KHL
Khabarovsk – Salavat Yulaev 0:1 (end) | Admiral – Neftekhimik 0:1 (end) | Novokuznetsk – Metallurg M 3:4 (end)
Novosibirsk – Traktor 3:2 (after OT) | Spartak – Lokomotiv 1:3 (end) | Dinamo Minsk – Cherepovets 2:1 (1:0 after SO)
Medvescak – Mytishchi 4:2 (end) | Donbass – SKA St. Petersburg 4:2 (end)
final
HC Donbass Donetsk
4:2 (1:1, 1:0, 2:1)
SKA St. Petersburg
Thursday 23.01.2014, 18:00 • Druzhba Arena • KHL
     
    That's the final buzzer, and it's Donbass's day with a 4-2 victory over SKA! Despite being on the back foot for the first period, Donbass came out in the second and third periods to sweep away their Russian opponents. Clay Wilson opened up the scoring only for SKA to then dominate and Viktor Tikhonov to equalise, but Oleg Piganovich restored the hosts lead before Jan Kolar and Ruslan Fedotenko finished off the game, rendering Artemiy Panarin's late goal a mere consolation. Thanks for following today's KHL coverage with us, until next time! (20:14:33)
     
    60:00
    Game over.
     
    59:52
    Goal for SKA! They've got a consolation goal right at the end! Kevin Dallman forces Laco to give up a rebound on the crease and ARTEMIY PANARIN sends it top shelf, 4-2! Assists- Viktor Tikhonov and Kevin Dallman
     
    59:30
    There are now only 30 seconds left, and being three down SKA haven't bothered taking Salak out for the extra attacker
     
    58:00
    The game is now petering out and we're into the final two minutes of play
     
    56:45
    Icing from the hosts
     
    55:23
    Donbass are now back to full strength with just under five minutes left in the third period
     
    55:13
    Tikhonov right from the right faceoff circle sends a weak wrister into Laco's glove
     
    53:23
    SKA have a powerplay coming up here though, Oskars Bartulis for interference has been sent to the penalty box
     
    53:01
    Kucheryavenko hits an effort against the boards for SKA, and before anyone can get there Laco freezes for a faceoff
     
    52:03
    Nedorost forces Salak to give up a rebound with a fierce drive, it falls to Yakuntsenia but he just can't get the rebound
     
    51:04
    SKA really do look like a beaten team now, Donbass are cruising at 4-1 up
     
    The pictures from Ukraine are once again not great at all unfortunately
     
    49:33
    Goal for Donbass! The goal has been given! The referees rule that there was nothing dirty about RUSLAN FEDOTENKO's goal and the score is now 4-1! Laine passed it along the crease where Fedotenko backhanded it past Salak! Assists- Teemu Laine
     
    49:33
    Donbass have the puck in the net for the fourth time, but we don't yet know if it will be counted!
     
    47:38
    Goal for Donbass! Brilliant goal from the hosts! JAN KOLAR finishes off a flowing team move with an instant shot into the top right hand corner and it'a 3-1! Assists- Dmitriy Kagarlitskiy and Randy Robitaille
     
    46:15
    SKA go offside
     
    46:08
    Fedotenko slaps the puck hard from the right side of the crease and Salak is alert!
     
    45:42
    Donbass are themselves giving SKA the initiative, but in defence they are looking very hard to beat
     
    44:24
    Four players to the right of Salak's goal battle for the puck against the boards for a long time, and eventually SKA manage to get it away from danger
     
    42:44
    Kovalchuk off balance goes for the far left corner, but it goes harmlessly wide
     
    42:25
    Kaspar rounds the net, passes dangerously across the face of the goal and the goalkeeper is in the game
     
    41:31
    Yakutsenia drives to Salak's near post, but he's pressured well by Alexandrov
     
    41:17
    It's a cautious start to the period from both sides, SKA are pressing hard to try and get into shooting opportunities
     
    40:01
    Start of 3rd period.
     
    Statistics after the first two periods-

    Shots (on target)- 34- (17)- 38 (21)
    Faceoffs- 21-18
    Hits- 11-12
    Penalty minutes- 4-4
     
    40:00
    2nd period finished.
     
    39:30
    It's now the final 30 seconds of the second period, and that goal should have given Donbass a real boost
     
    38:58
    Goal for Donbass! Right at the end of the period they've gone ahead for the second time! The puck is flying all around the SKA crease, Salak tries his best but OLEG PIGANOVICH stuffs it home, 2-1! Assists- Dmitriy Kagarlitskiy
     
    38:29
    Icing from Donbass
     
    38:08
    Roman Cervenka wanders around the top of the Donbass zone, but in the end can't find any options
     
    36:47
    Ketov is back into the action for SKA, the score is still 1-1 remember
     
    36:08
    Robitaille takes the puck behind the SKA net, see Clay Wilson but he gets his attempt all wrong
     
    35:28
    Donbass are keeping the puck in the zone well, Yakutsenia tries to squeeze his way through, but after his initial attempt was blocked he can't make any problems for the away defence
     
    34:58
    Dadonov winds up for a big slapper towards the left hand corner, and Salak watches it go off target
     
    34:47
    Big shot from the point and SKA manage to clear. And now they will have to be on the penalty kill, Ketov for holding has been penalised
     
    33:51
    The score is still 1-1, with both teams having missed up on some opportunities. The pictures coming from Ukraine unfortunately are still poor
     
    I do apologise for the pause, but we seem to have lost pictures from Donetsk at the moment.
     
    25:28
    Panarin skates away free on the left flank, shoots under the defender in front of him but the puck drifts off target
     
    24:45
    Robitaille! Good combination play on a 3 on 1 breakaway, but the final pass to Robitaille is slightly behind him and he can't shoot cleanly!
     
    24:04
    Dadonov looks for an option by the net, passes it back to the point for Wilson to blast but it sails wide
     
    23:22
    Ilya Kovalchuk who has been quiet so far skates elegantly into the zone, but his attempt is blocked by the defenders around him
     
    22:26
    Kablukov finds himself at the right hand post, but Laco with reasonable ease covers up
     
    21:35
    Wilson! 3 on 2 breakaway for Donbass, Yakutsenia passes the puck to Wilson who unmarked sends the opportunity into Salak's glove!
     
    20:18
    Teemu Laine on the left flank fires the puck wide of Salak's goal, Donbass are already looking more active than they were in the first period
     
    20:01
    Start of 2nd period.
     
    Statistics after the opening period of play-

    Shots (on target)- 9 (7)- 28 (19)
    Faceoffs- 12-14
    Hits- 4-4
    Penalty minutes- 4-2
     
    20:00
    1st period finished.
     
    19:50
    It's been a very entertaining first period and we're now coming up to the end of it
     
    19:12
    Goal for SKA! Laco this time can't do anything! Yury Alexandrov smacks the puck as hard as he can from the point and VIKTOR TIKHONOV tips it in, 1-1! Assists- Yury Alexandrov and Artemiy Panarin
     
    18:17
    Panarin! Kucheryavenko battles for the puck hard, Panarin from inside the crease has two efforts on goal, but somehow the goalkeeper gathers them both!
     
    16:43
    Donbass after scoring their goal already seem happy for SKA to have possession of the puck and for themselves to play counterattacking hockey
     
    16:23
    Evgeniy Ketov send a routine wrister into Laco's glove
     
    15:55
    Laco! Another great save from the Donbass netminder! Makarov is set up on the crease brilliantly by Ponikarovskiy but Laco flashes leather!
     
    14:36
    Kaspar is now back on the ice for the hosts
     
    14:31
    Panarin! Somehow everyone missed him, Dallman feeds him but he can't hit the right hand post!
     
    14:19
    Good position for Thoresen right on the top of the crease with no one in front of him, but Laco is in good form!
     
    13:54
    Dinar Khafizullin goes for a slapshot from the point, and through the traffic Laco manages to see it
     
    13:38
    Kovalchuk waits on the left for the puck, immediately shoots but it comes to nothing
     
    12:36
    It's another penalty against Donbass, this time Lukas Kaspar for high sticking is off to the penalty box
     
    11:21
    And Donbass are now back to full strength
     
    11:20
    Alexandrov! From a good position on the left he only just misses the top right hand corner!
     
    10:52
    SKA can't create anything on the powerplay as yet, Donbass are looking solid
     
    09:21
    Straight after that powerplay goal now SKA have their own chance with a man advantage, Andrey Konev also for interference has been called
     
    08:42
    Goal for Donbass! Salak is unsighted with bodies in front of him and CLAY WILSON manages to tip the puck home, powerplay goal and it's 1-0! Assists- Peter Podkhradskiy
     
    08:10
    For interference Chudinov has been sent to the penalty box, and Donbass have the first powerplay of the night
     
    07:58
    Maxim Chudinov with options around him decides himself to take a shot early, it's strong but off target
     
    07:10
    Really hard and powerful shot from the point from Dmitriy Yudin and Laco beats it away!
     
    06:38
    Alexander Kucheryavenko from about the middle of the zone warms Laco's pads
     
    05:10
    Icing is committed by SKA
     
    04:56
    Donbass are adopting a shoot on sight policy so far, Toryanik grabs hold of the puck on the right, and hits it into Salak's middle
     
    03:31
    Robitaille! He finds himself one on one with Salak, but the goalkeeper stands tall and makes a big save!
     
    03:16
    Podkhraskiy on the right wing shoots into Salak's near post, but for the goalkeeper it isn't hard to deal with
     
    02:47
    The puck comes flying in towards the SKA crease, Petteri Virtanen deflects it with his stick and Salak holds on
     
    01:17
    Cervenka! Unmarked at the top of the crease he takes aim but the puck goes directly into Jan Laco
     
    00:30
    Donbass have the first shot of the game, Piganovich has his effort from the point blocked and SKA clear
     
    00:01
    Game started.
     
    We will now hear the national anthems of the Ukraine and Russia and then we'll be getting underway!
     
    Starting lineups:

    HC Donbass Donetsk: Laco (Leighton)- Kolar, Piganovich, Laine, Fedotenko, Virtanen- Podkhradskiy, Wilson, Dadonov, Nedorost, Yakutsenia- Bartulis, Konev, Kagarlitskiy, Robitaille, Kaspar- Silnitskiy, Toryanik, Belukhin, Zakharov

    SKA St. Petersburg: Salak (Shikin)- Khafizullin, Chudinov, Kovalchuk, Shipachyov, Ketov- Dallman, Alexandrov, Thoresen, Martensson, Cervenka- Ryasensky, Yudin, Panarin, Kucheryavenko, V Tikhonov- Barabanov, M Tikhonov, Ponikarovskiy, Kablukov, Makarov

    Referees: Romasko, Gashilov, Gordenko, Tomilov.
     
    The first game between these two teams this season ended with a 4-2 victory for Donbass in Saint Petersburg.
     
    Donbass have won their last two in a row and four out of their last six, and at home they are a real match for anybody. SKA have been in strange form with three wins out of their last six, but their game recently has been greatly improving.
     
    Good evening everyone, and welcome to Donetsk for this KHL regular championship between Donbass and SKA Saint Petersburg. This promises to be a really close game between two of the best teams in the Western Conference, and it isn't one to miss.
     
    Welcome. Game starts at 18:00.
    Commentary by

    Shaun Nicolaides

    Goals & lineups Match log
    Goals and assists: 9. Wilson (Podkhradskiy), 39. Piganovich (Kagarlitskiy), 48. Kolar (Kagarlitskiy, Robitaille), 50. Fedotenko (Laine) – 20. Tikhonov (Alexandrov, Panarin), 60. Panarin (Tikhonov, Dallman)

    HC Donbass Donetsk: Laco (Leighton)- Kolar, Piganovich, Laine, Fedotenko, Virtanen- Podkhradskiy, Wilson, Dadonov, Nedorost, Yakutsenia- Bartulis, Konev, Kagarlitskiy, Robitaille, Kaspar- Silnitskiy, Toryanik, Belukhin, Zakharov
    SKA St. Petersburg: Salak (Shikin)- Khafizullin, Chudinov, Kovalchuk, Shipachyov, Ketov- Dallman, Alexandrov, Thoresen, Martensson, Cervenka- Ryasensky, Yudin, Panarin, Kucheryavenko, V Tikhonov- Barabanov, M Tikhonov, Ponikarovskiy, Kablukov, Makarov
    Referees: Romasko, Gashilov, Gordenko, Tomilov
    Attendance: 4053