PET 7:1 CHA | SKA St. Petersburg - Amur Khabarovsk (KHL)

KHL

Champions League

SKA St. Petersburg – Khabarovsk

7:1 (end)

final

SKA St. Petersburg

7:1 (2:0, 2:1, 3:0)

Amur Khabarovsk

Tuesday 02.12.2014, 17:30 • Ice Palace of Saint Petersburg • KHL

		Welcome. Game starts at 17:30.
		Good evening and welcome to this KHL regular season match between SKA Saint Petersburg and Amur Khabarovsk. SKA are clear favourites in which to take the three points today, although it won't be easy for them at all.
		SKA have recovered well from a patchy run of form lately, and have won their past two games in this home series 6:2 against Metallurg Novokuznetsk and 5:4 against Sibir. Their opponents today Amur have start picking up results in the last few weeks, and despite lying in 14th place of the Eastern Conference, are only eight points off a play-off spot.
		Last season SKA made it all the way to the Western Conference semi finals, whereas Amur failed to make it to the post-season.
		Starting lineups: SKA St. Petersburg: Ivannikov (Shestyorkin)- Y Alexandrov, Kuteikin, Kovalchuk, Ericsson, Tikhonov- Kalinin, Rukavishnikov, Panarin, Shipachyov, Dadonov- N Belov, Ermakov, Thoresen, Martensson, Cervenka- Yudin, Kablukov, Ponikarovskiy, Kadeikin, Burdasov Amur Khabarovsk: Borisov (Bolshakov)- Taimi, Mantyla, Lugin, Fisenko, Tarasov- Loginov, Velikov, Miklik, Shafigulin, Hascak- Ezhov, Peretyagin, Orlov, Spirko, Yunkov- Teryaev, Bashkirov, Litovchenko, Zheleznov, Kolienko Referees: Yury Oskirko, Alexander Soin, Sergey Morozov, Ivan Nazarov.
		The Russian national anthem has now sounded, and we're all ready to go!
	00:01	Game started.
	00:31	Goal for SKA! What a fantastic start from SKA, who take a very early lead! A goalmouth scramble erupts as JIMMIE ERICSSON hacks away at it to the right of the slot, and it eventually goes in! It's 1:0! Assists- Viktor Tikhonov
	01:47	Amur are all over the place early on and now a penalty has been called against them, as for hooking Maxim Velikov has been called
	03:10	And that's very promptly turned into a SKA five on three! Now Amur defenceman Denis Ezhov has been punished for slashing, in turn putting his team in real trouble!
	03:28	Goal for SKA! SKA weren't going to let that opportunity go to waste! Neat build up play tees up ROMAN CERVENKA on the right faceoff circle, and he thrashes it in first time! Powerplay goal and it's 2:0! Assists- Patrick Thoresen and Dmitriy Kalinin
	08:18	SKA are playing at a simply fanatic pace here, wow! The shots are raining down on visiting goalkeeper Sergey Borisov, and he's having trouble getting in the way of them!
	09:40	Evgeniy Ivannikov in SKA's net hasn't had an awful lot to do as yet, but here he makes a neat mask save off a wrister from the left wing. Amur can't get out of their own zone, as they're being pressed so powerfully by SKA!
	10:11	Ponikarovskiy! Alexey Ponikarovskiy battling down on to the slot from distance breaks directly down the middle, looks to take the netminder out of the game, and in the end squeezes it wide of the left hand post!
	11:11	Viktor Tikhonov is set up neatly crashing on to the doorstep, takes a whack at it, it's padded out and by the right post Roman Cervenka's rebound is somehow stopped by the goalkeeper's glove! SKA look pumped up beyond belief!
	12:09	Another penalty has been called here and yet again it's against the struggling visitors, as for holding Tuukka Mantyla has been handed a two minute minor
	13:08	Shipachyov! Vadim Shipachyov is left all alone on a tight angle on the right, he looks to go near corner, and Sergey Borisov gets across just in time to cover!
	13:54	Roman Cervenka hangs with the puck for what seems an age on the left flank, eventually opts to wrist it in with Jimmie Ericsson lurking, and it doesn't have enough power to cause any problems
	14:13	Amur are now back at full strength, they certainly can't afford to take any more fouls if they want to make their hosts nervous!
	15:45	SKA debutant Nikolay Belov drives into the attacking zone from the neutral zone, takes on a wristed effort from distance, and it's comfortably sticked away
	17:31	The game has slightly calmed down now after such a frenetic beginning, Amur are trying their best to keep the puck well away from their opponents as long as they can
	18:23	Tony Martensson speeds away on a pacy SKA breakaway down the left, swings it cross ice to Roman Cervenka, and the latter can only thrash it wide of the far post! That was a real chance to already make it three!
	18:51	Vladimir Loginov pulls to the blue line, fires in with traffic in front of Evgeniy Ivannikov, however the SKA goaltender still sees it all the way to freeze
	19:08	Miklik! What a chance to out of the blue bring Amur to within one! Mikel Miklik wriggles himself free to the left of the crease, the puck falls at his stick, and he thumps it into Evgeniy Ivannikov's shoulder who deflects it up and out of play!
	19:58	It's now already the final seconds of a monstrous first period from SKA who came out all guns blazing!
	20:00	1st period finished.
		Statistics after the opening period of play: Shots: 28-12 Shots on target: 21-7 Faceoffs: 16-3 Hits: 6-6 Penalty minutes: 0-6
	20:01	Start of 2nd period.
	20:18	The second stanza is go here! SKA were completely dominant during the opening frame, but can't afford to lose their way!
	22:34	Ermakov! Wonderful build up play sets Andrey Ermakov thundering down on to the high slot, and the young defenceman gets his attempt all wrong when all on his own!
	24:08	The referee has his arm up for the first penalty of the second period and unsurprisingly it's gone against Amur, as Denis Ezhov has been penalised for high sticking
	25:05	Goal for SKA! The hosts are so ruthless today! Opposing goalkeeper Sergey Borisov is taken out by his right hand post, the puck is pushed back to the point, and ILYA KOVALCHUK slaps in with force! Powerplay goal and it's 3:0! Assists- Evgeniy Dadonov and Vadim Shipachyov
	28:01	Kadeikin! Anton Burdasov crashes past his opponents on the left, brilliantly feeds it across the face of goal, and Alexander Kadeikin appears to miss an already open goal! I've already lost count of how many openings the hosts have had!
	28:26	Evgeniy Ivannikov makes his first save for a very long time here, as crouched down blocker side he clings on to what looked a dangerous looking backhander close up
	28:51	Rukavishnikov! Roman Rukavishnikov gets the better of his opponents for sheer pace, has room on the left faceoff circle, and is stoned by Sergey Borisov's glove!
	29:36	Goal for SKA! Wow, that really was a thing of beauty! ANTON BURDASOV powers around the net to the right post, and beautifully stuffs his wraparound in catching the goalkeeper unawares! It's 4:0! Assists- Roman Cervenka and Alexander Kadeikin
	31:13	The Amur fans inside the Saint Petersburg Ice Palace are looking rather deflated, they're watching their team crash and burn against an immaculate SKA side today!
	32:50	Evgeniy Ivannikov takes in a rebound on his knees glove side, and then at the other end Roman Cervenka finishes off a flowing play hacking off target on the doorstep! Every time SKA look as though they will score when attacking!
	33:08	Rastislav Spirko looks to be almost falling up against the left hand boards, he still manages to dump it in on net, and the netminder sweeps it up expertly
	34:05	Tikhonov! Viktor Tikhonov digs out the puck when falling around on the right, he closes down, and smacks the far post with Sergey Borisov already beaten all ends up!
	36:30	Alexey Ponikaorvskiy jinks around by the boards on the right, wrists with a defender in front of him, and the netminder catches solidly. It's hard to describe just how SKA are dominant here, they've got too much for their opponents in all departments!
	36:54	Goal for Amur! Out of nothing Amur are all of a sudden on the board! MICHEL MILIK opts to feed the puck across from the right of the crease, but after a number of telling deflections it trickles beyond Evgeniy Ivannikov! Assists- Grigoriy Shafigulin and Marcel Hascak
	38:31	The Ice Palace has been silenced here after that goal, Evgeniy Ivannikov also looks a bit disappointed with seeing his shutout hopes go out the window!
	39:55	The second period is now coming to its end, with SKA still fully in control here up by three goals!
	40:00	2nd period finished.
		Statistics after the first two periods: Shots: 52-22 Shots on target: 37-15 Faceoffs: 29-10 Hits: 13-16 Penalty minutes: 0-8
	40:01	Start of 3rd period.
	41:06	The third, and most probably final, period has now begun! That goal back would have given Amur hope, but they still have a huge task on their hands!
	42:16	Dmitriy Lugin tripping himself up at the point to the left forces the puck through to the crease, and at the second attempt Evgeniy Ivannikov covers. It's been a quiet beginning to events, as the tempo has noticeably been lowered
	44:08	Jimmie Ericsson peels behind the net from down the right wing, neatly rolls it back for Ilya Kovalchuk to slap, and the SKA captain's cannon is fielded solidly by Sergey Borisov
	44:53	Evgeniy Dadonov almost took the entire Amur defence there with a cutting break from the right, and he's earned a powerplay for his team, as Tommi Taimi has been penalised for slashing
	45:52	Kalinin! Dmitriy Kalinin firstly thumps into the netminder's chest from the blue line, and then edges the puck wide of the far post when all alone on the right faceoff circle!
	46:54	Goal for SKA! Just as Amur came back to full strength SKA grab their fifth! Roman Cervenka twists and turns at the high slot, and his wrister is expertly deflected in by JIMMIE ERICSSON! It's 5:1! Assists- Dmitriy Kalinin and Roman Cervenka
	49:01	Hascak! Amur had a very promising opportunity to take their second goal there! The puck is splayed across to the far left hand post, and Evgeniy Ivannikov is forced to make a brilliant pad save from Marcel Hascek at point blank range!
	49:38	Goal for SKA! SKA are well and truly running away with it now! The visiting defence forgets all about VADIM SHIPACHYOV between the circles, and he gives Sergey Borisov absolutely no chance! It's 6:1! Assists- Evgeniy Dadonov
	50:01	And immediately afterwards Patrick Thoresen bullies his way clean through one on one, but he can't fire beyond the emerging goalkeeper! Amur have forgotten about playing in defence today!
	50:54	The forlorn Amur seem to have given up now and they've picked up another penalty, as again Denis Ezhov is the guilty party for holding
	51:00	That has turned into a five on three powerplay already just like earlier on! Amur forward Rastislav Spirko is the one to be punished, this time for interference!
	52:54	Artemiy Panarin plays a flashy one two play with Evgeniy Dadonov hanging by the left hand post, and with two attempts he fails to bury it in the net!
	53:00	Goal for SKA! Amur already had five players on the ice again, but that doesn't even stop the on fire hosts! Tony Martensson swings to the right of the crease, dishes to PATRICK THORESEN open on the doorstep, and the latter has an easy task of scoring! It's 7:1! Assists- Tony Martensson
	56:25	SKA have played at the highest level from start to finish today, and have three and a half minutes to score some more, they really could have already had over ten today!
	56:57	It's also worth pointing out that the Saint Petersburgers haven't got one penalty minute against their names at all yet, if of course it stays that way though
	57:01	Tuukka Mantyla winds up from the point for the visitors, and with few bodies blocking his view Evgeniy Ivannikov comfortably emerges to cover
	58:28	Sergey Peretyagin of the visitors completely smashes into SKA's Alexey Ponikarovskiy, sending the forward flying on to his chest and struggling to move! That was some hit! And for roughing in a bust up after that Dmitriy Yudin has been punished, meaning that SKA have after all picked up a penalty!
	59:51	Despite that call SKA are still coasting, and heading towards a brilliant 7:1 triumph on home ice!
	60:00	Game over.
		There is the final buzzer, and SKA Saint Petersburg have seen off Amur Khabarovsk 7:1 in sparkling style! The hosts were simply impeccable today, showing some beautiful hockey. Jimmie Ericsson with a double, Roman Cervenka, Ilya Kovalchuk, Anton Burdasov, Vadim Shipachyov and Patrick Thoresen all netted for SKA, while Michel Miklik grabbed Amur's consolation. Thanks for following the game with us, and see you again soon for more pulsating KHL action! (21:43:55)

Commentary by

Shaun Nicolaides

Goals & lineups Match log

Goals and assists: 1. Ericsson (Tikhonov), 4. Cervenka (Thoresen, Kalinin), 26. Kovalchuk (Dadonov, Shipachyov), 30. Burdasov (Cervenka, Kadeikin), 47. Ericsson (Kalinin, Cervenka), 50. Shipachyov (Dadonov), 53. Thoresen (Martensson) – 37. Miklik (Shafigulin, Hascak)

SKA St. Petersburg: Ivannikov (Shestyorkin)- Y Alexandrov, Kuteikin, Kovalchuk, Ericsson, Tikhonov- Kalinin, Rukavishnikov, Panarin, Shipachyov, Dadonov- N Belov, Ermakov, Thoresen, Martensson, Cervenka- Yudin, Kablukov, Ponikarovskiy, Kadeikin, Burdasov

Amur Khabarovsk: Borisov (Bolshakov)- Taimi, Mantyla, Lugin, Fisenko, Tarasov- Loginov, Velikov, Miklik, Shafigulin, Hascak- Ezhov, Peretyagin, Orlov, Spirko, Yunkov- Teryaev, Bashkirov, Litovchenko, Zheleznov, Kolienko

Referees: Yury Oskirko, Alexander Soin, Sergey Morozov, Ivan Nazarov

Attendance: 12150

Lukko – Luleå	2:5 (end)	\|	SaiPa – Kärpät	0:2 (end)	\|	IFK Helsinki – Frölunda	2:1 (end)
Linköping – Skellefteå	1:2 (end)

1st period
	00:31
	01:47
	03:10
	03:28
	12:09
1st intermission
2nd period
	24:08
	25:05
	29:36
	36:54
2nd intermission
3rd period
	44:53
	46:54
	49:38
	50:54
	51:00
	53:00
	58:28
Final