KHL
SKA St. Petersburg – Jokerit 4:1 (end)
final
SKA St. Petersburg
4:1 (0:0, 2:0, 2:1)
Jokerit Helsinki
Friday 10.10.2014, 17:30 • Ice Palace of Saint Petersburg • KHL
     
    There is the final buzzer, and in a nervy encounter SKA Saint Petersburg have got the better of Jokerit Helsinki 4:1! Jokerit had the majority of the chances, but SKA were simply ruthless going forward themselves. Ilya Kovalchuk grabbed a brace for himself while Viktor Tikhonov and Artemiy Panarin also got on the scoreboard for SKA, and Jokerit could only reply with Steve Moses scoring. Thanks for following the game with us, and see you again soon for more thrilling KHL action! (19:46:02)
     
    60:00
    Game over.
     
    59:51
    The final seconds are now upon us with SKA heading towards a superb 4:1 triumph on home ice!
     
    59:23
    Artemiy Panarin showing some flashy move tricks his way to the left of the crease, backhands it across but no one can get to it! Jokerit's head have dropped now!
     
    58:01
    Tony Martensson tests Riku Helenius' reactions out from deep, and the goaltender is alert to the danger and flashes leather. SKA have been so deadly today, their tactics have worked off perfectly!
     
    56:51
    Kovalchuk! SKA's captain fantastic, who already has four points to his name today, almost had his hat trick! Cunningly cutting in from the left wing Ilya Kovalchuk winds up, but with Riku Helenius panicking it sails wide of the far post!
     
    55:39
    Goal for SKA!
    That is surely that now! Clever and simply beautiful build up play deep inside Jokerit's zone ends with ARTEMIY PANARIN smashing in from the left faceoff circle, and this time he hits the target! Powerplay goal and it's 4:1! Assists- Vadim Shipachyov and Ilya Kovalchuk
     
    55:28
    Out of almost nothing SKA have a very important powerplay here to practically kill the game! Jokerit's Juhamatti Aaltonen has been penalised for slashing, and his coach doesn't look very happy about that!
     
    55:03
    Alexander Kadeikin gets in a bit of a mess right by his own blue line, but eventually his teammates help him out to clear. And then Jokerit's Steve Moses bursts into the zone, wrists in early and Evgeniy Ivannikov effectively bats it up and out of play!
     
    53:08
    The visitors drift offside. You can expect SKA to hand them the initiative again as we slowly make our way to the finish line, any goal now could prove vital!
     
    51:53
    Panarin! Artemiy Panarin is picked out steaming down to the right hand post, but all alone he sweeps it wide of the far corner! He's always so lively!
     
    50:11
    Jokerit will have a bit of belief now, SKA can't afford to relax at all, a two goal margin isn't that solid!
     
    49:33
    Goal for Jokerit!
    Evgeniy Ivannikov will be disappointed to see his shutout hopes be chucked out the door! STEVE MOSES opts to take on a powerful effort just off the right faceoff circle, and it sears high into the roof of the net! Powerplay goal and it's 3:1! Assists- Daine Todd
     
    48:35
    The visitors have been gifted a way back into things here though, as SKA's Yury Alexandrov has been punished for slashing
     
    46:23
    Jokerit really have it all to do now! SKA have been simply ruthless with their scoring chances, that's why they're at the top of the league!
     
    45:54
    Goal for SKA!
    That might just be the crucial goal for the hosts, the Saint Petersburg Ice Palace has exploded with joy! VIKTOR TIKHONOV finds a hole skating on to the tip of the slot, and his wrister goes right through Riku Helenius and in! It's 3:0! Assists- Dmitriy Kalinin and Ilya Kovalchuk
     
    45:46
    And Jokerit are now back at full strength, they can't afford to collect any more penalties if they want to give themselves a chance!
     
    45:23
    Ville Lajunen for Jokerit though finds room on a pacy shorthanded counterattack, slaps in from the high slot but home defenders charge it down at source!
     
    43:46
    And the home captain has managed to win a very useful powerplay for his team, as Jokerit's Jere Karalahti has been sent to the penalty box for tripping!
     
    42:51
    Ilya Kovalchuk finds himself with almost a two on one down the right wing, but visiting defencemen push him out wide just in time as he was shaping to shoot! He's been inspirational for SKA so far!
    Commentary by

    Shaun Nicolaides

    Goals & lineups Match log
    Goals and assists: 27. Kovalchuk (Ivannikov, Yudin), 34. Kovalchuk, 46. Tikhonov (Kalinin, Kovalchuk), 56. Panarin (Shipachyov, Kovalchuk) – 50. Moses (Todd)

    SKA St. Petersburg: Ivannikov (Salak)- Kalinin, Ryasensky, Kovalchuk, Ericsson, Tikhonov- Y Alexandrov, Kuteikin, Panarin, Shipachyov, Dadonov- Chudinov, Belov, Thoresen, Martensson, Cervenka- Ermakov, Yudin, Ponikarovskiy, Kadeikin, Ketov
    Jokerit Helsinki: Helenius (Karlsson)- Gunderson, Lajunen, Hagman, Kapanen, Aaltonen- Ohtamaa, Karalahti, Huhtala, McLean, Maki- Jaakola, Todd, Omark, Koukal, Moses- Vaananen, Sallinen, Hahl
    Referees: Tobias Bjork, Roman Gofman, Sergey Misyur, Stanislav Raming