. SKA are going for the 6th now.
     
    56:00
    Not much time left to play and it looks like both teams are not too enthusiastic about changing the score anymore.
     
    53:39
    Hard blue line shot by Ryasensky just when the Yugra penalty was about to expire but the SKA defender's scoring attempt went wide.
     
    51:40
    Igor Magogin (Yugra) gets two minutes for holding.
     
    50:57
    The guests are back at full strength.
     
    50:22
    First Alexei Pepelyayev's blue line shot was blocked and then the rebound was just kept out by Salak! A lot of danger for the guests.
     
    49:25
    Dangerous blue line shot by Guntis Galvins but the puck was blocked by Salak.
     
    48:57
    Roman Cervenka (SKA) gets two minutes for roughing.
     
    48:38
    Goal for SKA!


    IGOR MAKAROV received a pass from behind the net and from short distance he was able to fire the puck into the right corner to make it 5-1 for the guests.
     
    47:00
    Harmless shot by Andersson from within the slot, just hits the gloves of Salak.
     
    46:48
    Dangerous shot by Nikita Gusev from a half left position, blocked by Salak in the SKA net.
     
    45:00
    The hosts are investing a lot more than ther opponents currently but off course they have to if they want to avoid a loss somehow – they are still three goals behind.
     
    43:17
    A one-two combination leads to the first Yugra opportunity of the third period but against the shot from short distance Salak had no problems.
     
    42:57
    Icing by SKA after the pressure on their net became too strong.
     
    42:12
    The hosts are back at full strength. SKA looked dangerous but couldn't use the man advantage.
     
    40:12
    Jonas Andersson (Yugra) gets two minutes for holding.
     
    40:01
    Start of 3rd period.
     
    With a double within just 42 seconds in the middle of the second period – one of the goals the first one of Ilya Kovachuk after his return from the NHL – decided the game already more or less. Yugra looked shocked afterwards but at least was able to make it 1-4 in the last minute of the period during a 4-on-4 situation. Stay tuned for the last 20 minutes!

    Shots on goal: Yugra 11 (24) – SKA 13 (25)
     
    40:00
    2nd period finished.
     
    39:48
    Both teams are back at full strength.
     
    39:03
    Goal for Yugra!


    During the 4-on-4 ANDREI SHEFER receives the puck at the blue line, skates a bit towards the right circle and fires the puck into the top right corner past the glove hand of Salak to make it 1-4.

    Assisted by Evgeny Khvostov and Vitaly Sitnikov.
     
    37:54
    Artemy Panarin (SKA) gets two minutes for tripping. We'll see a long 4 on 4 situation now.
     
    37:48
    Kirill Knyazev (Yugra) gets two minutes for tripping.
     
    36:33
    The guests are back at full strength.
     
    36:28
    Good shooting position for Kovalchuk but he misses the net from short distance.
     
    35:25
    Several dangerous passes by the Yugra power play in front of the guest net but no real scoring opportunity so far with one man more on the ice.
     
    34:33
    Alexander Kucheryavenko (SKA) gets two minutes for high-sticking.
     
    34:30
    Delayed penalty against SKA but Yugra need too long to get the extra man onto the ice so that the guests can build their defense easily.
     
    33:33
    Again Kovalchuk in the center of attention. He tries it with a shot from within the slot but Kuznetsov is able to make the save.
     
    33:22
    Nice pass by Kovalchuk inside the Yugra third but it is a bit too long for his team mate.
     
    32:30
    The guests from St. Petersburg are now dominating the game easily. Yugra seem to give up all their hopes.
     
    30:15
    The coaching staff of Yugra has seen enough of Mikhail Biryukov and now substitute goalie Alexei Kuznetsov gets some playing time!
     
    30:15
    Goal for SKA!


    It's getting bitter now for hard fighting Yugra as the guests are able to score another one! This time VIKTOR TIKHONOV received the puck inside the slot and his hard short from there went past Biryukov!

    Assisted by Alexei Semenov and Alexander Kucheryavenko.
     
    29:33
    Goal for SKA!


    After receiving a pass by his line mate Vadim Shipachyov it was ILYA KOVALCHUK whose precise shot from the left circle went into the right top corner past the surprised Biryukov for the 3-0 guest lead! It's the first KHL goal for the former Atlant Trashers and New Jersey Devils forward after his return to SKA this summer!

    Assisted by Vadim Shipachyov.
     
    28:40
    2-on-4 rush by the SKA offense but the last pass is blocked by a defender.
     
    27:44
    Andrei Shefer wins the puck deep inside the SKA zone and skates straight towards the net but his hard shot is deflected wide by Salak!
     
    25:54
    Ilya Olonov and Ivan Yatsenko both fight hard for the puck in the right corner of the guest third but in the end the chance is gone after a misdirected pass back towards the blue line...
     
    24:44
    The guests are back at full strength.
     
    24:25
    A shot by the hosts from the right wing through Igor Skorokhodov is easly blocked to the side by Salak.
     
    23:45
    So far the SKA penalty killing is working very well and they can keep the puck far away from their own third.
     
    22:44
    Evgeny Ryasensky (SKA) gets two minutes for hooking. It's the first penalty of the game.
     
    22:33
    A delayed penalty is signalled against the guests from St. Petersburg.
     
    21:55
    A misdirected pass leads almost to a break away for SKA but Kirill Knyazev clears the situation for Yugra.
     
    21:00
    We've already seen minor chances on both sides in this period but nothing serious yet.
     
    20:01
    Start of 2nd period.
     
    Guests SKA St. Petersburg scored a fast goal through Cervenka after which they had everything more or less under their controll without doing too much themselves. Late in the first period Thoresen was able to double the lead though after a turnover inside the Yugra third and gave SKA a comfortable 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.

    Shots on goal: Yugra 13 – SKA 12
     
    20:00
    1st period finished.
     
    18:41
    Goal for SKA!


    After a terrible turnover of the hosts in their own third it was PATRICK THORESEN who reacted first when he received a pass by Tony Martensson, won the battle against the last defender and deked out goalie Biryukov to score with a back hand shot into the right top corner! The 2-0 lead for SKA comes somewhat surprising at this point but this is the class of a top team to use even few chances very effecitvely.

    Assisted by Tony Martensson.
     
    17:30
    Not much happening on the ice currently. Yugra tries to create some opportunities without being too dangerous while SKA lean back at bit with their lead and wait for counter rattacks
     
    15:58
    Yugra's Mikhail Tyulyapkin tries it with a shot from the left wing that is blocked to the side by Salak.
     
    15:22
    Evgeny Ketov won the puck behind the Yugra net and many of the home fans saw a penalty there as he crashed into the legs of his opponent who then fell onto his back but the play continued and Ketov received a brilliant pass from behind the net which he fired just wide!! The biggest chance for SKA after their goal!
     
    13:47
    Excellent scoring position for the hosts but they aren't able to keep the puck inside the SKA third and the chance is gone.
     
    13:00
    Kucheryavenko checks his opponent into the boards and the home fans are angry that there is call for boarding but the referees signal it was not a foul.
     
    11:24
    After a pass by Evgeny Ketov deep inside the Yugra zone was deflected, this almost led to a perfect counter opportunity for the hosts but Dmitry Kalinin was there in the neutral zone to clear the situation.
     
    10:05
    On the other side of the ice an SKA forward's one-timer from the right wing was stopped by Biryukov.
     
    09:38
    Perfect one-two combination by two Yugra forwards but the following short distance shot was stopped by Salak.
     
    08:40
    Alexander Kucheryavenko tries it with a shot from within the neutral zone that goes straight into the gloves of Yugra goalie Biryukov. No danger but at least a face off in the opponent's third.
     
    07:49
    Beautiful solo by Yugra's Marek Troncinsky who deked out a defender but his shot from within the slot went wide past the left post.
     
    06:20
    After a perfect pass towards the blue line Ivan Khlyntsev has the huge opportuntiy for Yugra but coming from the left wing his short-distance shot was blocked by Salak to the side!
     
    05:30
    Yugra try to keep the game open and look for offense themselves. A shot from within the slot was stopped by Salak without problems though.
     
    04:24
    Goal for SKA!


    A pass from behind the Yugra net by Patrick Thoresen was used by ROMAN CERVENKA from short distance for the early guest lead.

    Assisted by Patrick Thoresen and Tony Martensson.
     
    02:30
    Very open start by both teams. Also underdogs Yugra don't hide themselves at all.
     
    00:01
    Game started.
     
    Starting lineups:

    HC Yugra: Biryukov (Kuznetsov) – Tyulyapkin, Pepelyayev, Shefer, Khvostov, Galvins, Troncinsky, Safronov, Dyakov – Khlyntsev, Andersson, Yakubov, Skorokhodov, Sitnikov, Magogin, Gorbunov, Knyazev, Savinainen, Olonov, Yatsenko, Gusev

    SKA St. Petersburg: Salak (Nalimov) – Alexandrov, Dallman, Kalinin, Kuteikin, Semenov, Ryansensky, Yudin – Martensson, Thoresen, Cervenka, Kovalchuk, Ketov, Shipachyov, Tikhonov, Kucheryavenko, Panarin, Makarov, Sigaryov, Skachkov

    Referees: Gofman, Odins – Balodis, Menshikh
     
    Guests SKA St. Petersburg, last year's regular season champions, are the big favourites today when they have their third consecutive road game afte the start of this season and face Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk.

    Even with two by now barely visible NHL signings Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexei Ponikarovsky the SKA offense showed all their class in their first two season machtes against Avangard Omsk (5-1) and Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (6-4). Everything but another win this afternoon would be a huge surprise.

    But Yugra also started well into the season with a 6-point weekend at home by beating Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (2-1) and Atlant Moscow Oblast (4-1).

    An interesting game can be expected in any case.
     
    Welcome. Game starts at 14:00 GMT / 15:00 CET / 17:00 MSK.
    Commentary by

    Dennis Mende

    Goals & lineups Match log
    Goals and assists: 40. Shefer (Khvostov, Sitnikov) – 5. Cervenka (Thoresen, Martensson), 19. Thoresen (Martensson), 30. Kovalchuk (Shipachyov), 31. Tikhonov (Semenov, Kucheryavenko), 49. Makarov

    HC Yugra: Biryukov (Kuznetsov) – Tyulyapkin, Pepelyayev, Shefer, Khvostov, Galvins, Troncinsky, Safronov, Dyakov – Khlyntsev, Andersson, Yakubov, Skorokhodov, Sitnikov, Magogin, Gorbunov, Knyazev, Savinainen, Olonov, Yatsenko, Gusev
    SKA St. Petersburg: Salak (Nalimov) – Alexandrov, Dallman, Kalinin, Kuteikin, Semenov, Ryansensky, Yudin – Martensson, Thoresen, Cervenka, Kovalchuk, Ketov, Shipachyov, Tikhonov, Kucheryavenko, Panarin, Makarov, Sigaryov, Skachkov
    Referees: Gofman, Odins – Balodis, Menshikh