PET 4:3 VLD | SKA St. Petersburg - Admiral Vladivostok (KHL)

KHL

Champions League

SKA St. Petersburg – Admiral

4:3 (end)

final

SKA St. Petersburg

4:3 (0:1, 2:2, 2:0)

Admiral Vladivostok

Tuesday 23.09.2014, 17:30 • Ice Palace of Saint Petersburg • KHL

		The final buzzer has now sounded, and in a simply pulsating encounter SKA Saint Petersburg have dramatically seen off Admiral Vladivostok on home ice 4:3! That's SKA's eighth win in a row at the start of the season equalling the existing record, and they did it the hardest way possible! Konstantin Sokolov, Richard Gynge and Niclas Bergfors put the visitors three to the good, before Artemiy Panarin, Viktor Tikhonov, Patrick Thoresen and Yury Alexandrov gave SKA a hard earned win. Thanks for following the game with us, and see you again soon for more exciting KHL action! (20:20:01)
	60:00	Game over.
	59:51	We're now into the final seconds with SKA heading for an incredible eight victory in a row! It's been an absolute thriller today!
	59:21	SKA are defending for their lives here, this is brilliant stuff from the hosts! Admiral can't even swap their goalkeeper for the extra skater as the hosts keep it down the other side of the rink! And the hosts are very relieved to be back at full strength!
	57:43	Evgeniy Ivannikov does well to keep the puck out as it was blasted it from the point! It will be seriously hard for SKA to hang on here!
	57:08	And that has very quickly turned into a five on three for Admiral, what a terrible time for SKA to collect such penalties! Dmitriy Kalinin is the guilty party for high sticking
	56:42	Despite not being able to get anything going at all Admiral have got a very timely powerplay here, as SKA's Anton Belov has been called for tripping!
	54:39	Dinar Khafizullin steaming in to the left of the crease tucks the puck away past the goaltender! But no, the SKA defenceman has been adjudged to have kicked it in and we play on at 4:3!
	53:55	Anton Belov pinned up against the right hand boards lashes the puck in on net, and Ivan Nalimov is pleased to see that fly wide blocker side! That was hit with some power!
	52:49	Roman Cervenka hanging behind the net dishes the onrushing Tony Martensson on the doorstep, but he can't stuff it under the goaltender as he was skating in with some speed!
	51:23	Bergfors! The visitors could have burst SKA's bubble there! Richard Gynge behind the net feeds the open Niclas Bergfors directly by the right hand post, but Evgeniy Ivannikov does really well to get something on it!
	49:31	Maxim Chudinov being pressed up against the boards finds room to skate around the net to the left, but visiting defencemen crowd him out. SKA keep on upping the pace!
	46:21	Just after scoring that fourth marker it's a two on one as Evgeniy Dadonov sprints down the right wing, opts to shoot himself but Ivan Nalimov gets something on it! Admiral are rocking, they just can't keep up with their opponents' speed at all!
	45:33	Goal for SKA! Wow! What a stunning comeback this is turning out to be from the hosts! All of a sudden they're leading! YURY ALEXANDROV takes aim from the point, and it crawls through everyone and into the net! It's 4:3! Assists- Alexey Ponikarovskiy and Ilya Kablukov
	45:01	Tikhonov! Viktor Tikhonov escapes the entire Admiral defence, but going with the backhand one on one he can't find the target! SKA are overflowing with adrenaline now!
	44:36	Goal for SKA! What brilliant character SKA are showing, and from three down they're back on level terms! Ivan Nalimov can't hold on to the puck as it's thrown in from the right faceoff circle, and PATRICK THORESEN is on hand to tap home from point blank range! It's 3:3! Assists- Anton Belov and Roman Cervenka
	44:27	Belov! Making an opening for himself Anton Belov sneaks in down the left wing, looks for the right hand corner but his dangerous effort gets deflected up and out of play!
	43:23	SKA have been gifted a fantastic powerplay opportunity to bring themselves, as for hooking Ilya Zubov of Admiral has been handed a two minute minor!
	43:15	The puck is dumped into the slot high by Viktor Tikhonov, but no one is there and it's comfortable for the goalkeeper to collect
	41:11	Panarin! Skating devilishly all the way around the net to the left of the crease Artemiy Panarin looks to catch out the netminder, but Ivan Nalimov is alert!
	40:23	Alexander Kucheryavenko escapes his marker, wrists in from between the circles but its directly into Ivan Nalimov's midriff
	40:08	The third and deciding period is go! SKA having got the deficit right down to one will be feeling positive about their chances!
	40:01	Start of 3rd period.
		Statistics after the first 40 minutes of play: Shots: 44-40 Shots on target: 31-26 Faceoffs: 27-20 Hits: 20-27 Penalty minutes: 6-6
	40:00	2nd period finished.
	39:28	It's now the final seconds of the second period with a thrilling third lying in store!
	38:05	The visitors can't get out of their own zone, they've lost their rhythm completely! SKA are piling on the pressure as much as they can with high tempo pressing!
	36:48	And Admiral have taken a seriously well needed timeout! After starting to look comfortable three to the good the visitors are starting to fall apart, SKA can smell blood!
	36:48	Goal for SKA! All of a sudden SKA have woken up, the Saint Petersburg Ice Palace has erupted! VIKTOR TIKHONOV with defenders in front of him takes aim, and it's too strong for the goalkeeper! It's 2:3! Assists- Andrey Kutekin and Ilya Kovalchuk
	35:17	Goal for SKA! Finally the visitors break through the stubborn Ivan Nalimov! Battling away for the puck ARTEMIY PANARIN on his knees smashes in the puck on the left flank, and it flies high into the near corner! It's 1:3! Assists- Evgeniy Dadonov
	34:16	Goal for Admiral! Admiral are lethal with their chances today! NICLAS BERGFORS twists around moving to the left faceoff circle, and his wrister sneaks through the netminder and in! Powerplay goal and it's 0:3! Assists- Richard Gynge
	33:55	The visitors are now themselves going on the powerplay, as Dmitriy Kalinin of SKA has been called into the penalty box for tripping
	32:56	Cervenka! SKA simply have to put such chances away! Roman Cervenka charges away clean through, but Ivan Nalimov makes a stunning glove save to deny him! He really is having some game today!
	32:26	Admiral's Denis Osipov is left all alone by the home defence, he takes aim quickly looking for the goalkeeper's blocker side but Evgeniy Ivannikov gets across to deny him
	31:45	SKA are having chance after chance but Ivan Nalimov is not giving the hosts anything to cheer about! And Admiral are at full strength
	30:53	Anton Belov is set up just past the right faceoff circle, but Ivan Nalimov near post is on his game
	29:45	SKA need something to go their way and they've got a very timely powerplay now, Alexey Ugarov of Admiral has been called into the penalty box for holding
	29:02	Belov! Twisting around the net to the right hand post Anton Belov attempts a wraparound, but the angle is against him and he can't force it over the line! The goal was gaping!
	27:33	Just as Jan Kolar whacks the puck into the slot for the goaltender to cover SKA come back to full strength. The hosts have to find their game again at already two down!
	27:03	A testing and very dangerous wrist shot is fired in from the left faceoff circle, Evgeniy Ivannikov loses sight of it for a second and he does well to eventually kick it out wide! Admiral are starting to take charge here!
	25:33	SKA are visibly starting to get frustrated and they've picked up a needless penalty here, as forward Roman Cervenka has been handed a two minute minor for hooking
	24:46	Goal for Admiral! Out of nothing Admiral double their money! Yury Alexandrov makes a terrible mistakes by the left hand boards, and RICHARD GYNGE is free to cut in and get the better of Evgeniy Ivannikov! It's 0:2"!
	23:13	That powerplay didn't last for long though! Admiral's Enver Lisin has received the visitors' first penalty, as he had been punished for hooking
	23:04	Sigaryov! Logan Pyett dumps in the puck from the point, and with Evgeniy Ivannikov all over the place Andrey Sigaryov lurking on the left of the slot can't get it out of his stick! But the visitors have earned a powerplay, as Dmitriy Yudin of SKA has been penalised for holding
	21:17	Niclas Bergfors for Admiral muscles his way past his opponent, takes on a wrister from a tight angle on the right and that's comfortable for the netminder to take
	20:52	Panarin! Artemiy Panarin turns sharply in speeding down the left. takes on the shot in space but Ivan Nalimov at the second attempt covers it up!
	20:18	Jan Kolar skates just in past the blue line, takes on a wrist shot from deep but that's right down Evgeniy Ivannikov's throat
	20:11	Here we go in the second stanza! SKA will be looking to convert their chances into goals!
	20:01	Start of 2nd period.
		Statistics after the first period: Shots: 26-18 Shots on target: 19-11 Faceoffs: 12-8 Hits: 11-14 Penalty minutes: 0-2
	20:00	1st period finished.
	19:49	Thoresen! He should really have made it a tied game there! Patrick Thoresen on a two on one down the right flank shoots himself, but he contrives to miss the target!
	19:41	It's now the final seconds of a very pacy opening period of play
	18:46	Admiral have noticeably been growing in confidence and that goal should calm them down even more, SKA have lost a bit of their tempo!
	17:24	Goal for Admiral! Despite being under so much pressure the visitors are ahead! On a cutting counterattack KONSTANTIN SOKOLOV is teed up between the circles, and he clinically rips it past the netminder and into the right hand corner! It's 0:1! Assists- Niclas Bergfors
	15:12	Artemiy Panarin pulls out to the right of the crease, flashes it across but the waiting Evgeniy Dadonov can't make firm contact
	13:21	Viktor Tikhonov closing down from deep wrists in on net, but Ivan Nalimov glove side fends it off
	13:10	Admiral commit icing as they look to keep the play well away from their zone
	12:42	Cervenka! Roman Cervenka steals the puck off his opponent at the tip of the slot, he lays Ivan Nailmov on the floor but he can't lift it over him! The Admiral goaltender is already starting to work miracles!
	11:41	Gynge! What a chance for Admiral to take the lead against the run of play! A pass across the crease from the left picks out the open Richard Gynge practically on the goal line, but somehow Evgeniy Ivannikov shuts the door!
	11:29	The hosts are dumping the puck into the slot constantly and Ivan Nalimov is not being given a break at all! And he has to again spread himself big to kill the danger
	09:39	SKA had plenty of chances to test Ivan Nalimov during that Admiral penalty but the visitors are now back at full strength
	08:04	Yury Alexandrov slaps in from the point, and on the rebound Evgeniy Dadonov on the spin comes inches away from finding the left hand corner! SKA have got set up deep inside their opponent's zone right away!
	07:39	Just after Tony Martensson passed up an excellent opportunity on the doorstep the hosts have earned a powerplay for themselves, Admiral's Jan Kolar has been called for tripping
	06:38	Jan Kolar thumps in the puck first time coming in off the right hand boards, but Evgeniy Ivannikov sees it all the way and confidently kicks it away!
	05:42	Tony Martensson and Patrick Thoresen battle away for the loose puck on the doorstep, the latter tries to roll it across to the open Roman Cervenka by the right hand post but a sprawling Ivan Nalimov cuts it out!
	04:26	That was a bit more difficult for the netminder though! Directly off the draw the puck trickles on to the slot, and with bodies all around him somehow Evgeniy Ivannikov, sliding on his back, fends it off!
	04:20	Evgeniy Ivannikov fields a weak rising wrister from the left faceoff circle and he takes no risks with freezing
	03:25	Admiral aren't seeing an awful lot of the puck as we expected but they are counterattacking with decent pace especially down the right
	01:51	Shipachyov! The hosts are already putting the heat on! Slipping in from the right wing Vadim Shipachyov finds himself one on one all of a sudden, but the netminder somehow denies him! That was a fantastic opening!
	00:44	Panarin! SKA have the first chance of the day as Artemiy Panarin strips his opponent of the puck at the high slot, wrists hard but Ivan Nalimov reacts to it well!
	00:32	Off we go inside the Saint Petersburg Ice Palace, and the home fans are really up for this one!
	00:01	Game started.
		The teams are now out on to the ice, and it's time to get underway!
		Starting lineups: SKA St. Petersburg: Ivannikov (Salak)- Kalinin, Khafizullin, Kovalchuk, Kucheryavenko, Tikhonov- Y Alexandrov, Kuteikin, Panarin, Shipachyov, Dadonov- Chudinov, Belov, Thoresen, Martensson, Cervenka- Yudin, Ermakov, Ponikarovskiy, Kablukov, Ketov Admiral Vladivostok: Nalimov (Ahonen)- Davydon, Kolar, Ugarov, Zubov, Lisin- Pyett, Osipov, Gynge, Goroshanskiy, Bergfors- Zemenok, Kuzmin, Makarov, Sigaryov, Sokolov- Kozhokin, Vladislav Ushenin, Vyacheslav Ushenin, Gorshkov Referees: Sergey Belyaev, Mikhail Buturlin, Dmitriy Sivov, Sergey Shelyanin.
		SKA made the Western Conference semi finals last term, but will be looking to improve on that this time around, Admiral made the KHL playoffs in their first ever season, and they will want to build on such a positive campaign.
		The new KHL season has gotten underway with both teams hopeful of an excellent season, and SKA have been fantastic so far. A perfect record of seven wins out of seven is something to shout about, and they just keep on getting better. It's going to be a tough test for Admiral, especially when you see that they have lost all four away games so far this season.
		Good evening and welcome to this KHL regular championship match between SKA Saint Petersburg and Admiral Vladivostok. These two have been in rather contrasting form so far this season, but it's never easy for SKA against Admiral.
		Welcome. Game starts at 17:30.

Commentary by

Shaun Nicolaides

Goals & lineups Match log

Goals and assists: 36. Panarin (Dadonov), 37. Tikhonov (Kuteikin, Kovalchuk), 45. Thoresen (Belov, Cervenka), 46. Alexandrov (Ponikarovskiy, Kablukov) – 18. Sokolov (Bergfors), 25. Gynge, 35. Bergfors (Gynge)

SKA St. Petersburg: Ivannikov (Salak)- Kalinin, Khafizullin, Kovalchuk, Kucheryavenko, Tikhonov- Y Alexandrov, Kuteikin, Panarin, Shipachyov, Dadonov- Chudinov, Belov, Thoresen, Martensson, Cervenka- Yudin, Ermakov, Ponikarovskiy, Kablukov, Ketov

Admiral Vladivostok: Nalimov (Ahonen)- Davydov, Kolar, Ugarov, Zubov, Lisin- Pyett, Osipov, Gynge, Goroshanskiy, Bergfors- Zemenok, Kuzmin, Makarov, Sigaryov, Sokolov- Kozhokin, Vladislav Ushenin, Vyacheslav Ushenin, Gorshkov

Referees: Sergey Belyaev, Mikhail Buturlin, Dmitriy Sivov, Sergey Shelyanin

Attendance: 11718

Třinec – Tappara	1:2 (end)	\|	Pardubice – Bolzano	1:3 (end)	\|	SaiPa – Zug	3:0 (end)
JYP – HV71	4:3 (2:0 after SO)	\|	Villach – Genève	0:5 (end)	\|	Eisbären – Fribourg	0:2 (end)
Mannheim – Sparta	3:2 (after OT)	\|	Ingolstadt – Vitkovice	4:5 (2:3 after SO)	\|	Zürich – Vienna	2:1 (after OT)
Bern – Stavanger	0:2 (end)	\|	Kloten – Salzburg	0:2 (end)	\|	Färjestad – Vålerenga	4:1 (end)
Luleå – Lukko	3:1 (end)	\|	Djurgården – Berani Zlín	8:0 (end)	\|	Nottingham – Hamburg	3:1 (end)

1st period
	07:39
	17:24
1st intermission
2nd period
	23:04
	23:13
	24:46
	25:33
	29:45
	33:55
	34:16
	35:17
	36:48
2nd intermission
3rd period
	43:23
	44:36
	45:33
	56:42
	57:08
Final