KHL
Khabarovsk – Salavat Yulaev 2:3 (end) | Traktor – SKA St. Petersburg 2:6 (end) | HC Sochi – Avtomobilist 6:3 (end)
final
Amur Khabarovsk
2:3 (0:1, 1:2, 1:0)
Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Monday 15.09.2014, 10:00 • Platinum Arena • KHL
     
    The final buzzer has now sounded, and Salavat Yulaev Ufa have held on for a hard fought 3:2 win over Amur Khabarovsk on the road! They struggled defensively, but they were clinical enough in the attack to take all three points. Antti Pihlstrom netted a brace for the visitors while Ivan Vishnevskiy also found the net, and for Amur Jesse Niinimaki and Sergey Peretyagin replied. Thanks for following the game with us, and join me again later for Traktor Chelyabinsk against SKA Saint Petersburg in the KHL! (12:22:24)
     
    60:00
    Game over.
     
    59:51
    The hosts just can't get set up in the attacking zone and Salavat are heading for a very tense 3:2 victory!
     
    59:11
    Amur are now back at full strength and have pulled their goalkeeper for the extra skater, it's the last throw of their dice1
     
    58:38
    Kirill Koltsov wrists into the danger zone on the right faceoff circle, but under pressure Sergey Borisov kicks it away to keep his team in it!
     
    57:11
    What an untimely penalty here for Amur to pick up! They've burst their own bubble as for tripping Mikhail Zheleznov has been punished, much to the anger of the home fans!
     
    54:23
    Salavat commit icing as they look to keep the puck well away from their zone
     
    53:45
    Hartikainen! Seconds after Dmitriy Makarov was stoned when one on one Teemu Hartikainen on the doorstep is somehow denied by Sergey Borisov who flashes leather beautifully! That could be such an important save!
     
    52:39
    Dubrovskiy! Salavat always look more alert after conceding! Egor Dubrovskiy off balance at the tip of the slot sees his wrist shot trickle wide of the right hand post! It promises to be a frantic finish here!
     
    51:43
    Goal for Amur!
    It's been coming, Amur are simply piling on the pressure and Vladimir Sokhatskiy can't keep them out all the time! SERGEY PERETYAGIN winds up from distance, and it travels through everyone and into the net! It's game on at 2:3! Assists- Denis Ezhov and Mikhail Fisenko
     
    49:38
    Alexander Yunkov shielding the puck away from his defenders makes a wonderful and unstoppable drive to the net cutting in from the right wing, but up close he can't squeeze away an effort on goal!
     
    48:36
    It's a full strength game again with Salavat starting to seriously hang on! Amur know that they can get at their opponents' defence!
     
    47:50
    Taimi! Tommi Taimi slaps in with all his might from the blue line, but the goalkeeper's pads get in the way! The noise inside the Platinum Arena is getting louder again!
     
    46:36
    The penalties are building up somewhat in this period! Now it's Salavat to collect one, as Teemu Hartikainen has been sent for a two minute sit down for high sticking
     
    46:26
    No one has a clue where the puck is as Dmitriy Makarov barges his opponents out of the way skating really sharply on to the slot from a tight angle on the right, but Sergey Borisov just about covers!
     
    45:35
    Things are going from bad to worse for Amur now! Seconds after Sergey Borisov made a fantastic glove save again the hosts are going to be stuck in their own zone, as Jesse Niinimaki has been punished for tripping!
     
    44:54
    Yunkov! Shorthanded Alexander Yunkov has a very promising chance for himself but Vladimir Sokhatskiy kicks away his low wrister from point blank range blocker side!
     
    43:36
    Vishnevskiy! Ivan Vishnevsky between the circle goes for a delicate first time slapshot, but it's right down the netminder's throat!
     
    43:22
    That has very promptly become a Salavat five on three! Tommi Taimi for slashing has been penalised, and it's a great chance for the visitors to maybe put the game away!
     
    42:13
    Amur haven't helped their cause here as they're going on the penalty kill, Evgeniy Kurbatov has been handed a two minute minor for interference
     
    42:11
    Syomin! Dmitriy Syomin takes a very unexpected wrister on moving in from the right faceoff circle, and with Sergey Borisov unsure it smashes wide of the near post!
     
    41:23
    Ruslan Bashkirov finds some room at the high slot, opts for a high wrist shot but it gets deflected up and out of play
     
    40:23
    Vladimir Sokhatskiy fields a dump into his crease from deep and doesn't take any risks with freezing. Without a doubt he's been Salavat's star man so far making some wonderful saves!
     
    40:11
    The third and deciding period is underway! Amur will have been very disappointed to have conceded that late second stanza goal, and Salavat are in the box seat!
     
    40:01
    Start of 3rd period.
     
    Statistics after the opening 40 minutes of play:

    Shots: 37-35
    Shots on target: 21-27
    Faceoffs: 25-23
    Hits: 7-5
    Penalty minutes: 10-14
     
    40:00
    2nd period finished.
     
    39:41
    Goal for Salavat Yulaev!
    Just before the buzzer sounds Salavat find what could be a crucial third goal! Class approach play frees up ANTTI PIHLSTROM to the left of the doorstep, and with the netminder out of position he slides it into the net! It's 1:3! Assists- Kirill Koltsov
     
    39:31
    Both teams are of course back at full strength as a pacy second stanza draws to a close!
     
    37:52
    Rastislav Spirko does a full 360 cutting off the right hand post, flashes it across the face but with bodies everywhere it's shuffled out into the boards and out of danger!
     
    37:02
    Glukhov! Spinning around the net menacingly to the left of the crease Alexey Glukhov attempts a wraparound, but the goalkeeper's pads keep him out!
     
    36:30
    Amur drift offside as they look to once again get set up in Salavat's zone and cause the goaltender problems
     
    35:51
    Sergey Borisov crouched down glove side fields a heavy Alexey Kaygorodov slapshot from distance and does well not to give up any rebounds
     
    34:23
    You have to say that Amur deserve that goal for all of their pressure, and we'll see if that goal will wake Salavat up after falling asleep with scoring their second!
     
    33:58
    Goal for Amur!
    Finally for the first time in two games Amur are on the board! A looping wrist shot from the left faceoff circle loops up into the air, and battling away for it at the right hand post JESSE NIINIMAKI bundles it home! Powerplay goal and it's 1:2! Assists- Tommi Taimi
     
    33:36
    It's no a four on three for Amur though, as Dmitriy Makarov of the visiting team has been sent to have a two minute sit down for tripping!
     
    33:20
    We have a double penalty here, as Denis Tolpeko of Salavat has been called for simulation and Amur's Evgeniy Kurbatov for interference
     
    33:00
    A well needed timeout has now been taken by Salavat, after going two to the good they seem to have lost their way a bit!
     
    32:50
    Now it's Vyacheslav Litovchenko's turn to try his luck, he brilliantly fools his opponents finding room on the right faceoff circle but he can only find the netminder's chest! Amur are seriously going for it!
     
    32:00
    Sokhatskiy! Just how did he keep that out! The puck is bouncing all around the slot, Ruslan Bashkirov with a seemingly easy task of hitting the net with the goalkeeper down and out gets something on it, but somehow Vladimir Sokhatskiy shuts the door! He's a goalkeeper in form!
     
    31:01
    Jesse Niinimaki sprints down the left flank showing good power and strength, but his wrister looking for the near corner is taken solidly by Vladimir Sokhatskiy
     
    29:48
    The visitors' cause has been helped now however as Anton Slepyshev skates out from the penalty box
     
    29:41
    Dmitriy Tarasov slaps in first time from just behind the doorstep, but he lashes it past the right hand post! This is good pressure though from Amur!
     
    28:24
    Taimi! Tommi Taimi fires in a wrist shot from the blue line, and with the goalkeeper spinning around everywhere no one can make a telling touch with the puck loose!
     
    27:44
    Salavat have been guilty of giving away needless penalties today so far and here's another, Anton Slepyshev has been called for slashing
     
    26:28
    The pace has really picked up now! Salavat waste a two on one opportunity down the right flank, and seconds later at the other end Vladimir Sokhatskiy has to make a sprawling save glove side as the puck was wristed with danger from the high slot!
     
    25:31
    And immediately after that a mad goalmouth scramble erupts on Amur's crease, but somehow it stays out! The hosts are looking ragged slightly defensively now!
     
    24:53
    Goal for Salavat Yulaev!
    Their powerplay is working very well today as Salavat double their money! Patient and clever build up play is finished by IVAN VISHNEVSKIY who slaps in from the high slot, and the puck goes right through Sergey Borisov! Powerplay goal and it's 0:2! Assists- Kirill Kolstov
     
    23:59
    Amur are now finding themselves on the penalty kill, as Mikhail Fisenko has been punished for tripping against his opponent
     
    22:34
    Alexander Stepanov with second try gets a fierce wrister away from between the circles, and despite players all around him Sergey Borisov manages to get his body in the way!
     
    22:00
    Both teams once again have five players on the ice as those penalties expire
     
    21:29
    Just as Rastislav Spirko wrists into the goalkeeper's blocker Andrey Zubarev looks in real pain after being fallen on top of! But as the Salavat medical team see to him he looks in shape to carry on!
     
    21:07
    Koltsov! Kirill Koltsov jinking his way on to the crease finds himself with only the goalkeeper to beat by the right hand post, but he takes too long making a decision on what to do!
     
    20:41
    Rastislav Spirko as soon as he moves beyond the blue line slaps in with real power, and after it cannons off the boards Vladimir Sokhatskiy dives on it glove side
     
    20:15
    The second set of 20 minutes is underway! And remember for 02:00 it's a four on four hockey game after that late first period fight!
     
    20:01
    Start of 2nd period.
     
    Statistics after the first period:

    Shots: 15-16
    Shots on target: 8-14
    Faceoffs: 10-14
    Hits: 4-2
    Penalty minutes: 4-6
     
    20:00
    Just as the buzzer sounded Amur's Marcel Hascak dropped the gloves with Anton Slepyshev of Salavat! But just before it got nasty the referees stepped in, and handed both players penalties for the start of the second stanza!
     
    20:00
    1st period finished.
     
    19:37
    It's already now the final seconds of a lively opening period of play!
     
    18:01
    Egor Dubrovskiy cuts in down the right beating his defenders for pace, takes on an early wrist shot but Sergey Borisov is right behind that
     
    17:22
    Stanislav Katsuba finds the rolling puck to the left of the net, whacks it across the face of goal first time but he doesn't connect as he would have wanted and it's cleared!
     
    17:01
    Niinimaki! Teed up with a behind the back feed Jesse Niinimaki closes down from the left wing, attempts to catch the goalkeeper out near post but Vladimir Sokhatskiy is alert to the danger!
     
    16:03
    The visitors are putting on the pressure more and more but Amur are now back to full strength as they will want to move the game out of their own zone!
     
    15:36
    Kaygorodov! Left all alone lurking by the right of the crease Alexey Kaygorodov is dished with a clever cross ice diagonal, but he contrives to slap high and wide! That was a real chance to make it two!
     
    14:51
    Evgeniy Skachkov cuts with pace to the high slot, but with Sergey Borisov panicking slightly he thumps it wide of the right hand post!
     
    14:03
    The numbers have alreay been evened up though, as Stanislav Katsuba of Amur has been penalised for
     
    13:27
    Peretyagin! Slapping in from the point with the goaltender unsighted Sergey Peretyagin isn't far away from finding the left hand corner at all!
     
    13:06
    They've been gifted a powerplay already though to get back into things! Salavat's Ivan Lekmotsev has been sent to the penalty box for hooking
     
    12:35
    Amur won't be happy at all about conceding, and to have any chance of getting some points they now have to do something that they didn't do yesterday- score!
     
    10:31
    Goal for Salavat Yulaev!
    It didn't take long for the visitors to take advantage of that opportunity! Kirill Koltsov flashes the puck into the slot from the point, and peeling in from the right ANTTI PIHLSTROM twists around with it and beats the goalkeeper! Powerplay goal and it's 0:1! Assists- Kirill Koltsov and Alexey Kaygorodov
     
    10:02
    Salavat will now have their first powerplay, as Amur's Evgeniy Kurbatov has been handed a two minute minor for checking from behind
     
    09:50
    Mikhail Fisenko sniffing around for a juicy rebound off a low slapper from distance hacks away for it, but the netminder at the second attempt freezes!
     
    09:06
    Salavat did most of the attacking themselves on that penalty kill and they're at full strength again
     
    07:11
    Ivan Lekomtsev shorthanded for Salavat buys his team some time skating to a tough angle on the left, wrists but Sergey Borisov fends it off!
     
    07:06
    The hosts are putting the pressure on very well deep in their opponents' zone and they've earned themselves another powerplay, Alexander Stepanov has been punished for holding
     
    06:36
    Sergey Borisov in the Amur net has to make a very awkward looking save with his mask off a high wrister from the left of the crease, that didn't look easy!
     
    05:34
    Just as Marcel Hascak thought that he was charging away clean through the referees blow for offside, much to the dismay of the Platinum Arena!
     
    04:51
    Alexander Yunkov with whip smashes the puck across the face of goal from just past the right faceoff circle, and the goalkeeper has to be alert to pad it wide!
     
    04:01
    From the blue line the puck is dumped into the slot, but Vladimir Sokhatskiy comfortably sweeps it up for his first save of the day
     
    03:53
    The visitors looked very solid killing that penalty and they're back at full strength
     
    02:48
    Kirill Safronov with heavy traffic in front of him wrists it into the slot, but before it can sneak through Salavat defenders hack it clear!
     
    01:53
    We already have the first penalty of the game and it's against Salavat, Igor Skorokhodov has been called for tripping
     
    01:27
    Antti Pilhlstrom picking up the loose puck swings to the right. lays it back to Andrey Zubarev but instead of taking aim he picks out a pass and it comes to nothing! That was the wrong decision!
     
    00:48
    Dmitriy Makarov gets busy making early trouble inside Amur's zone, but cutting in sharply off the right he falls on top of the goaltender before he can shoot!
     
    00:13
    Here we go! Salavat looked excellent yesterday and they'll be wanting to carry on the good work!
     
    00:01
    Game started.
     
    The teams are now being presented to the crowd, and after the anthem of the Russian Federation we'll be getting underway!
     
    Starting lineups:

    Amur Khabarovsk: Borisov (Bolshakov)- Safronov, Taimi, Yunkov, Spirko, Tarasov- Ezhov, Peretyagin, Niinimaki, Miklik, Hascak- Kurbatov, Teryaev, Fisenko, Lugin, Katsuba- Dekalo, Bashkirov, Litovchenko, Zheleznov

    Salavat Yulaev Ufa: Sokhatskiy (Koval)- Lekomtsev, Kutuzov, Tolpeko, Makarov, Hartikainen- Vishnevskiy, Heikkinen, Syomin, Dubrovskiy, Skorokhodov- Zubarev, Koltsov, Pihlstrom, Kaygorodov, Skachkov- Vasilevskiy, Stepanov, Glukhov, Slepyshev

    Referees: Yakov Deev, Alexey Ravodin, Andrey Matyusha, Evgeniy Petrov.
     
    Amur failed to make the KHL playoffs last season, but a complete club rebranding and serious strengthening has increased optimism that this year could be different. Their opponents Salavat on the hand made the Eastern Conference final last term, and they are always amongst the big hitters.
     
    In only the sixth game of the season so far, incredibly this is already the third time that Amur and Salavat are playing against each other. Amur won away in Ufa 5:3 before Salavat squared things up with a 2:0 in Khabarovsk yesterday, and today promises to be a very interesting encounter. Overall today's hosts have five points, whereas Salavat are one ahead on six.
     
    Good morning and welcome to this KHL regular season match between Amur Khabarovsk and Salavat Yulaev Ufa. These two played against each other yesterday, and the home side will be looking to extract revenge.
     
    Welcome. Game starts at 10:00.
    Commentary by

    Shaun Nicolaides

    Goals & lineups Match log
    Goals and assists: 34. Niinimaki (Taimi), 52. Peretyagin (Ezhov, Fisenko) – 11. Pihlstrom (Koltsov, Kaygorodov), 25. Vishnevskiy (Koltsov), 40. Pihlstrom (Koltsov)

    Amur Khabarovsk: Borisov (Bolshakov)- Safronov, Taimi, Yunkov, Spirko, Tarasov- Ezhov, Peretyagin, Niinimaki, Miklik, Hascak- Kurbatov, Teryaev, Fisenko, Lugin, Katsuba- Dekalo, Bashkirov, Litovchenko, Zheleznov
    Salavat Yulaev Ufa: Sokhatskiy (Koval)- Lekomtsev, Kutuzov, Tolpeko, Makarov, Hartikainen- Vishnevskiy, Heikkinen, Syomin, Dubrovskiy, Skorokhodov- Zubarev, Koltsov, Pihlstrom, Kaygorodov, Skachkov- Vasilevskiy, Stepanov, Glukhov, Slepyshev
    Referees: Yakov Deev, Alexey Ravodin, Andrey Matyusha, Evgeniy Petrov
    Attendance: 5600