KHL
Avtomobilist – SKA St. Petersburg 1:5 (end)
final
Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
1:5 (0:3, 0:1, 1:1)
SKA St. Petersburg
Thursday 11.12.2014, 15:00 • KRK Uralets • KHL
     
    The final buzzer has now sounded, and SKA Saint Petersburg have claimed a classy 5:1 victory on the road against Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg! They were dominant from start to finish, and didn't come about any problems whatsoever. Vadim Shipachyov, Artemiy Panarin, Patrick Thoresen, Anton Burdasov and Evgeniy Ketov all struck, with Ilya Arkalov grabbing Avtomobilist's consolation. Thanks for following the game with us, and see you again soon for more pulsating KHL action! (17:21:35)
     
    60:00
    Game over.
     
    59:46
    With the puck flying from one end to another with no real attempts on goal being seen the final seconds have arrived, and SKA are cruising to a well needed 5:1 in Yekaterinburg!
     
    55:29
    Home defenceman Nikita Tryamkin lurks back at the point, flashes in a slapshot, and with no one getting any sort of touch on it Mikko Koskinen comfortably pushes it out of danger
     
    54:18
    Avtomobilist commit icing. Both sets of players are visibly playing out time now, there really is no intrigue left at all in this one!
     
    53:10
    Already time is ticking by with the hosts running out of ideas, whereas SKA look as though they can improve at any needed moment! They have shown what they are made of today!
     
    51:03
    SKA are very cleverly keeping possession and in the process killing the game, the KRK Uralets is not the loudest of arenas at the moment!
     
    48:33
    Eduard Lewandowski beats his opponent for pace racing away on the left flank, fires in on net, and Mikko Koskinen does his confidence some good flicking it up and out of play
     
    48:10
    The win has to be safe for SKA now, they won't be willing to throw away a four goal lead with so little time left!
     
    46:31
    Goal for SKA!
    That was just what the visitors needed! EVGENIY KETOV is off balance closing in on the right, and his wrister still has too much pace on it for Igor Ustinskiy! It's 1:5! Assists- Vadim Shipachyov
     
    45:45
    Ilya Kovalchuk blocker side does a full 360 from distance, still manages to get an effort away, and a defender looks to block it before it can get to the netminder. SKA have to be careful not to lose their way having conceded!
     
    44:12
    Goal for Avtomobilist!
    Out of nothing the hosts have got on the board! With Mikko Koskinen completely unsighted ILYA ARKALOV tries his luck from the left faceoff circle, and it flies all the way through and in! It's 1:4! Assists- Nikita Tryamkin
     
    43:51
    Mikhnov! That was surely Avtomobilist's best opportunity of the day! Alexey Mikhnov tricks his way down the right wing, however from point blank range he fails to lift the puck over Mikko Koskinen with the backhand!
     
    43:15
    We can indeed inform you by the way that Avtomobilist goaltender Jakub Kovar has been pulled, with young KHL debutant Igor Ustinskiy taking his place!
     
    41:18
    Mikko Koskinen is the first goalkeeper to make a save in the frame, as on his knees blocker side he does well to solidly field a low teasing wrist shot up close
     
    41:10
    The third and deciding period has begun! Avtomobilist have a seriously high mountain to climb, and they have to rely on SKA collapsing!
     
    40:01
    Start of 3rd period.
     
    Statistics after the first two periods:

    Shots: 31-35
    Shots on target: 16-23
    Faceoffs: 11-19
    Hits: 17-11
    Penalty minutes: 2-4
     
    40:00
    2nd period finished.
     
    39:47
    The Avtomobilist head coach can be seen hanging his head in anguish on the bench, his team are going down horribly today! And the second period is drawing to its close, with SKA having their opponents exactly where they want them!
     
    38:57
    Goal for SKA!
    It's simply a masterclass from SKA at times! Alexander Kadeikin pokes the puck to ANTON BURDASOV moving to the left faceoff circle, and he beautifully goes waterbottle on the goaltender! It's 0:4! Assists- Alexander Kadeikin and Ilya Kablukov
     
    38:23
    Mikko Koskinen has something to do here, as he comfortably gloves an Alexander Nesterov rising wrister falling up against the left hand boards. The home fans are still sticking with their team, trying to fire their heroes up constantly
     
    37:54
    Artemiy Panarin works the puck back to the blue line, Dmitriy Kalinin dumps a slapshot, and Jakub Kovar's body bails his team out with attackers all around him
     
    35:22
    They didn't come under any pressure during that time though, and it's a five on five hockey game again. SKA's penalty kill is working a lot more effectively today than usual, Mikko Koskinen is receiving help from his defencemen
     
    33:22
    SKA have collected a second penalty against their names here now, as their captain Ilya Kovalchuk has been penalised for holding
     
    33:05
    Chudinov! Maxim Chudinov is allowed to pull down the right on his own, he fakes a slapper, jumps to the left of the crease, and in the end simply can't shoot in time!
     
    32:03
    Jakub Kovar crouched down blocker side solidly collects in a potentially dangerous backhander. He already has six shutouts this campaign, however he will be disappointed to having conceded three so far today
     
    31:08
    Lepisto! Home defenceman Sami Lepisto swings away from his opponent to the left faceoff circle, fires with power, and Mikko Koskinen watches it travel not a million miles away from the far post
     
    29:44
    Alexander Nesterov of Avtomobilist moves slightly offside as it was almost a two on one breakaway for his team. They are finding openings hard to come by, as SKA's defence is looking more solid
     
    28:08
    Anton Belov brilliantly takes his opponent out of the game sliding on the left, whips it to the free Roman Cervenka, and the latter can only wrist it into Jakub Kovar's midriff!
     
    27:06
    Avtomobilist couldn't find any real shooting opportunities, and their opponents are back at full strength. If they want to give themselves any hope today, they have to show a lot more aggression!
     
    26:51
    Burdasov! Shorthanded he could have had a fourth for SKA! Dmitriy Kalinin piledrives down he left flank, he's all alone, feeds Anton Burdasov far post, and Jakub Kovar shows excellent reactions to fend it off!
     
    25:06
    SKA have picked up their first punishment of the day here! Defenceman Maxim Chudinov has been found guilty of tripping, and it's a perfect chance for the hosts to give their fans something to cheer about!
     
    23:15
    It's been quite a calm beginning to the period, Avtomobilist are being given more space in which to skate, although they can't stay in SKA's zone for too long
     
    21:14
    The second stanza is go! SKA have the game only in their own hands, however there is still a long way to go!
     
    20:01
    Start of 2nd period.
     
    Statistics after the opening period of play:

    Shots: 12-15
    Shots on target: 7-12
    Faceoffs: 6-8
    Hits: 10-6
    Penalty minutes: 2-0
     
    20:00
    1st period finished.
     
    19:51
    The first period is now drawing to its close, with SKA very satisfied having scored three unanswered goals to get going!
     
    18:15
    The referee has his arm up and it's for a penalty against Avtomobilist, as for hooking Egor Zhuravlyov has been handed a two minute minor
     
    17:13
    Tempers start to rise here! SKA forward Vadim Shipachyov has been flattened by an Avtomobilist defenceman, and his teammates aren't happy about that at all! However no penalty has been called on the play
     
    16:01
    Maxim Chudinov thumps the puck with force on the blue line, and despite heavy traffic piling up in front of him forlorn goaltender Jakub Kovar kicks it out
     
    15:07
    Eduard Lewandowski sees the rolling puck fall at his stick at the high slot, he takes a slap at it, and it cannons past the left post! This is better from Avtomobilist now!
     
    13:40
    Bumagin! That was an opportunity for the hosts! Alexander Bumagin speeds down the right wing, winds up for a huge slapper, and Mikko Koskinen makes an excellent catch to deny him!
     
    12:29
    Mikko Koskinen in SKA's net has been practically a spectator so far, he isn't having a lot to do as the puck is not in his zone very often
     
    10:36
    A very well needed timeout has been taken by Avtomobilist, it's very early on but they're being blown away, and have to do something to change the tide!
     
    10:36
    Goal for SKA!
    They're completely running away with it already! A flowing clever move picks out PATRICK THORESEN charging down to the right of the crease, and he makes no mistake! It's 0:3! Assists- Tony Martensson and Roman Cervenka
     
    10:06
    Goal for SKA!
    SKA are feeling very much at home here in Yekaterinburg! ARTEMIY PANARIN takes aim moving to the right faceoff circle, and his wrister takes Jakub Kovar by surprise! It's 0:3! Assists- Vadim Shipachyov
     
    09:07
    Now the hosts get something going as the puck is splayed across the slot from the right, and with Mikko Koskinen preparing himself for a shot it sails all the way through into the boards!
     
    07:12
    The puck is being held by only the visitors so far, that early goal has enabled them to take complete control already, with Avtomobilist not creating anything as yet
     
    05:30
    Anton Burdasov finds room by the right hand boards to chuck the puck in on net, and after a tricky looking deflection the netminder jumps up in the air to catch it in rather spectacular fashion
     
    03:41
    SKA's Evgeniy Ketov wriggles free between the circles peeling in off the left, wrists devilishly, and Jakub Kovar does well to beat it away with his blocker
     
    02:40
    What a terrible start that is for Avtomobilist, that is just what they didn't need! SKA are immediately controlling the puck well, keeping it deep inside their opponents' zone
     
    00:56
    Goal for SKA!
    That penalty shot was executed perfectly! VADIM SHIPACHYOV skates in with pace, and goes high on Jakub Kovar blocker side! It's 0:1!
     
    00:56
    Off we go in Yekaterinburg! And straight away we have the first penalty of the game, and it's a penalty shot for SKA! Vadim Shipachyov was chopped down when charging free, and the referee has indicated a penalty shot!
     
    00:01
    Game started.
     
    The teams are now emerging out on to the ice, and after the Russian national anthem we'll be getting underway!
     
    Starting lineups:

    Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg: Kovar (Ustinskiy)- Viklund, Lepisto, Polushaj, Popov, Lazarev- Metlyuk, Antonov, Bumagin, Rybakov, Simakov- Loginov, Gusev, Mikhnov, Lewandowski, Nesterov- Tryamkin, Zhuravlyov, Komarov, Arkalov, Gareev

    SKA St. Petersburg: Koskinen (Ivannikov)- Chudinov, A Belov, Kovalchuk, Ericsson, Ponikarovskiy- Y Alexandrov, Kuteikin, Panarin, Shipachyov, Ketov- Kalinin, Rukavishnikov, Thoresen, Martensson, Cervenka- Ermakov, N Belov, Burdasov, Kadeikin, Kablukov

    Referees: Alexey Belov, Roman Schenyov, Eduard Metalnikov, Alexander Sirotkin.
     
    Last campaign Avtomobilist made the first round of the Gagarin Cup playoffs, with SKA going one better making the quarterfinals.
     
    Avtomobilist have never been recognised as one of the KHL's big hitters, however they have been surpirsing many again this campaign, currently in seventh place of the Eastern Conference, and coming off a shocking 4:0 thrashing of Finnish giants Jokerit Helsinki. SKA on the other hand have lost their last five away encounters, and are slipping further and further behind CSKA Moscow in second of the overall KHL standings.
     
    Good afternoon and welcome to this KHL regular season match between Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg and SKA Saint Petersburg. On paper SKA should take the three points, but they're coming up against opponents in excellent form.
     
    Welcome. Game starts at 15:00.
    Commentary by

    Shaun Nicolaides

    Goals & lineups Match log
    Goals and assists: 45. Arkalov (Tryamkin) – 1. Shipachyov (p.s.), 11. Panarin (Shipachyov), 11. Thoresen (Martensson, Cervenka), 39. Burdasov (Kadeikin, Kablukov), 47. Ketov (Shipachyov)

    Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg: Kovar (Ustinskiy)- Viklund, Lepisto, Polushaj, Popov, Lazarev- Metlyuk, Antonov, Bumagin, Rybakov, Simakov- Loginov, Gusev, Mikhnov, Lewandowski, Nesterov- Tryamkin, Zhuravlyov, Komarov, Arkalov, Gareev
    SKA St. Petersburg: Koskinen (Ivannikov)- Chudinov, A Belov, Kovalchuk, Ericsson, Ponikarovskiy- Y Alexandrov, Kuteikin, Panarin, Shipachyov, Ketov- Kalinin, Rukavishnikov, Thoresen, Martensson, Cervenka- Ermakov, N Belov, Burdasov, Kadeikin, Kablukov
    Referees: Alexey Belov, Roman Schenyov, Eduard Metalnikov, Alexander Sirotkin
    Attendance: 5570